Basketball, the rest of the year

[msstate7]

Obviously, my expectations for this year were too high. I really like our core of players though and think next year can finally be our break through year. In our last 7 games though, I just want to see 2 things...

1. Better defense. We have to start seeing progress here. If we wanna get back to the tourney next year, I really believe we've got to start picking up the man-to-man defense bc obviously howland won't play anything else.

2. Beat OM and lsu. Those 2 wins would make us 16-14... a winning season. I'd love to beat more of our last 7 opponents, but they're all obviously better than us.

If we can finish the year with a winning season and finally showing progress defensively, I'll be happy with season.

[Bucky Dog]

And another thing I want to see is us not starting every game off sluggish and getting behind by double digits in the first half. Have some energy and play pressure D from the start. Also, make those extra passes on O early and not settle for 3's.

[MzTerry]

Obviously, my expectations for this year were too high. I really like our core of players though and think next year can finally be our break through year. In our last 7 games though, I just want to see 2 things...

1. Better defense. We have to start seeing progress here. If we wanna get back to the tourney next year, I really believe we've got to start picking up the man-to-man defense bc obviously howland won't play anything else.

2. Beat OM and lsu. Those 2 wins would make us 16-14... a winning season. I'd love to beat more of our last 7 opponents, but they're all obviously better than us.

If we can finish the year with a winning season and finally showing progress defensively, I'll be happy with season.

I agree w/ most of what you said other than "they are all obviously better than us." We are better than LSU. We are the equivalent of OM & UGA. Yes, OM blew us out, and I will give them credit for that, but so did UT & we turned around and beat them at home. OM has more experience, but we have more talent - same w/ UGA imo. Florida is hot - that one could hurt, but at least we get them at home. I wish we could reverse the @ USC and USC @ home games because I think the 28th will be I.J.'s first game back - I think USC is vulnerable if Holman snaps out of it. BAMA was able to have success against them by playing physical. Vandy is probably better than us, but they aren't playing much better than we are right now. Maybe I.J. comes back a game earlier than I expect, and we see some renewed energy against Vandy.

I think we can win 4 more - @UGA, v OM, v LSU, & 1 of v SC, @ SC, @ Vandy. I think three is more likely. I would be surprised if we only one two more. Let's get I.J. back and get some steam rolling for the SEC tourney.

[msstate7]

I agree w/ most of what you said other than "they are all obviously better than us." We are better than LSU. We are the equivalent of OM & UGA. Yes, OM blew us out, and I will give them credit for that, but so did UT & we turned around and beat them at home. OM has more experience, but we have more talent - same w/ UGA imo. Florida is hot - that one could hurt, but at least we get them at home. I wish we could reverse the @ USC and USC @ home games because I think the 28th will be I.J.'s first game back - I think USC is vulnerable if Holman snaps out of it. BAMA was able to have success against them by playing physical. Vandy is probably better than us, but they aren't playing much better than we are right now. Maybe I.J. comes back a game earlier than I expect, and we see some renewed energy against Vandy.

I think we can win 4 more - @UGA, v OM, v LSU, & 1 of v SC, @ SC, @ Vandy. I think three is more likely. I would be surprised if we only one two more. Let's get I.J. back and get some steam rolling for the SEC tourney.

Phrased it wrong... besides lsu and om, the rest of our opponents are clearly better than us

[MetEdDawg]

This team does exactly what we should have expected. Play hard but inconsistently. We are the second youngest team in all of college basketball. We are good for stretches and bad for stretches. Next year we should see a lot more consistency. But we were at best an NIT team if everything fell into place.

Next year is the year we are an NCAA tournament team. Lot of returning minutes plus we add two high profile recruits. This year isn't a waste, but we were at best NIT. We are what we should have realistically expected.

[maroonmania]

Play hard but inconsistently.

Very inconsistently in that we never start any game playing hard or with any urgency. We seem to only play hard when we realize we are about to get embarrassed especially on the defensive end.

[smootness]

I like the progress we've seen from Herard, and Kegler is starting to assert himself more and be more of a factor. We're going to be very good next year. Our starting lineup will be much improved, as will our entire bench. The defense will come, we have the intensity there at times, it just wanes way too much. I think the added experience, time in the offseason to continue to gel, and strength/conditioning work will make us much better there.

[thf24]

Everything we've seen on offense was expected from the beginning. Young guys pushing to make something happen when shots aren't falling, which isn't a good thing to combine with inexperience. I hated to see Q get bitched out on here last night because he's no exception. It's easy to forget in light of our team being so young that he's only a sophomore himself, being thrust into the role of being both our go-to scoring option and the unquestioned leader of this team with Ready out. That's a lot to put on the shoulders of a second year guy who got to fly under the radar with minimal pressure and expectations last year. He's learning along with everyone else and will be better for it next year.

The defense, on the other hand, is concerning. It doesn't take experience to put in effort on defense. Maybe we can chalk it up to poor focus when things aren't going well on offense, but if so that's something Howland should have gotten under control by now. I'd also like to think some of it is due to still trying to learn how to play good defense under the nit-picky and horribly inconsistent officiating of the past two years, but that doesn't quite hold water since there's another team on the floor that's (usually) equally subjected to it.

[smootness]

Everything we've seen on offense was expected from the beginning. Young guys pushing to make something happen when shots aren't falling, which isn't a good thing to combine with inexperience. I hated to see Q get bitched out on here last night because he's no exception. It's easy to forget in light of our team being so young that he's only a sophomore himself, being thrust into the role of being both our go-to scoring option and the unquestioned leader of this team with Ready out. That's a lot to put on the shoulders of a second year guy who got to fly under the radar with minimal pressure and expectations last year. He's learning along with everyone else and will be better for it next year.

The defense, on the other hand, is concerning. It doesn't take experience to put in effort on defense. Maybe we can chalk it up to poor focus when things aren't going well on offense, but if so that's something Howland should have gotten under control by now. I'd also like to think some of it is due to still trying to learn how to play good defense under the nit-picky and horribly inconsistent officiating of the past two years, but that doesn't quite hold water since there's another team on the floor that's (usually) equally subjected to it.

Defense is prone to the same lapses and swings as offense. Effort is obviously crucial on offense, and it hasn't been consistent from us, but people always overlook things like positioning, communication, and focus (which you did mention) on that side, and they're all extremely important. We've seen that we can play defense very well at times, so I expect the consistency to pick up quite a bit next year.

[Tbonewannabe]

Defense is prone to the same lapses and swings as offense. Effort is obviously crucial on offense, and it hasn't been consistent from us, but people always overlook things like positioning, communication, and focus (which you did mention) on that side, and they're all extremely important. We've seen that we can play defense very well at times, so I expect the consistency to pick up quite a bit next year.

I think a lot of that can be contributed to being young and battling injuries all year. It seems like we have never had the entire roster healthy. I just hope we can get into some kind of post season just to get more practice. Everywhere Howland has gone, it is the 3rd year that he makes a big jump. Hopefully next year we can make some noise in the tourney.

[preachermatt83]

Vandy is down to like 7 players. We better hang with them.

[msstate7]

Vandy is down to like 7 players. We better hang with them.

And they blasted Arkansas at Arkansas with those 8 players last night.

[thedawg]

I am ignorant on the subject but how much of a pipe dream is the NIT for us? Would we have to like win out to get there?

[BulldogBacker]

Some points which may or may not be salient. 1. Peters played shooting guard in high school, he is still learning to play the point. He is also still struggling with a hip pointer. 2. Most of the freshmen on this team played on wide open offensive teams which did not emphasize defense. Some of them are still learning to move their feet. 3. Schider Herard is a "baby" in terms of his development, he will continue to improve by leaps and bounds. 3. Against Auburn, Q may have played his best game. 4. Holman is very much improved over last year. He put on 20 pounds, but is still developing his body. I think the long season and having to bang with stronger opposition has worn him down a little. Give him time.

[msstate7]

I am ignorant on the subject but how much of a pipe dream is the NIT for us? Would we have to like win out to get there?

Bout as likely as a meth head on a 3-month tear of having $100 in his pocket

[BeardoMSU]

This team does exactly what we should have expected. Play hard but inconsistently.

This^^^^

We show flashes, but that's what it is....short flashes. Youth is hard to overcome.

[smootness]

I am ignorant on the subject but how much of a pipe dream is the NIT for us? Would we have to like win out to get there?

Yes, we would just about have to win out.

[Dawgology]

At this point I would like to see us just play close the rest of the games and not get into a 20 pnt deficit within the first 10 minutes. These next three games will be brutal and I fully expect to get skull drug in every one of them. Will probably not watch them.

[Dawg61]

I'd like to see Aric Holman never shoot another 3 again and for Howland to rip on the refs unmercifully for the rest of the year. We are getting absolutely raped by the officials in every game.

[WPS]

And they blasted Arkansas at Arkansas with those 8 players last night.

With one of their starters suspended