Basketball observations..

[Liverpooldawg]

I went last night. I thought the crowd, while obviously small, wasn't bad when compared to historical attendance for mid-week games during Christmas break. It's obvious that our crowd has forgot how to act during the last few years. To their credit they did get into it when the team made a run at the end.

As for the team, it sucks to say this but they just aren't very good right now. The most disappointing thing last night was that they got out worked on their home floor. They never matched ETSU's energy on either end of the floor. I don't know what the class mix for ETSU was but I don't think it was a bunch of freshmen and sophomores. That showed. It is obvious that, for now, we go as Q goes. A lot of decent teams, and ETSU is a decent team, are going to be able to frustrate him like we saw last night. The only way to free him up is for the others to step up. Our lack of an inside game is killing us. ETSU was defending the three point line like maniacs but letting a lot of the penetration gonot so contested because they knew that we weren't going to hurt them inside. Expect to see that a lot more till we develop some semblance of an inside game. On defense our energy level was abysmal. We were not fighting through pics and screens and we we switching off late. ETSU did a good job of creating mismatches and open looks because of that. That last sequence summed up the defensive end to a T. The only criticism I would have of Howland was continuing to let IJ inbound the ball. That's going to have to change I think. Howland can only do so much till these guys figure out exactly just how intense they have to play every night out. It would also help if the bigs figure things out. Unfortunately they are a lot like offensive linemen, it just takes time.

[Big4Dawg]

Any guy who played last night for ETSU was a senior or junior. If you look at their team, they have 0 sophomore and 1 freshmen. wow

[MetEdDawg]

This is the kind of team that needs a rhythm. I think the more they play the better they are. They don't need long periods of time to think. They just need to ball. Getting 10 days off from games was not good for this group.

Think it's time to go back to the drawing board on us taking off that amount of time during exams and break. We lost to UMKC last year after I believe an 11 day layoff from games during this same period of time. Now we lose to ETSU after a 10 day break. Think we have to consider making a change there.

The lack of box out on the last play sums up what we lack. Killer instinct, win at all costs mentality. We aren't there. It's clear we have talent, but they just don't know how to play together yet and don't know what playing hard looks like. That's the biggest adjustment for talented kids. Have to work a lot harder on the college level and ours just aren't there yet. Like you said, it's gonna take time.

[Cooterpoot]

I'm not going to lie. I'm a little concerned with the discipline (or lack of) with this team. From kids over-sleeping and missing a game to the lack of effort. Yes, we're young. But that's not an excuse for lack of effort.

[BrunswickDawg]

ETSU has a pretty good history of strong teams over the past 25 years. They are like an old school mid-major. That team would have run us out of the gym 2 years ago.

[ScreenCaptureThis]

I think the team is going to take some time to look the way we all hope they would look at the beginning of the season. For comparison, UK brings in talent that is NBA ready the minute they step on campus, we have talent that is NBA ready in game 1 of year 2. This team will get better, Howland will figure out the combinations that play together well, and roles will start to unfold on the team as the season goes on. I watched ETSU warm up last night and was concerned immediately. That ETSU team is extremely athletic and will most likely win or challenge for their conference title. When Peters was caught and blocked from behind, that should tell you plenty about the speed and athleticism of one of their guys, and there were plenty of other examples.

Plus, as Big4Dawg said, most of their guys had 2 years and at least 5-15lbs on each of our guys, not to mention the complete mismatch on anyone vs. IJ last night. Give this team some time, they will be one of those teams EVERYONE hates to see at the end of the season. We're probably NIT/CBA level right now, but we will give teams FITZ in the SEC tourney.

And anyone that thinks this isn't a better coached team has extreme short term memory. Our shots were off (we were shooting just over 30% from the field in the first half) and we simply did not have good rhythm in the first half, but we came back from 8-10 down to make it a game in the 2nd half. It's not doom and gloom just yet, just be patient.

[Ari Gold]

I went last night. I thought the crowd, while obviously small, wasn't bad when compared to historical attendance for mid-week games during Christmas break. It's obvious that our crowd has forgot how to act during the last few years. To their credit they did get into it when the team made a run at the end.

As for the team, it sucks to say this but they just aren't very good right now. The most disappointing thing last night was that they got out worked on their home floor. They never matched ETSU's energy on either end of the floor. I don't know what the class mix for ETSU was but I don't think it was a bunch of freshmen and sophomores. That showed. It is obvious that, for now, we go as Q goes. A lot of decent teams, and ETSU is a decent team, are going to be able to frustrate him like we saw last night. The only way to free him up is for the others to step up. Our lack of an inside game is killing us. ETSU was defending the three point line like maniacs but letting a lot of the penetration gonot so contested because they knew that we weren't going to hurt them inside. Expect to see that a lot more till we develop some semblance of an inside game. On defense our energy level was abysmal. We were not fighting through pics and screens and we we switching off late. ETSU did a good job of creating mismatches and open looks because of that. That last sequence summed up the defensive end to a T. The only criticism I would have of Howland was continuing to let IJ inbound the ball. That's going to have to change I think. Howland can only do so much till these guys figure out exactly just how intense they have to play every night out. It would also help if the bigs figure things out. Unfortunately they are a lot like offensive linemen, it just takes time.

That's not all on IJ.. if no one screens and the play isn't ran correctly and no one is open it doesn't matter who inbounds the ball..

[trob115]

ETSU is picked 2nd in their conference. They most likely will be a tourney team. We had a lot of missed opportunities last night. We had several missed layups and didn't shoot well from the stripe. The lack of a true center right now is hurting us. We definitely are improved this year as a team and will be dangerous as the year progresses.

I am looking forward to Herard developing as a center. He has potential to be a monster on the block.

And one more thing, Kegler is a walking mismatch. He is going to be fun to watch. He should be a double double machine.

[Liverpooldawg]

That's not all on IJ.. if no one screens and the play isn't ran correctly and no one is open it doesn't matter who inbounds the ball..

True, very true.

[Liverpooldawg]

I think the team is going to take some time to look the way we all hope they would look at the beginning of the season. For comparison, UK brings in talent that is NBA ready the minute they step on campus, we have talent that is NBA ready in game 1 of year 2. This team will get better, Howland will figure out the combinations that play together well, and roles will start to unfold on the team as the season goes on. I watched ETSU warm up last night and was concerned immediately. That ETSU team is extremely athletic and will most likely win or challenge for their conference title. When Peters was caught and blocked from behind, that should tell you plenty about the speed and athleticism of one of their guys, and there were plenty of other examples.

Plus, as Big4Dawg said, most of their guys had 2 years and at least 5-15lbs on each of our guys, not to mention the complete mismatch on anyone vs. IJ last night. Give this team some time, they will be one of those teams EVERYONE hates to see at the end of the season. We're probably NIT/CBA level right now, but we will give teams FITZ in the SEC tourney.

And anyone that thinks this isn't a better coached team has extreme short term memory. Our shots were off (we were shooting just over 30% from the field in the first half) and we simply did not have good rhythm in the first half, but we came back from 8-10 down to make it a game in the 2nd half. It's not doom and gloom just yet, just be patient.

The shots were off for the most part because they were defended well. I was really impressed with the defensive intensity that ETSU brought. You can't always shoot the ball well. You CAN play with intensity on the defensive end every night. That's controllable.

[MarketingBully]

This is the kind of team that needs a rhythm. I think the more they play the better they are. They don't need long periods of time to think. They just need to ball. Getting 10 days off from games was not good for this group.

Think it's time to go back to the drawing board on us taking off that amount of time during exams and break. We lost to UMKC last year after I believe an 11 day layoff from games during this same period of time. Now we lose to ETSU after a 10 day break. Think we have to consider making a change there.

The lack of box out on the last play sums up what we lack. Killer instinct, win at all costs mentality. We aren't there. It's clear we have talent, but they just don't know how to play together yet and don't know what playing hard looks like. That's the biggest adjustment for talented kids. Have to work a lot harder on the college level and ours just aren't there yet. Like you said, it's gonna take time.

I think the ten day layoff effected us in a very negative way especially since we are so young. A veteran team can take a layoff like that and not have as many issues. We came out flat for the first 30 minutes of a 40 minute game. Our lack of making layups (we missed 3-4 and a dunk) off great interior passes also hurt. Both Ready and Carter had 0 rebounds. ETSU's style of play also had a lot to do with our struggles but with all that stated we got it tied with ten seconds to go. If we didn't have the layoff I'm confident we could have handled them.

I do think we are a better team then what Liverpool is saying and we are just now full strength as Xavian and Ado are practicing with the team. We have Southern Miss who I think we will beat by double digits then get Xavian back for Morehead State on the 22nd. When SEC rolls around, we will be ready.

[MarketingBully]

The shots were off for the most part because they were defended well. I was really impressed with the defensive intensity that ETSU brought. You can't always shoot the ball well. You CAN play with intensity on the defensive end every night. That's controllable.

There were several open shots from the three point line that Q missed last night he normally makes. They didn't defend everything from the perimeter and left several of our guys wide open. We just didn't knock them down. Their main advantage they had early was they would foul our players Would complain and not get back on defense and they had easy transition points. You could say that was the difference in the game because they got at least 10 points doing that. It's the Bruce Pearl/Nolan Richardson defensive way. You foul and foul. The refs won't call them all and if they don't you get easy opportunities on the other end.

[chef dixon]

We are gonna be fine. We got some boys that can flat out hoop. Just keep feeding it inside and let our big guys get reps. It will be frustrating.

[kojak]

Are they encouraging our fans, especially our larger fans, to fold their arms and stay seated?

[MarketingBully]

We are gonna be fine. We got some boys that can flat out hoop. Just keep feeding it inside and let our big guys get reps. It will be frustrating.

With Ado practicing with them now, I think it will really help Datcher and Herard's development.

[BB30]

Yea, we have to develop an interior game. We are extremely athletic and young they will get there and probably finish fairly strong. I don't follow basketball recruiting other than what is posted on here. Question, I know we have some guys with height but do we have anyone that is just all around big. We get pushed around quite a bit underneath the basket. Any lawrence Robert type builds on campus or in the upcoming class? Anyone that will eventually be able to put some weight on?

[chef dixon]

With Ado practicing with them now, I think it will really help Datcher and Herard's development.

If we can get just a moderate inside game, our guards will feast. They are very talented.

[louisvilledawg]

Herard played 12 mins, got three rebounds, and completely whiffed on a dunk that helen keller could've made.

Why is he struggling so mightily? I know "he's raw" or whatever, but the dude is 6'10" 250.

Raw or not, a "top 50" player coming out of high school should be better than that.

Hopefully he comes along sooner rather than later because we need an inside presence something fierce.

[sleepy dawg]

We suck, and that's all there is to it. Sugar coat it all you want. Will we get better? Probably, but so will most teams.

The SEC is probably the 5th or 6th best conference, and we're one of the worst teams in it.

[DudyDawg]

I think the biggest issue was lack of dribble pen. Our dribble weave turned to a dribble hand off with no one looking to penetrate. I think I could count drive and kicks on one hand. No guard penetration will make your bigs look bad (missed bunnies didn't help), keep assists low, and lead to a lot of contested jump shots.

[Liverpooldawg]

There were several open shots from the three point line that Q missed last night he normally makes. They didn't defend everything from the perimeter and left several of our guys wide open. We just didn't knock them down. Their main advantage they had early was they would foul our players Would complain and not get back on defense and they had easy transition points. You could say that was the difference in the game because they got at least 10 points doing that. It's the Bruce Pearl/Nolan Richardson defensive way. You foul and foul. The refs won't call them all and if they don't you get easy opportunities on the other end.

You and I obviously didn't watch the same game. Were you there? Perhaps the TV viewpoint was different than mine on the end. I've always been able to tell more about a game from there. It's like watching line play from the end zone.

[Liverpooldawg]

Are they encouraging our fans, especially our larger fans, to fold their arms and stay seated?

Everybody does except when the team makes a run. They need something to spark them. I didn't go much during the Ray years due to family health issues. The losing has obviously taken a toll. My son is a student and he complains about the students all the time. He saw the Hump in full cry as a kid so he knows what is missing. I went with him last night, he tries.

[DudyDawg]

You and I obviously didn't watch the same game. Were you there? Perhaps the TV viewpoint was different than mine on the end. I've always been able to tell more about a game from there. It's like watching line play from the end zone.


I don't think I've ever seen him talk basketball and not make it about fouls. Always the ref's faults

[Liverpooldawg]

If we can get just a moderate inside game, our guards will feast. They are very talented.

Well, most of them are. You are spot on about the inside game.

[Liverpooldawg]

I don't think I've ever seen him talk basketball and not make it about fouls. Always the ref's faults

They just flat out out hustled us on both ends.

[MarketingBully]

You and I obviously didn't watch the same game. Were you there? Perhaps the TV viewpoint was different than mine on the end. I've always been able to tell more about a game from there. It's like watching line play from the end zone.

We played like crap because we hadn't played in ten days! That's why we were out of rhythm and sluggish not because we were a "bad" team as you put it. We had a similar crap game last year because of a layoff. It's hard to get back in the swing of things especially with a young team with that big a break. ETSU for instance played Saturday and the biggest lull they have had this season was six days. It's dumb to schedule that way and we have paid the price twice. Of course it was dumb anyway scheduling ETSU after a 10 day break. They should have scheduled the USM game for yesterday and had ETSU game for Monday.

[Dawg61]

I went with him last night


You and I obviously didn't watch the same game. Were you there? Perhaps the TV viewpoint was different than mine on the end. I've always been able to tell more about a game from there. It's like watching line play from the end zone.


I went last night.


I don't think I've ever seen him talk basketball and not make it about fouls. Always the ref's faults

Fouls isn't what he really wanted to express. Him attending the game is. Never misses an opportunity to let everyone know when he goes to a game. Congrats on making it to the ETSU game Liverpool. They should roll out the red carpet for you everytime you attend. Not sure why they don't already.

[MarketingBully]

Fouls isn't what he really wanted to express. Him attending the game is. Never misses an opportunity to let everyone know when he goes to a game. Congrats on making it to the ETSU game Liverpool. They should roll out the red carpet for you everytime you attend. Not sure why they don't already.

Lol, good one Dawg61.

[DudyDawg]

Fouls isn't what he really wanted to express. Him attending the game is. Never misses an opportunity to let everyone know when he goes to a game. Congrats on making it to the ETSU game Liverpool. They should roll out the red carpet for you everytime you attend. Not sure why they don't already.
Yeah I noticed that too, it's pretty Annoying. I was there, doesn't make me any more knowledgeable than if I watched on tv. Just pointing out I've seen marketing bully talk about fouls in every single thread about basketball. Fouls are the least of our worries

[MarketingBully]

I don't think I've ever seen him talk basketball and not make it about fouls. Always the ref's faults

That game was very oddly officiated. They let a lot go but called Peters for two very questionable fouls, allowed us to get mugged in the paint at least a couple of times on our drives, and allowed ETSU to step out of bounds twice (at least) and kept the game going. Not the worst officiaiting I have seen this year but they still were very poor officials.

[Dawg61]

Yeah I noticed that too, it's pretty Annoying. I was there, doesn't make me any more knowledgeable than if I watched on tv. Just pointing out I've seen marketing bully talk about fouls in every single thread about basketball. Fouls are the least of our worries

My bad thought you were saying Liverpool was complaining about fouls. Carry on.

[thf24]

ETSU seemed to be one of those teams that intentionally pushes the whistle boundary to the limit, to the point of being cheap or dirty at times. Not trying to make excuses; the refs aren't the reason we lost. Just got that feeling throughout most of the game.

[MarketingBully]

ETSU seemed to be one of those teams that intentionally pushes the whistle boundary to the limit, to the point of being cheap or dirty at times. Not trying to make excuses; the refs aren't the reason we lost. Just got that feeling throughout most of the game.

Yes, that's exactly what they do. Their HC was an assistant under Bruce Pearl and they play his style of basketball.

[Dawg61]

Yes, that's exactly what they do. Their HC was an assistant under Bruce Pearl and they play his style of basketball.

They play it better than I've seen Auburn play it in two years. They murdered us on inbounds plays.

[MarketingBully]

They play it better than I've seen Auburn play it in two years. They murdered us on inbounds plays.

Yes, for some reason Pearl hasn't been able to get Auburn to play like his other stops. Really couldn't tell you why either. It's up there with Anderson can't get Arkansas to play Nolan ball as well.

[DudyDawg]

That game was very oddly officiated. They let a lot go but called Peters for two very questionable fouls, allowed us to get mugged in the paint at least a couple of times on our drives, and allowed ETSU to step out of bounds twice (at least) and kept the game going. Not the worst officiaiting I have seen this year but they still were very poor officials.

We got away with some banging as well. Wasn't like we got jobbed, but you try to claim that every game. It's college basketball. There are like 10,000 teams and game, you're gonna get some bad officiating.

[chef dixon]

Just some perspective here: this is probably a better team now than we were at any point last year, and that was probably the most experienced team we've ever put on a court at MSU + Malik. Do you remember our last entirely freshman team go to Maui? Holy f*** I thought I was being castrated watching that.

We have literally 2 players that have completed a whole season of college basketball.

[chef dixon]

Well, most of them are. You are spot on about the inside game.

Peters has the ability to make defenses completely lose their shape with how dynamic his game is, excited to see him mature and foul less on defense.

Q nothing needs to be said, sucks he's injured but still can probably function at 90%.

Have got to get Tyson more looks from 3, and I think Wright can develop into a scrapper for us but will need time. Ready needs to just provide some glue right now and give a little spark when Q is having a rough night.

[maroonmania]

I went last night. I thought the crowd, while obviously small, wasn't bad when compared to historical attendance for mid-week games during Christmas break. It's obvious that our crowd has forgot how to act during the last few years. To their credit they did get into it when the team made a run at the end.

As for the team, it sucks to say this but they just aren't very good right now. The most disappointing thing last night was that they got out worked on their home floor. They never matched ETSU's energy on either end of the floor. I don't know what the class mix for ETSU was but I don't think it was a bunch of freshmen and sophomores. That showed. It is obvious that, for now, we go as Q goes. A lot of decent teams, and ETSU is a decent team, are going to be able to frustrate him like we saw last night. The only way to free him up is for the others to step up. Our lack of an inside game is killing us. ETSU was defending the three point line like maniacs but letting a lot of the penetration gonot so contested because they knew that we weren't going to hurt them inside. Expect to see that a lot more till we develop some semblance of an inside game. On defense our energy level was abysmal. We were not fighting through pics and screens and we we switching off late. ETSU did a good job of creating mismatches and open looks because of that. That last sequence summed up the defensive end to a T. The only criticism I would have of Howland was continuing to let IJ inbound the ball. That's going to have to change I think. Howland can only do so much till these guys figure out exactly just how intense they have to play every night out. It would also help if the bigs figure things out. Unfortunately they are a lot like offensive linemen, it just takes time.

Yes, our recruiting is MUCH better but until fans see a better product actually on the court its going to be difficult to get them to pre-SEC games and have enthusiasm. We are still in the mode of struggling with lesser teams even when we win and not really being very competitive when we play good teams. That's not going to get any fans excited to come to games and get rowdy.

[DudyDawg]

Yes, our recruiting is MUCH better but until fans see a better product actually on the court its going to difficult to get them to pre-SEC games and have enthusiasm. We are still in the mode of struggling with lesser teams even when we win and not really being very competitive when we play good teams. That's not going to get any fans excited to come to games and get rowdy.

4+ years of losing and Christmas break will do that. It's foolish to complain about fans right now.

[Ari Gold]

Are they encouraging our fans, especially our larger fans, to fold their arms and stay seated?

What?
Your answer to that is..
You Just Made the List.!!!!

[Liverpooldawg]

Fouls isn't what he really wanted to express. Him attending the game is. Never misses an opportunity to let everyone know when he goes to a game. Congrats on making it to the ETSU game Liverpool. They should roll out the red carpet for you everytime you attend. Not sure why they don't already.

I've only been to two games actually. I'm pretty poor on that account these days. I used to be better but I've got old and lazy. We got out hustled by a better team on the night.

[Liverpooldawg]

Yeah I noticed that too, it's pretty Annoying. I was there, doesn't make me any more knowledgeable than if I watched on tv. Just pointing out I've seen marketing bully talk about fouls in every single thread about basketball. Fouls are the least of our worries

Yeah, I agree I am bad about that. I also agree about the fouls. My response to that is: So what? If that's how they are calling it you have to play the game anyway. You can let it be an excuse or you can buckle down and fight through it. I really didn't see anything THAT out of the ordinary on that front. When one team is playing with real intensity and one isn't it tends to look like what he is describing. I miss the days when WE were the ones doing that.

[lamont]

I was sitting courtside last night- so here is what I saw:

IJ is just limited- its what he is. We've watched it for 4 years now. But he has to play simply because of his experience

Carter- Little Greg will be good but he needs to grow. He cant really create his own shot yet- needs someone to penetrate and kick. He's a freshman that should be the 7th or 8th guy on a really good team as a Freshman. He is going to be a good SEC player

Q- He is a good college basketball player. He needs to play 4 years of college basketball- I dont see him as an NBA guy. He doesnt have the speed to be a SG in the NBA. But he is a mature, good basketball player.

Peters- awesome talent in a short body. Not the smartest kid you will meet- but has supreme confidence in his game and plays with no fear. Believes he is going to make every shot he takes. He will be good SEC player if his outside stuff stays under control

Keglar- GROWN ASS MAN. Sky is the limit for him. He hasnt figured out yet how good he can be. Needs to attack the basket a little more- and realize he can be a tough post player that can make 3's also. Love this guy and when he figures out he can take control- he will.

Holman- needs to toughen up in the post.

Herard- just needs time and experience. He's a 9th-10th player off the bench for most good teams

This team needs more of a post game on the block. The lack of a post game is hurting the offense and causing the scoring lapses. ETSU got in our ass last night and we struggled- as Freshman do. This team will be very good next year. Work in progress. Playing 8 freshman is what it is- no matter how talented

[Liverpooldawg]

I was sitting courtside last night- so here is what I saw:

IJ is just limited- its what he is. We've watched it for 4 years now. But he has to play simply because of his experience

Carter- Little Greg will be good but he needs to grow. He cant really create his own shot yet- needs someone to penetrate and kick. He's a freshman that should be the 7th or 8th guy on a really good team as a Freshman. He is going to be a good SEC player

Q- He is a good college basketball player. He needs to play 4 years of college basketball- I dont see him as an NBA guy. He doesnt have the speed to be a SG in the NBA. But he is a mature, good basketball player.

Peters- awesome talent in a short body. Not the smartest kid you will meet- but has supreme confidence in his game and plays with no fear. Believes he is going to make every shot he takes. He will be good SEC player if his outside stuff stays under control

Keglar- GROWN ASS MAN. Sky is the limit for him. He hasnt figured out yet how good he can be. Needs to attack the basket a little more- and realize he can be a tough post player that can make 3's also. Love this guy and when he figures out he can take control- he will.

Holman- needs to toughen up in the post.

Herard- just needs time and experience. He's a 9th-10th player off the bench for most good teams

This team needs more of a post game on the block. The lack of a post game is hurting the offense and causing the scoring lapses. ETSU got in our ass last night and we struggled- as Freshman do. This team will be very good next year. Work in progress. Playing 8 freshman is what it is- no matter how talented

This may be a first, especially for basketball, I agree with all of that. Great post.

[MarketingBully]

Yeah, I agree with Random and his post. When we get X in the lineup, we will be a better team. As Howland has said, in practice he is dominant and he will eat Carter's minutes. Now that Ado is practicing, I think our post game will get much much better. X will add another player who has more experience. Carter is going to be great for us but he needs more time to develop to reach his full potential. By his junior and senior years, he will be something special.

[Dawg61]

Q- He is a good college basketball player. He needs to play 4 years of college basketball- I dont see him as an NBA guy. He doesnt have the speed to be a SG in the NBA. But he is a mature, good basketball player.

Peters- awesome talent in a short body. Not the smartest kid you will meet- but has supreme confidence in his game and plays with no fear. Believes he is going to make every shot he takes. He will be good SEC player if his outside stuff stays under control


I think Spoon's injury is affecting him a ton. Is he going to have surgery in the off-season? He needs to be very careful he doesn't adopt bad shooting habits right now.

I think Peters might be the most naturally talented player on the team. Spoon is the best player and Kegler has the highest ceiling but Peters is loaded with talent.

[tcdog70]

IJ kills us on the defensive end. He cannot defend. I'll be glad when He is gone.

[DudyDawg]

Yeah, I agree I am bad about that. I also agree about the fouls. My response to that is: So what? If that's how they are calling it you have to play the game anyway. You can let it be an excuse or you can buckle down and fight through it. I really didn't see anything THAT out of the ordinary on that front. When one team is playing with real intensity and one isn't it tends to look like what he is describing. I miss the days when WE were the ones doing that.

Agree completely on fouls. Marketing makes every basketball loss about fouls. That game last night was about a flat ass first 17 or so minutes and a severe lack of dribble pen. Refs had nothing to do with that loss

[DudyDawg]

The problem isn't lack of a post presence. There are very few college players that can get on the block and score with a post move. The bigges issue was, when they went man, none of our guards looked to penetrate, especially in the dribble weave. Peters is the only one with handles and aggressiveness to penetrate consistently enough to get our 5's easy dunks and guy's like Tyson easy 3's. Q's issue, at least at the college level, is aggressiveness on the offensive end and lateral quickneness on D. He's got to be able to get in the paint outside of transition and stop people on the dribble drive on D to have a real NBA future. If we can get our guards in the paint against a man then we can be a solid offensive team. My biggest issue with IJ (aside from his Olayyyy defense) was his misunderstanding of how to attack on a P&R. His move is to go AROUND the big that hedges and hand it off. If he's going to be our PG, and not defend at a high level, he's got to collapse the defense of the P&R and create for the other guards and bigs.