A shame but injuries destroyed this basketball season...

[maroonmania]

The injuries to Q, Ready and Peters really tanked this season. We COULD have been a really good team without those guys getting hurt and even better had they stayed healthy and Ado had been able to play. Losing the effectiveness of both of our point guards though along with Q having the wrist injuries really has taken its toll. Even with those issues however I still believe we could compensate for some of this current team's deficiencies if Howland would play a zone occasionally against teams with good inside play but he just refuses to do it. I bet if I drew a shot chart of just made FGs for the SC game the other night you would just see a wad of shots all right under or very near the basket. We just couldn't stop their penetration and inside scoring one on one but we never adjusted anything on our defense. Zones are taboo at the moment I guess.

[msbulldog]

The injuries to Q, Ready and Peters really tanked this season. We COULD have been a really good team without those guys getting hurt and even better had they stayed healthy and Ado had been able to play. Losing the effectiveness of both of our point guards though along with Q having the wrist injuries really has taken its toll. Even with those issues however I still believe we could compensate for some of this current team's deficiencies if Howland would play a zone occasionally against teams with good inside play but he just refuses to do it. I bet if I drew a shot chart of just made FGs for the SC game the other night you would just see a wad of shots all right under or very near the basket. We just couldn't stop their penetration and inside scoring one on one but we never adjusted anything on our defense. Zones are taboo at the moment I guess.

I trust his judgement, I think he's building for long-term.

[KentuckyDawg13]

For some reason, Howland doesn't stress zone.
Our team is tired and beat up. Xavian, Carter, Herard and Kegler have to carry us now. Who is PG#4?
Howland seems exhausted too. His press conferences are painful to watch now as he is worn out from the injuries and shitty refs. Having the injuries affects the mindsets of everyone.
Going to UGA is going to be a true test of what our team is for the remainder of the season.

[msbulldog]

Unfortunately, this is the result of getting rid of Rick Rays sub-par recruits and signing a very young class. We have to work through the growing pains. It's going to take several years to balance the roster, I'm on board with the process, because of the success of Howlands recruiting.

[maroonmania]

Unfortunately, this is the result of getting rid of Rick Rays sub-par recruits and signing a very young class. We have to work through the growing pains. It's going to take several years to balance the roster, I'm on board with the process, because of the success of Howlands recruiting.

True but why have we had SO many injuries really starting ever since Rick Ray showed up (how many knees blew out under him?). I mean look back at the Final Four team where we had five stellar starters plus backups Hyche, Hughes and Washington (quite the dropoff). Imagine the impact to that team if ANY of the starters had gotten significantly injured that year but none did. I don't even hardly remember one of our starting five missing a game due to injury, sickness or suspension that year. Now we can't seem to keep anybody healthy.

[msbulldog]

True but why have we had SO many injuries really starting ever since Rick Ray showed up (how many knees blew out under him?). I mean look back at the Final Four team where we had five stellar starters plus backups Hyche, Hughes and Washington (quite the dropoff). Imagine the impact to that team if ANY of the starters had gotten significantly injured that year but none did. I don't even hardly remember one of our starting five missing a game due to injury, sickness or suspension that year. Now we can't seem to keep anybody healthy.

I don't know which floor was in place in 1996, but I do know Howland insisted on the floor being changed, because of possible knee injuries with the floor we had. IJ Ready's first injury was a calf injury, then back spasms, which could be related (I am not a doctor). Peter's injury is hamstring related, which can happen to any athlete in any sport, mainly from improper stretching.

[biggun]

True but why have we had SO many injuries really starting ever since Rick Ray showed up (how many knees blew out under him?). I mean look back at the Final Four team where we had five stellar starters plus backups Hyche, Hughes and Washington (quite the dropoff). Imagine the impact to that team if ANY of the starters had gotten significantly injured that year but none did. I don't even hardly remember one of our starting five missing a game due to injury, sickness or suspension that year. Now we can't seem to keep anybody healthy.


If only injuries were the only hold up to us having a good year but unfortunately our issues run much deeper than Ready missing our last 4 or 5 SEC games.

To win basketball games, you must be able to play defense and rebound. We are horrible at both and what is really discouraging is that instead of improving on the glass and on the defensive end over the course of the season, we have actually gotten worse which I did not think was possible. And to add insult to injury we still do not know how to set a legal screen nor have we figured out how to defend the pick and roll.

At this point of the season just about every team has players playing through injuries, just part of the grind of a long season. Unfortunately, injuries does not crack the top twenty reasons we are a below average basketball team.

[MarketingBully]

If only injuries were the only hold up to us having a good year but unfortunately our issues run much deeper than Ready missing our last 4 or 5 SEC games.

To win basketball games, you must be able to play defense and rebound. We are horrible at both and what is really discouraging is that instead of improving on the glass and on the defensive end over the course of the season, we have actually gotten worse which I did not think was possible. And to add insult to injury we still do not know how to set a legal screen nor have we figured out how to defend the pick and roll.

At this point of the season just about every team has players playing through injuries, just part of the grind of a long season. Unfortunately, injuries does not crack the top twenty reasons we are a below average basketball team.

We would have beaten Alabama, Auburn, and South Carolina with Ready. He didn't turn the ball over. The reason we lost all three of those games were ill-advised turnovers for the most part. So yes, injuries have played a huge role in our downward trend.

[MarketingBully]

True but why have we had SO many injuries really starting ever since Rick Ray showed up (how many knees blew out under him?). I mean look back at the Final Four team where we had five stellar starters plus backups Hyche, Hughes and Washington (quite the dropoff). Imagine the impact to that team if ANY of the starters had gotten significantly injured that year but none did. I don't even hardly remember one of our starting five missing a game due to injury, sickness or suspension that year. Now we can't seem to keep anybody healthy.

Ready has been injury prone his entire career so him missing games isn't a shocker to me. Ironically, Peters had his major injury on the road at Ole Miss which had nothing to do with our floor.

[MarketingBully]

Unfortunately, this is the result of getting rid of Rick Rays sub-par recruits and signing a very young class. We have to work through the growing pains. It's going to take several years to balance the roster, I'm on board with the process, because of the success of Howlands recruiting.

None of them were worth keeping IMO. The one thing Ray was worse at besides coaching was recruiting.

[msbulldog]

If only injuries were the only hold up to us having a good year but unfortunately our issues run much deeper than Ready missing our last 4 or 5 SEC games.

To win basketball games, you must be able to play defense and rebound. We are horrible at both and what is really discouraging is that instead of improving on the glass and on the defensive end over the course of the season, we have actually gotten worse which I did not think was possible. And to add insult to injury we still do not know how to set a legal screen nor have we figured out how to defend the pick and roll.

At this point of the season just about every team has players playing through injuries, just part of the grind of a long season. Unfortunately, injuries does not crack the top twenty reasons we are a below average basketball team.

Bigun, what is a legal screen this year? I have seen many times the screen-er perfectly still (seen it on replays) and yet a foul is still called. As everyone should agree the inconsistent refereeing has made the game intolerable and terrible to have to play.