this year's team

[Minermojo]

Get well soon Chans. Good thing you didn't go it was a wise move. I just hope that they gave you the right size neck brace we wouldn't want you looking like those African women with the rings around their necks. Take care and don't do dumb things until you recover.

[Chanson]

I wanted to mention another thing none of us are looking at and that is recruiting. While it looks like Vila will sit out this year, Williams looks to be the only scholar shipped player leaving after this year. That being said, I see no prospects for next year. I hope he's saving it for a stud like Bieniemy or another Williams/Hunter type.

[SisyphusMiner]

i accidentally posted to the wrong topic.
But I agree with what's been said.  Bienemy may be one of the top handful of PGs to play here and that is saying something.

[SisyphusMiner]

Wow when we are bad we are just awful.

1.  How can we shoot so bad in a game where we are getting open shots?  we shot 40% from 3 but just awful from closer in, especially layups.
2.  Officiating was just awful -- not so much because of bad calls but they were SO inconsistent.
3.  BW back to not looking right.  Is he hurting?  Tired?  Guess who shot the most 3s, and missed the most?  He was 1-6 from 3.
4.  This loss is still on Terry.  There is no excuse for having Vuk run point for 6 minutes in the first half.  There is no excuse for us to get destroyed by the pick and roll game after game and not address it.  Every team knows we can't defend it.

Only thing in CRT favor on the pick and roll is that BW is just awful at covering it.  But we have to come up with something.  If we are going to hang our hat on defense we can't let such a glaring problem continue without addressing it.  Verhoeven came halfway across the court some possessions to cover for BW losing his man on the pick and roll, but he can't always get there.  Nor can Sjolund.

[Chanson]

Good Lord. That was a shit show. Terry wants to run & gun, but doesnt have the kids to do it. They are talented, but not for this kind of ball. Lots of shooting & piss poor defense. Hell, that's Rice's game.
Today's game is the 1st game I've really seen. I hate to say it, but I dont think this is the year Terry takes this team to the NCAA Tournament. Boum falls apart, Williams cant play D, Kennedy shoots, but is not a shooter, & the team just cant protect the ball or consistantly hit a jumper.
I hope year 4 is the year Terry can make something happen.

[orange-oink]

Terry is a decent recruiter but a terrible developer of his young talent.  He is also a terrible Xs and Os coach who like Dimel doesn?t seem to have the capacity to make any adjustments. 
With Williams departure this season there is no way they will be better next year.  I have given up on Terry and i look forward to the day when he is replaced.

[kyyote]

I welcome you with the traditional ?smite? and agree.

[SisyphusMiner]

Oink, I gave you a karma because I agree with you about Terry.

This is counter-intuitive and I may be 100% wrong, but I think there is a chance we are as good or better without Williams.  He is an excellent player offensively and good rebounder.  He's not a particularly good defender.  Also as the senior and the guy that the offense revolves around, he is not much of an emotional leader.  I think next year this is Bienemy's team and it will be interesting to see.  Terry has to find some 4s and 5s that can play.  I guess they will have to be transfers.  Verhoeven and Onyema can't do it by themselves.  gotta get Onyema some court time.

On the pick and roll, we do a "hedge and recover".  You can google it.  We break down because no one picks up the rolling big man.  This is a known vulnerability.  Some teams have the weak side forward drop his man to cover the rolling guy automatically, and I have seen Verhoeven do it sometimes and we saw Sjolunds spectacular block.  Not every team does this though, and expects the big guy on the pick to drop back quickly enough to cover his guy, and should be in the way of the pass as he is doing it.  BW does not drop back fast enough.  I am not 100% sure if that's because he is overcommitting, slow to react to the roll, just foot slow, if the guard isn't communicating, or if the other forward is in fact supposed to cover.  I am tempted to go back and watch game film and analyze, but UTEP is delinquent in their consulting fees to me...

I do know one thing from years of playing.  If the other team is picking, you have to communicate.  Constantly.  Loudly.  It's the job of the big men, who can see things developing to call the pick.  This alerts the guarding player, and also the supporting weak side help.  The guard has to call out when he is back in coverage.  The big has to yell for help when he loses contain.

My guess is that BW is just not fast enough, doesn't fill the passing lane, and doesn't communicate.  I will watch for this in future games where every team is guaranteed to P&R on us.  If this is the case, someone has to call it and Verhoeven needs to drop his guy (who probably isn't a 3 gunner anyway) and cover the roll.  Sjolund isn't a great defender, but he is a smart player and can cover the roller.

[Chanson]

Welcome, Orange. For your 1st post, I also gave you karma. It was bold, but true. I also think think that we will be OK without BW. The only think we lose is his ability to shoot the long ball. Verho & Onyema should be OK with the scoring in the paint.
On a 2 on 2 pick & roll, they are supposed to switch off & Bieniemy did a couple of times & was successful, but he only did it twice. Also, BW was guarding the big man too high which allowed him to V line towards the rim. Yes the big kid could shoot, but off of a pass & all alone. I think if BW played the big man loose at the top, we would have won. Also, we couldnt D up any kid under the rim. It seemed like they were laying up at will. That was the most frustrating for me. I understand running & gunning makes up a lot for piss poor defense, but nothing was falling in the last 5min. Hell, Rice had a few 12-0 runs in the game. That really tore at me.
The only thing we can do is hope Terry calls up his mentor, coach Barnes, & asks him how to defend, before the other schools catch on & make him look like a fool.

[SisyphusMiner]

This ain't CRTs first rodeo.  If he hasn't accepted by now that he doesn't have the Xs and Os, I don't think it's happening.  That was the knock on him at Fresno.  We just better hope he can significantly out recruit the rest of CUSA.

[kyyote]

The team was so reliant on BW that this year has been the first time they?re doing things completely different and they are still finding their way and learning new roles.  I think that has something to do with the inconsistency.

[Chanson]

Good point, KY. BW has been compromised. Other coaches are that Xs & Os savvy have made the adjustments. I hope the Miners figure it out. I don't think they will. As a matter of a fact, beers on me if they figure it out & win CUSA tourney. Ask Austin & KY. I'm good for it.

[SisyphusMiner]

I think the one thing in our favor is that when things are working, we are good enough offensively to overcome whatever the other guys throw at us.  It's not good enough to go 10-2 in conference, but there is a chance that it is good enough to win 3 in a row.

I really wish we had Barbee or Gillispie coaching this group.