If I could change one thing about the team....

[Bluebeard]

This goes far beyond last night. It involves the same aspect of the game on both offense and defense. I've watched this happen all game every game. When we play high level teams and the local lower-level schools. We can escape with this playing the lower level teams, hence the 5-4 record, 0-4 against majors. It has driven me crazy over the years and this year has been the worse on both sides of the ball. I'm talking about leaving your man wide open, playing 10+ feet from 3 point shooters. There's no need for this. I really just don't get it. There were times when the ball was at the top of the key and an RU player was just sitting in the corner waiting for a pass and our defender was near the paint. Swing pass, and a wide-open step in three was launched and our defender was still 5+ feet away running towards him. WHY I just don't understand this. Typically, this happens without even a guy driving to the basket. I can slightly understand that, if a guy is driving to slide toward him, but you better be able to get your ass back so if your guy catches the ball, you're in his face. I bet at least 15 threes launched from RU players last night where we weren't near them as they took the shot. This is unacceptable.

Conversely our threes are usually taken not from a play based on getting Dawes, Dre or even Sanders or Coleman a catch and shoot three, after passing the ball to a guy coming off a screen. How about a drive and kick out? Has Sanders, who has a great shot ever taken a catch and shoot three after running off a screen? I don't remember one. Run some players for the shooters. They are so often taken with a Pirate in a one on one trying to shake off a defender for a step back three, or some other pull up off the dribble around a pick. This is why we see 12-24 for RU and 3-20 for us. Did Dawes actually take 15 threes??

STAY WITH YOUR MAN AND STOP OVERPLAYING.

 

[lr591902]

My change would be we find players who make their open threes. We had a number of threes where no one was close to our player and they clanged off the rim.

 

[Halldan1]

Or they hesitated to take them. Instead choosing to challenge a great shot blocker.

You have to take open threes at this level or you will not come close to winning your fair share of games.

 

[Piratz]

They were refusing to take 3's A LOT last night. Part of good shooting is when you take it. We create worse shots often. Terrible.

 

[Seton75]

No one seems comfortable. Sanders miss was way off, like he knew if he missed he sits. Dre took a 3 at a big spot and was also way off.

 

[Piratz]

One change? A high-caliber guard. Dawes would be your 3rd option, first off the bench. You need good guard play. It's paramount. We have no options, no backcourt depth. When we have to give Richmond a breather we have to slide another starter over. It's not good. Ideally you need 4 reliable guards on a team, at least 3. We have 2. And Richmond is a big guard who plays physical, seems to get winded.

And just wait until an injury happens we won't win a game, just like the way last season ended.

 

[sami]

One change? A high-caliber guard. Dawes would be your 3rd option, first off the bench. You need good guard play. It's paramount. We have no options, no backcourt depth. When we have to give Richmond a breather we have to slide another starter over. It's not good. Ideally you need 4 reliable guards on a team, at least 3. We have 2. And Richmond is a big guard who plays physical, seems to get winded.

And just wait until an injury happens we literally won't win a game, just like the way last season ended.

Outside Richmond, who’s the 2nd? I hope you’re not using Dawes and reliable in the same sentence.

What’s disappointing is that Sha was a first class PG. and yet, year over year our backcourt play has digressed. Sha’s strategy seems to be to hope that Dawes turns it on, like Harris before him.

It seems that the thought was that the public congratulatory SPU tour would be the pied piper effect instead of recruiting a competent staff and players.

 

[LBP43]

By design, starting an Offense with 10 seconds left on the shot clock , is not a recipe for success ( unless You are up 7 with under a minute to play)

 

[Piratz]

Outside Richmond, who’s the 2nd? I hope you’re not using Dawes and reliable in the same sentence.

What’s disappointing is that Sha was a first class PG. and yet, year over year our backcourt play has digressed. Sha’s strategy seems to be to hope that Dawes turns it on, like Harris before him.

It seems that the thought was that the public congratulatory SPU tour would be the pied piper effect instead of recruiting a competent staff and players.

No, I'm saying Dawes isn't that and that's what we need if I could change 1 thing about the team. The team desperately needs at least another legit and reliable guard with Richmond. Dawes isn't that. Dawes is a guy off the bench that you can ride if he's hot or in a 3-guard set, or in a press. Then you have the option of putting him back on the bench if he's doing his typical bad things as he's just not good enough to be a 30 minute player against good teams.

 

[sami]

No, I'm saying Dawes isn't that and that's what we need if I could change 1 thing about the team. The team desperately needs at least another legit and reliable guard with Richmond. Dawes isn't that. Dawes is a guy off the bench that you can ride if he's hot or in a 3-guard set, or in a press. Then you have the option of putting him back on the bench if he's doing his typical bad things as he's just not good enough to be a 30 minute player against good teams.

lol, who’s the second? Now I’m thinking you’re counting our starting 4 as a reliable guard…

 

[Piratz]

lol, who’s the second? Now I’m thinking you’re counting our starting 4 as a reliable guard…

No we don't have one that's the problem. But if I could change something like the thread says I'd put one on the team bc watching this pile up every game is nuts.

Actually now that you mention it yeah I do think our starting 4 would be a more reliable 2 than the guy currently there, LMAO.

 

[mbraue]

Or they hesitated to take them. Instead choosing to challenge a great shot blocker.

You have to take open threes at this level or you will not come close to winning your fair share of games.

You often have a second or 2 to shoot when open for a 3, unless the ball movement is popping and you are wide open. Our players, except Dawes, hesitate. Cant do that in today's game.

Case in point: Wusu brought in for his shooting takes 0 3s in 27 minutes last night. Is this because we do not run plays for him or he's just lacking confidence to shoot it?

 

[Seton75]

lol, who’s the second? Now I’m thinking you’re counting our starting 4 as a reliable guard…

To me the second option to try is obvious.

The 2 centers. Make them part of the offense. Both have poise and good footwork and they invented a new move that has been very successful. The head fake. Maybe they didnt invent it but its scarcity from shu postmen makes me wonder if it had been banned.

Maybe this doesnt work. But these two guys should be a bigger part of the offense. And playing them together not out of the question with dre at the 3.

Why no tubek last nite ? Dnpcd i guess?

 

[sami]

To me the second option to try is obvious.

The 2 centers. Make them part of the offense. Both have poise and good footwork and they invented a new move that has been very successful. The head fake. Maybe they didnt invent it but its scarcity from shu postmen makes me wonder if it had been banned.

Maybe this doesnt work. But these two guys should be a bigger part of the offense. And playing them together not out of the question with dre at the 3.

Why no tubek last nite ? Dnpcd i guess?

They have actually surprised me. They’re not Hakeem or Ewing, but certainly have played well. And why not overlap them for a few minutes… what, will we be exposed by the 3-ball? 😂

Tubek has that whole “undisclosed injury” bug that seems to go around often with our teams. Don’t read that as a euphemism for doghouse, more like an injury that will be minimized in nature but seem to linger for say, a year or 3? Somewhat uninformed opinion, I’d expect to see him after the holidays.

 

[Piratz]

To me the second option to try is obvious.

The 2 centers. Make them part of the offense. Both have poise and good footwork and they invented a new move that has been very successful. The head fake. Maybe they didnt invent it but its scarcity from shu postmen makes me wonder if it had been banned.

Maybe this doesnt work. But these two guys should be a bigger part of the offense. And playing them together not out of the question with dre at the 3.

Why no tubek last nite ? Dnpcd i guess?

You’d have to run an offense for this. Entry passes, clearing sides, ball reversals, would be nice.

 

[shudude]

Or they hesitated to take them. Instead choosing to challenge a great shot blocker.

You have to take open threes at this level or you will not come close to winning your fair share of games.

I’d change this to you have to “make” open 3’s. Lord knows we’ve got a guy who has no problem taking them and sadly shooting us right out of games

 

[TheHall87]

If I could change one thing about the team it would be the team itself. Sadly, that's not much of an exaggeration.

This team is flawed at all facets of the game. After last night we're at 29.3% on three-pointers (48-164). In the four games against P5 competition we're 18-76, a sparkling 23.7. Conversely, opponents are shooting at a 33.3% clip (73-219) with the P5s hitting 39 of 88 or 44.3%. Right there, that's a 15-point deficit per game against P5s.

We have nobody who can stretch the defense (Dawes is the only one with the ability and if he's not hitting, we have little else). Add in our stand around and pound the dribble offense and it's pretty clear why we generate little on that end.

We look significantly worse defensively against solid opposition and clearly don't have the offensive wherewithal to overcome that. As much as I want to have hope, I fear it gets worse before it gets better.

 

[rcodey]

This team either takes 3 pointers or drivers to the hoop . No mid range game.

 

[Hall-O-Daze]

If I could change one thing about the team…..

I would change the year that they are living in. I would move the team to, like, 1793 or something like that. They could go around, using their advanced knowledge of the future to help people and make the past a better place everyone, all while working on their basketball skills. Who knows, by the time they catch up with 2023, they might actually be decent basketball players.

 

[Burnsly]

We need bonafide PG. Richmond is an excellent player but he's not a PG. Hesitant to shoot from outside & can't beat his man off the dribble. Been that way for 4 years now.

 

[Halldan1]

Did you say he can't beat his man off the dribble?

 

[Bluebeard]

Every reply has focused on the lack of our shooting. Nobody has mentioned the defense and leaving your man for wide open threes. I actually think this is hurting us more than our lack of shooting. Despite the misses, if we don’t give up the 12 and hold them to 8, we win. I’m sick of watching our opponents have so much time without any pressure take and hit threes.

 

[Duego Duck]

Was Sada NgaNga not playing last evening a coaching decision or injury?

 

[doctorcb12]

Was Sada NgaNga not playing last evening a coaching decision or injury?

He’s out of the rotation. He can’t play defense and doesn’t offer anything offensively either

 

[Duego Duck]

I may be just a duck 🦆, but this sounds like the right decision.

 

[vicu1024]

Why is Brown not playing? He is a true pG & has a good 3 Pt stroke.

 

[Pirata]

I'm talking about leaving your man wide open, playing 10+ feet from 3 point shooters.

You should hear my wife scream at the TV every time this happens.

"When are they going to put someone on goggles????!!!!!" was last night's cry.

 

[Gritty5837]

I would change the anemic offense. If you’re gonna lose at least be entertaining. My problem with Willard was his team’s lack of offensive identity. Far too many droughts and some games that were total duds.

Sha has been worse. The offense looks lost, this team isn’t close to being skilled enough to roll the ball out there and expect the talent to get it done.

And I completely push back on the talent excuse for the anemia b/c the coach should be interceding more by running plays to get guys open looks.

The few times it has happened, guys don’t pull the trigger. The question is why - probably a confidence issue.

Its a very average bunch but no Big East team should look this incompetent offensively.

 

[shupat08]

If I could change one thing about this team, I would change the actual team. 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

[MBF72]

He’s out of the rotation. He can’t play defense and doesn’t offer anything offensively either

Then why is he here?

 

[doctorcb12]

Then why is he here?

You are asking the wrong person. Someone else needs to answer that question

 

[chickenbox]

I may be just a duck 🦆, but this sounds like the right decision.

Don't belittle yourself, duck.

 

[Hall Is Life]

I would change the starting lineup because why the hell not?