Looks like CMA may have lost these guys. I was at the game, and the guys were just lackadaisical and nonchalant attitude, nobody had a sense of urgency other than Hannahs and Watkins. It got to the point to where everybody in my section we just started joking and not even caring about the game, those guys didn’t want to play.
Macon looked to be pouting because he wasn’t starting, Cook the same way. Then Cook goes on twitter after the game and asks what is he suppose to do. I’m assuming that’s referring to playing time. Kingsley has absolutely no idea what to do in a double team, Beard is regressing every single game, he’s getting exposed, all he does is force double teams and pick up fouls and throw up wild shot at the rim. I have no idea why CMA continues to play him so much when he struggles, but when someone else struggles takes them out of the game/starting lineup. Maybe the team is starting to see that favoritism and getting to them, I don’t know. But, Beard has been really really bad these past 3 games.
Everyone knows I’m usually optimistic, but I didn’t see a team tonight that even seems like they want to play basketball, looks like they are ready for the season to end. If that’s their mindset, it will end here in 8 games. I don’t know what CMA needs to do, but he’s gotta do something, there’s obviously some problems within the locker room right now.
Cook should be thankful he is on the team after his start. He can play with energy for one thing. Can he even get off the floor to dunk?
Beard just has low basketball IQ. He is ok when it is up and down. But when the game slows down he is lost.
It was telling to me when early in the season Macon made the comment that he was always going to shoot. Not play hard but shoot. This is not JC where most guys cannot play. This is D1 where everyone can play. Not all super stars but players.
Maybe you got it, idk…
There is something weird going on, beyond just loss of confidence or major disappointment. I can’t put my finger on it. See my longer post in the other thread. I guess I need to sleep on it, because it doesn’t seem like the usual type of falling apart that we have all seen before on various basketball teams that take a turn for the worst. Anyways I wish someone could explain it to me, but Imdont have my hopes up for that. Most people are just tuned out completely now or giddy with excitement in their wishes for Mike to fail. Hopefully there will be a more thoughtful and precise autopsy to read about tomorrow.
There might be something going on internally, for sure.
The playing time of Cook and Thomas has been coming down as MA relies more and more on his guards. Tonight, Cook, Thomas and Thompson all played single-digit minutes. At least they had last time I looked.
Does not explain the malaise of Kingsley, or the ever-shifting starting lineups, or why the offense was completely terrible in the first half.
Pretty late in the season to be doghousing people.
I’m not an insider and I haven’t heard anything I’m just speculating here. But, I really think something happened after the OSU game. They haven’t been the same since then, outside of the Alabama game.
What I think is, they are having a struggle of who’s team it is, between the new guys and the old guys. If you notice these guys turned from a team that shares the ball and has a bunch of assist to a team that now everybody takes their turn to shoot the ball. That’s all they did tonight against Vandy. The ball movement was horrible. You look at the way they interact with each other, it’s not the same as it was, their body language is bad.
CMA has got to figure it out, it’s tough, because I don’t think we have a true leader, and the coach can’t be the captain/leader on the court. Manny Watkins is kinda that, but at the end of the day, it’s only so much leadership a guy averaging 5 PPG can hold. Kingsley, he’s more of the quiet type and he just doesn’t have a leader personality. Then next in line you have Beard, and I just don’t see guys like Barford and Macon listening to him much. Hannahs, isn’t really a leader either, he can score a lot, but not sure guys listen to him. This is where you gotta have your Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls type players on the team. They have strong personalities, guys respect them, and the most important thing they are clearly the best players on the team, so guys will follow them because they know that. We didn’t have any of that going to twitter crap and guys moping around because they weren’t starting when they were around. Heck, even throw a Jabril Durham on this team, Jabirl was a leader on the court. He demanded guys play hard and be in position when he was out there. We don’t have a guy like that this year.
That sounds about right Blu. The leadership issue is at least one contributing factor if not the main one. But I’m still curious about why? Why has leadership and camaraderie suddenly become such a glaring problem. It does seem like there is some dissension between newcomers and rest of the team. But that’s not so clear cut. More specifically it seems like there is some discord at the 4 position. I have seen Bailey cook and thomas all hang their heads looking upset or checked out at various times this year. Then Moses also seems discontent. I haven’t seen him have fun once. If there is a division on the team I don’t know who Moses rolls with because I never see him cooperating or communicating in a positive manner with anyone on the court. He just seems to have no chemistry with anyone this year. Then the biggest problem seems to be with our guard play becoming selfish. I really thought Macon was the real deal at the beginning of the season with potential to become an impactful leader. But he has not grown into that role at all. He seems to be regressing and playing and acting more immaturely each game. I am now pulling for Barford to step up and become a vocal leader for this team. He is the only one I’ve seen recently bring effort, desire to win, and game to back it up. And look what he did tonight after all the fans were whining about not having a true pg: 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 5 points, 3 rebounds. He made the extra effort to facilitate and get assists. But it’s clear we need him to score as he’s proven capable. And more than that we need him to have that takeover ability, to will the team to a win, to set the tone, to get buckets when we are desperate for one. Maybe just maybe he can do that and become more vocal and assertive to our two best players Moses and Macon who are whining and showing no determination right now. But idk if there is something other than playing time breaking this team apart. Usually the old playing time frustrations aren’t enough to totally tank a team overnight. It really looked like nobody wanted to be there tonight.
You’re right Macon has regressed at an alarming rate. He has more natural “basketball skills” than any player on the team. He can move almost effortlessly on the court. He should be our best defender, yet he has become a defensive liability. His attitude seems to convey he’s unhappy to even be on the court. And to further our defensive woes, poor Moses now looks like he has no idea what he’s supposed to do on pick and rolls so he just chases whoever is dribbling the ball.
I can’t believe I drove up from NLR to watch this “rudderless ship” try to play basketball
Right, it dont matter how you play, you are going to get in the game and they all know it! Time to coach these boys and be the leader or move on! This was a 8 man total team missing their high scorer and they dominated a team at home who if you watched on the sidelines you could catch grins and giggles just like I saw at OK ST 2nd half! Standing there swallowing your lips the whole game isnt coaching!!!
Yea I don’t know what’s going on with Macon. It’s like he doesn’t even care anymore. CMA had him come off the bench to try to get his attention, but that didn’t work either. Moses, Macon, Beard, Kingsley, Thomas are all regressing.
Record the next game. Watch it and look. There is an I in this team. You can add Dusty and Barford to the regressing. They noticed the others issues and they no longer look to pass, they just look for lanes, it would work if they could distribute (and I think Barford can).
Barford did get 6 assists. But he wasn’t his usual aggressive self scoring. It is like he is overthinking everything and only focusing on one priority at a time, not getting into any flow. I think our offensive problems, and apparent selfishness, is just due to bad chemistry more than one particular individual or individual skill set.
I disagree. If I knew how to post my opinion on this team from the old Scout paid board, you would see I called this. They’ve actually played better than I expected up until now. They (the whole team, with the exception of Bailey are regressing). That’s why I said next year will be better. Those new guys (even if we only get these three) won’t be arguing with others who are looking to do it all by themselves, they’ll be listening to the upperclassmen. This is what happens when you get JUCO’s joining a team with two “all-SEC” players (one of which returned for his SR year to improve his stock), they all want to lead. Next year, the freshmen won’t. They’ll shut up and listen.
It sounds like we do agree mostly. There is an obvious chemistry problem. I don’t know the cause. You may have it nailed though. And I don’t think these issues could be solved by adding one pass first true point guard, unless he was somehow a highly respected and motivating veteran leader.
How many SR’s (I believe it’ll be 6 next year) and JR’s (don’t think we will have any) will follow a PG (JUCO or Frosh) that is the new guy? I think a “true” PG will help, but he can’t lead next year, it’ll cause too many problems.
Edit: I think you maybe talking about a graduate transfer, but I’m not sure how many are out there and which ones fit that description
Ya I said I don’t think adding a point guard will address our true problems. Finding a point guard that can be an immediate leader is a pipe dream. We have major chemistry problems.