GAFFORD, overall and your opinion!!

Basketball Insider Board
#1

In order for any big man (Gafford) to be effective in th low post, that player needs a couple things to happen:

A) versus a man to man defense creating those opportunities utilizes two principles, screens and creating HI/LO opportunities.

B) Against a zone you overload the zone and screen the zone. Executing a zone offense always had to do with how effectively your attack the middle of the zone, the high post. We have a good high post player in Trey Thompson.

Any half court offense must create opportunities to take advantage of the skill sets of the players. Do we create scoring opportunities on the half court? When Barford or Macon go one on one in order to get a shot up, is it because they are selfish? Did you ever notice that often happens late in the shot clock. Or is it because we have not created anything for them?

Remember at the end of the season last year when we got Hannah, Barford and Macon on the floor at the same time? Moses Kinglsey’s number vastly improved. It was about the substitution not that Kinglsey all of a sudden improved. Took the coach’s a long time but they finally figured that out and because we were more effective on offense and we got into the tournament with our offensive improvement. Not our defense. Check the numbers. I do not think that solution is there with this team.

I have seen a few high low sets this season that have worked. What happened, did we not recognize what just worked? Did this coaching staff not see how easily Coach Richardson did those things?

*****Frustrating for fans and players. Guaranteed. Macon pouts and that is hard to deal with for other players, but the other players see why he is frustrated. Lack of confidence in the offensive execution and schemes on the half court. ****

If we are going to truly contend on the national level we need superior talent. To consistently get superior talent in the recruiting process you must be able to show the prospect how you will get him ready for the NBA. If you are not talking about getting them to the NBA, you are recruiting the wrong players. Calipari and Self show the players how they are going to get them ready for the league thru a skill development process. I respect Self’s ability to coach and loathe Calipari’s arrogance. But you have to admit, they get superior talent with an organized approach to showing the prospect and family how they can get them to the NBA. Can we convince players we can do that?

This coaching staff, starting from the top, needs to learn how to adapt and learn how to teach some fundamentals if our program is to improve. Or hire an assistant coach, who can coach and give him the freedom to coach. Great head coaches hire great assistant coaches.

Hope we make the NCAA tournament, however, we have not beat South Carolina yet. Not making the NCAA tourney will be problematic as it hurts recruiting.

Too long and maybe too detailed. Sorry. Coached in HS for 16 years and now work for a high profile vendor and the cannot sign my name and get fired! And this is not a personal attack, just my opinion. Go Hogs!

#2

He don’t get enough touches so when he does touch the ball he fails to pass out of bad spots and makes mistakes. He is a great player on a sorry team!

#3

Jim Harris has stated that Mississippi State explained to Reggie Perry that he would die in our system by showing film that we have no sets or plays to feed the post in the half court. He says recruiters told KeVaughn Allen to avoid playing in Anderson’s weak system. Now that is what he says online.

#4

Maybe I’m right, or maybe I’m wrong. I’m just commenting on what I see during the game. There are a lot of times that our guards either aren’t looking to pass to the low post, or just simply refuse too, or just miss opportunities to do so. They seem, at times, to be more content on looking for an opportunity for themselves too shoot the ball. Does anyone else see this? Or is it just my ignorance or failure to understand how the game works?
I don’t think it is, but like I said, I could be wrong.
Another part of the problem is, Gafford is getting pushed around a lot, or blocked out and doesn’t provide the opportunity for the pass down low.

#5

I agree Gafford is getting pushed around a lot. A reason I said I think he needs to return next year. I think you’re right about our guards being selfish, I also agree with the statement earlier, that when he gets the ball he is looking to score, because he doesn’t get that many touches. I think next year helps him, because he will be looked at as a leader. Kind of like Portis’ second year.

I also think next year our guards will be improved. Don’t get me wrong, I think Barford and Macon are good players, but we go from two good guards that can create for themselves and others to five, possibly six counting Phillips (who I think will play the 4).

Our 4 will also be improved, I personally believe that Henderson, Chaney, and Phillips are upgrades over Thompson, Cook, and Thomas.

Having said that I still think we make the tourney this year, and that we will make it and go deeper next year.

#6

I’m still kind of baffled the staff doesn’t use Gafford in pick-and-roll action more often. We’ve seen them go to it late in games like Tennessee and Missouri, but not with any regularity. He’s not a traditional post-up player. You’ve got to maximize his athleticism and put his gifts to use. There were a couple of moments in the LSU game where his frustration was showing after working for position and not getting rewarded. He certainly has to be more assertive but the guards need to do a better job getting him involved. Feed the big guy and he’s likely to work harder for you.

#7

Gafford still has time to regain his confidence. I do think how he plays down the stretch will determine how the Hogs finish.

I’m thinking he’s getting ready to light it up.

That’s my plan.

WPS!!!

#8

Towards the end of the game, he seemed to find a little groove, let’s hope he continues.

#9

Gafford has very few offensive basketball skills from a post up positions. He needs to be fed the ball on the move towards the rim. He is very quick for his position and we should take advantage of that. When he is fed the ball when he is posted up on the low block it is a bad play looking to happen.

#10

Good kid, but not even close to being ready for nba. He gets a lot of shots blocked. He needs to fund a consistent shot of some sort other than a dunk. Free throw shooting atrocious. He needs 2 more years of college. If he goes pro after this year it will turn out to be a big mistake in the long run. Work on your game for another year or two and enjoy a long profitable career in the Nba.

#11

He is wide open so many times and the guards won’t pass to him very much. Macon is the best of the 3 at feeding Gafford. Macon even said we should use the pick and roll more often in a post game interview a few weeks ago. Beard frustrates me when he won’t hit daniel with a pass in a good position. The Coach is in charge and should be MAKING the guards pass it to the post.

#12

I used to think leaving early would hurt, but I think a kid leaving early to go to the NBA G-League or D-League would actually get more benefit than staying. I only say this because when you look at our coaching staff Watkins teaches the bigs, he was a guard. Going to the NBA farm system, you will have bigs to teach you Post play.

When it comes to Gafford, I’m concerned about his size, but if he has a 1st round draft grade it would be hard to tell him not to go.

#13

It is just a shame that we have a talented big man and a group of guards that fail to get him the ball when he is open. That’s the shame. Next year we will have guards that are a lot more talented. I’d Gafford comes back.

#14

I agree with you on the highlighted portion.

#15

‘Next year we will have guards that are a lot more talented’. .
I would like to know what you base that statement on. Only guard we have returning, Jones, can barely dribble the ball. Harris the transfer we know very little about and the rest will be Freshmen that have not seen the floor in a D1 game. We have two guards that will probably be All Conference.

#16

This year we have two guards that can dribble, create space, set up their own shots, set up others shots, and score. Next year we have five/possibly six guys that can do that. That’s why everyone keeps saying better guards. I think you’re putting too much emphasis on D1 experience. Remember kids are coming in better because of AAU ball.

#17

they don’t throw the ball to him becasue they don’t think
he can score and neither do I. he has no post up game at all.long ways to go as far as being reliable to score he has to use his left hand those drives from the left and shooting right hand is crazy too easy to block…he has to learn how to pump fake and step under…put on 25 lbs and go to a big man camp and he will be a boss but right now he is not a threat in the half court unless we can alley oop to him

#18

Why do we expect next year to be so good? wasn’t this year expected to be really good?

#19

No. We were picked fifth in the SEC. I don’t call that “really good”.

#20

[quote=“SwineFusion”]

No. We were picked fifth in the SEC. I don’t call that “really good”.

[/quote]That is as good as we can expect under Coach Anderson.