My opinion on this years group of players

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#1

I am not a coach, I don’t play one on TV, nor have I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in years. I’m just a poor ole fan that has watched a ton of basketball for more years than I care to count.

My layman’s opinion is pretty simple. I can sum it up in five words:
WE CAN’T SHOOT THE ROCK

We are horrendous from midrange out. PERIOD. And EVERYONE knows this. EVERYONE. To the point even our pump fakes don’t even generate a bit of hesitation from the defense. For example, I watched Ricky Council pump fake about every time he was about to drive. His defender just ignored it and stayed in front of him.

Wanna stop the Hogs, just play a zone defense where you sag and pack the paint. If they do drive be sure to be extra physical. We don’t seem to get the calls when teams are physical with us. If we do get the calls, its still doesn’t matter too much because since this team shoots so poorly, it translate to the FT line as well where we are shooting below 70%. Sometimes much lower.

Also, I’ll repeat this one more time, I said a couple of weeks ago I was worried about chemistry on this “team” when NSJ came back. I got hammered. But I believe we went something like 3-6 with his return. Don’t get me wrong, this team needed Nicks shooting/scoring no doubt. But we had just seemed to be coming together as a team and it was reflected with a masterful game in Lexington. Good passing, ball/player movement, assists, etc. I warned the addition of Nick could disrupt the small chemistry we had been building. Now if you watch, you see a bit more player standing around as if waiting to see what Nick will do. Heck RC has went from one of the SEC’s top scoring threats to a missing man. We see flashes of what this team could have been like with Nick there all year. But because its just flashes we are inconsistent at best.

In my humble opine, this team can’t shoot and has a chemistry issue and because of that every team in the nation that has watched even a little bit of film on us, knows the recipe to beat us. Pack the paint and be physical… make us shoot from outside… and even if we get a lead, just hang on to the rope and keep fighting because the hogs are so inconsistent, we will let you right back in the game.

We have seen this too many times this year… over and over.

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#2

Expectations were high, and not just from our media. So we’re frustrated, time to trash our team and players. Me, I’d be embarrasesd to post the above.

#3

We can’t shoot is about the only thing I agree with in the OP. Unless you’re in the locker room and practices that’s pure speculation. Not heard one word from those who would know.

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#4

Excellent post, Votan! All this crap about being tired is just that! They don’t shoot well, especially when the other team is erasing a lead we had. Every game we seem to have two or three droughts of several minutes. Just not consistent…

#5

I think its a few things with shooting being a clear #1. Our defense has not been great either. Too many blow by layups for sure. We aren’t strong so we struggle fighting through screens and we struggle with contact at the rim. Finally, fatigue. The freshmen have played a lot of minutes this year and I know it all adds up. One of the reasons I couldn’t quite get on board with a natty type season just because it’s a lot to ask for this many freshmen expected to play large contributing roles.

#6

did we not peak offensively in Maui??

#7

Probably. But the hogs still made some bone head mistakes. The Creighton game should have been a win. That was one where you couldn’t play defense without a whistle and Creighton could throw anything up and it found the bottom of the net. Devo grabbed a player by the shorts and got an intentional foul 2 free throws and the ball to Creighton. All season long anytime they have had the true chance to take control and gain an advantage when the hogs were going to get the flagrant foul called our way they push or shoved back to offset, like T’s both ways.
As the season went along Council disappeared.
The twins have been up and down
Devo disappeared the last few game on the offensive end. Chemistry or a lack of. I don’t have confidence in them.