hoyainla
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Post by hoyainla on Nov 26, 2021 11:31:57 GMT -5
Handful of thoughts: My primary concern with this group is the same as with some prior Ewing teams: Defensive identity and execution. It seems to me that the staff struggles each year to find the defensive identity that works with a particular group. And that group seems to struggle (particularly early in seasons) with whatever we go with. Each year, we've done things slightly differently. This year, so far, it looks like we are pressuring the ball just a bit more than in previous years and emphasizing team help a fair amount (which is the same as most previous years). So far? We seem to be getting blown by far too often without the turnovers that the pressure should create. And our help has been in the nature of over-help, leading to way too many open looks. I don't know if our guards need to be just a little more solid rather than ball-hawking. Or if at some point, we can rely on our 5s to protect the paint and therefore allow the other players to stay more at home. But it's a significant problem right now. To be clear, I don't mind trying it -- Dante and Aminu ought to be able to provide the pressure without getting beat. But if for whatever reason it doesn't work, we have to move to something else quickly. I'm not concerned by the blocks of Mutombo. He seems to have good instincts, good hands, and is in the right place. When you've been able to go up your whole life and lay those in, it takes a while to learn to do something else. Offensively? We just aren't good enough individually. I think it's really that simple. Dante can create his own shot at will, and if the outside Js are going down, he's able to keep us in games all by himself. Aminu is athletic and skilled enough to get to the hole. Teams are going to start giving him outside looks, though, which is going to be an issue once fully scouted unless he can hit at a higher percentage. Neither of them is great passers once they beat their man. And aside from them? Well...we have no post presence (maybe Mutombo can grow to provide one but the other two won't). Our starting wings are incredibly inconsistent and appear to be extremely limited against decent competition. Given their ages, that seems unlikely to change. Do our young backup guards/wings develop? Billingsley? The guys who were hurt at the beginning of the year? In short, this team will rise and fall on whether the staff can find a defensive approach that suits them and on whether the younger guys can develop on both ends quickly and enough (and whether the staff plays them enough and sits the vets if the youngsters do develop). Oh, and we got a little unlucky on bounces. I think three long shots in the 1H were bricked to the rim, bounced high, and rattled in. That provided the margin at the break. Unfortunate. Dante looks to play better defense than he actually does. He gets the occasional steal that masks the amount of times he gets blown by. Ewing should tell him your main focus is keeping your guy in front of you. Once any of our guys gets beat on the dribble the odds of an open shot or dunk go up 10x. If we are relying on Ewing finding a defense that works history is not on our side. Dante would serve us well as being a more pass first PG but it’s just not in his DNA yet.I also am not sure if we are running an offense that relies on Dante to be more of a passer as I am not sure what the offense is most of the time. I wouldn’t say I liked the shots he was taking in the first half as most were long 2s but they went in and his 1st half was amazing. His 2nd half was not good. He was clearly our 2nd best player last night and if we get that Dante all year I would consider that a great year for him.
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kbones17
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Post by kbones17 on Nov 26, 2021 11:36:14 GMT -5
Play to win the game today. Not for next year. Now, if there is no drop-off sure, play the freshman too. I hate to be the Debbie Downer on the Mutombo is the future center train, but I am severely worried about his athleticism limiting his potential. He is not quick/explosive and he got rejected at least twice at the rim (once by a guard).
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Bigs"R"Us
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Post by Bigs"R"Us on Nov 26, 2021 11:36:31 GMT -5
Generally, your three-point marksmen (Rice, Berger) are going to give up something on the defensive end. It’s trading 3s for 2s, to some extent. It’s on the coaching staff to plan the strategy.
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hoyasaxa2003
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Post by hoyasaxa2003 on Nov 26, 2021 11:37:36 GMT -5
This game was a frustrating one to watch. First, SDSU is clearly a better team than us. I think we hung with them a fairly long time, but even as we kept the score close, we were not playing particularly good basketball. Second, I have no idea what reasoning was behind the lineup management in the first half, particularly when Ewing took out both Aminu and Harris at the same time. When the rest of the team was struggling to get a basket, why do you sit the only two guys who are actually scoring?
Right now, Harris and Aminu are clearly our best two offensive players. Rice is useful if he's hitting threes, but he seems streaky, brings very little else, and he's horrible on defense. And, our centers are just not very good. Losing Wahab was a major loss for this team, and for the coaching staff.
The Positive
- Dante Harris. It wasn't the most efficient game, but Harris kept things moving and largely kept us in the game with Aminu. The biggest problem for Dante in this game was 4 turnovers, but it's hard to complain about Dante at all when everyone else (other than Aminu) was pretty bad.
- Aminu. I keep saying this, but this guy is good, and will only get better. I just hope we can keep him around for another season to see him develop.
The Less Positive
- Carey. The captain didn't show up.
- Lineups. See above, I have no idea what Ewing was doing, but we began falling apart in the first half when Aminu/Harris were both rested at the same time. This is just not acceptable.
- Holloway. Ewing said Holloway and Clark were "integral" to the season. If Holloway plays this badly all year, we aren't going to have much of a season to care about.
- Wilson. All of our centers had bad games, but Wilson is really struggling. I realize he came in as a project, but he's a junior and still seems to lack basic skills and awareness. Where is the player development here? I mean, who knows, maybe he actually is better than he was 2 years ago, but this level of development after two years is just not acceptable. Nobody is saying Wilson should be dropping 15 points a night, but I think at this point we can expect basic skills and communication. I thought development of bigs was supposed to be a hallmark of this staff, and I am just not seeing it with Wilson (or Ighoefe).
- Defense. I am beating a dead horse here, but it's just not good.
Bottom line, I just don't think this team is very skilled, I don't think the guys we have needed to develop have developed, and our defensive problems over the last 4-5 years persist and the scheme seems largely unchanged, too. It's just hard to be optimistic about this team, though I still hold out hope that on the backs of Harris, Aminu, and a better Carey we might be able to win some games against decent opponents.
With last night's performance, we fell from 88 to 94 on KenPom. We fell from 145 to 157 on BartTorvik.com. We are ranked 150 on haslmaetrics.com. This may be the worst team Ewing has had to date. It's scary to think what this team would be without Harris and Aminu, but thankfully we do have them.
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Nov 26, 2021 11:39:34 GMT -5
What the hell did this guys do the night before the game? They looked tired. What an ugly performance by team captain Don.This was an experienced team vs an inexperienced one. They were tougher than us. Pat was outcoached from the moment he overthought the rotation and took out Dante and Aminu in yhe first half. The rest of the way was uphill. Well by the end of the 2nd half it was 1:43 AM. I'm not sure why the tournament organizer's thought it was a good idea to schedule our game at midnight. They could have easily put us in the 10 pm slot or earlier in the day. They played in the 8:45 P.M. PST time slot.
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DFW HOYA
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Post by DFW HOYA on Nov 26, 2021 11:40:23 GMT -5
I'm not sure why the tournament organizer's thought it was a good idea to schedule our game at midnight. They could have easily put us in the 10 pm slot or earlier in the day. The tournament organizer is ESPN, and their job is to fill time. The ESPN calendar yesterday included (all times Eastern) ESPN: 12:00 Battle 4 Atlantis 02:30P ESPN Events Invitational 05:00P Battle 4 Atlantis 07:30P Ole Miss vs Mississippi State ESPN2: 12:00 ESPN Events Invitational 02:30P Battle 4 Atlantis 05:00P ESPN Events Invitational 07:30P Battle 4 Atlantis 09:00P Wooden Legacy 11:20P Wooden Legacy These tournaments are scheduled by priority and time zone. The Wooden Legacy was a west coast tournament which offered a prime time viewing for west coast audiences (two of the four teams were in Southern California). It's why the Gonzaga-Duke game is late this evening. Notwithstanding, this event did not have the interest that it would have if Virginia, Kansas, Georgetown and UCLA had played, as was proposed in 2020. The two game session drew just 1,402.
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This Just In
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Post by This Just In on Nov 26, 2021 11:40:50 GMT -5
This game ended up being up on ESPN2
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hoyainla
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Post by hoyainla on Nov 26, 2021 11:41:31 GMT -5
What the hell did this guys do the night before the game? They looked tired. What an ugly performance by team captain Don. This was an experienced team vs an inexperienced one. They were tougher than us. Pat was outcoached from the moment he overthought the rotation and took out Dante and Aminu in yhe first half. The rest of the way was uphill. I mean, we were -4 as a team with both of them out of the game. I'd rather you stagger it also since they're clearly the only two guys that can actually create their own shot among the starters. But it wasn't like it was a complete disaster or anything. And it was only for two minutes. We were up 4 and had momentum at around the 10 minute mark when there was the TV timeout. We came out of that with Aminu and Dante out and all the young guys. At the 7 minute TV TO we were down 3 which is when they came back in. I thought we need to push out the 1st half lead with Mensah out but that run all but killed those hopes. I figured if we went into halftime up 6-8 we may have enough confidence to hold on for a win. We ended up getting the complete opposite. I get you have to rest them a few minutes but taking them both off last night when they were clearly the only offense is something you just can’t do.
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hoyasaxa2003
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Post by hoyasaxa2003 on Nov 26, 2021 11:45:31 GMT -5
It's frustrating that we've been playing for next year for 4 years. And then after each season, our good players transfer, and then we are again playing for next year. I'm sick and tired of this cycle. That's a false narrative. Last year, we played for last year. Don't you remember, you were complaining that Coach Ewing shouldn't play Bile and should develop Berger, Holloway, Sibley, etc for "next year". That Coach Ewing didn't know what he was doing by playing for this (last season) year. How quickly we forget. BET Champions. You continually mischaracterize my posts by saying that I said things I didn't say. You're also mixing two things that are separate. Yes, if a team is bad, then I think giving younger guys playing time sometimes make sense. But, in a tournament situation (like the BET), I definitely think you always need to play to win, no matter what that consists of doing. However, this is a separate point from my saying that I am sick and tired of having to wait for next year. The BET was nice, and I haven't made any criticisms of Ewing whatsoever for the way the BET was handled. It was great, and I was thrilled with the result. But, really the only good stretch of basketball we've had to be happy and thrilled about over the last 4-5 years has been the BET. To me, that's not enough.
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hoya9797
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Post by hoya9797 on Nov 26, 2021 11:46:38 GMT -5
I mean, we were -4 as a team with both of them out of the game. I'd rather you stagger it also since they're clearly the only two guys that can actually create their own shot among the starters. But it wasn't like it was a complete disaster or anything. And it was only for two minutes. We were up 4 and had momentum at around the 10 minute mark when there was the TV timeout. We came out of that with Aminu and Dante out and all the young guys. At the 7 minute TV TO we were down 3 which is when they came back in. I thought we need to push out the 1st half lead with Mensah out but that run all but killed those hopes. I figured if we went into halftime up 6-8 we may have enough confidence to hold on for a win. We ended up getting the complete opposite. I get you have to rest them a few minutes but taking them both off last night when they were clearly the only offense is something you just can’t do. Do you think the assistants look at these decisions and wonder WTF is going on? Or are they as clueless as Ewing?
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hoyasaxa2003
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Post by hoyasaxa2003 on Nov 26, 2021 11:51:54 GMT -5
We were up 4 and had momentum at around the 10 minute mark when there was the TV timeout. We came out of that with Aminu and Dante out and all the young guys. At the 7 minute TV TO we were down 3 which is when they came back in. I thought we need to push out the 1st half lead with Mensah out but that run all but killed those hopes. I figured if we went into halftime up 6-8 we may have enough confidence to hold on for a win. We ended up getting the complete opposite. I get you have to rest them a few minutes but taking them both off last night when they were clearly the only offense is something you just can’t do. Do you think the assistants look at these decisions and wonder WTF is going on? Or are they as clueless as Ewing? For what it's worth, Harris played 35 minutes and Aminu played 32. I might have pushed Aminu a bit further (though I don't know his conditioning, etc. well enough to know if he can handle that), but the issue is really not the minutes the played. It's that when you play two guys a combined 67 minutes, you can easily stagger them so they're not off the court at the same time together.
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Post by professorhoya on Nov 26, 2021 11:53:28 GMT -5
That's a false narrative. Last year, we played for last year. Don't you remember, you were complaining that Coach Ewing shouldn't play Bile and should develop Berger, Holloway, Sibley, etc for "next year". That Coach Ewing didn't know what he was doing by playing for this (last season) year. How quickly we forget. BET Champions. You continually mischaracterize my posts by saying that I said things I didn't say. You're also mixing two things that are separate. Yes, if a team is bad, then I think giving younger guys playing time sometimes make sense. But, in a tournament situation (like the BET), I definitely think you always need to play to win, no matter what that consists of doing. However, this is a separate point from my saying that I am sick and tired of having to wait for next year. The BET was nice, and I haven't made any criticisms of Ewing whatsoever for the way the BET was handled. It was great, and I was thrilled with the result. But, really the only good stretch of basketball we've had to be happy and thrilled about over the last 4-5 years has been the BET. To me, that's not enough. Did you not chastise Ewing for continually playing and developing Bile during the regular season? I am pretty sure you were complaining that Ewing should bench Bile and develop my favorite Berger, Sibley and Holloway during the regular season with an eye on next year. (I could go back to your old posts and dig them up but that would be a waste of time)
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hoyasaxa2003
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Post by hoyasaxa2003 on Nov 26, 2021 12:06:41 GMT -5
Did you not chastise Ewing for continually playing and developing Bile during the regular season? I am pretty sure you were complaining that Ewing should bench Bile and develop my favorite Berger, Sibley and Holloway during the regular season with an eye on next year. (I could go back to your old posts and dig them up but that would be a waste of time) It'd be an even bigger waste of time because you wouldn't find them. I never said Ewing should play Sibley or Holloway more and sit Bile, or do so with a look toward next year. In fact, last year when commenting on the NCAA game and our lack of depth, I said this: SF/PF: Pickett/Bile. These guys basically play interchangeably in these positions, depending on whether we are going with three guards or not. But, we really have no replacement if they get into foul trouble. Don't get me wrong, I like Holloway and Clark, but neither of them have played more than spot minutes, and we don't want them getting those minutes in an NCAA game. As far as Bile, you are right that at times I was critical of him at the beginning of the season, because he was playing a lot of minutes and not very effective. But, he did play better at the end of the season, and as my post above indicates, I clearly wanted him to play in the NCAA game because of his improvement. When I make mistakes or am wrong, I freely admit it. But, on this, you're just off base.
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hoyainla
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Post by hoyainla on Nov 26, 2021 12:33:58 GMT -5
It's frustrating that we've been playing for next year for 4 years. And then after each season, our good players transfer, and then we are again playing for next year. I'm sick and tired of this cycle. That's a false narrative. Last year, we played for last year. Don't you remember, you were complaining that Coach Ewing shouldn't play Bile and should develop Berger, Holloway, Sibley, etc for "next year". That Coach Ewing didn't know what he was doing by playing for this (last season) year. How quickly we forget. BET Champions. Not to get this thread too far off track but even after seeing how it all played out I think Bile should’ve played less and Sibley more. Bile was objectively awful vs Marquette and Nova to the point if we would’ve lost to Nova you could’ve pointed it at him. The only game he was good was the Creighton win in a game that was never close. Bile was no factor in us winning the BET. I don’t think you completely bench the older guys this year as that could hurt your credibility with future transfers. You do have to get guys more minutes when you can.for instance Riley only getting 4 minutes last night was bad. The game was over for about the last 5 minutes. Get him and Beard some time there.
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hoyarooter
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Post by hoyarooter on Nov 26, 2021 12:50:55 GMT -5
This was the first opportunity I have had to see the team play this year. 4-28 and 4-20 were really the story of this game. You just can't survive with that kind of shooting. But SDSU has shut down every team they have played from 3 this year, so credit to their defense for giving us so few good looks. As for individual players -
Big Tim still has no discernable offensive skills. By next season (or perhaps even later this season) Ryan will be starting. Ryan didn't play well last night, but he's a freshman, and I see potential for growth there that I don't see with Tim. Losing Tre King hurt us a lot.
Aside from Aminu, the freshmen don't look ready for prime time. But this was the first serious competition they have faced. It's way, way, way too early to give up on any of them.
I doubt that there will be another game this season where Donald Carey fails to make any field goals. He's a better player than that. Bad games happen.
I thought Rice's shot selection was very poor. He needs to be taking the 3's that Bile took last year, not 3's with guys draped all over him. But at least he made two, and that's better than everyone else except Dante.
Dante played very much like he did in the BET. The kid is a gamer, and we are lucky to have him.
Every once in a while you will see a shot that is way off mark bounce high in the air and then fall through the basket. But three in one half? I don't think I have ever seen that. Combine that with a 35 foot heave to beat the shot clock, and SDSU was extremely lucky to be leading at half time.
We fell apart late (no baskets in the last 9 minutes?), and I wonder if at least in part that wasn't a result of the crazy late start time. I understand why these games were played when they were, and that was just bad luck for us. Getting an early game draw might have helped.
It's beating a dead horse, but I agree with the comments on our defense. Every team gets open looks against us, and last night a team that had been very poor in shooting 3's wasn't (again, attributable in part to luck), but we have to do a better job locking down shooters.
Now on to St. Joe's, another game I won't be able to watch.
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rhw485
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Post by rhw485 on Nov 26, 2021 13:23:23 GMT -5
We were up 4 and had momentum at around the 10 minute mark when there was the TV timeout. We came out of that with Aminu and Dante out and all the young guys. At the 7 minute TV TO we were down 3 which is when they came back in. I thought we need to push out the 1st half lead with Mensah out but that run all but killed those hopes. I figured if we went into halftime up 6-8 we may have enough confidence to hold on for a win. We ended up getting the complete opposite. I get you have to rest them a few minutes but taking them both off last night when they were clearly the only offense is something you just can’t do. So I noticed this too and I think it was a lineup with Carey and then the other freshmen (maybe Holloway instead of Billingsley). Ironically this was the lineup that really helped blow the game open vs. American in the 2nd half. That being said, considering nobody else on the team had scored for the first 10 minutes of the game, I think you need to scrap the plan and stagger Aminu / Dante last night. And I think that is a fair criticism of Ewing to an extent, the lineups seem a little pre-determined like an NBA rotation. That's a classic NBA thing to have one starter and four bench guys together to begin the 2nd quarter. We play the starters together the first 6 min of every half (unless there's foul trouble) and it inevitably leads to a weird lineup later. Sometimes we survive, sometimes we dont.
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Nov 26, 2021 15:58:49 GMT -5
Handful of thoughts: My primary concern with this group is the same as with some prior Ewing teams: Defensive identity and execution. It seems to me that the staff struggles each year to find the defensive identity that works with a particular group. And that group seems to struggle (particularly early in seasons) with whatever we go with. Each year, we've done things slightly differently. This year, so far, it looks like we are pressuring the ball just a bit more than in previous years and emphasizing team help a fair amount (which is the same as most previous years). So far? We seem to be getting blown by far too often without the turnovers that the pressure should create. And our help has been in the nature of over-help, leading to way too many open looks. I don't know if our guards need to be just a little more solid rather than ball-hawking. Or if at some point, we can rely on our 5s to protect the paint and therefore allow the other players to stay more at home. But it's a significant problem right now. To be clear, I don't mind trying it -- Dante and Aminu ought to be able to provide the pressure without getting beat. But if for whatever reason it doesn't work, we have to move to something else quickly. I'm not concerned by the blocks of Mutombo. He seems to have good instincts, good hands, and is in the right place. When you've been able to go up your whole life and lay those in, it takes a while to learn to do something else. Offensively? We just aren't good enough individually. I think it's really that simple. Dante can create his own shot at will, and if the outside Js are going down, he's able to keep us in games all by himself. Aminu is athletic and skilled enough to get to the hole. Teams are going to start giving him outside looks, though, which is going to be an issue once fully scouted unless he can hit at a higher percentage. Neither of them is great passers once they beat their man. And aside from them? Well...we have no post presence (maybe Mutombo can grow to provide one but the other two won't). Our starting wings are incredibly inconsistent and appear to be extremely limited against decent competition. Given their ages, that seems unlikely to change. Do our young backup guards/wings develop? Billingsley? The guys who were hurt at the beginning of the year? In short, this team will rise and fall on whether the staff can find a defensive approach that suits them and on whether the younger guys can develop on both ends quickly and enough (and whether the staff plays them enough and sits the vets if the youngsters do develop). Oh, and we got a little unlucky on bounces. I think three long shots in the 1H were bricked to the rim, bounced high, and rattled in. That provided the margin at the break. Unfortunate. I think this game was far simpler. I don't think you are necessarily wrong on this point, but we never even really got to the point to worry about defensive identity or anything like that. The centers are really, really, really bad. Can't really rebound, can't make a close in shot. Can't dunk. Can't really defend. Just really can't do anything. They left at least ten points offensively on the table yesterday on top of the defensive issues. I remain pessimistic on improvement as well - Tim is slow, Malcom has less mass than my left leg and Ryan ... well, maybe Ryan but the dude got blocked on like 4 dunks yesterday. Carey and Rice were complete no shows as veterans leaders who apparently can only hit a shot once every four games. Carey honestly should consider giving the captaincy up; it wasn't just a bad game -- he was completely absent for long stretches. I actually think Dante and Aminu are probably one creator short of sufficient for the team ... if people hit open perimeter shots and close in dunks. Seriously -- take the easy baskets the big men left on the floor, and then take the 2-16 our veteran shooters were from the field and change those to ANYTHING valuable, and this game is completely different. It is hard to criticize Ewing for rotations when we have two games in two days too much, but if I had to criticize for this game, it is two things: - We need to consider a small ball center with someone. Billingsley? I dunno, but someone who can dunk the easy shots Dante and Aminu provide. Our centers aren't defending all that much anyway.
- Colin Holloway was really, really, really bad and playing him for 9 minutes was a bit criminal. He was a big reason this became a blowout.
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Post by hoyawoodhoops on Nov 26, 2021 17:20:28 GMT -5
Last night was the first time I had a chance to see the Hoyas play in person in two years. I feel like Lloyd Bridges in "Airplane;" I picked a bad day to give up watching us play on TV. However painful this game was to watch from posters' homes at midnight and later, it was a lot more agonizing in the arena. I admire the posters who have been able to find significant positives out of this performance, at least those beyond the individual efforts turned in by Dante and Aminu. From my perspective sitting directly behind our bench, finding the good was a lot harder. A few observations, probably all (painfully) obvious:
1) You can't play two-on-five offensive basketball at this level, and succeed, and against a reasonably competent opponent, you'll get killed. No one other than Harris and Muhammed showed up at all. If this continues, we're in for a disastrous season in the BE. I don't think it will, but man last night was ugly offensively.
2) I'm, sorry but our play at the 5 is a black hole. Yes, Tim was better in the second half than in the first, but not really at a BE starter level; Malcom just isn't strong or skilled enough to be competitive, and Ryan plays flat-footed at both ends of the court. Small wonder he's getting rejected on what should be sure-fire dunks. It seems to me that he (and, to some extent, Aminu and Jordan) are still trying to rely on what worked for them in high school, where they were far more talented than their opponents. That isn't translating at this level, and isn't going to. I think they'll learn, but that process is pretty painful to watch.
3) Our passing is TERRIBLE. Sitting so close to the court, I was literally watching our guys make one bad passing decision after another, or sloppily failing to execute where a good pass would have led to a score. Part of that seems to be a lack of emphasis on ball movement, abetted by a chronic failure of our guys to move effectively without the ball. The results were the one-on-one play of Harris and Muhammed, and the astonishing absence of meaningful assists. This can be fixed, and Pat and the staff need to do that or we will continue to pay the price we paid last night in turnovers and lost opportunities.
4) Others have already catalogued the woes in our defense better than I can, and while I agree that our inability to defend the three is now systemic, from my perspective the complete breakdown of our defending the P & R and open looks to the post last night was as big, if not bigger, factor in the loss.
I'm about to head back off to Anaheim, first to the Hoop Club reception -- the reception last night was the one big positive for the evening -- and then to a game that we ought to win going away. I'm looking to have my faith restored. Fingers crossed.
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Post by michaelgrahmstylie on Nov 26, 2021 17:21:58 GMT -5
Handful of thoughts: My primary concern with this group is the same as with some prior Ewing teams: Defensive identity and execution. It seems to me that the staff struggles each year to find the defensive identity that works with a particular group. And that group seems to struggle (particularly early in seasons) with whatever we go with. Each year, we've done things slightly differently. This year, so far, it looks like we are pressuring the ball just a bit more than in previous years and emphasizing team help a fair amount (which is the same as most previous years). So far? We seem to be getting blown by far too often without the turnovers that the pressure should create. And our help has been in the nature of over-help, leading to way too many open looks. I don't know if our guards need to be just a little more solid rather than ball-hawking. Or if at some point, we can rely on our 5s to protect the paint and therefore allow the other players to stay more at home. But it's a significant problem right now. To be clear, I don't mind trying it -- Dante and Aminu ought to be able to provide the pressure without getting beat. But if for whatever reason it doesn't work, we have to move to something else quickly. I'm not concerned by the blocks of Mutombo. He seems to have good instincts, good hands, and is in the right place. When you've been able to go up your whole life and lay those in, it takes a while to learn to do something else. Offensively? We just aren't good enough individually. I think it's really that simple. Dante can create his own shot at will, and if the outside Js are going down, he's able to keep us in games all by himself. Aminu is athletic and skilled enough to get to the hole. Teams are going to start giving him outside looks, though, which is going to be an issue once fully scouted unless he can hit at a higher percentage. Neither of them is great passers once they beat their man. And aside from them? Well...we have no post presence (maybe Mutombo can grow to provide one but the other two won't). Our starting wings are incredibly inconsistent and appear to be extremely limited against decent competition. Given their ages, that seems unlikely to change. Do our young backup guards/wings develop? Billingsley? The guys who were hurt at the beginning of the year? In short, this team will rise and fall on whether the staff can find a defensive approach that suits them and on whether the younger guys can develop on both ends quickly and enough (and whether the staff plays them enough and sits the vets if the youngsters do develop). Oh, and we got a little unlucky on bounces. I think three long shots in the 1H were bricked to the rim, bounced high, and rattled in. That provided the margin at the break. Unfortunate. I think this game was far simpler. I don't think you are necessarily wrong on this point, but we never even really got to the point to worry about defensive identity or anything like that. The centers are really, really, really bad. Can't really rebound, can't make a close in shot. Can't dunk. Can't really defend. Just really can't do anything. They left at least ten points offensively on the table yesterday on top of the defensive issues. I remain pessimistic on improvement as well - Tim is slow, Malcom has less mass than my left leg and Ryan ... well, maybe Ryan but the dude got blocked on like 4 dunks yesterday. Carey and Rice were complete no shows as veterans leaders who apparently can only hit a shot once every four games. Carey honestly should consider giving the captaincy up; it wasn't just a bad game -- he was completely absent for long stretches. I actually think Dante and Aminu are probably one creator short of sufficient for the team ... if people hit open perimeter shots and close in dunks. Seriously -- take the easy baskets the big men left on the floor, and then take the 2-16 our veteran shooters were from the field and change those to ANYTHING valuable, and this game is completely different. It is hard to criticize Ewing for rotations when we have two games in two days too much, but if I had to criticize for this game, it is two things: - We need to consider a small ball center with someone. Billingsley? I dunno, but someone who can dunk the easy shots Dante and Aminu provide. Our centers aren't defending all that much anyway.
- Colin Holloway was really, really, really bad and playing him for 9 minutes was a bit criminal. He was a big reason this became a blowout.
I think is just growing, getting better. There are just so many challenges to college basketball nowadays. Chief among them, the transient nature of the game and early departure. I like the fact that we are playing meaningful games; these types of games have a tendency to grow you up quick.
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drquigley
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,386
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Post by drquigley on Nov 26, 2021 18:24:44 GMT -5
I just finished watching my recording of the game. Sorry to say this to all the doom and gloomers on this Board but considering the final score and what, as a result, I was expecting I was very happy with the Hoyas performance. They were down by 3 with 8 minutes left and a few 3's go in and we could have pulled this game out. Hey, we're not winning the BE (thanks to our atrocious bigs) this year but we are getting better and if this freshman group holds together we could be dangerous next year. Face it, we are just too raw right now to go toe to toe with more experienced teams. But give me a senior Dante and a junior Mohammed, Motumbo, Billingsley, Beard, and Riley and we will be a nationally ranked team and a BE threat. Compared to what I saw against Dartmouth we are making big strides. Take the Hoyas giving 15 points tonight.
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