calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Jan 9, 2024 19:23:33 GMT -5
Well you’re not going to hang in there shooting 3-19 from deep. No effort at all to drive the lane. Zone worked for a while but gave up too many open 3s.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Jan 9, 2024 19:16:19 GMT -5
Cannot settle for just 3s or we could shoot ourselves right out of this comeback. Massoud has to start contributing.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Jan 9, 2024 19:05:00 GMT -5
Epps hits two 3s and Styles gets the bounce and suddenly it’s a 6 point game. Heath playing well and Fielder replacing Cook. Now play defense.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Jan 9, 2024 18:50:33 GMT -5
This is one of the most embarrassing performances I have seen in quite some time. Team is just going through the motions.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Jan 9, 2024 18:45:34 GMT -5
Hoyas 0-6 from deep and their shooting is no worse than their defense. This is going to free up my evening early.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Jan 9, 2024 18:39:41 GMT -5
Epps 0-3 from deep and only hit the rim once. Rowan and Massoud also missing from deep. Apparently we are starting out with a scoring drought.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Jan 8, 2024 13:22:35 GMT -5
I have watched SHU several times and I do see significant improvement from them in recent games. They appear to be making the jump we are all hoping to see from the Hoyas by February. With the exception of Xavier all the recent games have looked like a team coming together and improving. Hoyas cannot afford one of their dry spells on offense or this becomes Butler all over with the Pirates holding onto a 10-12 point lead throughout. Hoyas will get handled if they abandon ball movement and become over-reliant on ball-handling. SHU guards are too good defensively.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Jan 6, 2024 15:28:23 GMT -5
Styles player of the game for us. Really like when Rowan & Fielder are out there together preferably with Styles. A W is a W. Some good things happening. Let's take it to S. Hall next! Totally agree about Styles. Kid contributes even when not scoring a lot. Not a great defender—who is—but one of the high energy kids who should be on the floor most of the time.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Jan 6, 2024 12:20:41 GMT -5
Cook has to start finishing these shots or at least make his FTs. Poor defensive rebounding again by Hoyas.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Jan 6, 2024 7:26:50 GMT -5
The program is still a mess and posters can argue about whether it is fair or unfair to criticize the job Cooley has done so far. The facts are that Cooley inherited a progam in shambles and spent six months promoting the hell out of Hoya basketball. As skilled as he is as a salesman, he is now a victim of having raised expectations to what appears to be unrealistic levels and the poor performances have crushed the spirit of many diehards. This roster is poorly constructed. Cooley gambled and lost on some big time players who would have dramatically improved the roster. If there was a backup plan it failed. Injuries, illness and last minute defections have certainly not helped.
I was not on the Cooley bandwagon, but have come to respect the effort and style of coaching I have seen during games. I hope that he can turn it around sooner than later. I don't believe 3-4 years is acceptable as in the world of free agency I have watched other teams get get complete makeovers in a year. Not buying in to the mantra that the team is devoid of talent. The problem is that the talent we have does not fit into anything resembling a cohesive and complementary unit. Same issue Ewing had. Most of our key players could be key contributors on a more complete team. Just too many role players on this team.
Having watched every BE team multiple times this year I would hope that everyone can agree that despite all the shortcomings on the roster a home victory over an equally disappointing DePaul team is certainly a reasonable expectation. If they are crushed again today then more questions will be raised and apathy will continue to characterize the once proud program and its dwindling supporters.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Jan 3, 2024 21:41:56 GMT -5
I am not certain we aren't splitting hairs here. Overall its a horrible defensive team, though I think that some players in the right system could at least be better than what we have seen. Ryan will be better. Fielder could be better. Hard to imagine older players getting better. Styles is baffling because he is so athletic that he should be better at cutting off his man, but I think at this point with him it is more focus and effort than ability. Up until last night I would have agreed with you that Ryan will get better. But the Creighton bigs just destroyed him and it's obvious to me that now after 2+ years "what we see is what we get". He's just not quick enough nor strong enough to make up for his lack of mobility. Great kid but never going to a great basketball player. Sorry i meant to write Rowan, not Ryan.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Jan 3, 2024 19:21:45 GMT -5
I am not certain we aren't splitting hairs here. Overall its a horrible defensive team, though I think that some players in the right system could at least be better than what we have seen. Ryan will be better. Fielder could be better. Hard to imagine older players getting better. Styles is baffling because he is so athletic that he should be better at cutting off his man, but I think at this point with him it is more focus and effort than ability.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Jan 3, 2024 9:21:00 GMT -5
What I saw that was encouraging is the efforts made at the beginning of the game to drive into the lane and take some 6-10 foot shots. Unfortunately most were missed, but if Styles, Heath, Fielder and Massoud could present a threat inside the arc, it should provide more opportunities for the kick out pass to open shooters. Cooley's misses in recruiting better post players are the major factor that is hurting this team on both ends of the court. And yes I realize the challenge he faced in recruiting players in the portal after the last couple of years.
Still way too much dribbling around the perimeter. However, only counted a couple of bad TOs.
Amazing how consistently bad the team defense is and has been for years now. Cooley's reputation notwithstanding, the team just seems not to know what to do. How many poorly or uncontested shots will we give up inside the lane?
Having Cook move more than three feet from the basket is almost a waste as no opponent goes with him and there is no concern that he will take a shot--though he did take one and made it last night from about 8 feet out. Maybe he needs to do that at least a couple of times in the 1st half of a game to see if we can space out the interior of the opponents a little for our guards.
It seems like horrible luck when a flawed team also suffers so many injuries. Missed time has hurt Massoud, Epps, Rowan and a hobbling Heath.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Jan 2, 2024 16:32:13 GMT -5
Staying focused on defense, keep Sorber and Fielder out of foul trouble--remember the 7' benchwarmer who can at least spell them a few minutes against a taller opponent, and Ball Movement on offense. An old AAU coach friend of mine used to scream at his players that you cannot dribble your way to victory. Seems particularly fitting for the Hoyas the past couple of years. Would be nice to see the team get through a game without any shot clock violations or "near" violations.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Dec 30, 2023 7:53:06 GMT -5
Sadly it's December and the most active thread on the Board is discussing "The Future." Not much reason to be optimistic about the rest of this season, but I still hope for significant progress. Wins may be out of reach for the most part, but consistent effort and progress by all the players is not. No more horrendous TOs, an offense that utilizes ball movement and some evidence that the coaching staff can improve this group on both ends of the court. Don't agree with those who think mass transfers are not likely. Kids at this level want to play, get some exposure and win. Right now we are offering only one of those options to the players. I am not convinced that the two transfer rule survives in any meaningful way.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Dec 26, 2023 15:50:00 GMT -5
Kenner is a poor measure of the impact a player will have in the regular season. No defense and very little teamwork. I have no doubt Rowan, Epps, Styles and Fielder will improve, but given the imperfect nature of the current roster construction, it is doubtful to me that this improvement will be as impactful this year as it can in the future if the team acquires a real post and a more advanced PG.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Dec 24, 2023 11:04:42 GMT -5
You're falling down on the job of your shtick of relentlessly complaining about people being negative if I have to step in and do it. We have reason for hope now and we are on the way up. I don't understand the complaints of "it's been 9 months and we're not at the top of the Big East yet, what gives". It's not going to happen this season, maybe just enjoy the ride we're on. I just enjoy the hypocrisy of many on this board - for instance, we had to endure your constant negativity for 5 years and yet you’re the first to the wall to defend against any hint of negativity with Cooley. Newsflash: Cooley built this team. The modern college game is built so savvy coaches and talent identifiers can rebuild on the fly and be competitive right away. Judging results so far, he didn’t meet that task. You know full well that absolutely no one is complaining “it’s been 9 months and we’re not at the top of the Bug East.” (Incidentally, *that* is a straw man argument). But expectations of competence should not be too high in season one. We have only approached competence on a few occasions and only in short bursts. Currently, we are as bad a team as we have been in any of the past few seasons. A bit more organized, overall? Sure. But to date, the on-court results are going very poorly. Cooley seems like a good dude, and while I think hiring him away from Providence for so much money was a bit bizarre, he has solid credentials. He can turn this thing around eventually, and I hope he will. But his first season so far has been very unimpressive. Hard to argue with this. As bad as the play has been so far, and as much as it has resembled some of the worst of last year, the big difference is that Cooley does have a track record at multiple stops and has proven he can coach a winning team. Even though he was not my choice for coach, I do have hope and expectation that he will turn it around. I do not agree that this is a 3 year process though. We have complete free agency in college basketball and it is possible, particularly with a proven coach with charisma, to turn this program around much sooner.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 23, 2023 9:33:06 GMT -5
This team won't beat anyone if Epps, Rowan and Heath are 6-28 with 10 TO's. This is a guards game and these guys have to figure it out or Ed needs to get guys that can. They have been pushed around the first 2 BE games. Agree in part, but when you have almost no offensive threat inside it makes it easier to press the guards out top and contest their perimeter shots. Cooley's biggest misses this year have been not finding a scoring threat inside and not having a true BE ready PG. I am increasingly confused as to whether Epps is a better version of Primo, intent on playing hero ball whenever the team is behind, or if the problem is the lack of off-ball movement by the other players. It's hard to do anything but dribble when you have 4 other players essentially standing next to their defender. Watch Marquette last night on offense. Players were constantly moving and cutting. The ball moved quickly and often found an open shooter or an easy dish to an inside player. I see the strength and effort of Cook, but the skill level is lacking and he is undersized. His offense is a putback on a rebound. Add me to the list of those who feel Ryan's sheer size might create some problems--at least a few minutes each half. Yes he is slow to react and lacks lateral mobility but he is capable of scoring and he can rebound. Styles is the one player with the size and willingness to drive into the lane for the 5-8 foot shot that we seem to give up all the time. Our guards are not good enough ballhandlers to get through traffic. Have hope that Fielder will develop in this regard. Defense is as horrendous as it's been for years now and the transition defense is non-existent. Cooley's comments in the huddle and after the game show that he understands the problem. Now the question is whether he can make some adjustments to fix it. I think he can make some adjustments, even if it is to go to a zone most of the time. Don't want to hear about the lack of talent. He built the team and there is certainly enough talent to beat Holy Cross and perform better against some of the other bottom feeders that have played the Hoyas this year.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 4,351
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Post by calhoya on Dec 20, 2023 23:30:42 GMT -5
As one of the aging Alums on this site, I have to admit that games like last night are deflating. It gets increasingly more difficult to wait until next year. However, it should not be necessary to wait until next year to see some improvement in this team. More movement on both ends of the court is essential. Defense can be taught and while there may be limits as to what a player can do, the Hoyas would improve significantly just by having players focus on assignments, like help defense in either the zone or man. Too many easy baskets inside and it cannot be all Cook's fault. On offense we know that they are capable of ball movement, but too often it is abandoned or fails because of careless passes or players trying to dribble through a crowded lane. More movement of the ball and the players please. It is frustrating to watch a player trying to dish the ball while his teammates are standing frozen next to an opponent waiting for the pass. We do not need a guard dribbling around the perimeter and then struggling to heave up a shot before the clock runs. Move. Make the opponent defend all five players and not just the ballhandler. It's easy for opponents to extend their defense when they are not worried about any inside threat. However, if Cook cannot provide that then Massoud and Fielder must. They are as valuable to this team if they can hit the shots in the lane or the top of the key as when shooting from beyond the arc. Maybe more so considering that the Hoyas are struggling to get open shots from deep. Styles gets it and should be the model for Massoud and Fielder. Not expecting a sudden turnaround in fortunes but games like last night make you question how much progress is actually being made. Really? I don't really get this at all. We have 7.5 players, and all other than DS and Cook are basically frosh or guys nobody else wanted. So, you have two players that are physically mature and BE-level talents. Two. We have one true big in Cook, so we are getting slaughtered on the glass in every game. That's not going to change. Butler was playing at home with a deeper, more mature roster led by a guy like Posh. That was actually not a bad game at all. Prepare to endure FAR worse this season. We're playing essentially 3-on-5. I look at a game like last night and see many correctable mistakes that have little to do with being outmanned or too young and more to do with focus.. And yes I know the competition will get much tougher—which is why the careless unnecessary mistakes are frustrating. Cook cannot grow taller but I agree with others here who say that even a smaller team can rebound better. Not sure which of our “7.5 players “ you think that no one else wanted. Epps, Heath, and Massoud all have experience at the high major level. Bristol has played at a mid major and an high major. Only Rowan and Fielder are basically frosh and both were highly recruited. Styles also was highly recruited. All have enough credentials and experience to know not to make careless passes, stare down the teammate being passed to and not to stand still watching a teammate get trapped off the dribble. A good team? No, but they could be better than they showed by simply cleaning things up and staying focused on running the offense and defense.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Dec 20, 2023 17:22:50 GMT -5
As one of the aging Alums on this site, I have to admit that games like last night are deflating. It gets increasingly more difficult to wait until next year. However, it should not be necessary to wait until next year to see some improvement in this team. More movement on both ends of the court is essential.
Defense can be taught and while there may be limits as to what a player can do, the Hoyas would improve significantly just by having players focus on assignments, like help defense in either the zone or man. Too many easy baskets inside and it cannot be all Cook's fault.
On offense we know that they are capable of ball movement, but too often it is abandoned or fails because of careless passes or players trying to dribble through a crowded lane. More movement of the ball and the players please. It is frustrating to watch a player trying to dish the ball while his teammates are standing frozen next to an opponent waiting for the pass. We do not need a guard dribbling around the perimeter and then struggling to heave up a shot before the clock runs. Move. Make the opponent defend all five players and not just the ballhandler. It's easy for opponents to extend their defense when they are not worried about any inside threat. However, if Cook cannot provide that then Massoud and Fielder must. They are as valuable to this team if they can hit the shots in the lane or the top of the key as when shooting from beyond the arc. Maybe more so considering that the Hoyas are struggling to get open shots from deep. Styles gets it and should be the model for Massoud and Fielder.
Not expecting a sudden turnaround in fortunes but games like last night make you question how much progress is actually being made.
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