Cats @ USF 1/18

[handwaver]

Yeah, not having Lawrence messes up our rotation and hinders his development. Plus, teams have been playing zone against us a lot lately -- I would like to try him on the foul line and see if he can get hot knocking down the 15-footer. For that matter, I would like to see Shaq try the middle of the zone too.

Agree....Shaq is now key to this team's near future - he needs to score double figures from now on.

 

[JumpinJack5]

The worst part about losing Lawrence is that it seemed like he was finally turning the corner. He played really well and got 6 points in the first half of that Memphis game before he got hurt, this will definitely hinder his development. If he can come back for the U of L game, I think he will be ready to be a solid contributor by the conference tournament.

 

[CaptDale]

Even a broken clock is right twice a day, time for Mick to give Caupain the majority of the minutes. If you are happy with this team the way it is, you let Guyn have a 50-50 split with Caupain. If you want to be a good team come March, Caupain needs the keys to the car. Caupain has made plenty of mistakes, but he has far more upside than Guyn for a team that desperately needs offense. As Mick said at the beginning of the year, this isn't an everyone plays, juice box and snack team, this is a team that will play its best players the most and you will have to fight to earn playing time. It hasn't really worked out that way, as we don't have Strickland, JD3, etc., but Mick should stand firm and let Caupain run the show. It isn't even so much about Guyn as it is Caupain, who will be the leader of the offense for the next few years to come.

So when we were not in a zone D, GG guarded Allen and Heath pretty much. Let's see what they scored → 3 points combined! GG also had 3 boards and didn't toss the ball away. Maybe we should just let him get splinters on the bench? I just wish he would penetrate occasionally. I loved that fast break he led last game vs Temple that ended in JJ's dunk. That's situational awareness. He's not as exciting to watch as TC, but he's the guy I would want to control the ball for me. Good game GG!
Go Cats!

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

The worst part about losing Lawrence is that it seemed like he was finally turning the corner. He played really well and got 6 points in the first half of that Memphis game before he got hurt, this will definitely hinder his development. If he can come back for the U of L game, I think he will be ready to be a solid contributor by the conference tournament.

They just need to get him back because he is more effective than Nyarsuk. It will take him a few games to get back into it, they just need him for the rotation.

 

[Robert]

So when we were not in a zone D, GG guarded Allen and Heath pretty much. Let's see what they scored → 3 points combined! GG also had 3 boards and didn't toss the ball away. Maybe we should just let him get splinters on the bench? I just wish he would penetrate occasionally. I loved that fast break he led last game vs Temple that ended in JJ's dunk. That's situational awareness. He's not as exciting to watch as TC, but he's the guy I would want to control the ball for me. Good game GG!
Go Cats!

Okay, well you're the only one... sorry.

To compare to an NBA player, Guyn is like a Tony Allen. Lock-down individual defender, doesn't do a whole lot else. Sure, he gets hot every now and then, but he doesn't distribute the ball like a point guard should. I don't think anyone wants him to ride the bench. We're just saying Caupain is a better point guard and deserves the lion's share of the minutes.

Honestly though, I have no problem with the way Mick is handling it right now.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

Even a broken clock is right twice a day, time for Mick to give Caupain the majority of the minutes. If you are happy with this team the way it is, you let Guyn have a 50-50 split with Caupain. If you want to be a good team come March, Caupain needs the keys to the car. Caupain has made plenty of mistakes, but he has far more upside than Guyn for a team that desperately needs offense. As Mick said at the beginning of the year, this isn't an everyone plays, juice box and snack team, this is a team that will play its best players the most and you will have to fight to earn playing time. It hasn't really worked out that way, as we don't have Strickland, JD3, etc., but Mick should stand firm and let Caupain run the show. It isn't even so much about Guyn as it is Caupain, who will be the leader of the offense for the next few years to come.

The rotation is fine right now. Who starts and who comes off the bench is irreverent at this point. The guy playing well gets the majority of the minutes and as the game develops he subs them according to what's best for that situation. Caupains development is not being hurt by coming off the bench.MC isn't playing upside he's trying to win games. GG offense looked fine yesterday. Hate to think where we would have been without him.The only playing time situation we have right now is the injury to JL. if we were losing games you may see a adjustment and GG may not be the only starter replaced. I'm from the old school I guess. If it ain't broke don't fix it. If MC coached using this site as a guide. SK would shoot less, On any given day Thomas would be given up on,Sanders would have been labeled a bust,GG would have been benched,JD3 would be starting at point guard and he couldn't guard the statue of Oscar at front,Narsuk wouldn't ever see the floor,KJ would have been red shirted. I'm sure I may have forgotten a few but you get the point. MC understands his teams strengths and weaknesses far better then we if not he wouldn't be winning at the rate he has been.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

So when we were not in a zone D, GG guarded Allen and Heath pretty much. Let's see what they scored → 3 points combined! GG also had 3 boards and didn't toss the ball away. Maybe we should just let him get splinters on the bench? I just wish he would penetrate occasionally. I loved that fast break he led last game vs Temple that ended in JJ's dunk. That's situational awareness. He's not as exciting to watch as TC, but he's the guy I would want to control the ball for me. Good game GG!
Go Cats!

I think you may need to adjust your thinking just a tad. Like you have no problem starting GG at this time. I like how MC is dividing up the minutes. TC is the better player. GG has a role but he is in my opinion the better player. By the way he did penetrate to the hoop yesterday converting a nice tear drop off the glass for two. TC is a better rebounder. GG had a good game but te more talented player is TC.

 

[L-T]

The rotation is fine right now. Who starts and who comes off the bench is irreverent at this point. The guy playing well gets the majority of the minutes and as the game develops he subs them according to what's best for that situation. Caupains development is not being hurt by coming off the bench.MC isn't playing upside he's trying to win games. GG offense looked fine yesterday. Hate to think where we would have been without him.The only playing time situation we have right now is the injury to JL. if we were losing games you may see a adjustment and GG may not be the only starter replaced. I'm from the old school I guess. If it ain't broke don't fix it. If MC coached using this site as a guide. SK would shoot less, On any given day Thomas would be given up on,Sanders would have been labeled a bust,GG would have been benched,JD3 would be starting at point guard and he couldn't guard the statue of Oscar at front,Narsuk wouldn't ever see the floor,KJ would have been red shirted. I'm sure I may have forgotten a few but you get the point. MC understands his teams strengths and weaknesses far better then we if not he wouldn't be winning at the rate he has been.

Waite, if he were listening to us, maybe he wouldn't have the two losses he does?

 

[bearcat jeff]

Personally I would start Troy Caupain but I'm fine the way things are. Also believe GG could be much better if he'd attack more and be as aggressive offensively as he is defensively. I don't think many realize how athletic and strong this guy is. I guarantee he will be guarding Napier when UC plays UConn.

Lawrence being out hurts because again he is a guy you have to respect in the mid-range game. He also rebounds better than his bulk would dictate.

Shaq is starting to play consistently better. He is another guy that needs to learn better positioning for rebounding. There simply aren't many people that can guard him when he uses his athleticism and length. This is a good year for his growth as a player. He will continue to get better and I think will be an X factor at tournament time.

Sanders gives you a bit of everything. He answered a USF run with a three and he rebounds. He's another guy whose playing time this year will really help him into the future.

Jackson and Titus have to stay on the floor. Particularly now with Lawrence out. They give us as good a low/high post passing tandem as there is.

SK is SK regardless of how his shot is falling. He gets you points one way or the other. He also rebounds and gets his share of assist and steals. He does at times take ill advised shots and you can see there are times he makes his mind up to shoot instead of allowing the flow of the game to dictate his actions. He is simply trying to be a leader. I do believe 6-7 threes a game is about right for him.

Mick is a very good game coach and he doesn't get enough credit for this. He reminds me of Huggins the way he can take a teams strength away. He also does an excellent job of adjusting. It's true he knows his team better than us but then again what is a forum for? It's all part of the fun.

 

[CaptDale]

I think you may need to adjust your thinking just a tad. Like you have no problem starting GG at this time. I like how MC is dividing up the minutes. TC is the better player. GG has a role but he is in my opinion the better player. By the way he did penetrate to the hoop yesterday converting a nice tear drop off the glass for two. TC is a better rebounder. GG had a good game but te more talented player is TC.

Waite, overall, you're right - TC is the better of the two. That being said, my response was to JJ5 trashing GG in comparison to TC. My stress was on D. GG locks down his man on D while TC often loses his. TC has the better floor perspective, but he doesn't have the handles of GG. He is more exciting to watch, but we're here to for the W first. Thus Cronin starts his lock down, ball protector.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

Waite, if he were listening to us, maybe he wouldn't have the two losses he does?

now being old and wise like you are,the concept of most qualified person for the job has to be something you embrace. And please unless you have coached a team to the sweet sixteen your resume would not be given high consideration.lol. Thinking along those line and taking into consideration all the wrong things posted on the blog I will stay with MC.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

Personally I would start Troy Caupain but I'm fine the way things are. Also believe GG could be much better if he'd attack more and be as aggressive offensively as he is defensively. I don't think many realize how athletic and strong this guy is. I guarantee he will be guarding Napier when UC plays UConn.

Lawrence being out hurts because again he is a guy you have to respect in the mid-range game. He also rebounds better than his bulk would dictate.

Shaq is starting to play consistently better. He is another guy that needs to learn better positioning for rebounding. There simply aren't many people that can guard him when he uses his athleticism and length. This is a good year for his growth as a player. He will continue to get better and I think will be an X factor at tournament time.

Sanders gives you a bit of everything. He answered a USF run with a three and he rebounds. He's another guy whose playing time this year will really help him into the future.

Jackson and Titus have to stay on the floor. Particularly now with Lawrence out. They give us as good a low/high post passing tandem as there is.

SK is SK regardless of how his shot is falling. He gets you points one way or the other. He also rebounds and gets his share of assist and steals. He does at times take ill advised shots and you can see there are times he makes his mind up to shoot instead of allowing the flow of the game to dictate his actions. He is simply trying to be a leader. I do believe 6-7 threes a game is about right for him.

Mick is a very good game coach and he doesn't get enough credit for this. He reminds me of Huggins the way he can take a teams strength away. He also does an excellent job of adjusting. It's true he knows his team better than us but then again what is a forum for? It's all part of the fun.

your absolutely right. My only problem is when people try to paint MC as inept. He is a very good coach.

 

[L-T]

Waite, overall, you're right - TC is the better of the two. That being said, my response was to JJ5 trashing GG in comparison to TC. My stress was on D. GG locks down his man on D while TC often loses his. TC has the better floor perspective, but he doesn't have the handles of GG. He is more exciting to watch, but we're here to for the W first. Thus Cronin starts his lock down, ball protector.

They each have strengths that offer Mick the flexibility to let the game dictate which one is better to have on the floor. In my opinion, if GG is playing well offensively, you go with him because he is better defensively, he's stronger, quicker, and more athletic. Caupain's offensive game is better, so since we're often searching for some offense, he's getting to play more. Defense rules with Mick though, so unless Troy's defense comes up to GG's level, I don't look for the present rotation to change until GG graduates.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

They each have strengths that offer Mick the flexibility to let the game dictate which one is better to have on the floor. In my opinion, if GG is playing well offensively, you go with him because he is better defensively, he's stronger, quicker, and more athletic. Caupain's offensive game is better, so since we're often searching for some offense, he's getting to play more. Defense rules with Mick though, so unless Troy's defense comes up to GG's level, I don't look for the present rotation to change until GG graduates.

L-T, you just explained why MC starts GG. Looking at our offense and our thin front line if I want to keep at least two or 3 scoring options on the floor. I start GG with JJ,SK and ST. As the game develops and foul are accessed he can bring in TC to help offensively and use him when JJ is on the bench or ST is having a off night. TC, Sanders and when heathy JL fill that role.

 

[Bearcat22]

KJ's minutes seem to have gone down. Hitting the freshman wall? Past years the Cats would have lost that game. Take the road wins anyway you can get them.

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

KJ's minutes seem to have gone down. Hitting the freshman wall? Past years the Cats would have lost that game. Take the road wins anyway you can get them.

Mick elected to go with Kilpatrick for 39 minutes last night. Tough for Johnson to get minutes when SK plays that much. I am excited for the future backcourt of Caupain and Johnson.

 

[cincycpaw]

I'm not a big fan of either GG or Sanders. But in the USF game they both came through pretty good. I'd much rather see TC and ST on the floor more, but they are times where they disappear too...understandable for a freshmen, getting less and less understandable for ST.

So while I would really prefer a lineup with GG and JS playing only spot minutes off the bench, I'm sure glad they were on the floor Saturday. Mick has been pushing most of the right buttons with this squad and it helps for him to have 2 senior leaders like SK and JJ.

 

[Bearcat04]

Mick has been pushing most of the right buttons with this squad and it helps for him to have 2 senior leaders like SK and JJ.

Don't forget Rubles. While his game can be maddening at times, he has come up huge late in the 2nd half of games this year.

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

I'm not a big fan of either GG or Sanders. But in the USF game they both came through pretty good. I'd much rather see TC and ST on the floor more, but they are times where they disappear too...understandable for a freshmen, getting less and less understandable for ST.

So while I would really prefer a lineup with GG and JS playing only spot minutes off the bench, I'm sure glad they were on the floor Saturday. Mick has been pushing most of the right buttons with this squad and it helps for him to have 2 senior leaders like SK and JJ.

You are simply wrong about Sanders. He is a huge key to this teams success. Without Lawrence, he is playing minutes at the 4 spot. He is shooting 23-52 on three pointers which is 44% and is 7-14 in conference play. He has the highest +/- per 40 minutes on the team. Jermaine Sanders is vital to this teams success, especially without Lawrence.

 

[bearcat jeff]

I'm not a big fan of either GG or Sanders. But in the USF game they both came through pretty good. I'd much rather see TC and ST on the floor more, but they are times where they disappear too...understandable for a freshmen, getting less and less understandable for ST.

So while I would really prefer a lineup with GG and JS playing only spot minutes off the bench, I'm sure glad they were on the floor Saturday. Mick has been pushing most of the right buttons with this squad and it helps for him to have 2 senior leaders like SK and JJ.

I truly don't see how anybody can have a problem with the way Sanders has played this season. He is solid if not spectacular in nearly every area. There was a few game stretch where I thought he should start he was playing so much better than Shaq but not now. Still with him and Shaq at the 3 we are getting good overall production there. Positionally it is our best 1-2.