Against Syracuse, Cincinnati was 7-for-31 (23%) inside the 3-point line (3-for-25 with 4:00 to go). In the Notre Dame game, the Bearcats were 16-for-44 (36%) inside the arc. That's a combined 23-for-75 (31%). In the same two games, UC nailed 18-of-44 three-pointers (41%).
In other words, if the Bearcats are going to continue to attack the rim, they had better start doing it with more strength.
"When you get the ball to within two feet of the basket, you have to put it in," Mick Cronin said after the 66-58 loss at Notre Dame. "If you don't make layups you're not going to win. Pitt beat Syracuse the other night because when they got the ball inside against the zone they scored. Nasir Robinson had 21 points. Very few people know who Nasir Robinson is. They know Pitt's basketball team, but they don't know him. He's a tough kid that can make layups.
"We're working hard to get better shots. Notre Dame played man-to-man for the entire game and we only shot eight free throws. That's unacceptable - we've got to get to the foul line. Our shot selection is better, but we have to finish better. In the first half, we were 9-for-27 inside the three-point stripe. Somebody has got to put the ball in the basket from point-blank range."
At least Yancy Gates was aggressive offensively on Wednesday as he tied a career high with 16 field goal attempts, but he needs to take the ball toward the basket instead of falling away from it. For a guy his size, Yancy attempts a shockingly-low number of free throws. Consider this: Notre Dame power forward Tyrone Nash, who is an inch shorter and 30 pounds lighter than Yancy, has attempted 108 free throws this year, while Gates has attempted 58.
Then there's Ibrahima Thomas who has been in a dreadful slump since scoring 12 points in the win over Seton Hall. In the five games since, Thomas is 5-for-20 (25%) from the floor with at least two missed dunks and has scored a total of 10 points.
The Bearcats are trying to play "inside-out" on offense, but their recent inability to finish in the lane is a major reason why UC has been getting off to atrocious starts. A change in the starting lineup for more offense could be in the works, but a change in mindset is just as important.
"Our intensity wasn't what it needed to be for the first 25 minutes of the game," Coach Cronin said. "We're not dogging it, but I'm talking about beating a Top 25 team on the road. Part of our inability to put the ball in the basket is intensity. That's part of being locked in.
"We're a different team when we're down. It can't be the way. You can't drive on cruise control. You don't win a road race that way. That's the safe way to drive home, but that's not the way to win the Indianapolis 500. Whoever goes the fastest wins. We have to go full-speed all of the time. I love my team and they're fun to coach, but you see our intensity level change after we fall behind. If we're going to get over the hump and be able to win these kinds of games on the road, we have to play that way for 40 minutes."
http://www.gobearcats.com/blog/2011/01/you-dont-win-a-race-in-cruise-control.html
In other words, if the Bearcats are going to continue to attack the rim, they had better start doing it with more strength.
"When you get the ball to within two feet of the basket, you have to put it in," Mick Cronin said after the 66-58 loss at Notre Dame. "If you don't make layups you're not going to win. Pitt beat Syracuse the other night because when they got the ball inside against the zone they scored. Nasir Robinson had 21 points. Very few people know who Nasir Robinson is. They know Pitt's basketball team, but they don't know him. He's a tough kid that can make layups.
"We're working hard to get better shots. Notre Dame played man-to-man for the entire game and we only shot eight free throws. That's unacceptable - we've got to get to the foul line. Our shot selection is better, but we have to finish better. In the first half, we were 9-for-27 inside the three-point stripe. Somebody has got to put the ball in the basket from point-blank range."
At least Yancy Gates was aggressive offensively on Wednesday as he tied a career high with 16 field goal attempts, but he needs to take the ball toward the basket instead of falling away from it. For a guy his size, Yancy attempts a shockingly-low number of free throws. Consider this: Notre Dame power forward Tyrone Nash, who is an inch shorter and 30 pounds lighter than Yancy, has attempted 108 free throws this year, while Gates has attempted 58.
Then there's Ibrahima Thomas who has been in a dreadful slump since scoring 12 points in the win over Seton Hall. In the five games since, Thomas is 5-for-20 (25%) from the floor with at least two missed dunks and has scored a total of 10 points.
The Bearcats are trying to play "inside-out" on offense, but their recent inability to finish in the lane is a major reason why UC has been getting off to atrocious starts. A change in the starting lineup for more offense could be in the works, but a change in mindset is just as important.
"Our intensity wasn't what it needed to be for the first 25 minutes of the game," Coach Cronin said. "We're not dogging it, but I'm talking about beating a Top 25 team on the road. Part of our inability to put the ball in the basket is intensity. That's part of being locked in.
"We're a different team when we're down. It can't be the way. You can't drive on cruise control. You don't win a road race that way. That's the safe way to drive home, but that's not the way to win the Indianapolis 500. Whoever goes the fastest wins. We have to go full-speed all of the time. I love my team and they're fun to coach, but you see our intensity level change after we fall behind. If we're going to get over the hump and be able to win these kinds of games on the road, we have to play that way for 40 minutes."
http://www.gobearcats.com/blog/2011/01/you-dont-win-a-race-in-cruise-control.html
