Houston Game Thread: Our true rival in the league

[CaptDale]

i like that we're versatile. if they're super athletic we can play a tall, long, athletic guard lineup. if they aren't jaevin can play and stretch the floor. if they're running a lot of pnr's we can sub diarra in who reads them so well and cuts off the drive before it even starts when they deny the screen (something xavier killed us with but we locked up yesterday).


gotta love the direction we're going. ive said it before, but its so nice watching a team consistently get better as the year goes.

Well said. I just hope we're not peaking too late. Hate to depend on winning the conference to secure a spot in the dance. However, if we only get an at large bid, we're looking at facing a #1 or #2 seed.

 

[CaptDale]

It seems like we've also cut down on silly turnovers, especially those from bench players. Our TO's are more from trying to do too much, rather than just giving the ball away for no reason.

Jarron at the point (and his overall improved play in conference) is the biggest difference. Diarra has also made quite an improvement (he still leads us in ORTG in conference). Tre/Keith have also improvements, mostly by knowing their role and not trying to do too much. Vogt has improved defensively and gradually is learning to deal with more athletic bigs.

The 5 players listen above can generally relied upon on both ends on the court to know their role, play within it and provide quality minutes.

We could use improvement from McNeal, MAW, Harvey and/or Jaevin. They each have lacked on one side of the court or the other, but Brannen can mix and match them to give us some minutes. If Harvey can continue to play like he last night though, he will be separating himself from the pack.

You hit the nail on the head. The biggest reason we're improving is because the players are learning their roles. I've watched Tre more than a few times, stand wide open at the three point line, start to shoot but then think better and pass. McNeal and Sorolla have no shooting confidence, and thus don't shoot. The defense obviously knows this and leaves them alone. Actually, the few buckets McNeal has made were on great drives to the hoop, but they're few and far between.

 

[cincrulz11]

We talk frequently here about some of our guys shooting midrange shots and how brannen hates it.


Houston's offense seems designed to shoot them. They hit a bunch of tough ones in the first half but missed a ton in the second half. They shot 29 midrange shots. We shot 8.

 

[justinhub2003]

We talk frequently here about some of our guys shooting midrange shots and how brannen hates it.


Houston's offense seems designed to shoot them. They hit a bunch of tough ones in the first half but missed a ton in the second half. They shot 29 midrange shots. We shot 8.

This is a great point considering Houston fans were whining about the foul difference.

BUT Houston was ISOing to take mid range shots. No wonder they weren't vetted fouled.

 

[cincrulz11]

This is a great point considering Houston fans were whining about the foul difference.

BUT Houston was ISOing to take mid range shots. No wonder they weren't vetted fouled.

they also kept turning down 5v4 when they'd beat our press. it was so strange. i really couldn't figure out what they were doing. they had the better athletes, they had chance after chance to force us into difficult positions defensively and they just never did.


big L from sampson that game. really reminded me of us vs iowa in the tournament last year.

 

[cincyguy13]

We talk frequently here about some of our guys shooting midrange shots and how brannen hates it.


Houston's offense seems designed to shoot them. They hit a bunch of tough ones in the first half but missed a ton in the second half. They shot 29 midrange shots. We shot 8.

They are very similar to cronins offenses. Basically all iso, shoot wherever, And go get the rebound. Mid range shots are hard to consistently hit. Especially at the college level. So just work for a layup or shoot the 3.

 

[justinhub2003]

They are very similar to cronins offenses. Basically all iso, shoot wherever, And go get the rebound. Mid range shots are hard to consistently hit. Especially at the college level. So just work for a layup or shoot the 3.

Much more iso this year since they don’t have the shooters.

But last year they Galen create for the shooters. And we’re lethal in transition

 

[cincyguy13]

Much more iso this year since they don’t have the shooters.

But last year they Galen create for the shooters. And we’re lethal in transition

They were a lot of iso last year, they just had more people that could do it.

 

[Alum2013]

Much more iso this year since they don’t have the shooters.

But last year they Galen create for the shooters. And we’re lethal in transition

Corey Davis and Brooks were both pretty good at getting open and getting other people open (even if just because people had to stick to them). They lost a lot from last years too but still seem chugging along and have some good young guys.

Scary how much they lost but are still going.

 

[waterhead]

We talk frequently here about some of our guys shooting midrange shots and how brannen hates it.


Houston's offense seems designed to shoot them. They hit a bunch of tough ones in the first half but missed a ton in the second half. They shot 29 midrange shots. We shot 8.

Jarron is about the only guy I want shooting them on our team. Keith, Tre, and Jaevin are all under 31% on "Far 2's" according to T-rank. Most of our guys are shooting better % from 3 than the long(ish) 2's. It's just a bad shot for us unless the shot clock is closing out. Even then I would prefer to try to get fouled by going in the lane.

 

[cincrulz11]

Jarron is about the only guy I want shooting them on our team. Keith, Tre, and Jaevin are all under 31% on "Far 2's" according to T-rank. Most of our guys are shooting better % from 3 than the long(ish) 2's. It's just a bad shot for us unless the shot clock is closing out. Even then I would prefer to try to get fouled by going in the lane.

brannen has done a great job of getting us away from that shot. long 2's are 33.7 % of our 2 point shots this year. last year it was 54.1 %.


houston this year is at 58.7% of 2's are long 2's.

 

[waterhead]

brannen has done a great job of getting us away from that shot. long 2's are 33.7 % of our 2 point shots this year. last year it was 54.1 %.


houston this year is at 58.7% of 2's are long 2's.

Wow...I didn't realize it was that bad! Cutting out 20% is a big difference.

I don't know how T-rank calculates the "far 2" but it must not be too far as they have Vogt as being 19 of 37 and he doesn't take jumpers. I wonder how much we cut down on actual mid and long range 2's? The type Keith and Tre used to shoot a lot. Those two have really cut back.

 

[cincrulz11]

Wow...I didn't realize it was that bad! Cutting out 20% is a big difference.

I don't know how T-rank calculates the "far 2" but it must not be too far as they have Vogt as being 19 of 37 and he doesn't take jumpers. I wonder how much we cut down on actual mid and long range 2's? The type Keith and Tre used to shoot a lot. Those two have really cut back.

yeah i think his numbers have anything thats not at the rim as a long 2. which is probably why tre's long 2 is at 31% and brannen said tre is below 25% on midrange shots.

 

[waterhead]

yeah i think his numbers have anything thats not at the rim as a long 2. which is probably why tre's long 2 is at 31% and brannen said tre is below 25% on midrange shots.

He has dunks and then close 2's...so those close 2's must be at the rim but not dunks. So the "far 2" must be everything else besides a layup basically...even a hook shot from 5 feet would be a "far 2" for T-rank it seems. Whatever the case I would say the "far 2" would be better categorized as anything outside of 8 feet or so. I don't mind the close range 2's

 

[mdchick]

they also kept turning down 5v4 when they'd beat our press. it was so strange. i really couldn't figure out what they were doing. they had the better athletes, they had chance after chance to force us into difficult positions defensively and they just never did.


big L from sampson that game. really reminded me of us vs iowa in the tournament last year.

They were playing not to lose instead of to win, they were trying to drain the clock and it was the best thing they could have done for us, they had so many opportunities to get an easy bucket early before our defense was set. And draining the clock means we are aloud to get our defense set and when that happens we are very good.

 

[Cinci1983]

ESPN had us at 52% to make MM before the HOU game.

What do you think the chances are now and does that mean we're the best underperforming team on the bubble?

1st March @ HOU should take us over the edge!