Houston

[ucswais]

I hear the RPI mentioned more from the committee than I do the other two.

Even if this ends up being a factor, the RPI will take care of itself. This happens every year that 10-20 low majors hang out in the 30-60 range until they get in the meat of their conference schedule. Pretty much any loss kills them and they eventually take a bad loss because they're all bad losses in those leagues. We'll move up to the top 60 just by those teams disappearing. Moving from 55ish to 40ish will depend on our results, but nobody was expecting a bid without winning some of our remaining "maybe" games anyway.

 

[waterhead]

Why can't you admit it when he has a bad game? Why is he so untouchable? It is weird to me how some people take it personally when Caupain gets criticism, but won't hesitate to throw anyone else under the bus.

I don't mind criticism of any player but when it happens some people tend to go overboard or over the line which is why I think others get defensive sometimes. Sometimes people can't separate criticism and insult.

Troy has been off this year...I think he's losing the confidence he may have gained by closing out Purdue and now he's doubting his "clutch" abilities and it's affecting his entire game and confidence a little.

 

[the_one_32]

I was actually able to watch the game last night. My busy work schedule has prevented me from seeing this team a lot this season. I saw some improvement in low post play and ball movement through the post. Farad Cobb is a much better player when he doesn't always settle for the 3 point jumper. Capuains play has been somewhat alarming and Jenifer played well in limited time last night. I still think moving Capuain off the ball some will take some pressure off of him and allow him to play more freely. One last thing: it's really really hard to take Mick Cronin seriously when he still has Shaq starting over Jacob Evans. The eye test and the numbers (+-) clearly show not only is Evans the better player but the team plays better with him on the floor.

 

[justinhub2003]

Can some one give me a player comparison of what they are expecting out of Troy?

Xavier is about to be #5 and got there with sumner running the point for the most part. His averaging roughly the same as caupain , caupain has better assists numbers and better turnover numbers. More steals, same rebounds.... Only difference is caupain has had to be a volume shooter and sumner hasn't.

Just wanna know what you expect of the guy? He won't ever be Kris Dunn or melo Trimble but he can as good as some top teams pg

 

[waterhead]

I just find it crazy that he was able to average 28.7 minutes last year. That's the average in his 3 highest games this year. He's been at just 21.6 in conference play.

I'm actually OK with this. He is the most likely to lose focus out there and I think he can be more efficient with a few less minutes. We are getting effective minutes behind him too. DeBerry is solid and Moore is emerging

 

[justinhub2003]

I was actually able to watch the game last night. My busy work schedule has prevented me from seeing this team a lot this season. I saw some improvement in low post play and ball movement through the post. Farad Cobb is a much better player when he doesn't always settle for the 3 point jumper. Capuains play has been somewhat alarming and Jenifer played well in limited time last night. I still think moving Capuain off the ball some will take some pressure off of him and allow him to play more freely. One last thing: it's really really hard to take Mick Cronin seriously when he still has Shaq starting over Jacob Evans. The eye test and the numbers (+-) clearly show not only is Evans the better player but the team plays better with him on the floor.

Huh? I like evans a ton and is one of my favorite players but he is shooting a worse percentage then Troy. I mean we all see his potential but his shooting hasn't been very good at all . Shaq fg % 8 points higher.

 

[ucswais]

I think it's just hard for a lot of people to accept that our "best player" isn't averaging more points. We're desperate for a go-to player and that isn't really Troy's game. It's easy for fans to get hung up on what a player is not instead of appreciating what he does well.

Oh, and defense.

 

[Cin City]

Can some one give me a player comparison of what they are expecting out of Troy?

Xavier is about to be #5 and got there with sumner running the point for the most part. His averaging roughly the same as caupain , caupain has better assists numbers and better turnover numbers. More steals, same rebounds.... Only difference is caupain has had to be a volume shooter and sumner hasn't.

Just wanna know what you expect of the guy? He won't ever be Kris Dunn or melo Trimble but he can as good as some top teams pg

I'm with you. He has had to shoot more largely in part because our bigs do not shoot enough. Almost every team we have played has immediately collapsed when the ball enters the post and our bigs do not make an immediate move toward the hoop. Instead, when the double team comes, the guards are left on the perimeter. That's why we are seeing a lot of shots by Caupain (unfortunately not hitting) and Cobb (fortunately hitting at a nice clip).

Plus, we haven't had much production from the 3 spot.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Doogle]

I don't mind criticism of any player but when it happens some people tend to go overboard or over the line which is why I think others get defensive sometimes. Sometimes people can't separate criticism and insult.

Troy has been off this year...I think he's losing the confidence he may have gained by closing out Purdue and now he's doubting his "clutch" abilities and it's affecting his entire game and confidence a little.

Troy's jumper, to borrow some self-analysis from Roy McAvoy, looks like a unfolding lawn chair. He's struggling.

Overall there were some good things. Houston is an interesting offensive team and to hold them to 59 is impressive. Offensively, thought the fellas played very well in fits and spurts but we're back to the "long scoring drought" portion of our season. Whether it's Mick or Troy, who knows, but as soon as they get comfortable the air comes completely out of the ball. Not talking about the walk up, mind you, but the constant winding of the shot clock down to 5 or 6 with Troy standing at the top dribbling with an obligatory perimeter pass mixed in. Our other guys cut, move and screen until they realize nothing's happening and then they just stop. It's not bad offense - it's no offense at all. At the end, plays were made when Farad had the ball in his hands...shot faking and pulling up or taking it to the hoop. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that good things happen when you take it to the rim, even if shot #1 doesn't go in.

Was I hallucinating for was there a stretch there at the end or in the middle where Cobb and KJ were the guards? Based on the above, I didn't mind Farad on the ball AT ALL. Farad has worked hard on his game, so impressed with what he does offensively.

Clark was excellent passing from that flash to the free throw line, set up more layups and dunks than I've seen (Houston's D contributed).

Hate to keep bludgeoning Shaq...but the young man made at least three NBA-level moves last night, yet literally can't get the ball over the front of the rim from 2 feet in. That beautiful transition spin into a blown layup sums his UC career up in a nutshell. Hate that I've kinda given up on him...he seems like a good kid. Will keep hoping!

We'll see how much fire and pride they have on Saturday.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

Troy's jumper, to borrow some self-analysis from Roy McAvoy, looks like a unfolding lawn chair. He's struggling.

Overall there were some good things. Houston is an interesting offensive team and to hold them to 59 is impressive. Offensively, thought the fellas played very well in fits and spurts but we're back to the "long scoring drought" portion of our season. Whether it's Mick or Troy, who knows, but as soon as they get comfortable the air comes completely out of the ball. Not talking about the walk up, mind you, but the constant winding of the shot clock down to 5 or 6 with Troy standing at the top dribbling with an obligatory perimeter pass mixed in. Our other guys cut, move and screen until they realize nothing's happening and then they just stop. It's not bad offense - it's no offense at all. At the end, plays were made when Farad had the ball in his hands...shot faking and pulling up or taking it to the hoop. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that good things happen when you take it to the rim, even if shot #1 doesn't go in.

Was I hallucinating for was there a stretch there at the end or in the middle where Cobb and KJ were the guards? Based on the above, I didn't mind Farad on the ball AT ALL. Farad has worked hard on his game, so impressed with what he does offensively.

Clark was excellent passing from that flash to the free throw line, set up more layups and dunks than I've seen (Houston's D contributed).

Hate to keep bludgeoning Shaq...but the young man made at least three NBA-level moves last night, yet literally can't get the ball over the front of the rim from 2 feet in. That beautiful transition spin into a blown layup sums his UC career up in a nutshell. Hate that I've kinda given up on him...he seems like a good kid. Will keep hoping!

We'll see how much fire and pride they have on Saturday.

from my vantage point Troy's shot didn't look all that rough. He wasn't throwing up bricks but he was missing. Having Cobb ,KJ and Troy in game really helped spread the floor. Shaq can not give us that feature. They help defend with his man all the time. Houston was determined to take Cobb out of the game and doubled with Shaq's man when possible. When KJ made a few shots it helped eliminate that tactic. Shaq is long and a good defender but offensively he offers very little other then a occasional splash play. His weaknesses hinder the other players. Which is what I have said about his game many times he is not going to make others around him better. I'm sure he is a fine young man but he will be playing in pick up games when the season is over. If Evans gets it figured out more defensively or if KJ can continue to reduce his TO's and hit a jumper or two I think we may see more Cobb, KJ and TC playing together.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

Doogle, also agree with your comment about Clark. Our post passing was excellent last night. Can not remember a game when we had so many dunks off good interior passing. If Clark or Ellis had a bit more face up game around the basket we would be much better offensively. Washington will give us that next year. He has much more range then either Gary or Oct.

 

[waterhead]

I'm with you. He has had to shoot more largely in part because our bigs do not shoot enough. Almost every team we have played has immediately collapsed when the ball enters the post and our bigs do not make an immediate move toward the hoop. Instead, when the double team comes, the guards are left on the perimeter. That's why we are seeing a lot of shots by Caupain (unfortunately not hitting) and Cobb (fortunately hitting at a nice clip).

Plus, we haven't had much production from the 3 spot.

Just my thoughts.

I agree. I think we can do a lot better with the inside game. That includes the guards getting the ball there on time. Our freshmen are the best at getting the ball to the bigs when it SHOULD be getting there. From there we need our bigs to have better instincts and take the pass and do something before the collapse of the D. You can actually see Ellis thinking with the ball in his hands. That's not good. He needs to get the ball and make a move and live with the results whatever they are. Same with Clark...which team is going to let him have 5 seconds to back down his man to the bucket after seeing tape on him? I think DeBerry does a pretty good job.

 

[Madman81]

from my vantage point Troy's shot didn't look all that rough. He wasn't throwing up bricks but he was missing. Having Cobb ,KJ and Troy in game really helped spread the floor. Shaq can not give us that feature. They help defend with his man all the time. Houston was determined to take Cobb out of the game and doubled with Shaq's man when possible. When KJ made a few shots it helped eliminate that tactic. Shaq is long and a good defender but offensively he offers very little other then a occasional splash play. His weaknesses hinder the other players. Which is what I have said about his game many times he is not going to make others around him better. I'm sure he is a fine young man but he will be playing in pick up games when the season is over. If Evans gets it figured out more defensively or if KJ can continue to reduce his TO's and hit a jumper or two I think we may see more Cobb, KJ and TC playing together.

i think he's talking about troy's form on his shot, which is gross. he barely moves his feet 6 inches on his jump shot.

i think, at the very least, you have a slimmer margin for error when you do things in an unconventional way.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

I'm actually OK with this. He is the most likely to lose focus out there and I think he can be more efficient with a few less minutes. We are getting effective minutes behind him too. DeBerry is solid and Moore is emerging

The less minutes are coming bc of fouls though. He's much better when he can be aggressive instead of worrying about going back to the bench the next time he's gets involved in a play.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

I think it's just hard for a lot of people to accept that our "best player" isn't averaging more points. We're desperate for a go-to player and that isn't really Troy's game. It's easy for fans to get hung up on what a player is not instead of appreciating what he does well.

Oh, and defense.

If Caupain averaged 11 efficiently, I'd be ok with that. Not thrilled, but it'd be ok. But on the season he averages 9.8 FG attempts and 10.6 points. Not good.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

from my vantage point Troy's shot didn't look all that rough. He wasn't throwing up bricks but he was missing. Having Cobb ,KJ and Troy in game really helped spread the floor. Shaq can not give us that feature. They help defend with his man all the time. Houston was determined to take Cobb out of the game and doubled with Shaq's man when possible. When KJ made a few shots it helped eliminate that tactic. Shaq is long and a good defender but offensively he offers very little other then a occasional splash play. His weaknesses hinder the other players. Which is what I have said about his game many times he is not going to make others around him better. I'm sure he is a fine young man but he will be playing in pick up games when the season is over. If Evans gets it figured out more defensively or if KJ can continue to reduce his TO's and hit a jumper or two I think we may see more Cobb, KJ and TC playing together.

He's been missing pretty ugly lately.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

I was actually able to watch the game last night. My busy work schedule has prevented me from seeing this team a lot this season. I saw some improvement in low post play and ball movement through the post. Farad Cobb is a much better player when he doesn't always settle for the 3 point jumper. Capuains play has been somewhat alarming and Jenifer played well in limited time last night. I still think moving Capuain off the ball some will take some pressure off of him and allow him to play more freely. One last thing: it's really really hard to take Mick Cronin seriously when he still has Shaq starting over Jacob Evans. The eye test and the numbers (+-) clearly show not only is Evans the better player but the team plays better with him on the floor.

Troy is not shooting well but he runs the offense. JJ and Evans are being limited in their minutes now because of defense. Both look lost at times. If Evans wants to supplant Shaq which I would love to see he needs to guard better. Most Freshman struggle with defense and him and JJ are no exception. Their isn't a poster on this board that if I said we would be averaging what we our from a point production standpoint this year wouldn't have been happy. Couple that with our defense from last year with same people and no way we should have 5 losses. We played well last night but were killed on the offensive glass or would have won by 20 at least. We held a good offensive team to 59 and threw in 70 with our PG going 0-10. If we guard we will be a scary team to contend with going forward. I hope the team has come to that realization. Our perimeter defense and rebounding have cost us in almost every game we have lost. Your shot may not fall every night but defense is effort and should never be missing. What I took away from that game last night was we need to keep guarding and for gosh sakes hit the boards. Evans and Shaq in 33 minutes had 1 defensive rebound. 1 fucking rebound. 1 that is horrible. At 62 I could do better then that.

 

[L-T]

Without Shaq, we probably have an "L" next to the S. Florida game. Not to mention, Mick's decision to take him out of the game and rest him before he had cooled off, was bizarre. When Shaq went out, the game reversed and we nearly blew the entire lead.

Shaq is a head-scratcher. He seems to be a great kid, who works hard, and wants to lead this team. As much as I appreciate all of that, when he starts that quick dribbling, you know there's a three coming, or an out-of-control drive to the basket, and you start mumbling no, no, no, no!! To his credit, he has finished more of those no, no, no moments successfully this year than in any other year. He has quietly had a decent season. There was so much potential when he got here, but again, he never got a whole lot better. I stopped trying to figure out Mick's playing time decisions. They've never made sense to me. Jenifer continues to get better and play well and seems to get less and less time on the court, while the other point guard continues to play worse with no penalty. The whole Shaq versus Evans issue would have probably resolved itself had Evans continued to play well, but right when it looked like Mick was about to make the change, Evans went into a slump. Shaq has managed to avoid a horrible slump and is doing just enough to stay in Mick's good graces, but I think it is more Evans not forcing the issue because his play deteriorated.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

He's been missing pretty ugly lately.

I was there last night and it wasn't ugly but they were missing. He looked to be pressing some with his shot. When he missed the FT late in game you could see the frustration. KJ and Cobb picked him up.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

i think he's talking about troy's form on his shot, which is gross. he barely moves his feet 6 inches on his jump shot.

i think, at the very least, you have a slimmer margin for error when you do things in an unconventional way.

Same as last year when he was knocking them down. He is pressing a bit with his shot.