Tulsa

[GarradJ21]

I like Quadri better than Ellis and Shaq combined.

 

[UCalum08]

^And on this note, does anyone think Cronin will address mental lapse, after boneheaded play, after poor display of fundamentals? I kind of doubt it. He literally feels bad for our grown men. He will address our awful defense, and nothing else. Then next big game, we will find an insane way to lose all over again bc we are mentally weak. And coach will just chalk it up as something you can't control.

Bingo. It's pathetic. Also, this current team refuses to play hard for 38+ min a game.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

Bingo. It's pathetic. Also, this current team refuses to play hard for 38+ min a game.

Last night's game made me think back to the Nebraska game over a year ago. What's the difference between our team then and our team now? The common theme is gross basketball down the stretch with our players doing whatever it takes to lose.

 

[UCalum08]

Last night's game made me think back to the Nebraska game over a year ago. What's the difference between our team then and our team now? The common theme is gross basketball down the stretch with our players doing whatever it takes to lose.

Exactly. Our players our not smart bball players. They lack skills like making layups, getting fouled, running fast breaks. It's gotten so bad all Cronin is willing to say is he feels bad for them....what the hell is wrong with that.

We have always seem to have these problems but our past teams played with heart and intensity. This current team does not. They always look gassed. They can't force a team to play a certain way. Our team conforms to their opponents.

Not to mention, this match up zone we play can not work with this current team. Our defense sucks. It's too easy for teams to move the ball, wait for our players to be out of position and either get a wide open 3 or drive to the basket.

 

[TheLivingLegend]

Because Octavius Ellis is a really good defensive player.

Beg pardon? Hoping sarcasm?

 

[GarradJ21]

That was sarcasm for sure.

 

[Weez1414]

Wait a second here.... Shaq had 1 point 1 rebound!? Is this real life.

Zero reason he starts.

If you check his last 15 games. That's pretty much what your going to get out of him. I have no idea why he plays as much as he does. And why the hell was in in at crunch time last night.

 

[Weez1414]

Missed free throws, Noone wanting to block a shot and chucking the 3 is a common occurrence that I'm sick of. Why in the world down 1 with 19 secs left do we draw up a 3 from the corner by a freshman. SERIOULSY! I WANT TO KNOW WHY. HORRIBLE

 

[Weez1414]

Why can't they get the ball in the hands of Clark at the end of games,he is shooting almost 60% and doesn't turn the ball over.

EXACTLY. HE TOUCHED IT ONCE IN THE LAST 3 MINS OF REG AND IN OT. ONCE.

 

[Weez1414]

Refs told Cronin troys 3 was a pass... and that's why he didn't get 3 fts....

Which is crap. Who was he going to pass it to? But that's not why they lost. Hell the lane violation really wasn't one. He shot it before his foot hit the ground. But in no way did the refs cost CATS the game. Their absolutely terrible BB IQ and coaching killed them. How's that the play you draw up down 1.

 

[Doogle]

Exactly. Our players our not smart bball players. They lack skills like making layups, getting fouled, running fast breaks. It's gotten so bad all Cronin is willing to say is he feels bad for them....what the hell is wrong with that.

We have always seem to have these problems but our past teams played with heart and intensity. This current team does not. They always look gassed. They can't force a team to play a certain way. Our team conforms to their opponents.

Not to mention, this match up zone we play can not work with this current team. Our defense sucks. It's too easy for teams to move the ball, wait for our players to be out of position and either get a wide open 3 or drive to the basket.

All of this.

 

[Doogle]

Our guys have consistently found bizarre ways to lose games this year. 18 assists vs. 8 for Tulsa. A huge advantage on the interior wasted. The guy that I feel is the key to our offense (Clark) touching the ball once in the last 8 minutes of play. Ellis looks like Kenyon Martin in one half and Mike Reicheneker the next.

You reap what you sow. 'Cats are sitting right where they deserve to be.

 

[GarradJ21]

Our guys have consistently found bizarre ways to lose games this year. 18 assists vs. 8 for Tulsa. A huge advantage on the interior wasted. The guy that I feel is the key to our offense (Clark) touching the ball once in the last 8 minutes of play. Ellis looks like Kenyon Martin in one half and Mike Reicheneker the next.

You reap what you sow. 'Cats are sitting right where they deserve to be.

You have to give credit where credit is due. Tulsa did everything they could to not let Gary touch the ball and when he did they came down to double team. I started just watching him other than the guards dribbling with the ball. You can tell Tulsa's coach basically said do what ever you have to do but shut down Gary Clark.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

Missed free throws, Noone wanting to block a shot and chucking the 3 is a common occurrence that I'm sick of. Why in the world down 1 with 19 secs left do we draw up a 3 from the corner by a freshman. SERIOULSY! I WANT TO KNOW WHY. HORRIBLE

You think the other coach was going to let Gary get the ball in that spot. My guess is Gary was looked at and wasn't open and no one was within 10 feet of Evans. He took the shot and missed. Mick did not say we are going to Evans in this spot.

 

[GarradJ21]

Yeah come one now. I doubt Cronin said alright Evans go to the corner and hit us the game winning 3. It just happened that way and the ball went in and out. That's basketball. Again, Tulsa came up with a great game plan towards the end of the game to shut down Gary. They were denying him the ball. Obviously Tulsa was well aware of Gary's game winning play against UCONN

 

[Doogle]

You have to give credit where credit is due. Tulsa did everything they could to not let Gary touch the ball and when he did they came down to double team. I started just watching him other than the guards dribbling with the ball. You can tell Tulsa's coach basically said do what ever you have to do but shut down Gary Clark.

I certainly get what you're saying but you can't just allow your best option to be taken away from you, especially when he's not only the surest scorer but the best passer on the team. I'm sure most teams do their best to deny Buddy Hield the ball but part of any good offensive gameplan has to be finding creative ways to get your best options the ball. It's more difficult because you're talking about a forward as opposed to a guard to be sure, but you still have to do it.
I'm not sure it's gameplan though. Part of it is what we've been saying about this team not having a collective will. If a defense takes away Cobb or Clark, the players just kind of let it happen. Maybe part of it is Clark's personality as well. He's getting better but certainly no Danny Fortson when it comes to calling for the ball.

Insanely, I still find myself wanting to believe in this team. The first half was excellent on both ends and they probably should have been up 10 or 12. It's just maddening to watch guys fade in and out and allow inferior teams to dictate style and pace. If Huggs were dead, he'd be rolling over in his grave. What is the identity of this team? Same question I've been asking for 4 years.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

I certainly get what you're saying but you can't just allow your best option to be taken away from you, especially when he's not only the surest scorer but the best passer on the team. I'm sure most teams do their best to deny Buddy Hield the ball but part of any good offensive gameplan has to be finding creative ways to get your best options the ball. It's more difficult because you're talking about a forward as opposed to a guard to be sure, but you still have to do it.
I'm not sure it's gameplan though. Part of it is what we've been saying about this team not having a collective will. If a defense takes away Cobb or Clark, the players just kind of let it happen. Maybe part of it is Clark's personality as well. He's getting better but certainly no Danny Fortson when it comes to calling for the ball.

Insanely, I still find myself wanting to believe in this team. The first half was excellent on both ends and they probably should have been up 10 or 12. It's just maddening to watch guys fade in and out and allow inferior teams to dictate style and pace. If Huggs were dead, he'd be rolling over in his grave. What is the identity of this team? Same question I've been asking for 4 years.

The problem with Gary in that spot is he really lacks the type of game you can just give him the ball at the top of the key and say go get a bucket or get fouled. We had a very good look in that spot and just missed the shot. I'll predict Evans will make quite a few more of them over his career. We're a very nice team. Problem is very good teams have that one player you can give the ball to in that spot and he delivers. SK was that type. You think he would have given that ball up. How about Napier or Walker? To name a couple. Great teams have that guy. We do not. If TC is going to be the man he has to score in that spot or draw and dish for a flush. The only other option is draw a foul.

Has little to do with personality. It's about his game. He is really developing but he is not yet a guy we can just hand the ball to and clear out. He's coming but he is not quite there yet.

 

[Weez1414]

You think the other coach was going to let Gary get the ball in that spot. My guess is Gary was looked at and wasn't open and no one was within 10 feet of Evans. He took the shot and missed. Mick did not say we are going to Evans in this spot.

He shot it instantly. I like Evans but hell a pump fake there and he could of drove and dunked it. What and now the CATS are supposed to coach on what they think the other coach is going to do. No you go to what's been working and a higher % shot. For a team that's been shooting like %20 from 3. That's the last shot I'm taking in that situation. And if you want to talk about the other coach. I'm all for it. He had his team attacking the hell out of our zone. The CATS just try to chuck over it. How's that working?

 

[Doogle]

The problem with Gary in that spot is he really lacks the type of game you can just give him the ball at the top of the key and say go get a bucket or get fouled. We had a very good look in that spot and just missed the shot. I'll predict Evans will make quite a few more of them over his career. We're a very nice team. Problem is very good teams have that one player you can give the ball to in that spot and he delivers. SK was that type. You think he would have given that ball up. How about Napier or Walker? To name a couple. Great teams have that guy. We do not. If TC is going to be the man he has to score in that spot or draw and dish for a flush. The only other option is draw a foul.

Has little to do with personality. It's about his game. He is really developing but he is not yet a guy we can just hand the ball to and clear out. He's coming but he is not quite there yet.

We're probably talking about 2 different things. Not much issue with the last shot. Clark has to touch the ball more than once in the final 8 minutes.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

He shot it instantly. I like Evans but hell a pump fake there and he could of drove and dunked it. What and now the CATS are supposed to coach on what they think the other coach is going to do. No you go to what's been working and a higher % shot. For a team that's been shooting like %20 from 3. That's the last shot I'm taking in that situation. And if you want to talk about the other coach. I'm all for it. He had his team attacking the hell out of our zone. The CATS just try to chuck over it. How's that working?

The situation was time running down and 1 point down. The opposition was not going to let Clark catch that ball on the block. As you pointed out we were shooting terribly from the arc. Actually your point of Evans moving a bit closer before taking the shot is plausible but that is on him. He was so open there was no one to pump fake. The other coaches guards are able to penetrate. Which one of ours can do that consistently. Cobb no, KJ no,Shaq no,Evans no, TC on rare ocassion. The fact that it was the last shot you would take in that situation was exactly why he was open and Gary was bracketed by a double team.

If you were coaching Tulsa in that spot you wouldn't have told them make them beat us over the top not on the block?