...and I don't care how ugly it got, we needed that one!
I'm gonna start by pointing to a moment --- our first possession of the second half we come down in Secondary on the initial iteration. If you go back and watch the replay you should notice that every movement is just a tad behind where it should be --- giving me a bit too much time to vicariously call out "SWING iT!" before the ball was reversed to the Trailer and then "GET IT TO HIM!" before the ball was subsequently mercifully dumped to the block for the layup. The good news there was that ND hadn't regrouped enough to take advantage of our tardiness and we scored on a textbook (albeit somewhat slow-motion version) of our Secondary Break.
- I bring up that vignette because it capsulizes where we are at this point of development --- at any given time we have at least 2 or 3 guys who are still thinking before they execute. And if you recall most of the rest of the game we frequently gave defenders way too much time to react... and they did:
- ND's defensive strategy was predicated on dropping-four into the paint on every post entry, and in many cases it was our lack of crispness and/or aggression on moves that afforded them that extra second or two to pull that off. We don't run our post game like Wilt Chamberlain-era block isos, it's supposed to be post-and-go --- and if the drop-step or move is not there, kick it out and re-post. Again, our lack of crispness allowed ND to swarm like Georgia fire-ants.
- Contained within that is some optimistic news, i.e., that this can only get better. And to our credit, as frustrating as the game was to watch with miss after miss after miss from close, we sure as hell committed to getting the rock inside. And had we made even a respectable percentage, the game would not have been close.
- and trust me, our official 34.8% FG number is exaggerated in our favor, since tips don't count as attempts unless they go in. Kennedy Meeks may have missed a lotta first shots, but when he played volleyball with it he most always made the tip-in. And tip it like you mean it!
- speaking of which, how in the HELL we only got to the line for 7 FTs in each half is a damned mystery, but as is said here often, you hafta finish thru contact! Good news is our Bigs made a good pct of their attempts at the line.
- About the freshmen: Boy, I hope Sharpe stays for another season --- such a top-end for him. Kessler needs a season to grow into his body and a summer in the weight room, but he'll get there. Puff did some nice things with his length and didn't blow any defensive assignments this time that I noticed. Walton getting as much run as he is comes from the two things he brings right now --- spot-up shooting and post entries --- so he needs to keep hunting his shot, because the defensive end is still a big ol' yikes. The real groaner right now is from the PG position. They're both trying but neither Caleb nor RJ came up that way --- just gotta keep plugging and hope the lights come on.
- Leaky seems to be settling in to his role better, and has been much more effective since he's showing a willingness to take it to the rack or the block --- made a huge shot for us down the stretch. Also, it was good to see him make that first 3. He just needs to make one once in a while so they won't totally back off. That being said, damn son... you've been here too long to be getting burnt on a backdoor from the damned elbow on a pass from the ball-side block.
- Ball and player movement --- day late and a dollar short. Bigs hafta learn to kick out but the other guys need to move their asses for passing angles as well! And I know for a fact we have a nearly daily drill for 3-on-2/2-on-1, but some of our breaks make me wonder sometimes.
- Good on Roy for coming out in 44 in the last ND possession to disrupt their play. Unfortunately, RJ blew his assignment (despite Plates trying to coach him before the inbound) and let his guy get a free run but kudos to the other guys for stopping the ball and forcing a tough shot. Speaking of AP, I'll rewatch to be sure but i think he pitched a shutout on his assignments and in stops. As with Walton, I would like to see AP hunt his shot, and he also has a nice drive game I'd like to see more of.
Anyway... I'll say it again, because there ain't words for how much we NEEDED that one to come out right for the good guys. A loss at the buzzer today would've been a psychic setback from hell. Hopefully now this will serve to be just the opposite as we venture down to the netherworld of Coral Gables...
I'm gonna start by pointing to a moment --- our first possession of the second half we come down in Secondary on the initial iteration. If you go back and watch the replay you should notice that every movement is just a tad behind where it should be --- giving me a bit too much time to vicariously call out "SWING iT!" before the ball was reversed to the Trailer and then "GET IT TO HIM!" before the ball was subsequently mercifully dumped to the block for the layup. The good news there was that ND hadn't regrouped enough to take advantage of our tardiness and we scored on a textbook (albeit somewhat slow-motion version) of our Secondary Break.
- I bring up that vignette because it capsulizes where we are at this point of development --- at any given time we have at least 2 or 3 guys who are still thinking before they execute. And if you recall most of the rest of the game we frequently gave defenders way too much time to react... and they did:
- ND's defensive strategy was predicated on dropping-four into the paint on every post entry, and in many cases it was our lack of crispness and/or aggression on moves that afforded them that extra second or two to pull that off. We don't run our post game like Wilt Chamberlain-era block isos, it's supposed to be post-and-go --- and if the drop-step or move is not there, kick it out and re-post. Again, our lack of crispness allowed ND to swarm like Georgia fire-ants.
- Contained within that is some optimistic news, i.e., that this can only get better. And to our credit, as frustrating as the game was to watch with miss after miss after miss from close, we sure as hell committed to getting the rock inside. And had we made even a respectable percentage, the game would not have been close.
- and trust me, our official 34.8% FG number is exaggerated in our favor, since tips don't count as attempts unless they go in. Kennedy Meeks may have missed a lotta first shots, but when he played volleyball with it he most always made the tip-in. And tip it like you mean it!
- speaking of which, how in the HELL we only got to the line for 7 FTs in each half is a damned mystery, but as is said here often, you hafta finish thru contact! Good news is our Bigs made a good pct of their attempts at the line.
- About the freshmen: Boy, I hope Sharpe stays for another season --- such a top-end for him. Kessler needs a season to grow into his body and a summer in the weight room, but he'll get there. Puff did some nice things with his length and didn't blow any defensive assignments this time that I noticed. Walton getting as much run as he is comes from the two things he brings right now --- spot-up shooting and post entries --- so he needs to keep hunting his shot, because the defensive end is still a big ol' yikes. The real groaner right now is from the PG position. They're both trying but neither Caleb nor RJ came up that way --- just gotta keep plugging and hope the lights come on.
- Leaky seems to be settling in to his role better, and has been much more effective since he's showing a willingness to take it to the rack or the block --- made a huge shot for us down the stretch. Also, it was good to see him make that first 3. He just needs to make one once in a while so they won't totally back off. That being said, damn son... you've been here too long to be getting burnt on a backdoor from the damned elbow on a pass from the ball-side block.
- Ball and player movement --- day late and a dollar short. Bigs hafta learn to kick out but the other guys need to move their asses for passing angles as well! And I know for a fact we have a nearly daily drill for 3-on-2/2-on-1, but some of our breaks make me wonder sometimes.
- Good on Roy for coming out in 44 in the last ND possession to disrupt their play. Unfortunately, RJ blew his assignment (despite Plates trying to coach him before the inbound) and let his guy get a free run but kudos to the other guys for stopping the ball and forcing a tough shot. Speaking of AP, I'll rewatch to be sure but i think he pitched a shutout on his assignments and in stops. As with Walton, I would like to see AP hunt his shot, and he also has a nice drive game I'd like to see more of.
Anyway... I'll say it again, because there ain't words for how much we NEEDED that one to come out right for the good guys. A loss at the buzzer today would've been a psychic setback from hell. Hopefully now this will serve to be just the opposite as we venture down to the netherworld of Coral Gables...
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