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The guys may have gotten a bit too comfortable, even complacent. Hopefully, this will serve as a humbling experience...

(01-28-2016 10:49 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(01-28-2016 10:41 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  

(01-28-2016 10:18 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  I think those are very astute comments by coach haase. This team hasn't played a complete game all year. When we are clicking, we are very good - top 25, NCAA tourney team good. However, we still struggle with mental lapses for large parts of games. If we can ever play a complete game or start playing close to a complete game, we will really start to shine.

This is still a young team.

So is Western. I don't buy the youth excuse anymore. This team is sophomores and juniors. Almost everyone has played at least 55-60 D1 games.

It's difficult to win on the road in conference play. Has nothing to do with youth. We will lose again on the road, maybe Saturday. Maybe in Ruston. It's a part of the game.

Absolutely agree. The youth excuse should have ended about 10-15 games into last season. These guys have played a ton of minutes together.

(01-28-2016 10:07 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  Hey, we were not gonna go undefeated throughout the regular season. We lost. It happens. So now we need to prepare for a totally different style of play against Marshal. If we take care of business we still have, essentially, a 2 game lead on everyone else. Hopefully, this lost can get the guys focused on playing a complete game. We'll need it against a Marshall team that's never out of it because they keep on shooting...

BTW, SMiss beat UTEP 71-58.

Streaks end sooner or later...
Anthony Gimino ‏@AGWildcatReport
Arizona loses 83-75 to Oregon, ending 49-game home streak. That's the Wildcats' biggest loss (by margin) since 89-78 at USC (2-27-13).

At the end of the day your players must be afraid to lose...teams that aren't afraid end up with wtf losses (like tonight)...teams that are afraid to lose know you can't just roll out the ball and show up.

Only the head coach and his staff can control wtf losses.

I don't think of this as a wtf loss. Only great teams go undefeated on the road in conference. We are a good team, but not a great team.

The only wtf losses left will happen in Bartow.

That's not to say we shouldn't win the rest of our games.

(01-28-2016 11:30 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  I don't think of this as a wtf loss. Only great teams go undefeated on the road in conference. We are a good team, but not a great team.

The only wtf losses left will happen in Bartow.

That's not to say we shouldn't win the rest of our games.

I guess it could be debated...but as bad as we played tonight we still had chances to pull this one out...maybe it's just me but I didn't sense that much concern for the next practice

Below average play by us, above avg play by WKU, and lopsided officiating is a tough triple threat to overcome.

Our poor rebounding, careless ball handling at times, and poor defense against the ball screen have been consistent problem areas for several games now. Eventually it was going to cost us a game against an inferior opponent.

I don't it's so much being afraid to lose as much as it is acknowledging the possibility and combating it. The theory that they were thinking about the Marshall game is a possibility just as much as the idea that they didn't think WKU would put up a fight considering the slump they've been in. I don't think there was a strong enough narrative floating around to make WKU feel disrespected or anything, though.

Either way, it's not really much to say. I agree that I haven't seen a complete game yet. I haven't seen anything close, honestly. If someone is having a good night then two others aren't. It's been like that for most of the games. I just hope things are fine tuned by the time the tournament comes around.

Coach has changed the starting lineup the last 3 or 4 games hasn't he?

(01-28-2016 11:59 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Coach has changed the starting lineup the last 3 or 4 games hasn't he?

He is rotating Mehinti, Lee and Cokley among two starting spots. I thought that was obvious. I think he's been doing it longer than four games. Everyone is getting almost the same number of minutes they usually get

Cokely has really fallen off from his beginning of the season tear. At the start of the season, if he touched the ball within 5 feet of the goal he was automatic. He and Lee have essentially swapped production.

(01-29-2016 12:05 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Cokely has really fallen off from his beginning of the season tear. At the start of the season, if he touched the ball within 5 feet of the goal he was automatic. He and Lee have essentially swapped production.

Brown is close to passing him as leading scorer on the team.
290 pts to 273.

At one point, Cokely was averaging over 4 more points a game.

(01-29-2016 12:14 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(01-29-2016 12:05 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Cokely has really fallen off from his beginning of the season tear. At the start of the season, if he touched the ball within 5 feet of the goal he was automatic. He and Lee have essentially swapped production.

Brown is close to passing him as leading scorer on the team.
290 pts to 273.

At one point, Cokely was averaging over 4 more points a game.

Why do you think that is? Teams figuring out schemes to stop him after seeing more tape? Law of averages (ie; playing above his head to start the year)? Less aggressive play?

(01-29-2016 12:00 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(01-28-2016 11:59 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Coach has changed the starting lineup the last 3 or 4 games hasn't he?

He is rotating Mehinti, Lee and Cokley among two starting spots. I thought that was obvious. I think he's been doing it longer than four games. Everyone is getting almost the same number of minutes they usually get

Yes of course it was obvious. That's why I brought it up smart ass.

Why can't we just keep a starting lineup? It's kind of weird to constantly change it.

(01-29-2016 12:23 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  

(01-29-2016 12:00 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(01-28-2016 11:59 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Coach has changed the starting lineup the last 3 or 4 games hasn't he?

He is rotating Mehinti, Lee and Cokley among two starting spots. I thought that was obvious. I think he's been doing it longer than four games. Everyone is getting almost the same number of minutes they usually get

Yes of course it was obvious. That's why I brought it up smart ass.

Why can't we just keep a starting lineup? It's kind of weird to constantly change it.

People complained forever that Cokely wasn't starting and deserved to do so. Mehinti and Lee deserve to start to. You have six players who deserve to start (yes Baxter deserves to start for his defense).

For the gazillonth time, it doesn't matter who starts. Everyone is playing almost the same amount of time every game whether they start or not.

We just completed a 14 game winning streak. I think what Haase has been doing is not weird because it has been working.

It is weird, because nearly no one else does that.

Note that I didn't complained about the minutes distributions for our team. I just noted that it's weird to change the starting lineup every game.

I wish we could see highlights of the travelling calls and illegal picks and fumbles/turnovers and low percentage off balance shots. Shot selection was terrible last night, by several players. They forced up way too many shots under pressure.

Our shooting percentages reflect that. Under 40% overall and 25% from three won't win you many games. We were also out rebounded and had a <1 assist/turnover ratio

(01-29-2016 12:05 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Cokely has really fallen off from his beginning of the season tear. At the start of the season, if he touched the ball within 5 feet of the goal he was automatic. He and Lee have essentially swapped production.

Cokley still needs to develop a low post game. He's good for a gimme or put back but he cannot post up anyone yet. Mehinti's low post game is better than Cokely. All of our big men could improve in that area and expect that to be the case next season.