With tourney time just around the corner it might be worth pointing out we have some weaknesses on this team and they've been there all year. Some teams just expose them more completely than others.
1. We don't rebound the ball well offense or defense, especially FT's.
2. We don't defend the 3 well.
3. We don't make FT's well.
4. We don't get back on defense well.
5. We don't defend the lane well. Our guards get beat then the bigs pick up fouls. The bigs often get beat by quicker front line players.

We are strong at stealing the ball and when the transition game works we are a much better team. We are a good team when our shots are falling but we are a streaky shooting team and not a good shooting team.
I am saying all this so it shouldn't be such a big disappointment or surprise to some when we have games like this. I will predict we don't win the conference tourney and will get a low seed in the NCAA tourney.
After watching the Cincy-Louisville game I realize how non-fundamental we are at shooting FT's, blocking out and rebounding. We prefer a showboating dunk even if we miss it. It's too late in the year for that crap.

We have a big problem on our front line. AN is too thin and lacks muscle and frequently gets pushed around, Dom is too big and too slow, not a good defender and needs a weight loss program and Shaq disappears some games. We just haven't improved much this year from the beginning of the year. Josh has started doing weird things with the line up so I don't see a lot of positives for the rest of the year. Absolutely not a hater, just realistic. I love the Tigers. I invite anyone to tell me I'm wrong. I hope I am. Give me some hope.

I used to think rebounding was our biggest issue, but I believe our defense is in first place now.

I'll simplify it:

Strengths: Fast, athletic, deep

Weaknesses: Defense, rebounding, discipline, bball iq, three-pt shooting, toughness

Their strengths will get them in the tournament. But beyond that, they'll be quickly exposed and disposed.

Yeah, right now it's looking bad as far as the rest of the year goes. Feels like chronic underachieving to me, season after season, although I acknowledge I am far from an unbiased observer. I may just expect too much.

(02-01-2014 04:52 PM)Antonio5fan Wrote:  With tourney time just around the corner it might be worth pointing out we have some weaknesses on this team and they've been there all year. Some teams just expose them more completely than others.
1. We don't rebound the ball well offense or defense, especially FT's.
2. We don't defend the 3 well.
3. We don't make FT's well.
4. We don't get back on defense well.
5. We don't defend the lane well. Our guards get beat then the bigs pick up fouls. The bigs often get beat by quicker front line players.

We are strong at stealing the ball and when the transition game works we are a much better team. We are a good team when our shots are falling but we are a streaky shooting team and not a good shooting team.
I am saying all this so it shouldn't be such a big disappointment or surprise to some when we have games like this. I will predict we don't win the conference tourney and will get a low seed in the NCAA tourney.
After watching the Cincy-Louisville game I realize how non-fundamental we are at shooting FT's, blocking out and rebounding. We prefer a showboating dunk even if we miss it. It's too late in the year for that crap.

We have a big problem on our front line. AN is too thin and lacks muscle and frequently gets pushed around, Dom is too big and too slow, not a good defender and needs a weight loss program and Shaq disappears some games. We just haven't improved much this year from the beginning of the year. Josh has started doing weird things with the line up so I don't see a lot of positives for the rest of the year. Absolutely not a hater, just realistic. I love the Tigers. I invite anyone to tell me I'm wrong. I hope I am. Give me some hope.

Shaq has really, really improved from Freshman to Sophomore year. He had a bad game today, no doubt. Hopefully, AN will improve as much as Shaq did from his Freshman to Sophomore year. Personally, I think that AN 'hit the wall' and is mentally/physically tired.

I hate to say it, but when is the last time a big man who needed to lose 20-30 pounds actually LOST the 20-30 pounds (especially in college)? I know Pierre lost weight, but even so, Pierre never panned out. The truth to the matter is that if someone has to be told to lose weight to be a better player, then that player probably doesn't (a) see himself as a pro someday and/or (b) doesn't have the true love of the game/fire in the belly needed to improve. In this manner, few overweight freshmen ever really pan out in the long run. In fact, the only player I ever really saw lose weight and become a much, much better player was Kris Johnson at UCLA (son of Marques Johnson). Most of the time, the overweight player simply 'plateaus'.

(02-01-2014 04:55 PM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  I'll simplify it:

Strengths: Fast, athletic, deep

Weaknesses: Defense, rebounding, discipline, bball iq, three-pt shooting, toughness

Their strengths will get them in the tournament. But beyond that, they'll be quickly exposed and disposed.

Let me add to this by noting the strengths are the effect if Pastner's recruiting ability. The weakenesses are the effect of his ability as a coach.

Essentially, this is like an AAU team. They have talent but no structure. It's like they never learn to improve on their weaknesses.

On ball defense

Spacing on offense

Crazy substitution patterns

(02-01-2014 04:59 PM)ddramone Wrote:  

(02-01-2014 04:52 PM)Antonio5fan Wrote:  With tourney time just around the corner it might be worth pointing out we have some weaknesses on this team and they've been there all year. Some teams just expose them more completely than others.
1. We don't rebound the ball well offense or defense, especially FT's.
2. We don't defend the 3 well.
3. We don't make FT's well.
4. We don't get back on defense well.
5. We don't defend the lane well. Our guards get beat then the bigs pick up fouls. The bigs often get beat by quicker front line players.

We are strong at stealing the ball and when the transition game works we are a much better team. We are a good team when our shots are falling but we are a streaky shooting team and not a good shooting team.
I am saying all this so it shouldn't be such a big disappointment or surprise to some when we have games like this. I will predict we don't win the conference tourney and will get a low seed in the NCAA tourney.
After watching the Cincy-Louisville game I realize how non-fundamental we are at shooting FT's, blocking out and rebounding. We prefer a showboating dunk even if we miss it. It's too late in the year for that crap.

We have a big problem on our front line. AN is too thin and lacks muscle and frequently gets pushed around, Dom is too big and too slow, not a good defender and needs a weight loss program and Shaq disappears some games. We just haven't improved much this year from the beginning of the year. Josh has started doing weird things with the line up so I don't see a lot of positives for the rest of the year. Absolutely not a hater, just realistic. I love the Tigers. I invite anyone to tell me I'm wrong. I hope I am. Give me some hope.

Shaq has really, really improved from Freshman to Sophomore year. He had a bad game today, no doubt. Hopefully, AN will improve as much as Shaq did from his Freshman to Sophomore year. Personally, I think that AN 'hit the wall' and is mentally/physically tired.

I hate to say it, but when is the last time a big man who needed to lose 20-30 pounds actually LOST the 20-30 pounds (especially in college)? I know Pierre lost weight, but even so, Pierre never panned out. The truth to the matter is that if someone has to be told to lose weight to be a better player, then that player probably doesn't (a) see himself as a pro someday and/or (b) doesn't have the true love of the game/fire in the belly needed to improve. In this manner, few overweight freshmen ever really pan out in the long run. In fact, the only player I ever really saw lose weight and become a much, much better player was Kris Johnson at UCLA (son of Marques Johnson). Most of the time, the overweight player simply 'plateaus'.

I totally agree about Shaq. It's just the team as a whole. They seem to get away from the quick perimeter passes and quit going inside out and settle for a quick shot which happened a lot today. They are not as good without Pellom who provided some toughness. Dom, King and Iverson are just not ready yet.

(02-01-2014 04:55 PM)80sTiger Wrote:  I used to think rebounding was our biggest issue, but I believe our defense is in first place now.

THIS.

Too many minutes for 4 small guards.

(02-01-2014 05:52 PM)TigerK Wrote:  

(02-01-2014 04:55 PM)80sTiger Wrote:  I used to think rebounding was our biggest issue, but I believe our defense is in first place now.

THIS.

They only outrebounded us by 2. The trouble is where they came from. Joe Jackson had more rebounds than Shaq and AN combined which means we don't get putbacks for scores. Everything was basically even except the shooting percentage. Even the 3% was about even. Fouls were about even so it just so many factors that's not shown in the box score.

COACHING

Our defense just sucks

Period

(02-01-2014 06:50 PM)Jedi Master Sipho-Dyas Wrote:  Our defense just sucks

Period

It's too damn complicated...

Too much switching...They need to just stress staying with your own damn man...

If there is an on ball screen hedge hard and get back to your man quickly...If it is an off ball screen help quickly and the other guy needs to fight hard through the screen...but that would require EFFORT.

With our situation, we'd need a Lorenzen Wright type (player-coach who demands the ball and gets in people's faces when they're under performing) in order to win games like today's. Of course, with our situation, that type of player would never be recruited -- not a positive energy guy.

It doesn't matter if a coach is the brightest basketball mind in the world, his players have to do what he tells them, or they're not going to win many tough games -- and we haven't won many games against tough opponents. Either they're not being coached very well, or what the coach is saying is being ignored. Other than blaming it on bad luck every time, I don't know what else you could say.

We were told early in the season by a TV analyst that Memphis could not guard anyone. We got upset at the guy but he has been proven right. Two of our three conference losses we were unable to stop anyone in the second half. Our "best back court in the nation" either cannot or will not guard anyone. They are more concerned with steal statistics than playing fundamental defense. Going to zone worked for a while but it did not take long for that to fall apart when teams looked at the tape and adjusted. Even on defense we are more concerned with individual stats than team concept.

(02-01-2014 09:19 PM)ncrdbl1 Wrote:  We were told early in the season by a TV analyst that Memphis could not guard anyone. We got upset at the guy but he has been proven right. Two of our three conference losses we were unable to stop anyone in the second half. Our "best back court in the nation" either cannot or will not guard anyone. They are more concerned with steal statistics than playing fundamental defense. Going to zone worked for a while but it did not take long for that to fall apart when teams looked at the tape and adjusted. Even on defense we are more concerned with individual stats than team concept.

It was a bit of unfair BS when he was saying it, as it was right at the beginning of the year and right after the OK st blowout loss. Plus we then played some stellar D for the next few weeks.



I'm seeing us get worse on D now.

(02-01-2014 08:02 PM)MTigerBlue Wrote:  With our situation, we'd need a Lorenzen Wright type (player-coach who demands the ball and gets in people's faces when they're under performing) in order to win games like today's. Of course, with our situation, that type of player would never be recruited -- not a positive energy guy.

It doesn't matter if a coach is the brightest basketball mind in the world, his players have to do what he tells them, or they're not going to win many tough games -- and we haven't won many games against tough opponents. Either they're not being coached very well, or what the coach is saying is being ignored. Other than blaming it on bad luck every time, I don't know what else you could say.

I don't think this is about one player, which is why I laugh at all the Nick king/small ball threads.

This is about the players on the floor taking pride in their defense.

Our defense has been weak entire year....these seniors....save JJ can't defend.