3-5 after 8 games, to attain a 20 win season, this team will have to finish with a 17-6 season record. I don't think that will now happen. Its a good thing coach recruited Taylor for 1 season, their other centers can't cut the muster.

I really like what I see out of Knapke. In fact, I think we lost the last game because the coach didn't put him and Taylor on the floor together much which is our best front court. The loss of Derzweski has me less optimistic. His defense was atrocious but he had the potential of being a late game ball handler and scorer. Sanford is good, but not a true pg, leaving us a bit slow getting into offense. We are playing a lot of close games and generally letting Jonjon Williams decide them, which hasn't been very successful.

(12-06-2016 01:54 AM)pono Wrote:  I really like what I see out of Knapke. In fact, I think we lost the last game because the coach didn't put him and Taylor on the floor together much which is our best front court. The loss of Derzweski has me less optimistic. His defense was atrocious but he had the potential of being a late game ball handler and scorer. Sanford is good, but not a true pg, leaving us a bit slow getting into offense. We are playing a lot of close games and generally letting Jonjon Williams decide them, which hasn't been very successful.

Need to find or develop a closer.

For me, the toughest part is that the best two players on this mediocre team are seniors. Next year our best player is likely to be another one-ane-done senior transfer.

Seems to me like our MBB program is going nowhere. Lots of mediocre seasons ahead with the current coaching staff.

Sent from my XT1254 using CSNbbs mobile app

Since we can't finish these games and all of our games so far have been relatively close, are we:
1. One player away?
2. Fix mistakes and we'll be fine
3. Going nowhere, complete overhaul?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

(12-06-2016 01:54 AM)pono Wrote:  I really like what I see out of Knapke. In fact, I think we lost the last game because the coach didn't put him and Taylor on the floor together much which is our best front court. The loss of Derzweski has me less optimistic. His defense was atrocious but he had the potential of being a late game ball handler and scorer. Sanford is good, but not a true pg, leaving us a bit slow getting into offense. We are playing a lot of close games and generally letting Jonjon Williams decide them, which hasn't been very successful.

Last game he was in foul trouble early. Got his 3rd right after the half if I remember correctly - need to keep his hands in check in the paint.

PG is a problem. Antunez doesn't seem to be the answer.

(12-06-2016 01:54 AM)pono Wrote:  I really like what I see out of Knapke. In fact, I think we lost the last game because the coach didn't put him and Taylor on the floor together much which is our best front court. The loss of Derzweski has me less optimistic. His defense was atrocious but he had the potential of being a late game ball handler and scorer. Sanford is good, but not a true pg, leaving us a bit slow getting into offense. We are playing a lot of close games and generally letting Jonjon Williams decide them, which hasn't been very successful.

Atrocious d fits the blueprint of the HC.

(12-06-2016 06:46 AM)Dwight Wrote:  For me, the toughest part is that the best two players on this mediocre team are seniors. Next year our best player is likely to be another one-ane-done senior transfer.

We are also losing seniors Jordan Lauf and Zac Garber after this season.

(12-06-2016 08:09 AM)emanoh Wrote:  Since we can't finish these games and all of our games so far have been relatively close, are we:
1. One player away?
2. Fix mistakes and we'll be fine
3. Going nowhere, complete overhaul?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I'll let you know my opinion after I watch us Wednesday against a 1-7 Detroit team.

(12-06-2016 12:26 PM)UT1 Wrote:  

(12-06-2016 06:46 AM)Dwight Wrote:  For me, the toughest part is that the best two players on this mediocre team are seniors. Next year our best player is likely to be another one-ane-done senior transfer.

We are also losing seniors Jordan Lauf and Zac Garber after this season.

Is that really a huge loss on the stat line? Good kids, but roll players as seniors and rarely sway us one way or the other.

I enjoy watching Jon-Jon play, but I can't think of a less impactful 1,000+ point scorer at UT. It seems like his points are too often a function of shot frequency and come in flurries that disappear as quickly. Hope he breaks out of his current shooting woes and becomes that "closer" to whom Boca refers but to me he's the same player he was as a soph.

Perhaps Coach K will go by the wayside as Coach Billy Donlon did at Wright State. Their AD fired Donlon last year after seeing that Donlon was not the answer, after all, in trying to lead the Raiders to the Horizon conference title. Donlon for the most part had winning seasons for the Raiders but could not lead them to the NCAA march madness. Coach K could be in the same boat at the end of his contract. No MAC titles, time to get a new coach. Expectations are always high at UT, 20 win seasons got to be the norm, and occasional MAC titles, and a NCAA march madness entry. I like Coach K, he has done wonders in bringing the Rockets back to respectability, but no MAC titles, NCAA bid may not be in the offering for the current coaching staff. BTW, Wright State hired Coach Nagy (record so far 6-3) from South Dakota St, a team who recently was in the NCAA tournament.

Once again, Coach K HAS won a MAC title. He has not won an opportunity to take a 20 point thrashing as a 15-16 seed, AKA a MAC Tournament championship.

(12-06-2016 04:22 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  I enjoy watching Jon-Jon play, but I can't think of a less impactful 1,000+ point scorer at UT. It seems like his points are too often a function of shot frequency and come in flurries that disappear as quickly. Hope he breaks out of his current shooting woes and becomes that "closer" to whom Boca refers but to me he's the same player he was as a soph.

I enjoy watching jonjon play for the first 35 minutes of the game when he is an assertive complementary player. a guy who doesn't hesitate to take the open look. who will get a decent shot up when the shot clock is winding down and who is aggressive in transition. however, in crunch time he tends to go into hero ball mode, play with his head down and hog the ball. in the last game he had the ball w 6 seconds to go at the end of regulation and didn't even get a shot off. his late game play has killed us in a couple other close losses as well. i just wish he'd understand that he isn't a guy who can go 1 on 5. he's a good player 1 on 1, off the pass or when he has a step in transition. if he stuck to his strengths we'd be 6-2.

(12-06-2016 12:27 PM)bcunn3128 Wrote:  

(12-06-2016 08:09 AM)emanoh Wrote:  Since we can't finish these games and all of our games so far have been relatively close, are we:
1. One player away?
2. Fix mistakes and we'll be fine
3. Going nowhere, complete overhaul?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I'll let you know my opinion after I watch us Wednesday against a 1-7 Detroit team.

Ok, emanoh, having witnessed our victory over Detroit, as well as our other 2 home games, and watching a couple of the road games via internet, I'll take a stab at answering your question.

First, I'd say we're several players away from being in the conversation of being one of the top 4 teams in the MAC. At the moment I feel like we're a bottom-4 team, with the difference between 8-12 being how well we protect home court against the teams we can be competitive with, whether or not we experience any injuries that take players out for more than a game, and whether or not we develop any real depth.

One thing that would have made me feel more confident would have been if we had addressed our need at PG...but we haven't. Short of a DII/III transfer who could be immediately eligible after the semester break, it doesn't look like Santa will be bringing us a true PG. It is what it is, but it will limit how far this team can realistically go.

I was very pleased to see the Rockets battle back when they fell behind by 11 to Detroit, though--if a team had given up, or was checking out already, or if TK had lost them, that was the moment it was going to show, but instead the Rockets battled back, played some decent D, rebounded well, and with the exception of FT shooting, they played a good last 5 minutes. Yes, I know Detroit is pretty bad this season (if they were in the MAC, I'd say they would save us from last place). And that first half turned in by the Rockets was so bad that I think TK's team from his first season here could have competed & maybe even had a halftime lead against us. But the fire to come back & win was what I needed to see. Oh, we're much more likely to lose more this season than we win--but I don't sense that we're looking at double-digit losses night in & night out when MAC play starts.

I'm more concerned about next season. That one could get ugly.

(12-07-2016 10:09 PM)bcunn3128 Wrote:  

(12-06-2016 12:27 PM)bcunn3128 Wrote:  

(12-06-2016 08:09 AM)emanoh Wrote:  Since we can't finish these games and all of our games so far have been relatively close, are we:
1. One player away?
2. Fix mistakes and we'll be fine
3. Going nowhere, complete overhaul?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I'll let you know my opinion after I watch us Wednesday against a 1-7 Detroit team.

Ok, emanoh, having witnessed our victory over Detroit, as well as our other 2 home games, and watching a couple of the road games via internet, I'll take a stab at answering your question.

First, I'd say we're several players away from being in the conversation of being one of the top 4 teams in the MAC. At the moment I feel like we're a bottom-4 team, with the difference between 8-12 being how well we protect home court against the teams we can be competitive with, whether or not we experience any injuries that take players out for more than a game, and whether or not we develop any real depth.

One thing that would have made me feel more confident would have been if we had addressed our need at PG...but we haven't. Short of a DII/III transfer who could be immediately eligible after the semester break, it doesn't look like Santa will be bringing us a true PG. It is what it is, but it will limit how far this team can realistically go.

I was very pleased to see the Rockets battle back when they fell behind by 11 to Detroit, though--if a team had given up, or was checking out already, or if TK had lost them, that was the moment it was going to show, but instead the Rockets battled back, played some decent D, rebounded well, and with the exception of FT shooting, they played a good last 5 minutes. Yes, I know Detroit is pretty bad this season (if they were in the MAC, I'd say they would save us from last place). And that first half turned in by the Rockets was so bad that I think TK's team from his first season here could have competed & maybe even had a halftime lead against us. But the fire to come back & win was what I needed to see. Oh, we're much more likely to lose more this season than we win--but I don't sense that we're looking at double-digit losses night in & night out when MAC play starts.

I'm more concerned about next season. That one could get ugly.

After Jon Jon tonight the production got pretty slim. Let's say vs Marshall our next opponent, Jon Jon doesn't drop at least 25, who else will step up?

If we are one player away, it's most definately at point guard. What a glaring weakness. I can't figure out what coach is doing with that position. For a nano second Roberts gets off the pine in the first half, then dissappears, then the Spaniard gets in for the last min and a half. Navigato tossed up some ducks tonight and his body, quickness, toughness looks unchanged from last year. Has he set foot in the weightroom?
We also only got to see a splash of Knapke tonight, he sat. Garber should be our 8th guy of the bench, he's just a body that gives us 5 fouls.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Do I sense a long season? How long will Coach K be around after this season and next?

I think the natives are getting restless.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk