81 pts.
There may be belly aching regarding the offense, all 71 pts worth or 40+ more than Neitzel and Izzo put up at Carver.
But if you cant/wont defend, against anyone, you never should have gotten off the bus.
Now there was plenty of whistle blowing going on. An entire starting 5 worth foul out in regulation. Several with 4 and Berger with 3 in 6 minutes.
Weaving in what others said they saw, lack of hustle, that's inexcusable. It happens to every team. But WMU has no "reason" for it. If you arent on a 10 game win streak and you take a nap. You are bearly hanging on, get decent effort with results last week and you take a full step and a half back.
Pathetic.
This offense when not hitting on all cylinders, creates many opportunities, good ones at that, for the other team.
I understand and agree to a point.
However, if you put up 71 pts, it ain't broke.
You give up 81, you don't pin it on the offense not working, or players not being used properly.
I won't disagree I would like to now see DK either step up or be told that he is to step up.
However, even without seeing the game, certain #'s tell me defense or lack of was pivotal. When I read that people write, "no hustle", the first aspect of the game that comes to mind is defense. The first stat I look for is the opponents offensive rebounds. Someone is getting beat and others are likely getting burned trying to help on the first slacker.
Any knucklehead can jack up a shot and make one now and then. It takes little passion.
I'm wondering how many were coming off the flu and just didn't have the legs from all the killer practice sessions.
Might be they were just tired and sick.
Or opposite, sick and tired.
The 71 points is a joke for this offense though. It is designed to get killed on second chance points, because we shoot long range shots consistently, and that leads to long rebounds by the other team. Reitz has struggled the past 3-4 games, and when he struggles to make any inside bunnies, then out game is even more one dimensional.
As a freshman, I thought Gary would consistently get better at slashing to the hoop. Well, he has gotten worse.
As a freshman and Sophomore, I thought Reitz would be an unstoppable beast in this league. Well he has been the same player for 3 plus years.
When Hess got hurt last year, and Lawson had to burn his redshirt, I thought great, we will see him 10-20 minutes a game. Nope, only played 5-8 mpg.
This season, he added weight, got better at his 15 foot jumper, and he is a beast at shot blocking, and he only plays about 10 mpg at the most.
Ricks I always felt was a streaky player, and streaky shooter. If he is on, play him 20 mpg or more. But if he isn't on, then don't play him. He has never seen a shot that he didn't like.
I guess the only way to win, is to get players that are SO good already, that even if they decline as they play here, they will still outclass everybody in the MAC. IE players like Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Drew Nietzel, Tyler Hansbrough. But since that will never happen, I don't know what to think about this team anymore...
Gary show his driving ability once at Eastern, and for about the first time all year.
My biggest issue with this offense is frequently the only player fighting for a rebound is the center, be it Joe, Donald, or Andrew. The guards fall back and the 4 waits, nobody follows their shot, or boxes out and its one on 3+ for a board.
Quote:40+ more than Neitzel and Izzo put up at Carver
Iowa plays an offense similar to Miami's. Burn 30 seconds on every possession. It always makes for a low scoring affair.
Frankly, it might be an offense better suited to this team.
Quote:Iowa plays an offense similar to Miami's. Burn 30 seconds on every possession. It always makes for a low scoring affair.
Frankly, it might be an offense better suited to this team.
Absolutely, essentially what you are doing is shortening the game, and limiting possessions of more athletic higher scoring teams. A team like our's would always be in the game at the end if we were to play a Miami/Iowa offense. But, it's too late now.
I understand tempo hence fewer possessions. Not too difficult to overcome assuming you have talent and some depth. The key: defense.
You dictate tempo, you influence possession re the clock and you find the other gear. Otherwise, you lay back in a match up, let clock run down and be served up what you deserve. I'm not suggesting your result is a Loyola-Marynmont Paul Westhead production. But you create opportunities.
Iowa is not that talented. MSU is supposedly very much so. A close game with a HS final total.
Maybe the "toughness" mental and or physical, that Izso decries is the factor. Toughness, both mental and physical, is the base ingredient to any good defense. I would say that the a quarantine should be put into infect.