CSNbbs

Hack's column:

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll.../902080357

In the past I've been able to see things that our team could work on to improve. Even at the beginning of this season I could kind of tell what Cross was trying to do. But lately I'm vexed as to how we can play better. The whole idea of passing and dribbling is to get the players in the best position to score points. When we dribble-drive nobody seems to be moving to an area where the ball can be kicked out for an easy deuce. Passing lanes are so wrong that defenders are knocking away passes with their back to the ball. On defense we'll play great defense for 32 seconds and if we contest the shot, nobody gets in position to rebound and if we get in position to rebound we give up the bunny. I've listened to Cross' post-game interview and he keeps saying we're not tough enough and he going to have the team practice hard enough to draw blood and break bones (I'm exaggerating.) I'm thinking maybe they should spend the whole practice watching video of the game so the players can see how often they are just out of position. I do think the players are trying but they don't seem to have that winner's swagger. Well, like i said at the beginning I'm baffled and now I'm starting to ramble.

(02-08-2009 06:38 PM)RocketJeff Wrote: [ -> ]he going to have the team practice hard enough to draw blood... (I'm exaggerating.)

He did say this yesterday.

This was the first game this season that fans were getting up during the second half, leaving and saying "I can't take this any more.

I'm not schooled in the motion offense enough to know what the capability is if we were doing it correctly? We don't drive, we don't set picks, there's no back door cuts or high post plays. We dribble and pass around the perimiter for 32 seconds and then toss up a three pointer.

We basically have four seniors that are all roll players, none are true starters. Kent and Amos would be great sixth & seventh men off the bench on a full team. If MoLo doesn't have the game of his life, we don't crack 30 pts.

Flat out we just don't have the athletes right now and next year we'll be really young. We won't have the luxury of allowing our freshmen and sophomores to be roll players, we'll need our new recruits to provide instant offense, which is difficult at any level.

I'll still be there night in and out to cheer, with the hope that we'll be back on top someday.

Miami ran the back cut quite nicely and got a couple easy layups. I don't know if anyone but Justin or the guards can make that backcut on the weakside- earlier I thought Salter would clean up a lot of stuff on the O boards and get little dump passes when Amos or Kent got doubled on the strong side but he looks kind of tired and lost right now.

(02-08-2009 10:14 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote: [ -> ]Miami ran the back cut quite nicely and got a couple easy layups. I don't know if anyone but Justin or the guards can make that backcut on the weakside- earlier I thought Salter would clean up a lot of stuff on the O boards and get little dump passes when Amos or Kent got doubled on the strong side but he looks kind of tired and lost right now.

Other teams have seen what Salter can do so now he has to add some moves to his game.

(02-08-2009 08:54 PM)emanoh Wrote: [ -> ]This was the first game this season that fans were getting up during the second half, leaving and saying "I can't take this any more.

I'm not schooled in the motion offense enough to know what the capability is if we were doing it correctly? We don't drive, we don't set picks, there's no back door cuts or high post plays. We dribble and pass around the perimiter for 32 seconds and then toss up a three pointer.

We basically have four seniors that are all roll players, none are true starters. Kent and Amos would be great sixth & seventh men off the bench on a full team. If MoLo doesn't have the game of his life, we don't crack 30 pts.

Flat out we just don't have the athletes right now and next year we'll be really young. We won't have the luxury of allowing our freshmen and sophomores to be roll players, we'll need our new recruits to provide instant offense, which is difficult at any level.

I'll still be there night in and out to cheer, with the hope that we'll be back on top someday.

Cross is only going to be successful if he can recruit D1 talent. With the new arena, good attendance, and the chance to play immediately, Cross has a lot to sell recruits. Now we will see how good a salesman he is. Hopefully he is better salesman than coach and has the ability to evaluate talent. Otherwise, he may be gone after next year.

Quote:We dribble and pass around the perimiter for 32 seconds and then toss up a three pointer.

That's new? That sounds like the same thing they've been doing the past 5-6 years.

(02-10-2009 12:02 AM)RocketRobert Wrote: [ -> ]

Quote:We dribble and pass around the perimiter for 32 seconds and then toss up a three pointer.

That's new? That sounds like the same thing they've been doing the past 5-6 years.

The difference is we used to score 75 points per game instead of 35 or 40.

(02-10-2009 12:06 AM)RocketJeff Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-10-2009 12:02 AM)RocketRobert Wrote: [ -> ]

Quote:We dribble and pass around the perimiter for 32 seconds and then toss up a three pointer.

That's new? That sounds like the same thing they've been doing the past 5-6 years.

The difference is we used to score 75 points per game instead of 35 or 40.

Last year UT averaged 59.8 points per game. This year it is 57.6...not much difference.

In 2006-2007 they averaged 69.0;
in 2005-2006 it was 69.4.
In 2004-2005 with Kieth Triplett it was 70.9;
in 2003-2004 again with Triplett it was 76.7.

It might surprise some, and as bad as the Rockets look, for the most part this year's stats are somewhat improved over last year. The shooting percentage has improved along with the number of assists and assist to turnover ratio. The rebounding numbers are also up.

Charlie has it correct....UT needs to leave the MAC....being a member of an also ran I-AA conference continues to hurt UT.

I'm sure if Cincinnati (UC) asked Hack what conference they should be in. Hack would have told them to remain in C-USA and that UC has no business in the Big East. A few years later, a Big East Title, and a BCS Orange Bowl birth, UC has unquestionaly the #2 school in Ohio.

Remember, when UT beat UC in the Motor City Bowl. UC couldn't beat UT in football or basketball. Quit being just another Ohio school (1 of 6) in the MAC.

(02-10-2009 11:50 AM)Rocketime Wrote: [ -> ]It might surprise some, and as bad as the Rockets look, for the most part this year's stats are somewhat improved over last year. The shooting percentage has improved along with the number of assists and assist to turnover ratio. The rebounding numbers are also up.

The most important stat to me is win-loss and right now things aren't looking to good in that category and that's not only in comparison to last year but for all-time.

We've lost the majority of our games by 10-12 pts. not including a few ugly blowouts. Those 10-12 pt losses are directly related to an enormous amount of dumb turnovers and having our seniors stepping up and being leaders on and off the floor. This isn't a team as much as five individuals getting together and existing on the floor. Kent is scoring well below his MAC leading numbers of last year and Ridley and Byrd are basically non-factors in the stat sheet. Amos has been a head case and turn over machine most of the season. If we had one more scorer to take up the 10-12 pt slack we'd have won a few more ball games.

I'm afraid for next year, who's going to actually shoot the ball? We have some good roll players coming back, but we're going to need a lot of instant help from our sophomores and incommng freshmen.

(02-10-2009 04:17 PM)emanoh Wrote: [ -> ]If we had one more scorer to take up the 10-12 pt slack we'd have won a few more ball games.

That would be Jerrah Young. His presence, scoring, rebounding, and D would have made a number of these games closer and maybe gotten us over the hump for a few more wins...maybe even equaling last years grand total of 10 in the regular season.

(02-10-2009 04:17 PM)emanoh Wrote: [ -> ]If we had one more scorer to take up the 10-12 pt slack we'd have won a few more ball games.

I'm afraid for next year, who's going to actually shoot the ball? We have some good roll players coming back, but we're going to need a lot of instant help from our sophomores and incommng freshmen.

Anyijong is scoring less than a point per game below Young's avg from last year and getting more rebounds. Young blocked more shots. Justin is getting ten per game so he's that guy and we still are bad.

I'm actually less worried about next year than I was, though. When I see the improvement in Justin and the recent(though inconsistent) play of MoLo I think-Wow! We'll be huge for a MAC team next year and if we see the kind of improvement from Salter and Bastfield and Sterling that we got from Mo and Justin we could be pretty solid. While I had high hopes for this senior class it will be addition by subtraction when they go. Next year everyone will have played more in Cross' system than in Jop's.