CSNbbs

After having a day to calm down and reflect on the game here are my thoughts, like you care.
Paul Delany simply put he is the man, I love watching him play, he has talent but even more heart and desire. For instance he drove to the basket got fouled and came up cramping. He shot his free throw(don't remember if he made it) and the next trip down he steals the ball and runs back down and I believe gets fouled again all while cramping. The guy is one of my all time favorites.
Lawrence Kinnard played an incredible game particularly the second half. A great all around player and really kept us in the game in the second half. No gripes about him this game at all.
Howard Crawford looked like he did early this year and last season, timid and overmatched. Not a good game for him in my opinion.
Cameron Moore played eight minutes and I believed he had five rebounds and one steal if my memory is correct. Thought he played much better than Crawford in the first half but for some reason he did not play in the second half.
Channing Toney kept us in the game in the first half but we did not get him the ball in the second half for some reason. I can't question his intensity though as he always appeared to be hustling.
Robert Vaden - I wont go there enough has been said about one of the worst shooting performances I have witnessed and he did not do hardly anything positive.
Aaron Johnson played great offensively and with great intensity. However his defense was really hurting us late in the game and if you were not watching him closely you would not have known it. He had difficulty fighting through the screens, or moving picks as I saw them, and any time he got caught in a switch defensively where he was on someone in the lane we would have to make another switch to get him out of the lane, this led to many wide open shots near the end of the game that killed us, some of the open threes near the end. He is really the only player that could not somewhat effectively guard someone when forced to switch in the lane, I do not blame Johnson for this as much as the defensive schemes we were running.
Mike Davis Jr.played a great three seconds, jk.
Coaching, besides Vaden's performance was probably the biggest reason we lost in my opinion and some of Vaden's bad plays should not have happened if they were coached properly. I understand Vaden can get hot and take over a game but at about 0 for 9 I think it is time to stop calling plays for him. We were in the game without Vaden's help so why keep running ineffective plays through him? Why in the second half did we not run more plays for Toney, I do not know if this was coaching or Toney's fault but someone I brought to the game as a casual fan kept asking me why we don't just give the ball to Delany or Toney as they score almost every time and let them go one on one or dish it to Kinnard if they get in trouble, I could not answer his question. I did not understand why Moore did not play in the second half, he had a quality eight minutes in the first half and Howard was not doing anything. After the game Davis said Moore does not know the offense, that seems inexplicable to me, but even if he doesn't he could not have done much worse than Howard. Also when we went without a big man, especially after Howard fouled out they were taking advantage of Johnson on switches leaving them wide open shots when he had to double switch to prevent Johnson from guarding someone in the post, why not put Moore in or change the scheme. I have been patient but I think Calipari outcoached Davis more than his players outplayed ours, but thats just my opinion.

One more thing, before heading to Bartow Arena I told my fourteen year old daughter who goes to about two or three games a year that I was headed to Bartow Arena to watch us beat the number four team in the country. Her reply, we won't win because that Vaden guy sucks and shoots everytime. Kinda ironic. And I know, where did I go wrong with her, well her mother with whom I am no longer with is an Auburn fan for no reason and my oldest daughter is as well, but I do have custody of her and am slowly trying to set her straight.

great posts
We cannot beat Memphis if moore cannot play quality minutes

A big difference in the game was the play of Crawford vs their bigs. HC played scared and too soft under the basket.

Crawford had to play through two bogus foul calls in the 1st half

Need something positive about Vaden?

He played great defensive and always busts his ass.

yes, he did play good 'D',
in spite of the fact taggart didn't set very many legal screens all night.

Good post ofcchad. I must add something that strikes me everytime i look at our bench. We have a 6'10", 250 pound towel boy that could have more affect on that game than anyone. Any inside presence at all would have given Vaden a chance for better shots. Because this idiot(Mayfield) cant get himself eligible in 4 yrs he not only has cost us games but himself financial rewards in the future. (playing overseas). Ive said before that Vaden cannot create his own shots. Most shooters his size when having a terrible night shooting would try to take the ball to the basket and draw fouls. He cant put it on the floor for more that one dribble without turning it over. Paul proved again he is the man. He was the best player on the court. I know Lo had a great game but he still lacks the meaness needed to finish a play down low. Still i cant criticize 25 points and 11 rebounds. Im rambling on because im still mad about the loss and probably going to the NIT again. I want more from our program.

(02-28-2009 04:40 PM)randy22263 Wrote: [ -> ]... I must add something that strikes me everytime i look at our bench. We have a 6'10", 250 pound towel boy that could have more affect on that game than anyone. Any inside presence at all would have given Vaden a chance for better shots. Because this idiot(Mayfield) cant get himself eligible in 4 yrs he not only has cost us games but himself financial rewards in the future. (playing overseas). ...

Can you imagine the Towel Boy alone in Europe.......

Kind of like the airline commercial with the agent and the extra tall European ball player trying to find him a job all over the globe........