CSNbbs

The Bucs have been plauged by long dry spells on offense all season.

After the Upstate game, Bartow noted, correctly I think, that the Bucs really won the game in the final three minutes of the first half--when they cut an 18-point deficit down to eight.

Looking back at the play-by-play, here was the ETSU lineup during that time:

Cooley (PG)
Williams (SG)
Jones (SG)
Sollazzo (PF)
Ward ©

Not sure if those are the exact positions everyone was playing, but those were the five guys on the floor--and they started the second half.

Obviously, Tubbs, Hubbard, and Brown will always need to get major minutes. But I wonder if there is something about those five guys that might make them a good unit down the road. Would it be wise to turn to them when we hit these ruts?

If I was on the coaching staff, think I would go back through the game notes to see how often those five guys have played together--and how they did.

Good post. Obviously one game segment doesn't a team or trend make, but it's a good idea to wonder that. My suspicions are that any opposing coach not named murry bartow would fairly soon adapt to whatever problems that lineup was causing, but it could be enough to get the team to weather a slump.

You know, there's something to be said, historically, for youthful enthusiasm. Also know as the sophomore year of Jennings, Dennis, West, and Geer, along with Talford being a freshman. No fears, no expectations, and then no slowing them down. - 'til they called that 5th foul on Jennings in the OK game.

That being said, no this isn't the same group of players, and they have different names, but maybe that principle is worth something at a critical juncture.

Poster:

Good points. It's possible this fivesome might not be as effective against everyone as they were with Upstate. Matchups mean so much in college hoops. But that's why it would be interesting to see how they have fared when playing together against other opponents.

Just off the top of my head, I don't recall that exact lineup being employed very many times.

The big key against Upstate was that Ward was able to neutralize Schneiders. But it's interesting that this lineup gives you two of our better passer/penetrators (Sollazzo and Cooley) plus two guys who aren't afraid to fire them up from three (Jones and Williams).

And while there is no one tall player in the group, it has pretty nice size across the board--6-2, 6-2, 6-4, 6-6, 6-6--to go along with pretty good quickness.

From my own experiences playing hoops, I can recall certain groups of guys that I just liked playing with. We seemed to understand each other somehow, play off each others strengths/weaknesses. I wonder if this could be a case where five guys are greater than the sum of their parts.

Wouldn't say they are the Bucs best lineup. But they might be the booster shot the team needs to shake off the doldrums from time to time.

Well if I was the coach, I'd have Cooley, Tubbs and Brown on the court as much as possible. but i'm not the coach nor will i ever be