RE: Temple men’s bb 2019-2020
After winning it’s last three AAC conference games against SMU,TuLane, and UConn, teams Temple had previously lost to by double-digit margins, Temple now embarked to close out it’s season, by playing ECU, Wichita, USF, Tulsa, and Cincinnati.
Temple had won it’s three games by playing small ball. They won because Temple’s small one-up ( Alani Moore, NPL, Scott, JPL, and Rose) had outplayed those opponents.
Such was obvious in the second half and overtime of the SMU game, the second half of the Tulane game, and the entire double-overtime game against UConn. As Temple outshot opponents on two’s and three’s, went to s ores at the hoop more, got to the foul line more, scored more in the paint, had a stronger bench, made more steals.
Given that Rose and NPL were both poor shooters, their success was dependent on Temple forcing many turnovers which enabled them to score at the hoop and increase their shooting percentages. Playing the floor in just half court sets was not going to bring out the best
In the five ensuing losses, Temple did not play aggressively on defense. As Temple committed more turnovers than opponents in those 4 of those games. Temple made fewer steals, and scored less in the paint. went to foul line less, In the other game, Temple just had a turnover advantage. Temple wasn’t making an effort to make steals, as Nate had only 2-steals in Temple’s last five conference games.
Although Mckie continued to have Temple play small ball, why did not employ a pressure defense that had been successful for Temple is not known.
Temple should have employed a pressure defense that would have had Temple leading in all the categories that Temple enjoyed in the three prior conference games that Temple won.
Temple saw it’s scoring average drop ton 60 points in the five conference games. In two of the games, Temple scored but 51 and 59 points. In two others, Temple scored in the low 60’s, and in it’s best showing, Temple scored 72 points.
In the five conference games, opponents in three games of the 5 games, averaged 64 points or less, and in the other two games scored 67 and 72 points.
4 of those 5 conference losses were by 6 points or less. The other was to Tulsa by 10 points.
The first three games against ECU,Wichita State, and YSF are teams that Temple had previously beaten.
Another reason for Temple’s losses is Mckie did not Perry as much as he should have.
ECU GAME
ECU beat Temple 67-63. Temple was coming off an exhilarating double- overtime victory over UConn on only three days rest. Whether that was factor in Temple’s loss is unknown.
Temple lost this game by not pressuring the ball and forcing ECU turnovers. Temple instead played it’s half court offense which only highlighted the team’s weaknesses.
Also, Temple lost by not shooting better from the foul-line, and by relying on both Rose and Nate at the end of that game for it’s offense, and Hamilton not used to defend ECU’s Gardner who torched Temple by scoring 29 points.
This was a game in which Temple did not protect the ball as Temple as Nate committed 5 turnovers of Temple’s 15 turnovers. The ball shouldn’t have been NPL’s hands to distribute the ball.
By Temple not pressuring the ball, ECU only committed 10 turnovers. more. If Temple had done so, Temple players would have shot a higher shooting percentage and scored more points. With no pressure defense being employed, Temple scored only 63-points.
In the ECU game, Temple bigs played a combined 39 minutes ( not even the 40 minutes a center plays) as Forrester played 12 minutes, Hamilton 3 minutes, and Moorman 25 minutes. I’ve included Moorman as big even though he’s only 6’8” tall. It can be argued he’s not a big.
Mckie decided before the game he was going to follow the same rotation pattern that had been successful in the UConn. He would start both Forrester and Hamilton, and then go small early by subbing in Moorman and Perry.
Hamilton played but 3 minutes even though statistically Hs was Temple’s best interior defender. This would be the last game he would play for Temple. His playing few minutes was a bad one as ECU’s Gardner torched both Forrester and Moorman as he scored 29 of ECU’s 67 total points, shooting 50 percent from the floor.
With Temple not pressuring the ball, ALani Moore, NPL, Rose, nor Scott had a good game.
As in 35 minutes Nate scored 2-points at the foul line and was 0-5 from the field. and had five turnover.
Alani Moore playing 35 minutes scored but 6 points. shooting 1-5 from the field.
Rose scored 16 points on 4-11 shooting on two’s, and shot 1-7 on three’s.
Scott scored 12 points on 3-9 shooting on two’s, 1-6 on three’s and 3-8 from the foul line, and had 4 assists.
Temple’s bench play was very good as Moorman scored 9 points on 4-6 shooting.
Perry played 16 minutes scored 7- points, on 3-4 shooting.
And JPL playing 12 minutes scored 6-points on 2- 4 shooting.
Both Rose and Scott should have known their three point shot was off and not shot as many as they did.
Scott scored 12 points, had 4 assists, and 4 rebounds, He shot 3-9 on two’s, 1-6 on three’s. Scott came into the game shooting 75 percent at the foul line shot 3-8 at the foul-line. Scott scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half, as he led Temple to a 1 point lead at half time.
Scott subbed with 15 minutes to play with Temple down 8-4. Scott had a good first half first half scored 10 points shot 3-4 on two’s and helped create 8 other Temple points via assists to Perry and NPL. So, Scott had effectively helped Temple score 18-points in only 14 minutes playing the first half. Temple finished the half down by one-point to ECU, 37-36.
Temple did outscore ECU by 8 points on fast breaks, 4 points on the paint, and by 4-points on second chance points.
Temple shot one more foul shot than ECU but shot but 13-26 from the foul-line. ECU shot 17-24 from the fouling Temple’s poor shooting from the foul-line contributed to Temple!s defeat.
With 3:51 remaining in the game, Temple was up one point, and Temple Temple missed their last 7 FGA’s, and lost the game by 3 points. Rose committed three of those missed FGA’s. One reason so many field goals were missed is that Temple doesn’t run plays at the end of games.
Mckie had made clear the entire season that he wanted the ball in Rose and NPL’s hands at the end of halves. That proved to be a bad decision in this ga’e, as both Nate and Rose each committed a turnover in the minute of play, after Nate had committed a turnover just prior to that.
Temple’s decent shooters who helped keep Temple in the game were Forrester shot 3-5 from the field, Perry shot 3-4 from the field, Moorman shot 4-6 from the field. All three should have shot more. Also, Perry should have played far more than the 18 minutes he did. JPL also shot well.
If Temple had played an aggressive defense they likely would won this game. Even without doing so they were in position to win at the end of the game.
(This post was last modified: 10-06-2021 10:56 PM by Miggy.)
|
