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I've Seen That Game Before


aphilso1

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16 minutes ago, aphilso1 said:

Throughout the Minnesota game I kept having déjà vu.  My mind went back to countless moments (during the Collier and Sadler eras in particular) when our under-manned, out-talented team would try to scratch and claw its way to a victory over a vastly more talented opponent.  I remember being exasperated in the bleachers at the Devaney, wondering how we were the only team that seemed to never be able to buy a call at home.  I’ve seen that game in person no less than 50 times.  But now I’ve finally seen it from the other side—through the lens of a fan of the talented road team.

 

As the can’t-catch-a-break home team fan, that game feels like highway robbery.  I’m sure the Gopher faithful left that game thinking the game was called unfairly (and at home no less!).  Many of them likely uttered some variation of “Man, if only the calls went both ways, we totally would have won.”  But as a fan of the athletic and talented road team, watching from the comfort of my couch, I finally have come to appreciate just how tough it is to officiate that game fairly.  Because the reality is you can’t “call it both ways.”  Why? Because the teams aren’t committing the same types of fouls.

 

Our team was quicker.  More explosive.  Proactive.  And when there was contact, it was usually because our guys had put themselves in position to make a play and they did.  The result is that the refs didn’t blow their whistle on anticipation fouls.  Or in other words, they assumed our guys were athletic enough to make a clean play on the ball, unless their eyes told them otherwise.  A perfect example of this is when Copeland went straight up to misdirect the final shot of the game, the Gopher guard jumped into him and crashed hard to the ground, and the fans went bananas on the no-call.

 

The Gopher players, on the other hand, were largely reactionary.  They were a step behind.  Not as quick.  That makes it much easier for a ref to anticipate contact and know that the defender is going to be late, and the contact worthy of a foul.  And generally speaking they were right.  The Roby fastbreak foul (when Pitino got his technical) was a microcosm of how the entire game was officiated.  On that play a Gopher defender clearly clipped Roby’s arm.  It was a foul, no question.  But as a Gopher fan all you see is a bang-bang play that got called against your team.  The reality is that the Gopher defender was just a little too slow, and Roby just a little too quick, for the steal to be made cleanly. 

 

I finally get it.  I now know why that game can’t be called evenly.  As a ref you either call fouls on contact equally (which favors the slow home team), or you call fouls only on clear infractions (which favors the athletic road team).  There is no way of officiating that game that “calls it both ways.”  Sorry refs for all the mean things I’ve called you through the years.  And thanks for getting the game right last night.

Great Post.

 

I don't think Miles or the players, get enough credit for their demeanor.  I know it's easier when things are going well, but how embarrassing (or great) was it to see the Minnesota players/coach act last night when adversity hit?  I know Miles has had his moments were he gets a little chippy, but, as of late, the mindset between the ears of the staff and players is in a great great spot. 

 

One of my favorite quotes is, "Living in their heads rent free".  I think our athleticism, defense, and great team basketball (people need to stop knocking Glynn BTW.  He's running the show) , but, most importantly our mindset, confidence and demeanor has been spot on.  We're starting to "live rent free" in a lot of the B1G's heads. 

 

Oh, did I mention our athleticism?  

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Was thinking the same thing last night

 

Pretty solidly officiated game, other than the last 3 minutes of the first half when they realized we only had 2-3 fouls and had to get Minny to the bonus in a hurry .... which, now that I think of it, also has happened to us countless times in the past few years.

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5 hours ago, SkersHoops said:

Great Post.

 

I don't think Miles or the players, get enough credit for their demeanor.  I know it's easier when things are going well, but how embarrassing (or great) was it to see the Minnesota players/coach act last night when adversity hit?  I know Miles has had his moments were he gets a little chippy, but, as of late, the mindset between the ears of the staff and players is in a great great spot. 

 

One of my favorite quotes is, "Living in their heads rent free".  I think our athleticism, defense, and great team basketball (people need to stop knocking Glynn BTW.  He's running the show) , but, most importantly our mindset, confidence and demeanor has been spot on.  We're starting to "live rent free" in a lot of the B1G's heads. 

 

Oh, did I mention our athleticism?  

 

Miles and staff have done a fantastic job this season.  This was the year TM had to prove he could step up his in-game coaching with rotation and defensive philosophy, and he's done that.  The switch to closing out on 3pt shooting done wonders not only for preventing the three, but increasing our shotblocking and opportunity for steals.  Offensively, I think the motion offense just needs the athletes/shooters.  It works when you have people who can score (like most offenses).  

 

Recruiting-wise, the staff hasn't dropped off either.  Xavier is going to be a monster here, and I think Heiman will eventually fit right in with his skillset.  It'll be interesting to see if we make any noise on the senior transfer front... who wouldn't want to play with these guys?  

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I hear what you're saying but not sure I agree with your point that the game can't be called both ways.  Let me give you a quick illustration.

 

Last year, when Tai Webster was making a living driving to the rim, there were video replays of times where he drove to the lane and was getting absolutely mauled and no call.  The help D would rake across his arms -- the kind of deal where last night we were called for a reach-in foul -- and they'd hammer him with a body while he's in mid-air, knocking him on his ass when he'd land.  Foul?  What foul?  Do you see any blood?  That might be ketchup for all we know.

 

James Palmer has attempted 181 freethrows in 789 minutes of play this year.  Last year, Tai only attempted 136 freethrows in 1075 minutes.  Both players made their living attacking the rim and both had the ball in their hands most of the time.

 

I'd say, this year, maybe the calls are finally evening out a bit.  In years past, we were just getting screwed.

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During the game I said I love how calm this team is.

 

Down 0-7 to start, Tim calls time out.  No screaming, finger pointing, bad body language.  Just calmness of coaches and players.

 

Same thing when Minn. ties it up, we don't panic, we do what we do get on a run and that is that.  

 

(Well with some help from a Jackwagon) <_<

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2 hours ago, Silverbacked1 said:

During the game I said I love how calm this team is.

 

Down 0-7 to start, Tim calls time out.  No screaming, finger pointing, bad body language.  Just calmness of coaches and players.

 

Same thing when Minn. ties it up, we don't panic, we do what we do get on a run and that is that.  

 

(Well with some help from a Jackwagon) <_<

 

Confidence and sense of purpose will do amazing things for team unity/chemistry.

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I honestly have not watched our bench much during the games.  But during the Minnesota game I caught glimpses of our bench in (let's call it) a celebratory mood.  The bench is really into the games and put on a pretty good side performance.  I am excited they are excited and I am really glad they are there to push those who are on the court.

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14 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

I hear what you're saying but not sure I agree with your point that the game can't be called both ways.  Let me give you a quick illustration.

 

Last year, when Tai Webster was making a living driving to the rim, there were video replays of times where he drove to the lane and was getting absolutely mauled and no call.  The help D would rake across his arms -- the kind of deal where last night we were called for a reach-in foul -- and they'd hammer him with a body while he's in mid-air, knocking him on his ass when he'd land.  Foul?  What foul?  Do you see any blood?  That might be ketchup for all we know.

 

James Palmer has attempted 181 freethrows in 789 minutes of play this year.  Last year, Tai only attempted 136 freethrows in 1075 minutes.  Both players made their living attacking the rim and both had the ball in their hands most of the time.

 

I'd say, this year, maybe the calls are finally evening out a bit.  In years past, we were just getting screwed.

 

Here is looking at how Tai got to the FT line by how much he shot the ball.

 

Tai Webster FTR (Free throw rate is calculated by 100*FTA/FGA)

Fr - 75.0

Soph - 34.9

Jr - 36.1

Sr - 38.3

 

I think Tai's freshman numbers were somewhat inflated in part because of people purposefully fouling him because of his notoriously bad start to his career and all of the NCAA being inflated that year. (The 42.3 FTR from the 2014 team would be the 13th best in the country today.  Back then it was 107th) In general though Tai's rates were pretty good but it seems like they were consistently just pretty good.  

 

 

While some of those FTs can be attributed to us trying to ice a game, James Palmer is an elite contact drawer. He gets to the line at a 57.5 rate which is top 100 in the country for someone who shoots so much and #2 in the conference behind Anthony Cowan. To put that into perspective, consider Petteway's 47.8 rate during that foul happy 2014 season.

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