basketballjones

I was highly perplexed by this and really hope to see an adjustment made by Maine. There's trying to keep guys on the sidelines, and then there's whatever we were doing which was basically allowing a straight line drive to the front of the rim forcing help up situations through our body position.

Yes. Yes I did.

Understandable. But the weaknesses were glaring and the "oh that's how we could potentially lose games" was obvious. Don't watch the Colorado game. That is how you ruin your mind for the year. Trust me.

It looked…. Oh…. I dunno. I think there’s some philosophical, X’s and O’s things they need to clear up on defense. I imagine what I saw is certainly not what is visualized by the staff, or, my god…. Think they need to figure out some personnel stuff. Not sure WB can play with another 4/5 on the court at the same time. I don’t think you can play KT unless he comes in and literally hits the first 3 he shoots. He just provides literally nothing else. Liked some of the new guys. All bring juice, length, toughness. Not really sure what to think about a few of them… BK specifically. Looks like he has the knees of a 45 year old and is a pretty raw/inexperienced player (plays hard tho). I hope people caught a glimpse of what I think Cale can do in the future. He was so close to making a couple things happen in his few minutes of play. When he capitalizes on that stuff I think he could have a role. Last thing… I’ll take his word for it that there’s much more in the playbook. Cause if there’s not I’m going to be very frustrated.

Gary, Dawson, Lawrence need KTs minutes split between them.

Yeah don’t get me started. I’m not entirely sure what the theory/concept was there especially early in the 1st. Seems like we’re deliberately allowing straight line drives from the wing with the goal of helping up high from the post to take a charge. We’re gonna allow back side posts dunk after dunk, or the backside corner 3.

And I want to be clear no one gets too carried away with what I mean by decent… bench/rotation player who can come in and get ya 8 and 5, change some shots on D, etc… maybe knock down a 3 here and there and hit his FTs.

Still excited for the year but will probably be reselling my final four tickets

I honestly think Oleg could be a decent player if he stuck around to his rs JR year.

KT doesn’t belong on a D1 basketball court. Zero concept of spacing or Team Basketball IQ. Just an individual out there trying to make individual plays.

My enthusiasm is trying to last as long as it can…. But…. Uhm….

The topic was who's going to "surprise," Jacob!

Bandoumel seems like the obvious choice to me. I mean, if someone is capable anyways. Springy athlete, and slippery ball handler who played with some other jacks on his previous team. Might be the only guy we have to dice up defenses and penetrate.

I want to know what metrics I am supposed to meet for @hhcmatt to give me some sort of credentials or something here.

Effectively 100% correct. Shoulda read the thread before I posted.

Can anyone explain to me WHY people went so hard on this? Who the F cares? It seems to me like there's something else going on here (potentially from Frost's camp? Lawsuit coming?) that we don't know about. As far has Hoiberg's go - It's near .500 and a vague, general sense that the team is playing they're hardest, defending, and players are engaged/seem to be improving. That's why it's not written down. Just wants to see progress. TA has zero, 0.0% interest in firing Fred Hoiberg. Desperately wants to see him succeed.

Thank you. Although I'm not sure that doesn't... somewhat... go towards my point? People like it when 1-2 cinderellas are involved - but for total viewership, especially in the later rounds, you need the big dogs. And I hate to be "that guy" with the St. Peters thing... but that was one game. Is it always like that with Cinderellas?

49r - excellent analysis. My only disagreement is the point I have quoted here. I do not believe there is any viewership data that backs up your point you are trying to make here. From my pure recollection (have done zero research on this), the most viewed Elite 8s and Final Fours typically are composed of the big, blue-blood, national fanbase teams. The general public wants to watch the best teams with the biggest names/coaches/draft picks, etc... Of course everyone loves 1 or 2 Cinderellas being thrown in the mix -not arguing that. But what draws massive viewership is the blue bloods/national brands. I of course have zero data to back this up - if you do please shed some light on that.

I don't think you sipped.

Two things can be true at once.

My response to this is the same as it is to @Norm Peterson's theory. Both good ones - I just don't think you can name a curse after something that post-dates the curse itself still being in effect. I think it has to be what @aphilso1 has posited. "The Naismith Curse" - how do we cleanse ourselves of the curse? Burn peach baskets? I find no lack of irony that, the game that was invented at nearly an identical time as basketball on the other coast - volleyball - we absolutely dominate in. I think we're onto something fellas. I think it is our job to get a hold of Jack Mitchell and see if he can help organize something to rid ourselves of this curse? Is he on this site?

Holy shit it has to be.

Have we ever officially named our Basketball Curse?

If they wanted him, envisioned him there in the future, it was a ruthless but necessary decision. Not sure it will pay-off for them - getting your butt whipped as a young coach at a big school you weren't ready for can be a career ender.

Our personnel.