Does the fact that we allowed

[Coach34]

some guys go off on us during the season for 30+ points more than a couple of times scare anybody heading into the tourneys? Not exactly something to feel good about when you cant stop someone when you need to

 

[Coach34]

some guys go off on us during the season for 30+ points more than a couple of times scare anybody heading into the tourneys? Not exactly something to feel good about when you cant stop someone when you need to

 

[cutbaitdawg]

to have a player score career highs. However, we won tonight and should have beaten Vandy. So, I'm not concerned in the least.

 

[hatfieldms]

The fact that we have one of the best defenses in the country leads me to believe we just had some players get hot against us

 

[Coach34]

The fact that we have one of the best defenses in the country leads me to believe we just had some players get hot against us

but it happened an abnormal amount of times this season. And after watching NC and Duke play, I dont think we are a top 10 defense. I know what the stats say, but I think Kentucky and Tenn are better defensively than us. </p>

 

[Cains Major]

No that does not bother me, somtimes you are just going to get beat. **** happens.

 

[cutbaitdawg]

FT's and TO's are the key areas that will determine how faqr we go in the NCAA'S. The rest of our resume is solid as hell.

 

[MSUCostanza]

That's shocking coming from you.

 

[GrenadaDawg]

It's almost as if we NEVER made any adjustments. FINALLY on the last possession, we switched off and put Jamont on him. We called a timeout when he hit like 2 or 3 in a row.....then played him the exact same way. No face in his jersey...you GOTTA make him take it inside the 3 point line.

 

[Uncle Leo]

[No message]

 

[cutbaitdawg]

the GD crossroads. Same as foster. (well he was hitting them form Memphis)

 

[o_Bigohh]

I remember watching Xavier throw crap up in Orlando a few years ago and everything went in, even a half court shot at the half.

Most of the stuff Thornton was putting up today was fairly well guarded, same with Foster Wednesday. **** happens.</p>

If a guy makes 9 three's in a row to beat you, about all you can do is say good game, see you in Atlanta</p>

 

[cutbaitdawg]

I bet we get friggin Drake and they do the same thing.

 

[disturbeddawg]

BH had his palm as close as you can get to his nose, and the guy still drained it. He was just on fire.

 

[dawgoneyall]

was the guy not covered. That all one can ask.

 

[Coach34]

if you look at the defensive conference only stats, Kentucky and Tenn lead categories just like we do. Not to mention we got to play 2 games on the easier side of the conference.

I've watched alot of basketball lately, and we dont play defense like NC, Dook , Louisville, Georgetown, UCLA, Tenn, Kentucky...We arent bad defensively, but we arent a top 10 defense

 

[cutbaitdawg]

...we lead the nation in Def %. Have flip flopped with GT. We set a new record in the SEC in blocked shots, and we rebound extremely well. We can zone and win a game in the 60's or we can man up and win one in the 80's. RS has done an outstanding coaching job this year.

 

[TR.sixpack]

[No message]

 

[Coach34]

......"I dont see where you get that from."

secsports.com- conference only stats...they lead categories just like we do..

I'm not saying we are a bad team or Ricky hasnt done a good job...I just dont think we are as good defensively as those teams I mentioned

 

[williecunningham]

"...we lead the nation in Def %. Have flip flopped with GT. We set a new record in the SEC in blocked shots, and we rebound extremely well. We can zone and win a game in the 60's or we can man up and win one in the 80's. RS has done an outstanding coaching job this year" That's what I like about this team. Teams like Georgetown or Kentucky can only win by controlling the tempo and being physical on defense. MSU - while not as talented - is in the UNC, Duke, Louisville category. Those teams can grind it out to win or win playing up and down.

 

[MSUCostanza]

UNC and Duke are in a contest to see who can miss the most layups. I don't see a whole lot of defense being played at this stage of the game. Teams are running wild up and down the court and blowing layups left and right. Duke gets a wide open look for 3 almost every time down the court. Ben's brother is getting assaulted and violated (as usual) down low. He hasn't attempted a free throw despite being bludgeoned repeatedly.

Just then, UNC came out of a timeout and Duke had set their defense, and UNC passed the ball 3 times and got a freaking layup. Where is this great defense you're talking about?

Duke comes back, gets an easy penetration and misses another layup.

 

[Coach34]

Meo thinks we play better D than Dook or NC...sorry little girl...it aint true..Maybe we will get matched up with one of them so we can get a chance at all those lay ups and open 3's

 

[MSUCostanza]

And watching that Duke-UNC game, and seeing all the layups and wide-open 3's those teams were giving up possession after possession, I don't see how the point can be argued. We are 2nd in the nation in blocks per game and defensive FG%. We set an SEC team record for blocks. We had a couple of guys go off on us, but we won one of the games anyway, and if we hit 1 or 2 FT's, we win both of them. Basically, you are just searching for something to complain about because we obliterated your SEC prediction and it's killing you to be wrong.

 

[Coach34]

Scoring defense- Kentucky 1st, MSU 2nd, Tenn 5th
FG defense- MSU 1st, Kentucky 2nd, Tenn 4th
3pt Defense- Tenn 1st, MSU 2nd, Kentucky 4th
Rebounding Defense- Kentucky 1st, Tenn 7th, MSU tied for 8th
Rebounding margin- Tenn and State tied 1st, Kentucky 5th
Blocked Shots- MSU 1st, Kentucky 3rd, Tenn 6th
Steals-Tenn 3rd, Kentucky 7th, MSU 11th

What stats show how much better we are defensively???

 

[cutbaitdawg]

...and I understand that Barry Booker said we were a final 4 team IF we take care of TO"s and FT's. that should lock us in.

 

[Coach34]

i'm having a discussion of the nation's top defensive teams. I dont think we are in the top 10, top 20- definitely

 

[cutbaitdawg]

We are a top 10 defensive team....in the nation. give it up.

 

[Coach34]

We are a top 10 defensive team....in the nation. give it up.

its not clear that we arent only the 3rd best defensive team in our conference</p>

 

[lowcountrydawg.sixpack]

Of all things, you are making an arguement (or trying to) over our team defense. Simply Stunning.</p>

 

[Agentdog]

Yes. People saying "it just happens" sounds like Polk's "that's baseball". It is over simplifying the situation. None the less, in nearly every loss this year, we have allowed a player the biggest night of their season. It only takes one time in tournament play for your season to be over. But, we did well to adjust on #5 today. Still it is a concern.

 

[MadDawg.sixpack]

if the guy is going to make a shot moving to his left, fading away, twisting 90° in mid-air, nothing-but-net from about 26 feet, there's not much you can do.

 

[Stansfield]

Shot blocking is a huge factor in our defense. If some guy is hitting threes from outer space, what the hell are you supposed to do??

 

[Aychar]

</p>

 

[MSUCostanza]

Thanks for proving my point. Are you high? We're first or second in the SEC in every stat you just showed us, except rebounding defense and steals. (And we're first in rebound margin anyway) Plus, a quick check of the NCAA site shows, again, that we are second in the NATION in FG% defense (to Georgetown) and blocks per game (to UConn).

 

[squirldawg]

play great defense. There defense is good because of the athletes they have, but that is definitely where their focus lies. They gamble defensively, but definitely not a sound defensive team. Us and Kentucky play very fundamental hard nosed half court defense. We are definitely a top 10 defense in the country, and basically because we have Jarvis Varnado and depth behind him. We don't have the perimeter athletes at every position to be good without Jarvis defensively on a night in night out basis.</p>

 

[hatfieldms]

Thanks for proving my point. Are you high? We're first or second in the SEC in every stat you just showed us, except rebounding defense and steals. (And we're first in rebound margin anyway) Plus, a quick check of the NCAA site shows, again, that we are second in the NATION in FG% defense (to Georgetown) and blocks per game (to UConn).

But all of our stats are padded because we play in the weaker division of the SEC, remember?
</p>

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Yeah we gave up some great individual performances, but that is what they were...individual performances. Being a Bulls fan, it reminds me of when Jordan would score 60 and the Bulls would lose. When he learned to take that performance and include his team mates, he may have scored less but they stacked up the championships.

 

[saltybulldog]

It must really hurt that we beat LSU twice this season and won the West over Arkansas.

 

[Dawgbreeze]

Coach, give it up. Right now MSU and LSU are playing as well as anybody other than maybe Tenn and the bottom of the SEC East is much worse than the West's two bottom teams. You will ***** about something no matter what it is with a Stans coached team. Hell, Gillespie could hardly get his team to inbound a pass against Fla so ***** about him for a while and since KY shot freebies horrible today against Fla then that must be Gillespie's fault too. You are a piece of cake.

 

[patdog]

All three are very good players who have scored a lot of points against everybody, although not close to the 40 or so they each scored against us.

All three would have probably been guarded by Richard Delk if the Delks had stayed.

I heard Barry Booker say yesterday that we could potentially be a Final Four team. I think we could have if the Delks had stayed (if they had not brought the team down with any negative attitudes). Add a good outside shooter and a shutdown perimeter defender to this team and it could have really been something. It still can be, but I really believe we'd be ranked in the top 10 if they hadn't left.</p>