How does five returning starters equal improvement?

[mcdawg22]

If you have four mediocre players and one good player (that does not have a quality backup) how is the team supposed to be better just because they are all a year older. I get it in football; players become stronger, more conditioned and gain cohesion on hundreds of plays that will be run during the course of the game. But in a basketball, it seems if you know the high post screen, you're golden. (I'll teach you the rest of the plays when I call a timeout and diagram it on a dry-erase board.) The reason most teams improve is because they add great players, i.e. 1995 to 1996 Dontae Jones. We did not improve over the off season we just lost a quality backup to Jarvis and I would submit we are the same if not worse than we were last year.</p>

 

[mcdawg22]

If you have four mediocre players and one good player (that does not have a quality backup) how is the team supposed to be better just because they are all a year older. I get it in football; players become stronger, more conditioned and gain cohesion on hundreds of plays that will be run during the course of the game. But in a basketball, it seems if you know the high post screen, you're golden. (I'll teach you the rest of the plays when I call a timeout and diagram it on a dry-erase board.) The reason most teams improve is because they add great players, i.e. 1995 to 1996 Dontae Jones. We did not improve over the off season we just lost a quality backup to Jarvis and I would submit we are the same if not worse than we were last year.</p>

 

[RT23]

mcdawg22[/b]]

...how is the team supposed to be better just because they are all a year older. I get it in football; players become stronger, more conditioned and gain cohesion on hundreds of plays that will be run during the course of the game. </p>

Really?

Inever thought about it that way.Basketball players should not improve from year to year. They should not become stronger, more conditioned, orplay betterwith one another and learn one's tendencies. That is ludicrous to expect out of a collegiate athlete.

They may not be great players, but they should get better with time as longas the coach isshowing themhow to get better.

 

[mcdawg22]

Strength and conditioninghelps the team. But if you are a three point shooting team and you shoot 28% from the field, you will always be 28% from the field no matter how much conditioning you do.

 

[HD6]

but for today, even you need to learn how to reply.

 

[mcdawg22]

nm.

 

[thatlonghairedguy]

key reserves(Beckham, Bauley) hurt this team a lot too.

 

[dogfan96]

and a well rested Twanny Beckham are basically the same player... we could have David Beckham and it would be the same thing

 

[thatlonghairedguy]

and I don't think it is, Bailey being healthy would have won us atleast two games.</p>

 

[dogfan96]

but I've never seen anything from Beckham but missed shots from point blank range, careless turnovers, and overall uselessness

 

[RebelBruiser]

Maybe not when you're facing UK level talent, but it makes a big difference to have that experience.

I can point to our 1995-96, 96-97, and 97-98 teams for examples.

We had the same starting 5 and the same 6th man all three years. The first year we had a losing record in SEC play when they were freshmen and sophomores, and we didn't even make the NIT. The second year as sophomores and juniors, they got an 8 seed in the NCAA tourney and were bounced in the first round. The third year, when they were juniors and seniors, they got a 4 seed and got Bryce Drewed.

They progressed each year because that experience was huge.

Look at the SEC last year too if you need another example. The most experienced team, by far, was LSU. They won the SEC. Auburn wasn't a strong team any previous year, but they were the second most experienced team in the league, and they went 10-6.

Experience does matter a good bit, especially if you return an entire starting 5.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

[No message]

 

[thatlonghairedguy]

but he could handle the point and could give Dee a blow for a few minutes.

He could also be another option that Stans could turn to if he ever sat Bost for taking dumb shots.

 

[RobbieRandolph]

That's like saying Tiger Woods changed his swing at age 30 and he got better, so all players that change their swing will get better.

Not a great example on my part, but you get the point.

 

[8dog]

we'd have fine depth down low if we'd just play Lewis. Send him in there for 4 minutes to foul. I'd like to see us to stop acting like we are putting Lewis at Left Tackle and risking Tyler Russell's career.

We are the top defensive team in the league so I don't really know what Bailey would bring to the table other than giving SWAT a rest, which Lewis could do.

 

[thatlonghairedguy]

Lewis hasn't been able to do.

 

[8dog]

he was not a scorer, but its not like we are going to play him a bunch and when we did, he was not a primary option. He's one of those guys that gets post position and the guard just stares at him and reveses the ball.

I can't believe we are down to saying that Twanny Beckham and Elgin Bailey's absences are the reason we aren't good. Say that out loud without laughing.

 

[thatlonghairedguy]

lack of depth at the 1 and 5 spots has been something this team has fought with all season so this really isn't something new.

</p>

 

[RebelBruiser]

Not to mention the fact that if you get to keep your starting 5, you usually gain an advantage on teams that have to replace a starting 5.

It's part of the reason Boise State's football team is going to be pre-season Top 5, maybe even as high as 2, because they return 21 of 22 starters or something like that.

When you get everyone back, you should be better, even if what you return wasn't spectacular the previous year.

 

[SLUdog]

We returned the core of a team that finished 9-7 and then won the SECT. They went to the NCAAT. Did the SEC become a substantially better conference since last season? I'd say no, except UK and we only play them once. With good coaching and practice players and teams should improve. We do not appear to have done so. This team should NOT be 4-4 right now in SEC play. 12 SEC wins was not an impossibility for this team instead we'll be lucky to have 9 again. Without another SECT championship it is unlikely that we make the NCAAT. Considering our schedule, the SEC, and the players we had returning that is underachieving.

 

[fishwater99]

8Dog[/b]]we'd have fine depth down low if we'd just play Lewis. Send him in there for 4 minutes to foul. I'd like to see us to stop acting like we are putting Lewis at Left Tackle and risking Tyler Russell's career.

We are the top defensive team in the league so I don't really know what Bailey would bring to the table other than giving SWAT a rest, which Lewis could do.

Aneffective offense, the stand and shoot "motion" does not cut it...

 

[Coach34]

Lewis hasn't been able to do.

in 36 games last season, Swat's combined back-ups (which includes Bailey and his scoring prowess) averaged 6 points and 3 rebounds a game

 

[Coach34]

key reserves(Beckham, Bauley) hurt this team a lot too.

Beckham averaged 8 minutes last year with 1 assist and 1 turnover a game
Bost is only averaging 1 more minute per game in conference play

Beckham would bring the ball up and make a pass, and then go stand in the corner while the other 4 ran the offense- not having that is not costing us ballgames

 

[Coach34]

lack of depth at the 1 and 5 spots has been something this team has fought with all season so this really isn't something new.

</p>

is it lack of depth or is it the way the depth is managed by the head coach? If I had a choice of 8 minutes of Twanny at PG or 8 minutes of Stewart running point, give me Stewart every damn time...How bout the fact that Turner could play more at the 2 and get himself a few more minutes a game? Why cant we do that?

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

until they get too old of course. But it's not at 19.

 

[Coach34]

is that someone might really actually believe a team with 5 starters returning shouldnt be better than they were the year before. If they were all 38 years old I might agree- but at age 19-23, when athletes are still developing, its amazing someone might actually believe that.

 

[DowntownDawg]

nm

 

[8dog]

near the end of last season, Beckham had to come out as soon as he went in.

And depth in the post is more about management. We need 4 freaking minutes from Lewis to get JV back near his minutes from last season. If he is that big of a liability, go zone. How much can 1 team do against him in two 2 minute stretches?

 

[mstateglfr]

<span class="post-title">how can you ridicule that? </span>lack of depth at the 1 and 5 spots has been something this team has fought with all season so this really isn't something new.

</p>

Because its absurd!!! You think TWANNY is BAILEY are why we cant run an effective offense and get good looks? Are you kidding me?
Yes we have a lack of depth, but our options right now are WAY better than those two.

Playing Stewart/Turner at the PG to rest Bost is 10X better than letting Beckham take the floor and turn it over, miss an outside shot, not finish a layup, or miss a FT. Stewart cant make a layup either, and Turner cant consistently hit an outside shot, but both are smarter with the ball and are WAY more complete players than Beckham. There is another side to the game...defense. And both Turner and Stewart play excellent D.

Bailey scores at a higher rate than Lewis, but thats like two midgets getting into an argument over who is taller. Comparing 3.9ppg to 1.8ppg or 2.4rpg to 1.7rpg is futile. For the record, Lewis actually rebounds at a higher rate than Bailey.
Projected to 40min, Bailey is at 14.5ppg and 9rpg while Lewis is at 10.9ppg and 10.3rpg.
Bailey may score more than Lewis, but Bailey is NOT a scorer. He gets a couple of put backs or line drive hooks to drop each game. He shot 43% last season...a post man making 43% when all he shoots is within 5' of the basket isnt a scorer.
Lewis rebounds at a higher rate, is WAY more athletic and can play above the rim, and has a better FG%. He is more than capable of spelling Jarvis if Bailey was going to spell Jarvis.
As for defense, i think Bailey would be better than Lewis, but i also think that if Lewis got more than 6mpg and didnt have a lot of DNP-CDs on his stat sheet, he would improve.

Bailey and Beckham are NOT why we are where we are right now.

****, Augustus could spell Jarvis. Osby could take the PF spot for a few minutes, even though he is totally lost and timid in the paint.
If Riek is able to play a few minutes, Lewis could.

 

[fishwater99]

<span class="post-title">how can you ridicule that? </span>lack of depth at the 1 and 5 spots has been something this team has fought with all season so this really isn't something new.

</p>

Playing Stewart/Turner at the PG to rest Bost is 10X better than letting Beckham take the floor and turn it over, miss an outside shot, not finish a layup, or miss a FT.

Bailey and Beckham are NOT why we are where we are right now.

****, Augustus could spell Jarvis. Osby could take the PF spot for a few minutes, even though he is totally lost and timid in the paint.
If Riek is able to play a few minutes, Lewis could.

It all comes back to the fact that Stans has no clue on teh offensive side of the ball.