Ole miss performance & "Individual players adding to thier game"

[armchairpg]

Over break Cal mentioned that the staff went to each player to identify something they wanted to add to their game (Will had ball handing, etc). I thought that sounded great at the time but I am wondering if that shift in focus had anything to do with our play against Ole Miss. It didn't seem that we were in sync offensively or defensively at times. Maybe it was a byproduct of some of the guys wanting to game test some new skills rather than running the normal stuff.

To be clear, this is not a slight. On paper we played pretty well and Ole miss went nutty but we got the win and that is what is important. Just a half baked theory/question.

 

[Orange Soda King]

Far Cal!

No, Ole Miss just didn't miss.

 

[armchairpg]

Didn't expect a "Far Cal".

I am not upset with Cal or the team, I thought it was a common thought that the team didn't play their best the other night. I was just offering an admittedly half baked thought about why. Just something (else) stupid to talk about until the next game. Geez.

 

[katsure]

Good call, armchair. Also Dakari shooting 15 footers. Cal said if it works will incorporate into game plan.

He'll probably rethink this a little.

 

[SmyrnaCatFan]

I don't think your theory is half baked as I had been contemplating the same. Willie trying to drive from the corner but stepping out-of-bounds and Andrew pulling up in the lane for a short but unsuccessful jumper a couple of times were exactly the kinds of individual work Cal mentioned. I don't think Cal needs to rethink it, they just need to keep trying to improve with these upgrades. The worst thing for their development is to give up on it too soon. As hard as our practices are the lads have gotten comfortable with playing against each other but when they face other players the feel, the timing, the adrenaline is different and success will not come until accommodation is reached. Let's give the lads time to adjust to real game pressure on their individual skill progression.

 

[bssparks]

I think Cal let them try some stuff they had been working on over the break. Willie took the ball down the court once. Towns got a corner three to start the game. It seemed as though Andrew was shooting more jumpers. I'm like everybody else though Ole Miss just got smoking hot.

 

[armchairpg]

On the positive side, once each guy grows into his new thing it could be crazy. We will be dare I say "unguardable'

It's like do you run to cover the 7 footer draining 3s or do cover the 7 footer doing a crossover from the top of the key...

 

[Huma1894]

Yea, and WCS, wanting to handle the ball more, had five turnovers. And Dakari, who wants to shoot 15 footers, can't even hit a foul shot, not to mention his 15 footer.

Maybe by March, things will look different.

 

[docholiday51]

What we saw Tuesday night was one game where we bit on a ton of shot fakes,lunged and reached on defense more than usual.The other team hit 86% of their ft's and 52% of their 3's that will win or keep you in any game you play.If we had hit 86% of our ft's it would not have been as close.

I doubt that will happen in the next game,if it does we might have a problem.We contested shots but they went in anyway

One more thought about what we did in the layoff period,Cal said the the team split 2 scrimages.We scrimage probably more than any other team in the country.Everyone knows what everyone else is going to do before they do it,they get 'programed' to what they are going to see then it doesn't happen in a game.Some one shot fakes and we buy it,we are hedgeing one way and they go the other way.