Play Only Frosh/Soph
- Thread starter catfans5
- Start date
We weren't competitive against Maryland? I believe that that Maryland would beg to differ.
It's just a tough stretch; the one guy who had been playing consistently well (BMac) is not now and that really hurts. Didn't matter tonight as we could have shot 60% vs. MSU and still lost. We got our starters some much-needed rest. As Calhoun said tonight, we'll be fine.
Since we're discussing Falzon, I think the one move you really need to make is cranking his minutes up to 33-35/game. I'm not saying it's going to save the season, but this team is DYING for more offense. Where is it going to come from? Demps, Olah, Lumpkin or Taphorn? Forget it!
I'm not in love with Falzon's game, but I think that's one place you can find a few more points.
I might also increase Pardon's minutes.
I'm not in love with Falzon's game, but I think that's one place you can find a few more points.
I might also increase Pardon's minutes.
One of our big problems is that we fall far behind right out of the box in some games (like last night's). I think we should stsrt all bench players next time and have them play balls out, fouls be damned, and then sub in the erstwhile starters one at a time starting with the first timeout. See what happens.
If Olah is this hurt and is not helping, then sit him. Let him heal. Pardon and JvZ can man the 5. I like the Falzon / Skelly rotation. I think Skelly makes use of his minutes usually (2 turnovers last night hurts my argument admittedly.)
Maybe. But OP to this theory said run it full out (means pressing, hard man D, etc.) and start subbing right away. What is our record for longest period to start a game without a basket? I seem to recall a few that went some distance...
It will never happen. But interesting thought and more entertaining that what I expect will happen over the first 6 minutes on Saturday.
Olah is hurt and is not helping, but he's not going to heal in the next 6 weeks. Collins has said as much, and I guess he feels Olah has earned the right to try and play. Make no mistake though, the foot injury has significantly weakened his ability to play, especially on offense. Skelly has had many opportunities in the conference season to show his abilities, and outside of the games against Nebraska and IU, he has been significantly worse than Falzon/Lumpkin at the 4.
At the 4:
Skelly: 13% possessions, 0.81 PPP, 1.16 oPPP
Falzon: 60% possessions, 0.99 PPP, 1.03 oPPP
Lumpkin: 13% possessions, 1.03 PPP, 1.12 oPPP
Taphorn: 10% possessions, 0.95 PPP, 1.13 oPPP
Pardon: 3% possessions, 1.06 PPP, 1.25 oPPP
Assuming Olah is not a good option at the 5 and that we have been told repeatedly that Pardon is not a 4, then I think we can eliminate that option. Lumphorn are undersized to defend the 4 - so regardless of the O, not a good option for any stretches. leaving Skelly and Falzon - and Skelly's numbers don't look like a major dropoff from Falzon.
Granted, I am overreacting (as passionate fans do), but here is my rationale. Before the MSU game CC said one thing the Cats would need to overcome (the other being a guy named Valentine) was having a slow start that would require them to dig out of a deep hole. MSU actually cooperated by playing some ragged basketball early on, but here is the NU production (with Collins’ words still fresh in their heads):
Missed 3, missed 3, missed jumper, missed 3, missed J, then 2 offensive rebounds given up to MSU, turnover. At the TV timeout, trailing 7-0.
Then a little flurry, score 7-6.
Followed by: foul, turnover, missed 3, missed J, missed layup, missed 3, turnover.
Next we get a Lumpkin layup, then a steal by Ash followed by a missed 3 again. At second TV timeout by the grace of God we trail only 12-8, but it IS a slow start.
We foul, then make a jumper. Then 3 straight missed jumpers, and one made 3 and one missed 3.
It’s 23-13 at the third TV time out. We’re on pace to score 42 and lose by about 30. Which is just about what we did.
Against Indiana, not much different. Down 13-5 at the first TV timeout, closed it to -5 at the second TV timeout, but then down 10 (28-18) ten seconds after the third TV stoppage.
My cockeyed strategy is to start “shock troups” to throw off the opponent who’s not prepared for that, try to wreak havoc for a while .... and see what happens. Then start subbing in the first-teamers. If it fails and we get down 10 in the first 8-12 minutes we are no worse off. And the starters will be rested and be in NO foul trouble.
Message to team: “Tonight, we are going to throw a different combination of punches at the beginning to see if we can avoid going down big before we fight back. The scoreboard says we have started slowly in two straight games and not recovered. This is not a demotion for the starters, just something to see if we can break the slow start spell that his visited us too often this year, because once is too often --- and twice means we have to come out with a new look from the outset.”
Looks like Tenth of a point per possession. If he played 10 minutes and they averaged one possession per team per minute, then it's a total two point difference. A bucket. Wonder what the rest of the team averages across all their minutes. Bet it's not a drop off if Falzon and Tre, Sanjay or Olah sub out at the same time.
Please do not leak this to the Hawkeyes:
Taphorn, Ash, Pardon, Lumpkin, Lindsey, known starting tomorrow as "First Strike Force TAPLULI"
You are already aware of the overall mission: Surprise, havoc, shock.
Individual roles: Taphorn -- gun it up from wherever; Ash -- one steal per minute, or foul out trying; Pardon -- glass crasher; Lumpkin -- kamikaze kid, on the floor and in the air; Lindsey -- garbage man extraordinarre; clean it up and shoot it into the can.
Along with this comes new nicknames: Gunner, Thief, Crash, Dervish, and Sweeper.
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Bet it is. There's a REASON why Skelly doesn't see the minutes you so richly desire.
Um Mike - I desire minutes for Ash and Lindsey. I think getting Skelly 5-10 min makes good sense as he is the only real 4 after Falzon that we have. Seems like everyone wants to stick square pegs in round holes. Ash is a 2, not a 1. Law is more of a 3 by all accounts, than a 2. Lumphorn are 3's, not 4's. Pardon is a 5 and Brown will be a 1. And nobody should play 35+ minutes - it is asking too much.
Back to Skelly - I'm not sure what RI is - but if he is at all a 4, then I think Skelly may end up at the end of the bench. Too bad, great energy kid.