When will we know if Stans has the team headed in right direction?

ScoobaDawg

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Jun 4, 2007
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When Rick calls fishwater to come teach the team rebounding fundamentals.

Jokes aside, we do have a serious problem with rebounding this season. Jarvis is getting his, and grabbing a double double almost every game because of it.
But noone else is getting many.
Case in point last night we did out-rebound them 32 - 30, which 32 rebounds in a game is on the low end of the norm..helps when you are making everything you throw up..
But still, a more detailed breakdown shows of WKU's 30 are 16 off 14 def. THAT is not good to allow a team to be able to get that many putbacks.
Now for MSU, we had 32, with 27 of those being defensive (thanks JV), and only 5 off (and not one by JV), offensively that is too low.

This is not a new concern, and will prove to be a major fault for the rest of the season..as it has been all season.
As DS said, we are living by the 3 right now, and have very little inside game right now playing with the 4 guard lineup.
 

8dog

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Feb 23, 2008
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we shot so well.

Its just really difficult to rebound out of a 4 guard line up especially when Bailey is the only big. The other day Houston just kept jumping over Turner to get boards. He looked like Mugsy Bogues down there trying to get a board.

What makes no sense is that we run a 4 guard line up and seem reluctant to run and hardly press at all.
 

Hanmudog

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Apr 30, 2006
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We have run on almost every possession and probably have a shot off with at least 20 seconds on the shot clock almost every time. We have been applying some full court defense as well however the other teams have not had much trouble with it.
 

8dog

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and I agree with ColumbusDawg, we played up tempo b/c Houston wanted to play up tempo.

If we keep running and pressing all year, I'll be much happier.

Im just not going to get my hopes up based on 2 games, one of which we jacked up a ton of threes and got hot.
 

Hanmudog

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Apr 30, 2006
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Alot of those 3's were in transition last night. The team seems to be really pushing the tempo and getting after it on defense in the last two games. If we continue to do that then we will do OK in SEC play.
 

patdog

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May 28, 2007
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We may not be totally running and gunning, but we're playing at a pretty fast pace. Hell, we scored 95 points last night. I don't care how well you're shooting the ball, it's hard to score that many points without running a pretty good bit.
 

muddawgs33

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Aug 28, 2007
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Its just really difficult to rebound out of a 4 guard line up especially when Bailey is the only big.
Bailey is one of the reasons opponents are getting offensive rebounds. The guy just never blocks out and that's a shame considering how big he is. The other problem is the 4 guard lineup as you state, because it doesn't matter how good we block out, other teams are still going to be able to jump over Turner to get the rebound. I saw it happen alot last night. Hell even some rebounds that we got, they were still tipped up and we had guys in the right position to get them. If Bailey will get his fat *** on somebody, then that will cut down on a good bit of offensive rebounds, considering when he comes in, we are usually playing two bigs with Osby in as well. I think the most frustrating part is when we run the 4 guard and Varnado goes for the block and doesn't get it, then we have no one to get the rebound. I see us giving up alot of offensive rebounds that way.
 

8dog

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even after studying the page (it appears to be just some sort of ppg average but I really cant' tell) but you'll have to forgive me if I don't view a stat as having any legitimacy when it has Chicago State No. 1 and Jackson State No. 8.
 

Coach34

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Hanmudog said:
Alot of those 3's were in transition last night. The team seems to be really pushing the tempo and getting after it on defense in the last two games. If we continue to do that then we will do OK in SEC play.

we are going to be a Jekyl and Hyde team this year. Play well at home and look like dogshit on the road- typical young team. Opening at UPig is the perfect test for us right now- lots of confidence, playing well....UPig is as young if not younger than we are....

Interesting to see what Saturday brings
 

fishwater99

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Jun 4, 2007
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Rick called and I will be heading up later today for practice..

We don't block out worth a darn, what's new...Put a body on someone when the shot goes up, its not that hard.
Turner seems to do a good job of getting into the right position, Osby and Bailey need some more work...

We will live and die by the 3 pointer, so get used to it. When we are hot we will have some big wins, but that will not be the norm this year.
Osby will have to start when we play a team with two bigs or we will get used inside the paint.

We shot 66% last night, made 11 of 12 FT's, tied a school record 14 3-pointers(get used to that this year),got out rebounded, had 14 turnovers to WKU's 11 and won the game by 28 points. It did help that WKU's best player played around 2 mins in the first half due to foul trouble and we led by 22 at half.
 

She Mate Me

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Arkansas this year. No matter what strength of schedule ratings say, they have not had the tests away from Bud Walton we have had away from the Hump (and even in the Hump lately). The Oklahoma win was impressive, but we might have beaten OK at home last night shooting that way.

Nothing would surprise me Saturday. We could lose by 30 or win by 20. Hope it's the latter.

The SEC really seems to be wide open to me this year. Can't remember this much parity (and lack of real quality teams) in a while.
 

8dog

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we need a 4, he is a 4, he is loaded with potential. What's the problem?

What's the worst thing that could happen? we lose? Hell, we've already lost to some crappy to average teams.
 

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
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that it has something to do with how fast of a pace a team plays at. Which has absolutely nothing to do with how good a team is. Sometimes ****** teams play at a very fast pace. You've bitching that we don't run up and down the court right after a game in which we scored 95 points. Do you not even begin to see how stupid you look doing that.
 

Coach34

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8Dog said:
we need a 4, he is a 4, he is loaded with potential. What's the problem?

What's the worst thing that could happen? we lose? Hell, we've already lost to some crappy to average teams.
I brought it up last night night and you have thought I called Ricky's Mom a ho...replies were:

1. Why start Osby? We are up by 20 points
2. Osby is going to be a awesome 6th man
3. Ricky knows best
4. I hate State because I want Osby to start

Thats why Osby shouldnt start
 

8dog

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and I didn't see the game last night.

Im just not going to buy into a stat that even you admit has no explanation. Just b/c its called tempo/pace of play, doesn't mean its a legitimate stat. do you know how dumb you look blindly buying into it?

We've played 2 legitimate teams that I know like to slow down play--Wazzu and San Diego. We averaged 52.5 points per game against them.

I don't know what our pace of play ranking would be in that game, but I do know they dictated tempo.

Like I said, if we keep running during conference play, I'll be a lot happier. Im just not going to get excited b/c we ran with someone that wants to run (Houston---just like the Clemson game last year) and Western KY.
 

fishwater99

Freshman
Jun 4, 2007
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It makes too much sense to start Osby, so he won't do it.
The Recuiter has fallen in love with his four guard lineup over the last few seasons, and refuses to try anything else now.
Why fix it if you don't think it is broken, and by the way Osby is a freshman Big Man.

Stans has to start Osby in the SEC or we must shoot 50% from the 3 point line or it will not be a pretty season...</p>
 

8dog

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b/c I couldn't. so what is our tempo/pace of play for the games we lost to san diego, charlotte and wazzu? how about georgia in the sec tourney last year?
 

Hanmudog

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Apr 30, 2006
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fishwater did you expect us to win these last two games? SInce going to the small line up we have played pretty well. I do not understand what the complaint is. Looks to me like Stansbury is adjusting to the hand he is dealt.
 

Coach34

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some of you are getting so sheepish over two games. Just a week ago we played a 4-guard lineup and got our *** beat at home by San Diego. We havent improved that damn much in a week- good shooting cures all ills. Are we going to make 50% from 3 pt land in FayetteNam? I highly doubt it. And since we probably wont- it would be nice to have a couple of big men in there fighting for rebounds like Osby and Swat instead of Turner trying to help Swat
 

She Mate Me

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to play fast to play slow than vice versa. Especially if the slow team is disciplined and has solid guards (If you don't have solid guards you are MSU in the Bob Boyd, no Malone days). We want to play fast and just haven't handled the teams that slow it down well.

A slow down team would not have wanted to play us last night. If you get out to a 10 pt lead on a slow down team it causes them lots of problems. That is what we never were able to do in the losses to SD and Wazoo. Not matter what you think of Rick, he is absolutely right when he says we have to make shots. This team is built around Varnado and shooting. We are simply not going to have the typical MSU tough identity of rebounding and D.

We are starting four solid shooters and bringing solid shooters off the bench. They just haven't been hitting many until the last 2 games. The odds are that when you play that many guys who can shoot you are going to shoot pretty well and win some games. We'll see how it goes from here on out.
 

fishwater99

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Jun 4, 2007
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I did expect us to win and even won a little money on the Dogs. It helped that we have shot lights out in the last two games too.
No way we can keep that shootMy problem is that Stans won't stray from is 4 guards and start Osby over Turner.ing percentage up for the entire SEC schedule. Stans loves the four guards and doesn't seem to want to deviate from it.

I think if we would have started Osby vs San Diego and played a little bigger we would have won that game too.
If Stans was a better floor coach we would have beaten San Diego also.
Why does he always have to wait for the TV timeout? Go ahead and call a TO when the other team is making a run, it's okay to do that.
Why do we need to sub 4 or 5 players at a time? We are not Duke or UNC, the talent level is not the same with our team.

</p>
 

Hanmudog

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Apr 30, 2006
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Some of you talk about our hot shooting like it was a bad thing. Yes we shot well but we also won by nearly 30 against a good team. It is not like we shot 80% and won by 2. Did you ever consider that maybe we are shooting well because of the small lineup and not in spite of it? If we start Osby then there are virtually no big men off the bench also.
 

fishwater99

Freshman
Jun 4, 2007
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Hanmudog said:
Some of you talk about our hot shooting like it was a bad thing. Yes we shot well but we also won by nearly 30 against a good team. It is not like we shot 80% and won by 2. Did you ever consider that maybe we are shooting well because of the small lineup and not in spite of it? If we start Osby then there are virtually no big men off the bench also.
1. Hot shooting is great, but you can't count on that all season for win after win.
2. WKU's best player, Slaughter sat on the bench almost the whole first half with two fouls, we were up by 22 at half.
3. Osby shoots the 3 ball pretty damn good if you haven't noticed, better than Turner.
4. BJ, Elgin and Kodi are on the bench.
5. We will rebound better with 2 big men..
 

Hanmudog

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Apr 30, 2006
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This year's team is not a tough defensive, good rebounding team. Shooting is their strength unlike many teams we have had. I don't think they necessarily have to shoot 60% to win games. I mean jeez we have won the last two by 20+ against good competition. We could have shot 45-50% and still won. There will be some games like San Diego where we can't throw it in the ocean but it is what it is. Again, I think Stansbury is adjusting to the personel that we have. I do think you will see Osby as a starter before the season is over but as well as we are playing the last two, now is not the time to make a change to the starting line up. Bailey and B. Johnson are turnover machines when they come in off the bench so Osby is a nice boost from the bench.
 

dawgstudent

Heisman
Apr 15, 2003
39,265
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FG %
Last year - 46%
This year - 46.5%

3 PT FG%
Last Year - 33.4%
This Year - 37.1%

PPG
Last Year - 73.2
This Year - 75.7
 

Brutius

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Aug 5, 2004
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Your expectations of our basketball team are starting to be as bad as coach34s. So we aren't a good team until we play like **** and still win? You know what happens when good teams play like ****? They get beat at home by Boston College.

I personally would say our team is headed in the right direction when we continue to push the tempo and get good high percentage shots like we did in the WKU game. If we get high percentage shots and still miss them, you can only fault the players at that point, it's not like the coach is out there shooting the open 3's.
 

dawgstudent

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you made my point for me. If you can play like **** and still win, you are a good team.
 

8dog

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hard to expect to shoot like we did last night with any regularity. We've shot 50% or higher from 3 in only 2 games this year.

You have to be able to win shooting 30-40% from 3 like we normally will.

So its not that we have to play like crap and win, its that we have to be able to win by means other than catching fire from 3 b/c I don't think anyone thinks we can win that way.
 

Brutius

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Aug 5, 2004
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They played like **** and lost at home. I guess every team that isn't undefeated is a bad team right now.

In general when a team plays like crap, no matter how good they are, they will lose against a good opponent.
 

dawgstudent

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Apr 15, 2003
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good teams can fight through those lapses. I guarantee you when UNC plays like crap in another game, they will win. It's idiotic to say a good team will always play great but more often than not, we won't be shooting 50% from behind the arc.
 

RonnyAtmosphere

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Jun 4, 2007
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...direction.

The last 2 games prove this team is headed in the right direction.

I'm not going to delve into the metaphysics of basketball, but since basketball is a game where making shots wins you the game, I'm going to dumb it down & say the fact the shots are now falling is a fundamental indication the team is improving.

Having said that, I don't think they will go into the Wal-Mart Barn Saturday & win.

But at least they are now hustling & relaxing on their home court, which is something that wasn't happening up to the San Diego game.
 

Brutius

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Aug 5, 2004
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For playing like **** and still winning? Shooting 30% or lower from 3? Missing half our free throws? Allowing the other team to shoot above 50%? How do we know the team has passed the dawgstudent test of playing like **** and winning?

And if you think UNC will win against Wake Forest, Duke etc if they play like crap, you are wrong.
 

dawgstudent

Heisman
Apr 15, 2003
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on the 3 pointer to win a game. The past 2 games, we have shot lights out. If we continue to do that, so be it. Law of averages says we will shoot 35% or around there. So what I am saying is, I want to see us shoot our average and still win the game aGAINST a good team.

So maybe my original statement should have said, "we play average and still win the game."