Penn94
PhD Student
Posts: 1461
Loc: Dallas, Texas
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-28-12 12:13 PM - Post#122898
You have to wonder what is going through the reigning Ivy POYs head as he wonders about what role he is playing on this Harvard team.
I looked back at the play by play for Harvard's close games this year (granted, there haven't been many), and am really shocked to what I found re Wright's PT at the end of the game.
11/25 Harvard beats Florida State 46-41. Wright plays only 22 minutes and exits the floor at the 8:41 mark of the second half and did not return the rest of the game.
12/1 Havard beats Vermont by 10 in a game that was close late. Wright goes to the bench at the 2:30 mark, comes back in at the 2:06 mark, and leaves the game for good at the 22 second mark.
12/31. Harvard beats St. Joe's by 5. Wright is in for most of the end game situation, save a brief time when he is pulled with :18 left when Harvard was on defense with Joe's down 6. He re-entered the game at the 8 second mark and remained in until the end.
1/3/12. Loss to Fordham. He stayed in for most of the end game situations again, but was pulled with 12 seconds left (along with Casey) to get shooters on the floor down 6.
2/4 5 point win over Columbia. Played most of the key minutes in the second half but came out with 35 seconds to go and the game still in doubt.
2/10 6 point win over Penn, close game until the very end, but Wright spent the last 3:22 on the bench
2/11 8 point loss to Princeton. Wright played 36 minutes and got some key rebounds late to try and keep Harvard in it. Casey, btw, was subbed out with about 2:30 to go, never to return.
2/24 3 pt win over Princeton, close game throughout, but Wright spent the last 1:18 on the bench
2/25 1 pt loss to Penn. Well chronicled that Wright spent the last 3:46 on the bench
So what's going on here? He's not the greatest FT shooter in the world (65.8%), but he's only a few percentage pts behind Casey (68.2%) who is generally in games at the end. Wright is superior on the boards, leading the team at 8.0 a game, which is a nice skill to have when defending a small lead or trying to gain stops to come back when down. He also blocks 1.5 shots a game, which again is a solid weapon to have.
So, why in the world does Amaker not trust the reigning POY in crunch time? And how are these decisions going to impact the locker room? Inquiring minds want to know.
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Jay O
Masters Student
Posts: 547
Loc: Philadelphia
Reg: 11-16-09
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02-28-12 12:41 PM - Post#122902
In response to Penn94
He could end up worn out, which, as an opposing fan, has been something I've always looked forward to (especially when he seemed to be in worse shape a couple years ago), but at the start of the second half in the Penn game, he looked nearly unstoppable.
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H78
PhD Student
Posts: 1458
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
Reg: 01-06-11
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Re: Keith Wright
02-29-12 04:57 AM - Post#123008
In response to Penn94
I think you're reading way too much into this, laced with a good dose of wishful thinking. You don't know his injury status in these situations, nor is there mention of what the matchups were. Steve Moundou-Missi has been a capable backup for Keith, as has Jonah Travis, and one of them may have been a capable backup.
Keith's minutes have gone down this year due to more PT from stronger backups than last year. Note his primary backups last year, Van Nest & Georgatos (great guys, by the way) have seen very little PT this year.
As a final note, Keith is a heck of a captain, and takes care of his team mates. Example: During the Yale game at Harvard, when he was on the bench and Coach TA called a time out, the student managers came to the huddle without bringing in chairs for the 5 guys on the court to sit. Keith went over to where the chairs were stacked up next to the bench, and motioned for the managers to help him, as he personally brought 2-3 chairs for his team mates to sit. Good kid, good character.
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Brian Martin
Masters Student
Posts: 963
Loc: Washington, DC
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-29-12 10:37 AM - Post#123017
In response to H78
Imagine Wright in Casey's spots on the last two plays of the game (and Casey still in the game but not as the only presence in the paint.)
Who would be more likely to block Rosen's layup without fouling - Casey or Wright?
Who would be more likely to make a five-foot bank-shot over Penn's defense without charging - Casey or Wright?
The game was decided by two plays that called for Keith Wright but he was not there.
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mrjames
Professor
Posts: 6062
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-29-12 10:40 AM - Post#123019
In response to Brian Martin
Also getting the defensive board with like 30 seconds left.
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Quakers03
Professor
Posts: 12533
Reg: 12-07-04
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Keith Wright
02-29-12 01:16 PM - Post#123045
In response to mrjames
That offensive board was a long rebound off of a 3 (that could have easily been a foul) so I don't know that Wright makes the difference on that one. Agreed on the others though.
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H78
PhD Student
Posts: 1458
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
Reg: 01-06-11
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03-01-12 01:40 AM - Post#123131
In response to Brian Martin
Imagine Wright in Casey's spots on the last two plays of the game (and Casey still in the game but not as the only presence in the paint.)
Who would be more likely to block Rosen's layup without fouling - Casey or Wright?
Who would be more likely to make a five-foot bank-shot over Penn's defense without charging - Casey or Wright?
The game was decided by two plays that called for Keith Wright but he was not there.
You make some valid points.
However, not being omniscient, I believe there was more going on than what we, as outsiders, saw. Based on that, I'm respecting Coach TA's decision. You probably know more about basketball than I do, but I'm going to guess that Coach TA knows more than either of us, and maybe more than you plus me, squared...
No disrespect to you intended, but I believe that people (and coaches) make the best decision they can based on the information available, and I'm going to guess that Coach TA had the best info to make this decision.
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Jay O
Masters Student
Posts: 547
Loc: Philadelphia
Reg: 11-16-09
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03-01-12 10:06 AM - Post#123138
In response to H78
I wonder whether having more information about the players and the situation tends to lead him into thinking that minor details are more important than they actually are.
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mrjames
Professor
Posts: 6062
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-01-12 10:23 AM - Post#123141
In response to Jay O
(Nods slowly)
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mrjames
Professor
Posts: 6062
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Keith Wright
03-01-12 10:32 AM - Post#123143
In response to Quakers03
The offensive rebound was long, but I remember Casey getting pushed forward (all normal jostling) to create space for a Penn OREB (Dougherty, if I remember correctly?). I think Wright's bigger body has a better chance to absorb the contact and grab the board. I'd have to watch it again, but that's what I remember.
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Chip Bayers
Professor
Posts: 7001
Loc: New York
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-01-12 11:24 AM - Post#123149
In response to mrjames
Yes, it was Dougherty who got the offensive board. And I think you're right about how it came about.
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mrjames
Professor
Posts: 6062
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-01-12 11:37 AM - Post#123153
In response to Chip Bayers
Eye test: passed!
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T.P.F.K.A.D.W.
PhD Student
Posts: 1171
Loc: Our Nation's Capital
Reg: 01-18-05
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03-01-12 11:52 AM - Post#123156
In response to Chip Bayers
Yes, it was Dougherty who got the offensive board. And I think you're right about how it came about.
My favorite bit about that entire sequence was watching Rosen can the three-pointer well after the whistle had been blown for the time out. The man was absolutely locked in.
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penn nation
Professor
Posts: 21204
Reg: 12-02-04
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Keith Wright
03-01-12 12:09 PM - Post#123159
In response to T.P.F.K.A.D.W.
I had been meaning to post that very reflection after the game, but forgot about it in the game's aftermath. He nailed that sucker--probably an NBA 3, and nothing but net.
Which reminded me of MJ's even more ridiculous shot after the whistle in the Game 5 clincher in '91 (at the 8:35 mark)
MJ being MJ
Edited by penn nation on 03-01-12 12:12 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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Tiger69
Postdoc
Posts: 2816
Reg: 11-23-04
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03-03-12 12:30 PM - Post#123598
In response to H78
H'78 said, "I'm going to guess that Coach TA knows more than either of us, and maybe more than you plus me, squared...
No disrespect to you intended, but I believe that people (and coaches) make the best decision they can based on the information available, and I'm going to guess that Coach TA had the best info to make this decision."
_________________________ _________________________ _____
I think that you are being very kind to Tommy Amaker. And, like you, I confess that I am not a basketball genius, and have often deferred to a coach's judgement in controversial situations, assuming his superior knowledge and understanding of the immediate situation (injuries, quirks, abilities,etc). However, there are a few pretty sophisticated basketball minds on this site. I wouldn't assume that they don't have some legitimate points of criticism of Coach Amaker's decisions.
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Brian Martin
Masters Student
Posts: 963
Loc: Washington, DC
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-03-12 01:27 PM - Post#123613
In response to Tiger69
Did anyone else notice that Amaker kept Wright in the game at the end of regulation last night and he committed a turnover with Harvard up 2 that helped Columbia come back to tie?
That doesn't change my opinion that he should always be in at the end of close games.
It does appear that Harvard is not quite sure what to do with a one-possession lead and the ball with a minute or so to play. Against Princeton, Casey was able to draw a foul and extend the lead with free throws. Against Penn, they settled for long threes outside any offensive rhythm. Against Columbia they turned the ball over.
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