mountainred
Masters Student
Posts: 513
Age: 57
Loc: Charleston, WV
Reg: 04-11-10
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11-27-14 10:52 AM - Post#176588
Seven games into a thirty game schedule and it is apparent the Big Red is very different team from last year. In fact, do we have to keep pointing that out? Can we just take it as read that the Big Red aren't the bottom ten squad they were last year? Great.
Improved defense is the obvious reason for the change. Despite the vaunted pressure, the Big Red still isn't turning opponents over but that doesn't matter so much if the other team can't shoot. Opponents have an eFG of 42.7% this year -- a 14% improvement from last season. Three point "defense" is slightly better than the national average while opponents are barely hitting 40% of their 2pt FG's. KenPom still says it's 2nd worst defense in the league, but it is a long way from last year's worst in the nation defense. I'm not entirely sold that it's sustainable, but after seven games it is possible that it is.
The offense remains an issue and is the reason the defense better not be a mirage. According to KenPom, our offense has gone from #249 in the nation last year to #274 this year. We're doing a better job of getting to the line, which has helped greatly, but we turn it over too much, struggle on the offensive glass, and don't shoot very well. While Shonn is going to get his 15 a night, there is no consistent scorer on this team and no trusted outside threat.
Possessions are being dominated by Miller (of course) and the starting guards (Cherry, Cancer and Hatter). As I've written before, the guards are basically the same player. All three are "boom or bust," low efficiency types that are tough to build a consistent offense around. Getting more out of Sophomore Daryl Smith could be critical. For my money, he's a better defender, better shooter and better decision-maker than any of the starters. He doesn't use a lot of possessions, but the question I have is how much of that is on him and how much is on the starting guards loving to shoot. (Seriously, Hatter is sitting on one assist so far this year.)
Onuorah has the physical tools to be an all-Ivy performer, but remains an offensive work in progress. He looked good against Canisius. Dave LaMore seems to be emerging as the back-up, but that only shows that David has to be the answer at the 5.
Cornell isn't challenging Harvard or Yale, or frankly Columbia, this season. But the other five Ivies are a combined 5-17 as I type this and Cornell has three of those wins. I do not expect the Big Red to finish in the top half of the league; Brown and Princeton should improve as they get healthier and even Penn has looked friskier in their last two games. But this Thanksgiving, I'm thankful my alma mater has a basketball team that is competitive.
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