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Username Post: Bryant        (Topic#19544)
Bruno 
PhD Student
Posts: 1414

Loc: Brooklyn, NY
Reg: 11-21-04
11-28-16 11:00 PM - Post#214289    

Well it's thrilling that Brown won. Winning is hard and I give Brown a ton of credit for pulling it out and never losing their cool. Offensively it was stellar. Defensively it was suspect, in keeping with the pattern this season. It was a game they should win and ultimately they did, and it was way more fun to watch than almost any game I can remember from last year.

Tons of offensive contributions, with terrific hi-low game against a soft zone. Hobbie, Daugherty, Fuller all gave something special off the bench. Anderson came off the deck to play a huge 2nd half - I give him credit because he didn't get any time in the first half and didn't start the second, and then he comes in and does what he does. Howard is so good finishing down low, all he does is hit layups, but he's a great target and is intuitive and quick down there, and uses footwork and the rim and backboard beautifully. Fuller's been real solid all year. Spieth was outstanding and so was Tavon. Obviously Tavon's game-saving play was the play of the year thus far - incredible cool. Obi has been struggling shooting, particularly from outside, but he didn't go away.

Defensively I liked the different looks but once again a dynamic and quick little guard torched them. The times they lose or play tight against weaker teams it's pretty much always due to a quick guard like Zouzoua that they can't keep out of the lane or from hitting the contested threes. Zouzoua is a really nice young player and has torched many teams this year, and he almost pulled it out. But I don't see the defense getting better.

So for the 2nd game in a row, a win that should have been easier, but a good win nonetheless.
LET'S go BRU-no (duh. nuh. nuh-nuh-nuh)


 
Old Bear 
Postdoc
Posts: 3988

Reg: 11-23-04
11-29-16 02:59 PM - Post#214340    
    In response to Bruno

Bryant has Yale on Wed. and Dartmouth in a few weeks, it will be interesting to see how they do.

 
Ever True 
Junior
Posts: 252

Age: 28
Reg: 02-02-15
11-29-16 06:14 PM - Post#214358    
    In response to Old Bear

I defer to wiser minds on X's and O's having never played organized basketball, but I wonder if Okolie could be put to better use? He was exposed defensively last night - Zouzoua shook him out of his shoes for that step back three at the end - and it seems a lot of the sets have him running back and forth on the baseline. One of the few times they put him in motion at the top of the key, he made a strong drive to the hoop and finished well. Again, just observations from one game, not pretending to know offensive schemes better than Martin and co.

 
Old Bear 
Postdoc
Posts: 3988

Reg: 11-23-04
Bryant
11-29-16 09:03 PM - Post#214365    
    In response to Ever True

ET, IMO, why do you think Martin and Staff would put Okolie on Zouzoua? In man to man, you would put your best defender on him, unless you needed your best in the paint. You wouldn't have put Kuakumensah on him in man to man. In a zone against at 3 pt. shooting team, you put the most effective defenders on the wings, and a quick defender on the point. Zouzoua was 5-14 from 3, Good, but not great. He is athletic enough to get off shots against almost anyone (see his earlier games, Northwestern for one). I don't put Zouzoua's scoring on Okolie. Brown needed to outscore Bryant. We don't have taller and more athletic defenders to put on him.

 
JBears 
Senior
Posts: 334

Reg: 06-06-12
11-29-16 09:34 PM - Post#214369    
    In response to Old Bear

As a Jr. this year I would think Pat Triplett would be a good sized guard to defend Zouzoua. However, he's the tenth man in a ten man rotation, which means he hasn't played good enough D to earn the minutes from Martin. It's unfortunate. I thought he'd add a physical presence to the backcourt this year. The tools seem to be there at times. Just not happening consistently enough, I guess.

 
jst4245 
Freshman
Posts: 63

Age: 50
Reg: 05-23-12
11-30-16 10:22 AM - Post#214406    
    In response to JBears

Pat Triplett has all the physical tools - mentally he can't consistently lock in and guard without fouling or making a freshman level mistake - its pretty incredible.

Okolie - while not a great defender is our best defender. The shot that kid hit was a borderline NBA 3 step back - he killed us all night - but you just tip your hat on that one.

I really like how Martin and staff are junking up our looks defensively - we have to. Teams live in the paint when we play man to man and you can't play 2-3 for extended minutes with a very small roster because of the rebounding holes the zone naturally leaves open. The 1-3-1 in a speciality package with Sullivan is a nice look - can throw a teams rhythm off for a couple minutes here and there - and Sullivan is a capable shooter on the other end.





 
Bearswin 
Freshman
Posts: 61

Reg: 01-06-14
11-30-16 12:59 PM - Post#214423    
    In response to jst4245

When you rank 309 out of 340 in team defensive efficiency, it is all on the coaches. Having Ced in the middle the last 4 years covered up a lot of deficiencies out of the Brown guards. They are just too small both in height and strength to keep opposing players from doing what they want to them offensively. Now, playing this year without Ced or any shot blockers, Martin has to rely on junk defenses to compete. You can be undersized at a couple of positions, but not all 5... Once other teams scout what you are doing, the junk defenses will become less and less effective.

There are some very selfish defenders on this team as well - decent on the ball defenders but horrible help side defenders - might as well cherry pick if the player they are guarding does not have the ball.

You go to the games and see Aram Martin, Jason Massey and Tyler Williams sitting in the stands. How much of an arrogant SOB you must be as a coach to make kids, who dedicated their lives to playing basketball, want to quit - but stay in school. It is crazy to me. This team is a lot different with a 6'10 player in the middle (even if it is for just short breaks) and a 6'4 defensive minded guard on the perimeter.

What is up with Wilkinson, Haber and Ljuboja, Charnov and Erebor? Are they all hurt? You have a guy who started at Utah, a player who played good minutes last year and a couple of 6'9 physical specimens not even sniffing the court. When your 5 tallest players can't play, maybe Brown needs a better big man coach. It is almost like the coaching staff doesn't know what to do with size.

As much as I would like to see it, there is nothing that changes my opinion that this is a last place Ivy team. Once we get into conference and the tempo slows down, the ugly defensive efficiency stat will rear its ugly head.



 
jst4245 
Freshman
Posts: 63

Age: 50
Reg: 05-23-12
11-30-16 02:56 PM - Post#214448    
    In response to Bearswin

Aram Marin, Jason Massey, and Tyler Williams are pretty much exactly where they should be. All three of them sulked more last year than my 12 year old when I tell him he has to turn off his xbox. Not sure they could have looked more disinterested during games at the end of the bench - toxic! Massey had plenty of opportunities last year to be a major part of the program. He got benched a little bit and instead of staying locked in and engaged he went to go have a pity party with the other two.

Not sure if anyone caught the game the other night but there was a sequence when Corey D fronted a man much bigger as the ball swung back and fourth for about 15 seconds, denied post entry, and then to top it off got a deflection and either caused a turnover or stole the ball himself...that is what we need more of. Corey's minutes have been up and down - but he has never boohoo'd himself. That stuff really matters.

Do agree with Bearswin in regards to Wilkinson and Erebor - would like to see them get some action before league play starts to see if they can provide anything meaningful. My guess is the staff thinks neither is a difference maker defensively and would disrupt the offense resulting in net negative. So they just roll with best offensive guys and try to outscore people.


 
Old Bear 
Postdoc
Posts: 3988

Reg: 11-23-04
11-30-16 03:36 PM - Post#214454    
    In response to jst4245

I'm guessing that Wilkinson is still recovering from surgery, how much he will be able to play this year is unknown, and Erebor is learning and, hopefully, we may see more of him as the season progresses. If either could contribute at both ends, they would be playing now.

 
Bearswin 
Freshman
Posts: 61

Reg: 01-06-14
11-30-16 03:50 PM - Post#214456    
    In response to Old Bear

If either could contribute... the team is giving up over 80 points a game.

This is when you build a line-up for conference games.


 
Bruno 
PhD Student
Posts: 1414

Loc: Brooklyn, NY
Reg: 11-21-04
11-30-16 05:21 PM - Post#214466    
    In response to Bearswin

Yeah, there are times when I've been frustrated by personnel losses and have held the coaching staff accountable for that. I wasn't happy when we lost Leland King (now riding the bench for Nevada) nor Justin Massey, but losing these three guys specifically (other Massey, Martin, Williams) doesn't bother me.

But we are hurting defensively - and we haven't gone into the bench hardly at all on the bigman side. The only guy getting time off the bench is Fuller, and I too am wondering if spots of Erebor or Wilkinson could help.
LET'S go BRU-no (duh. nuh. nuh-nuh-nuh)


 
Old Bear 
Postdoc
Posts: 3988

Reg: 11-23-04
11-30-16 10:55 PM - Post#214523    
    In response to Bruno

Bryant put up 48 in the second half to blow by Yale. Maybe our defense wasn't so bad.

 
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