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Username Post: Wofford        (Topic#20953)
84grad 
Junior
Posts: 277

Age: 64
Reg: 11-09-17
01-10-18 08:57 PM - Post#242925    

No Aiken. Tied at halftime. Shot 2-14 from three, despite some good looks. Wofford shot 7-12 from 3.

Lewis & Towns 9-16. Rest of team 2-14.

3 trips to the line feels like an avalanche. Wofford has only 1.

Lewis has 0 fouls and Towns only 1. Hopefully both can be aggressive in second half. Towns had 16 in 1st half and is clearly playing with much more authority (on both ends).

Only 5 TOs in first half, down from 15 vs. Dartmouth. Only 4 assists.

Good job on boards.

Continue to think Bassey is playing very well (and I was down on him earlier in year).

If rotation is limited a bit more in second half, this is certainly winnable even without Aiken and should be a useful game as final OOC outing.

















 
84grad 
Junior
Posts: 277

Age: 64
Reg: 11-09-17
01-10-18 09:07 PM - Post#242928    
    In response to 84grad

2 quick 3s by Wofford. Good Timeout by TA. But Wofford hits another 3, and we’re still cold from 3.

Welsh, Haskett and Farley in at same time. Ugh.

 
84grad 
Junior
Posts: 277

Age: 64
Reg: 11-09-17
01-10-18 09:19 PM - Post#242930    
    In response to 84grad

3-21 from 3. Wofford 10-19. But we’ve taken some bad ones this half.

 
HARVARDDADGRAD 
Postdoc
Posts: 2685

Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
01-10-18 10:00 PM - Post#242938    
    In response to 84grad

Towns misses left handed driving layup and Wofford wins by 1.

A positive feeling though as Harvard definitely was the the better team - even without Bryce. Both teams shot 26 3's, with Wofford making 11 and Harvard 5. Can't make up 18 points on a team that also is one of the best FT shooting teams in the nation (12-14 tonight).

I know someone has the stats, but I have to wonder how you can rationalize the efficiency of shooting 26 3's when you make 19%, knowing that Harvard was just plain better around the rim and that Wofford was in foul trouble. Harvard bailed Wofford out by shooting treys instead of pounding the ball inside where Harvard shot 56% + free throws. Throw in 11 offensive rebounds as well.



 
mrjames 
Professor
Posts: 6062

Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
01-10-18 10:14 PM - Post#242940    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

Very impressed with the Harvard performance. Had a lot of threes go halfway down and out, not much you can do there. Great, great looks. The defense is legit.

Now we wait - does Bryce come back 100% or not. This is the ceiling for the “or not” side. The “come back 100% side” seems a lot higher than it did a month ago.

 
84grad 
Junior
Posts: 277

Age: 64
Reg: 11-09-17
01-11-18 05:58 AM - Post#242956    
    In response to mrjames

With the attention being paid to Towns, it was essential that he find the inevitable open teammates. I was very impressed by his passing last night. He is now much more involved in all phases of the game.

Good games from Bassey and Perez.

 
mrjames 
Professor
Posts: 6062

Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
01-11-18 08:55 AM - Post#242960    
    In response to 84grad

Towns and Lewis were very tough to guard in PnR action - Towns did a really nice job getting Lewis slipping a few times.

The other note from last night (and what taking good looks at 3 does for you versus trying to force things inside all the time with perimeter guys who vary wildly in their ability to make productive entry passes): Only a 13% TO Rate and Juzang had just 1. To the extent Harvard has to go a longer stretch with him at point... he's going to have to have more performances like that.

Finally, I think we're going to need to have a talk about Corey. Not so much that he isn't shooting 40% from three like he has in years past, but rather that many of the misses haven't been remotely close - like true bricks. With Bassey already on the floor, Harvard can't afford to have two players out there that don't really want to shoot it. And it's taking 40% usage performances from Bryce and Seth to cover up how little those guys want the usage.

 
HARVARDDADGRAD 
Postdoc
Posts: 2685

Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
01-11-18 12:09 PM - Post#242994    
    In response to mrjames

Thanks mrjames and 84, I do agree that there are benefits to playing on the perimeter and taking the 3's. Certainly, less TO's and offensive fouls, maybe even more offensive rebounds. I also understand that today's basketball dictates' the use of the trey, and I accept the reasons why.

I just don't see this Harvard squad winning consistently by competing in a 3 point shooting contest with any Ivy team. Halfway through the season, Harvard is dead last in 3pt % - with a relative % about 20% less than the league aveage. Shooting 23.5 3's per game, despite playing the slowest tempo in the league, means we're spotting teams like Princeton 7 points per game, and Penn and Yale 5 points per game (just on shooting %).

Maybe that's just a weakness - like poor FT shooting used to be for Harvard. On the other hand, I just have to feel that opponents are breathing a sigh of relief when instead of attacking we settle for 26 3's, making 19% of them. Especially later in games, our shooters seem to get gassed - especially Corey, Bryce and now Christian - leading to even their already woeful shooting percentages to drop down the stretch.

If Harvard truly recruited the best and most talented players, building an offense that results in a low % shot doesn't seem to be the best way to exploit our perceived advantage.

Just as an example, the 2015-16 Yale squad only shot 17 three's per game, although making 36.3%. This year Harvard shoots 23.5 3's, at at 29.5% clip. Yale likely had more possessions, as it averaged 11 more ppg.

If our goal is to work the perimeter (likely 30 feet from the basket), then I think we're looking at a frustrating season. Without Bryce, that may be our only option. With him, I'd hope we do better.

By the way, I need to add that based on prior analysis shared here I note that Harvard has been shooting 3's at a reasonable rate at home, at least in the first half.







 
HARVARDDADGRAD 
Postdoc
Posts: 2685

Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
01-11-18 02:45 PM - Post#243023    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

Query:

Dartmouth shot 11-20 on 3's vs Vermont last night, after shooting 5-19 at Harvard last Saturday.

Was it Harvard's 3pt defense? Or, just law of averages? 18 point difference.

 
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