Penndemonium
PhD Student
Posts: 1903
Reg: 11-29-04
|
11-07-18 10:26 AM - Post#264609
This is my new column for the board. Premature Exclamations. It will have a completely random assortment of game observations. Not nearly as thorough as others' report cards and game write-ups.
- #$@&! - Losing Betley is just heartbreaking. He looked so confident and control of his destiny in the first 5 minutes. That long three that he measured up was beautiful. He will be missed.
- EUREKA!! - Mike Wang is a revelation. I never expected him to look so confident flinging up threes and nailing them. He was looking for that three off of sagging defenders, screens, and catch and shoot. He is fully capable of faking the three and taking it to the hoop. This guy will be great in a Donahue offense. If he develops a ferocity in posting up smaller defenders, he will be unstoppable. He is more capable of filling Caleb Wood's role than I imagined.
- Hell Yeah! - The team is still competing so well. Brodeur, Rothschild, and Woods were just dialed in. I think Betley would have been right there with them and our team would have been one of the most mentally put together teams we've ever had. Win or lose, this team will compete for the entire game, as they did last year.
- Whoa. - I never expected so much PT for Hamilton, but I feel vindicated nevertheless. I've been hoping for more PT for him for the last 2 years. He wasn't spectacular, but he belonged. He made a few good cuts to the hoop and had good energy.
- Huh. - Hamilton actually filled the role that most of us expected and hoped Eddie Scott would fill. Defense, rebounding, and not turning the ball over. Scott's three looked smooth, so I'd love to see more from him.
- Nice. - Simmons looks vastly improved in that he is physically stronger and he now puts a body on opponents for rebounding. He still needs another gear to impose himself on the game and to fill and clear more space on the court the way Brodeur and Rothschild do. If he becomes an animal on the boards, he will be harder to keep on the bench. He and Wang together give us more big man depth than I can ever remember us having before.
- WTF? - How does our team make it without being able to shoot FTs? Brodeur leans a bit to his left when he shoots his. Wood looked completely lost on his last two. Then again, they somehow pulled it off last year.
- Whew. - Goodman looked pretty good - he played more like the guy who ended the season 2016-2017. He was in control and his speed brought something to the table even when he wasn't going after his shot. He gets to the hoop so quickly. He hit some open 3's. He turned the ball over more than I'd like, but it's only the first game. Silpe and Donahue are fine backups, but I don't know how Silpe gets a lot more PT without a long range shot.
- Bravo! - Loved Wood's fire at the end of the game. He surprised me on how fast he could get to the hoop and the body control he had in the air. He will be tough to guard if he attacks like that and can shoot from three. He looks ready to pick up the Foreman mantle, especially in the wake of Betley's injury.
|
Silver Maple
Postdoc
Posts: 3781
Loc: Westfield, New Jersey
Reg: 11-23-04
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 10:36 AM - Post#264611
In response to Penndemonium
- WTF? - How does our team make it without being able to shoot FTs? Brodeur leans a bit to his left when he shoots his. Wood looked completely lost on his last two. Then again, they somehow pulled it off last year.
So here's a question: is great free throw shooting overrated? I mean, I'd love it if our team shot better from the line. But, to this point, it hasn't really hurt them. The CW has always been that FT% is essential to success. Is it possible that it's not as essential as we thought? Does Steve The Great know something about this that we don't? Is it possible that practice time that could be spent on FT shooting is better spent on other things? Or has the team just been getting lucky?
|
Penndemonium
PhD Student
Posts: 1903
Reg: 11-29-04
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 10:44 AM - Post#264612
In response to Silver Maple
Even someone on the George Mason board was trying to figure out how they lost to a team that sucks so bad at FTs. We missed every one except for the one we needed to win the game.
|
palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32877
Reg: 11-21-04
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 10:45 AM - Post#264613
In response to Silver Maple
Betley's injury is crushing, indeed. He cannot be replaced---we will have to play a different game. But Woods is what I always thought he was---a superior athlete for our league who gets to the rim probably better than anyone in the league. Also plays great defense. That FT shooting, though!
Losing Wood to graduation and Betley to injury leaves us with only a freshman as a potential outside threat other than Jackson Donahue, who will have to step up his game significantly if he is to contribute to a potential title team.
If there are any other Jets fans getting up there in age, it feels like that Testaverde injury.
|
Condor
PhD Student
Posts: 1888
Reg: 11-21-04
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 10:46 AM - Post#264614
In response to Silver Maple
Last year we wanted Betley, Wood, or Foreman to have the ball at the end of the game because they could make FT’s. They shot more than 46% of our FT’s last year. In the final game against Harvard last year, they shot 12 of the 16 FT’s we attempted, and they made all but one. Hence, I believe FT’s are important, and we need to decide who is with the ball at the end of the game.
With the loss of Betley, does anyone see someone who will take on that role. Every part of Brodeur’s game makes him an EOG offensive player except his FT shooting. Although we did not see him shoot FT’s, I would have to believe Wang has the potential to be excellent at the line. Beyond that, we have to hope that Brodeur, Woods, Goodman, Bryce and/or someone else figures it out.
|
PennFan10
Postdoc
Posts: 3590
Reg: 02-15-15
|
11-07-18 10:53 AM - Post#264615
In response to Penndemonium
- great observations.
-You were only right on Hamilton because of Betleys injury-vindicated nonetheless.
-I believe Betleys injury threw the 3 big lineup out the window.
-We are a great defensive team with woods, Max,AJ out there. Dev did a good job also. Gotta get a little more offense from Max and more defense from Wang
-we lost Betley early and still shot 44% from 3 on the road. That’s not gonna happen every game so we need to work the ball inside on more possessions.
|
pennsive
Junior
Posts: 200
Reg: 11-21-04
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 11:06 AM - Post#264617
In response to Penndemonium
Interesting post. For us old timers, Betley's injury reminds me of the crushing feeling we had when John Engles went down with a major knee injury. Now the question is, what do we do going forward? I would like to see more playing time for Kuba and Jarrod to back up Max and AJ; Eddie, Bryce and Hamilton to back up both Wang at the 3 and Antonio at the 2, and Antonio to back up Devon at the point when he is not playing the 2. Ryan's injury is terrible, but it does open up PT to talented, but inconsistent, players who often have looked lost on the court because they may have needed game experience, and not just practice time, to gel with AJ, Max, and Antonio. BTW, Jarrod, especially, and Eddie can stroke it at the line, and we sure can use that.
|
PennFan10
Postdoc
Posts: 3590
Reg: 02-15-15
|
11-07-18 11:27 AM - Post#264623
In response to pennsive
If we are looking for 3 pt shooting from players down the bench I think we may see some tick for Kuba or even Ray Jerome. Outside of that Bryce Washington is a good 3 pt shooter but looked pretty lost out there last night.
Again, shooting 44% from 3 on the road is great, doing so without our 2 best guards, one of whom is an elite 3 pt shooter, is insane.
|
SomeGuy
Professor
Posts: 6415
Reg: 11-22-04
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 11:56 AM - Post#264624
In response to palestra38
One note on the athleticism and speed seeing this one live — I thought George Mason’s guards were faster than our guys for a good part of the game. Woods was quiet in the first half, and Goodman couldn’t seem to get a step either (and when he did, he seemed to flustered to finish). But it changed as the game wore on. Goodman’s speed seemed to play better in the second half in part because he slowed down more at times. And Woods’ combo of speed and strength was too much when he got back in at the end. I don’t know if that’s stamina or heart (or both), but it seemed like both guys kept plugging away, and at the end they had the advantage (except at the line).
|
palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32877
Reg: 11-21-04
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 12:01 PM - Post#264625
In response to SomeGuy
I think Woods always has the ability to take it hard to the rim, but has bought into the team concept and has sublimated his offensive game because others have the better ability to hit 3s and FTs. However, the loss of Betley may force Donahue to revisit that strategy. Still, Antonio MUST hit foul shots....I don't know how, but clearly it is possible. His drive may be our best offensive option without the initials AJ
|
AsiaSunset
Postdoc
Posts: 4366
Reg: 11-21-04
|
Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 12:07 PM - Post#264626
In response to PennFan10
Yeah but let's remember it was mostly Mike Wang.
PS I thought the play they ran for him near the end of the game was really well designed and executed. He had the exact look they wanted but unfortunately didn't knock down that one. He had a few other open looks in the 2nd half but didn't take them. I wonder if that had something to do with that 30 footer he attempted in the 1st half after having made his first three.
Watched Ryan's fall on replay this morning. It looked like the leg just buckled. That would be consistent with a patella tendon tear or rupture. I feel so badly for him.
|
PennFan10
Postdoc
Posts: 3590
Reg: 02-15-15
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 12:20 PM - Post#264627
In response to palestra38
Our best offensive weapon is, and has been for over a year, 12-14 assisted baskets a game to players who take open layups or set shot 3’s. Our system gets players shots and will continue to do so. Hitting those shots is another thing entirely.
|
PennFan10
Postdoc
Posts: 3590
Reg: 02-15-15
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 12:22 PM - Post#264628
In response to AsiaSunset
Yeah but let's remember it was mostly Mike Wang.
So?
|
palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32877
Reg: 11-21-04
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 12:27 PM - Post#264629
In response to PennFan10
Things get different at the end of the game. You have to have someone willing to take the tough contested shot, whether it was Zack in his day or Foreman last year. It may be Antonio this year.
|
TheLine
Professor
Posts: 5597
Age: 60
Reg: 07-07-09
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 12:27 PM - Post#264630
In response to palestra38
Woods has always had a motor - he was the most relentless player on the team last year IMO. He hasn't always been good taking it to the hoop. Foreman was much better at it last year.
Dev wasn't particularly consistent the past two years. He'll need to be now.
FT shooting is going to be a lost cause and will cost games. I don't think there's a magic elixir, it's not that common for poor FT shooters to improve into good ones. Fran Dougherty is the only one I can recall making a leap in the recent past. Wood, Foreman and Betley were the 3 best on the team last year and now all are lost. Woods was the next best I think but that's not a compliment.
|
palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32877
Reg: 11-21-04
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 12:29 PM - Post#264631
In response to TheLine
He always was great getting to the hoop---it was finishing and/or hitting the FTs that often result that was the issue. He may have worked on his game so that his finishes are more effective. The FT shooting --well, he cannot shoot worse than yesterday. But 2 of 3, he should be able to hit.
|
AsiaSunset
Postdoc
Posts: 4366
Reg: 11-21-04
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 12:39 PM - Post#264632
In response to PennFan10
The team technically shot 44% but for one guy it wasn't a great 3 point exhibition by the team. We will need others to hit that shot or Mike won't get that many good looks going forward.
Ryan's loss obviously magnifies the importance of others knocking down that shot - significantly
|
TheLine
Professor
Posts: 5597
Age: 60
Reg: 07-07-09
|
Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 12:52 PM - Post#264633
In response to AsiaSunset
Last year's numbers don't indicate Woods had any special ability to get to the hoop.
Foreman got to the rim more frequently and converted more frequently. 90% of Foreman's FGs at the rim were unassisted while 55% of Woods' were.
This year may be a different story.
Woods was effective at converting 3's - he was 35%. Granted he was a tertiary option for the most part but he did what he was supposed to do.
|
PennFan10
Postdoc
Posts: 3590
Reg: 02-15-15
|
11-07-18 01:05 PM - Post#264635
In response to TheLine
-Dev can’t be a primary ball handler and turn it over 5 times.
-AJ, no matter how valuable, has to reduce his TO’s (6)
Those two had 11 of our 18 TO’s on a team that didn’t turn it over that much last year. Our A/TO rate was best in the league last year. Last night we had 15 assists (very good) and 18 TO’s (pretty bad).
|
penn nation
Professor
Posts: 21276
Reg: 12-02-04
|
Re: Premature Exclamations
11-07-18 01:10 PM - Post#264636
In response to Penndemonium
So every post-game report is gonna look like an episode of Batman?
Hey, I'm in.
|
