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Username Post: 2019-2020 Thus Far        (Topic#23684)
HARVARDDADGRAD 
Postdoc
Posts: 2685

Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
12-10-19 01:57 PM - Post#294312    

Certainly, with Seth and with Bryce missing the first 4 games we should have expected to be disappointed. Until UMass, the team showed stretches of strong play in most games, but also extended disappointing halves.

Some esoterica that might have snuck up on us:
- Rebounds: +2.6 margin, distributed amongst many players. Chris Lewis leads team at 6.4 rbg

- TO's: 14.8pg is not awful, but needs to come down. If Bryce isn't needed to play hero ball, this number should drop.

- 3 Pt Shooting: 33.8 % needs to improve to closer to 40%. This has been a pattern in past years so hopefully it corrects. I had expressed concerns that longer distance would impact guys like Juzang, Bassey, Kirkwood and Djuricic - and it appears I'm mostly correct. Juzang (4-22 = 18%) and Bassey (5-29 = 17%) have been awful. Djuricic (7-24 = 29%) needs to improve. Kirkwood (12-30 = 40%) has been strong, as have Haskett (15-31 = 48%), Aiken (13-34 = 38%) and Baker (9-26 = 35%). The freshmen Ledlum and Sakota are strong as well (11-27 = 41%). If things don't change, limiting Bassey & Juzang shooting from 3 will raise the overall % to where it needs to be, as team is shooting 38.4% without their long range contribution.

- FT's
I've been suggesting that this team can shoot close to 80% Currently, Harvard leads the league at 74%. As Bryce's FTA's increase, expect the team % to rise. Negative outliers have been Chris Lewis (56%) and Mason Forbes (33%). Lewis shot 71% last year. In the closing minutes, putting out a lineup of any of Aiken (86%), Kirkwood (79%), Juzang (100%), Djuricic (88%), Baker (81%),Bassey (79%) and/or Haskett (75%) will help protect a lead.

Welcome more substantial input, but this was - as I said - esoterica.

Edited by HARVARDDADGRAD on 12-10-19 02:00 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

 
mobrien 
Senior
Posts: 389

Loc: New York
Reg: 04-18-17
12-12-19 10:58 PM - Post#294591    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

There have been four big areas of weakness so far, but also four reasons for optimism.

1. Turnovers. These have been bad, but not as catastrophically bad as last year. The cause for hope is that some of them might be due to the odd lineups Tommy likes to use in nonconference, and once the rotations tighten a bit in Ivy play, we'll take care of the ball a little better.

2. Defensive rebounding. We were an elite defensive rebounding team last year, but have been below average so far this year. Some of that is that Maryland and USC destroyed us on the glass, and we're not going to see opponents that good again until, hopefully, March.

3. Opponents 3-point shooting. Teams have gone crazy against us, but, as Mike points out, that's a lot of luck. It has started to, and should hopefully continue, to regress.

4. Our 3-point shooting. Bassey, Juzang, and Djuricic are all shooting waaaay below their career averages. There's good reason to think that will turn around too.

I still think Baker is a big bellwether for us. We need his length and athleticism on the defensive end. And on offense, it's a matter of him knocking down enough threes to be a threat and not turning the ball over/messing up. The good news is that he looked great and confident — he's someone who seems to gain or lose it very quickly — against UMass. If he can keep playing that way, we're going to be in good shape.

 
HARVARDDADGRAD 
Postdoc
Posts: 2685

Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
12-13-19 12:12 AM - Post#294595    
    In response to mobrien

Baker is interesting. I thought it was a big deal when Tommy lost faith in him last year.

Baker played 23 minutes in Harvard's 16 point home win over Yale, and then only 6 minutes in the Crimson's 2 point win at Yale.

In the Tournament Final, Baker never left the bench.

 
HARVARDDADGRAD 
Postdoc
Posts: 2685

Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
12-15-19 11:58 AM - Post#294683    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

Wondering where we'd be had Bryce been healthy from the start. Tough road loss at Northeastern without Bryce where Roland Jordan goes off for 42 points on 19 shots. Also, loss in Toronto vs Buffalo in Bryce's first game back (5 TO's) in which Amaker starts Sakota and Djuricic due to local/Canada following.

Winnable games even without Bryce.

Would have been pleased at 8-2 and hanging with Maryland for 34 minutes and USC for 20 minutes.

 
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