Bruno
PhD Student
Posts: 1421
Loc: Brooklyn, NY
Reg: 11-21-04
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11-15-23 10:24 AM - Post#359226
Very disappointing start to the season. Since opening with a strong and winnable effort at Colgate they’ve put up two stinkers losing to two not-real-good teams and dropping a whopping 40 spots in the KP.
The stats would say the single biggest gap is three-point shooting - we're giving up 39 pct and shooting 28 ourselves. Combine that with our 60 pct FT shooting when we get to the line at a healthy clip (our two highest FT rate guys are also our two shakiest FT shooters) and being particularly susceptible to getting it stolen, and you've got a recipe for a poor offense right now. Not to mention it actually looks very choppy and without much flow, with a hot of hesitation, uncertain passes and getting it taken away.
We are dominating the boards on both ends and are not giving up much inside. You'd probably expect that given the quality and depth we have down low. Take nothing away from the frontcourt but they still aren't finishing consistently. (Some point blanks not going down.)
We do need more from the perimeter and I'm not sure where that comes from. Kloman can hit the spot up three, but isn't in any other kind of rhythm offensively. Cooley continues to be an enigma, a slasher that isn't slashing, in part because teams are giving him the outside shot. (But good things happen when he drives). And as impactful as Kimo is defensively, he's not a threat on the other side. Those three played 68 minutes vs. UNH and scored 8 points and had 3 assists. But they all have assets defensively (whether Kloman's length, Cooley's athleticism and Kimo's tenacity and footwork) and they haven't been closing out on the three point shooters.
It strikes me that both Ferrari and Kloman are better-suited to come off the bench as change-of-pace guys, but I can't think of who you'd slot in there. Do you try Anya at the 3 and bring Ndur or Lewis (or Dabo!) in to play the 4?
I know this team is 'better' than losing to Loyola at home and getting pasted at UNH. But there is a lot to get better at, and to be 0-3 when you have three of the best players in the league isn’t adding up.
| LET'S go BRU-no (duh. nuh. nuh-nuh-nuh) |
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Ever True
Junior
Posts: 255
Age: 28
Reg: 02-02-15
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11-16-23 04:19 PM - Post#359310
In response to Bruno
As I think JBears may have noted in his post-game analysis of the loss to Loyola, right now, defenses can just clog the paint when they know that they really only have to account for Kino beyond the arc. And when Kino doesn't score, as was the case at UNH, the wheels totally come off.
When we get to the rim, things are fine, more or less. We're shooting 37/61 at the rim (shots within 4.5 feet of the rim), good for ~61%, just below the D-I average of 62%. In the paint, however (any shots in the paint beyond 4.5 feet of the rim), we're shooting 8/36, good for 22%, well below the D-I average of 40%. Against UNH, we were 0/14.
Some one is going to have to force the issue on offense, either by getting hot from deep or by attacking the hoop. If we move Anya to the 3 and bring in another big man, I think we're resigning ourselves to playing volleyball with the backboard - shots aren't shots, as much as they are opportunities for offensive rebounds and putbacks. I can't see that working for us long term.
I wonder if Mike will start looking further down the depth chart, starting with tonight's game against RIC. Luke Paragon was a sharpshooter in high school and shot well in his prep year at Blair Academy. Adrian Uchidiuno was All-NEPSAC in his junior year and showed an ability to shoot the ball and attack the paint in high school. I agree with Bruno that I think most of our upperclassmen guards look like they will be most effective as swingmen or something of the sort, but would love for one of them to prove me wrong.
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HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2695
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
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11-16-23 06:28 PM - Post#359315
In response to Ever True
I feel your pain.
The years when Harvard had limited three point shooting options were painful.
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SomeGuy
Professor
Posts: 6413
Reg: 11-22-04
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11-17-23 11:00 AM - Post#359335
In response to Ever True
Brown is enigmatic to me. Last year, the team really played well when the bigs almost all got hurt and they had to play small. Personnel-wise, I get the suggestion that Brown could slide Anya to the 3 and play bigger. On paper, it makes sense in some ways. But playing well small last year is some evidence in the other direction.
Talent is obviously important, but how the pieces fit together best is sometimes harder to see. And sometimes it will take even a great coach like Martin a little while to figure it out.
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