cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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02-17-24 09:20 PM - Post#363390
Like last time, up by as much as 9, but we lose 80-75, mostly because we can't compete inside.
Cooper with a career high 26, and lots of help from the other bench players, but DLR struggled, and we wilted in the last 10 minutes.
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Columbia 37P6
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Reg: 02-14-06
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02-17-24 10:00 PM - Post#363397
In response to cc66
Cooper was sensational for the Lions.
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Chet Forte
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Posts: 2974
Reg: 03-02-08
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02-18-24 12:34 PM - Post#363452
In response to Columbia 37P6
This seems to be a pattern — we seem to be able to win if we can get a cushion but in every close game other than Penn we fade down the stretch. I have always liked Cooper’s game. DLR has been very streaky.
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Chet Forte
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Reg: 03-02-08
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02-18-24 12:41 PM - Post#363454
In response to Chet Forte
Looking again at the box score,DLR and Brown had shooting percentages which — in light of their usage and minutes— made it very hard for us to win. I would reduce their minutes and increase the minutes for Cooper and Noland, both of whom have shown that they can score. Very, very frustrating loss.
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Columbia 37P6
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02-18-24 04:02 PM - Post#363465
In response to Chet Forte
Our non-existent defense in the paint was a bigger issue than DLR and Brown's shooting percentages. Subbing Jake for Josh in the waning moments of the game was probably a mistake.
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Chet Forte
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Reg: 03-02-08
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02-18-24 05:32 PM - Post#363475
In response to Columbia 37P6
What about the “questionable” call on Cooper? That was the dagger and once again demonstrated that we are never the beneficiary of even a modest amount of home town officiating.
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Dr. V
PhD Student
Posts: 1539
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-20-24 01:06 AM - Post#363599
In response to Chet Forte
The call against Cooper with the score at 73-70 was indeed terrible and, at that point in the game, a killer because Mack then scored two FTs.
What helped do us in was that Dartmouth forced us to play G for 35 minutes. Amaker conceded his game that same night and only played Mack for 27 minutes, Ajogbar for 23 and Okra for 28.
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Chet Forte
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Reg: 03-02-08
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 02-21-24 10:46 AM - Post#363701
In response to Dr. V
My theory as to why we consistently get shafted by the refs has nothing to do with home court advantage, or more accurately very little to do with home court advantage. Certain coaches have more influence on officiating than others. James Jones, for example, always gets the calls, because he intimidates the refs. A glare from Jones to an official sends a subliminal message that is unmistakeable. And the refs couldn’t care less what Engles thinks—they know that he is a good natured guy who has zero clout with the league. Amaker has clout, and against us he will always get the calls.
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digamma
Masters Student
Posts: 468
Loc: Minneapolis
Reg: 11-27-11
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02-21-24 01:55 PM - Post#363709
In response to Chet Forte
Harvard fan tip toeing in. I was at the game Saturday and thought the atmosphere was fantastic.
Here's my question for you. Why did McLean get so few minutes? I haven't watched a ton of Columbia this year, but on Saturday the second half lead was built almost solely from his defensive intensity. Was surprised when he went out and even more surprised that he stayed out for 10+ minutes. Ended up with 13 minutes. Normal?
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Chet Forte
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Reg: 03-02-08
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02-22-24 10:23 AM - Post#363747
In response to digamma
Great question. It has been hard to figure out how Engles decides to move guys in and out of the lineup. I think Noland and Cooper should get more minutes, for example.
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Columbia 37P6
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02-22-24 02:13 PM - Post#363761
In response to Chet Forte
I agree with Chet's comment that it has been difficult to to figure out how Engles decides to move guys in and out of the line-up not just this year, but throughout his tenure. However, in all fairness to Engles, the simple reason that McLean doesn't play more is because of Columbia's depth at the guard position.
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Dr. V
PhD Student
Posts: 1539
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-22-24 02:46 PM - Post#363763
In response to Columbia 37P6
McLean and Cooper play the same position, i.e., the 3. Cooper was having an otherworldly night and played 27 minutes, which is why McLean played 13.
At some point early in the season Engles said he wanted to keep players knowing which position they are supposed to and will play, and it appears that he has kept to that with the exception of the regular sub for Brown no longer being our first year Australian.
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Chet Forte
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02-22-24 05:38 PM - Post#363780
In response to Dr. V
There is one true PG in Brown, who is an excellent all around player but with a limited outside game.DLR can also play PG but is more effective as the SG. As far as the 3 guard, we have three guys who are sharing minutes, McLean, Cooper and Noland. I seem to recall that Noland was starting for DLR when DLR was injured. Our best outside shooters are Cooper, Noland, Robledo and DLR. If DLR and Brown didn’t have such horrendous shooting nights against Harvard we would have won by 8 or 10 instead of losing by 5. But can I say that Engles made the wrong moves in substituting these pieces? Probably not.
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Columbia 37P6
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02-22-24 07:13 PM - Post#363785
In response to Chet Forte
My opinion is that our guards have been outstanding throughout the 2023-24 season and we would be competing with Yale, Princeton and Cornell for the Ivy League Championship if we matched up better with them in the front court. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of our guys up front, they are just not strong enough physically to handle their counterparts. Our frontcourt deficit has been a recurring problem every year since Coach Smith departed. I have no idea why that has been the case. This year we were led to believe that things were going to be different, but it has not worked that way. Once again we lost our key returning big man before the season even began. Then one of our two recruits suffered a season ending injury before the season began. Unfortunately, our only other front court recruit, weighs in at only 185 pounds so he apparently is not ready yet to battle the football linemen types of our opponents. Finally, despite the frontcourt issue, I do believe that our backcourt players are so very talented that we can still earn the fourth seed.
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2204
Reg: 10-09-09
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men vs. harvard
02-22-24 08:42 PM - Post#363788
In response to Columbia 37P6
Our guards are good, but they are not that good. Brown is fast, dribbles well, and passes nicely, but he doesn't shoot well from longer range; DLR is smooth and quick, but streaky; Cooper and Noland can shoot, but are not very big; and McClean can drive, but is less reliable from the outside.
But at least as you point out, the baseline level of play for these guards is higher than it is for the front line, where we lost Murphy and Nweke, Arop seems talented but just too skinny, while Tavroff and Bedri have just failed to develop. The result is that we must win tomorrow against Brown, and beat Penn away to have any chance at 6 wins for the season, which, with the loss against Harvard, won't get us into the tournament, but with four wins more than last year, and some outstanding recruits on the way, would nonetheless represent some real progress.
Edited by cc66 on 02-22-24 08:43 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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whitakk
Masters Student
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Age: 32
Reg: 11-11-14
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Re: men vs. harvard
02-22-24 10:49 PM - Post#363794
In response to cc66
The result is that we must win tomorrow against Brown, and beat Penn away to have any chance at 6 wins for the season, which, with the loss against Harvard, won't get us into the tournament, but with four wins more than last year, and some outstanding recruits on the way, would nonetheless represent some real progress.
Not likely but certainly not unthinkable that Harvard doesn't get to six wins (and Brown probably won't without beating Columbia).
And even if they do, you'd have a win-and-in shot at home against Cornell in the finale.
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Chet Forte
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02-23-24 07:42 AM - Post#363795
In response to whitakk
If Brown could develop a three point shot he would be one of the best guards in the league. DLR is sometimes excellent but at other minutes he disappears. But they are certainly one of the better backcourt combinations in the IL. I really like Cooper and Noland and would like to see if Noland and Cooper can be on the court at the same time. Tavroff is a mystery to me. He looks like he could be a dominating force in the front court but doesn’t seem to be able to score with any consistency.
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