How far do we go this year ?
- Thread starter Bleedinggoldandblack
- Start date
I don’t follow your logic. Having a better player at center doesn’t change who you have at guard. Ideally a team is like UConn last year and is strong at both positions.
BTW, I think that Purdue is a lot better at guard than they are generally given credit for. I am looking for a very strong season from Smith.
Behind the curtain in every comparison of this position versus that always comes down to the gap between those positions in question. Is another guard on another team better than another team’s guard than the center on the team (with the not so good guard) with the good guard team’s center? What about the other positions and their relative performance? What are the measures and needs of the guards and centers between the two teams? In a final play the guard has an advantage in that he already has the ball whereas a center must receive the ball, but what about the 60+ possessions earlier?
The real question and only question of merit is why does a team playing against many different approaches have success over many months, not have a similar level of success in a given game for “some” teams coached by the same coach who had success with other teams relative to the perception of many. Why successful in the long season and NOT in the single elimination tourney? Do we think a style is in play…when success against that style happened earlier? Do we find that upsets in the tourney happen in a string of a few years and then a break and then another string? Do we find some similarity in the team players when that happens? Lot of questions, but ultimately why successful over the long haul and not in a single elimination with “some” players is the root of many people upset with the upsets of Purdue. Have we heard years later a single player blame Matt for an early exit from the tourney and would they if they felt it? Has there been any rumors of such over the many years. Entering into a game and the nervousness of the players and/or coach does a single elimination of a 16 seed warrant more nervous than a Big tourney champ against a better team than the 16 seed?
TJ, I don't think there is one answer to why, but I will give it a try:
CMP does a great job of installing his offense and defense early. His teams are ready and they get some very nice wins in Nov and Dec. Then we have 3 months of not very good basketball against very predictable teams. Let's be honest the B1G is just not very good right now. Look at the 3 teams we had to beat to win our conference tournament. 2 of the 3 didn't even make the dance and the other one was a 10 seed. The teams are predictable with very little variety on defense. Very poor preparation for a 1 and done tournament against teams that will try anything to win.
I'm not a big fan of the expansion that is coming but maybe it will be good in the long run. Get some new philosophies and styles in the conference and raise the bar some. No reason this conference should go 23+ years without a champion.
There is a reason why the conference goes 23+ years without a champion...we just don't know what it is and have many theories as to why? Some of those Big teams left out were more difficult to beat than some auto bids in teh tourney Imo. There are more different approaches today than many years ago and Purdue sees some of that in season and in the Big. Does Purdue gel too early? Do they see early success against different styles and then see long stretches of similar styles before the tourney. Does the team have too much paralysis by analysis and the game more complicated with new things...which I don't want to believe. I certainly don't have an answer.
I do wonder if the first game in the tourney is tougher for many players than deeper in that they play looser later. It seems like that in those games when Purdue was beaten...even with some fluke things that went on there was some body language that appeared to show a tightness. We saw some of this going to IU the last two years. I remember Matt getting a TO and setting up Trey with a wide open 5' shot he short armed by 2 feet that cost Purdue. We saw Jaden the incredible athlete he was being totally ineffective against St Peters. Then Matt had Carsen a player that was very inefficient many games, but yet had the mental toughness needed to not be effected by a tough situation. Carsen showed that at Maryland his freshman year when he nailed two Fts in the final seconds.
I tend to lean to "tightness" being an issue. Why, who knows, but it has happened with some players and the same coach and not with other players and the same coach. Why people have so many ideas is because there is sooooooo much data confounded inside other data that there isn't enough separation of variables that allow extraction to understand all the variables...part of all studies on humans and if we see interactions (various combinations) that are the answer...then certainly the main effects of those variables that create that interaction so powerful should also show main effects as contributors.
Actually on meds. On workman's comp until I get cleared by the doctor. Almost died in a semi crash. So sports can't get here quick enough. I'm losing my mind not working.
Agree about Smith, but my concern is consistent scoring from the 2..... especially as the competition heats up late in the year.
with our apparent depth there is no reason for Anyone to be worn out by the Big 10 season. None of those three are playing 30 minutes or even close in all likelihood. That's not even mentioning that Smith and Loyer are maturing as well and will be stronger AND will have good backups behind them (assuming) so that even they won't be likely to get worn down. Don't see them playing 30 minutes again with Jones and Colvin behind them.
I really "think" we have the pieces for it to happen this season, but as many have stated at some point, I am trying to be cautiously optimistic like they are. It's so easy to get excited again for bball and then our hearts just sank when we had that early exit in the NCAA. I would really love to avoid that this season.
You’re correct in that there are many variables and we don’t know the true answer. The question that Matt will need to answer through his performance is can he get in front of the issues that will inevitably come up for this team or is he missing whatever coaches like Izzo and Coach K have that allows them to keep a measure of their team’s pulse and how to get the best performance in March?There is a reason why the conference goes 23+ years without a champion...we just don't know what it is and have many theories as to why? Some of those Big teams left out were more difficult to beat than some auto bids in teh tourney Imo. There are more different approaches today than many years ago and Purdue sees some of that in season and in the Big. Does Purdue gel too early? Do they see early success against different styles and then see long stretches of similar styles before the tourney. Does the team have too much paralysis by analysis and the game more complicated with new things...which I don't want to believe. I certainly don't have an answer.
I do wonder if the first game in the tourney is tougher for many players than deeper in that they play looser later. It seems like that in those games when Purdue was beaten...even with some fluke things that went on there was some body language that appeared to show a tightness. We saw some of this going to IU the last two years. I remember Matt getting a TO and setting up Trey with a wide open 5' shot he short armed by 2 feet that cost Purdue. We saw Jaden the incredible athlete he was being totally ineffective against St Peters. Then Matt had Carsen a player that was very inefficient many games, but yet had the mental toughness needed to not be effected by a tough situation. Carsen showed that at Maryland his freshman year when he nailed two Fts in the final seconds.
I tend to lean to "tightness" being an issue. Why, who knows, but it has happened with some players and the same coach and not with other players and the same coach. Why people have so many ideas is because there is sooooooo much data confounded inside other data that there isn't enough separation of variables that allow extraction to understand all the variables...part of all studies on humans and if we see interactions (various combinations) that are the answer...then certainly the main effects of those variables that create that interaction so powerful should also show main effects as contributors.
I would take his offense and his defense in a heartbeat work on the outside game and you can go far don’t take any games for granted
