I have become very amazed that this team cannot turn the corner and start putting together wins - so I am forced to ask myself - what are the reasons we are not turning the corner?
1). This team still does not shoot the ball well! Minus Stephens - we have almost nobody who can knock down open shots. I realize many of these guys are young - VE, Mathias, PJ, etc. - but the bottom line is coming into college none of them are lights our shooters. Way to many missed open looks last night and all season - we still need some guys who can bury open jumpers. We also missed about 8 layups last night! Complete lack of concentration - that's why Painter was pissed!
2). Lack of true power forward (Simpson). It is nice to have 2 - 7 footers - but since they can't play together it exposes that we do not have much strength or size beyond them. How do we get our rebounded last night? B/c if Hammons or Haas don't get the board our best rebounder is Octeus - the point guard!! That's a problem!
3). Dumb mistakes - if there isn't stat for this one - they may create it just b/c the decisions we make are mind blowing! Some of you blame this on Painter - I personally don't believe he is coaching lazy passes, poor passes down by people's ankles or pointless hand check fouls 30 feet from basket. If you think Painter is coaching that crap - you need to put the blame where it belongs - these players (collectively) need to be accountable - watch film and STOP making the same mistakes over and over again. I guarantee they work on post passes in practice - but these PLAYERS are not executing.
I look at this team and I see a good point guard - a good young shooting guard (that must play), and two good 7 footers with some good role players around them. We lack a superstar - so the team must play together - they must execute and limit mistakes or they cannot be better than a .500 club - it is just a fact we have to deal with. I will say minus Hammons (who is really a starter) coming of the bench - our bench is pretty much non existent - we are not quality play from Smotherman, Thompson, or Scott - so that leaves us with only Dakota on the bench. We are not a deep team and most benches will out play ours.
Frustrating!
1). This team still does not shoot the ball well! Minus Stephens - we have almost nobody who can knock down open shots. I realize many of these guys are young - VE, Mathias, PJ, etc. - but the bottom line is coming into college none of them are lights our shooters. Way to many missed open looks last night and all season - we still need some guys who can bury open jumpers. We also missed about 8 layups last night! Complete lack of concentration - that's why Painter was pissed!
2). Lack of true power forward (Simpson). It is nice to have 2 - 7 footers - but since they can't play together it exposes that we do not have much strength or size beyond them. How do we get our rebounded last night? B/c if Hammons or Haas don't get the board our best rebounder is Octeus - the point guard!! That's a problem!
3). Dumb mistakes - if there isn't stat for this one - they may create it just b/c the decisions we make are mind blowing! Some of you blame this on Painter - I personally don't believe he is coaching lazy passes, poor passes down by people's ankles or pointless hand check fouls 30 feet from basket. If you think Painter is coaching that crap - you need to put the blame where it belongs - these players (collectively) need to be accountable - watch film and STOP making the same mistakes over and over again. I guarantee they work on post passes in practice - but these PLAYERS are not executing.
I look at this team and I see a good point guard - a good young shooting guard (that must play), and two good 7 footers with some good role players around them. We lack a superstar - so the team must play together - they must execute and limit mistakes or they cannot be better than a .500 club - it is just a fact we have to deal with. I will say minus Hammons (who is really a starter) coming of the bench - our bench is pretty much non existent - we are not quality play from Smotherman, Thompson, or Scott - so that leaves us with only Dakota on the bench. We are not a deep team and most benches will out play ours.
Frustrating!
