GDT: @ Washington

[brianstl]

According to Pomery we have dropped 28 spots in offensive efficiency this year 31 spots in defensive efficiency.

[slufanskip]

I watched this game on my phoine so it was hard to get a great idea. One thing I noticed though in both this game and the KU game was that our opponent seems to feel they have a birth right to post up down low. We seem to agree that it is their right. I don't know how many times I saw their big, don't know his name just mosey on in un touched. Conk as undersized as he was would make you earn that space. If you got it, he had trouble stopping you as he was just not big enough. But you had to fight for space and many more times than not had to set up further away than you wanted. Loe, Manning, and Cory need to get more physical and own the interior. These are all good players and once you let them get their feet set in close, it's over.

I agree with most that MM needs to quit passing up good looks to be more of a facilitator. We need him to score the ball. I really wish Jett was more disciplined offensively and could run the point with MM playing off the ball.

[eastsidejoe]

Glad you agree, Mr Softy. I pummel stiffs like you.

Please!!

[Iggy]

Crews said there five different times the players on the court didn't communicate to each other what offense they were in. “Three of them knew or four knew, but five didn't,” he said on WXOS. “That's five wasted possessions. That's a big swing. Everyone's got to know which direction they're going. We didn't do a good enough job passing information.”

Really?

[billiken_roy]

I don't know what Crews is but he is no RM. This is a RM team that is not playing RM ball. If RM was looking at the box score the one thing that would cause him to flip out (and to fix) would be opponents 3 pt shooting %. His goal was to keep it below 35% ....last night 60%....or an extra 9 pts...or a win for the Bills by 4. As long as we let opponents shoot more than 35% from the 3 we will continue to struggle.

while everyone knows i am not a rickma fan, i have always said rickma is an excellent basketball coach. and in hindsight what you are seeing now is the fact that our success last year was more attributable to the demand of precise execution, and the understanding of total team basketball. i.e. rickma getting his daily message across. I also am convinced the hole created when both conklin and cassity left this team was huge in the area of leadership and on the floor direction. it has not been replaced.

now there is a huge missing piece of kwamain that will lessen a lot of this pain, but the fact is, we are losing games now more because of how we play more than anything. talent can overcome that, and slu in reality isnt as talented as our record last year showed. we succeeded because we played good solid textbook basketball. someone has thrown out the textbooks. and a coach is a huge reason that is showing.

[MB73]

^{Crews is not the one missing shots. Crews is not the one defending. Crews is not the one turning the ball over. Crews has logged 0 minutes on the year. Its all his fault though, you guys are right.}

Idiotic post. Sure, a player or two are going to underperform. No sh*t. But then others should make up for them in a good system.

Head coaching in the NCAA's is a huge, critical factor in each game and total season performance and results. Majerus was a top 10 coach in the NCAA... future HOF'er. 24/7 he planned for the team, x's and o's, etc. He identified talent, developed talent, taught them, motivated them. Huge dropoff.

Crews is a good guy. But these kids came to play for a legend.

[JMM28]

I also am convinced the hole created when both conklin and cassity left this team was huge in the area of leadership and on the floor direction. it has not been replaced.

You might have a point there. Everyone always wondered why Cassity played so much. Perhaps there is a method to the madness.

[billiken_roy]

You might have a point there. Everyone always wondered why Cassity played so much. Perhaps there is a method to the madness.

we got away without cassity by year's end simply because conklin was there to carry that aspect of the need and because rickma had the rest of the team so tuned into his demanded percision and real basketball execution, by year's end a cassity was a luxury. right now a cassity or conklin would be invaluable. not from a box score standpoint, but from an intangible aspect. especially since it is pretty obvious crews doesnt get it.

i am sure a returning kwamain will bridge some of this, but dont forget, kwamain was a piece of the puzzle last year. so kwamain to bring us back to last year has to replace himself and cassity and conklin. that is a tall order i sure dont expect. i pray for it, but at this point, i am rethinking my expectations.

[jimbofive]

I watched this game on my phoine so it was hard to get a great idea. One thing I noticed though in both this game and the KU game was that our opponent seems to feel they have a birth right to post up down low. We seem to agree that it is their right. I don't know how many times I saw their big, don't know his name just mosey on in un touched. Conk as undersized as he was would make you earn that space. If you got it, he had trouble stopping you as he was just not big enough. But you had to fight for space and many more times than not had to set up further away than you wanted. Loe, Manning, and Cory need to get more physical and own the interior. These are all good players and once you let them get their feet set in close, it's over.

I agree with most that MM needs to quit passing up good looks to be more of a facilitator. We need him to score the ball. I really wish Jett was more disciplined offensively and could run the point with MM playing off the ball.

this. that gotdamn riverjumper dojjibobby or whatever the fuok for washington kept on just blasting rob in the chest and setting up shop down there, every time down the floor. at the least, i'd have loved to see the fakeout, where as the guy goes to body up on you, you just ole! the fuoker. at best, i'd have liked to have seen a headbutt. not that we need the injuries, but we need one of our bigs to get some blood in his mouth.

[Billiken Rich]

" just ole! the fuoker"

That would've made last night a lot better, to see N'diaye on his ass with a travel......

It's obvious that none of our bigs can defend even a halfway competent opposing big one on one......

[Billiken Rich]

That brings up another point.....how is it that we can't defend the perimeter OR inside??? It seems like we should be able to take one of those away......

[slufanskip]

That brings up another point.....how is it that we can't defend the perimeter OR inside??? It seems like we should be able to take one of those away......

actually no if the defense is unsure what to do. When the guy sets set up so deep, you're having to attempt to double down on him leaving an outsider shooter open. The ball was kicked out to open shooters pretty often. There were numerous times I saw Dwayne half way between his man and doubling down. First off, don't let them set up shop under the basket, and if they do either do your best to defend them 1v1 or commit fully to doubling down quick and hard to force the kick out to be wild or off target allowing you an extra second to recover. However, we were caught in between many times. You can be all in one way or the other, but hesitation either way kills you, and it did.