At the end of the game - McBroom vs Barnett

[cheeseman]

This isn't true. In the 4 games since SIU he was 3-8 from the 3. 2-2/1-3/0-0/0-3. So really coming into the game he was 0-3 in his previous game but 6-15 on the season before that. He shot poorly yesterday and should have never taken the last shot. But the previous one he was set with a good look and I'd have him shoot that one again. I don't believe the 2nd to the last 3 was tipped it was strong off the back of the rim

So many posters want to exagerate regarding JB to make their point. Doesn't work. JB isn't a super star nor is he a great shooter. He's a decent shooter when he catches and is squared up. He's got good court sense and seems to understand the game. He's not overly athletic nor should he put the ball on the floor and drive into a crowd. He's that solid 7th or 8th guy. Nothing more, nothing less. Over his career he's made some nice defensive steals by understanding the game and anticipating where the ball was going. To claim he shouldn't even be on a D1 roster (not saying you did) is ridiculous.

I stand corrected

[cheeseman]

Did anyone see clearly -- did JB completely airball that last shot, or was it blocked/tipped/he got fouled? We were directly behind him and couldn't tell.

Also, two of us had an interesting theory on no-time-lost, out-of-bounds foul on Jake, which is that it was actually intentional (not by-the-rules intentional, merely that WSU instructed its players to try to foul). That said, that's another rule change that I think should be implemented -- if you foul when the clock is stopped, it's an automatic intentional foul. Maybe not for the full game, but at least for the final 2 minutes.

From where I sit - which is right by where both of his last shots were taken that both of them were tipped by the defender thus causing both to come in short.

[moytoy12]

AM was in the game during our 11-0 run in the first half when we could have been buried by WSU.

AM did come to the sidelines in the 2nd half and appeared to be in some distress. Maybe he was actually injured?

[kshoe]

Did anyone see clearly -- did JB completely airball that last shot, or was it blocked/tipped/he got fouled? We were directly behind him and couldn't tell.

Also, two of us had an interesting theory on no-time-lost, out-of-bounds foul on Jake, which is that it was actually intentional (not by-the-rules intentional, merely that WSU instructed its players to try to foul). That said, that's another rule change that I think should be implemented -- if you foul when the clock is stopped, it's an automatic intentional foul. Maybe not for the full game, but at least for the final 2 minutes.

I'm pretty sure the last three by Jake was tipped. I would not call it an airball.

I don't think there was any chance VCU was trying to foul Jake up by 2 with 30 seconds left. The call didn't have to be made and they were pretty upset when the whistle blew.

[grunky]

This isn't true. In the 4 games since SIU he was 3-8 from the 3. 2-2/1-3/0-0/0-3. So really coming into the game he was 0-3 in his previous game but 6-15 on the season before that. He shot poorly yesterday and should have never taken the last shot. But the previous one he was set with a good look and I'd have him shoot that one again. I don't believe the 2nd to the last 3 was tipped it was strong off the back of the rim

So many posters want to exagerate regarding JB to make their point. Doesn't work. JB isn't a super star nor is he a great shooter. He's a decent shooter when he catches and is squared up. He's got good court sense and seems to understand the game. He's not overly athletic nor should he put the ball on the floor and drive into a crowd. He's that solid 7th or 8th guy. Nothing more, nothing less. Over his career he's made some nice defensive steals by understanding the game and anticipating where the ball was going. To claim he shouldn't even be on a D1 roster (not saying you did) is ridiculous.

He really shouldn't be on a DI roster. He has no business being on the court for 1 minute during a highly contested game, but I blame Crews for that.

[kmbilliken]

Did anyone see clearly -- did JB completely airball that last shot, or was it blocked/tipped/he got fouled? We were directly behind him and couldn't tell.

Also, two of us had an interesting theory on no-time-lost, out-of-bounds foul on Jake, which is that it was actually intentional (not by-the-rules intentional, merely that WSU instructed its players to try to foul). That said, that's another rule change that I think should be implemented -- if you foul when the clock is stopped, it's an automatic intentional foul. Maybe not for the full game, but at least for the final 2 minutes.

The play was right in front of me 8 rows up and it looked like the Wichita State player got his finger tips on it.

The problem JB has been having has been not being open enough to get his shot off. It seems he is at his best when he can take a step into the shot when launching it. That takes longer than just being set, catching it and going straight up. His forward momentum also gets him closer to the shot blocker. For him to be effective he has to have time to get his shot off and that hasn't been there the last few games. If he can't speed up the process and remain accurate AM is the better option because he can get his shot off quicker and is more accurate.

[slufanskip]

He really shouldn't be on a DI roster. He has no business being on the court for 1 minute during a highly contested game, but I blame Crews for that.

Thanks for making my point

[SLUfan_42]

I am guessing that Agbeko never played again because his man figured out how to beat him more ways than one as he is a freshman; but you can not argue with + and - minutes, we were up a ton and rebounding when

he was in. I may not have put him into the game in the last three minutes I would have gone for AM despite the fact that he likes to hold the ball waiting for his chance rather than looking for assists. I would say we were winning whenever we scored off defence and if we stood around waiting to have someone become free because no one was guarding him, well Jake Barnett stood in the corner a lot and he was rewarded with a couple of chances. Other games I remember Jake making his defender work but tracking him around the court-was he just too tired out because he did try for a lot of minutes on defence. I also wonder why JJ did not guard 31

although after one of his falls going to the basket you could see he is playing with pain-hip pointers? broken tailbone? JJ is giving us a lot when he forgets what is bothering him but something is definitely wrong there.

If Mike Crawford can shoot a three I would trust him to be in at the end of the game from the limited time we have seen him play unless he is too slow and is a duplicate of JB only younger?

Crawford is not even in the same league as Barnett. My guess is Crews isn't confident enough to play him yet because of inexperience. He was the runner-up Mr Basketball in the state of Indiana last year, the kid can play.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Crawford is not even in the same league as Barnett. My guess is Crews isn't confident enough to play him yet because of inexperience. He was the runner-up Mr Basketball in the state of Indiana last year, the kid can play.

The problem is that Crawford doesn't know the schemes the way Barnett does, and the coaching staff can't really teach them to him.

[slufanskip]

The problem is that Crawford doesn't know the schemes the way Barnett does, and the coaching staff can't really teach them to him.

Why can't the coaching staff teach it to him?

[Quality Is Job 1]

Why can't the coaching staff teach it to him?

They can teach it to him, but it's not the same as Coach Majerus's teaching it to him. It becomes second-hand.

[Billboy1]

Then maybe they're in the wrong profession if they can't coach a player. He's had over 2 months of practice with the team-hopefully he's picked up something.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Then maybe they're in the wrong profession if they can't coach a player. He's had over 2 months of practice with the team-hopefully he's picked up something.

Of course they can coach players. But if you think the current coaching staff can impart the nuances of Majerus's system with precision, then you have no appreciation for what made Majerus a legendary coaching mind.

[RiseOfTheBillikens]

Then maybe they're in the wrong profession if they can't coach a player. He's had over 2 months of practice with the team-hopefully he's picked up something.

+1

To think a college coach is unable to teach an athlete the system is pretty strange in my opinion. My guess is MC isn't ready to see meaningful minutes in big games. It will take time for him to adjust to the speed, quickness, and athleticism of big time D1 quality basketball.

[slufanskip]

It's not rocket science, it's basketball. What made RM so good wasn't some crazy elaborate scheme. It's how demanding he was to be perfect in the way they ran that scheme

[JettFlight5]

It's not rocket science, it's basketball. What made RM so good wasn't some crazy elaborate scheme. It's how demanding he was to be perfect in the way they ran that scheme

+1

Skip, you just stated the very reason Rick Majerus was so great. The kids he coached ran his system his way.

[Quality Is Job 1]

+1

To think a college coach is unable to teach an athlete the system is pretty strange in my opinion. My guess is MC isn't ready to see meaningful minutes in big games. It will take time for him to adjust to the speed, quickness, and athleticism of big time D1 quality basketball.

See my reply above. (Apparently you were typing as I was posting.)

Several years back I tried my hand at coaching, volunteering as an assistant for the JV at my alma mater. After three years I decided to give it up, because I couldn't really see the game the way I needed to. This is not to say that the current coaching staff can't see the game, but they have their own doctrine -- from the Bob Knight school -- and the upperclassmen are from the McGuire/Majerus school. Majerus could probably listen blindfolded to the players going through a set and point out what each of the 10 players on the court -- offense and defense -- did right or wrong. Crews doesn't have the same familiarity with it, but that doesn't make him a subpar coach. When he implements his own system beginning next season, he'll be able to coach that system with the necessary precision. He's a caretaker right now.

[Quality Is Job 1]

It's not rocket science, it's basketball. What made RM so good wasn't some crazy elaborate scheme. It's how demanding he was to be perfect in the way they ran that scheme

+1

Skip, you just stated the very reason Rick Majerus was so great. The kids he coached ran his system his way.

See my reply above. When Crews is coaching his "own schemes," he'll be just as demanding with regard to how the players run the schemes.

[RiseOfTheBillikens]

See my reply above. (Apparently you were typing as I was posting.)

Several years back I tried my hand at coaching, volunteering as an assistant for the JV at my alma mater. After three years I decided to give it up, because I couldn't really see the game the way I needed to. This is not to say that the current coaching staff can't see the game, but they have their own doctrine -- from the Bob Knight school -- and the upperclassmen are from the McGuire/Majerus school. Majerus could probably listen blindfolded to the players going through a set and point out what each of the 10 players on the court -- offense and defense -- did right or wrong. Crews doesn't have the same familiarity with it, but that doesn't make him a subpar coach. When he implements his own system beginning next season, he'll be able to coach that system with the necessary precision. He's a caretaker right now.

Yes I was typing as you replied. I can see what you are saying but I also believe that it is not MC's lack of knowledge of the system that is keeping him from seeing the court. Do you believe that our intelligent student athletes like DE JJ MM and even CE (as he is still around the program) could help minimize this problem?

[JettFlight5]

Yes I was typing as you replied. I can see what you are saying but I also believe that it is not MC's lack of knowledge of the system that is keeping him from seeing the court. Do you believe that our intelligent student athletes like DE JJ MM and even CE (as he is still around the program) could help minimize this problem?

There is definitely teaching going on with 4 seniors out there as well as Cody. Just hoping that gets the young guys up to speed faster.

[slufanskip]

See my reply above. When Crews is coaching his "own schemes," he'll be just as demanding with regard to how the players run the schemes.

Then we should fire him today. If he's running a scheme this year regardless of who's scheme it is, he should be just as demanding. Now maybe saying he doesn't understand the small minute details of RM's offense or defense ... maybe. But again I don't believe any of it is rocket science. I believe RM was extraordinary in the precision he demanded. If JC had always been just as demanding, I'm sorry, but I believe he'd have had more success prior to SLU. I hope he has picked up on what made RM great. That attention to detail that makes an offense or defense run so well. To insinuate he'll be more demanding if it's his own scheme is a bit insulting to Coach Crews.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Yes I was typing as you replied. I can see what you are saying but I also believe that it is not MC's lack of knowledge of the system that is keeping him from seeing the court. Do you believe that our intelligent student athletes like DE JJ MM and even CE (as he is still around the program) could help minimize this problem?

As to your question, I think that's already happening, but the improvement can't possibly be as fast as it would be if the man, himself, were imparting the knowledge -- even if he did it brusquely. Regarding the prior point, though, I must disagree. I suspect Crawford hasn't quite internalized where he should be on either end of the court at any particular time in a play.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Then we should fire him today. If he's running a scheme this year regardless of who's scheme it is, he should be just as demanding. Now maybe saying he doesn't understand the small minute details of RM's offense or defense ... maybe. But again I don't believe any of it is rocket science. I believe RM was extraordinary in the precision he demanded. If JC had always been just as demanding, I'm sorry, but I believe he'd have had more success prior to SLU. I hope he has picked up on what made RM great. That attention to detail that makes an offense or defense run so well. To insinuate he'll be more demanding if it's his own scheme is a bit insulting to Coach Crews.

You sell cars, right? You can hire and train salespeople to sell cars. Let's say that I sell photographs and can hire and train people to sell photos. But if you were to go on vacation and put me in charge of your staff, would I be able to as demanding, in the right way, of your employees as you? I say, "No." Not even if you gave me a list of your expectations and made me practice them for a week. You are second nature to you, and I can't be you.

[slufanskip]

You sell cars, right? You can hire and train salespeople to sell cars. Let's say that I sell photographs and can hire and train people to sell photos. But if you were to go on vacation and put me in charge of your staff, would I be able to as demanding, in the right way, of your employees as you? I say, "No." Not even if you gave me a list of your expectations and made me practice them for a week. You are second nature to you, and I can't be you.

You're searching to find logic. First of all RM isn't on vacation. He died. JC is now the man and had his choice of keeping the old plan, implementing his new one, or making some sort of hybrid. Regardless of which path he chooses ... it's his job and it's his integrity on the line. The people who have hired him would probably like him to be just as commited and require just as much out of his players in whichever path he chooses. If he's not capable, then boo on him for keeping a plan he's not capable of teaching. If he just isn't as commited ( which is basically what I've interpreted you to be saying) fire him today.

[Quality Is Job 1]

You're searching to find logic. First of all RM isn't on vacation. He died. JC is now the man and had his choice of keeping the old plan, implementing his new one, or making some sort of hybrid. Regardless of which path he chooses ... it's his job and it's his integrity on the line. The people who have hired him would probably like him to be just as commited and require just as much out of his players in whichever path he chooses. If he's not capable, then boo on him for keeping a plan he's not capable of teaching. If he just isn't as commited ( which is basically what I've interpreted you to be saying) fire him today.

I'm not saying Crews isn't fully committed. I'm saying we need to be patient and let the season play out, just as it played out last year when most of us, including myself, thought there was no way either that he'd be back or that we'd want him back.