GDT: NIT First Round, SLU vs. UNI

[HoosierPal]

The Portal is open.  We need some better players, lots of them.

And man, I'm glad we aren't in the Missouri Valley Conference.  

[A10Ref]

4 minutes ago, wgstl said:

we learned something tonight - Fred + nesbitt will not be the backup PG next year. 

Also Post injury Linssen is pretty replaceable next year.

Last, as I stated already, with or without Perkins, Nesbitt should not be a starter, nor should TJH.  NEED a starting 3/4

Yup… need a backup to Okoro, backup to Yuri, and a 3/4 or two. That means, if JP stays, we sadly have to say goodbye to 2-3 guys.

[wgstl]

its funny, or more so annoying to look up and see how many games UNI has shot below 15% from 3 in a game this year, at least a few. 

[HoosierPal]

4 minutes ago, wgstl said:

its funny, or more so annoying to look up and see how many games UNI has shot below 15% from 3 in a game this year, at least a few. 

I'm guessing those games were against teams that knew how to defend the arc.

[Dr Bird]

Coach Ford quote from Stu's postgame article:

"We have to have a group obsessed with getting better in the offseason behind the scenes.”

 

I hope he means this applies to the coaching staff as well.

[nimble]

This is a trend the last couple season that continues to plague SLU. Ford is 30-41 (42%) against teams that ended the season with a winning record since 2018. When the other team is not good or great, just decent, we struggle. I don't know if it's talent, if it's coaching, if it's the team meal, but something needs to be fixed. Now time for another beer.

[RiseOfTheBillikens]

1 hour ago, gobillsgo said:

Don’t even have to read this thread to know the Ford apologists are out in droves defending Travis since Yuri (and Perkins) were out. 
 

was the season more successful than we anticipated sans Perkins?  Yes. Can we still be disappointed in the lack of game preparation and in game adjustments?  Also yes 

Ya ain't nobody defending that lol

[Dr. Holly Hills]

Well, we finished the season how we started.. with stunning disappointment.   Had a few good runs in there, short periods of looking great and overachieving, but couldn’t sustain it.

I hope this left a bad taste in the mouths of everyone in the program(coaches included) and lights a fire for next season.

I don’t care if we get production from the current active players, or Perkins coming back, or the new kids, or transfers, or space jam characters… I’d like to see some results next season.  Go to the dance and win a game or two.  Everyone knows what that takes.  
 

ok, hot take over.  I’ll take off my oven mitts now.

[almaman]

subs 73 minutes 17 points. less than 47  pts a game if the team's  minutes2points was the same.

[mrjoelabs]

2 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

The Portal is open.  We need some better players, lots of them.

And man, I'm glad we aren't in the Missouri Valley Conference.  

If we were, we would be middle of the pack. FORD CANNOT COACH.  Period. Especially against any team with 3 point shooters

[billiken_roy]

7 hours ago, Old guy said:

Tonight was a dual experience for us, we went to the game, something we had not done for a couple of years and really enjoyed being there. Sadly we lost.

I noticed a couple of things during the game. I saw Perkins walking into the tunnel at the half time and he was not walking normally, he was either favoring his right leg or slightly limping with the left leg. He is not ready to play, not yet. The second point I want to bring out is is a thought I had driving home: we based our play for the whole season on Yuri, he was in charge and directed the game. Well, he could not play tonight and no one else could do what he does. We lost and the season is over.

On the good side, I thought Strickland did rather well tonight, even though he still fouls a bit much.

iheard perkins had knee surgery in the last few months.

[Scoop]

UNI took the game plan from Davidson. Chuck 3s and a lot of them. It obviously worked as they were out matched down low.

That being said, just an uninspired performance. You could see it as there was practically no emotion. Players pissed off.  Ford said on the post game that they will get better in the offseason with the players who buy in and are dedicated to team blue.  Read between the lines. Some changes coming.

[cheeseman]

When Ford was hired those who were not all that on board with it were concerned about his X and Os performance and I was one. He could get better players but his teams never achieved as they should. What we have seen after these years is basically just that here. While I am a big supporter of the Bills it is hard to be happy with the trajectory. Yes we have had more 20 plus win seasons then most times under Ford but to what avail?  I know we did not have Yuri tonight but we have lost to other teams whose point guards were out - what is the difference?  The single common thread is the concern some had when he was hired. 

Two questions: 1. Are any of you concerned about Ford statement that seemed to imply that some players aren’t working to improve in the off season?  Whose is responsible for that - yes I know the players ultimately but doesn’t the coach have a part?  2. Someone said players were angry what did they mean?  I was out of town and missed the game so if my question is off base I apologize 

[slu72]

9 hours ago, wgstl said:

its funny, or more so annoying to look up and see how many games UNI has shot below 15% from 3 in a game this year, at least a few. 

Against Loyola they went 4 for 24. 16%. 

[slu72]

1 minute ago, slu72 said:

Against Loyola they went 4 for 24. 16%. 

Which begs the question, off night or Loyola knew how to defend them? 

[wgstl]

22 minutes ago, slu72 said:

Which begs the question, off night or Loyola knew how to defend them? 

They’re not going to shoot the way they did last night every night regardless of the defense they play. 

[Schasz]

30 minutes ago, cheeseman said:

When Ford was hired those who were not all that on board with it were concerned about his X and Os performance and I was one. He could get better players but his teams never achieved as they should. What we have seen after these years is basically just that here. While I am a big supporter of the Bills it is hard to be happy with the trajectory. Yes we have had more 20 plus win seasons then most times under Ford but to what avail?  I know we did not have Yuri tonight but we have lost to other teams whose point guards were out - what is the difference?  The single common thread is the concern some had when he was hired. 

Two questions: 1. Are any of you concerned about Ford statement that seemed to imply that some players aren’t working to improve in the off season?  Whose is responsible for that - yes I know the players ultimately but doesn’t the coach have a part?  2. Someone said players were angry what did they mean?  I was out of town and missed the game so if my question is off base I apologize 

I feel your pain! Don't think it will get better if there is another 20 win season and no NCAA Tourney invite, bit it is what it is. Guess Okie State finally figured it out!

[wgstl]

We’re so easy to defend, Smother Gibby, double okoro. Fred’s shot is so slow you can leave him open and close on him quickly. THJ can’t create his own shot. Nesbitt overthinks it every time. Williams shoots at a % so low I’d leave him open and not even worry about it. 
 

[billiken_roy]

12 minutes ago, wgstl said:

They’re not going to shoot the way they did last night every night regardless of the defense they play. 

so why do so many teams have those shooting nights against the billikens these days?

[cheeseman]

11 minutes ago, wgstl said:

They’re not going to shoot the way they did last night every night regardless of the defense they play. 

How many times this year have we said this.  Some teams do defend the three so how do they do it?  Hitting threes is contagious and once that ball starts rolling down the hill it is hard to stop. Same applies when threes are missed  RM team generally defended the three pretty well so it can be done. 

[slu72]

1 minute ago, billiken_roy said:

so why do so many teams have those shooting nights against the billikens these days?

Exactly. Does it make sense to switch to a zone when playing a team that depends on their 3s for their points? I always thought zones were employed to force perimeter shots to take away inside points. 

[slu72]

4 minutes ago, cheeseman said:

How many times this year have we said this.  Some teams do defend the three so how do they do it?  Hitting threes is contagious and once that ball starts rolling down the hill it is hard to stop. Same applies when threes are missed  RM team generally defended the three pretty well so it can be done. 

That’s because RM didn’t like playing Zone and taught his guys how to fight thru screens and how to play help D so the shooter wasn’t wide open. You watch Davidson and UNI those guys were shooting the 3 like it was warmup time. 

 

[cheeseman]

7 minutes ago, slu72 said:

That’s because RM didn’t like playing Zone and taught his guys how to fight thru screens and how to play help D so the shooter wasn’t wide open. You watch Davidson and UNI those guys were shooting the 3 like it was warmup time. 

 

Well since I was unable to watch this game my comments were general in nature.  I understand that you are talking about this specific game to some extent but your observation may not apply to other teams we have played. Now if you meant that our help defense is lacking in general then ok

[Marlow]

Majerus never paid attention to officials. He said is was fruitless, and he didn’t want to take his attention away from his team and the game plan. Ford, on the other hand, gets caught up in the officials from the tip-off to the final buzzer. His players respond respond accordingly.

[wgstl]

20 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

19 minutes ago, cheeseman said:

How many times this year have we said this.  Some teams do defend the three so how do they do it?  Hitting threes is contagious and once that ball starts rolling down the hill it is hard to stop. Same applies when threes are missed  RM team generally defended the three pretty well so it can be done. 

Loyola has a good 3 point defense, UNI shot a over 40% twice against them this year. Wyoming has elite 3 point defense and UNI still shot 32% still enough to beat us today.

Is our 3 point defense great, No. but I’m saying is they had games this year that they couldn’t make anything and games this year against good defenses they shot really well . 
 

also why ford didn’t try Andre when we went down big was annoying. Would love to have used his length guarding the 3, and his shooting to match it