Can't Finish the Job

[SLU_Nick]

Well, this is about what I expected. Man, Drejaj is bad, I cant see the game. I am sitting here with gametracker watching AD getting TO's, missed three points, and missed free throws. He is such a bad player. So what if he tries hard. We need a little more than just good defense. Missed Free throws and turnovers looked to be the story today, but I wasnt there. I would like to here someone else's analysis

[SLURadioBoy]

I wasn't there either. I also watched it on game tracker. I just can't figure out what's wrong with this team. You're right about Drejaj, he definitely didn't have his best game. I also can't figure out why Polk only has 2 shots the whole game (and one was a free throw). The kid had 14 pts the last game! They just can't put it together and continue to struggle with shooting. This is going to be a hard team to watch and that really depresses me because I really looked forward to this year.

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[davidnark]

I am back from the game. We basically don't have any player who has the offensive ability to take charge down the stretch. Reggie is our best offensive player, but he is basically a spot up shooter with average penetration abilities. Drejaj can't shoot the ball consistently or create much offense. Polk, who has the ability to create offense, isn't comfortable enough or ready to take charge on offense when we need a basket. Our big men's inability to create offense needs no further explanation. Without Love, Jeffers, Perry, or Fisher, we just don't have any player who can be relied upon offensively down the stretch. If I were coach, I would tell Dwayne to take charge and find a way to score buckets--and I don't just mean down the stretch.

[davidnark]

The one player who I think can create some offense and who should be a little more willing to shoot the ball is Danny Brown. He probably had the best game of anyone on the team today.

[Box and Won]

I say that we should all congratulate the Billikens for putting up a good effort despite the hostile Dayton crowd. What's that, we were playing at home?

Could've fooled me.

[3star_recruit]

"I would tell Dwayne to take charge and find a way to score buckets--and I don't just mean down the stretch."

Polk was setting up for his teammates what Coach defines to be a "good shot" -- an open 17-20 footer. They made them in the first half and missed them down the stretch -- again. The only team Brad's motionless offense has been successful this year is against the winless Oakland squad.

As much as you and I would like for Dwayne to play with more abandon early in the game, we both know that isn't going to happen. Only Marque earned Brad's trust enough to for him to make that exception to his offense. As long as we're getting "good shots" for our shooting guards and frontcourt players, I doubt we'll ever see Polk shoot more than 5 times in the first half or make a high-risk maneuver in the lane.

I rather see Polk turn the ball over 4 times trying to create something than see IO turn the ball over 4 times driving to the basket for another flip shot.

[Billikan]

As I left the game I concluded that we have one big limitation that is killing this team--Not one of our experienced players plays well consistantly--

1. Drejaj played well early and hit some nice shots and he played tough defense but he absolutely killed us in the second half when he missed the front end twice and shot some ridiculous looking shots that had no chance to go in -- all when we were trying to rally.

2. Reggie hit some nice shots late but he took 19!!! shots to score 16 points and he forced some very bad shots. At times his defense looks ok and at others he seems to be missing in action. He made a couple of nice passes and had some killer turnovers.

3. IO was the best inside defender you ever saw at times today and he fought for the ball---some nice inside shotsand good free throws. Yet he made a number of terrible plays--forcing bad shots, making bad passes, etc.

4.Tom F. was basically a non factor--he had a couple of tough rebounds and he actually made an inside shot but he was not strong or very effective at times and he made a killer turnover.

These are the guys that you would expect to lead the team and at their bes they are very nice players but the problem is that they are not consistant in theirgood play and they make mistakes at key times that just kill us.

Polk, JJ and Brown all showed us some good things today. It won't be long before the youngsters get a lot more pt.

[cheeseman]

I agree with all you said and hope your are correct about the younger players getting more PT - this season is quickly turning into nothing to play for so we might as well get our team for next year seasoned.

[House]

I agree. Brown looked good today. He had a tough defensive matchup for a stretch in the second half with #1 for Dayton. #1 had his way with him during that stretch. Other than that, he was solid. I would like to see him shoot more.

I am quickly getting very discouraged with Newbourne. He looked good in the exhibition games agfainst D2 talent. He has completely disappeared against D1 teams. He needs to see fewer minutes in my opinion.

TF had a better game today. It looked like he was feeling a little better. Hopefully he is coming around.

[billiken_roy]

i agree with billkan. there is not a take over player on the team. and i include polk in that. probably the only one with that attitude is drejaj but he doesnt have the skills to go with that attitude. bryant is a great second or third option, but he couldnt get it done. you could see they tried to have izik take over early in the second half, he missed a couple and then disappeared completely. the dayton guards did a good job keeping the ball initially out of polk's hands. way too many times we saw reggie or drejaj bringing it up the floor and that made both of them wear down.

i dont care how inexperienced he is, polk with his speed needs to get that inbounds pass everytime. did any of the dayton defenders look faster than polk? no. yet they dominated him. frericks was nothing today. justin johnson wasnt the same justin johnson we saw last week.

that is a game we should have won. dayton is not a better team than us. but they made more happen.

a bright spot was luke meyer making a nice move to the basket and scoring. and i thought as david pointed out, danny brown looked better again. i am close to throwing in the towel. i vaguely remember this frustration in claggett and highmark's freshmen season. that was a long time ago.

[Billikan]

I mentioned to my wife as we left the game that this season is really looking like the Grawer year of Melvin robinson, Carlos Skinner, Claggett, Winfield, and Highmark when we went 5-23. We had talent but it never meshed and the young guys just were not ready to take over the team. I hope we can turn it around but I have a bad feeling!

[billiken_roy]

it is the worst collective group of seniors we have had since that grawer last season. no need to look any further than that. our seniors have totally let this season get away with there inconsistent and unproductive play.

[brehms13]

I saw total opposites today. I actually think that Drejaj, Izik, Reg and Tom all had nice games. I think Justin contributed. I felt like Polk and Newbourne didn't look for the open guys quite a few times. I think their game is pretty predictable. The defense was on point today, the Refs definitely missed many calls for SLU.

In Reg's and Drejaj's defense they both woke up with stomach virus, similar to what Tom had last game, so Reg wasn't even feeling well and still managed to get work done.

I'm gonna put it out here and this is just my opinion. U do not want the team in Polk's hands..u just don't. Number one, the only thing he has over Drejaj, is speed that's it. I think Drejaj plays defense better and see's the whole floor. (In coference play, Polk's size will become a factor) I saw Polk sprint the court and his team was left behind, he had no one to pass the ball to, he lost it. We have the team we have, a point guard isn't the shooting guard, he looks the whole floor and gets the ball inside. If u don't have adequate shooters on your team, then u become the shooter, not before. Our big men rarely set screens VN, TF.. they had Reg and the other guards setting screens because they were out on the wing. I know they practiced setting screens in practice, for the whole practice the other day, but can't seem to do it in games.

I think Reg's defense was good, his shooting was good. His passing was damn good today..What I see that definitely needs to change is Reg being denied the ball, he needs to get in their faces and demand the ball. There's no discussion about why, he's the senior, everyone wants him to lead then give up the damn ball point blank..At Nova..Reg had to earn his role as the shooter, Mike Bradley and the other seniors weren't debating why they should get the ball, the told Reg your job is to get me the ball, I don't see that here. I think the coach is relying on these younger guys and they can't possibly know what to expect their first year playind Div.1 Ball. Next time if anyone watches the game, count how many times Reg is denied the ball..(The coaches dwelled on that in practices and I didn't understand it until paying attention in this game) I counted at least 4 0r 5 open looks that he didn't get the ball. Last game Reg's defender fell and he didn't get the ball. I was screaming...do u think we'd get farther if Polk was the go to guy?

I didn't like the subbing today with Tom and Justin..I felt like just when Tom was getting hot, he was subbed to the bench, I thought maybe it was his asthma, but he wasn't even winded on the bench. JJ got subbed the same way, I thought he was doing very well. I liked the line up with Drejaj, Reg, Izik, Justin and Polk.

Bottom Line and a fan said this at the game..The players don't know their roles, they can't play as a team because they don't look as if they know their roles. I think only about 3 0r 4 people know the ball should go to Reg. At least the defenders know it. But the team doesn't.

[Billikan]

I have said it before and I will say it again. It is time the experienced players stopped making excuses and make plays in crunch time. I understand the rose colored glasses view of a person close to the team. But the bottom line is that those guys are not getting the job done. If Reg and Drejaj played sick then I give them credit but I would also say they should heve played fewer minutes because they were exhausted at the end. Drejaj killed us with his free throw misses and his air balls from outside. I love these guys but I am also realisitic enough to see their faults and failings. It does not make them any less excellent or admirable human beings. The whole team is made up of class individuals. Its just that we don't have a Love, Perry, fisher, Jeffers or Hughes to make plays in crunch time to win games.

[slufanskip]

Brehms ... we agree and disagree.

If we would utilize DP's speed, ball handling, and vision there is no way AD should be starting at the point over him. Now if we continue to run this SLOW motion offense where the ball moves at a crawl ... then I would put AD at the point. At least he attempts to break his man down with the dribble and penetrate. DP who is much quicker than AD with better handles seems unwilling to do the same, and the few times he does he frequently puts up that lazy runner rather than kicking the ball out if he doesn't have a layup.

Every teams best scorer is denied the ball ... teams like us who usually only have 1 dependable scorer have an even bigger problem because that one guy gets the majority of the opponents energy on defense including getting held and shoved around. There are plenty of ways to get Reg open looks ... we just don't do any of them. DP has the ability to do it ... but doesn't. On the other hand Reg has been timid when he does have open looks ... he frequently hesitates. Catch and Shoot ... that skill is what Reg does best he needs to get back to it. He did the other night and had a great game.

You said Reg's shooting was good ... 6 for 19 not good ... no matter how you slice it.

I haven't liked UB's subbing pattern all year. I was really puzzled when he took Reg out after he hit his 2nd 3 in a row with about 5-6 minutes left. I yelled pretty loudly to get him back in the game.

You should have come down and said hello ... I hope you enjoy your stay in Stl and have a safe trip back.

Let Reg know some of us still beleive in this team ... and I for one will be a fan regardless of how the season turns out. I know as hard as it is for us it is much, much harder for the players to live with a season like this.

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