Carino: It all Starts with defense
- Thread starter dpwhite
- Start date
As a coach, I love the talk about moving together on a string, because that's what we emphasize at the high school level. I'm sure Coach P is doing a lot of shell drill and help and recover defense as well as closing out. I think we have the athletes to be a really good defensive team, which should keep us in games against better teams until our offense comes around. Coach P is definitely refreshing to say the least.
Not to be a negative Nancy, but the part about us not having good 3 point shooters sobers some of the expectations some people have been bantering about lately. This team will struggle to score in the half court.
I think everyone knew that we really didn't have many good three point shooters. Maybe Thiam will help in that regard..Unfortunately, we haven't had many great shooters since Coleman , Shields and Douby days. I don't think this should be a relevation to anyone..Not much you can do as a coach except keep working on shooting as much as possible.
he is saying everything I want to hear. Words are words, but last year we weren't even hearing the right message.
Fwiw he also said we were not good defensively recently despite seemingly doing well against monmouth. Maybe he just has sky high expectations
High expectations are a great thing to have. I think that there will be considerable improvement on the defensive side of the ball, especially on the interior...
Defense Is the great equalizer. I would expect the hard work and focus on defending the three will pay off. We can stay in games and have a chance to get a surprise win. The more I'm reading Thiam will get major minutes as frosh to knock down threes. Hoping we improve in setting good hard screens for Thiam and the guards.
Let's give this some time. He hasn't knocked down a 3 in a game. He hasn't shown us the ability to guard someone.
It works both way. If we are saying he could have a guard guarding him the opposite would probably hold true on the other end.
Too many people are assuming he steps in Day 1 and makes a huge impact. It is possible, but I am not expecting it. He scored 14 PPG last year in HS.
Agreed. Kind of like Tylin Oden on the football team, Thiam also looks like he needs to significantly develop his body to compete in the Big 10.
Rutgers, and teams like us need to build with defense. I know you and I have gone back and forth on this, but I will maintain the hardest skill to find in college basketball is someone who can put the ball in the basket. Not sure we have enough of that skill.
Coach Pikiell's attention to defense and rebounding is exactly how a school like Rutgers can compete and eventually win.
I think he is saying you have NO idea why he left Kansas State. Saying he left because he is not a complete player makes little sense. Very good players do transfer in college basketball for a lot of different reasons.
I'm just saying that powerhouse schools tend to fight tooth and nail to keep the truly elite complete players. Guys like jonathan Mitchell weren't exactly the whole package but he was a good player anyway
I hope Nigel is terrific for us, as I hope for Thiam and Sa and Gettys, etc. But looking for a player who averaged under 18 minutes a game with 5 points and 1.5 assists as a Soph to become a savior for us is folly. Again I hope he is terrific.
Maybe reading in to things too much......I take it as a slight positive when I look at Nigel's minutes compared to Williams in the scrimmage. Hopefully it isn't a function of Mike Williams not having a good training camp and more Nigel being a much better player than Williams.
I think Johnson had an off night and could have had a foul or two go his way.
I was not impressed with the assist,though. We will not go anywhere if the passes are not being made.It is just one game though, so I do not put much weight into it.
Between Sanders, Johnson, Laurent and Freeman, those are players that can score the ball at some kind of premium. The ball must be moved, and players must keep their heads up. If not, we will be the same Rutgers, no matter how well we rebound. Selfless teams win games.
