Corey Sanders back soon

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

I think he said wishful, not positive.

That said, Greg Lewis did a tremendous job working on his upper body during a redshirt year. I'm sure he watched the games and film. And now a few years later he's not much different. Size ain't enough, nor is size and hard work. There has to be talent.

I suggest you go back and watch Doorson's play last year. He showed some things as a true freshmen. Big men take time. I also think it's silly to judge Diallo very harshly after watching him play 10 games as a freshmen. Playing an entire year this year would have certainly aided his development.

 

[goru7]

Laurent is athletic with a good first step but he can't shoot.

I don't know how anyone can say he can be a solid 3 man in this league when he can't shoot a 3.

How do you know he cannot shoot ? Has he taken enough outside shots ? Has he become our only guy that can go to the hoop and score, taking the place of our low post scorer? He shoots free throws in the 70% range and has good form. Plus he is a freshman. He also has one of the best first steps we have seen around here . Repeat. He is only a freshman.

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

How do you know he cannot shoot ? Has he taken enough outside shots ? Has he become our only guy that can go to the hoop and score, taking the place of our low post scorer? He shoots free throws in the 70% range and has good form. Plus he is a freshman. He also has one of the best first steps we have seen around here . Repeat. He is only a freshman.

yeah...I agree with this response. he's got some game. and making the foul shots is a big plus.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

You know, looking at the guys run the offense, we definitely have some great plays. We just need the players to do it! I believe in Eddie's X's and O's. Have to step it up on the S&C and end the injuries, and keep it up on the recruiting trail. Sloppy play and repeated turnovers by the same player(s), there's only so much a coach can teach a bad team. Could Calapari get wins with those 6 players? No. Unfortunate occurrences this year, but if you can't see the light for next season just you wait.

I disagree with the premise....we need guys willing to run it. No doubt it does work better if run and a back door cut is by a slasher who can finish better, but the main issue is we rarely run sets during the last 30 minutes of the game.

 

[bac2therac]

I disagree with the premise....we need guys willing to run it. No doubt it does work better if run and a back door cut is by a slasher who can finish better, but the main issue is we rarely run sets during the last 30 minutes of the game.

This is true..they rarely are running sets in the 2nd half abandoning it for out of control selfish mode

 

[willisneverrana43]

I suggest you go back and watch Doorson's play last year. He showed some things as a true freshmen. Big men take time. I also think it's silly to judge Diallo very harshly after watching him play 10 games as a freshmen. Playing an entire year this year would have certainly aided his development.

No need to go back. I've seen it first hand. This is yet another one of the fan-driven evaluations. From the notion that some big men turn into good players over time, we get the conclusion that Diallo just needs time. This falls under the heading of "who knows, let's hope." In truth, the vast majority of unheralded big men who don't start out performing very well never do. Some do, but by far most don't. So, sure, you are fully entitled to hope. In fact, your discussion of Diallo says that you are just hoping. Fine. But history and reality says that, like all the other RU players for which you have hope, the outcome will be different.

But this is the difference here, isn't it. You're hoping that young players become something that reality and history suggests they very likely will not become. Others, instead, see an unfolding disaster with a negligible chance that a string of many unlikely events will turn this team, including its big men, into even a serviceable B1G team. And, as you should understand, that plus 20+ straight losses in the B1G gets you fired.

 

[willisneverrana43]

Rarely, very rarely, does a guy already in college who can't shoot start shooting well.

 

[Mr Magoo]

I disagree with the premise....we need guys willing to run it. No doubt it does work better if run and a back door cut is by a slasher who can finish better, but the main issue is we rarely run sets during the last 30 minutes of the game.

This is true. It has appeared lately that we look much sharper during the first twenty minutes of games. Certainly, some of this can be attributed to not having a bench and enough rest. However, a lot of it appears to be reverting back to sloppy, selfish play.

I know I've said this before but our players are not nearly as fundamentally sound as almost everyone we play. Just watch how we box out. Regardless of what people believe, there is a lot of skill and technique to it....it's not just all heart and desire. Tom Izzo has many videos and CDs on this and I watched a ton of them when I was coaching my AAU teams. If you've watched some of the great rebounders (Dennis Rodman, Moses Malone, etc), they combined outworking their opponents with lots of technique (getting your shoulder inside, forearm to the chest, swim-moves etc). We don't even seem to find a man to body-up when we're in a zone. We seem to just "box" an area.

Our defense is atrocious and our passing is terrible also. So much of the success of sets and plays relies on being able to read the options and perform hard cuts and crisp passes...and to have shooters who can hit the open shots. There are way too many times when the pass is just slightly off or behind the man or haphazardly thrown one-handed and off balance probably for affect (I won't name names but it's not our stud). A split second makes all the difference in the world between successful execution and allowing the defense to adjust.

When you don't have the horses (and we certainly do not), attention to detail becomes even more important. We don't have any of that.

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

This is true. It has appeared lately that we look much sharper during the first twenty minutes of games. Certainly, some of this can be attributed to not having a bench and enough rest. However, a lot of it appears to be reverting back to sloppy, selfish play.

I know I've said this before but our players are not nearly as fundamentally sound as almost everyone we play. Just watch how we box out. Regardless of what people believe, there is a lot of skill and technique to it....it's not just all heart and desire. Tom Izzo has many videos and CDs on this and I watched a ton of them when I was coaching my AAU teams. If you've watched some of the great rebounders (Dennis Rodman, Moses Malone, etc), they combined outworking their opponents with lots of technique (getting your shoulder inside, forearm to the chest, swim-moves etc). We don't even seem to find a man to body-up when we're in a zone. We seem to just "box" an area.

Our defense is atrocious and our passing is terrible also. So much of the success of sets and plays relies on being able to read the options and perform hard cuts and crisp passes...and to have shooters who can hit the open shots. There are way too many times when the pass is just slightly off or behind the man or haphazardly thrown one-handed and off balance probably for affect (I won't name names but it's not our stud). A split second makes all the difference in the world between successful execution and allowing the defense to adjust.

When you don't have the horses (and we certainly do not), attention to detail becomes even more important. We don't have any of that.

word. Eddie is just living in the past thinking he has superior athletes who can run and out gun the opponents like back in 1976 when the basketball world was very different game including no 3 point shot.

 

[TDIrish27]

I can't agree with that-----you may not like him as a coach but he isn't delusional enough to think he has superior athletes to the people he's playing.

They are way behind the teams in the conference on virtually every level.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I can't agree with that-----you may not like him as a coach but he isn't delusional enough to think he has superior athletes to the people he's playing.

They are way behind the teams in the conference on virtually every level.

The problem is Eddie knows this, makes it obvious to his team based on his public expectations, and we have a crutch, and use it.

 

[ruman]

The problem is Eddie knows this, makes it obvious to his team based on his public expectations, and we have a crutch, and use it.

and doesn't adapt the style of play at all

 

[RutgersYay]

The problem is Eddie knows this, makes it obvious to his team based on his public expectations, and we have a crutch, and use it.

As I keep saying, Eddie's post game comments and interviews with the press continue to make it ok to lose. He doesn't even give a nod to being frustrated or having any urgency. He talks about effort and that's it. Shrugs the rest a way. Saying something like, "Of course I'm frustrated, we want to win..." Would at least giving a sign he cares about winning. Instead it's spirit awards and trophies for everyone.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

looking back at kenpom charts...only 1 B1G game did we have a remote chance of winning a game (greater than 10% probability) with 10 minutes or less in a game. Obviously it was the Illinois game.

Falling apart in the last 10 minutes of a game can easily blame depth and injuries...we can't even get to the 10 minute mark with a chance. We are so far from even being competitive. kenpom's 301 ranking seems quite accurate.