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GAME 10 PENN STATE: Take it and run

It will be tough to finish top 50 on D given that the season is almost 1/3 done and we are sitting at 142. We need to be Top 50 going forward. We can be a very good offensive team, obviously, but the surrounding pieces just aren't that skilled and outside of Hayes can't shoot. Asking to be a +15-+20 most nights in points minus possessions is asking way too much.
 
It will be tough to finish top 50 on D given that the season is almost 1/3 done and we are sitting at 142. We need to be Top 50 going forward. We can be a very good offensive team, obviously, but the surrounding pieces just aren't that skilled and outside of Hayes can't shoot. Asking to be a +15-+20 most nights in points minus possessions is asking way too much.
Okay we are getting somewhere. You acknowledge we will unlikely be a top 50 team nationally on defense . Our defense early has been a sieve with uncontested layups , few rebounds , allowing second chance points , few blocks and not enough staying in front of our man. We corrected a lot of those things last night in the first half and continued to rebound , block shots and limit second chance points in the second but allowed too many uncontested drives to the basket. The type of effort and intensity is what we need going forward.
 
Okay we are getting somewhere. You acknowledge we will unlikely be a top 50 team nationally on defense . Our defense early has been a sieve with uncontested layups , few rebounds , allowing second chance points , few blocks and not enough staying in front of our man. We corrected a lot of those things last night in the first half and continued to rebound , block shots and limit second chance points in the second but allowed too many uncontested drives to the basket. The type of effort and intensity is what we need going forward.
I made it very clear........we need to be a top 50 defense going forward.

I am not accepting that this team can't have rebounding as a strength, not a weakness. I am also not accepting with our length we can't be an above average defense eventually. Getting 1 person to buy in and give close to max effort turned us in to a strong rebounding team.

The bad part is that the effort required to be a good defensive and rebounding team takes away from what you do offensively. It reduces the amount of minutes Harper and Bailey can be on the floor. It increases the chance of injury. Ace and Dylan were exhausted last night. It led to miss FGs and FTs.
 
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Good kid, but this was a must for RU to succeed. He struggled in Vegas and at OSU (zero RBs in 9 min. there) and was the biggest reason RU lost to A&M with several blunders down the stretch of that game. There is not much room on this team for a 6'-9" guy who can't/won't rebound and play tough interior defense in the low post. Sure, he can hit threes, but others like Hayes and Acuff can do that just as well or with better all around games. It was good to see Hayes play tough defense and get 3 RBs last night in addition to his timely shooting.
Martin I is also not close to 6'9, I'd be surprised if he's a legit 6'7
 
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I made it very clear........we need to be a top 50 defense going forward.

I am not accepting that this team can't have rebounding as a strength, not a weakness. I am also not accepting with our length we can't be an above average defense eventually. Getting 1 person to buy in and give close to max effort turned us in to a strong rebounding team.

The bad part is that the effort required to be a good defensive and rebounding team takes away from what you do offensively. It reduces the amount of minutes Harper and Bailey can be on the floor. It increases the chance of injury. Ace and Dylan were exhausted last night. It led to miss FGs and FTs.
I've said this before. Rebounding shouldn't be horrible. Dylan is a plus rebounder and huge guard. Ace is tall long and athletic. Derkack and Williams are gritty athletic and not small guards. Ogbole is huge. Lathan is big and long

There is really no reason we should get crushed on the boards

Martini is not a good rebounder. He's too small and doesn't jump well. Can't blame it all on him but he sits and rebounding is better
 
I made it very clear........we need to be a top 50 defense going forward.

I am not accepting that this team can't have rebounding as a strength, not a weakness. I am also not accepting with our length we can't be an above average defense eventually. Getting 1 person to buy in and give close to max effort turned us in to a strong rebounding team.

The bad part is that the effort required to be a good defensive and rebounding team takes away from what you do offensively. It reduces the amount of minutes Harper and Bailey can be on the floor. It increases the chance of injury. Ace and Dylan were exhausted last night. It led to miss FGs and FTs.
Greene, curious about something you may have the data for: what is the lowest rated defense among at-large teams from last year?

If every at-large team was rated better than 50 defensively, then it helps validate your premise, that despite their offensive prowess, an at-large team must have a top 50 defense to make the tournament.
 
Greene, curious about something you may have the data for: what is the lowest rated defense among at-large teams from last year?

If every at-large team was rated better than 50 defensively, then it helps validate your premise, that despite their offensive prowess, an at-large team must have a top 50 defense to make the tournament.
Funny you should say...looked at it and it didn't support my view so i didn't post. HA HA HA HA
 
Northwestern 34 OFF 51 DEF
Gonzaga 5-57
Wisconsin 19-59
Texas Tech 25-62
Oregon 45-68
BYU 14-70
txam 22-71
USCe 38-75
FL 11-76
Dayton 26-81
Baylor 7-88
Illinois 4-91
Utah St 39-95
FAU 28-120
Alab 2-121
Kent 6-124
 
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Northwestern 34 OFF 51 DEF
Gonzaga 5-57
Wisconsin 19-59
Texas Tech 25-62
Oregon 45-68
BYU 14-70
txam 22-71
USCe 38-75
FL 11-76
Dayton 26-81
Baylor 7-88
Illinois 4-91
Utah St 39-95
FAU 28-120
Alab 2-121
Kent 6-124
Wow, that’s eye-opening, thanks!

Seems like we could be like FAU, or somewhere between Dayton and Utah St and have a good shot, assuming we win a minimum of say, 19 games in the regular season.
 
Wow, that’s eye-opening, thanks!

Seems like we could be like FAU, or somewhere between Dayton and Utah St and have a good shot, assuming we win a minimum of say, 19 games in the regular season.
Utah State was 11-1 in close games
Dayton wasn't as good 7-5

If you are going to try an get away with bad metrics you either have to win a lot of close games or be great in most games and get blown out in a losses OR play your cupcakes close
 
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It really comes down to how we win......

let's say home against Purdue and a game with 72 possessions.

Are we winning 87 (+15) to 81 (+9)
OR
81 (+9) to 75 (+3)
OR
75 (+3) to 69 (-3)


I just think over a long season the middle is the more reasonable and realistic path.
 
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I've said this before. Rebounding shouldn't be horrible. Dylan is a plus rebounder and huge guard. Ace is tall long and athletic. Derkack and Williams are gritty athletic and not small guards. Ogbole is huge. Lathan is big and long

There is really no reason we should get crushed on the boards

Martini is not a good rebounder. He's too small and doesn't jump well. Can't blame it all on him but he sits and rebounding is better
100%. With our length and size it must be gang rebounding. No reason not to out rebound teams every night. I think Pike ‘s message is finally being heard because in the first 4-5 games the guys looked like they were allergic to rebounding. Our guards , Jeremiah , Dylan and Jordan should get between 3-6 rebounds a game.
Now what had been non existent was offensive rebounding and rarer still points off offensive rebounds. ACE personally solved both of those last night but in the earlier games the guys were running back to not get caught in transition. There has to be a better effort to hit the offensive glass. Ace has to be in attack mode but the other bigs , E and Lathan as well and the guards Jordan and Jeremiah.
 
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Northwestern 34 OFF 51 DEF
Gonzaga 5-57
Wisconsin 19-59
Texas Tech 25-62
Oregon 45-68
BYU 14-70
txam 22-71
USCe 38-75
FL 11-76
Dayton 26-81
Baylor 7-88
Illinois 4-91
Utah St 39-95
FAU 28-120
Alab 2-121
Kent 6-124
What did they all have in common ? Tremendous or rather very good efficient offensive teams that could score. Does that sound like a team Green knows?
 
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