Game was meaningless... or was it?

[Degaz-RU]

If this game can give Jacob Young some confidence - and some proof that staying under control and looking to pass FIRST is what opened up his game - then it was well worth it to play a D2 team.

Ditto for giving Mulcahy confidence shooting the three ball.

Both of these guys are key if we are to make a post-season run.

 

[KnightTerrors]

I’ve been a believer that Young can’t be as bad as he’s been playing. It almost seemed like he had a case of the yips. Reminded me of a pitcher that just can’t find the strike zone. Hopefully seeing the ball go in helps to snap him out of it. If he could contribute offensively our team would benefit tremendously.

 

[LOU-RU85]

I’ve been a believer that Young can’t be as bad as he’s been playing. It almost seemed like he had a case of the yips. Reminded me of a pitcher that just can’t find the strike zone. Hopefully seeing the ball go in helps to snap him out of it. If he could contribute offensively our team would benefit tremendously.

I also agree. He will eventually come around. When he does, this team will be a lot better. That’s why Pike keeps running him.

 

[G- RUnit]

If you guys haven’t seen Young’s potential from day one instead of jumping all over him...

 

[dkostus]

If you guys haven’t seen Young’s potential from day one instead of jumping all over him...

It's a natural reaction to having a faction of fans claim he will be the best player on the team, and everyone then witnessing him play like the guy with the lowest offensive efficiency rating on the team. Which he still is amongst those in the regular rotation.

 

[LOU-RU85]

If you guys haven’t seen Young’s potential from day one instead of jumping all over him...

I’m not one of the folks jumping all over Young. I have said from the beginning he needs time and will be much improved in the 2nd half of the season.

 

[RUTrack94]

Dude is super quick ... fastest on the floor ... he puts it together, then there might be a post season this year

 

[Scarlet Blind]

D2 games aren't meaningless. Going forward, you might see more top conference teams scheduling D2 or lower games in certain spots in the schedule. 4th 25+ pt underdog beat a top conference team at home this year. 3 of 4 are from low major conferences, MVC the best of the conferences.

First MVC Evansville (8-5, 1 non D1 win) #214 won @ Kentucky
Southland SF Austin(8-2, 3 non D1 wins) #55 won @ Duke.
Big South Charleston Southern (4-6, 2 non D1 wins) #295 won @ Missouri
Now MEAC Florida A&M (2-9) was #284 now #235 won @ Iowa St.

Florida A&M is 8-3 ATS, won their last 2 @Seattle and @Iowa St. Just be glad our worst loss was a neutral to St. Bonaventure, an A10 team, who is 8-5 started 0-3 and the other non conference loss to an ACC team. Parity is real in college basketball, you have to be ready to play every game.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Hopefully the first game of shaking off his “earl Duncan-itis”

 

[fbc1866]

Sometimes you just need to build a players confidence.

 

[IBleedScarlet]

I also agree. He will eventually come around. When he does, this team will be a lot better. That’s why Pike keeps running him.

Caldwell was a good game for him to calm down and play under control. He had some assists that in prior games he would not have attempted. Good reset game for him.

 

[willisneverrana43]

It was meaningless.

 

[soundcrib]

It was a win. Our 10th. Just 7 wins away from a winning season.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I don't think Jacob Young lacked confidence. If he shoots 1-7 vs. Nebraska the narrative will be the Caldwell game hurts us because he gained confidence that led to more shots that didnt go in.

 

[willisneverrana43]

I give no credence to the notion that a good game against a HS team gave a player confidence going into a B1G season. If this worked, we should sign him up for AAU ball and he'll emerge the most confident player on the roster.

 

[Scangg]

Anyone who has actually played basketball would realize that there is a mental aspect of the game and you can go through a slump where you aren't shooting well and things don't break your way. You feel out of rhythm etc. A game like this could do wonders for Young. We shall see.

We don't need him to go from terrible to dominate on the offensive end. If he can just be OK on offense it will do wonders for this team and how far it can go

 

[Degaz-RU]

I don't think Jacob Young lacked confidence. If he shoots 1-7 vs. Nebraska the narrative will be the Caldwell game hurts us because he gained confidence that led to more shots that didnt go in.

I give no credence to the notion that a good game against a HS team gave a player confidence going into a B1G season. If this worked, we should sign him up for AAU ball and he'll emerge the most confident player on the roster.

Let's put a pin in these. You may both end up being right. Or not.

Either way, it will be interesting to see whether and to what extent JY's game improves based on getting a little confidence boost from the WAY he played against Caldwell.

 

[dkostus]

Anyone who has actually played basketball would realize that there is a mental aspect of the game and you can go through a slump where you aren't shooting well and things don't break your way. You feel out of rhythm etc. A game like this could do wonders for Young. We shall see.

We don't need him to go from terrible to dominate on the offensive end. If he can just be OK on offense it will do wonders for this team and how far it can go

Were you one of the people that predicted Young would be the best player on the team?

 

[Scangg]

Were you one of the people that predicted Young would be the best player on the team?

Nope. I thought that would be Harper or Myles. I predicted elite defender and streaky offensively bringing some much needed team speed. I still think he ends up being very streaky but so far its been mostly bad on offense. He will have a couple big offensive games before the year is through. The odds of him playing as poorly offensively the rest of the season as he did to star are very very low

 

[Degaz-RU]

Let's put a pin in these. You may both end up being right. Or not.

Either way, it will be interesting to see whether and to what extent JY's game improves based on getting a little confidence boost from the WAY he played against Caldwell.

So for one game at least, the Caldwell game has proven to be a confidence booster for JY. He was SUPERB against Nebraska, played under control, made good decisions, and got to the tin with impunity. We got Good Jacob again.

 

[nikoru09]

It was meaningless.

to you maybe......but, coach pike is a friend of mark corino the Caldwell coach...who, by the way is a Belleville h.s alum., and the school that produced the best 6th man ru has ever had. abdel Anderson....i'm also a graduate..................mark corino is the third winningest coach in the state of n.j with over 500 wins.....coach pike did him a favor as a friend, and vice versa....so you see, the game had some meaning,,,,,,,,,,"and that's all I have to say about that".....forrest gump

 

[willisneverrana43]

So, to flip it right side up, to you maybe.

 

[Degaz-RU]

So for one game at least, the Caldwell game has proven to be a confidence booster for JY. He was SUPERB against Nebraska, played under control, made good decisions, and got to the tin with impunity. We got Good Jacob again.

We got Good Jacob again in the Penn State game. That's two really good games for JY after the great Caldwell game. Let's see how he does on the road against Illinois in a hostile environment, but "so far, so good" in the Caldwell game having a lot of meaning for JY's development.

 

[Degaz-RU]

Good Jacob - 3

Bad Jacob - 0

since his breakout game against D2 Caldwell. And nearly won us the Illinois game single-handedly today on the road.

With a three game sample size, I think it’s safe to conclude that playing that Caldwell game was not meaningless.

 

[MADHAT1]

If you guys haven’t seen Young’s potential from day one instead of jumping all over him...

I thought he was a transfer miss the beginning of this season. After he had a breakout game against a cupcake and continuing to play well: he's proving me wrong about why Texas ( my opinion) didn't seem too high on him .

 

[knights1212]

Jacob has been wonderful in our last 4 games. Today he was our best player. congrats to him.