Lack of fire and intensity...

[ouchmyknee]

After 4 games, it seems as though there is a lack of fire and intensity - from both the teams and the fans. I'm assuming that this is because there's supreme confidence that we're going to win. Watching the team, they seem to have approached each game so far with a business-like mentality. Like they're just going to work. There doesn't really seem to be much panic, which is a good thing. I just feel like we haven't seen this from a Pike team ever.

Regarding the RAC, let's wake up. The place has been like a morgue. Fans went from being like rabid Mets fan to snobby Yankee fans. Hoping that with an elevation in the quality of our opponents from this point on, we regain some of that energy which will hopefully transfer to the team.

All this being said, it's been weird to feel pretty confident that we were going to win these games - even when things got a little closer than they should've.

 

[S_Janowski]

The RAC was pretty dead tonight but let’s remember it’s very inferior non conference teams.

But the building will be bumping come December when Penn State and Seton Hall come in.

 

[Saint Puppy]

The RAC was pretty dead tonight but let’s remember it’s very inferior non conference teams.

But the building will be bumping come December when Penn State and Seton Hall come in.

No doubt the RAC will wake up and be at full force when we are not playing Cupcake U (even though we are struggling more than most expected with them), and Seton Hall/conference games start!

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

I expect the Penn State and Seton Hall games respectively to be madhouses

 

[IMARUFAN]

This was, essentially, the teams 5th straight "exhibition" game. It's clear the team is basically bored. That's how upsets against mid-majors happen. But a good team wins even when it doesn't play it's best.

I have no doubt that will change when they face a team considered equal to, or better than, them.

 

[Mholinko]

This was, essentially, the teams 5th straight "exhibition" game. It's clear the team is basically bored. That's how upsets against mid-majors happen. But a good team wins even when it doesn't play it's best.

I have no doubt that will change when they face a team considered equal to, or better than, them.

i tend to agree

i think people panic because they are seeing Uconn, Duke, Kansas, Gonzaga winning against their cupcake teams by 50

but those are also programs that are full of players who KNOW how to win already coupled with their talented recruits

we are trying to learn to win with talented recruits all at once i am confident it will come together

 

[DC8690]

After 4 games, it seems as though there is a lack of fire and intensity - from both the teams and the fans. I'm assuming that this is because there's supreme confidence that we're going to win. Watching the team, they seem to have approached each game so far with a business-like mentality. Like they're just going to work. There doesn't really seem to be much panic, which is a good thing. I just feel like we haven't seen this from a Pike team ever.

Regarding the RAC, let's wake up. The place has been like a morgue. Fans went from being like rabid Mets fan to snobby Yankee fans. Hoping that with an elevation in the quality of our opponents from this point on, we regain some of that energy which will hopefully transfer to the team.

All this being said, it's been weird to feel pretty confident that we were going to win these games - even when things got a little closer than they should've.

Can only disagree with one thing - have you ever sat in the bleachers of Yankee Stadium?

 

[mildone]

The intensity level has appeared much too low, IMO. In part, I'm sure the level of competition has something to do with it.

Unfortunately, we're going to go from weak competition to very strong competition overnight. People point to defense, but good defense requires high intensity. Pike's will be teaching the players what they need to do in the various situations (how and when to switch, where to be to help from the weak-side, fundamentals of how to get over a pick or how to drop off from helping on the far side of pick, all that kind of stuff). And more advanced stuff.

But to be effective with any of that stuff, all 5 players need to read the cues and react quickly and correctly. Just one person (20% of the defense) being too late in recognizing and reacting correctly can lead to a breakdown and easy points for the opponent. So the intensity level has to be very high for all 5 players on the court to succeed.

It's early days and the team is going to learn and grow. But one thing players can do immediately, which isn't complicated or difficult, is maintain a super high intensity level on the floor. That's a state of mind and, while it can take a little bit to figure out how to get into that state of mind quickly and habitually, it's kind of like flipping a switch mentally. And that intensity is something than comes out of how a team practices, you don't need actual games to figure it out.

Right now, I'm not seeing it at a level that would make me happy, if I were Pike.

OTOH, Pike sees what's happening in practices and we don't. So it's possible that the intensity is present in practice (which would be great). Maybe the team is just getting itself down a bit in games when they've made mistakes so the intensity level seem lower than it really is.