Moving Forward - Next 6 Games

[bac2therac]

the problem is too many guys going AWOL. Pike is a great coach BUT I think he fell in love with a certain strategy that worked during the Bumblebee University part of the schedule but not when you get in league play when RU is well scouted. He HAS to figure out ways to get others involved in the offene. You can not have goose eggs from Dourcoure if you are going to start him. You just cannot. I think the managment of Duke has been poor, he needs to come off the bench after seeing how the game is being played. Thiam and Eugene simply have to be more involved, if they are not aggressive, Pike has to make them aggressive. Too often those two have disappeared. There is total overeliance on Freeman in the offense, sometimes he produces but in general its not worth it, its not worth it to not develop the team by having everyone defer to him.

 

[bac2therac]

It is a pure matchup issue. Add to that 15 minutes of Souf.....

with a team that isnt good like Iowa and plays bad defense, it means RU is going to struggle less offensively, I dont care what defense they play, So RU being able to make at least some shots will allow for a better defense by RU on the other end which is its bread and butter. Game is going to come down to rebounding and second chance opportunities

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

did you forget the hartford game? we couldnt get good looks, let alone knock shots down

It is a must that we score in transition....absolute must.

 

[bac2therac]

did you forget the hartford game? we couldnt get good looks, let alone knock shots down

It is a must that we score in transition....absolute must.

we have proven against the likes of SHU, MSU, and FSU that RU can in fact generate offense. The Hartford game is somewhat of anomoly of bad...did you expect RU to have a shot to beat MSU after losing to Stonyford back to back. Its Pike's job to figure out the zone, thats what we pay him for. RU will never look pretty on offense but they need to do all the other things that they do well to keep them in striking range in a game like this. In a close game I like our chances down the stretch against Iowa

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I hear you, but how does pike beat a zone when 50% of the time you have a lineup with 3 players (souf + 2 bigs) incapable of making a 3 against a zone with a 30 second shot clock.

 

[BillyC80]

Against a zone we have to get the ball to Doucore or Eugene at the foul line to start our offense and pull the opposing center out from under the hoop and open up the paint for other guys to flash through there.

If Doucore is open at the foul line he needs to shoot it, otherwise pass it. Eugene can look to drive or pass from there. Quick passing and ball movement are key.

Corey and Geo should take any good opening to pull up and shoot, and Thiam should do the same, especially from 3pt range.

The key for this on the inside may be Freeman (and to a lesser degree Sa and Shaq) who can get more offensive rebounds and put-backs against a zone. On the outside Thiam can be a huge x-factor because against a zone he will have a tad more room to get his shot off.

All that said, we will definitely be better off if Souf, Corey, Geo and Thiam can force the opposing guards into turnovers that lead to fastbreak points for us.