Pike needs to find the “eye of newt”

[BillyC80]

This has been said in various ways, in multiple threads: it’s apparent that this team can be much better than it has shown so far. We’re 4-1, which is nice, but we still haven’t fired on all cylinders yet.

Many of us, myself included, believe it’s partially a matter of finding the right combinations of players and giving them enough court time together to excel as a unit. That is one key.

I also believe we have individual talent that will get better and more consistent as the season progresses. I know that many teams can make this claim, but we’ve seen some individual performances by our opponents already that have been eye-opening and somewhat surprising.

Lastly, so far this year other than Niagara, the teams we’ve played seem to have more of an identity already. This “identity” concept combines the first two aspects described above plus additional coaching “formula for success.”

It’s up to Pike to find that secret ingredient, the “eye of newt” so to speak, that will help everything gel into a team that becomes a cohesive whole, one that excels and fires on all cylinders.

What do you think is that secret ingredient?

 

[RUDutch]

It's more than just eye of newt.

He also needs toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog. PETA would not approve.

 

[BillyC80]

It's more than just eye of newt.

He also needs toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog. PETA would not approve.

So you’re saying we need more animal instincts? I agree!

 

[kcg88]

My fixes:

1. When Jacob Young is on the court, he's playing the Corey Sanders role. I think if he has the ball in hands more he'll be a lot more comfortable. When Baker is the primary ballhandler I feel like Young tries to go 200 MPH when he does get it. I think he'll slow down a bit if he feels more secure in his role. And please please please start designing some plays for Baker to catch and shoot threes off of off-ball screens.

2. Get Myles Johnson involved in the offense. Throw it inside and let him try and make a play to draw an extra defender so he can kick it out.

3. Get some side-to-side ball movement. Wayyyy too much standstill dribbling at the top left or right of the key. We need some much quicker passes to make the defense react.

4. Stop hedging ball screens so hard with Myles Johnson. It puts him in the position of having to play catch-up defense and makes him more prone to fouling.

 

[BillyC80]

Good suggestions kcg.

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

Gingrich?

 

[BillyC80]

Gingrich?

Can he draw up some good plays?

 

[soundcrib]

#FreeYeboah

 

[RUHouston]

#FreeYeboah

I think he’s a better defender than we thought...

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Probably with Jacob having the Bali is he dribbles too much. I don’t know what to think about him as a PG. I keep going back and forth.

I don’t want to see Paul Jacob and Geo on the court at the same time. We saw that a bit yesterday and quite frankly I don’t get it.

Give Paul 8-15 minutes as the primary point guard. His talent is wasted as a 3 hanging out on the perimeter.

 

[BillyC80]

I agree with those who say Kwasi should play more.

 

[KnightTerrors]

My fixes:

1. When Jacob Young is on the court, he's playing the Corey Sanders role. I think if he has the ball in hands more he'll be a lot more comfortable. When Baker is the primary ballhandler I feel like Young tries to go 200 MPH when he does get it. I think he'll slow down a bit if he feels more secure in his role. And please please please start designing some plays for Baker to catch and shoot threes off of off-ball screens.

2. Get Myles Johnson involved in the offense. Throw it inside and let him try and make a play to draw an extra defender so he can kick it out.

3. Get some side-to-side ball movement. Wayyyy too much standstill dribbling at the top left or right of the key. We need some much quicker passes to make the defense react.

4. Stop hedging ball screens so hard with Myles Johnson. It puts him in the position of having to play catch-up defense and makes him more prone to fouling.

#4 drives me absolutely crazy. Nothing good comes from hedging with a seven footer at the three point line!

 

[JavaDunk18]

As I had mentioned before, Yeboah needs to fill more of the Eugene Void. Even though his prior role was wing/perimeter shooter, he must adapt to being more of a 4. He showed this in the last game..Young will have a breakthrough, Texas Tech like game, somewhere down the line. His confidence will settle in and he will be good counterpart to Geo. Still would like to see Peter Kiss get some energy minutes..Harper and Caleb are more less on form. Team Defensive rebounding needs lots of improvement

 

[Scarlet Shack]

We NEED to play more inside out and get it to Myles and Shaq

Myles is also a willing and very good passer and getting him the ball will help movement and spacing

 

[Mr Magoo]

#4 drives me absolutely crazy. Nothing good comes from hedging with a seven footer at the three point line!

How do it miss this? So freakin true. I remember Doorson repeatedly chasing players 10 feet ahead of him into the paint after a ridiculously high hedges last season. We still do it

 

[RUBigFrank]

2. Get Myles Johnson involved in the offense. Throw it inside and let him try and make a play to draw an extra defender so he can kick it out.

Not until he improves free throw shooting

 

[RUKnights86]

I think what the team is lacking in the early going is that aggressive killer instinct they found last year.

The bigs had more intensity and I dont see Myles and Shaq calling for the ball and taking it down low like last year. Same goes for tez he had it on both ends, ive yet to see that. It could simply be finding the rotation for sure but I just dont see that hunger that came from doing the hunting last year when expectations might have been lower.

 

[higgins3]

Tighten the rotation to 8 players. Let same five play together for 25 minutes a game.

 

[RUKnights86]

Tighten the rotation to 8 players. Let same five play together for 25 minutes a game.

The rotation essentially is as tight as it will be. They play 10 and Douc barely plays so its really 9, who do you propose as a DNP at this point? With our starting 5 plus Carter young yeboah and mulcahy there is nobody you arent gonna play. The rotation will shake itself out with game flow.

 

[Russ Wood]

It’s up to Pike to find that secret ingredient, the “eye of newt” so to speak, that will help everything gel into a team that becomes a cohesive whole, one that excels and fires on all cylinders.

What do you think is that secret ingredient?

I'll go with toe of frog

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Tighten the rotation to 8 players. Let same five play together for 25 minutes a game.

Who are the 8

 

[higgins3]

Who are the 8

Baker, McConnell, Yeboah, RHJ, Johnson get 26 mpg together. Mathis, Doucoure, Mulcahy split some of the rest.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Baker, McConnell, Yeboah, RHJ, Johnson get 26 mpg together. Mathis, Doucoure, Mulcahy split some of the rest.

So no Young?

 

[higgins3]

So no Young?

15 minutes a game for now. Couple games in and your best players are known. Roll with them.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

15 minutes a game for now. Couple games in and your best players are known. Roll with them.

Sounds like a 9 man rotation then

 

[RutHut]

 

[BillyC80]

Tighten the rotation to 8 players. Let same five play together for 25 minutes a game.

I like the idea of having the same 5 playing together as a unit for 25 minutes. I don’t know if that’s happened yet this year (is there a chart for this?) but I’d be curious to see how we have performed with each different set of 5 we’ve had in the game together, so far this year.

 

[higgins3]

Sounds like a 9 man rotation then

Sounds like a 9 man rotation then

Main focus is getting the best five players on the court for 23-25 minutes a game.

 

[higgins3]

I like the idea of having the same 5 playing together as a unit for 25 minutes. I don’t know if that’s happened yet this year (is there a chart for this?) but I’d be curious to see how we have performed with each different set of 5 we’ve had in the game together, so far this year.

It's always going to be hard with matchups, etc. Still, I think the rotation is still too big and players aren't developing proper chemistry, knowing of each other.

 

[higgins3]

I like the idea of having the same 5 playing together as a unit for 25 minutes. I don’t know if that’s happened yet this year (is there a chart for this?) but I’d be curious to see how we have performed with each different set of 5 we’ve had in the game together, so far this year.

Hoping Shaq Carter comes along as the year goes on. I don't think OOC favors his type of play thus far. Still, the team needs what Pikiell said he was giving.

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

Years or weeks?

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Main focus is getting the best five players on the court for 23-25 minutes a game.

I don't see any separation other than Myles and Geo in who the best 5 on the team are. Quite frankly I question if there ever will be this year.

We have 7 going for 4 (perhaps 3.75 slots) and 3 going for 1 (perhaps 1.25 slots).

I'd love to see some step up and cement their claim on starters minutes. Right now only Geo and Myles has. Quite frankly Geo has just on a relative basis.

 

[BillyC80]

I don't see any separation other than Myles and Geo in who the best 5 on the team are.

I'd love to see some step up and cement their claim on starters minutes. Right now only Geo and Myles has. Quite frankly Geo has just on a relative basis.

I’d include Caleb in that assessment. No one’s been perfect, and all three have been more timid offensively than what we need, but certainly Caleb has separated himself from others with his play on both ends.

 

[higgins3]

I don't see any separation other than Myles and Geo in who the best 5 on the team are. Quite frankly I question if there ever will be this year.

We have 7 going for 4 (perhaps 3.75 slots) and 3 going for 1 (perhaps 1.25 slots).

I'd love to see some step up and cement their claim on starters minutes. Right now only Geo and Myles has. Quite frankly Geo has just on a relative basis.

Baker, Caleb, Yeboah, RHJ, Johnson. They have shown the most consistency on both sides of the ball. I agree that is has been inconsistent. Players need time to mesh and to play loose.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I’d include Caleb in that assessment. No one’s been perfect, and all three have been more timid offensively than what we need, but certainly Caleb has separated himself from others with his play on both ends.

Disagree. You can't be a starting 2 or 3 and defer to others. Just look at the last game, his reluctance to drive off the screen led to an offensive foul on Myles. He has passed on quite a few perimeter shots that ultimately led to turnovers later in the possession.

He needs to start acting on the offensive end like a guy whose job it is to put the ball in the net.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Baker, Caleb, Yeboah, RHJ, Johnson. They have shown the most consistency on both sides of the ball. I agree that is has been inconsistent. Players need time to mesh and to play loose.

Young and Mathis have to play their way in to that conversation. Unless there is improvement or I am missing something that 5 is pretty underwhelming when looking at both sides of the court against 3/4 of B1G teams.

Mathis and Young have extra gears. I don't disagree that right now your 5 is probably the best so far......to me that is what has me so concerned about this year and quite frankly the future of the program.

 

[higgins3]

Young and Mathis have to play their way in to that conversation. Unless there is improvement or I am missing something that 5 is pretty underwhelming when looking at both sides of the court against 3/4 of B1G teams.

Mathis and Young have extra gears. I don't disagree that right now your 5 is probably the best so far......to me that is what has me so concerned about this year and quite frankly the future of the program.

I agree. Part of the reason though is the lack of consistency of lineups. Mathis though looks lost in the half court. His shots are usually low percentage, into traffic. Young is usually the same. I saw a drive into three players last game without a dish.

I have not been overly impressed either. It is early, but the lack of production from acclaimed Carter and Young are hurting the team.

 

[BillyC80]

Disagree. You can't be a starting 2 or 3 and defer to others. Just look at the last game, his reluctance to drive off the screen led to an offensive foul on Myles. He has passed on quite a few perimeter shots that ultimately led to turnovers later in the possession.

He needs to start acting on the offensive end like a guy whose job it is to put the ball in the net.

If you’re going by the last game, Caleb deserves it more than Geo. In 8 fewer minutes, Caleb took more shots, hit more treys, scored more points, had more rebounds and turned the ball over less than Geo.