This team does not move without the ball on defense. One guy dribbling and four standing still. Every other team has constant movement with off ball screens to get guys open. We are in quicksand and we get very few open looks as a result. It's super hard to watch.
Pikiell Postgame
- Thread starter Tango Two
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I thought at times last night, we had multiple guys going for the same rebound that ended up batting the ball back to Wake instead of collecting the ball. Whoopsie.
Agree. These lineups are new. Let some mistakes happen and let them play through. The mass subs when RU is having success like you stated kills momentum. Play the hot lineup/player extended time until someone needs a blow.
Coach Pike is trying to keep a lot of players happy and content with the way playing time is being doled out. It’s not working. This is BIG boy basketball and he’s going to have to start hurting some feelings and shortening up rotations or giving the bulk of playing time to those that are producing.
It’s that simple.
GO RU
Thought that was weird as well.
Wasn´t Simp,GG,Oscar,Hyatt,Cliff something earlier in year? That might bolster rebounding. Pikiell has to stick with something. Still think we will be in some good games this year. I am hopeful.
Greene, our lousy rebounding is a team problem, not just a Gavin problem. And defensively he has a long way to go but he’s getting better.
When the game started, he bodied up to a much more physical player in Carr, and Gavin even blocked his shot (go to the 19:05 mark of the first half) but for some reason wasn’t credited with a block.
For an even better example of GG’s improvement on defense, go to the 9:30 mark of the second half. Watch how Gavin moves his feet laterally, cuts off the baseline, and forces his man into a traveling call. This was at a critical juncture in the game, when we were only down by 3 points.
The kid needs floor time, period. He’s learning fast and he’ll be at least adequate on D as his offense begins to flourish.
He is the worst defensive rebounder on the team. That includes the guards.
We need Mag! Gavin’s deficiencies wouldnt be as harmful.
We need Mag! Gavin’s deficiencies wouldnt be as harmful.
Well we agree that Mag is sorely needed. Yesterday 6 of our 9 regulars had only 1 defensive rebound, including Gavin, Woolf, and Oskar.
The worst defensive rebounder on a team that is struggling at rebounding as a whole. I don´t think thats just a Gavin issue.
Spot on here...Over the years Pike has made very questionable substitutions that turned into patterns based on time. I have seen it again this year and its not a simple 1:1 sub but wholesale in many cases.
I go back to the Illinois game and he subs out Williams when he was the only momentum we had both on defense and offense creating opportunities...totally changed the balance of the game
Pike needs to shorten his bench and continue to play the players who have the hot hand on either side of the ball
I agree with most of this Hawk.
Good to see that you’re coming around to the fact that the skill level on offense this year isn’t what you were telling us for months it would be.
So many great coaches on this site. Hope pike is reading and learning here.
You are not listening, but not surprised.
The skill level is still actually better than last year, by a wide margin. It doesn't mean it's very good by NCAA tournament team standards.
I will simplify the offensive numbers strictly based on the numbers. On a PPG basis, we are 2PPG lower than last year's backcourt on the season.
Obviously, we have a smaller sample size, but I feel pretty comfortable that the standard average of 60PPG in most games last year, is right in line where the last 2 games are at around 58PPG.
If Cliff gives RU normal production, RU is vastly better than last year's roster on offense......the offense is clearly (to me) the biggest obstacle towards improvement as the year goes forward. We get to the basket significantly more often this year vs last year and have played a better schedule in the 1st 8 games this year vs last year (I think Illinois might have been vastly underrated by media entering the season).
I also don't put much emphasis on basing everything on the 10-10 B1G record last year. The team at one point was 8-4 in the B1G and none of the offensive numbers improved from a week to week basis.
As this year moves forward, I expect the offense and overall team performance gets better. I don't see Cliff staying at a 5 to 6PPG level. Our offense is struggling, not because it's more limited like last year, it is overpassing and turning the ball over, without the defense forcing turnovers.
I am 100% confident that Davis, Griffiths, Simpson and Woolfolk all improve as the year moves forward and as long as that happens, the transition away from last year's offense, leading into 2024-25, would be a success.
If Simpson and Davis don't progress as much as is necessary, I feel fairly certain that a portal guard and hybrid forward will be added after the season to support Dylan Harper and Jeremiah Williams as the likely backcourt next year. Someone has to be the 3rd guard, which should be Griffiths, but he's going to have to step up during the rest December and January arrives.
Hawk - I’ve been listening and engaging with you for months on this topic.
You were very confident our offense was going to be so much better this year vs. last year.
You told us for months how the infusion of transfers along with additional time for kids like Simpson, Hyatt and Oscar would lead to a much more explosive offense.
In this thread, you literally said “the skill level on offensive for last years roster and this years, is extremely limited on offensive talent”
This is a very different take than you’ve had since the early summer. I commend you for coming around - take the credit Hawk!
Couple things don't see changing; don't think the guards are getting taller as the season moves along; and something we haven't seen in about 5 years. And really don't trust (almost) anyone's 3 point shooting - and the one guy you do trust - is in a learning curve. Not yet - but if this continues - I'm ok with; Simpson, Davis, Wolf, GG, Choi. And let the rest come off the bench.
I mean, all he needs to do is totally change his personality, his approach, his demeanor to have success.
Hopefully kyk can weigh in here on what Pike needs to do differently.
You are misguided. A couple of rebounds a game will make no difference to this team. We desperately need some players to step up and score, otherwise this team will lose to every good team unless they have a bad shooting night.
Hawk's best post in a while basically discounting everything he's been preaching
That quote is a complete 180. He's starting to lay the groundwork to pretend he had a completely different take in case the roster never gels
As much as you focus that defense is 50% of the game, you minimize the fact that offense is the other 50%.
As bad as our defense / rebounding is - it's not going to improve significantly to make a difference unless Mag returns ! Wolf; Hyatt etc are not all of a sudden going to be rebounding machines !
As we are awhile away with Mag, you need to ride the potential of where your strengths are and get Gavin the ball and hope he can find his touch and light it up to win some games !
Until (if) Mag returns, the defensive composition of this team is a liability / will not win us games and thus you need to find / maximize the offensive skillset of the team (Gavin and others) - which unfortunately is not the strength of Pike and his staff.
I am just evaluating based on what i see, how Pikiell substitutes and what lineups combinations are working and not working.
Nearly everyone on the team played at a different level than recent games. More aggressive and showed toughness. Lots of blemishes, but hope this is a turning point.
