Growing pains are no fun.

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PeteRasche
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Growing pains are no fun.

Post by PeteRasche »

A game up, two games back. A game up, two games back.

We clearly have some talent and decent game plans to start, but against AAC opponents with good coaching, high level players, and plenty of time to scout us, we're getting abused. I don't know that it's lack of adjustments on our part so much as lack of the right pieces to do anything about it. UConn had very average big men but they had several and they were all at least fairly athletic, and we had no answer to scoring inside against them. We tried posting up various guards or forwards but they'd either switch to zone or else double the poster with the guy of our (perceived) weakest offensive threat at the time. Despite our early season confidence, it's clear we aren't going to shoot 50+% from three every game, so we can't bust zones. We're not quick enough to guard elite guards. And we don't rebound as a team at all, it's left up to one big man and maybe one guard who might have happened to be near the rim at the time. There was a stretch in the crucial part of the game today where UConn just about got every rebound; you could hear our fans through the TV mics imploring us to frigging rebound.

It's a lot of little things but against a team in conference with some talent and time to scout us, they are unfortunately all VERY exploitable things.
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Re: Growing pains are no fun.

Post by windywave »

I can't decide if we need to work on beating the zone or defensive rebounding more.
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TUPF
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Re: Growing pains are no fun.

Post by TUPF »

Riddle me this, Batman. Why do we usually look listless and clueless for the first 5 minutes plus of games? It’s like we should be carrying shovels to dig ourselves out.
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randymc
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Re: Growing pains are no fun.

Post by randymc »

we need to work on bringing in a 6-8 guy with size who can score and rebound. also an athletic combo guard.
two scholarships to give in the spring. looking like a 7-11, 8-10 conference mark and a winning season with promise of better days ahead.
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Re: Growing pains are no fun.

Post by Baywave1 »

Today it was UCONN's offensive rebounding as much as anything. Refs let teams play and it was classic AAC elite style. UCONN attacked boards relentlessly and Tulane could not stop them or offset it with outside shooting.

Enough folks there to energize Tulane but UCONN to its credit kept crowd out of game.

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PeteRasche
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Re: Growing pains are no fun.

Post by PeteRasche »

randymc wrote:we need to work on bringing in a 6-8 guy with size who can score and rebound..
Moses Wood? 8)

(he is 6'8 but looks to be another "tall guy who will shoot the 3 and not a banging rebounder)
tjtlja
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Re: Growing pains are no fun.

Post by tjtlja »

Pete, both Ajang and Koka have a shot to develop under MD. Wouldn’t you agree neither one of them are stiffs? They both seem to have athleticism.
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Johnny Mac
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Re: Growing pains are no fun.

Post by Johnny Mac »

tjtlja wrote:Pete, both Ajang and Koka have a shot to develop under MD. Wouldn’t you agree neither one of them are stiffs? They both seem to have athleticism.
I think Ajang is much further along than Koka... he at least runs up and down the floor like he's played before... Koka was a deer in the headlights in every one of his appearances.

In re TUPF's comment about the first 5 minutes... our complete game victory over Temple was the only game in conference we didn't start out that way... and that needs to change. Not sure what the problem is but the team is 1-3 in games where they have to dig out from under the snow pile after horrid starts.
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NJwave
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Re: Growing pains are no fun.

Post by NJwave »

PeteRasche wrote:
randymc wrote:we need to work on bringing in a 6-8 guy with size who can score and rebound..
Moses Wood? 8)

(he is 6'8 but looks to be another "tall guy who will shoot the 3 and not a banging rebounder)

Oh for another Josh Davis. This team would be a tournament team with him getting us some second chances and grabbing every rebound on defense. I’m not even asking for Tulane Josh davis that scored. I’ll take SDSU Davis that they never called a play for.
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Re: Growing pains are no fun.

Post by RI WAVE »

Seemed like some tenacious defense helped us in the early games, when there were screens recently, we had three guys going to the ball leaving too many open shoes. Get back to the basics. Defense, rebounding, technique under the boards will payoff even if we are not hot from outside. Thanks for the analysis, Pete.
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Re: Growing pains are no fun.

Post by Baywave1 »

At end of day, to win these games this year Tulane needs more offense. It must shoot 50% or thereabouts with decent 3pt and FT performance as well. It will do what it can rebounding and defense wise but the tell is simply physical limitations. Ajang played hard but he needs to add at least 30 pounds of bulk and perhaps more to bang boards and provide some rim protection effectively in AAC. Sehic can mix it up underneath but he cannot play over the rim like 90% of elite AAC front court players and that's never changing. Paul's play has improved over the past 2.5 years and will continue to but he is not going to become faster.

If effort and motivation remain high and shooting improves to above norms, Tulane can still have a .500 conference record or perhaps better and even pull off another interesting upset like SMU. It's all about the scoring.
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Re: Growing pains are no fun.

Post by waverider »

The bottom line. We need more AAC caliber* athletes. We are too small to compete in this conference. We have no defense in the paint outside of Paul. When Blake’s not in the game, opponents frequently drive to the goal with the end result being an uncontested lay up or free throws.

I think Daniels needs to take more minutes from Cornish.

*By caliber, I am referring more to size, athleticism to match up with the teams we play. Like football, we need to elevate the level of recruits we get and that’s where Dunleavy will make or break his college coaching legacy.
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