MSU Pre-Game Presser (Chin/Jans)
- Thread starter mcwildcats04
- Start date
Chin repeatedly calls Cal the GOAT. Said he had a hunch for the Bama game in playing Z more. Said he has another hunch for the MSU game. What will that be? He does add later in the interview that they're going to try to do some things to get Reed some more looks from 3.
Another hunch? Why keep tinkering with hunches - what we had on Saturday WORKED.
His "hunch" should be "yeah, that worked, let's stick with it from now on until the team proves we need to tinker".
Yeah, I hope we roll with that lineup a lot. Run it until it's not working (if there's something specific game to game where that lineup isn't working then, sure, adjust). Hopefully the "hunch" is more related to getting Reed more open 3 looks. I hope it's not playing 2 bigs together. LOL
Yeah i agree. Coach sometimes overthinks things depending on who we play. The bottom line is no matter who you play thr intent is to score on every possesion and fight like heck to stop the other team from scoring. There is a group of 5 that are the best at doing this. Find that group and play them.
In the pre-game, Calipari said the same about Sheppard. Said they've begged him to shoot more.
Chin must be the guy who pushes back against playing Big Z because everytime a reporter brings him up he seems very dismissive. He acts like Big Z isn't physical enough for this upcoming game. I get that basketball is a very physical sport and we need to win 50/50 balls but we also need to play our most skilled guys and tell them to be a physical as possible. Our coaches act as if some guys are way above other from a physical standpoint and I just dont see it. Big Z can mix it up just as well as anyone.
Every opponent is different. What works vs one team, may not work vs another (& vice versa).
Who knows, maybe his hunch is to play the 3 R's together more (something most of BBN has already figured out). Although at most you can play the 3 together for 15-20mpg, because Reeves and Reed need at least 5min rest, and Rob needs 10 of either rest or to limit his fouls.
Or maybe rather than trying to maximize the minutes the 3 are together, we should ensure Reeves is at the 3 whenever Wagner is on the court so that we have 2 good shooters on the floor all 40 mintues. So 3 guards whenever Wagner plays.
![[laughing]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/classic/laugh.r191677.gif "Laughing [laughing]")
Anytime we try to play muck it up basketball against a team that wants to muck it up we lose. We need to be dictating the tempo of the game because we have the better players in most of these games. We need to spread the floor and run. It doesn't matter who the opponent is.
Unfortunately MSU is 11th ranked defense. Alabama is 97th. What worked against 97th ranked may not against 11th. So a different game plan will be needed.
"I think he (Z) can have a huge impact beyond SEC play" - Chin
I still think the staff wants to save him as sort of a secret weapon for March. There's no reason he shouldn't be starting right now. Best big we have on the team when it comes to shooting, passing, finishing, PnR offense, and he seems to block shots just as well as Ugo.
Currently shooting 60% on limited three point attempts and had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks in only 20 minutes against Bama. The only knock on him right now would be physicality and that he gets lost on defense at times but you can also say that about Ugo and Bradshaw.
I still think the staff wants to save him as sort of a secret weapon for March. There's no reason he shouldn't be starting right now. Best big we have on the team when it comes to shooting, passing, finishing, PnR offense, and he seems to block shots just as well as Ugo.
Currently shooting 60% on limited three point attempts and had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks in only 20 minutes against Bama. The only knock on him right now would be physicality and that he gets lost on defense at times but you can also say that about Ugo and Bradshaw.
What would be the path against a better defense? The only thing obvious to me is that Rob has to play more minutes against a much better defense since he's so good at creating his own shot. And we're going to need enough shooters on the floor at all times presumably.
That lineup worked amazingly well. It will work again in the future, but it probably won't work against MSU. They are the most physical team in the conference. Z would probably get broken in half by Tolu Smith.
But I will say this: if we shoot 60+% from the floor again, it doesn't matter how physical or slow MSU is, they won't be able to keep up.
I really like Chin's interviews. He is strikingly candid at times, but I love it. It's refreshing.
Yes, we will have a much tougher time finding the open looks we had against Bama. We will need our spacing and ball movement to be firing on all cylinders. I was simply saying we had open looksnall day and easy buckets down low against Bama that we won't have against MSU.
That said if we execute our game plan we should win by 10+
I wouldn't be surprised if Cals new "Hunch" is to run the side to side ball screens we use for Reeves some for Reed this game.
But, if we get the version of Ugo that we got against LSU, we can't play him. If he's not on, we have to go with Big Z (or Mitchell at the 5 when he's ready). Z brings a lot more to the table than Ugo (better hands/passing/spacing/can hit FTs), that if Ugo isn't bringing it on the defensive side, Z is a far better option.
MSU has the 11th overall defense, but it still isn't that simple.
They are actually mid at defending 2's. They allow teams to shoot 49.1% inside the arc, which is 126th in the country. Where they are ELITE defensively is defending the 3. Opponents shoot 28% from 3 against them, which is the 4th lowest percentage in college basketball.
We are going to have to beat them with layups, dunks, and freethrows. Cannot miss bunnies in this game.
When we played them at Rupp, we shot 30% from 3. And that was with Tre Mitchell. I think we need to get that up to about 33-35% to beat them in Starkville, or come out and defend like we did against Auburn.
Sounds like room for lots of Reeves' floaters. I'm good with that! Jans said in his interview that Tolu now comes off the bench and he's apparently embraced that role. Think he started when we last played them. Maybe there is more room for Z down low with Tolu not starting.
Trying to run the offense to get Sheppard more shots will be a mistake. Reed shoots it when he’s open in the flow of the game, or when he needs to drive and shoot the pull-up jumper. He loves to set up others, so IMO, any tinkering to get him to shoot more will not be in the team’s best interests.
I hope this is not another trap game - big win against Bama and then, go to Miss State and lose. These guys need to be completely dialed in defensively and attack the basket relentlessly. Miss State is a very physical team. The Cats need to be ready.
Spot on thought the exact same thing, taking minutes away from Bradshaw.
If Reed takes half the threes Edwards and DJ have taken most of the year instead of them, we probably have 3 less losses.
Reed needs to take 3-5 more threes a game minimum.
Don't recall much at all on Mitchell in terms of timeline to return. Think it was more just talk on integrating him back in when he's ready.
Their shooter was like 1-11 against us the first time. Don’t expect that this time. He makes three more threes and they’re right there.
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