The Good and The Bad

[jedwar]

The bad.

We played bad in all facets.

Shooting was bad. If we aren’t hitting a good clip of 3s it’s going to be some grinders.

The bench was almost unplayable except for Brea. Kriisa and Garrison just killed us. Afraid depth will be an issue. I’d rather had Robinson or Oweh run the point some.

Williams is doing too much and handling the ball too much. He’s a on the block and a putback guy. Same with Garrison.

Brea sat too much in the 2nd half.

Bad subbing and lack of some adjustments. For such an analytical guy I’m suprised the first half +/- wasn’t addressed. I would’ve liked to see Carr at the 5 with four shooters. I know Carr didn’t play well but it worked against Duke.

The Good

The rotation is more clear.

Rebounded better in 2nd half.

Played quite bad and still was in the game in a hostile environment.

We won’t shoot this bad every game. Three games is plenty.


Wanted to get this game because Saturday will
be tough.

 

[kats23]

For sure we were not ready for the road. WKU certainly exposed a weakness that we need to get adjusted and that’s just be really physical against us. It’s been 3 straight games of rock fights. I thought we would see the end of that with Pope’s system because of the movement and flow but it just hasn’t been there the last 3 games. We’re just getting stagnant in the half court and that leads to bad shots. No one outside of Butler can really create on their own so they need the constant movement to get open shots.

Until that is fixed, we’re going to keep seeing what we’re seeing because teams aren’t dumb. Hopefully, now that we’ve dropped one, it might make it easier for the payers to see what they need to do to adjust. Thought we saw too much of Krissa last night and Carr just got abused by that Welcome Back Cotter doofus.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

Good analysis and agree

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

26% to 28% from three for three straight games isn't going to last. Those numbers will come up.

Plus, UK was horrid from the line (again).

24-10 or 23-11 is still reasonable. 25+ win in the SEC was always a pipedream with our sheer lack of NBA talent.

 

[Cold Stout Beer]

2 first half fouls on Carr and Butler changed the entire game. 3rd on Butler as soon as the second half horn blew.

 

[Titpwhami2014]

Schiefflin didn’t have a single foul? That might be the most absurd stat of the year so far.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Really don’t understand why Pope didn’t put Carr at the 5 second half. Or at least half the second half. Def couldn’t have been any worse that Amari. Would have needed to play Brea more, so maybe he just didn’t want to?

 

[bbncal02]

Schiefflin didn’t have a single foul? That might be the most absurd stat of the year so far.

Yeah, that's damn near impossible, especially with the way he plays.

 

[aikenite4uk]

1. Kriisa is overmatched physically at the high D1 level. Surprised Chandler didn't get some of his minutes.
2. Carr was bad last night and isn't physical enough against those type of athletic bigs
3. They were sitting on Brea's three opportunities and making him drive to beat them. He isn't a great athlete either...there's a reason he was a sixth man at Dayton. Glad we have him, just trying to be real about strengths/weaknesses. You could make a case he should have played more down the stretch.
4. Our lack of an elite athlete/scorer is concerning. Jaxson and Oweh are the closest we have, and yet their ceiling is mid 2nd round NBA draft pick at best. That probably limits our ceiling in March.
Overall, Pope did a great job of putting together this team at the last minute, but we do have some limitations.

 

[BC_Wader]

Schiefflin didn’t have a single foul? That might be the most absurd stat of the year so far.

You can't grab 20+ rebounds and not foul. Especially when you miss almost every shot you take and look like you just left the Banquet Table after a 9 plate binge.

 

[WallMashKyBall]

Agree, Kirrsa is not fast, small,, average shot at best, when we play athletes that the ref's let grab us, he's a complete liability. And since our PG only has to get the ball to our big at the top of key, let Oweh and Robinson or Brea bring the ball up as back up.

 

[CapnBlubs]

Refs were atrocious...allowed a football game out there. But since it will be like that EVERY time we go on the road in the SEC, I'm going to ignore that excuse (valid as it may be).

Our offense is bad against good competition. It just is. We aren't a genuine threat with our penetration and passing. We aren't fluid. We have to figure this shit out.

By the way, Clemson isn't even that good. We were up by 1 with a little over 10 minutes to go and completely shit the bed. Have to wake up and do better because the average SEC team is better than Clemson. If we want to contend, got to fight.

 

[aikenite4uk]

Refs were atrocious...allowed a football game out there. But since it will be like that EVERY time we go on the road in the SEC, I'm going to ignore that excuse (valid as it may be).

Our offense is bad against good competition. It just is. We aren't a genuine threat with our penetration and passing. We aren't fluid. We have to figure this shit out.

By the way, Clemson isn't even that good. We were up by 1 with a little over 10 minutes to go and completely shit the bed. Have to wake up and do better because the average SEC team is better than Clemson. If we want to contend, got to fight.

I disagree. Clemson is a well above average team, #24 in Kenpom.

 

[ManitouDan]

1. Kriisa is overmatched physically at the high D1 level. Surprised Chandler didn't get some of his minutes.
2. Carr was bad last night and isn't physical enough against those type of athletic bigs
3. They were sitting on Brea's three opportunities and making him drive to beat them. He isn't a great athlete either...there's a reason he was a sixth man at Dayton. Glad we have him, just trying to be real about strengths/weaknesses. You could make a case he should have played more down the stretch.
4. Our lack of an elite athlete/scorer is concerning. Jaxson and Oweh are the closest we have, and yet their ceiling is mid 2nd round NBA draft pick at best. That probably limits our ceiling in March.
Overall, Pope did a great job of putting together this team at the last minute, but we do have some limitations.

excellent . dead on .

 

[katwest]

Schiefflin didn’t have a single foul? That might be the most absurd stat of the year so far.

Simple Simon was able to roughhouse all night and never get called for it, despite being over the back and banging in to bodies the whole game. If both teams can do it, its ok, but when one can and one can't without it being called, that's no good. We still had plenty of chances ad couldn't hit open or contested shots along with missing free throws we usually hit. Now this team should know what to expect on the road.

 

[CapnBlubs]

I disagree. Clemson is a well above average team, #24 in Kenpom.

I'll admit that I overstated it a bit. But there are still numerous opponents in our own league that are better. Auburn. Tennessee. Alabama. Florida. And then a few who are right on Clemson's level if not better. So our standing in the league moving forward is a big concern if we don't toughen up.

 

[Creed Bratton]

Until that is fixed, we’re going to keep seeing what we’re seeing because teams aren’t dumb. Hopefully, now that we’ve dropped one, it might make it easier for the payers to see what they need to do to adjust. Thought we saw too much of Krissa last night and Carr just got abused by that Welcome Back Cotter doofus.

How did that kid, as physical as he played Amari and Carr on the block, not get 1 foul called on him?

 

[TTTblue24]

As bad as we played, make some fts and probably win that game honestly. Carr can’t be that easily rattled by physicality & we have to play better perimeter defense. The centers making decisions at top of the key has got to stop, no big is being pulled out there to open up the lane and those guys are TO machines to boot. Drive killing turnovers at that or we give up fast break points.

 

[Big BlueBeard]

The bad.

We played bad in all facets.

Shooting was bad. If we aren’t hitting a good clip of 3s it’s going to be some grinders.

The bench was almost unplayable except for Brea. Kriisa and Garrison just killed us. Afraid depth will be an issue. I’d rather had Robinson or Oweh run the point some.

Williams is doing too much and handling the ball too much. He’s a on the block and a putback guy. Same with Garrison.

Brea sat too much in the 2nd half.

Bad subbing and lack of some adjustments. For such an analytical guy I’m suprised the first half +/- wasn’t addressed. I would’ve liked to see Carr at the 5 with four shooters. I know Carr didn’t play well but it worked against Duke.

The Good

The rotation is more clear.

Rebounded better in 2nd half.

Played quite bad and still was in the game in a hostile environment.

We won’t shoot this bad every game. Three games is plenty.


Wanted to get this game because Saturday will
be tough.

Resonable take indeed. We'll be fine. Move on. I have confidence in this staff and no longer feel the angst I did with the previous regime.

 

[CatFanInIlliniLand]

Agree, Kirrsa is not fast, small,, average shot at best, when we play athletes that the ref's let grab us, he's a complete liability. And since our PG only has to get the ball to our big at the top of key, let Oweh and Robinson or Brea bring the ball up as back up.

Before I get bashed…… this isn’t a “is Richie gonna play” type post.

A serious question here. What does Kriisa do better than Travis Perry? I guess it comes down to experience? Kerr isn’t a better shooter. He’s not a better scorer. He can be a better playmaker for sure. He’s not an elite level defender at all.

If Kerr is off & Butler needs a breather, I wouldn’t have minded seeing Perry for a minute or two.

 

[jedwar]

Really don’t understand why Pope didn’t put Carr at the 5 second half. Or at least half the second half. Def couldn’t have been any worse that Amari. Would have needed to play Brea more, so maybe he just didn’t want to?

Brea's +/- wasn't good, but you can't leave his shooting or shooting threat on the bench like that in the 2nd half imo. I would have liked to have seen Carr, Brea, Robinson, Oweh and Butler. Yes you give up some bulk but spacing may have been better for some looks for guys.

 

[WeWant9]

I was curious how they would play against physical teams, the last three games have shown some issues with it.

I give Pope a ton of credit for coming in and building a team, he crushed it the first month. Now there is more film out on this team. The staff will have to readjust some.

Agree on Williams. I don’t know if he’s being asked to do too much or doing it on his own, but he has the ball in his hands way to much. This was a game we really needed Carr to show up.

 

[Creed Bratton]

Brea's +/- wasn't good, but you can't leave his shooting or shooting threat on the bench like that in the 2nd half imo. I would have liked to have seen Carr, Brea, Robinson, Oweh and Butler. Yes you give up some bulk but spacing may have been better for some looks for guys.

Offensively I agree that lineup is a threat but those 5 guys combined had 3 less rebounds than Scheiffelin.

 

[CatFanInIlliniLand]

Things that concern me:

* Jaxson Robinson doesn’t have a great handle. He’s not a consistent one on one guy who can get you a bucket in ISO. In fact, we have several guys like that. We are going to have to hit the 3 and run the system to reach our potential.

* Amari Williams has the ball in his hand too much at the top of the key. It’s odd because I like a ton of things Amari does and we wouldn’t be 7-1 without him. He’s not Jokic though. I don’t like seeing that play every possession.

* Carr has to play big for us every game. He can’t shy away when things get physical. Same goes for Brea & Almonor, but more so with Carr.

Things that I feel good about:

* Lamont Butler is better than I thought. His 3 point shot is respectable enough that you must guard him. He makes smart plays. He’s tough and can finish. I keep saying I see a poor man’s Chris Paul in him.

* Coach Mark Pope. I’ll take 7-1. Even in a loss, when I didn’t understand Brea’s lack of PT, you can tell that he was looking at the numbers & analytics from his interview. He has a plan. Unlike Cal who would simply say, “I didn’t want to take his heart”.

* Oweh - I thought he had an off game. He missed those back to back 3’s in crunch time & then a corner 3. Still, he finished with 17 & 7. He’s a keeper.

 

[FirewithFire]

First, I just want to say that last night was one of the single worst reffed gamed I have ever seen. Why we manage to pull Roger the asshole Ayers for a ref is beyond me.

Anyway, we all knew this would happen. When our threes don't fall we are vulnerable to a loss. That happened and we lost.

It is pretty clear to me that Butler is the gas that makes the engine run. Krissa is a liability and I don't really care for his brand of "swagger". He is a defensive liability and his decision making is suspect at best.

Almanor / Brea should play over Robinson.

I don't take much from last nights loss. We played like complete ish and only lost by four on the road with Roger Ayers doing his thing.

One thing, however, is this. It is tough to overstate how being hacked, grabbed, pushed, and scraped during a game can mess with your head as a shooter, both because you know you are being screwed by the refs and because it is AF.

If this team can't find a way to overcome that then we will loose many road games in the dirty SEC.

 

[kats23]

How did that kid, as physical as he played Amari and Carr on the block, not get 1 foul called on him?

 

[stenchymouse]

We'll see a lot of games like this on the road and I think we'll win most of them.

No concerns at all.

I'm very thankful for our team and coach.

 

[dckala2]

This season we just don’t have the jimmys and joes. Hopefully they’ll continue to gel and tighten the rotation.

 

[Creed Bratton]

First, I just want to say that last night was one of the single worst reffed gamed I have ever seen. Why we manage to pull Roger the asshole Ayers for a ref is beyond me.

Anyway, we all knew this would happen. When our threes don't fall we are vulnerable to a loss. That happened and we lost.

It is pretty clear to me that Butler is the gas that makes the engine run. Krissa is a liability and I don't really care for his brand of "swagger". He is a defensive liability and his decision making is suspect at best.

Almanor / Brea should play over Robinson.

I don't take much from last nights loss. We played like complete ish and only lost by four on the road with Roger Ayers doing his thing.

One thing, however, is this. It is tough to overstate how being hacked, grabbed, pushed, and scraped during a game can mess with your head as a shooter, both because you know you are being screwed by the refs and because it is AF.

If this team can't find a way to overcome that then we will loose many road games in the dirty SEC.

I thought Ayers wasn't as bad as the other 2. The one younger white guy made about 4 foul calls on us a good 2-3 seconds later when he saw they missed the shot or turned the ball over. It was like he was trying to bail them out.

 

[Creed Bratton]

Did you see the blatant walk coming out of the under 16 timeout of the 2nd half?

 

[AJG-15]

actually Ayers refereed was good. I cannot say the same about the other two gentlemen.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

You can't grab 20+ rebounds and not foul. Especially when you miss almost every shot you take and look like you just left the Banquet Table after a 9 plate binge.

Especially when you don't get in position to rebound and depend on going over the back.

 

[FirewithFire]

I thought Ayers wasn't as bad as the other 2. The one younger white guy made about 4 foul calls on us a good 2-3 seconds later when he saw they missed the shot or turned the ball over. It was like he was trying to bail them out.

Ayers was the lead ref and sets the way calls are made for the game. The other two just follow the lead. They let Clemson do whatever they wanted to do and helped them win.

Vegas has way to much control of sports at every level. Until someone has the balls to put standards and penalties on refs this kind of crap will never stop.

 

[UKSouthpaw]

2 first half fouls on Carr and Butler changed the entire game. 3rd on Butler as soon as the second half horn blew.

The first foul on Butler was a joke and it certainly hurt us to have him out and Kerr playing more mins than he should have.

 

[UKSouthpaw]

How did that kid, as physical as he played Amari and Carr on the block, not get 1 foul called on him?

I almost didn't believe what you posted and had to check the box score. He knocked our guys around all night, without good position on the floor, and NEVER committed one foul? Doesn't seem possible.

 

[chroix]

They game planned us perfectly. The combo of big physical perimeter defense with excellent rim protection shut us down. But we missed our open threes and I can’t see that happening too many times. Still really excited about this team and hope they turn it around and beat the Zags.

 

[chroix]

How did that kid, as physical as he played Amari and Carr on the block, not get 1 foul called on him?

My guess is garbage ass refs.

 

[Creed Bratton]

I almost didn't believe what you posted and had to check the box score. He knocked our guys around all night, without good position on the floor, and NEVER committed one foul? Doesn't seem possible.

Yeah I couldn't believe it either when I looked at the box score. He was lowering his shoulder and hitting Amari in the back every time he tried to post up on the block. It wasn't defense it was ruthless aggression. 😂

 

[AJG-15]

Ayers was the lead ref and sets the way calls are made for the game. The other two just follow the lead. They let Clemson do whatever they wanted to do and helped them win.

Vegas has way to much control of sports at every level. Until someone has the balls to put standards and penalties on refs this kind of crap will never stop.

Sorry I disagree with your take.

 

[jedwar]

Yeah I couldn't believe it either when I looked at the box score. He was lowering his shoulder and hitting Amari in the back every time he tried to post up on the block. It wasn't defense it was ruthless aggression. 😂

Send a message to him with a hard foul or two may have helped. IDK.