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Post by lwc4591 on Dec 16, 2013 9:42:25 GMT -5
Team has poor shooting and when all is said and done are tiny at the guard position. Roberts and Price are both better than anything we have other than Duren at the point. They both are better shooters, are better defenders and are clearly bigger, stronger and more athletic. Next season we will improve particularly on the glass with Washington, Roberts and Price. I believe Davis will probably see the light and transfer so he can play and G will search for a 6-8 shooting type forward to compliment Washington. Everyone was fooled by what we had returning this season and we will just have to be satisfied with a 17 or 18 win season. Few year ago we would have been pretty happy with 18 wins. What we have to hope for next season is Schuler, Stukes and to a lesser degree Lewis can handle the point. Wright, Zack, Roberts, Price, Washington are very solid to good it will be Peterson, Lewis, Schuler and Stukes being the key going forward.
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Post by durenduren on Dec 16, 2013 9:49:15 GMT -5
I said it elsewhere, but that's 28% from the field minus Jerrell. And we're sitting around 320 out 350 someodd teams for FG% on the year. From three we rank around 290. Defense doesn't matter if you can't score.
Field Goal Rank in the A10 up to this point: Wright, #7 .548 Zack, #29 .466 Duren, #59 .375, 12th in attempts per game Garland, #63 .347, 3rd in attempts per game Mills, #67 .338, 48th in attempts per game
No game is going to be easy come conference play with that level of inefficiency.
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Post by explorer88 on Dec 16, 2013 9:55:49 GMT -5
Teams are going to concentrate of guarding Jerrell as much as possible and force the other players to beat them. As we are playing now we would be hard pressed to win 18 games.
I have to believe the guards will play better than they have been up till this point but in reality how much improvement can we really expect to see when they are all so timid at scoring?
That Nova team would win the A-10 handidly. Still there are many A-10 teams between Nova and where La Salle currently is now.
At this moment I am hoping for a winning season. It still amazes me when I think that I am hoping for a winning season coming off of last year's run.
Success is very fleeting in college basketball for schools like La Salle. St. Joe's also experienced it.
I think one game at a time is the best course of acton for fandom this year.
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Post by mookie on Dec 16, 2013 9:58:44 GMT -5
I honestly hope Roberts and Price legit. I think Roberts will be more of a spot-up shooter and 3pt threat than someone who will/can work to create his shot. Price looks like he's the aggresive scorer type...hopefully, Stukes becomes more aggresive as well that way we'd have 3 legit scorers (Wright, Price, Stukes) on the floor who could create their own shots, hopefully.
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Post by mookie on Dec 16, 2013 10:00:35 GMT -5
We all knew this year's team would take a step back, especially compared to last year's team. Don't think we expected the team to struggle this much BUT it's very important to keep the team above .500.
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Post by durenduren on Dec 16, 2013 10:04:03 GMT -5
Skill aside, I'm hoping one of those guys has a pair of balls. This team is so bland, unemotional. Jerrell gets hyped up, and I liked seeing Khalid not shying away from some physical action after the whistle yesterday. But aside from them, this team needs identity and character. I'd almost be willing to sacrifice some skills for leadership ability.
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Post by explorer88 on Dec 16, 2013 10:49:27 GMT -5
Skill aside, I'm hoping one of those guys has a pair of balls. This team is so bland, unemotional. Jerrell gets hyped up, and I liked seeing Khalid not shying away from some physical action after the whistle yesterday. But aside from them, this team needs identity and character. I'd almost be willing to sacrifice some skills for leadership ability. I agree 100% regarding the emotion. It is not there with this group. They are quiet by nature and much like it is imperative to have players with toughness I think it is imperative to have emotional players as well. When Ramon left we lost that.
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Now What?
Dec 16, 2013 11:20:25 GMT -5
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Post by lasalle89 on Dec 16, 2013 11:20:25 GMT -5
I agree on taking it one game at a time. I am guilty of very high expectations for this squad. I am now curious about practice and how good our future guards are and how they do against our current starters. I hope we finish above .500. That would be devestating if we didn't. If I am G I am encouraging our kids to let it fly. Our three attempts were not even close to going in against Nova. Tell them to relax and let it fly.
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Post by lasalle69bestever on Dec 16, 2013 12:12:37 GMT -5
Well, I agree fully with the post describing Duren as a shell of himself. (Just compare last year's Nova game).
Beyond that, I think we have role playing guards playing outside the roles of which they are capable. Both Mills and DJ are complementary, occasional shooters. Their makeup seems not to be relied upon as a major, volume shooting threats. They consistently pass up as many or more shots than they take. They are no threat whatsoever and can be guarded in terms of who they may pass it to.
This leaves tremendous pressure on Tyrone. He's not really a good disher - and there are no threats to dish it out to anyway - so bigs can just wait for the swat since he's only 6'1". He is fearless but we've seen how many are getting swatted. Some hope lies with Kahlil Lewis as he gets more PT.
So - until and unless Duren gets back to form, we have a team with one current, consistent true scoring threat - Jerrell Wright. Zack is capable of 10-14 depending on the opponent & Garland could explode somewhat in any given game.
But generally, we are left with a "four to score" or "three to score" scenario unless Duren can recover his game. I'm not optimistic outside of well timed run in Brooklyn.
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Now What?
Dec 16, 2013 12:23:12 GMT -5
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Post by durenduren on Dec 16, 2013 12:23:12 GMT -5
We're all waiting for that one game when the rediscover their stroke, particularly from three, because it's almost impossible to continue shooting the ball as poor as we are game in and game out. But this far into the season, the ONLY clutch shot beyond ten feet was the Garland three to send the Manhattan game to OT, which is since proving to be a miracle in itself.
It might not just happen though. No one is warranting enough respect to draw attention to create opportunity.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2013 13:00:43 GMT -5
The thing that is keeping this team from winning is the outside shooting. The guards have become tentative. It looks like they are thinking "will I make this shot" even as they are taking it. They are not shooting with confidence. They don't have that go to guy who says "give me the ball and get out of the way". What they are doing now is trying to go inside all of the time and the result is that teams are collapsing on them. Maybe the answer is to tell the players to only shoot threes in the next game. Maybe they will lose by 25 points but it will force the guards to shoot. This team isn't going anywhere until they can get over their bad outside shooting. They need to get over the fear of failure and let it fly. The result wouldn't be any worse than it is right now.
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Post by a10champion15 on Dec 16, 2013 16:21:23 GMT -5
LOL and speculating on next year team has already begun as well...
Saying the teams going to be better with Roberts, Price, Stukes, Shuler and Washington is really ill advised.
Washington, Shuhler and Stukes are all freshmen and none of us have seen them play yet in a La Salle uniform with the exception of Stukes, who needs work. Price and Roberts while have some great profiles or stats also have yet to play in a la salle uniform.
Ride out the season with what we have so far...it isn't over. A lot can change while not probable isn't impossible.
Our current RPI is 125 and we have had one of the most difficult schedules in the A10 so far. Our non conference SOS is 65 behind UMass and Dayton SOS.
I HAVE NOT GIVEN UP. The key to this year is winning out the rest of our non conference schedule, beating GW at home. Before playing Temple be 11-5. Take Temple down in good fashion and move on to the next two games between @bona and VCU, win one of those and were back in it. Obviously a lot has to change, improve and with a little luck ya never know.
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Post by talkinbball on Dec 17, 2013 10:33:10 GMT -5
Like your optimism a10. Hope the team proves you right!
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Post by coachd on Dec 17, 2013 14:56:16 GMT -5
If only we could find someone with a degree in Sports Psychology to turn this team around.
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Post by lwc4591 on Dec 17, 2013 16:05:05 GMT -5
A10Champion it is no big deal to look into the future and it actually may work out for the better that this years team doesn't excel which would create less pressure for next years team. You are correct in that I have no idea if Washington, Schuler and Stukes will workout but we have a fairly good read on Price and Roberts based on their freshman years in college which were actually pretty good. It is safe to assume that both will help Wright and Zack on the glass much more than Mills and Garland ever could based on their size and athleticism. I still believe this years team will end up with 17-18 wins and make the NIT which would not be all that bad. Of the five new players next season Stukes will have the most pressure and I believe Washington will be the biggest surprise.
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Now What?
Dec 17, 2013 20:51:38 GMT -5
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Post by lasalle89 on Dec 17, 2013 20:51:38 GMT -5
NIT bid? I was expecting top 25 and a return to the Sweet 16. I cannot see us getting an NIT bid at this point. Does anyone really expect an NIT bid? Unless G decides to shake things up I don't see any post season for this team. There just is no passion. There is no confidence, no leadership. At this point if we got an NIT bid I would be very surprised.
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Post by durenduren on Dec 17, 2013 21:50:49 GMT -5
If Tony Washington has developed on the offensive end some, combined with the quality minutes that Rohan has been able to chip in with the added length of Cleon, Jerrell and Steve could be the beneficiaries of a very deep frontcourt.
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MisterD
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Post by MisterD on Dec 17, 2013 22:07:46 GMT -5
Expecting a return to the Sweet 16 was silly. It never wasn't silly.
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Now What?
Dec 18, 2013 8:08:55 GMT -5
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Post by theneumann64 on Dec 18, 2013 8:08:55 GMT -5
Expecting a return to the Sweet 16 was silly. It never wasn't silly. This.
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Post by victoriouslasalle on Dec 18, 2013 9:17:10 GMT -5
Well the basketball world had us a pretty good team, projected as a 3 or 4 in the A10. Start of the season, I suspect this was not fantasy to most of us. It seemed possible. Of course we shall see, 2/3 of the season and A10 play lay ahead, but, the way we are currently playing.... this is far from possible. The quality of play that I have observed so far puts us at mid pack in the A10 at best? We are not a pretty good team. Guard play in particular has hurt us, been down right bad at times, a weakness, not the veteran poised play expected.
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Post by mookie on Dec 18, 2013 10:36:53 GMT -5
Expecting top 25 after losing our best player is "tad" naive.
Expecting a return to the Sweet 16 is just ridiculous. That's not a reflection of the team, but because there have been an incredible amount of teams in the top 25 who don't make the Sweet 16 every year.
As of right now, this team isn't an NIT team but that's not to say they get better as the year goes on and makes it to the NIT. In all likelihood, the only way to the NCAA is to win the conference or win the A10 tourney. The NIT, well, I don't even know...
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Post by fvp47 on Dec 18, 2013 11:26:25 GMT -5
I do not recall anyone picked us in the top 25, though there was a site that listed us "others recieving votes" About the worst I saw was College Sports Madness who has us at 55 out of 144. The inability of our guards to hit a shot when compared to their stats over the last two seasons is somewhat mind numbing. I believe that now it is a confidence issue.
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Post by coachd on Dec 18, 2013 13:09:18 GMT -5
If only we could find someone with a degree in Sports Psychology to turn this team around. Is there a doctor in the house?
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Post by calsufan on Dec 18, 2013 13:12:53 GMT -5
If only we could find someone with a degree in Sports Psychology to turn this team around. Is there a doctor in the house? You're STILL an idiot. -signed the entire board once again.
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Post by mookie on Dec 18, 2013 13:34:16 GMT -5
If only we could find someone with a degree in Sports Psychology to turn this team around. Is there a doctor in the house? You're STILL an idiot. -signed the entire board once again. hahahahahahahahaha...this made my day
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Now What?
Dec 18, 2013 13:39:28 GMT -5
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Post by durenduren on Dec 18, 2013 13:39:28 GMT -5
If only we could find someone with a degree in Sports Psychology to turn this team around. Is there a doctor in the house? The Carlos Mencia of Explorertown: If it's not funny the first time, let's try it 4 more times.
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Post by durenduren on Dec 18, 2013 13:44:08 GMT -5
The inability of our guards to hit a shot when compared to their stats over the last two seasons is somewhat mind numbing. I believe that now it is a confidence issue. While I agree that there's a major confidence issue, this team should have had atleast one game when they shot the ball well simply by the rules of averages. But they haven't, and it's because they aren't good enough without Ramon making space. Is what it is.
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Post by fvp47 on Dec 18, 2013 13:48:29 GMT -5
Do not agree. While he was the emotional leader and an inspiration he did not make their shots for them over the last two years. They did.
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Post by mookie on Dec 18, 2013 13:57:31 GMT -5
Do not agree. While he was the emotional leader and an inspiration he did not make their shots for them over the last two years. They did. what durenduren is trying to say is that no, galloway didn't make those shots for them but his ability to create space for them AND take the pressure off of them to hit shots or whatever made it easier for them to score. Galloway is proving that he was significantly better than just his stats. Galloway was one of those players that made everybody around him better.
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Now What?
Dec 18, 2013 14:01:46 GMT -5
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Post by durenduren on Dec 18, 2013 14:01:46 GMT -5
Do not agree. While he was the emotional leader and an inspiration he did not make their shots for them over the last two years. They did. The truth probably lies somewhere in between both of our points. I agree that these guys are clearly better than shooting less than 30% from the field, and that's on them totally. But I'm not about to ignore that no guard this year has been double teamed once, which Ramon saw endlessly. That opens things up, especially on a quick passing perimeter. Teams game planned for Ramon, making good players even better when isolated with room and favorable matchups. We just don't pose matchup problems on the backcourt anymore. It's easy to cheat covering our front court knowing our backcourt won't burn you.
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