The Good the Bad and the Ugly-Monmouth

After a one game absence(didn't watch Bucknell game) it is back by Dave's demand.

THE GOOD
Phil Greene played great. He drove hard and for the most part settled for mid range jumpers. The best part was he didn't hold the ball and dribble around but made passes to actually progress the offense. Don't expect him to ever be a good passer, but he was trying to move the ball. The threes for him are fools gold so hopefully he doesn't start relying on them again going forward.

Harrison was clutch at the end and really 90% of the time he will be listed as a Good.

Sampson played a good aggressive game.

Obepka blocked every shot.

Everyone's favorite white guy played.

I liked the big lineup to start the game.

Team hit a couple threes.

THE BAD
Hooper's legions of fans disappointment on his 1-20 outing. Was given his shot, no one can complain now.

We took way too many threes. This is especially problematic since we you know have trouble making them,

Sanchez will eventually play better. Right? I mean all the experts on this board can't be wrong, could they?

Pointer was really quiet.

If this keeps up they might have to put Branch's game on a milk carton.

We started a big lineup and got killed on the boards by Monmouth?

THE UGLY
Jordan situation. Getting there ugly quicker then anyone could have imagined. Not even my new bestie MCNPA is going to be able to spin this. Why is this situation starting to look like Lindsey all over again. Well the good news is if he leaves we will be treated to numerous threads on what a punk he is and how he wasn't that good anyway.

The offense. Can't pass , penetrate or shoot. Other than that we look like the ShowTime Lakers.

Passing, deserves it's own category. Best passer might be Primo's subs. Unfortunately spent most of the night shooting line drive threes.

Rebounding. People will blame Obepka and they would be partially correct. However by starting the Big lineup even if Obepka jumps to block everything, theoretically Sanchez and Sampson should still be in position to block out and rebound.

free throw shooting. Kind of important as for the most part we will play close games.

 Nice post WASJU..  Missed the game, but this seems to sum it up pretty well.

Maybe Sanchez needs to be more assertive? Is he being to passive ?   I want to see him with the ball in his hands from the foul line, and down. 

Nice post WASJU..  Missed the game, but this seems to sum it up pretty well.

Maybe Sanchez needs to be more assertive? Is he being to passive ?   I want to see him with the ball in his hands from the foul line, and down. 

Sanchez shows flashes of different things, but mostly shot threes last night.

Rebounding. People will blame Obepka and they would be partially correct. However by starting the Big lineup even if Obepka jumps to block everything, theoretically Sanchez and Sampson should still be in position to block out and rebound.

The problem isn't that Obekpa tries to block every shot, it's that Obekpa, Sanchez, Pointer and Sampson try and block every shot. That's four off balance guys out of position by the stanchion, leaving only the guy who got beat on the perimeter to rebound. And the zone doesn't help, because nobody puts a body on a body. But since the alternative is our man to man, there doesn't seem to be an elegant solution.

Quote from: we are sju on November 23, 2013, 09:08:50 AM

Rebounding. People will blame Obepka and they would be partially correct. However by starting the Big lineup even if Obepka jumps to block everything, theoretically Sanchez and Sampson should still be in position to block out and rebound.

The problem isn't that Obekpa tries to block every shot, it's that Obekpa, Sanchez, Pointer and Sampson try and block every shot. That's four off balance guys out of position by the stanchion, leaving only the guy who got beat on the perimeter to rebound. And the zone doesn't help, because nobody puts a body on a body. But since the alternative is our man to man, there doesn't seem to be an elegant solution.

Great post

Quote from: we are sju on November 23, 2013, 09:08:50 AM

Rebounding. People will blame Obepka and they would be partially correct. However by starting the Big lineup even if Obepka jumps to block everything, theoretically Sanchez and Sampson should still be in position to block out and rebound.

The problem isn't that Obekpa tries to block every shot, it's that Obekpa, Sanchez, Pointer and Sampson try and block every shot. That's four off balance guys out of position by the stanchion, leaving only the guy who got beat on the perimeter to rebound. And the zone doesn't help, because nobody puts a body on a body. But since the alternative is our man to man, there doesn't seem to be an elegant solution.

Excellent points Foad.

After a one game absence(didn't watch Bucknell game) it is back by Dave's demand.

THE GOOD
Phil Greene played great. He drove hard and for the most part settled for mid range jumpers. The best part was he didn't hold the ball and dribble around but made passes to actually progress the offense. Don't expect him to ever be a good passer, but he was trying to move the ball. The threes for him are fools gold so hopefully he doesn't start relying on them again going forward.

Harrison was clutch at the end and really 90% of the time he will be listed as a Good.

Sampson played a good aggressive game.

Obepka blocked every shot.

Everyone's favorite white guy played.

I liked the big lineup to start the game.

Team hit a couple threes.

THE BAD
Hooper's legions of fans disappointment on his 1-20 outing. Was given his shot, no one can complain now.

We took way too many threes. This is especially problematic since we you know have trouble making them,

Sanchez will eventually play better. Right? I mean all the experts on this board can't be wrong, could they?

Pointer was really quiet.

If this keeps up they might have to put Branch's game on a milk carton.

We started a big lineup and got killed on the boards by Monmouth?

THE UGLY
Jordan situation. Getting there ugly quicker then anyone could have imagined. Not even my new bestie MCNPA is going to be able to spin this. Why is this situation starting to look like Lindsey all over again. Well the good news is if he leaves we will be treated to numerous threads on what a punk he is and how he wasn't that good anyway.

The offense. Can't pass , penetrate or shoot. Other than that we look like the ShowTime Lakers.

Passing, deserves it's own category. Best passer might be Primo's subs. Unfortunately spent most of the night shooting line drive threes.

Rebounding. People will blame Obepka and they would be partially correct. However by starting the Big lineup even if Obepka jumps to block everything, theoretically Sanchez and Sampson should still be in position to block out and rebound.

free throw shooting. Kind of important as for the most part we will play close games.

I agree w most of what you wrote. Just a couple of points to add. Sampson went to the basket, and his offense, overall was good, but IMO he is one of the worst defenders we've ever had. His man blows right by him, or steps back for a wide open j. He was a big reason why Mommouth kept this game close. He plays a pretend d. It's like he puts his hand up, and postures like he's playing d, but he doesn't actually play d.

Sanchez was shooting line drives all night. This is not the answer for him. He needs to get under the basket, and bang. A guy with his skill settling for jumpers is a waste. Hopefully he cuts that crap.

Obekpa was very good, but I can see why he doesn't start. If he is left picking up the slack on every defensive set, he's going to get called for fouls. When Monmouth was able to move Obekpa away from the basket, he was no longer effective. He has to stay put.

Hooper might be worse than Bourgault. I'd give his minutes to Bourgault on Tuesday. Bourgault at least has been here, and knows what he's doing, even if he's only put together a few good games. I'd error on the side of experience. Hooper doesn't look like a D1 player.

As I've stated earlier in the thread, I'll gladly eat my words regarding Phil Greene. He might be the distributor we need at the point, but he was the only guard able to do anything at all last night for 30 minutes.

Harrison was a mess in the first half. Got called for a loose ball foul in the second half, and played very little bec of the foul trouble. Still, he came up big when we needed it most. Doesn't matter that it wasn't a quality opponent. We've seen lower level teams win games against guys better than we are. And we see it constantly. Harrison loves the pressure, and I for one, admire that quality.

Gift. Perhaps he needs to be out there more if Sampson and Sanchez don't want to rebound and defend? Yes, I've made a 180, but Gift has been working hard, and he deserves a shot.

Pointer was lousy. Usually he isn't, so hey, it was an off night. Everyone has them.

Branch had a couple of nice moments. He has to get in the lane. I've been saying it for almost a year now. Put the ball on the floor and f'n penetrate. And do it a lot. Stop giving up the ball so we throw it around the perimeter and waste clock. He had one nice drive to the basket, and he drew the foul. I still like him, and I think he'll get better, but he needs to be aggressive.

I liked the big lineup to start the game.

Please note that moving forward the Sanchez/Obekpa tandem will be referred to as the "Twink Towers." Please adjust your posts accordingly.

Good: Greene's shooting, CO's shot blocking, Sampson's athletic play, Harrison's threes at the end

Medicore: Sanchez , we heard he could start for the Jazz, maybe that was unfair, but I expected more.

Bad: Pointer's passes, Branch , they didn't cover

Agree 100% with foad's explanation of the defense

The one good thing I took from this game was as bad as we played, we won. Now I know everyone is going to say we should have, and I won't dispute that, but we have seen the last 2 yrs under Lavin we lost two games to much inferior opponents in Fordham and unc Asheville. With that being said, maybe we can take some thing from this because last yr and yr before when we had  a lapse in play, we lost, this yr we wound up winning.

Hopefully this is our worst game of yr and we don't have to look back and say we screwed up against Monmouth instead it's just a W in win  column.

Good: Greene's shooting, CO's shot blocking, Sampson's athletic play, Harrison's threes at the end

Medicore: Sanchez , we heard he could start for the Jazz, maybe that was unfair, but I expected more.

Bad: Pointer's passes, Branch , they didn't cover

Why are people impressed with his shot bloCking from last night? He had at least 2 that should have been goal tending and he was owned many times on the block. He is a good help shot blocker but a horrible low post defender. He has tons of potentials but tons of flaws still.

Quote from: we are sju on November 23, 2013, 09:08:50 AM

Rebounding. People will blame Obepka and they would be partially correct. However by starting the Big lineup even if Obepka jumps to block everything, theoretically Sanchez and Sampson should still be in position to block out and rebound.

The problem isn't that Obekpa tries to block every shot, it's that Obekpa, Sanchez, Pointer and Sampson try and block every shot. That's four off balance guys out of position by the stanchion, leaving only the guy who got beat on the perimeter to rebound. And the zone doesn't help, because nobody puts a body on a body. But since the alternative is our man to man, there doesn't seem to be an elegant solution.

The zone issue is a good point, but if you think about it, our guys don't seem to block out anyway, so really it is just trying to get in the right position to rebound and going for the ball. Like you said they all try to block a shot but I figured going with the "twink towers" (not sure of meaning but ok) Lavin would have told Sanchez and Sampson to concentrate on rebounding?

The Good
-Greene continues to feel confident and knock down shots. He has his feet set and is ready to catch and shoot. Stroke looked good. Maybe the wrist/hip was causing him issues? Maybe a bit and I think he comes back down to earth a bit just like he did after a hot start last season.
-Obkepa changes the game. Best rim protector in college basketball since Hasheem Thabeet.
-Some want to discredit Harrison but tonight he shot 50% from the floor and 50% from 3. I would gladly take that from him every game. 15 points in 16 minutes.
-Sanchez 6 assists. Obekpa 2 assists. While traditionally you'd like more assists from your guards, having your big men as capable passers out of the post is lethal. Think about that? 8 baskets were scored off passes from big men. That is minimum 16 points.
-Hooper got off 5 shots. Sure he only made 1 but the team is looking for him and he got open. If he made 1 more this wouldn't look so bad, he makes 2 more he's lethal. I also don't remember myself noticing him as a liability on the defensive end. This is positive.

The Bad
-Sampson going 3-7 from the free throw line. Simply has to do better.
-Sanchez and Obekpa combining for 5 turnovers nearly half of the team's total.
-Letting little Justin Robinson hoist 9 threes. Get a hand up!
-Letting Ty O'Garro grab 12 boards. He's a 6'5 SF playing PF for Monmouth. C'mon! (Also he is a good kid, flagrant wasn't dirty)
-Harrison 4 fouls. Stupid fouls plague him and hinder his ability to stay on the floor.

and the Ugly
-Rysheed Jordan becoming the next victim of minor infraction suspension. (I was blindsided by this. Have heard nothing but good in terms of his work, accountability, and respect)
-JaKarr Sampson making his 1st collegiate 3 pointer.
-Sanchez shooting 4 threes when he is being guarded by a guy half his size.
-Getting out rebounded by 9. Product of zone + shot blocking.
-Pointer, Sanchez, Hooper combine for 3-14 shooting
-GG 7 min and no rebounds. Unacceptable.
-8 of 16 from the free throw line. Thought they turned the corner on this issue. Welp!

Agree 100% with foad's explanation of the defense

Does Foard know something we don't know?

Quote from: CC on November 23, 2013, 11:58:36 AM

Good: Greene's shooting, CO's shot blocking, Sampson's athletic play, Harrison's threes at the end

Medicore: Sanchez , we heard he could start for the Jazz, maybe that was unfair, but I expected more.

Bad: Pointer's passes, Branch , they didn't cover

Why are people impressed with his shot bloCking from last night? He had at least 2 that should have been goal tending and he was owned many times on the block. He is a good help shot blocker but a horrible low post defender. He has tons of potentials but tons of flaws still.

The one debatable block he had that had King Rice up in arms might have been one of the best blocks I've seen. Got it perfectly at the apex right before it hit the glass. That is special.

After he blocks a few he alters nearly every shot because guys are shooting not to get blocked instead of shooting to make.

Quote from: we are sju on November 23, 2013, 09:08:50 AM

Rebounding. People will blame Obepka and they would be partially correct. However by starting the Big lineup even if Obepka jumps to block everything, theoretically Sanchez and Sampson should still be in position to block out and rebound.

The problem isn't that Obekpa tries to block every shot, it's that Obekpa, Sanchez, Pointer and Sampson try and block every shot. That's four off balance guys out of position by the stanchion, leaving only the guy who got beat on the perimeter to rebound. And the zone doesn't help, because nobody puts a body on a body. But since the alternative is our man to man, there doesn't seem to be an elegant solution.

+10000

Quote from: CC on November 23, 2013, 11:58:36 AM

Good: Greene's shooting, CO's shot blocking, Sampson's athletic play, Harrison's threes at the end

Medicore: Sanchez , we heard he could start for the Jazz, maybe that was unfair, but I expected more.

Bad: Pointer's passes, Branch , they didn't cover

Why are people impressed with his shot bloCking from last night? He had at least 2 that should have been goal tending and he was owned many times on the block. He is a good help shot blocker but a horrible low post defender. He has tons of potentials but tons of flaws still.

HUH? Why are people impressed - he blocked 9 shots in what 20 something mins. You think a few were goaltending, granted, I was still impressed. Not too often a college kid blocks 9 shots.

Quote from: gman on November 23, 2013, 12:36:09 PM

Quote from: CC on November 23, 2013, 11:58:36 AM

Good: Greene's shooting, CO's shot blocking, Sampson's athletic play, Harrison's threes at the end

Medicore: Sanchez , we heard he could start for the Jazz, maybe that was unfair, but I expected more.

Bad: Pointer's passes, Branch , they didn't cover

Why are people impressed with his shot bloCking from last night? He had at least 2 that should have been goal tending and he was owned many times on the block. He is a good help shot blocker but a horrible low post defender. He has tons of potentials but tons of flaws still.

HUH? Why are people impressed - he blocked 9 shots in what 20 something mins. You think a few were goaltending, granted, I was still impressed. Not too often a college kid blocks 9 shots.

For every goaltend called that is right I can find a goaltend called that wasn't right.

The level of absurdity on fan boards is comical.  That's why I keep coming back.