After careful consideration...

[KillerB]

Last night was the first Braves's game I have seen in Peoria in 25+ years. I usually catch a couple a year on tv and a game at the MVC Tourney.. so I don't see the team a lot. I took in the game with some guys from SIU. I thought I would share some of their thoughts and mine.. both positive and negative. But I wanted to wait until today so my comments are a little more thought out and not reactionary.

SIU had no one on their roster who could guard Warren and Brown. NO ONE! They were great all night and 19-20 from the line. This begs the question why so many shots were being taken by other players in the second half. It is not like the shot clock was about to run out on any of the plays. I only recall one time (in the first half) when there was a countdown with BU holding the ball.

Will Egolf is developing into a nice player. He is more athletic than many Valley bigs, he is active defensively and has a decent shot. I would like to see him take the ball to the basket a little stronger, but that might come with experience and coaching.

All three are back next year.. that is a great starting spot.

Eastman is not ready and it is a shame we had to burn his red shirt. He was blocked several times down low. He might have gotten those buckets with his size in HS but not in D1. He also missed TB on a wide open fast break.. and instead charged. That was a big play in the second half to keep the Salukis hanging around.

If Sam Singh is getting anywhere close to 10 minutes a game it is 5 too many. He made one nice shot from the free throw circle and one block. He may be a great guy who gave his body and heart for the program, but he does not offer anything else but 5 fouls and a big body. He took at least 2 shots in the 2nd half.. just throwing the ball up in the air nearly over his head.

Why is RP playing? Are you telling me our red shirt 6'10" sophomore and 6'7" freshman couldn't do what he did or offer something else positive? If Phillips is playing this begs the question about Thomson and Knezevic. And if Phillips is in the game, what on earth was he doing trying to guard Fay? This really brings into question the depth on this team and that could be a problem all season long.

Is Sammy M hurt? He doesn't appear to be the same player as last year. Other than the turnovers at the end he was mostly a non-factor all night.

Second guessing coaching is easy. In the first half I can tell you my Saluki friends had no kind words for Lowrey. I question the rotation the Braves are using.. but I don't see what goes on in practice (and I suspect no one else here sees it either).. so maybe the top 7 or 8 guys who deserve to be in the game are the ones playing. I do question the use of a zone with 1:40 left. SIU was looking for an open 3 and we gave it to them. I also question why McCain was not in the game the last 2:00. He was the only one all night who gave Dillard a problem and he would have been an extra ball handler against the press. This to me was a no brainer. At that point in the game it's all about keeping the ball safe and running clock.. not scoring.

I do not fault Jim Les for the 3 turnovers in the last 1:40 (except for the McCain issue). He put the ball into the hands of his best and most experienced players and at a crucial point in the game they came up short. Sadly that happens sometimes to even the best teams in the country.

And let's give the Salukis the credit they deserve. They could have been blown out and fought to hang around. I turned to one of the Saulki fans at halftime and said I had an uneasy feeling. We shot 70% in the first half and only lead by 13 points.. it should have been 20 or 25. They also hit every shot they needed to off the turnovers at the end. We may have opened the door for them, but they still had to hit and they did.

How do we stack up against the Salukis? Freeman is a spot up shooter.. a very good shooter but does not create his own shots. Brown and Warren offer more because of their ability to create. Dillard is a load and will get his points against every team in the league. We don't match up well here at all. Fay has a really nice shot for a big guy but he's always in foul trouble. Egolf may not have the range but I think he compares well if he can stay on the court. Bocot to me is very similar to CRob.. an athletic guy who gives you some points.. some rebounds.. some defense.. probably not a star but a player every team wants to have on the court most of the time. You have to give the edge to their bench. Not that SUI's is great, but past EM we don't appear to have one.

What's all this mean? Beats the heck out of me. I'm not calling for Jim Les' head.. but I also have concerns. And I can tell you at many other institutions around the country a best finish of 4th place in your conference in 8 years would get you a ticket out the door.

But I guess I am more of a glass half full kind of guy. I told a number of people I work with this team will be much better at the end of the season than right now (I had hoped for a little more now). I think Taylor Brown could be the MVC POY next year. With Andrew Warren & Egolf those are three very strong building blocks. And DD will be back. Will Wilkins be in the mix? Is Prosser going to contribute more than Sam S? Can Sam M regain some form? Can EM step up is game? Will DSE recover fully from his stress fracture (See Andrew Warren's recovery issues)? Do JE, AT & MK really have anything to offer? You've really got to wonder if Thompson is a wasted scholarship.. 3 years in the program and can't get minutes over a walkon? Those are a lot of questions that need to be answered and I don't have those answers, but I do know there needs to be more to this team.

Thanks for allowing me to ramble.
KIllerB

[SFP]

KillerB great post! I also though EM should have played more due to what he offered on D. I also was wondering why the ball did not touch AW's hand every time down the court on O. On the the inbound fumble I do fault the coach. The ball should have been in the PG's hand and then from there the play should have started. WE should never have had the ball on top of the key unless the play was designed for him.

[KillerB]

KillerB great post! I also though EM should have played more due to what he offered on D. I also was wondering why the ball did not touch AW's hand every time down the court on O. On the the inbound fumble I do fault the coach. The ball should have been in the PG's hand and then from there the play should have started. WE should never have had the ball on top of the key unless the play was designed for him.

Thanks SFP. I did hear the coach talk about that inbound play after the game. He said Warren was the one who messed up.. not coming to the ball aggressively enough. I think that was intended to be an inboiund and high screen and a 3 for Warren the way the Braves used to do it with Hawkins. Based on the time left with the game tied.. miss it or make it .. the Braves would have had the last possession of the game with about 0:12 left and a chance to tie or win no matter what the Salukis did.

[tangjar1]

WE

SFP, my question about WE is this. What is a 6"9" player doing with the ball at his waist, begging for it to be stripped, instead of over his head, as should have been taught to him in the 7th grade?

[CABUFan]

Excellent post. As far as why EM wasn't in the game at the end, I assume it was because of his FT %. Given his FT shooting, I think it's hard to second guess not having him in at the end when we're in the bonus with a lead.

[SFP]

Excellent post. As far as why EM wasn't in the game at the end, I assume it was because of his FT %. Given his FT shooting, I think it's hard to second guess not having him in at the end when we're in the bonus with a lead.

EM though should have been in early and often so that SM could be rested for his time, which is the last 2 minutes.

[KillerB]

SFP, my question about WE is this. What is a 6"9" player doing with the ball at his waist, begging for it to be stripped, instead of over his head, as should have been taught to him in the 7th grade?

Well I don't know for sure.. but I think this was a designed play where the ball is inbounded to the big man.. Warren is supposed to come hard, in essance take a handoff and get a screen at the same time and shoot the 3 from the top of the circle. If you hold the ball over your head you can't very well hand it off. But your guy taking the handoff has to get there ahead of the defender. This is a pretty common play in college bball. If that was the play (and again I don't know for a fact it was.. I'm just basing this off the little I heard from Coach in post game), then the fault is with Warren.. not Egolf.

[FortyTwo]

EM and SM in reality are both nice, complimentary role players. They have great energy and hustle, but both have severe limitations when it comes to being a true PG that can manage/control the game and make those around them better.

EM definitely should have been in at the end as an extra ball handling option, but I'm not sure the result would have been much different. Watching Dillard take control of his team and the game in such a calm, confident manner really shown a huge spotlight on an area we are severly lacking.

[dogsrus]

Last night was the first Braves's game I have seen in Peoria in 25+ years. I usually catch a couple a year on tv and a game at the MVC Tourney.. so I don't see the team a lot. I took in the game with some guys from SIU. I thought I would share some of their thoughts and mine.. both positive and negative. But I wanted to wait until today so my comments are a little more thought out and not reactionary.

SIU had no one on their roster who could guard Warren and Brown. NO ONE! They were great all night and 19-20 from the line. This begs the question why so many shots were being taken by other players in the second half. It is not like the shot clock was about to run out on any of the plays. I only recall one time (in the first half) when there was a countdown with BU holding the ball.

Will Egolf is developing into a nice player. He is more athletic than many Valley bigs, he is active defensively and has a decent shot. I would like to see him take the ball to the basket a little stronger, but that might come with experience and coaching.

All three are back next year.. that is a great starting spot.

Eastman is not ready and it is a shame we had to burn his red shirt. He was blocked several times down low. He might have gotten those buckets with his size in HS but not in D1. He also missed TB on a wide open fast break.. and instead charged. That was a big play in the second half to keep the Salukis hanging around.

If Sam Singh is getting anywhere close to 10 minutes a game it is 5 too many. He made one nice shot from the free throw circle and one block. He may be a great guy who gave his body and heart for the program, but he does not offer anything else but 5 fouls and a big body. He took at least 2 shots in the 2nd half.. just throwing the ball up in the air nearly over his head.

Why is RP playing? Are you telling me our red shirt 6'10" sophomore and 6'7" freshman couldn't do what he did or offer something else positive? If Phillips is playing this begs the question about Thomson and Knezevic. And if Phillips is in the game, what on earth was he doing trying to guard Fay? This really brings into question the depth on this team and that could be a problem all season long.

Is Sammy M hurt? He doesn't appear to be the same player as last year. Other than the turnovers at the end he was mostly a non-factor all night.

Second guessing coaching is easy. In the first half I can tell you my Saluki friends had no kind words for Lowrey. I question the rotation the Braves are using.. but I don't see what goes on in practice (and I suspect no one else here sees it either).. so maybe the top 7 or 8 guys who deserve to be in the game are the ones playing. I do question the use of a zone with 1:40 left. SIU was looking for an open 3 and we gave it to them. I also question why McCain was not in the game the last 2:00. He was the only one all night who gave Dillard a problem and he would have been an extra ball handler against the press. This to me was a no brainer. At that point in the game it's all about keeping the ball safe and running clock.. not scoring.

I do not fault Jim Les for the 3 turnovers in the last 1:40 (except for the McCain issue). He put the ball into the hands of his best and most experienced players and at a crucial point in the game they came up short. Sadly that happens sometimes to even the best teams in the country.

And let's give the Salukis the credit they deserve. They could have been blown out and fought to hang around. I turned to one of the Saulki fans at halftime and said I had an uneasy feeling. We shot 70% in the first half and only lead by 13 points.. it should have been 20 or 25. They also hit every shot they needed to off the turnovers at the end. We may have opened the door for them, but they still had to hit and they did.

How do we stack up against the Salukis? Freeman is a spot up shooter.. a very good shooter but does not create his own shots. Brown and Warren offer more because of their ability to create. Dillard is a load and will get his points against every team in the league. We don't match up well here at all. Fay has a really nice shot for a big guy but he's always in foul trouble. Egolf may not have the range but I think he compares well if he can stay on the court. Bocot to me is very similar to CRob.. an athletic guy who gives you some points.. some rebounds.. some defense.. probably not a star but a player every team wants to have on the court most of the time. You have to give the edge to their bench. Not that SUI's is great, but past EM we don't appear to have one.

What's all this mean? Beats the heck out of me. I'm not calling for Jim Les' head.. but I also have concerns. And I can tell you at many other institutions around the country a best finish of 4th place in your conference in 8 years would get you a ticket out the door.

But I guess I am more of a glass half full kind of guy. I told a number of people I work with this team will be much better at the end of the season than right now (I had hoped for a little more now). I think Taylor Brown could be the MVC POY next year. With Andrew Warren & Egolf those are three very strong building blocks. And DD will be back. Will Wilkins be in the mix? Is Prosser going to contribute more than Sam S? Can Sam M regain some form? Can EM step up is game? Will DSE recover fully from his stress fracture (See Andrew Warren's recovery issues)? Do JE, AT & MK really have anything to offer? You've really got to wonder if Thompson is a wasted scholarship.. 3 years in the program and can't get minutes over a walkon? Those are a lot of questions that need to be answered and I don't have those answers, but I do know there needs to be more to this team.

Thanks for allowing me to ramble.
KIllerB

Good post....the only thing I'd argue with is Jake. I think he AND Milos will be fine. JE is playing his what, 2nd, 3rd game. He has some skills...its just WAY to early to judge him to harshly. It is sad we had to pull his r/s.

I worry about DSE....I hope he doesn't turn into the best potential player that never got the chance to develop due to injuries.

I'm lost on Thompson....I have no clue whats going on.

[shaunguth]

Excellent post. As far as why EM wasn't in the game at the end, I assume it was because of his FT %. Given his FT shooting, I think it's hard to second guess not having him in at the end when we're in the bonus with a lead.

Will was in the game, got the ball immediately way too far outside, and promptly turned it over. His FT % is quite a bit worse than EM's.

[KillerB]

Good post....the only thing I'd argue with is Jake. I think he AND Milos will be fine. JE is playing his what, 2nd, 3rd game. He has some skills...its just WAY to early to judge him to harshly. It is sad we had to pull his r/s.

I worry about DSE....I hope he doesn't turn into the best potential player that never got the chance to develop due to injuries.

I'm lost on Thompson....I have no clue whats going on.

If I came off sounding hard on Eastman I apologize. That was not my intent. I believe he has some skills.. but at this point I was trying to say he's in a bit over his head. I think he's one of those buys who would beneiit from a red shirt year and I think it shows.

Milos I've never seen play.. and if he's not playing he should be red shirting. It becomes a wasted year.

[dogsrus]

If I came off sounding hard on Eastman I apologize. That was not my intent. I believe he has some skills.. but at this point I was trying to say he's in a bit over his head. I think he's one of those buys who would beneiit from a red shirt year and I think it shows.

Milos I've never seen play.. and if he's not playing he should be red shirting. It becomes a wasted year.

No problem...yes JE is in a tad bit over his head but he has skillz. It was sad to see him have his R/S pulled.

Milos has shown flashes of being a good shooter....he is behind in D but that doesn't stop JL from playing Sam M so I ask...is Milos in trouble.

I heard he was but take it for what its worth. (not law trouble) The news WASN'T from my paid reliable source that got me the Donivine offer news and the DSE foot injury news.

[Braves4Life]

I heard he was but take it for what its worth. (not law trouble) The news WASN'T from my paid reliable source that got me the Donivine offer news and the DSE foot injury news.

Then go pay your source, for God's sake, and give us the news.