Are We In the Valley of Death - I Think Not

[Dallas Brave]

Despite going 0-6 for the last six games, we have a good team. I watched these guys up close in the South Padre Tournament and it is a solid squad.

Our strengths are:

1. We have a top-notch point guard in DR (when he returns) and SM will be a top-notch back-up point so that DR doesn't need to be on the floor for the whole game.
2. We are a decent outside shooting team. Not as good as last year, but AW and JC force the opponents to respect our long-range shooting. More discipline in working the clock and better decision making on taking 3's will help. We forced a few 3's against SIU when a guy was open down low.
3. We have solid big guys. I know this might seem like a stretch given some of their games, but I think we adjust the playing rotation (put DC and MS out there for stretches of time) and work on feeding the ball inside, we will see dramatic improvement
4. We are capable of out-rebounding anyone (but Michigan State). Our boys outrebounded every team, but MSU, during the first 12 games. We are capable of controlling the boards if we don't get too small in our lineup.

I see a lot of strengths with team. Winning the MVC tournament needs to be set as the team goal. This team has the component parts. Putting them together can be done with the return of a healthy DR.

[ER3]

Despite going 0-6 for the last six games, we have a good team. I watched these guys up close in the South Padre Tournament and it is a solid squad.

Our strengths are:

1. We have a top-notch point guard in DR (when he returns) and SM will be a top-notch back-up point so that DR doesn't need to be on the floor for the whole game.
2. We are a decent outside shooting team. Not as good as last year, but AW and JC force the opponents to respect our long-range shooting. More discipline in working the clock and better decision making on taking 3's will help. We forced a few 3's against SIU when a guy was open down low.
3. We have solid big guys. I know this might seem like a stretch given some of their games, but I think we adjust the playing rotation (put DC and MS out there for stretches of time) and work on feeding the ball inside, we will see dramatic improvement
4. We are capable of out-rebounding anyone (but Michigan State). Our boys outrebounded every team, but MSU, during the first 12 games. We are capable of controlling the boards if we don't get too small in our lineup.

I see a lot of strengths with team. Winning the MVC tournament needs to be set as the team goal. This team has the component parts. Putting them together can be done with the return of a healthy DR.

1. I would agree with you...although I think this team may be better served by having Maniscalco and Ruffin on the floor at the same time for stretches of the game when Ruffin comes back.

2. We could be classified as a decent outside shooting team, I suppose. Although JC is really hurting us in this area over the past few games...

3. No, we do not have solid big guys. I really don't know what you could be basing this on. We have a lot of big guys, but none of them are complete enough players to be considered anywhere in the vicinity of 'solid'...sorry. Saying that our big guys are 'solid' is a huge insult to all of the big guys in college basketball that are truly 'solid'. If you put MS and DC out there for long stretches of time and feed the post, I don't think you would see dramatic improvement...I just think you'd see a team that misses a lot of 2-point shots rather than a team that misses a bunch of 3-point shots...

4. "We are capable of outrebounding anyone"...? What exactly does that mean?...and what exactly does being "capable of" doing something really get us if it doesn't happen...? So, if I make a post that says our team is going to win the national championship because we are "capable of making every shot we take", should we all go out and get our tickets for the Final Four?

I admire your ability to remain positive regarding this team...but I guess I don't buy some of your reasoning behind your positivity...This team is 7-9 and 0-4 in the Valley...we will be extremely lucky to avoid the play-in game in the Valley Tournament in a year that the Valley is as bad overall as it has been in quite a few years. Those are the realities we are faced with...those realities do not scream 'solid squad'...despite what you saw for 20 minutes against Vandy, and 32 minutes against Michigan State, and 9 minutes against Missouri State, and 6 minutes against Butler, and 2 minutes 34 seconds against UNI, and blah blah blah....

[squirrel]

...despite what you saw for 20 minutes against Vandy, and 32 minutes against Michigan State, and 9 minutes against Missouri State, and 6 minutes against Butler, and 2 minutes 34 seconds against UNI, and blah blah blah....

This is a great point that really had me puzzled from the paper yesterday, too. . .

One of the more general criticisms of this team has been a lack of intensity.

Games are 40 minutes, not 25, 30, 35, or even 39.5 minutes. I don't care how well you play for 35 if you don't carry that same intensity through start to finish.

The difference between Missouri State and Wichita State vs. us is sustained intensity for 40 minutes.

If conditioning is an issue, it was in 2005, and therefore again, not a surprise.

[ph]

If conditioning is an issue, it was in 2005, and therefore again, not a surprise.

Is our conditioning too focused on strength than speed/endurance?

[Flying Hellfish]

...
If you put MS and DC out there for long stretches of time and feed the post, I don't think you would see dramatic improvement...I just think you'd see a team that misses a lot of 2-point shots rather than a team that misses a bunch of 3-point shots...
...

How can you say playing those guys for long stretches would result in missing a lot of 2-pt shots? Collins is shooting 66.7% this year! And before Les lost all confidence in him and thus, DC lost confidence in himself, he was shooting 71.7%. He has a great feel for shooting down low, it's just a matter of playing him long enough to get that feel back.

[ER3]

Is our conditioning too focused on strength than speed/endurance?

Does this team look like it suffers from an overabundance of strength?...

[ER3]

How can you say playing those guys for long stretches would result in missing a lot of 2-pt shots?

Because our post players are not very good.

I know that Collins was the second coming of Lew Alcindor against SEMO and FGCU, but for whatever reason, he has regressed to the point now where he can't get minutes ahead of Austin, Singh, or Salley...so that leads me to conclude that he isn't a very good player...

[ER3]

This is a great point that really had me puzzled from the paper yesterday, too. . .

One of the more general criticisms of this team has been a lack of intensity.

Games are 40 minutes, not 25, 30, 35, or even 39.5 minutes. I don't care how well you play for 35 if you don't carry that same intensity through start to finish.

The difference between Missouri State and Wichita State vs. us is sustained intensity for 40 minutes.

If conditioning is an issue, it was in 2005, and therefore again, not a surprise.

Good teams win games.
Good teams go through offensive lulls and defensive lapses and still find ways to pull it together and win those games.
"If we could just put two good halves together", "If we could just play for 40 minutes like we did in those 20 minutes against Vandy, the 32 minutes against Mich St., etc." "If we could stop having those breakdowns...those losses of focus...etc. every game, we could turn this thing around"...those are the mantras of a lousy team...

[MacabreMob]

Our strengths are:

1. We have a top-notch point guard in DR (when he returns) and SM will be a top-notch back-up point so that DR doesn't need to be on the floor for the whole game.

We all need to get used to the idea that Ruffin may NOT return... at all.

I know nothing on his health, recovery, or anyone who would know.

I just have had a thought/feeling Ruffin may NOT return. If there is ANY threat to Ruffin's health to play after college, then I believe JL and Ruff will not risk him playing a few games. A few games won't put us over the bubble.

At the risk of Ruffin's future are we gonna hope he comes in and maybe helps us win the MVC Tourney?

[Flying Hellfish]

I know that Collins was the second coming of Lew Alcindor against SEMO and FGCU, but for whatever reason, he has regressed to the point now where he can't get minutes ahead of Austin, Singh, or Salley...so that leads me to conclude that he isn't a very good player...

... or Les isn't a very good coach. He didn't regress at all; he suddenly had his playing time stripped from him. Look at the four games before he had right before his time got cut. He played 14, 15, 13 and 17 minutes before playing 2, 6, 8 minutes and two-tenths of a second in his next four. In those first four games he shot 14-for-17 (82.4%). In the last game before the ax fell (the 17-minute game), he was 3-4 from the floor with seven rebounds. Where, oh where, is the regression?!? The problem isn't with Collins, it's in Les' head.

[MacabreMob]

... or Les isn't a very good coach. He didn't regress at all; he suddenly had his playing time stripped from him. Look at the four games before he had right before his time got cut. He played 14, 15, 13 and 17 minutes before playing 2, 6, 8 minutes and two-tenths of a second in his next four. In those first four games he shot 14-for-17 (82.4%). In the last game before the ax fell (the 17-minute game), he was 3-4 from the floor with seven rebounds. Where, oh where, is the regression?!? The problem isn't with Collins, it's in Les' head.

Maybe the competition was tuffer.

[ER3]

... Where, oh where, is the regression?!? The problem isn't with Collins, it's in Les' head.

Well, I would say that the regression lies in the fact that Collins went from a guy that showed a little promise of becoming an effective post presence early in the year to the point where he is now...a guy that comes in for two minutes a game, looks lost, commits a couple fouls, and has to be removed from the game.

You do realize that this team practices, right? And that the players all have an abundance of opportunities to show that they are grasping the concepts that the coaches are throwing at them, giving the right amount of effort, and earning their playing time as a result...right?

Since I can't attend practice, I have to assume that Collins is showing the coaching staff that he is not ready to play 20 minutes a game and contribute at the level he did earlier in the year...what he is showing or isn't showing in practice, I have no idea...but I have to assume that it isn't pretty....

Of course, you can continue to assume that it is some conspiracy theory with Les...That Collins is an All-American every day in practice and Les just prefers to bench him...because losing is such a fun thing to go through every game...

[Flying Hellfish]

Of course, you can continue to assume that it is some conspiracy theory with Les...That Collins is an All-American every day in practice and Les just prefers to bench him...because losing is such a fun thing to go through every game...

Ok, I will. Except for the All-American part; I never said that. I simply pointed out his performance immediately prior to his benching. And those stats say that he shouldn't have played only TWO minutes in the very next game.

[ER3]

Ok, I will. Except for the All-American part; I never said that. I simply pointed out his performance immediately prior to his benching. And those stats say that he shouldn't have played only TWO minutes in the very next game.

So you seriously believe that Collins is currently able to play 15 or 20 effective minutes a game right now where he can score, rebound, and be a valuable contributor defensively...and that Les is fully aware of this and still chooses not to play Collins?

Why exactly do you think Les would do this? Because he enjoys the losing? Because he doesn't like David Collins as a person? Other reasons?

When I see that a guy isn't playing much and it's not because of grades or some other violation of team rules, I generally assume it is because of the fact that he isn't better than the other players that get minutes in his place. I don't see why there has to be a huge conspiracy built around it. Collins doesn't appear to be playing very well right now...I'm sure Les sees that in abundance in practice...and I think we've all seen it in his limited minutes he's gotten in games over the past 6...I don't see why giving him more minutes to look lost and ineffective should be the answer for a team that is still trying to win basketball games at this point...

[Braves4Life]

Remember, Collins did not dominate in Juco or post good numbers there. The excitement that he brings is his size and potential. Unfortunately, he is still VERY raw and learning the game. I fear at his age we may never see much more than we've seen.

That said....................If he can learn some basic fundamentals and footwork and can learn to stand his ground he could possibly be counted on for an effective 10-15 minutes per game. I've seen worse big men do more while at BU.