We were very bad at Nebraska. No question about it. But before you give up on this season, let's see how we play at home. Everybody is winning at home. Maybe we will too. We will know more tomorrow at around 8pm.
Don't give up on this season.......yet.
- Thread starter Suterman
- Start date
Heck I'm not giving up even with a loss Friday.
Hopefully we can get over the flu bug that's hit the team and get some pep back in our step
Hopefully we can get over the flu bug that's hit the team and get some pep back in our step
Not at all. Lots of games left and we aren’t without talent. I’m still hoping we go undefeated at home and squeak into the tournament. Garza is having an historic season and is a pleasure to watch.
Even if losses pile up I’m good as long as effort is good. Again, I like that circumstances should cause JW to develop outside his comfort zone, that JT’s on-the-job training has fast-tracked. I’ll add that I like that Connor is being forced into late-clock creativity, I like that Pemsl is forced to figure his shit out, and, of course, now Luka has to figure out how to make doubles and triples pay—during the course of Nebraska game finally guys started cutting after dumping it to Luka and with good results.
I kinda feel like this has become a developmental year for next year, and I’m good with that. All of the adversity of this year will hopefully have guys make big developmental jumps for next year. I mean, damn, if Joe W is at the level next year of a guy who can shoot off screen action, create off the dribble, get to the rim AND have a foul-drawing game? Yikes. He’s showing glimpses of all of this already, really just needs to learn how to get himself to the line when struggling otherwise.
I kinda feel like this has become a developmental year for next year, and I’m good with that. All of the adversity of this year will hopefully have guys make big developmental jumps for next year. I mean, damn, if Joe W is at the level next year of a guy who can shoot off screen action, create off the dribble, get to the rim AND have a foul-drawing game? Yikes. He’s showing glimpses of all of this already, really just needs to learn how to get himself to the line when struggling otherwise.
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It’s very frustrating as this was a 5-6 seed team if healthy to probably not making it now. We’ll see what happens, if CJ can actually play and be effective we still have a shot, but this was looking like one of Frans better teams. Super efficient on the offensive end.
Agree and due to the injury plague this season I am not all that concerned what happens this year provided the team doesn't just start mailing it in. I don't get the freak out by some of the fan base, they obviously live on another planet where the reality of that many players being sidelined doesn't exist.
What I hope doesn't happen next year is Fran trying to get time for 10 plus bodies. This team was at its best when they were rotating 8 guys. Unfortunately now Fran is at 6 guys who belong competing at this level with heavy minutes and obviously that isn't enough BUT as you stated a lot of development is gonna happen out of it.
If CJ can't go, it'll be a hard one to win. But I don't think we will shooting that bad like we did at Nebbie, without him again this season.... That, and no way we play 17 minutes in a half and only get 3 fouls called. So there is that.
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Haha I was just about to say the same thing. I just finished reading a post of his in another thread where he said we are at the bottom of the conference. OP would make a great politician.
We are right at the bottom of the conference, one notch ahead of Northwestern. I'm just saying maybe some home cooking will help right the ship. It can't change the 3 losses we already have, all on the road. Just looking for a little hope.
I prefer a 9 man rotation - though that 9th guy would get less playing time. Any rotation to me, though, depends as much on the chemistry of the team as anything. Fran has definitely struggled with this, though I also put this at least partly on the players, because the players also need to play well enough to force him to keep them on the floor.
It really turns into a vicious circle. Coach wants deep bench so players get subbed out a lot. Players don't do enough with the minutes they have so they aren't able to get subbed out as well. I do think a bench deeper than 8 guys is critical with a 20 game, grueling conference schedule.
The bench can be deeper but still I prefer a rotation (for the bulk of the minutes) to be around 8 guys. 9 is fine as you stated but that 9th guy isn't going to get much more than 5-10 mpg.
Think about this year and the 4 guys that are currently gone for the season or out. That is 9 guys with the current starting 5 plus BE or RK (however you want to put it) which makes the team 10 deep. Most schools 10-13 (unless you are KS, Duke, UNC or Kentucky) are going to be development guys, late bloomers or freshman.
FWIW.....the Hawks have been my team for 60 yrs and I have no intention of changing my allegiance now.
Look, you could be a cyclone fan this year....ugh.
As an aside, I don't consider myself an aged "blue hair".
Look, you could be a cyclone fan this year....ugh.
As an aside, I don't consider myself an aged "blue hair".
I think we over performed some at the beginning of the season and we under performed Tuesday night and maybe even Sat at PSU. I think with our depleted roster we unfortunately closer to the Neb team we saw than the team we saw at ISU. Couple that with a ridiculous league slate, we are going to be lucky to get to 7-8 wins in conf play.
Don't agree, the team with the missing pieces at the beginning of the year was legit, the one on Tuesday missing those key pieces and not being able to throw the ball in the Ocean was the reason on that. Agree 7-8 probably IF CJ can't play this team is solid with just him in the lineup and healthy and without Nunge/JoBo...Just 0 room for injuries after JoBo and Nunge went down and especially to a guard who shoots 50% from 3 and can play D.
Yes, don't give up on these kids. Watch the process, not the score. And the fight.
Oh my gosh, we're toward the bottom of the standings, tied with bottom feeder... *checks notes* Ohio St. One loss behind also ran... *checks notes* Michigan.
And only played 1 game at home out of the 4 B1G games to date.
The freak out is usually by people who didn't play competitive basketball (or sports) and don't understand what it's like to play team sports. Or it is people who have a vendetta against Fran.
This team did not underperform at PSU.
Just on D at times but that is status quo, offensively not at all, missed FT's and too many silly turnovers and Ped throwing up some SHIT that bounced in the difference.
I think when you combine the long road trip, illness and injuries it's understandable that we laid an absolute egg against Nebraska. Garza is literally having a historic season and we've been competitive in every single game regardless of circumstances.
Pack the F#cking house on Friday and let's get this season back on track.
Pack the F#cking house on Friday and let's get this season back on track.
Agree, I thought they played their asses off, especially without CJ basically, Connor sick and PSU had a REAL homecourt advantage for a change.
This is exactly where I was beginning the year, then things started to look a bit more positive,... Now I'm pretty much back to where I started...
Hard to take much away from the NE game given injuries and guys playing less than 100%. I think Fran has to figure out how to tweak the offense or get guys to make different decisions with CJ out. Regardless of the opponent, Garza is going to see double and triple teams and without CJ to balance the floor, JW is going to get a lot more attention defensively making life more difficult for him. Having Joe T and others taking a lot of 3's, even if uncontested, likely won't result in W's.
Beyond his 3-point shooting, CJ does a nice job of cutting to the hoop and finding guys--without him they don't have that element on offense.
Beyond his 3-point shooting, CJ does a nice job of cutting to the hoop and finding guys--without him they don't have that element on offense.
KenPom has us back down to 18 wins this year, probably square on the bubble pending quad 1 performance in B10 play.
I'm with you, lots of good experience going on this year.
The CJ injury is what sucks though because it could have been a building block year that still ended in the tournament.
Yeah. Optimistic me hopes CJ out means Bakari is able to find himself and then CJ comes back for late surge. But I doubt all that but I can hope.
I am hoping for the best but I think it's going to be a tough road ahead.
We don't have a home court advantage.
We are down to 8 scholarship players.
Maryland is looking (and is hungry) for their first road win of the year.
And these are the players Fran can put out there right now:
Starting 5:
5'10" PG Joe Toussaint
6'5" SG Joe Wieskamp
6'5" SG Connor McCaffery
6'9" PF Ryan Kriener
6'10" C Luke Garza
2 man rotation:
6'8" SF Cordell Pemsl
6'2" PG/SG Bakari Evelyn
Other options:
6'6" Riley Till
6'2" Guard Austin Ash
"IRON FIVE" type shit right there. The schedule has been absolutely brutal so far. Win some home games... get CJ healthy for the last couple months of the season, and I think the tourney is a possibility. We'll know a lot more in a couple weeks. Still lots to like about this group. NEXT year... watch out.
I think Fran is going to have to make use of his timeouts to give the players additional breathers.....
I hope CJ makes it back this year; not looking good, however....
And I agree. Next year looks really good.
Yeah.... I know it's a common complaint here, but his time-out utilization is horrible. Especially since we only have about six guys that can play.
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