Game 15: GMU (9-5 / 1-0) at St. Bonaventure (7-7 / 1-0) on Wednesday, January 4, at 7:00 PM.

[mkaufman1]

Is CKE not a good coach? Can he not evaluate talent (ie, we have too many guys that just aren't very good)?
I hate to pile on coach, but this is same old same old going on over 10 years now.

I know your patience is thin and you are as tired of losing as many of us, but every time we lose I feel like have to have some sort of the same discussion which is fine.

I think there is still some learning from an X and O perspective that he needs to do and be helped out on. I do see progress on that front compared to the beginning of this year. I also think he is very good at evaluating talent and coaching them up to some degree. Not once did I personally think to myself last night " wow we are being out coached" or "wow we don't belong" or "wow we don't have enough talent".

Unfortunately, this is the A10, and many coaches are just as good if not better at doing the same sort of thing. Its an unforgiving league and very tough to win road games in. At the very least he has won a LOT at home which is great. But thats only one step. He has to find a way to be at least .500 on the road at some point.

 

[GMU79]

I know your patience is thin and you are as tired of losing as many of us, but every time we lose I feel like have to have some sort of the same discussion which is fine.

I think there is still some learning from an X and O perspective that he needs to do and be helped out on. I do see progress on that front compared to the beginning of this year. I also think he is very good at evaluating talent and coaching them up to some degree. Not once did I personally think to myself last night " wow we are being out coached" or "wow we don't belong" or "wow we don't have enough talent".

Unfortunately, this is the A10, and many coaches are just as good if not better at doing the same sort of thing. Its an unforgiving league and very tough to win road games in. At the very least he has won a LOT at home which is great. But thats only one step. He has to find a way to be at least .500 on the road at some point.

Thanks. I need to be reminded of the positives.

 

[GSII]

Plain and simple, the defense has to improve by alot if we are going to have an identity. Coach preaches it, bit we ain't seeing it.

 

[TweederGMU]

He has had some rough games no question, but @Petey Buckets found a great stat recently that Josh is one of 7 players in the NATION averaging at least 12 pts, 7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1 block per game. He’s generally done a pretty good job of not forcing a bunch of shots when doubled and is getting a lot better at finding the open man.

The reality is he’s never gonna be one of those warrior types like Pearson or Thomas. If anything VJ is the Batman on this team and Josh is better cut out to play Robin.

He has the toolset to be so much better though. 12 points is a regression. He was averaging 17 points a game last year.

Don't care which of them is Batman and Robin... one of them needs to consistently show the F up night in and night out and dominate and lead this team.

 

[KAOriginal]

17 fast break points to our ZERO. That's essentially 7+ extra easy possessions.

Might be nice to get some of our own.....

 

[thebiasedannouncer]

Plain and simple, the defense has to improve by alot if we are going to have an identity. Coach preaches it, bit we ain't seeing it.

Our defense has been at or close to top 100 in Kenpom for most of the season...

 

[The Great PATSby]

Our defense has been at or close to top 100 in Kenpom for most of the season...

Bruh, we rank 362 in steals per a game… there’s 363 Div 1 Teams.

https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/team_stats/2023/Averages/Team_Totals/0/0/steals/desc

 

[sleeperpick]

Bruh, we rank 362 in steals per a game… there’s 363 Div 1 Teams.

https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/team_stats/2023/Averages/Team_Totals/0/0/steals/desc

lucking out in playing a bunch of teams that can't score is not good defense... we have no exterior or interior defense especially with Ticket out

 

[sleeperpick]

Bruh, we rank 362 in steals per a game… there’s 363 Div 1 Teams.

https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/team_stats/2023/Averages/Team_Totals/0/0/steals/desc

we also apply literally 0 pressure which you highlight here... the defense is sit back and hope they don't miss after they dribble past Ronnie or Cooper

 

[The Great PATSby]

we also apply literally 0 pressure which you highlight here... the defense is sit back and hope they don't miss after they dribble past Ronnie or Cooper

Too many times do we watch 1v1 in the paint. We need to double up and trap sometimes. Almost every team we play do that to JO which has contributed to his lower scoring average this year. I don’t think I’ve seen us pull a player and try to strip the ball from the blind side. We’re just way too conservative defensively.

 

[ephoops]

Bruh, we rank 362 in steals per a game… there’s 363 Div 1 Teams.

https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/team_stats/2023/Averages/Team_Totals/0/0/steals/desc

When a team ranks so low in steals per game, it better be top 10 in defensive rebounding.

DP’s 2016 team ranked 351 in steals per game. It also ranked 2nd in defensive rebounding.

This year’s team ranks 362 in steals per game and only 86 in defensive rebounding. If you don’t pressure the ball, you have to be an elite defensive rebounding team. Thus far this season, the team is not elite on the defensive end.

 

[JimP]

Bruh, we rank 362 in steals per a game… there’s 363 Div 1 Teams.

https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/team_stats/2023/Averages/Team_Totals/0/0/steals/desc

Dang, between that and the FT shooting. At least their conference schedule doesn't seem difficult. Hopefully the team is playing it's best ball at conference tourney time.

 

[Falco]

This team is soft. Although I think Malik is starting to put it together. I like his toughness, he just needs to play more disciplined.

 

[TweederGMU]

This team is soft. Although I think Malik is starting to put it together. I like his toughness, he just needs to play more disciplined.

I like his tenacity and aggressiveness. Just needs to put it altogether and needs to put some Dawn on those hands to soften them up! Needs to do ball drills against a wall.... catching balls at different angles and speeds for an hour.

 

[TweederGMU]

Bruh, we rank 362 in steals per a game… there’s 363 Div 1 Teams.

https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/team_stats/2023/Averages/Team_Totals/0/0/steals/desc

Wow....St. Louis and Dayton aren't that far from us at the bottom either. A bit shocking sense Dayton usually plays good D and Yuri Collins presses hard and is usually good for 2-3 steals a game.

 

[sleeperpick]

Wow....St. Louis and Dayton aren't that far from us at the bottom either. A bit shocking sense Dayton usually plays good D and Yuri Collins presses hard and is usually good for 2-3 steals a game.

Dayton starts 5 forwards and brings one guard off the bench. Don’t need steals when the other team literally can’t shoot over them

 

[GSII]

Creating turnovers energizes the team. We desperately need this energy.

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

1) I think you have to be careful about this, "let's get up and pressure the ball more".....That's fine if you have guys who can really defend and not turn into a turnstile which I don't think that we have....Also, I totally disagree on the doubling of the post. Very few guys in college basketball these days actually have a decent post game. There's nothing I hate more than doubling a guy in the post who has no clue what he's doing and then seeing the other team bury an open 3. CKE seems to focus a lot on defending the 3 which I wholeheartedly agree with the way the game is played nowadays. No need to senselessly double guys who are going to miss or turn it over in the post.
2) Totally unfair to compare CKE to Mark Schmidt in terms of coaching. Schmidt is great coach with tons of experience. By all accounts, he shouldn't be at SBU anymore and should have move on to greener pastures. If he did get "outcoached" in this game, I give a total pass.