Game 30: St. Louis (10-6) on Wednesday, March 4, at 7:00 PM.

[GMUgemini]

Don’t forget Jeff Dowtin who was a big target that we missed on. Anyone else think an Otis/Dowtin combo would have been money?

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

...but he's a solid enough x's and o's guy ......

What exactly can you point to back this statement up? I am honestly asking, not arguing because I respect your analysis and would like to know.

 

[patriot2000]

What exactly can you point to back this statement up? I am honestly asking, not arguing because I respect your analysis and would like to know.

I had the same question. To me, a solid x and o guy needs to be solid enough to change it up if he doesn't have the horses to fit his system.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

I had the same question. To me, a solid x and o guy needs to be solid enough to change it up if he doesn't have the horses to fit his system.

Yea a great X’s and O’s guy. Not seeing it. Where does anyone see this? He’s no better than Hewitt. SMH

 

[sleeperpick]

What exactly can you point to back this statement up? I am honestly asking, not arguing because I respect your analysis and would like to know.

It’s a cop out from someone who likes him but can’t look at much the man is good at. He’s a horrible offensive x and o coach and even worse inbound wise.

 

[Patriotsince81]

It’s a cop out from someone who likes him but can’t look at much the man is good at. He’s a horrible offensive x and o coach and even worse inbound wise.

He only has ONE inbounds play. Lob it over the top and hope for the best.

 

[Petey Buckets]

What exactly can you point to back this statement up? I am honestly asking, not arguing because I respect your analysis and would like to know.

So it starts from the perspective that 80% of success in basketball is due to personnel, not scheme. Anyone on this board could coach Kansas to a win over Mason. I think we all generally overstate a coach's ability to change tactics and change results. Some other reasons:

- I said he's good enough. I don't think he's great. College basketball isn't exactly filled with chessmasters.

- We have been an awful shooting team every year of Paulsen's tenure. Some day if we cross that 35% threshold we'll be surprised at how good the ballscreen offense can look when defenses have to respect shooters.

- I do think he squeezed more than we should have expected out of the rosters we had the past three years. No need to rehash all that and if you don't agree we're probably not changing each other's minds on this point.

Now, as I'm typing this we're losing to f*cking Fordham. I think this year has been by far his worst job - getting very annoyed at opposing defenses blitzing DHO's, jumping our one stupid inbounds pass, and how the whole offense goes to shit after two ballscreens that do nothing. But personnel matters and we don't have the guard play to hang with the A10 this year.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

So it starts from the perspective that 80% of success in basketball is due to personnel, not scheme. Anyone on this board could coach Kansas to a win over Mason. I think we all generally overstate a coach's ability to change tactics and change results. Some other reasons:

- I said he's good enough. I don't think he's great. College basketball isn't exactly filled with chessmasters.

- We have been an awful shooting team every year of Paulsen's tenure. Some day if we cross that 35% threshold we'll be surprised at how good the ballscreen offense can look when defenses have to respect shooters.

- I do think he squeezed more than we should have expected out of the rosters we had the past three years. No need to rehash all that and if you don't agree we're probably not changing each other's minds on this point.

Now, as I'm typing this we're losing to f*cking Fordham. I think this year has been by far his worst job - getting very annoyed at opposing defenses blitzing DHO's, jumping our one stupid inbounds pass, and how the whole offense goes to shit after two ballscreens that do nothing. But personnel matters and we don't have the guard play to hang with the A10 this year.

Well I still disagree but I understand your logic and reasoning.

 

[GSII]

So we had better players than that Uconn team in 2006?

 

[GMUgemini]

So we had better players than that Uconn team in 2006?

More bought in players that’s for sure. I mean, seriously, we did a simple bounce entry pass to Will Thomas about four times in a row and he scored almost every time. It’s not like we were running some kind of complex offense that UConn just couldn’t figure out.

 

[Patriotsince81]

More bought in players that’s for sure. I mean, seriously, we did a simple bounce entry pass to Will Thomas about four times in a row and he scored almost every time. It’s not like we were running some kind of complex offense that UConn just couldn’t figure out.

Thy Will be done. When we threw it into Will one of 3 things happened. He scored, he scored and got fouled, or he kicked it out for an assist. I miss those days!

 

[GMUgemini]

Thy Will be done. When we threw it into Will one of 3 things happened. He scored, he scored and got fouled, or he kicked it out for an assist. I miss those days!

UConn made the mistake of trying to single cover him all game and never switched up their defense.

 

[JimP]

I heart Will Thomas. I remember being at Brion's prior to a GMU-Dayton non conference game. Dayton fan told me he didn't think Dayton had a chance due to Thomas. Pretty sure GMU won. Those were the days.

 

[GSII]

More bought in players that’s for sure. I mean, seriously, we did a simple bounce entry pass to Will Thomas about four times in a row and he scored almost every time. It’s not like we were running some kind of complex offense that UConn just couldn’t figure out.

We ran a 3 out 2 in then. It's what lil Dave switched to now. Big difference in how it looks.

 

[GMUgemini]

We ran a 3 out 2 in then. It's what lil Dave switched to now. Big difference in how it looks.

It helps when you have two bigs of the quality of Jai and Thomas out there together plus three guys who can all hit from the outside...really helps your spacing .

When you look at how teams like GW and Fordham and Bona play us, they park a guy in the middle of the paint so if we get it down via pass or through penetration, there is an instant double coming. They can do that because no one is afraid of giving up the kick out.

My biggest complaint about our offense right now is that it's too predictable in that not only do we start it pretty much the same every time, but that the dribble handoff is supposed to give you options as a player to get mismatches and we don't take any of them (in fact, we often play into the defenses hands -- how often did we hand the ball off to Miller in a bad situation).

Fordham left Oduro and Mar wide open whenever they got the ball on the perimeter. If Oduro starts hitting those open 3s instead of ball-faking a pass to the post, that'll be a nice option.

 

[GSII]

Agree on Oduro. Hopefully we get better roster management soon.