Game 31: AT Virginia Commonwealth University, Saturday, March 4th, 2 PM, MASN

[gmujim92]

All knowing gmujim. If you are correct regarding two bigs being incapable of playing on the court together don't you think we could at least give it s try. Every team we have played that starts two bigs that are above average we get beat Vcux2 making Tillman look all American Rhode Island and Dayton. You would think he would give it a try a least once. Boyd and grayers defense on Tillman was a part of the reason why we got crushed today. I think relvao is terrible but he wasn't today and I would have thought that jalen could try and help on Tillman to ensure he didn't go 11-13 like he did

Considering our team has practiced almost every day (other than game days) since October, I'm fairly certain Dave has experimented with a variety of lineups.

As KA noted, the fact that we continue to play with a 6-4 guy guarding the 4 spot tells me Dave thinks this gives us the best chance to win.

Some teams are just a bad matchup for us. I don't know that there are more than 4-5 teams in the nation that aren't susceptible to something, though.

 

[mkaufman1]

I seriously don't see why this is such a stupid ask. We haven't won a game yet where we play against a big 4 and 5. And we have stayed 4 guard all year

I get the gripe but honestly Paulsen knows a bit more than any of us about basketball. Like Jim said, if he thought it was something that would help the team out he would do it. Relvao can barely move offensively, and when you have an offense that deals with lots of motion, spacing, and shooters, you need everyone to be able to do that. What you would gain with Jenkins and Relvao defensively, you would give up offensively, and when you have a team that hurts to score half the time, its just not going to make that much of a difference.

Bringing in guys like Mar and Wilson to play the 4, and push guys like Boyd Grayer and Kier to more of a 3, will benefit the team tremendously on both sides of the ball. You won't have Boyd on a 6'6 or 6'7 forward and give up a few inches anymore, and you'll also take pressure off whoever is at the 5 (Relvao or Temara) on the glass.

By no means am I a coach so I don't know the technical reasons behind why Paulsen is doing it, but I trust him to know that if this is how he has to play for right now, this is how he has to play. He always says he adjusts to his personnel.

 

[JimP]

GMU went 9-9 in a year they were supposed to finish 12th. I hope to win the first game in the A-10 tourney and perhaps win a game or two in a CBI/CIT/Vegas 16. Beyond that, I hope Coach Paulsen brings in a big guy for next year.

Whatever transpires this year though - the season will have been a success. Only concerned about future seasons from here on out.

 

[GMUgemini]

As opposed to doubling once the ball gets into the paint, what we could do is make it harder to feed the post by trying to be more active on the perimeter. At least try to get the ball into the corners and trap there every once in awhile. Surprise traps at half court. Etc. we make it too easy for the opposing team to run their offense.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gmujim92]

As opposed to doubling once the ball gets into the paint, what we could do is make it harder to feed the post by trying to be more active on the perimeter. At least try to get the ball into the corners and trap there every once in awhile. Surprise traps at half court. Etc. we make it too easy for the opposing team to run their offense.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not trying to pretend I'm "all knowing," but we don't have the depth to play aggressive perimeter defense even if that was the coach's prerogative, which it isn't.

Otis and Marquise both have logged massive minutes this season because we struggle to score without one or both on the floor.

To play D the way vcu does, you have to be able to sub your guards in and out. Otherwise they will have no legs left for the other end of the floor.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

Right, but then you're playing 4 on 5 on offense. We need an athletic big that has some offensive game. From what I hear, help is on the way.

Care to expand?

 

[Mason2005]

Side note. vcu's band is done, they sound like a HS band. Should have never let their band leader walk. We use to be ranked 1 and 2, we are still 1 and they are 100 now.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[gmubrian]

Side note. vcu's band is done, they sound like a HS band. Should have never let their band leader walk. We use to be ranked 1 and 2, we are still 1 and they are 100 now.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

Whatever became of the Stripper of Broad Street?

 

[Mason2005]

Whatever became of the Stripper of Broad Street?

He's a full time firefighter

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[MasonGrad01]

From what I hear, help is on the way.

Can we stop pretending that Mar and Wilson are going to be interested at starters next year and solve all of our problems with size and length?

 

[Patriot8]

Can we stop pretending that Mar and Wilson are going to be interested at starters next year and solve all of our problems with size and length?

No... we can't

 

[GMUgemini]

Can we stop pretending that Mar and Wilson are going to be interested at starters next year and solve all of our problems with size and length?

What we know about Paulsen from his past: If Wilson or Mar can defend the position better than the other guards who have started there, they will start. Defense first.

I'm really torn about who will take over for Moore next year. I have been think it was Kier, but I've got to think Boyd has made a case for himself recently.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Falco]

What we know about Paulsen from his past: If Wilson or Mar can defend the position better than the other guards who have started there, they will start. Defense first.

I'm really torn about who will take over for Moore next year. I have been think it was Kier, but I've got to think Boyd has made a case for himself recently.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a feeling we will have a more traditional offense next year. Ive heard Paulsen say Moore is the best player Mason has and he wanted to play small ball this year to create driving lanes for Him.

 

[Patriotsince81]

I'm really torn about who will take over for Moore next year. I have been think it was Kier, but I've got to think Boyd has made a case for himself recently.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think Boyd can be every bit as good as Marquise given time. He also has a better outside shot. I look for him to start next year.

 

[gmutom]

Everybody keeps dwelling on how vcu killed us in the paint (which they obviously did), but is that really a surprise given it's one of their strengths and our glaring weakness? We knew coming in that Tillman and Allie-Cox were going to be a handful. What concerned me more yesterday was how timid our backcourt played.

vcu threw a little full-court pressure at us, and our 3-PG lineup struggled like it was the old Havoc system under Shaka. One of the strengths of our half-court offense is rotating the ball to get the best shot possible, but that's damn near impossible when it takes us half of the shot clock to advance the ball up the court and get set up. That led to a lot of one-on-one garbage, many rushed shots, and a horrific 1-9 shooting from behind the arc.

We really needed Marquise and Otis to have great games to pull this upset, but they combined for 9 turnovers and missed 14 of 25 shots. This was the most tentative game I've seen Kier play all season (2 points in 33 minutes, although he did have 5 assists and grab 8 boards), and Grayer's foul trouble made him a non-factor with 5 points. Ian Boyd was the biggest positive with 10 points.

vcu is a very good team that plays a hostile environment, so I'm sure our young players will learn from this experience. Once our guards get a little more time under their belt and we get some better recruits in, the passiveness we saw yesterday will become aggressiveness mixed with some swagger. And when that day happens, vcu better watch out.

 

[Dawgs99]

That got boring. This team is so out of gas, it's unbelievable. You could actually see the moment in the second half where they decided they weren't going to win - and there was still a LOT of time left. Not what I was used to seeing this year; looked more like a Hewitt team.[/QUOT


Comments like this get me fired up....its east to say we got out coached or the kids quite in the 2nd half. The fact of the matter is this team has played harder and longer than any mason team has since L left town. Without the great effort they put in to each game and the game plan by Coach P we would be getting our shit kicked in every game. As some others have pointed out, this roster is very imperfect and a lesser coach and a less mentally tough group of kids would have maybe 1/2 the wins this team does. Seems really unfair to compare anything about this staff and these kids to that POS Hewitt.

 

[Dawgs99]

Comments like this get me fired up....its east to say we got out coached or the kids quite in the 2nd half. The fact of the matter is this team has played harder and longer than any mason team has since L left town. Without the great effort they put in to each game and the game plan by Coach P we would be getting our shit kicked in every game. As some others have pointed out, this roster is very imperfect and a lesser coach and a less mentally tough group of kids would have maybe 1/2 the wins this team does. Seems really unfair to compare anything about this staff and these kids to that POS Hewitt.

 

[GMUgemini]

A lot of those turnovers were unforced errors, too, maybe allowing themselves to be sped up too much, but many of the turnovers were them just simply losing the handle or misplaying a pass. I think they simply threw a way the ball a couple of times, too.

Certainly, they need to do a better job of keeping Tillman away from a ton of easy baskets (he was 10-11 at one point last night) if they want any chance of winning. And it doesn't help that they are also currently in a 3-point shooting slump.

 

[Dawgs99]

Can we stop pretending that Mar and Wilson are going to be interested at starters next year and solve all of our problems with size and length?

Several reports from practice suggest that Wilson has at times been dominant on both ends of the court. At the very LEAST he upgrades our size and athletic ability. At BEST he becomes our day 1 starter at the 4 and that frees up Grayer and Boyd to play their more natural wing position. Grayer could really see a jump in production next year with his move back to the wing. Mar and Greene are both tall lanky dudes, and this team could really use some more tall lanky dudes.

 

[gmutom]

A lot of those turnovers were unforced errors, too, maybe allowing themselves to be sped up too much, but many of the turnovers were them just simply losing the handle or misplaying a pass. I think they simply threw a way the ball a couple of times, too.

Surprisingly, Marquise seemed most of sync than anybody. He usually goes right at or through pressure, but he retreated so many times or threw the ball to Otis behind him. Like you said, several of his 6 turnovers were unforced, which is very uncharacteristic of him.

That said, I give Marquise a ton of credit for the burden he has shouldered this season. He very well could have mailed it in having to play with so many young guards in a transition year, but he instead stepped up as a senior and a leader and paved the way for his young backcourt mates. When you see Kier grab 8 boards or Grayer get double-digit rebounds, you know it's because Marquise set a standard for them to follow.