Game 5: GMU (2-2) at East Carolina (3-0) on Saturday, November 16, at 4:00 PM.

[gmujim92]

Even if woody is our best rebounding big and solid defensively, he still gets too much run. There’s times we need a bucket and he’s still out there with Billups. I get the need to play Woody but it just seems like overkill to me.

Then Anderson needs to start playing better. Since the Stony Brook game he’s been mostly a big zilch.

 

[mkaufman1]

Then Anderson needs to start playing better. Since the Stony Brook game he’s been mostly a big zilch.

But he can’t play better if he doesn’t get a chance lol. Just feel like he’s on very short leashes.

 

[GMUgemini]

Even if woody is our best rebounding big and solid defensively, he still gets too much run. There’s times we need a bucket and he’s still out there with Billups. I get the need to play Woody but it just seems like overkill to me.

I’d be fine with it if we went for steals and were hyper aggressive trying to turn the other team over and get out in transition (you could see the potential with KD, Billups, and Newton leading the charge with Maddox lurking for a transition 3), but our pressure is mostly token and/or ineffective and that’s probably because we still don’t have an elite rim protector on the team to erase mistakes and so we play more conservative than we should.

 

[gmujim92]

But he can’t play better if he doesn’t get a chance lol. Just feel like he’s on very short leashes.

CMU — 14 minutes, 1-5 FG (0-1 on 3s), 2 pts, 2 rebs

ECU — 11 minutes, 0-1 FG (0-1 on 3s), 0 pts, 3 rebs, 1 asst

I get it’s not a ton of minutes and a small sample size, but if your calling card is offense we gotta have more than this.

 

[mkaufman1]

CMU — 14 minutes, 1-5 FG (0-1 on 3s), 2 pts, 2 rebs

ECU — 11 minutes, 0-1 FG (0-1 on 3s), 0 pts, 3 rebs, 1 asst

I get it’s not a ton of minutes and a small sample size, but if your calling card is offense we gotta have more than this.

Fair, but it’s not like that’s a ton of time like you said. And for the short time he’s contributing.

Give him 20 mins and see if it goes up. If it doesn’t then I eat the words.

 

[EXpatriot13]

CMU — 14 minutes, 1-5 FG (0-1 on 3s), 2 pts, 2 rebs

ECU — 11 minutes, 0-1 FG (0-1 on 3s), 0 pts, 3 rebs, 1 asst

I get it’s not a ton of minutes and a small sample size, but if your calling card is offense we gotta have more than this.

Now do the one game where Anderson actually got some consistent run and a longer leash. This is someone who had 23x double digit scoring games last season, including 5x 20+ point games.

He also averaged 6 rebounds / 2 assists per game his last two seasons at FGCU so we're not falling off a cliff in those areas when he's in the game. Really not sure how we're expecting him to have an impact in all areas of the game when he plays for 3 minutes, sits for 12, etc etc.

If he was playing 25-30 minutes per game and giving us inconsistent offense and killing us defensively/with rebounding then that would be a totally different story. But I don't think anyone can sit here and say they aren't confused by the way he's been used so far this season.

Edit: I am not discrediting what Newton provides (I think it should be a more targeted role), but he's on pace to take ~50x more 3PA vs. last season on a team that added Anderson and OConnor - why?

 

[gmujim92]

Fair, but it’s not like that’s a ton of time like you said. And for the short time he’s contributing.

Give him 20 mins and see if it goes up. If it doesn’t then I eat the words.

That’s fair. I just think this is another of those situations where we question why one guy is playing more and another less and the coach who spends more time with them than anyone isn’t gonna tell us lol.

(If I had to guess, it’s because Tony watches the game video and sees Newton and Billups are the only two guys who show any interest in aggressively rebounding the basketball.)

 

[GMUgemini]

Anderson was 5-6 in the first half against Stony Brook and then 0-4 in the second. Streaky for sure. Could be a situation where if his first shot goes in you ride him as long as you can.

 

[jruby]

The defense is good to very good. The turnovers are a massive problem aka PG. The offense is a problem. IF you play Newton, Billups and a PG who can't score you are limited to Maddox and Gio or Haynes as only offensive threats. Defense is not the issue outside maybe Anderson and PG. That's the problem here. It's either offense and give up defense or play great defense and give up Offense. Maybe if they could fix the turnover problems they would have more wiggle room. They have two different options, there's no set of 5 that's good on offense and defense. It honestly is going to take great coaching to pull this off. It's currently not working though.

 

[mkaufman1]

The defense is good to very good. The turnovers are a massive problem aka PG. The offense is a problem. IF you play Newton, Billups and a PG who can't score you are limited to Maddox and Gio or Haynes as only offensive threats. Defense is not the issue outside maybe Anderson and PG. That's the problem here. It's either offense and give up defense or play great defense and give up Offense. Maybe if they could fix the turnover problems they would have more wiggle room. They have two different options, there's no set of 5 that's good on offense and defense. It honestly is going to take great coaching to pull this off. It's currently not working though.

The guy who should be PG1 on day 1, KD Johnson has 16 assists and 15 turnovers.

The guy who plays as PG1 on day 1, Brayden O'Connor has 8 assists and 10 turnovers.

The guy who should be PG1 as the season progresses, Jeremiah Quigley has 7 assists and 2 turnovers. Quigley has also played 41 minutes compared to O'connors 129. KD has played 92 minutes.

My bet is that Quigley is going to take over the offense sooner than later, which is what I have said many times. When he gets more run at PG, I also think our turnovers will settle down. Hopefully the next 2 cupcake games provide an opportunity to help with that as well.

Its just a matter of time until Quigley settled into the role and performs well enough. He put it all together in February and March at Iona, and now that he is a sophomore, I expect him to put it together sooner.

And btw 40 of 80 of our team turnovers are by KD, O'connor and Haynes. Just interesting.

 

[jruby]

The guy who should be PG1 on day 1, KD Johnson has 16 assists and 15 turnovers.

The guy who plays as PG1 on day 1, Brayden O'Connor has 8 assists and 10 turnovers.

The guy who should be PG1 as the season progresses, Jeremiah Quigley has 7 assists and 2 turnovers. Quigley has also played 41 minutes compared to O'connors 129. KD has played 92 minutes.

My bet is that Quigley is going to take over the offense sooner than later, which is what I have said many times. When he gets more run at PG, I also think our turnovers will settle down. Hopefully the next 2 cupcake games provide an opportunity to help with that as well.

Its just a matter of time until Quigley settled into the role and performs well enough. He put it all together in February and March at Iona, and now that he is a sophomore, I expect him to put it together sooner.

And btw 40 of 80 of our team turnovers are by KD, O'connor and Haynes. Just interesting.

Sure and then Newton has to go to the bench I would rather see Billups than Newton. JQ Billups and Maddox, O’Connor/Anderson/ball then Gio/Haynes. Newton can get 10-13 mins a game in fill in role.

 

[mkaufman1]

Sure and then Newton has to go to the bench I would rather see Billups than Newton. JQ Billups and Maddox, O’Connor/Anderson/ball then Gio/Haynes. Newton can get 10-13 mins a game in fill in role.

We are all basically screaming for less Newton, more Anderson lol.

 

[Falco]

I feel like this game proved to me, time for the big lineup. Play Haynes, and gio together. Gotta try something

 

[2011WinOverVillanova]

I feel like this game proved to me, time for the big lineup. Play Haynes, and gio together. Gotta try something

Another supporter of the big lineup!

 

[psyclone]

I feel like this game proved to me, time for the big lineup. Play Haynes, and gio together. Gotta try something

Unless the other team is playing 2 bigs, I don't see that lineup working. Too crowded underneath on offense, less ball movement; poor defense guarding the other team's wing.

 

[gmutom]

I’d rather see a lineup with Anderson and Woody together than Gio and Haynes on the floor at the same time. Throw in Maddox and any combination of KD, Quigley, O’Connor and Billups, and you have a fun 5 to run the floor.

 

[GSII]

And btw 40 of 80 of our team turnovers are by KD, O'connor and Haynes. Just interesting.

All three are talented. While the turnovers are bad, they need time to mesh. By January, that should occur or we in for a 20 loss season.

 

[gmujim92]

I’d rather see a lineup with Anderson and Woody together than Gio and Haynes on the floor at the same time. Throw in Maddox and any combination of KD, Quigley and Billups, and you have a fun 5 to run the floor. .

Agreed — the one lineup we haven’t seen at all is one with neither of the bigs and Woody as the small-ball 5, probably because the defensive rebounding has been suspect.

Still, I’m intrigued by what we could do with Newton, Anderson, Maddox, Billups/BOC and choose your PG on the floor for stretches. Might be able to get a little tempo and flow going on both ends.

 

[Verdad]

Agreed — the one lineup we haven’t seen at all is one with neither of the bigs and Woody as the small-ball 5, probably because the defensive rebounding has been suspect.

Still, I’m intrigued by what we could do with Newton, Anderson, Maddox, Billups/BOC and choose your PG on the floor for stretches. Might be able to get a little tempo and flow going on both ends.

I don't hate that idea, worth a shot at this point.

I also want to say, since the consensus is "play Woody less", he hustles, rebounds and plays defense and he has a distinct role he can play and contribute to this teams success - want to give him credit for that.

 

[Patriot8]

I don't hate that idea, worth a shot at this point.

I also want to say, since the consensus is "play Woody less", he hustles, rebounds and plays defense and he has a distinct role he can play and contribute to this teams success - want to give him credit for that.

I'm in the "play Anderson more" camp, not necessarily the "play Woody less" camp. I get that those are competing statements unless we play small ball, and I do favor Anderson's offensive potential when I compare H2H because I don't view the rebounding drop off as significant.

I still really like pairing Anderson/Emejuru & Woody/Haynes because I think they complement each other. I could see some scenarios where Anderson and Woody are on the floor together along with Emejuru/Haynes, with Woody guarding the 3. I think he has the athleticism to keep up in spurts.

I guess my main concern is taking the pressure off of Maddox to be the guy all the time. I want BOC and Anderson stretching the floor and a PG who can beat their guy to the paint and then make good decisions. I still believe KD is the most physically gifted playmaker, but if it's JQ or Begg, so be it.

Just win the f'ing game.