Otis was named to the 10-player All Tournament Team (includes players from all 8 teams)
Game 7: Emerald Coast Classic, Baylor University, Saturday, November 24th, 4 PM, NO TV
- Thread starter Washingtonian
- Start date
The defense today looked totally different than what we were seeing a week or two ago. And we did a great job of getting to the FT line today, with an ok (not great) percentage.
But the offense? Yikes. We can't keep shooting 35% and expect to win. The good news is Otis looked a lot more like himself, hopefully he's out of his slump now. Otherwise...
I really am starting to wonder if we undersold how many weaknesses last season's team had because they stole 4 or 5 extra wins in January and February.
There’s something to that, but I think most of us were expecting natural progression — from finally having a solid core of upperclassmen, adequate depth, a foreign trip and our freshmen getting stronger and more experienced — that so far has mostly not materialized.
Frankly, I would be troubled by what I’m seeing even if we had squeaked out the Penn/AU games and somehow not blown a 22-point lead at Ga Southern.
We are not playing smart, aggressive, sound, fundamental basketball for more than a few minutes at a stretch. Our help defense is atrocious other than AJ swatting shots and either Javon or Ian occasionally stepping in to take a charge. Despite finally having an offensive-minded 5-man, we’re turning the ball over way too much and not generating many open looks from the halfcourt offense — and we’re shooting it poorly overall even when we do.
These are significant problems that cannot continue if we have any hope of having a winning season in the A-10, yet there has been no indication that they are being addressed and corrected in practice. I see no real progress from game to game. The only difference is our weaker opponents haven’t been as capable of punishing our mistakes.
We frankly look worse than we did with an undermanned, mostly inexperienced roster and that’s what is most mystifying to me.
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Also, it feels like we are no closer to developing a program identity and that is bothersome when your coaching staff has been intact for three-plus years.
Even accounting for expected roster churn as part of the rebuilding process, I’m still not sure what DP wants Mason Basketball’s calling card to be.
Watching Cincinnati, it’s obvious Cronin focuses his recruiting on guys who are strong and athletic enough to defend at a high level. They’re usually a pretty putrid offensive team; the last couple years they had guys who could score it too and won 30-plus games both seasons. But they are built on defense first.
That’s just one example of a program that has a clear idea of what it wants to be. There are many others.
Other than recruiting nice kids who are unselfish, work hard, seem to get along well and don’t do egregiously stupid sh!t off the court — which is all fine — I’m honestly still not sure what our coaches see as the ideal profile of a Mason Basketball recruit.
If we’re going to be an offensive juggernaut that dices people up with crisp execution, ball movement and shooting, that’s wonderful.
If we’re gonna be a slug it out defensive team that wins rock fights and makes life miserable for our opponents, that’s fine too.
Right now, we’re not doing anything particularly well and there doesn’t appear to be much of a plan. I’m a huge Paulsen supporter, but this needs to change or we’re going nowhere fast.
Even accounting for expected roster churn as part of the rebuilding process, I’m still not sure what DP wants Mason Basketball’s calling card to be.
Watching Cincinnati, it’s obvious Cronin focuses his recruiting on guys who are strong and athletic enough to defend at a high level. They’re usually a pretty putrid offensive team; the last couple years they had guys who could score it too and won 30-plus games both seasons. But they are built on defense first.
That’s just one example of a program that has a clear idea of what it wants to be. There are many others.
Other than recruiting nice kids who are unselfish, work hard, seem to get along well and don’t do egregiously stupid sh!t off the court — which is all fine — I’m honestly still not sure what our coaches see as the ideal profile of a Mason Basketball recruit.
If we’re going to be an offensive juggernaut that dices people up with crisp execution, ball movement and shooting, that’s wonderful.
If we’re gonna be a slug it out defensive team that wins rock fights and makes life miserable for our opponents, that’s fine too.
Right now, we’re not doing anything particularly well and there doesn’t appear to be much of a plan. I’m a huge Paulsen supporter, but this needs to change or we’re going nowhere fast.
Criteria for being a Mason basketball recruit under Dave Paulsen:
1. Nice. This is not a bad thing, but I would like people to have a mean streak on the court.
2. Undersized for your position compared to others in mid to high level D1 programs.
3. Thin, with the hopes that you will fill out and mature physically.
4. You have "potential."
5. You must be one dimensional, can't have an all around game.
6. Limited athleticism in the post. One exception to this rule, see AJ Wilson.
7. You shoot the lights out in practice but become a bricklayer in games.
What have I forgotten?
1. Nice. This is not a bad thing, but I would like people to have a mean streak on the court.
2. Undersized for your position compared to others in mid to high level D1 programs.
3. Thin, with the hopes that you will fill out and mature physically.
4. You have "potential."
5. You must be one dimensional, can't have an all around game.
6. Limited athleticism in the post. One exception to this rule, see AJ Wilson.
7. You shoot the lights out in practice but become a bricklayer in games.
What have I forgotten?
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You play high school ball and not AAU.
smccart5
Starter
You bring up a good point, I think the coach needs to answer the question what he wants his teams identity to be, and something besides "hard workers who plan man D"
I was behind the scenes after a game in 08, and I remember Larranaga gave an interview after we beat a good team (Kans State?) and he said, "every coach has a certain philosophy and a way he wants the game played. When you have the right players who can execute that philosophy well, you get something special". Right now we may have a mix of the wrong players and an unclear direction
You bring up a good point, I think the coach needs to answer the question what he wants his teams identity to be, and something besides "hard workers who plan man D"
I was behind the scenes after a game in 08, and I remember Larranaga gave an interview after we beat a good team (Kans State?) and he said, "every coach has a certain philosophy and a way he wants the game played. When you have the right players who can execute that philosophy well, you get something special". Right now we may have a mix of the wrong players and an unclear direction
I do know that Coach Paulsen values players who understand defensive positioning and who crashes the defensive boards from all five positions (he seems to value getting back on defense rather than aggressively attacking the offensive glass even though we probably need to be doing that). I've not seen enough from Bucknell to understand how his offense works, however he always seemed to have multiple shooters on the floor with a skilled big in the middle, which is what I think he tried to get with Reuter, but we don't have the shooters.
Like remember when ODU had crap for shooting and they just put their best rebounders on the floor and chucked up trash to collect? Maybe we should try that with our best rebounders, like a lineup of Kier, Greene Grayer, Wilson, Calixte (which would be absolute trash offensively unless you had all five of them just crash the glass). Who knows, just experimenting with how to mitigate our weaknesses.
I'm watching the game right now on YouTube, the team looks terrible.
1) Kier missing layups
2) Otis losing the ball on the dribble
3) Our bigs have no post game, shooting the ball off the bottom or side of the backboard
4) Grayer traveling
5) Players having their shoes slip off
6) Reuter not being able to rebound anything
The list can go on and on, this is a train wreck!
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
1) Kier missing layups
2) Otis losing the ball on the dribble
3) Our bigs have no post game, shooting the ball off the bottom or side of the backboard
4) Grayer traveling
5) Players having their shoes slip off
6) Reuter not being able to rebound anything
The list can go on and on, this is a train wreck!
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
The floor in that gym was absolutely terrible, we weren't the only team slipping and losing the ball (or losing a shoe).
I think everyone hit the nail on the head on what bothers me most from a global perspective. The lack of identity is troublesome. I have my issues with the "pack line" style, but if that was what we were committed to and recruited to fit that scheme, I'd be fine with it. At least it's an established identity. Nothing wrong with adapting to the players you have (in fact, I commend it), but establishing a foundation and recruiting to fit it is a must.
KAOriginal
All-American
What worked in Div III, was just good enough to work at Bucknell too, esp when you get an NBA player.
No NBA player and A-10? Time to re-think what you are trying to do Coach Paulsen.
No NBA player and A-10? Time to re-think what you are trying to do Coach Paulsen.
Just good enough? DP won 4 regular-season titles in 7 seasons there and the team he, Fischer and Kelly recruited added 3 more in a row after they left to come to Mason.
I’d say it was easily more than good enough. That’s dominant.
That doesn’t mean his approach will translate to a higher level of Division I, but let’s stop pretending the guy isn’t a proven successful coach.
KAOriginal
All-American
NEVER did I say he wasn't a successful coach. All I said what worked elsewhere (good enough or dominate...who cares) is not apparently working here.
I could care less how many banners he and Bucknell have hung because of him.
.
AMEN. I DO NOT CARE ABOUT BUCKNELL or WILLIAMS... I care about Mason... stop bringing up past success for why Paulsen is clearly not yet working here.
Shaka Smart was AMAZING at vcu and sucks a** at Texas... don't think Texas cares about his resume after year 3 onto year 4
smccart5
Starter
The shooters OR the big man we thought we were getting (so far).
I dunno about sucks a**. His gimmick defense is gone and we all knew that wouldn't work there. Mason defines the word 'Sucks' currently. Our logo is what you see when looking up that word in the basketball dictionary.
Texas should be sweet 16 or better every year with the quality of a program and recruits they have. They have severely underachieved.
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