Butler Postgame Thread

[RuffRuff]

He's like, Solo isn't athletic because he didn't fill the stat sheet, and Reed did but he's not athletic because he plays below the rim, and Braylon isn't because (answer uncertain). He's just throwing stuff against the wall, just to show he's not satisfied, or something

How hard is this to process - we don't have an athlete like Step or AJx, two players that were foundational for two amazing runs, given their defense and ability to be catalysts athletically. We don't have anything that looks like them and seem to have abandoned it. Not only does having players like that afford a more balanced & dynamic roster, but they are also fun to watch. Players that can make plays, play above the rim, are a lot more fun than jump shooting contests.

These are generally players that can slam home a put back, or take a lob. Ross has some of it selectively, but he's not a twitchy/quick athlete as much as he is an average athlete with some length.

You have this thing where you'd rather attack the poster than simply raise a counterpoint.

This is true but we had one elite physical run and jump athlete on both of those teams. We also had lob threats and the biggest player we've ever had as a defensive cheat code. We still had a lob threat in Samson last season but we've been lacking the elite physical run and jump athlete the past two seasons and we didn't address that with our recruits coming in next season. Hopefully we address it in the portal.

I think the portal is a hard place to find them. A kid like Mitchell obviously was out of the portal, Yaxel. They're out there. A kid like Carr at MSU qualifies.

 

[Mr. French]

This is true but we had one elite physical run and jump athlete on both of those teams. We also had lob threats and the biggest player we've ever had as a defensive cheat code. We still had a lob threat in Samson last season but we've been lacking the elite physical run and jump athlete the past two seasons and we didn't address that with our recruits coming in next season. Hopefully we address it in the portal.

Sure. I think I said (maybe I didn’t) I’m good with a guy with elite athleticism being a Swiss army defender…maybe Ross was meant as that.

But ultimately the guy has to be good enough to play meaningful minutes and if I’m choosing between players and athletes, I know who I’m taking.

Also, main point being, Ruff keeps saying our whole team identity 23-24 was based on elite athleticism. That’s just not true.

Saying our b2b was based on elite athleticism is a far cry from saying “we could use 1 elite athleticism defender”

 

[RuffRuff]

Sure. I think I said (maybe I didn’t) I’m good with a guy with elite athleticism being a Swiss army defender…maybe Ross was meant as that.

But ultimately the guy has to be good enough to play meaningful minutes and if I’m choosing between players and athletes, I know who I’m taking.

Also, main point being, Ruff keeps saying our whole team identity 23-24 was based on elite athleticism. That’s just not true.

Saying our b2b was based on elite athleticism is a far cry from saying “we could use 1 elite athleticism defender”

Not sure why my points get twisted - no, I didn't say those teams were entirely based on that, what I said was that guys like AJx and Steph were core to our success, and dominance. We overwhelmed teams.

Newt, Spencer, AK, are not great athletes. We have one player on each of those teams that was a difference maker athletically and complimented the stable of shooters in other positions. Nowadays, we are just shooters everywhere.

 

[Mr. French]

The reason your points get twisted is cuz you say definitive things like “at the core of our championships” and “completely abandoned recruiting athleticism” … try not using such absolutes unless you want to stand by those things.

Now you’re agreeing with others that it would be nice to add 1 plus athlete, that’s not at all what you originally were saying.

 

[superjohn]

Sure. I think I said (maybe I didn’t) I’m good with a guy with elite athleticism being a Swiss army defender…maybe Ross was meant as that.

But ultimately the guy has to be good enough to play meaningful minutes and if I’m choosing between players and athletes, I know who I’m taking.

Also, main point being, Ruff keeps saying our whole team identity 23-24 was based on elite athleticism. That’s just not true.

Saying our b2b was based on elite athleticism is a far cry from saying “we could use 1 elite athleticism defender”

It's something we can get around and still reach our goals if our execution is great and we make shots but it's leaving us with very little room for error. I was worried about St. John's exposing it (they did) and I'm still worried about St. John's in the one or two more times we face them. There are a few better versions of St. John's around the country where we will be at a pretty substantial athletic disadvantage.

I know I'm a broken record on this but I think we should've made Toure our top priority recruit for next season.

IMO, getting at least one elite physical run and jump athlete is more than a nice to have thing. I think it's pretty essential.

 

[Inyatkin]

You have this thing where you'd rather attack the poster than simply raise a counterpoint.

You keep wanting to police what a message board is and isn't. Sometimes there's no counterpoint to be made because the point in question makes no sense. Sometimes a poster just needs to hear that they're full of it. Often, actually.

 

[jibsey]

It's something we can get around and still reach our goals if our execution is great and we make shots but it's leaving us with very little room for error. I was worried about St. John's exposing it (they did) and I'm still worried about St. John's in the one or two more times we face them. There are a few better versions of St. John's around the country where we will be at a pretty substantial athletic disadvantage.

I know I'm a broken record on this but I think we should've made Toure our top priority recruit for next season.

IMO, getting at least one elite physical run and jump athlete is more than a nice to have thing. I think it's pretty essential.

And I’m crying over some milk I spilled.

 

[Kemba15]

It's something we can get around and still reach our goals if our execution is great and we make shots but it's leaving us with very little room for error. I was worried about St. John's exposing it (they did) and I'm still worried about St. John's in the one or two more times we face them. There are a few better versions of St. John's around the country where we will be at a pretty substantial athletic disadvantage.

I know I'm a broken record on this but I think we should've made Toure our top priority recruit for next season.

IMO, getting at least one elite physical run and jump athlete is more than a nice to have thing. I think it's pretty essential.

I'm sure we were right there until Arkansas came in with a price that would have been ridiculous to top

 

[Stinger92860]

Clamped down on TOs finally.

Taris did an excellent job in identifying the double teams, after a tough start, and finding the open teammate. His passing is what (IMO) opened things up for him.

 

[RuffRuff]

Taris did an excellent job in identifying the double teams, after a tough start, and finding the open teammate. His passing is what (IMO) opened things up for him.

7 assists for him had to be a career high - hopefully that's a tool he keeps in his toolkit.

 

[BarkingDog]

There is no argument with hurleys success, his system or the players he has brought in. The results speak for themselves.

But I sometimes think I might enjoy watching the games a little more if just every so often a fast break was run to perfection, a player took his man off the dribble and posterized the help defender or out of nowhere a player threw down a thunderous put-back over the defense rather than always praying for a three point jump shot to go in.

 

[Edward Sargent]

We really need a smh emoji.

I think you are confusing athleticism with performance.

confusing it with versatility too

 

[Edward Sargent]

How hard is this to process - we don't have an athlete like Step or AJx, two players that were foundational for two amazing runs, given their defense and ability to be catalysts athletically. We don't have anything that looks like them and seem to have abandoned it. Not only does having players like that afford a more balanced & dynamic roster, but they are also fun to watch. Players that can make plays, play above the rim, are a lot more fun than jump shooting contests.

These are generally players that can slam home a put back, or take a lob. Ross has some of it selectively, but he's not a twitchy/quick athlete as much as he is an average athlete with some length.

You have this thing where you'd rather attack the poster than simply raise a counterpoint.

I think the portal is a hard place to find them. A kid like Mitchell obviously was out of the portal, Yaxel. They're out there. A kid like Carr at MSU qualifies.

No CBB team has a Steph or Ajax

 

[superjohn]

Taris did an excellent job in identifying the double teams, after a tough start, and finding the open teammate. His passing is what (IMO) opened things up for him.

I really hope something clicked for Tarris last night. He was drawing people and making great reads/passes in that second half along with some powerful finishes around the hoop. He's our one physical dude who is capable of going beast mode around the rim. If he is fully engaged, aggressive and making the right decisions it changes the whole team as does Solo making threes. Fingers crossed both players turned a corner last night.

 

[RuffRuff]

No CBB team has a Steph or Ajax

StJ - Mitchell
MSU - Carr

But you're right, not many of them to go around. Those two stand out, might be missing some.

Budinga at the 5, same with Florida's 5.

 

[aceboon]

Taris did an excellent job in identifying the double teams, after a tough start, and finding the open teammate. His passing is what (IMO) opened things up for him.

I liked how he was dribbling away from the dbl and surveying the floor, he's got some nice passing instincts when he's not in full tunnel vision mode, hopefully we see more of this going forward. There were some flashes against Xavier as well.

 

[DogMania]

Yeah tonight our Offense wasn't the issue. Our deense was and we still won by 10 on the road against a decent Butler team.

Wasn't Butler down a few of their top players who are out for the season? I'm really not sure how good a team the Bulldogs are at this stage of the season.

With that said, a win is a win. The eye test tells me UConn has a lot to work on and improve to ready themselves for a long post season run.

 

[Mr. French]

StJ - Mitchell
MSU - Carr

But you're right, not many of them to go around. Those two stand out, might be missing some.

Budinga at the 5, same with Florida's 5.

Florida's 5 is not some freak athlete, he's a beast of a meathead if we're talking about Chinyelu. Condon and Rioux certainly don't fit.

 

[Mr. French]

Surprised

I liked how he was dribbling away from the dbl and surveying the floor, he's got some nice passing instincts when he's not in full tunnel vision mode, hopefully we see more of this going forward. There were some flashes against Xavier as well.

I remember that was an issue with Sanogo too, and then sometime around Jan/Feb of his junior year he turned that off

 

[DogMania]

How many times last night did they penetrate to the hoop and handoff for an easy basket? How does that happen that no one is covering that player? The game plan for teams like St. John’s or anyone who has athletic strong players is just to power to the rim and Butler did that too. Clingan used to put a stop that that stuff. Reibe has the size but they score right through him. He needs to turn into The Hulk next season.

Yeah, I don't remember many games where we got schooled inside that way so easily.

Hope Hurley and the staff can help the team figure it out and stop the bleeding.

Let's see how they respond down the stretch.

 

[RuffRuff]

Florida's 5 is not some freak athlete, he's a beast of a meathead if we're talking about Chinyelu. Condon and Rioux certainly don't fit.

He's a pretty imposing figure physically - Chinyelu. He's 4th in the country in rebounding in 24 mpg, at 11.5. As long as they explode off the floor and can slam home a lob, I'm good with it. Those buckets are usually more than 2 points, their killshot energizers.