Close Games

[60'sfan]

Another close game, another loss! Anyone know our record in games like?

 

[8893]

We are 3-6 so far this season in games decided by five points or less.

Wins: St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova

Losses: Michigan, West Virginia, Providence, Seton Hall, Creighton, Creighton

 

[NotADime89]

We are 3-6 so far this season in games decided by five points or less.

Wins: St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova

Losses: Michigan, West Virginia, Providence, Seton Hall, Creighton, Creighton

And we're 3-1 in games decided in OT and just won a game against a top 10 team down 4 with less than 35 seconds left so lets relax with the "We can't win close games" stuff.

 

[8893]

And we're 3-1 in games decided in OT and just won a game against a top 10 team down 4 with less than 35 seconds left so lets relax with the "We can't win close games" stuff.

Easy pal, I just answered his question; I didn’t draw any conclusions.

Everyone needs to relax. About everything.

 

[NotADime89]

Easy pal, I just answered his question; I didn’t draw any conclusions.

Everyone needs to relax. About everything.

Chill out Pal, I was just adding some stats to your post wasn't referring to you freaking out, just the BY as a whole.

 

[8893]

Chill out Pal, I was just adding some stats to your post wasn't referring to you freaking out, just the BY as a whole.

Ok; when I reply to someone, I am usually addressing them, or make it clear that I’m not. Sorry for my confusion.

I also wouldn’t say it’s the Boneyard as a whole that’s freaking out. Like every other corner of the internet, the complainers always have an outsized voice.

I actually went into last night’s game thinking there was a good chance for a head-scratching loss because it had been a while, and that’s how things go in this conference.

 

[storrsroars]

Another close game, another loss! Anyone know our record in games like?

More than just "close game" it's another where we scored 60 or less (yes, I know final score says 62, but the 2 was a meaningless bucket with no time left).

We are 1-5 in those games, with the only win coming against DePaul.

Conversely, we're 19-2 when scoring 70+. This team is simply not built for a slow half-court game.

 

[CL82]

Everyone needs to relax. About everything.

Really? It’s like you don’t know us at all anymore.

 

[Husky Alien]

Chill out Pal, I was just adding some stats to your post wasn't referring to you freaking out, just the BY as a whole.

It's OK to freak out, that's what the majority do here in the Boneyard.

Called passionate also

 

[CL82]

More than just "close game" it's another where we scored 60 or less (yes, I know final score says 62, but the 2 was a meaningless bucket with no time left).

We are 1-5 in those games, with the only win coming against DePaul.

Conversely, we're 19-2 when scoring 70+. This team is simply not built for a slow half-court game.

Agree somewhat, but we need the other team to play along with us in a fast tempo game to generate more than 70 points.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

 

[Samoo]

Agree somewhat, but we need the other team to play along with us in a fast tempo game to generate more than 70 points.

The other teams know this - and go into a game with a plan to refuse to cooperate. Creighton happens to be good at this. We need to impose our will rather than letting the other team impose theirs.

 

[CL82]

The other teams know this - and go into a game with a plan to refuse to cooperate. Creighton happens to be good at this. We need to impose our will rather than letting the other team impose theirs.

I think we are one quality point guard short of being able to do this. (Think Bazz and Boat, Kemba and Shabazz Ricky and Khalid, etc.)

 

[storrsroars]

I think we are one quality point guard short of being able to do this. (Think Bazz and Boat, Kemba and Shabazz Ricky and Khalid, etc.)

To a certain extent, Hurley is already increasing AJax's minutes as more PG and less off-guard. Interestingly, since start of February, AJax and Cole are both averaging 3.4 assists to 2.0 TOs. Obviously Cole has more offense and AJax more boards. But if AJax played more a Taliek Brown role (plus rebounding) with Cole as more of an SG, I'm wondering if that would help both of them going forward. It does seem to me that AJax can force an uptempo pace better than RJ can. Just a thought.

 

[Durks07]

 

[John]

I think we are one quality point guard short of being able to do this. (Think Bazz and Boat, Kemba and Shabazz Ricky and Khalid, etc.)

Taliek

 

[Frank06830]

Check the box score. FT 2-5. Wow. It seems to me one of Calhoun’s many coaching abilities was to teach his players how to get to the line. it was like another tool he developed for games like last night that needed to be won at the FT. So many games Calhoun teams where FT attempts and made was the difference. Just saying

 

[JustbrewitMan]

More than just "close game" it's another where we scored 60 or less (yes, I know final score says 62, but the 2 was a meaningless bucket with no time left).

We are 1-5 in those games, with the only win coming against DePaul.

Conversely, we're 19-2 when scoring 70+. This team is simply not built for a slow half-court game.

LOL we generally score less than 60 when we shoot like we're wearing blindfolds.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Check the box score. FT 2-5. Wow. It seems to me one of Calhoun’s many coaching abilities was to teach his players how to get to the line. it was like another tool he developed for games like last night that needed to be won at the FT. So many games Calhoun teams where FT attempts and made was the difference. Just saying

There's this thing called internet websites with stats. You can sometimes use these stat sites to confirm/refute your hypothetical notion. From the Big East's team stats website:

2021-2022 Men's Basketball - Overall Statistics - Big East Conference


Also, Creighton only shot 10 FTs. Most were in the endgame when we were intentionally fouling. The refs let both teams play.

But if you want to take your sample of 5 FTs to push the narrative of "back when Calhoun coached, that's when we could get to the line and shoot FTs", you just keep on keepin' on...


Edit: I'm not sure why the BE site only has 5 games worth of data, but we're actually one of the best FT teams in the BE.

 

[HooperScooper]

We are 3-6 so far this season in games decided by five points or less.

Wins: St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova

Losses: Michigan, West Virginia, Providence, Seton Hall, Creighton, Creighton

Here are their scoring outputs in the 1st half of those 6 losses (in order): 24, 29, 22, 41, 22, and 24.

In all those games except against Seton Hall the offense has sucked the first half. They could make it easier on themselves down the stretch if they started games better.

What is with all these slow starts? Even is some of the wins. I bet they average at least 8-10 points more in 2nd halves.

 

[8893]

Here are their scoring outputs in the 1st half of those 6 losses (in order): 24, 29, 22, 41, 22, and 24.

In all those games except against Seton Hall the offense has sucked the first half. They could make it easier on themselves down the stretch if they started games better.

What is with all these slow starts? Even is some of the wins. I bet they average at least 8-10 points more in 2nd halves.

Only what I’ve been saying all season: our starting lineup is usually great on defense and terrible on offense.

I think the hope was that Hawkins would be developed enough to be a starter by now, which obviously improves our offense; but for a few reasons that hasn’t happened.

If he doesn’t return by the BET our limited options are even more limited.

 

[CL82]

To a certain extent, Hurley is already increasing AJax's minutes as more PG and less off-guard. Interestingly, since start of February, AJax and Cole are both averaging 3.4 assists to 2.0 TOs. Obviously Cole has more offense and AJax more boards. But if AJax played more a Taliek Brown role (plus rebounding) with Cole as more of an SG, I'm wondering if that would help both of them going forward. It does seem to me that AJax can force an uptempo pace better than RJ can. Just a thought.

Yeah, it does seem like Hurley is trying to bring him along. Last night he was bringing the ball up and then dumping it off the Cole at the offensive end. Obviously, this was done to help RJ save a little bit of energy. What an impressive effort by Cole last night on both ends of the floor.

 

[Frank06830]

There's this thing called internet websites with stats. You can sometimes use these stat sites to confirm/refute your hypothetical notion. From the Big East's team stats website:
View attachment 73940

2021-2022 Men's Basketball - Overall Statistics - Big East Conference


Also, Creighton only shot 10 FTs. Most were in the endgame when we were intentionally fouling. The refs let both teams play.

But if you want to take your sample of 5 FTs to push the narrative of "back when Calhoun coached, that's when we could get to the line and shoot FTs", you just keep on keepin' on...


Edit: I'm not sure why the BE site only has 5 games worth of data, but we're actually one of the best FT teams in the BE.

All points well taken, it just seemed that Calhoun would use getting to the FT when the game and playing dictated. Actually I remember many many comments by Shabazz, Kemba, et al making points about the ability to draw fouls Shabaz in particular. Now you question whether this was innate player talent or something Calhoun stressed and developed

 

[superjohn]

Hurley?

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Hurley?

From my limited experience, Hurley's a maniac on the sidelines but doesn't seem to be in the huddle.