Furman Postgame Thread

[Doctor Hoop]

Hope I’m not speaking too soon, but I wasn’t overwhelmed by UCLA UCF wins the game if their normally reliable center finishes the inside hoops. UCF dominated the boards. UCLA was best on fast breaks, not so good in the halfcourt. They are mainly Dent and some springy front court bigs who dunk lobs. Tarris can have a big game again.

Two thoughts:
1. Can someone put together a tape of Creighton defensive possessions over the last several years so Reibe can study and learn from Kalkbrenner?
2. Also a tape of Solo Ball from last year so Solo Ball from this year can see the ball swish from 3 over and over and over?

I feel good, though certainly we may be DOOMED!

 

[GHSWolverines]

What was it then? That's what I want to know and why they veered from the plan. The shot happened so fast that it couldn't have been that the reason was that the original plan wasn't there to execute.

Mullins is a still a freshman and he has a quick trigger

 

[upstater]

I believe that Hurley believes our guys are playing very tight. They are hyped and in a panic. I caught onto this after the Marquette game when he said he told the team from now on, it's just another game. BE regular season championship at stake? They came in hyped and ended up playing tight. BE tourney championship? They got rattled. No Demary playing a 15 seed who you better not lose to? They played tight. At some point they have to settle and play loose. Like they having nothing to lose.

 

[RuffRuff]

If this is his system, he should keep to it, because he's a top level coach and it has worked for him before.

BUT, there's no use in criticizing a system that prioritizes shooters when the shooters can't shoot well.

It makes no sense. There may very well be no problem with the system at all.

When the players shoot as expected, they beat Florida, Texas, St. John's, Illinois and Kansas. When they can't shoot well, they lose to St. John's, Creighton and Marquette.

So it's not the system.

It's the consistency of the shooters.

I hear yeah - having the right parts may very well be the challenge. You do have to keep up with trends and NIL though, so let’s see what is getting teams to the F4 this year. If these massive front courts are the trend and it’s working two years running, you have to adapt.

Can you build rosters like this top 4 annually? That is the question. Lots of top bigs consolidated.

Most of those wins are ancient history.

 

[gsmooth]

I told you all I had a dream. We will face Duke in the Elite 8.

That works and is good enough to make a believer out of me. 😀

 

[superjohn]

I hear yeah - having the right parts may very well be the challenge. You do have to keep up with trends and NIL though, so let’s see what is getting teams to the F4 this year. If these massive front courts are the trend and it’s working two years running, you have to adapt.

Can you build rosters like this top 4 annually? That is the question. Lots of top bigs consolidated.

Most of those wins are ancient history.

Auburn wasn't big at all and Florida won it all because of guard play and Walter Clayton but keep doing your thing.

 

[Orc]

Mullins is a still a freshman and he has a quick trigger

I was expecting Mullins to be a 40% 3 pt shooter but so far he's been unimpressive. Too streaky and his shooting % is continuing to get worse like Solo,

 

[RuffRuff]

THhs year doesn't matter to the NBA. What matters is then player's perceived ceiling.

I guess I'm wondering what we saw that show a perceived high ceiling. I didn't notice any exceptional traits - I doubt the NBA wants him for his mid range runner.

 

[tzznandrew]

The officiating was terrible tonight. Saw a few clean blocks by UConn, the phantom foul on Solo on the 3 point shot. The screw up with the goaltending call. Meanwhile Tarris was being held, and nothing.

The goaltend was the craziest. Aside from the fact that you can't review it...it was below the rim. The shot had no chance of going in, so it shouldn't have been a goaltend.

I'm still mad that it happened (the absurd Duke play reminded me), and that the announcers insisted that it WAS a goaltend.

 

[tzznandrew]

Eh. In 2023 we struggled in the first half of our first game. Add in that Furman was hot from the field and we didn't have our starting PG and I'm not too upset by how we played.

Down at the half.

This team is cooked if Demary has a high ankle sprain and is out. Might get past UCLA, won't get past Michigan State.

Even with a healthy Demary (which I'm skeptical of), they're not getting past Michigan State if Mullins and Ball keep shooting like this. It absolutely destroys the offense.

And, one more thing: I've never seen a top program and top coach get the bum whistle these dudes do. Not sour grapes—at least the refs didn't let Furman mug us off ball, and if they hit shots like they did before Marquette they win by 20+—just reality. Reibe got lots of absurd foul calls, the goaltend was ridiculous. Refs really helped keep Furman in the game on the when UConn was on defense.

 

[tzznandrew]

Sadly I think the only thing stopping UM is some UConn March Magic.

I mean, Arizona, Michigan, or Houston is a much preferable outcome to, say, Duke or Florida, in my book.

 

[NJHusky]

Our strength is dumping it into Reed and our creative offensive sets that set up great looks from 3. If a Braylon-caliber shooter can’t make those shots we’re cooked anyway. But we need to keep doing it because we’ve seen them fall before and it’s our best shot

When was the last time shots fell?

 

[Kemba15]

When was the last time shots fell?

A week ago

 

[FreeDogs]

I liked Hurley’s body language at the presser. Didn’t seem overly stressed about the poor shooting night and his focus was on the quality looks the shooters got.

You can lose games with twenty or thirty quality looks that don't go in, but I understand the sentiment.

 

[NJHusky]

A week ago

What are y talking about. You thought our 3 pt shooting was good in the BE tourney???

You think 23/73 is good???? That’s 31percent. That’s the bottom 25% of all teams.

Bray scored all is points going to the hoop. His shot was terrible…missing the rim entirely more than once. He did so much well, he doesn’t need to rely on the 3.

 

[Kemba15]

What are y talking about. You thought our 3 pt shooting was good in the BE tourney???

You think 23/73 is good???? That’s 31percent. That’s the bottom 25% of all teams.

Bray scored all is points going to the hoop. His shot was terrible…missing the rim entirely more than once. He did so much well, he doesn’t need to rely on the 3.

Not sure why you’re so worked up. You asked when the last time shots fell. The answer is against Xavier.

 

[NJHusky]

Not sure why you’re so worked up. You asked when the last time shots fell. The answer is against Xavier.

I’m not worked up. I just don’t think hoisting 3s when they’re not going in is effective when there are other ways to score. Remind me how many points Bray had and how many 3 he hit. We were missing wide open 3. That’s a formula to lose to a good team.

If Tarris didn’t ha ethe best game in 60 years for a center we prob don’t win that game.

 

[JakeTheDog]

I hear yeah - having the right parts may very well be the challenge. You do have to keep up with trends and NIL though, so let’s see what is getting teams to the F4 this year. If these massive front courts are the trend and it’s working two years running, you have to adapt.

Can you build rosters like this top 4 annually? That is the question. Lots of top bigs consolidated.

Most of those wins are ancient history.

You make it seem like we didn’t have a dominant center rotation when we went back to back. How easy you seem to forget about man named Donovan Clingan (not to mention Adama and Samson too). I’d put either of our championship front courts against any of these teams from the last couple years.

 

[Kemba15]

I’m not worked up. I just don’t think hoisting 3s when they’re not going in is effective when there are other ways to score. Remind me how many points Bray had and how many 3 he hit. We were missing wide open 3. That’s a formula to lose to a good team.

If Tarris didn’t ha ethe best game in 60 years for a center we prob don’t win that game.

Your point seems to be that we must shift away from an offense that sets up great looks from 3. Mullins is in a horrible 5/38 slump from 3, but before that he was a near 40% shooter from 3 for about 3/4 of the season. So we know it’s possible. Would you agree with that?

 

[RuffRuff]

You make it seem like we didn’t have a dominant center rotation when we went back to back. How easy you seem to forget about man named Donovan Clingan (not to mention Adama and Samson too). I’d put either of our championship front courts against any of these teams from the last couple years.

I don't forget about him. He's exactly what you need in today's game, or as close to it. He made up for a lot on the interior, and now he's killing it in Portland. 2024 had a flawless roster.

 

[gtcam]

I guess I'm wondering what we saw that show a perceived high ceiling. I didn't notice any exceptional traits - I doubt the NBA wants him for his mid range runner.

Did you watch him play last season? The staff saw what many college coaching staffs saw. The reason why he was as a McDAA and 5 star isn’t because he shot 30% from 3 pt and played bad D.

 

[Mike Honcho]

6 for his last 42. 14%

Your point seems to be that we must shift away from an offense that sets up great looks from 3. Mullins is in a horrible 5/38 slump from 3, but before that he was a near 40% shooter from 3 for about 3/4 of the season. So we know it’s possible. Would you agree with that?

 

[RuffRuff]

Did you watch him play last season? The staff saw what many college coaching staffs saw. The reason why he was as a McDAA and 5 star isn’t because he shot 30% from 3 pt and played bad D.

HS recruiting tends to be a fairly imperfect science sometimes. Case in point - DJ Wagner. I'm not saying he's that, but saying it's not always the easiest translation at that level, especially Indiana public school hoops.

Our guy Nico Bundalo who was around 30 hasn't sniffed the floor at Ole Miss, and we recruited him.

 

[Mr. French]

I guess I'm wondering what we saw that show a perceived high ceiling. I didn't notice any exceptional traits - I doubt the NBA wants him for his mid range runner.

Most NBA scouts disagree but I’m shocked your tone is more pessimistic than optimistic about a UConn guy.

 

[uconngb]

Auburn wasn't big at all and Florida won it all because of guard play and Walter Clayton but keep doing your thing.

I cannot believe how consistently bad and wrong the crap he posts is