- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 29,609
- Reaction Score
- 47,751
When Bouk was out last year, we were pleasantly surprised that the team hung tough and even won a few games (Marquette!) that we didn't expect to win.
They were moving the ball around much more with Bouk out (note: I am not saying they were a better team without him, but lacking a guy who could deliver like Bouk, they became unselfish).
This year's team is playing a lot more hero ball than they did when Bouk was out last year. I really hope they get back to what they did in the middle of last year. Mostly, I don't see the guards kicking out and swinging the ball around. We're driving a lot and Gaffney and Cole in particular aren't kicking the ball back out. I know we need scoring and Cole is doing very well getting us those points, but I don't have much faith in this approach, especially against the better teams.
Games like last night show that we have so many players who can hit open shots. But because we don't have a Bouk out there, the players don't trust each other enough to work the ball around to get key players open.
Most of these players can hit the open 3. Most of them: Polley, Gaffney, Cole, Martin, Akok, Hawkins, Diggins, Whaley, even Johnson. The opposition can't guard everyone.
Several of them can also get the ball in open space and drive to the hole.
We have a lot more offensive capabilities than we showed in our tougher games -- with the exception of Auburn, but even against Auburn, we just shot really really well as opposed to moving the ball around.
They were moving the ball around much more with Bouk out (note: I am not saying they were a better team without him, but lacking a guy who could deliver like Bouk, they became unselfish).
This year's team is playing a lot more hero ball than they did when Bouk was out last year. I really hope they get back to what they did in the middle of last year. Mostly, I don't see the guards kicking out and swinging the ball around. We're driving a lot and Gaffney and Cole in particular aren't kicking the ball back out. I know we need scoring and Cole is doing very well getting us those points, but I don't have much faith in this approach, especially against the better teams.
Games like last night show that we have so many players who can hit open shots. But because we don't have a Bouk out there, the players don't trust each other enough to work the ball around to get key players open.
Most of these players can hit the open 3. Most of them: Polley, Gaffney, Cole, Martin, Akok, Hawkins, Diggins, Whaley, even Johnson. The opposition can't guard everyone.
Several of them can also get the ball in open space and drive to the hole.
We have a lot more offensive capabilities than we showed in our tougher games -- with the exception of Auburn, but even against Auburn, we just shot really really well as opposed to moving the ball around.