The bench
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eebmg
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More important than seeing the bench together on the court was seeing if some of our bench players can work together with the starting unit without "screwing" it up. I think both Mollie (3 assists / 3 stls) and Kyla
(good defense 2 reb) were good in this regard. This was needed with the extensive foul trouble to Crystal and Collier and CW in the dog house.
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The bench players are deferring to the starters when it comes to shooting. Without specific directions from Geno I don't see this changing.
Molly (except for one bonehead pass) and Kyla played well in the other aspects of the game. I do wish they would look for their shots more when they play with the starters as it becomes 3 or 4 on five for the other team's defense.
Molly (except for one bonehead pass) and Kyla played well in the other aspects of the game. I do wish they would look for their shots more when they play with the starters as it becomes 3 or 4 on five for the other team's defense.
eebmg
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Molly in her interview after the USF game was explicit in what is really important for a bench player. Defense and effort. The points are nice and if you are wide open, you need to shoot it but the team does not need us to score. There are plenty of scorers already.
Oldbones
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Molly did have three assists (plus three steals) and "the bench" did have 19.6 percent (10 of 51) of the team rebounds and 25 per cent of the team assists(4 of 16) and 27 per cent of the team steals, while incurring none of 16 team fouls and only 11 per cent of the 18 team turnovers while playing in 21 percent of the game time. They were also on the floor mostly in the fourth quarter, when Tulane scored a total of 6 points. As Geno often says, there is more to the game than scoring points.
Particularly when everyone knew where the ball should be going last night.
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The bench players, as a group, are still trying " not to screw up" when they are in with the starters. The beauty of the USF game was, " it was all on them." There was no one to defer to. No one to rescue them. If all they did was try " not to screw up" they would embarrass themselves by putting up zero points against a severely weakened, largely freshman-dominated, team. And they showed some prospect of blossoming.
But that will not carry over, until and unless they get more such experiences. They should play the entire game against Temple, for example, who will be no challenge for the starters at all. If the starters play a lot, it should be 100 -2 at the end of the half( if anyone besides Walker can hit an outside shot).
But the bench players do " revert" to form when inserted with the starting group. Against ND, that might be fine. "Don't screw up, provide a starter some rest, and give the ball to Katy-Lou." But they will not grow, contribute or improve if that remains their style. They need to be forced to perform under meaningful game conditions.
Charliebball
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the bench players most important function is to replace the starters for several minutes per half and contribute in any way they can whether it be a basket, rebound, assist, screen, steal or just good defense........................I'm thrilled to say mission accomplished in the past two games.................I would like to see ONO and Coombs get a few more meaningful minutes................in my opinion they are the two players that can most impact the game going forward
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Per usual you are right. The bench would be starters if they had the talent, athletic ability, inclination of the starting 5. They, in the past 2 games filled their role properly.
exactly.....and when they are spelling a player ala' Molly giving "coaching" minutes to CW she filled the role just fine --- her role with the starters -- keep the offense flowing and don't turn the ball over.
In this offense, when its working, there is no "need to score" onus on anyone --- but there is always a "need to assist" onus on everyone
I'm not talking mop up minutes --- I'm talking a true sub for a starter minutes
Molly's highlights were the heads up assists ---- that was the NEED part fulfilled ---she doesn't have to score but its gravy if it happens
And BTW --- that turnover on the bad pass to Lou, that looked like it was Lou's fault, not Molly's, at least to me.
Unless Molly was supposed to hold it until Lou got to her new spot --- who knows --- live and learn. Miscommunication that won't be repeated.
I'd like to see Coombs get a possession or two guarding Durr or Jones or Carter --- never happen but I'd like to see it. If Molly's the offensive side sub, it'd be nice to have a defensive side sub. Just thinking out loud.
Tournament time a premium gets put on guard play----- it would be nice to have/find a shutdown defender somewhere on the roster. Would have to be quick, speed to get back, and fouls to give that wouldn't hurt the offense. Still just thinkin' out loud -or not.
A ways for that crew to go but in conference competition they'll be okay.
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