The Official Shocks vs. Bama Game Thread - Puerto Rican Style

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Anyone realize what Bama shot against the zone we implemented? Anyone have thoughts about why we didn't stay with it until they finally broke it down?

[ShockRef]

4 things happened:

1) Stutz got into foul trouble
2) WSU couldn't hit FT's
3) Kyles couldn't make a shot
4) Smith's shot was off

WSU could have survived 2 of those and still won the game. 3 of those happening on the same night against a very good team, and it would have been a close game. All 4 happening against a good team and it's a loss.

In the overall scheme of things, the lost opportunity is probably worse than the loss. Colorado losing to Maryland didn't help in the "opportunity" department.

1972,
We DID beat this team last year. However, there were other WSU players in that game, not present last night.

Here comes the 'Hatch Shrine' comments (which are funny) but between Durley & Blair on the inside and Hatch bombing away, this is a much different team than 8 months ago.

New players have to step up and take charge of the roles those guys handled. Looking at the immediate schedule, they better start 'handling' sooner than later.

[1972Shocker]

Alabama was 23-28 from the line. The Shocks were 9-15. At least one, and perhaps two of those misses by the Shocks were front ends of one-and-ones.

[Kung Wu]

4 things happened:

1) Stutz got into foul trouble
2) WSU couldn't hit FT's
3) Kyles couldn't make a shot
4) Smith's shot was off

Three of those can be explained by Bama's D. Well at least 2.5 of 'em.

[GoShockers89]

I think it's increasingly clear that our fate against good teams this year hinges on what kind of performance we get out of Garrett. Sure, we can drub the Charleston Southerns and Chicago States of the world with or without GS, but top 50 teams are another matter. His absence for extended stretches last night exposed a huge weakness for us- Ben Smith simply cannot guard an effective power forward down low. It's not his fault- he's out of position and being asked to do way too much against a 6-8 or 6-9 jumping jack with 40 pounds on him.

Not many teams have the frontcourt talent to make this an issue. Creighton might be the only Valley foe who could really exploit it. MAYBE Missouri State. But- in those rare games against top 50 type teams, I think we have almost no margin for error when Garrett is unable to give us 25-30 effective minutes. It's a lot like Paul Miller's senior season. GS needs to step up and own this year. If he does, we can be consistently excellent. If he doesn't, we'll be a hostage to our own streaky three point shooting with frustrating results.

This is nothing we didn't already know coming into the season. The first few games have simply confirmed what we thought was the case. It's a lot of pressure on one guy, and it may be unfair, but that's the way the chips are stacked. Here's to hoping for a different outcome against Temple- it might be our last shot at a top 50 win in the non-conference. Gotta have it.

[im4wsu]

Several things about the officials.

1. Their lack of clarity to the scorer's bench on a foul resulted in a foul being posted as Carl Hall's and not on Bama. I know that got corrected by the second half, but if that were not corrected by the time Bama reached the one-and-one at 7 WSU team could (which was really only six). Wehn I get time to go through the play-by-play, maybe I can figure that out.

2. The free hrow that got stuck on the rim was originally declared as Bama possession without being a jump ball. 3G had to get the official already under the opposite basket to notify the scorer's bench to change the arrow.

3. Ref's spent mucho time "explaining" calls to coaches in first half, but in second half they wouldn't let 3G walk out ten feet from the bench where he customarily goes while the team assembles. To me, this change in attitude is a total "lack of control. Of course, Bama coach was allowed halfway to midcourt during the game, not at a time out.

4. Make-up calls on a player with ZERO fouls after a bogus call on the THIRD foul on WSU's necessary player is not even close to being a make up.. The original call changes game coaching and the make-up is meaningless.

5. Someone above said don't complain about officiating because fouls totals were nearly equal. I wonder what the result of the game might have been if Green had three fouls and Stutz only one? There is certainly argument that Young manhandled our guys inside using body, both hands and elbows without drawing a single foul. Just sayin' that the officials can change a game with their own internal attitude.

6. It sure looked to me like in the first half particularly every time Young got the ball on the low block, he do two stutter steps of about 1/2 inch each as he was making contact with the defender. Should be travelling, because that is a HUGE advantage.

[1972Shocker]

Several things about the officials.

1. Their lack of clarity to the scorer's bench on a foul resulted in a foul being posted as Carl Hall's and not on Bama. I know that got corrected by the second half, but if that were not corrected by the time Bama reached the one-and-one at 7 WSU team could (which was really only six). Wehn I get time to go through the play-by-play, maybe I can figure that out.

2. The free hrow that got stuck on the rim was originally declared as Bama possession without being a jump ball. 3G had to get the official already under the opposite basket to notify the scorer's bench to change the arrow.

3. Ref's spent mucho time "explaining" calls to coaches in first half, but in second half they wouldn't let 3G walk out ten feet from the bench where he customarily goes while the team assembles. To me, this change in attitude is a total "lack of control. Of course, Bama coach was allowed halfway to midcourt during the game, not at a time out.

4. Make-up calls on a player with ZERO fouls after a bogus call on the THIRD foul on WSU's necessary player is not even close to being a make up.. The original call changes game coaching and the make-up is meaningless.

5. Someone above said don't complain about officiating because fouls totals were nearly equal. I wonder what the result of the game might have been if Green had three fouls and Stutz only one? There is certainly argument that Young manhandled our guys inside using body, both hands and elbows without drawing a single foul. Just sayin' that the officials can change a game with their own internal attitude.

6. It sure looked to me like in the first half particularly every time Young got the ball on the low block, he do two stutter steps of about 1/2 inch each as he was making contact with the defender. Should be travelling, because that is a HUGE advantage.

Who is Young? Do you mean Green? Mitchell? Jacobs?

[shoxlax]

Who is Young?

Not you or I, 72.

I think he means Green.

[1972Shocker]

Definitely not me.

[KC Shox]

If I'm not mistaken, we held a 20 to 21 edge in personal fouls. Officials did not cost us the game nor do I think they contributed to the loss. Bad calls happen in college basketball games all the time. This team is going to struggle against top tier teams. I keep saying it and people and most people are not buying it, our Frontcourt has issues. GoShockers hit the nail on the head. Our frontcourt replacements for GB and JT will not come close to resembling the offensive output they produced and this places more pressure on GS. Add in the fact that GS can't stay out of foul trouble, it just further emphasizes our weakness down low.

We have no Kemba Walkers on this team, we cannot expect our backcourt to win our games. It's going to happen from time-to-time, but until our newbies down low and GS starts figuring it out, it's going to be rough early if not for the entire season.

[1979Shocker]

I'm as frustrated as anyone, but we will not see a defense like that the rest of the year. We also aren't likely to miss that many open 3s (we are better shooters than tonight showed).

Hit a few more of those open 3s, which is taking what the defense was giving us, and this is a different ballgame.

The 14 blocked shots are a concern. But given the way UA was D'ing up, it's not that surprising.

Even though it seems like we were missing a lot of 3's, we still shot 35% on those 3's, which we would have taken some years.

So far this year we're shooting 40% from 3 compared to 35.5% last year.

[pinstripers]

the flop call on Stutz cost us dearly

[1979Shocker]

After watching that game last night, we have a long way to go to be the kind of athletic team we all want them to be.

[wusphlash]

After watching that game last night, we have a long way to go to be the kind of athletic team we all want them to be.

I Gregg could teach athleticism, Garrett would be picking dimes off the top of the backboard. I have no problem with the number of athletes on this team.

[shocker3]

It's obvious we need GS in the game. But I am not sure there is much he could have done differently last night to avoid fouls. It wasn't like he was playing out of control getting stupid fouls that he could have avoided. There was one "phantom" foul and one blocking foul that should have been a charge against Alabama. GS on the other hand was being shoved and pushed and had guys on his back and they were calling nothing.

That tip in to end the game was a glimpse of what could have been if he hadn't been in foul trouble.

GS just needs to forget about this game and move on. We need him to play a great game against Temple.