Wichita State vs East Carolina Game Thread

[Stickboy46]

Per Haslametrics, that was our worst game of the year. Even worse than the Texas Southern game

http://www.haslametrics.com/ratings2.php?yr=&tid=5471

[shock-it-to-me]

Do you not know how to read?

Even if you subscribe to the theory that JB’s shots taken where he’s fouled and go to the line are “bad shots”, that would amount to 11 “shots” instead of 6, but we’ll credit him 2.5 more makes for the 5 made free throws, making him 6.5-11. Still above 50%. And none of his 6 shots where he didn’t get fouled were remotely bad. Season stats prove his shot selection is good.

[pinstripers]

I thought Erik was the one taking bad shots yesterday

[WstateU]

I thought Erik was the one taking bad shots yesterday

The one from Newton might have been bad, but I'm darn glad he took it.

[ShockTalk]

Well, I wouldn't announce the strategy or anything but I would invoke it. Maybe last year was a fluke? I'm not seeing anything that remotely resembles a 70% FT shooter.

Part 1: After a couple of games, it would become pretty evident.

Part 2: You are correct. It maybe was, it maybe wasn't.

Part 3: We're in total agreement.

[Shockm]

Per Haslametrics, that was our worst game of the year. Even worse than the Texas Southern game

http://www.haslametrics.com/ratings2.php?yr=&tid=5471

That's only because they had Texas Southern ranked 18 points lower than Texas Southern and we defeated them both by 6 points. ECU did shoot better against us than they had this year, and they made some shots when we played very good defense. Whether ECU's performance is indicative of improvement or just a "flash in the pan" performance, we will soon know.

ECU did seem to have a better defensive post presence and made it more difficult to score inside than last year. They blocked some shots, rebounded better, and played better defense by not allowing our perimeter players to have clean passes into the post and we weren't hitting outside shots consistently so they mucked up the game. They didn't show these abilities in non-con play so we will see if it was us or them. I'm just glad we won ugly.

[Shockm]

I think that the missed free throws should be brought up on the coaches show next Monday.

According to GM, they practice free throws with running as the punishment, and they hit their free throws at practice (I would think that includes JB). They had to hit 20 or so in a row or run as a team and they didn't run. Of course, shooting in a game is different than practice. But the conundrum for GM is that he knows that just bitching at the players about missing the free throws is a losing strategy. We all know that they are doing their best to make them, and it can get into their heads and when they miss. The same is true that our players gain confidence if they make them.

At the end of last year (I don't know how many games but I would guess it was more than the NIT and AAC Tourney-maybe 10), JB was hitting 78% of his free throws. The last 3 games haven't been good, but I think this team will get it back and be a good free throw shooting again. I hope we don't lose because of it until we gain our confidence back.

[Kel Varnsen]

According to Dave Dahl, JB is shooting 83.3% from the line in two of his last six games.

[Cdizzle]

According to Dave Dahl, JB is shooting 83.3% from the line in two of his last six games.

Only the second day, but you've already wrapped up Post of the Year. Congratulations!

[Dan]

Credit ECU for playing good defense. They didn’t let us work the ball in and forced us to take a lot of shots with the clock expiring. Several times, Erik had the ball in his hands with the clock winding down and he’s not the guy we want in that situation, maybe that was by design by ECU. All this to say, we did not have a good plan against ECU. Maybe our coaching staff took them too lightly. We have no one that can match up against Gardner. He’s way too big for Wade and too quick for our post players. Not sure even Dex would have done much on him. As for the rest of ECU, they have good athletes. I think Dooley has them pointed in the right direction.

[pie n eye]

I disagree that we have no one to match up with Gardner. He had a really good game but he’s a good player and you’re right he’s a tough matchup. Sometimes good players have good games no matter who is guarding them.

Dexter was pretty successful slowing him down last year albeit in one game. I would like to see how a healthy Poor-Bear would handle him. Poor-Bear’s defense is improved this year. Enough to completely shut Gardner down? Probably not. But PB is big and moves well for his size. I would have at least like to see it as a test of his improvement.

[Cdizzle]

I disagree that we have no one to match up with Gardner. He had a really good game but he’s a good player and you’re right he’s a tough matchup. Sometimes good players have good games no matter who is guarding them.

Dexter was pretty successful slowing him down last year albeit in one game. I would like to see how a healthy Poor-Bear would handle him. Poor-Bear’s defense is improved this year. Enough to completely shut Gardner down? Probably not. But PB is big and moves well for his size. I would have at least like to see it as a test of his improvement.

We played ECU 3 times last year. Dennis destroyed Gardner defensively. Hopefully we are back to full depth soon.

[ShockTalk]

Credit ECU for playing good defense. They didn’t let us work the ball in and forced us to take a lot of shots with the clock expiring. Several times, Erik had the ball in his hands with the clock winding down and he’s not the guy we want in that situation, maybe that was by design by ECU. All this to say, we did not have a good plan against ECU. Maybe our coaching staff took them too lightly. We have no one that can match up against Gardner. He’s way too big for Wade and too quick for our post players. Not sure even Dex would have done much on him. As for the rest of ECU, they have good athletes. I think Dooley has them pointed in the right direction.

Frankly, our offense looked like WVU Game Part 2. They took away the things we wanted to do and we didn't appear to have enough different "looks" in our offense to trip them up. Maybe it's because how young the team is overall and not enough of those "other parts" have been added yet. It did appear that ECU had a number of different looks on offense and it got them a number of close-in buckets (25-43 inside the arc).

[Topshock]

I thought Erik was the one taking bad shots yesterday

In the three games since the Oklahoma game, ES is 8-30 from the field -- 27%. Until he proves differently, he appears to be a below average shooter that occasionally gets hot in a game or put another way, a streak shooter.

Now, as I have said before he brings a lot to the team even when he is clanking up shots in hustle, attitude, rebounding, etc.

[Stickboy46]

In the three games since the Oklahoma game, ES is 8-30 from the field -- 27%. Until he proves differently, he appears to be a below average shooter that occasionally gets hot in a game or put another way, a streak shooter.

Now, as I have said before he brings a lot to the team even when he is clanking up shots in hustle, attitude, rebounding, etc.

We are better with him on the floor for sure. And with percentages low or not, people don't sag off of him. That's important.