WSU at SMU Game Thread

[MelvinLoudermilk]

We should not have won that game. Thank God Dex got hot!

However, we deserved this win after the last second crap with Tulsa and Cincy. Plus, we know Dex is a good shooter. He was really due for something like this. I am really happy for him and the team.

[Dan]

ES deserves a place on this team. He's just not the leader and/or main player that he seems to think he is. When he takes smart open shots (from the 3 point line, not 5 feet behind it), he can be very good. Most of our guys can be effective in different ways, but they have to play within the flow of the game. I feel like we said that about McDuffie his entire career.

[Shocktoberfest]

Ok. I've watched "The Run" now 3 times. One really positive take away was JE at the 6:30 mark looking across court to find Dex. A lot of times JE will hold the ball too long and the collapse destroys his options. That was a huge play IMO. Still can't believe we pulled that out. Holy Cow! So much fun!

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Actually I'm one of those "Stick to the facts" people

Congratulations man. Way to sacrifice your Sunday evening to prove me wrong. Gold medal to you sir!

[ShockBand]

For the next few games, would it be better if ES was our "energy" guy coming in as first guy off the bench?

[asiseeit]

Topshock - you know what they say about people who "assume" things ? Why are you almost exclusively focused on ES?
I might "assume" that coaches love his can do attitude. Like any player he has his good games and bad ones but few give
more effort than he does. I can name several other players that have exhibited poor body language from time to time.
Just take a look at your own posts and so many others. What can be said about yours and others language? And your
probably adults not participating in a highly competitive game.

[asiseeit]

For the next few games, would it be better if ES was our "energy" guy coming in as first guy off the bench?

The thing I would like ES do, especially from the very start, is try and drive more and start with an easy shot to start on a positive note
even if it is an assist. Many times for him early success is the key to having a good game and when he has a good game we rarely lose.

[Aargh]

The thing I would like ES do, especially from the very start, is try and drive more and start with an easy shot to start on a positive note
even if it is an assist. Many times for him early success is the key to having a good game and when he has a good game we rarely lose.

Does ES have the handle and quickness to drive to the hoop?

[JVShocker]

ShockBand: Comeback survival kit:

[ShockRef]

Even though we shot a ton of threes in the second half, it still felt like we were being aggressive.

When teams play zone, we need to run sets that get Dex open. He's lethal in catch-and-shoot situations and his elevation allows him to shoot over bigger defenders. We also did not have to run our offense through Echenique in the second half, even though he gave us some much-needed buckets.

The six-man rotation of Burton, Etienne, Sherfield, Dennis, Wade, and Echenique was phenomenal. It allows us to play against quicker teams like SMU and (possibly?) Houston. It gives us a great balance of guards who can penetrate (Burton, Sherfield) and guards/wings who can shoot (Etienne, Dennis). If I were a mad scientist, I would shorten the rotation to seven and play zone the whole game just to see what comes of it. Which is my next point...

We need to play more of the extended Fresno zone or the 1-3-1 zone that we ran in the second half against quicker teams. Maybe not exclusively, but it switches things up and helps us frustrate teams who run a lot of action on the perimeter. The only limitation is the size of Sherfield/Etienne, but they're quick enough to make up for it. I hope Marshall and his staff see things the same way.

This game needed Grant Sherfield. He hit some big shots and did an excellent job frustrating SMU's ball handlers on the perimeter, as well as getting dribble penetration when it was needed. He was so much more aggressive on both ends (the deflection in the front court that led to a steal in the first half comes to mind). I love Noah, but this comeback doesn't happen with him in place of Grant today.

Poor Bear and Gordon gave us a few good minutes today in the second half. This was not a game Udeze or Midtgaard could play in.

We live to fight another day.

Kel,
All good points, especially about Grant. They don't win without HCGM pulling ES and letting GS run the show.
I thought Pooh Bear (I just like typing that) gave them good minutes and more important, JE some rest. I particularly liked his mojo dance after Dexs killer trey from the top. Gordon gave them a few decent minutes. Both played hard and didn't do anything stupid.
Not a game for AM or MU, but then again what AAC game is a good match up for either? Maybe a few minutes for AM against Vogt (UC). MU maybe a couple against Tulsa,
Everybody else... its all about match ups guys.

That is all.

[ShockerFever]

Look - I actually think Fever has a good point. This board, and thread, would be boring AF if people were just happy go lucky all the time. Being negative when your team is down 24 with 14 minutes left is perfectly acceptable.

What I think is silly, which I also posted about after Cincinnati, is the over the top negativity. I think comments like "I’m not sure how anyone thinks this is an NCAA team" is over the top. IMO, that is just a dumb comment. And I will call out the dumb comments, because I think they are dumb, and there seems to be not enough self policing of dumb comments on this board the past few weeks.

They are a bubble team. They have played putrid at times this year. They did some win-padding in the non-con with a very favorable non-con schedule mostly played at home. The argument can be made that they are an NCAA team or not an NCAA team. That's why they're on the freaking bubble, genius. How in the **** is that not a realistic take on the subject (especially considering when the comment was made the team was down 20+ in which a dismantling to SMU WOULD have in fact sent them to the NIT? Where would I have been wrong on this again?

God, you pumpers are worse than the trolls here. You try to make it out that anybody that's not pumping sunshine is against WSU and isn't a real fan.

[MelvinLoudermilk]

Down 24. We make the first 3 at 12:36 -- Pooh Bear the only player on the bench to stand.

DD 3 at 11:35 -- Entire bench stand except ES who stays seated.

DD 3 at 10:40 -- ES is ;the last player on the bench to stand

JE 2 at 10:00 -- ES stands with the rest of the bench

GS 3 at 8:50 -- Up with team

DD 3 at 8:00 -- Up with team

JE Dunk at 7:16 -- last to stand up

From 6:20 on ES was all in

hahahaha

A twenty year old is living in your head rent free. So sorry this is happening to you.

[Topshock]

Topshock - you know what they say about people who "assume" things ? Why are you almost exclusively focused on ES?
I might "assume" that coaches love his can do attitude. Like any player he has his good games and bad ones but few give
more effort than he does. I can name several other players that have exhibited poor body language from time to time.
Just take a look at your own posts and so many others. What can be said about yours and others language? And your
probably adults not participating in a highly competitive game.

I didn't "assume" anything. I used deductive reasoning to draw you a road map from GM's own mouth.

On second thought, I guess I did incorrectly "assume" you would be smart enough to follow it. I should have known better than that!

[molly jabali]

ES deserves a place on this team. He's just not the leader and/or main player that he seems to think he is. When he takes smart open shots (from the 3 point line, not 5 feet behind it), he can be very good. Most of our guys can be effective in different ways, but they have to play within the flow of the game. I feel like we said that about McDuffie his entire career.

My wife, who is a fan but not an expert, yesterday actually said to Hull( who obviously could NOT hear her) " so WHAT if his 25 footer 'looked good'???HE MISSED IT!!!"

Love the girl

[Topshock]

hahahaha

A twenty year old is living in your head rent free. So sorry this is happening to you.

I was re watching it anyway. Sorry the facts didn't align with the narrative you wanted to portray.