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Maybe getting everyone's best shot will prepare our team for bigger and better things. That team last night beat Vandy on the road. ISU isn't as good as WSU, and the programs are light years apart, but their A game is pretty darned good, and that's what the Shockers beat last night...on the road.
You want to keep getting better throughout the season, and I think we got better last night.
:good: Listen to the good doctor. I am also proud of how the team successfully executed HCGM's inbound coming out of a time out. I have to remind myself that no matter how frustrated I am at the inconsistency our quality coaching staff is more so. No doubt a few four finger pours have been consumed in the wee dark hours of a game night pondering the consistency issue. Well done.
Another thing to look for in the upcoming weeks. While some players (especially freshmen) that have been relied upon heavily early in the season begin to hit that wall, ours are getting better and stronger, at least relatively, because they haven't been counted on as much.
You also might see some teams start to break down where they've relied upon just a few guys for 32-36 minutes per game, almost every game. That's a toll that becomes more and more difficult from which to recover.
DWill is starting to really assert himself and his D is impressive. He not only is giving us good minutes, he's becoming a star (refer back to preseason comments regarding the maturation of DWill from yours truly and @ShockRef:) before our eyes, and another guy that can create late in the shot clock.
Jake White has looked GOOD....not just respectable but GOOD. The kid gets after it and boards the heck out of things. It's hard to believe that our depth MAY be better than it was last season.
I am not concerned at all with minutes from Stutz, Hall, Murry, Kyles, Ragland, Smith, Wiliiams, Orupke, White & Cotton and even Anacreon can give some energy on the defensive end.
FT% is 76+ in Valley games. That's a very good number and my favorite stat, making more free throws than your opponent shoots. Last night WSU made 23 and the Trees shot 15. They almost got there against BU and did against ISUR.
This team is getting better, and the great thing is they still aren't close to their ceiling. If they keep getting better and Gregg can let them loose, look out.
Toure with 3 assists and one turnover, which came, I believe, in the first minute of the game. Shot selection still leaves something to be desired,however.
"I not sure that I've ever been around a more competitive player or young man than Fred VanVleet. I like to win more than 99.9% of the people in this world, but he may top me." -- Gregg Marshall 12/23/13 :peaceful:
--------------------------------------- Remember when Nancy Pelosi said about Obamacare: "We have to pass it, to find out what's in it".
A physician called into a radio show and said: "That's the definition of a stool sample."
One thought came to mind last night watching the game. Indiana State is a team that just won't go away......
Kinda like allergies, taxes, Justin Bieber....
"Ralph Miller was one of the finest coaches in the history of intercollegiate basketball. His teams were always fundamentally sound, team oriented, well conditioned, and ran both their offense and defense with great patience. I know of no coach whose teams competed against his, whether it be at Wichita State, Iowa, or Oregon State, who did not have great respect for him."—John Wooden
From what I saw White did play well, in limited minutes last night. I know he can shoot but he also sets solid screens and attacks the glass. I think if he improves his strength he will be a very good MVC player. EO contributions were essential and he appears more confident. That said he gets out of position on defense, which hampers what he does best right now – grab rebounds and block shots. Sweet put back though – I about tumbled off the couch.
With regard to TM, as my friend puts it he needs to adhere to the color rule for now – if you don’t see color under your feet you don’t shoot it. He currently is the most frustrating player to watch, at least in my eyes – his play is all about extremes – extremely stupid play followed by an excellent play and nothing in between. I was cursing him at times last night – and he almost had a double-double.
From what I saw White did play well, in limited minutes last night. I know he can shoot but he also sets solid screens and attacks the glass. I think if he improves his strength he will be a very good MVC player.
Jake just looks more confident in his last couple of outings. Could be that his successful stint against Bradley where in knocked down a couple of treys is the source of that confidence. Previously, I have thought he was playing tentatively and with a lack of conviction. If that's the case he could give us some valuable spot minutes especially when foul trouble rears its ugly head like it did agaisnt Indiana State.
I think there is little doubt he will get stronger as long as he is willing to put the work in. I agree that if he does that he can be a very solid MVC player. The competition he is seeing every day in practice can't hurt either in his development. Going up against Carl will either make you a man or break you.
With regard to TM, as my friend puts it he needs to adhere to the color rule for now – if you don’t see color under your feet you don’t shoot it. He currently is the most frustrating player to watch, at least in my eyes – his play is all about extremes – extremely stupid play followed by an excellent play and nothing in between. I was cursing him at times last night – and he almost had a double-double.
Ain't that the truth. Toure Yeah-No-Yeah-No Murry. High risk, high reward player. And he really plays at the limits of extremes. Highs are simply outstanding and his lows simply unbelievable. Not sure that is going to change a lot at this point in his career. I could see Toure putting up the first quadruple double in Shocker history - points, rebounds, assists and turnovers.
I'll give some additional, well deserved, props to White as well. He works hard for position, has strong hands, and really seems to understand his role on offense. He's still got a ways to go before he is an offensive force, but he has the work ethic, strength, and basketball foundation to be sucssessful. I look forward to his development over the next 3 years.
Toure with 3 assists and one turnover, which came, I believe, in the first minute of the game. Shot selection still leaves something to be desired,however.
We can talk all about the 3's put up by Willaims (kept us from falling way behind at the very beginning) and later on by by Kyles and Smith, but the weaving, penetrating, twisting, shot that Toure layed up through a layer of defense was a spectacular thing of beauty to behold.
We definitely need more of those to keep the defenses honest.
Dunno who keeps stats, but I thought TM had 3 turnovers. We simply did not play that well, but shot ourselves to victory. Guess that SHOULD happen sometimes. White's feet are not very good on defense, but that will improve. He does seem to get an inordinate amount of rebounds for his minutes, and works hard. I'm not yet comfortable with DWill getting all these minutes, but he just is not turning the ball over. That is pleasant. Was not at all impressed with the camera work on the U. Picture was clearer, tho. All refs suck, btw.
I'll give some additional, well deserved, props to White as well. He works hard for position, has strong hands, and really seems to understand his role on offense. He's still got a ways to go before he is an offensive force, but he has the work ethic, strength, and basketball foundation to be sucssessful. I look forward to his development over the next 3 years.
'Not sure where some people have questioned his strength. Yes, he can get stronger, like any freshman, but there's always two people bouncing right off of him/shrugged off.. and then he *swacks* a three.. when he gets the time. That young man is a player.
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