Blame Game

[WuShockFan]

I haven't watched every second of every game this season, so I may have missed a few things. So please correct me if I'm wrong. But I've seen two things about this team that concern me.

The first is we just aren't tall enough. We need a tall, experienced center like Orukpe or even Paul Miller. We need more height in our forwards and centers.

The second thing is, I just don't get why Etienne isn't bringing the ball up on every possession and being our primary point guard. I could be wrong, but it seemed like last year he was our primary point guard and he was the one bringing the ball up and initiating our offense. This year it seems like he's playing off-ball guard and he seems to disappear in a lot of possessions because defenses won't let him catch the ball. It just seemed like our offense was better when he was initiating the offense rather than being a catch-and-shoot guard.

But the height issues are real. We got blocked so many times yesterday. If you look back over the last 15 years, the seasons when we had the most success we had an experienced, heady point guard and an experienced, tall center and power forward.

[asiseeit]

1. Agree we are under sized
2. TE is not a PG. He had some success last season as a catch and shoot SG
3. IB trying to help him be an NBA PG has failed miserably for both TE and the team.
4. I do not like seeing the ball in his hands for more than a second. He should
shoot when he is open and shoulders squared otherwise should quickly pass
5. I don't see him as a team player. My biggest slam on IB has been his handling of TE

[SHOXAAC]

I haven't watched every second of every game this season, so I may have missed a few things. So please correct me if I'm wrong. But I've seen two things about this team that concern me.

The first is we just aren't tall enough. We need a tall, experienced center like Orukpe or even Paul Miller. We need more height in our forwards and centers.

The second thing is, I just don't get why Etienne isn't bringing the ball up on every possession and being our primary point guard. I could be wrong, but it seemed like last year he was our primary point guard and he was the one bringing the ball up and initiating our offense. This year it seems like he's playing off-ball guard and he seems to disappear in a lot of possessions because defenses won't let him catch the ball. It just seemed like our offense was better when he was initiating the offense rather than being a catch-and-shoot guard.

But the height issues are real. We got blocked so many times yesterday. If you look back over the last 15 years, the seasons when we had the most success we had an experienced, heady point guard and an experienced, tall center and power forward.

You had me until the Orukpe and experience comment. Bad choice to make your point.

[BostonWu]

TE has below average ball handling skills on top of never seeing a shot he didn't like. Pretty much the opposite of what you look for in a PG.

[shox7]

WSF, you must not have watched us play at all last year, Gilbert was our point guard for 30+ minutes per game. TE was a part time point guard for a few possessions.

[Ashockalypse]

For the year:

JP -43
Monzy +76

[Dan]

I haven't watched every second of every game this season, so I may have missed a few things. So please correct me if I'm wrong. But I've seen two things about this team that concern me.

The first is we just aren't tall enough. We need a tall, experienced center like Orukpe or even Paul Miller. We need more height in our forwards and centers.

The second thing is, I just don't get why Etienne isn't bringing the ball up on every possession and being our primary point guard. I could be wrong, but it seemed like last year he was our primary point guard and he was the one bringing the ball up and initiating our offense. This year it seems like he's playing off-ball guard and he seems to disappear in a lot of possessions because defenses won't let him catch the ball. It just seemed like our offense was better when he was initiating the offense rather than being a catch-and-shoot guard.

But the height issues are real. We got blocked so many times yesterday. If you look back over the last 15 years, the seasons when we had the most success we had an experienced, heady point guard and an experienced, tall center and power forward.

Alterique Gilbert played 90% of the minutes at PG. Might need to go watch some film of last year. Secondly, TE is a terrible PG. Handles are not that good and he doesn’t know how to pass.

[WuShockFan]

Alterique Gilbert played 90% of the minutes at PG. Might need to go watch some film of last year. Secondly, TE is a terrible PG. Handles are not that good and he doesn’t know how to pass.

Honestly ever since they cancelled the 2020 NCAA tournament due to "Covid", I haven't watched much basketball except a few minutes here and there of the Shockers. I forgot Alterique was even on the team last year. Seems like longer ago than that.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

Matt McFarlane has been allowed to play and has played in 4 games for LaSalle averaging 2.8 ppg and 2 rpg in 10.5 minutes.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4897068/matt-mcfarlane

[AZ Shocker]

Matt McFarlane has been allowed to play and has played in 4 games for LaSalle averaging 2.8 ppg and 2 rpg in 10.5 minutes.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...matt-mcfarlane

Interesting. Wonder if that would've altered Tre King's decision a couple months ago. Probably not...but would've helped knowing if we had a ship available. Appreciate that NCAA.

[shocker43]

I didn't get to watch the second half at Houston, but from the last couple games, I think we have a personnel issue more than a coach issue. I agree with a lot of criticisms against IB. He lets TE do whatever he wants while giving others a shorter leash, doesn't have a great grasp on substitutions, etc.

We don't have a real big. Carlton bullied both Udeze and Pohto. Pohto will be fine offensively if he can make jump shots, but defensively he's been bullied the last two games. He just gets pushed around down low. Switching one for the other in the starting lineup or giving one the others minutes doesn't solve that problem.

Craig Porter, to me, is the most important player on the team. Qua Grant plays some defense sometimes, but the offense somehow gets worse with him on the court. He turns the ball over constantly. Drives into double and triple teams. That also means we have no one to take minutes from TE. Jenkins is not good enough to play against these teams for an extended period of time.

Dexter is playing well. He shouldn't lose minutes. RC4 has the same issues as TE offensively. Defensively he disappears. Sometimes he passes the ball but most the time he dribbles himself into terrible positions and either turns the ball over or takes a terrible shot. JP should not play. Monzy should get more minutes, he makes mistakes, but it seems like he always makes up for those mistakes which can't be said for anyone else. He plays hard on both ends of the floor, but his defense still needs work.

We don't have someone who can score when we need someone to score. We have no presence in the paint. I don't think coaching can fix most of the problems this team has.

[SubGod22]

Interesting. Wonder if that would've altered Tre King's decision a couple months ago. Probably not...but would've helped knowing if we had a ship available. Appreciate that NCAA.

King made the best decision he could, regardless if we had an opening or not. ISU is on a complete different trajectory than we are right now and he wanted a chance to play in the NCAA.

[Topshock]

Let's talk about stars. I definitely believe in evaluating the actual player and not just looking at the stars but I will admit they are an indication of the quality of a player.

The following is from Verbal Commits.

The players on our team average 2.667 stars. The only teams in the AAC that average less are Tulsa, E Carolina, Tulane and UCF.

Of the 11 high school players we supposedly have extended offers to, only one in not rated as 2 star and he is 3 star.

This is very worrisome to me. I know there are diamond in the roughs out there but at least on the surface it looks like we are recruiting on a level that will not allow us to be successful.

[SubGod22]

Let's talk about stars. I definitely believe in evaluating the actual player and not just looking at the stars but I will admit they are an indication of the quality of a player.

The following is from Verbal Commits.

The players on our team average 2.667 stars. The only teams in the AAC that average less are Tulsa, E Carolina, Tulane and UCF.

Of the 11 high school players we supposedly have extended offers to, only one in not rated as 2 star and he is 3 star.

This is very worrisome to me. I know there are diamond in the roughs out there but at least on the surface it looks like we are recruiting on a level that will not allow us to be successful.

I agree that stars aren't everything. Some kids don't play as much travel ball and don't get seen as much by those services and end up flying under the radar. But if all we're looking for are diamonds in the rough, that's an issue. And coming from a staff that are supposed to have some pretty good recruiters, it's quite concerning.

[ShockHat]

I didn't get to watch the second half at Houston, but from the last couple games, I think we have a personnel issue more than a coach issue. I agree with a lot of criticisms against IB. He lets TE do whatever he wants while giving others a shorter leash, doesn't have a great grasp on substitutions, etc.

We don't have a real big. Carlton bullied both Udeze and Pohto. Pohto will be fine offensively if he can make jump shots, but defensively he's been bullied the last two games. He just gets pushed around down low. Switching one for the other in the starting lineup or giving one the others minutes doesn't solve that problem.

Craig Porter, to me, is the most important player on the team. Qua Grant plays some defense sometimes, but the offense somehow gets worse with him on the court. He turns the ball over constantly. Drives into double and triple teams. That also means we have no one to take minutes from TE. Jenkins is not good enough to play against these teams for an extended period of time.

Dexter is playing well. He shouldn't lose minutes. RC4 has the same issues as TE offensively. Defensively he disappears. Sometimes he passes the ball but most the time he dribbles himself into terrible positions and either turns the ball over or takes a terrible shot. JP should not play. Monzy should get more minutes, he makes mistakes, but it seems like he always makes up for those mistakes which can't be said for anyone else. He plays hard on both ends of the floor, but his defense still needs work.

We don't have someone who can score when we need someone to score. We have no presence in the paint. I don't think coaching can fix most of the problems this team has.

Exactly what I’m thinking. I have my concerns around IB, and he’s got to improve, but I’d like to see what he can do with a roster that’s not got so many holes like this. Again, partly his, partly Marshall’s fault. I’ll be watching very closely this off season though. I think it’ll be very telling in terms of what we can expect the next couple of years.

I think Wes at Cincinnati is somewhat of a close comparison for now. He’s a good coach, we know this, but they have major roster issues (like us) and have had some weird losses.