ECU (9-10, 2-4) at WICHITA STATE (8-10, 0-5) Pregame Discussion

[Kung Wu]

NOT defensively - quite a bit weaker IMO

Yeah that's true ... can be feast or famine like his passing game. His season box plus/minus sucks too.

He's that abnormal and difficult shaped piece that you struggle with when putting a puzzle together. Either solves a tricky problem, or causes you fits.

[Stickboy46]

But will those multiple years be spent at 21st and Hillside?

Very good question.... I'm just assuming everyone leaves after every year at this point .. might as well use them all!

[asiseeit]

The combination of BC, XB and Rogers is weak defensively. All are probably below average. I don't know what is going on with Joy. He seemed, at the very least, to be good defensively the short amount of time we got to see him. He must really struggle in practice. BC must really excel in practice cause he certainly has NOT shined in games thus far. Offensively, we need to pound the ball inside more.

[Aargh]

Joy has an interesting stat line in 43 minutes. That's close enough to 40 to get an idea of what he'd do in a full game.

He's 1/8 from 3, but 4/7 from 2.
He's got 15 rebounds and 4 steals!
He's picked up 6 fouls.

He did that against some of the worst teams we've faced and often against an opponent's second unit.

[WstateU]

Joy? Maybe...

[Kung Wu]

BC must really excel in practice cause he certainly has NOT shined in games thus far.

Cortes played very well against Memphis and quite well against FAU. He was a key reason Ballard went off for 18 against FAU. Bell had a negative box plus/minus that game and against Memphis, while Cortes was positive in both. Cortes had a higher ORtg than Bell in both those games, and was over 100 Ortg in both those games while Bell was below 100 in both those matches. He also scored as many points as Bell, with less minutes overall. Only had two turnovers in each of those games.

In both those games, both their DRtgs sucked, but they were almost identical.

[asiseeit]

Total body of work 28% FG%, 35% from perimeter on low volume and only 4-8 FT's, but the most telling is 13 assists with 18 turnovers. Those numbers would put him at the end of the bench on 90% or more D1 programs but not ours. For every good moment he has had close to two bad ones. If XB could only play with his head up and see the court. He can score on his own but when
doubled never finds the open man but instead forces the action.

[MadDog]

Cortes is a real enigma for a coach:

1) You LOVE his energy and spark.
2) You love his ball handling skills.
3) You love his ability to connect with Ballard.
4) You like that Cortes can actually shoot threes.
... but ..
1) You hate when that energy isn't selective and just brain farts the ball away.
2) You hate when he tries too hard to make a too difficult passes.
3) You hate that there's room temperature dudes in laying in a morgue that might shoot layups better on any given night.

It's why moving Bell to the 2 works. Bell can bully, but shouldn't very often -- only if he is 1v1 and not 1v2 or 1v3. Cortes draws the pesky opponents PG away allowing Bell to operate. Also moving Bell to the 2 gives us two wing threats for three balls: Bell and Rogers.

When Cortes, Bell, and Rogers are on the court, you get the following 3 point shooting:

Rogers: 0.388
Bell: 0.0325
Cortes: 0.357 (surprised anyone?)

Plus better looks from Ballard, and a bit peskier defense than: Bell, Beverly, Rogers.

Please tell me Bell is shooting better than 3% on three pointers.

[ShockBand]

Please tell me Bell is shooting better than 3% on three pointers.

0.325, it is a typo.

[pinstripers]

0.325, it is a typo.

coulda been either way

[ShockBand]

coulda been either way

0.03 feels accurate at times.

[Kung Wu]

Please tell me Bell is shooting better than 3% on three pointers.

Not a Freudian slip, per se. More of a Kevorkian slip.

[shockrah]

Pregame Eagle article by Eldridge-Wichita State basketball looks to fix free throw shooting issues for ECU:

https://news.yahoo.com/wichita-state-basketball-looks-fix-193148298.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

[1972Shocker]

Pregame Eagle article by Eldridge-Wichita State basketball looks to fix free throw shooting issues for ECU:
https://news.yahoo.com/wichita-state...ycsrp_catchall

The Shockers have been in a nosedive recently from the foul line, making just 57% of free throws during their seven-game losing streak. That stretch has tanked their season-long accuracy to 66%, which ranks No. 324 in the country.

Just more evidence that this is not a skilled group of basketball players. There are just so many things to overcome and you don't know from game which ones are going to pop up.. Here is a video of Coach Mills at a recent Shocker practice:

[Shocktoberfest]

Looks like I'm going to have 3 good seats available for the game tomorrow night if anybody would like them. PM me.