EAST CAROLINA (9-10, 2-4) at WICHITA STATE (8-10, 0-5) Game Thread

[Shocktoberfest]

Let's get to the more important observations. Did anyone else notice Ms. Leatherpants last night? Well, she turned into Ms. Leatherboots and was sporting a "1" black Shockers jersey and short black skirt...
Yipes Stripes Beechnut Gum!

Dang it! I was totally not paying attention last night. Looks like I'm going to the game Sunday afterall.

[Dan]

it's difficult to assess if we have an effective offense or not since we have players incapable of throwing straight passes with two hands or recognizing open teammates. What I do know is that this roster is littered with players that should be on D2 teams and if Mills is a good coach, he also recognizes this and will take action when the season ends. It will be the first sign of whether or not he's a legitimate coach.

[Stickboy46]

Tell me what a coach can do to make this team better.

We don't have a point guard, so running offense is going to be difficult no matter what. We don't have shooters, which makes running offense even more difficult. We don't have players with the IQ to pass the ball once they drive, so once again, offense is going to be near impossible. Even if they did pass out, they pass to someone with a 20% 3P, who can't drive because the paint is clogged already.

PM has mentioned the consequences for turning over the ball when they get back to practice. He's explained his process of forcing the players to explain why the turnovers happened. You can't fix stupid, and we have a lot of stupid on the team.

I'll tell you what you don't do ... you don't keep doing the same thing that doesn't work. Which is what Mills is doing. He's paid a million+ a year to figure that out. He should probably start doing that.

He also probably shouldn't have gone out and gotten a PG that historically had a 1:1 Asst/TO ratio and averaging 2 ppg and then expect that he's magically going to be our starting PG to drive our offense. Almost 60% of the players are ones Mills got. So yet again ... a good coach would have gotten players that would either be better, or be coachable.

No matter how much you try to wash the blame from Mills, he's largely responsible for how bad this team is.

[shocker43]

I'll tell you what you don't do ... you don't keep doing the same thing that doesn't work. Which is what Mills is doing.

Man, with the time you've spent on this board complaining, I would think you would have something more insightful than this. What can a coach change in the middle of the year? You want him to overhaul his offensive system and teach a brand new one? After all this, the best you can come up with is "do something different!"

[1972Shocker]

Hmmmm….if we finish last, do we get first pick in the draft?

College athletics approaches things differently than the pros. The best and richest teams get the pick of the litter. The worst and poorest teams get to fight over the runts.

As Wichita State's reputation is in decline we continue to move down in the pecking order. Making recovery increasingly more difficult.

[Stickboy46]

Man, with the time you've spent on this board complaining, I would think you would have something more insightful than this. What can a coach change in the middle of the year? You want him to overhaul his offensive system and teach a brand new one? After all this, the best you can come up with is "do something different!"

If his offensive system is providing bottom 1/3rd levels of D1 offense? Yes he should overhaul his offensive system. THATS WHAT WE ARE PAYING HIM FOR .....

His system worked with an Abmas level player. So he can either sit here and do the same thing over and hope he can land another Abmas level player ... or he can overhaul his system to work with the players he has.

[BostonWu]

Cortes' Box +/- was terrible at -14.2. But Bell's was -18.5. Yikes!

[rjl]

His system worked with an Abmas level player. So he can either sit here and do the same thing over and hope he can land another Abmas level player ... or he can overhaul his system to work with the players he has.

His system worked with an Abmas level player against Summit League level talent.

[Stickboy46]

His system worked with an Abmas level player against Summit League level talent.

Very good clarification

[Woodrow]

So in the last 6 months .. you haven't noticed that I've actually been right WAY more than i've been wrong? You are really digging in and saying this is 99% the players fault and poor ole Coach Mills is doing all he can? Really? After all these games with every piece of evidence showing we are actively getting worse? That's not a player thing .. that's a coaching thing.

I think the teams we are playing now had a chance to see we have one 3 point shooter and he is off and on. Earlier in the year we could get inside and score. Now we are forced to pass around the perimeter or take 3's which we are not good at. Taylor pointed out that ECU was leaving outside shooters all alone and sending help inside every time. According to Taylor, HCPM had good schemes to overcome the defense strategy but the players were not able to execute it. I am willing to give HCPM a year to get some players in and get things headed the right direction.

[shocker43]

If his offensive system is providing bottom 1/3rd levels of D1 offense? Yes he should overhaul his offensive system. THATS WHAT WE ARE PAYING HIM FOR .....

His system worked with an Abmas level player. So he can either sit here and do the same thing over and hope he can land another Abmas level player ... or he can overhaul his system to work with the players he has.

And what system, with this roster, do you think would make the team better?

Also, asking a coach to change his entire system, and expecting the team to re-learn everything, is an impossible task in the middle of the season. Which, once again, begs the question of what you think needs to happen to make this team better other than some vague "do things differently" comment.

[Woodrow]

You answered my losing streak question earlier (thank you), so next I’ll ask what was the lowest attended game in Koch Areha history (minus the obvious weather)?

I mean, we never dipped below 4400 in the 90s.

I agree it will be less. I'm not sure we've had any games start when the Chiefs are playing in the AFC Championship at the same time. Since we moved to the AAC we have a lot of Wednesday and Sunday games. I work around it to attend the games but it is not easy for me. I much preferred the Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday games we used to play.

[wichshock65]

On the bright side, Zach Brown was in the house last night and said he would definitely be playing with the Aftershocks this summer.

[BOBB]

And what system, with this roster, do you think would make the team better?

SIU. Grab and push and dare the refs to call three fouls on every possession. Limit possessions and hope we can get some fast breaks.

Now, we don’t have a player worthy of smelling Jamaal Tatum’s socks but ugly it up the rest of the way through might get a result or two on sheer luck.

[WuDrWu]

Let's get to the more important observations. Did anyone else notice Ms. Leatherpants last night? Well, she turned into Ms. Leatherboots and was sporting a "1" black Shockers jersey and short black skirt...
Yipes Stripes Beechnut Gum!

P.S. She definitely provides quality visuals; however, I still left the arena feeling lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut.

Story checks out.