Candid Look

[WstateU]

I believe the *‘Cold One’ makes some valid points on TOB (the other board)…

*Quotes from TOB:

“Free throws. Here's possibly another clue that supports my hypothesis that we are starting to burn out. Free throws are mostly mental, unless your conditioning is bad and we know that isn't the case with the Shockers. We have never shot this poorly from the charity stripe since 3G grabbed the reigns and flew this Shocker starship into the heavens.”

“This team needs a Christmas break and I think they needed it 2 weeks ago.”

[insaneykaney]

Last year FVV made everybody else look better. It's pretty much ignored that the 3-headed monster in the post and Early made FVV look better.

FVV looks a step slow and lacking confidence compared to last year. Last year opponents had to sell out guarding Early and had to double down on the 3-headed post monster. This year they ignore Wessel and sort of half-way play the doubles on Carter to leave defenders in position to double on Baker and VanVleet.

Wessel is one hell of a man and one hell of a hustle player, but he gets ignored by opponents when the Shox have the ball. The rest of the team is playing 4 on 5 on the offensive end. That leaves an extra defender to cut off penetration by FVV and Baker.

Early could pull a big out to the perimeter. The 3-headed post monster last year could screen the other big, giving FVV a path to the goal. I don't think Carter is as strong on screens as Lufile or Coleby. Wessel might not draw a defender if he was standing unguarded on the block. Defenses ignore him.

Cutting off perimeter penetration and putting defenders on the 3-point shooters isn't that tough when the defense only has to guard 4 guys.

At this point in the season, FVV is not looking like an AA player. He's looking like a good MVC PG. The challenge this year isn't replacing the stat sheet contributions of the guys who graduated. The challenge is to replace what those guys did to defenses that opened things up for our perimeter players.

Were you the one who called into the Coaches Show last Monday that led to a commercial break for 3G to cool down a little bit? Just wondering....:)

[Aargh]

There seem to be some posters who are very adept at jumping to confusions and misstating, misrerepresenting, or misinterpreting posts. When did the intent to read non-existent negatives into posts become so prevalent? I must have missed that memo.

We don't have a stretch 4 who's also a threat to posterize any defender around the hoop. Wessel will never draw the kind of defensive attention that Early drew. We don't have two 6'9", 260 guys setting picks at the top of the key or screening off rim protectors down the lane.

That affects the perimeter players ability to drive the lane, score around the basket if they can get there, and their ability to find open players when they draw a secondary defender.

Sounds to me like you want to reduce or eliminate playing time for Wessell and Van Vleet. I think that would be a poor decision. We would not be 8-1 without Fred. It's as simple as that.

.

If that's how it sounds to you, your need to adjust your hearing aids has reached a critical stage. Wessel is playing out of position because we don't have anyone else who's ready to play that position.

The entire point of my post was to point out that this team has a different makeup and that different makeup is going to show up in some areas where we return the same personnel. But somehow that gets read by those who look for negativity as wanting to bench players.

[Shock Top]

FVV isn't going to go 20-10-10, shooting 100% and 0 TOs, every single night.

To expect that is ludicrous. I'm pretty sure MJ and Magic had some rough patches during their careers.

[ArtVandalay]

Just a few comments on things I have noticed:

FVV has had some good drives but does not seem to be able to finish quite like last year. Still surprises me some of the shots he gets off close in and around the bucket, but just isn't getting some of the bounces so far this year. Shooting wise, on his threes and his free throws, he has been shooting hard. If you look back at the threes he has made, they are all 2-3 feet behind the line. When he is missing, he seems to be missing long. Certainly a correctable issue as a shooter.

Some of the decision making by both him and Ron have seemed odd this year. When to drive...and where at on the court to drive, have led to some turnovers we are not used to seeing. I think I have seen more baseline drives that have resulted in jump passes while falling out of bounds this year than I remember all of last year.

With all the concern about the front court, I think it's been overlooked that we have very limited depth for the guards. Holland has really shown to be the only guard Marshall trusts. Henderson did get some PT in Alabama I didn't think he'd get, but all in all, it's been the big three and Holland. This is where I'd like to see Kelly and Nurger step up and play a larger role, and have Wessel in at the 3 to give one of the guards a breather. Wessel is more suited for the 3 and can still utilize his hustle.

I think it is valid to say that the team offensively is struggling this year. A lot of four players on the three point line passing the ball around until late in the shot clock. But, certainly this is something that will come together with time. I also think Rashard will be a better 4 over Wessel. Rashard knocked down a three against Detroit I believe, and showed against Alabama his ability to make a move off the dribble. Would like to see Rashard & Nurger get some playing time in the first game of the holiday tournament as we should be able to get lots of playing time for the young guys.

[Bob Sacamano]

Just a few comments on things I have noticed:

FVV has had some good drives but does not seem to be able to finish quite like last year. Still surprises me some of the shots he gets off close in and around the bucket, but just isn't getting some of the bounces so far this year. Shooting wise, on his threes and his free throws, he has been shooting hard. If you look back at the threes he has made, they are all 2-3 feet behind the line. When he is missing, he seems to be missing long. Certainly a correctable issue as a shooter.

Some of the decision making by both him and Ron have seemed odd this year. When to drive...and where at on the court to drive, have led to some turnovers we are not used to seeing. I think I have seen more baseline drives that have resulted in jump passes while falling out of bounds this year than I remember all of last year.

With all the concern about the front court, I think it's been overlooked that we have very limited depth for the guards. Holland has really shown to be the only guard Marshall trusts. Henderson did get some PT in Alabama I didn't think he'd get, but all in all, it's been the big three and Holland. This is where I'd like to see Kelly and Nurger step up and play a larger role, and have Wessel in at the 3 to give one of the guards a breather. Wessel is more suited for the 3 and can still utilize his hustle.

I think it is valid to say that the team offensively is struggling this year. A lot of four players on the three point line passing the ball around until late in the shot clock. But, certainly this is something that will come together with time. I also think Rashard will be a better 4 over Wessel. Rashard knocked down a three against Detroit I believe, and showed against Alabama his ability to make a move off the dribble. Would like to see Rashard & Nurger get some playing time in the first game of the holiday tournament as we should be able to get lots of playing time for the young guys.

There's a creighton fan roaming around these parts with your same name. I think theirs was spelled Vandelay.

We just need a Pennypacker and a Varnson and the whole gang will be here.

[Shockthemonkey]

Someone still thinks he's pretty good: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebaske...t-point-guards

[DUShock]

Just a few comments on things I have noticed:

FVV has had some good drives but does not seem to be able to finish quite like last year. Still surprises me some of the shots he gets off close in and around the bucket, but just isn't getting some of the bounces so far this year. Shooting wise, on his threes and his free throws, he has been shooting hard. If you look back at the threes he has made, they are all 2-3 feet behind the line. When he is missing, he seems to be missing long. Certainly a correctable issue as a shooter.

Some of the decision making by both him and Ron have seemed odd this year. When to drive...and where at on the court to drive, have led to some turnovers we are not used to seeing. I think I have seen more baseline drives that have resulted in jump passes while falling out of bounds this year than I remember all of last year.

With all the concern about the front court, I think it's been overlooked that we have very limited depth for the guards. Holland has really shown to be the only guard Marshall trusts. Henderson did get some PT in Alabama I didn't think he'd get, but all in all, it's been the big three and Holland. This is where I'd like to see Kelly and Nurger step up and play a larger role, and have Wessel in at the 3 to give one of the guards a breather. Wessel is more suited for the 3 and can still utilize his hustle.

I think it is valid to say that the team offensively is struggling this year. A lot of four players on the three point line passing the ball around until late in the shot clock. But, certainly this is something that will come together with time. I also think Rashard will be a better 4 over Wessel. Rashard knocked down a three against Detroit I believe, and showed against Alabama his ability to make a move off the dribble. Would like to see Rashard & Nurger get some playing time in the first game of the holiday tournament as we should be able to get lots of playing time for the young guys.

Well stated Art. How can you not take this post seriously?