Shockers vs Braves GAME Thread

[Heinro]

Well, lots to think about after this game. For perspective - Drake won @brad:ley 69-57, however Bradley did only lose by 6 at Indiana St. Game was eerily similar to SIU during the Final 4 year. Team is currently lost. Still hoping (not necessarily hopeful) Gregg can find an answer. Otherwise we're looking at losing the league and a quick exit in March. We aren't passing the eye-test right now. No team seeded 14 or lower would play Bradley to within single digits right now.

[asiseeit]

On the Cox22 shocker report show they talk about what a grind this time of year is.
Could the tough practices be making things worse? Haven't seen the team laugh and
play loose lately or congratulating one another much on good plays. I think they
need to take a day off, relax, go to a comedy club or funny movie as a team, and laugh
it up some. Then go have some more fun at MSU's expense with a post game celebration
somewhere, again, as a team.

[Shockeriffic]

Bradley will probably be better if the suspended guys never come back. They weren't that good before anyway. Going super big with 4 fowards is the kind of thing they should have tried before now. Plus more minutes for Grier and not playing Bell has got to be worth 5 points a game.

[Blackmag]

First half I thought we played pretty good, shot over 50% and played virtually all our key reserves. Second half we started out ok, 12 to 15 pt lead for the first 5 minutes, then it hovered between 10 to 12 points, then we go cold they get inspired and we are in a game. We didnt put them away when we had them down, I think we thought they would call it a day but instead they hung around and crashed the boards and got to some loose balls. Darius fouls out, we turn the ball over on three straight possesions and it got to nail biting time. We really havent played well over the last three games. Two weeks ago we finished a four game stretch where we were playing some of our best basketball of the season, now we are in a three game funk. Good thing is we are still 20-3 and tied for first.College Basketball is a long season with alot of ups and downs and being consistent is the thing all teams strive for. Our Shocks are having to get consistent bench play from a group of freshmen and there lies the problem. Its been a slow process but for us to finish this thing off, to win the league and make a run in the NCAA our bench is going to have to come up big, or are starters are going to have to play above and beyond. Not that our guards can't rise to the challenge but without consistent front-court play it will be tough. Darius and Shaq have to start playing with-out fouling especially early in games, and I think Glass could be the X-factor if he keeps getting stronger on the defensive end and rebounding, he has the offensive game to help us....Anyway we dodged a bullet tonight, no harm, a win is a win, but we need to shore up a few things to have the finish we are all hoping for....

[Dave Stalwart]

Friendly reminder for Shockernet:

Jim Les/UC Davis is 16-4 and in 1st place in the Big West with an RPI of 97.

[AZ Shocker]

What ails us???

The dog days of the Valley grind???
Coming off our first Valley loss???
The Conner Effect???
Carter's sore back???
Other team's have our 3 guards figured out???
Lack of post production???
Undersized???
Everybody's Super Bowl???

or All of the above???

Early in the season I mentioned that this would be a rebuilding year of some sorts. Seems most fans are kinda thinking in those same lines. In all honestly we are probably a one and done in the NCAA tourney. But....

What do we do???
Continue to support the team and be the great fans we are!!!
20-3 ain't too shabby!!!
...and Wu knows...we may just be pleasantly surprised come March.

GO SHOCKS!!!!!!!!!!!

[Blackmag]

I didn't hear anything out of sorts from Marshall talking to Kennedy after the game, I think he likes to give credit to the otheir team, and I think he likes Geno. All he said was the refs let them play tonight and that was their perogitive. Baker was calm and cool and matter of fact. Hey these guys have been through this before, I'm sure they feel the pressure of the season and the expectations they put on themselves and of us the fans. I would be a bit worried if they got on the radio ranting and raving. This team will be fine, but I do think coach is going to have to whittle down the line-up to 9 guys, and think about bringing Evan off the bench, like its been said, on offense its like 4 on 5 which makes it tough in the long run...

[wsushox1]

Everyone on here keeps mentioning how this team will be "fine". What is "fine" to you all? What expectations do you have for this team being "fine"? I'm curious because the same people who say this team will be "fine" and then get mad when we don't make the Sweet 16 better not be too mad. This is not a S16 team.

[Ol skool]

I didn't hear anything out of sorts from Marshall talking to Kennedy after the game, I think he likes to give credit to the otheir team, and I think he likes Geno. All he said was the refs let them play tonight and that was their perogitive. Baker was calm and cool and matter of fact. Hey these guys have been through this before, I'm sure they feel the pressure of the season and the expectations they put on themselves and of us the fans. I would be a bit worried if they got on the radio ranting and raving. This team will be fine, but I do think coach is going to have to whittle down the line-up to 9 guys, and think about bringing Evan off the bench, like its been said, on offense its like 4 on 5 which makes it tough in the long run...

Correct whittle down to 9
And live with their mistakes. We have to live with the leaders mistakes when made. We will have to decide on a rotation and live with it.
You got guys who can play defense but can't score (Evan). Guys who can score but can't play defense( teven). Guys who can do both but undersized(Hollands). Pick your poison and live with it. May have to make some adjustments like a zone from time to time to time to help keep bigs out of foul trouble. And keep guys like holland out of match up problems.
Or we can let the coach continue to develop in the manner he has planned and see how it pans out. Did I say let the coach decide?
We have no choice. It's his team. But this is a fan discussion board and that's my dime on the matter.

[shockmonster]

Everyone on here keeps mentioning how this team will be "fine". What is "fine" to you all? What expectations do you have for this team being "fine"? I'm curious because the same people who say this team will be "fine" and then get mad when we don't make the Sweet 16 better not be too mad. This is not a S16 team.

My guess that those people who say "they'll be fine" remember that the F4 team had a three game losing streak to the likes of SIU and Evansville in February. I hope this year we win the league. However, This team is not very deep and Shaq has to play more consistently at a high level and we have to start hitting shots at a high level.

[ShockerFever]

Just for perspective sakes

4 Duke edges GT 72-66, GT is 1-9 in ACC
10 ND edges BC 71-63, BC is 1-8 in ACC
17 Maryland edges Penn St 64-58, Penn St is 2-8 in B10

Those were all at home for the victors as well.

[ShockerFever]

Everyone on here keeps mentioning how this team will be "fine". What is "fine" to you all? What expectations do you have for this team being "fine"? I'm curious because the same people who say this team will be "fine" and then get mad when we don't make the Sweet 16 better not be too mad. This is not a S16 team.

Were you saying the same thing on February 5, 2013?

[ShockerFever]

You bet there is, and its the coaching. Tired of hearing the players get all the crap blame. They are not being set up to win like they should. Its time to admit that this team is not a good man to man defensive team (too much dribble drive on us all game long). What does that mean? PLAY ZONE! What does that do? It protects people from getting in foul trouble, it throws the opponent off, it clogs the lane. Coach needs to get off the ego trip that playing zone is an insult to his reputation.

I'm not a Final Four coach, but I can agree with a lot of this. Switching to a zone would help us a lot of days when we have no answer down low. It's amazing how easy it is watching opponents constantly get to the rim, while we struggle with jump shots day after day. Switching it up once in a while also totally throws off an offense. If something's not working, you gotta do something different. Make some kind of adjustments. Swallow some pride.

[ShockerFever]

This win felt like a loss. I've never been so meh after a game in such a while. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad we won, but damn. Just an absolute brutal game to watch. Still stunned we didn't make a FG the last half of the second half and still won. Bradley is that bad. The officiating was horrible. We couldn't get a whistle down low, while Carter was getting hosed. I hate Kip Kissinger with a passion.

The lineup combinations is annoying at best in these types of games. When that stuff starts happening, our offense disappears every single time. I get it, late in games, when we're up 20+. But not late in the first half. I've seen too many times when that stuff starts happening, we grind our way to ugly, abysmal wins. Wins yes, but I feel like it does more hurt than good.

20-3 problems though.

[WuDrWu]

Friendly reminder for Shockernet:

Jim Les/UC Davis is 16-4 and in 1st place in the Big West with an RPI of 97.

Led by junior Corey HAWKINS (yes, that Hawkins. His father played at Bradley you might remember) who is averaging nearly 20 points a game in his career but is absolutely lighting it up this season shooting 51% from the field but nearly 53% from three and over 80% from the line. Can you imagine how torqued off we'd be if the Shocks in the mid late 90s had to watch little X light up the Big South to the tune of 18 points and 11 boards a night?