Musings from the 1st Row

[MadaboutWu]

Looking at the play-by-play it appears that we played very good defense and very so-so defense. For part of the first 10:30 of the first half it looked like UNI wasn't going to score this game and even at the 9:30 mark we held a 17-6 lead. Per 40 minutes, that's 65-23 advantage WSU. Except for the last 30 seconds of the first half where nobody scored, the other 9 minutes were not special on D getting out scored 12-17 or 53-75 per 40.

In the second half, during the first 11.5 minutes, both teams had great D (or bad O) going 9-11 or 31-38 per 40. During the next 6.5 minutes WSU was out scored 9-13 / 55-80 over 40 so, not so good for WSU. Nobody scored the last 2 minutes. During over time, the 5-10 score would be 40-80 per 40. So, there was 15.5 minutes where the defense was giving up points at a rate of 77 points per 40, plus the overtime 10 points (80 per 40 minutes).

In any segment (other than 0-0 during 2 spots totaling 2.5 minutes at the end of each half) WSU never scored at better than a 65 point clip per 40. Take away the first 10.5 minutes of the game (and the 2.5 above), including the overtime, and WSU scored at a 44 point clip per 40, UNI at a 64 per 40.

I appreciate the effort on this but I think it is cherry picking data and extrapolating using small sample sizes. Why 11.5 minutes? Why 6.5 minutes as increments? Picking particular plays where their coach exploited a favorable matchup is cherry picking to an extreme--of course those happen over the course of the game and coaches make choices to minimize the sum of disadvantages vs. the sum of advantages. That is not to say talking about those mismatches and mistakes isn't informative; it is. My problem is talking about them in the context of assigning significant blame to HCGM for his lack of defensive adjustments ala the OP.

The underlying fact is the 45 minutes of this game we played better than our average D on the year per Kenpom. Our average D is the best in the country. We should be giving HCGM and the assistants props for the game plan, adjustments, and execution on D. Criticize individual decisions is all well and good but keep it in perspective with the other side.

Our offense on the other hand needed a lot work!

[mjbaker84]

lol, just lol, at the righteous indignation at HCGM for a brief stare down with Jack Watkins and a back and forth with Doug Elgin. Those two clowns owe what tiny amount of recognition and respect this conference has remaining to HCGM, and they forever pissed off the golden goose when they got on their knees for Creighton at the 1.9 game. If any fealty is owed in that relationship, it should be the simpleton who continues hiring Zelton Steed apologetically kissing HCGM's ring and not vice versa, ever.

The footnote about in-game adjustments is a "no duh" level observation. Nothing of any real value in the OP other than the entertainment value of his continued slob knobbing of the striped community.

I am a little embarrassed for him but that is nothing new.

spot on.

I don't know shockref personally and I don't believe I have ever even had a conversation with him on here... but one thing I constantly see from him is his near undying love for the striped officials. No matter the comment, stare, gesture from Marshall to Elgin, Elgin should have NEVER responded during a live game. Elgin has shown his bias in the past. If you think Gregg was out of line or disrespectful then you must not watch a lot of NCAA basketball. Marshall is tame and low key compared to Coach K, Calipari, Syracuse coach, Cincinnati coach, Rick Pitino, and so on.

[shoxlax]

lol, just lol, at the righteous indignation at HCGM for a brief stare down with Jack Watkins and a back and forth with Doug Elgin. Those two clowns owe what tiny amount of recognition and respect this conference has remaining to HCGM, and they forever pissed off the golden goose when they got on their knees for Creighton at the 1.9 game. If any fealty is owed in that relationship, it should be the simpleton who continues hiring Zelton Steed apologetically kissing HCGM's ring and not vice versa, ever.

The footnote about in-game adjustments is a "no duh" level observation. Nothing of any real value in the OP other than the entertainment value of his continued slob knobbing of the striped community.

I am a little embarrassed for him but that is nothing new.

"the simpleton who continues hiring Zelton Sneed"

I can't stop laughing.

[ShockTalk]

I appreciate the effort on this but I think it is cherry picking data and extrapolating using small sample sizes. Why 11.5 minutes? Why 6.5 minutes as increments? Picking particular plays where their coach exploited a favorable matchup is cherry picking to an extreme--of course those happen over the course of the game and coaches make choices to minimize the sum of disadvantages vs. the sum of advantages. That is not to say talking about those mismatches and mistakes isn't informative; it is. My problem is talking about them in the context of assigning significant blame to HCGM for his lack of defensive adjustments ala the OP.

The underlying fact is the 45 minutes of this game we played better than our average D on the year per Kenpom. Our average D is the best in the country. We should be giving HCGM and the assistants props for the game plan, adjustments, and execution on D. Criticize individual decisions is all well and good but keep it in perspective with the other side.

Our offense on the other hand needed a lot work!

Two points:

1) It is somewhat subjective. Did both teams play great defense, both just play bad offense, or some combination? There is also ups and downs, and trends. Overall, it looks like we played very good defense. However, I believe we came out at the start of both halves and played excellent defense, particularly in the first half. However, a little passed half way through both halves, something changed and our defense appeared pedestrian giving up points at a rate of around 75 per 40 minutes. Did UNI make adjustments? Some here believe they did, particularly in the second half. Did we counter? Again, some here believe by what they saw, we did not. At the very least, there is room for argument our D, regardless of what it looked like in the overall stats, did have some negative responsibility to the final score. Look at the game in Wichita. Our D was tremendous in the second half giving up only 15 points. However, in the first half, it gave up 38. Even though in the final stats it appears we played very good D only allowing 53 points and low shooting %s, I think its fair to say that our defense in the first half was a contributor to the loss.

2) We now have 3 games with UNI to look at. We win the first game in a cake walk on the road. They come here and win in a low scoring close game. Next, we play them at a neutral site and they win in a low scoring close game. Pattern? I did notice that they made changes in personnel minutes and those changes continued in that direction the third game. Carlson went 9, 23, 31 minutes (averaged 21 for the season). Lohaus went 11, 25, 35 (averaged 18 for the season), Jesperson went down 31, 26, 18 (averaged 30 on the season), Freidman went 13, 3, 1 (averaged 9 and played in all their games), Koch was effective in their loss, not so much in the second, and got benched half way through the 2nd half. I think that they found a combination that, while didn't make a difference in their offence, did keep WSU low scoring. Maybe we did just have bad shooting days in the 2nd and 3rd games. Then again, maybe they had something to do about it. Throughout the 3 game series, we had very little change in the number/% of minutes played by each of our players. A small trend was Morris/Grady played 31, 34, and 40 and Wessel went 18, 24, 25 although little change due to 5 extra minutes in the OT. However, I think UNI had the matchups they wanted.

Just opinion, but defensible enough to be possible.

[Slalomshocker]

Shh....

Just ignore the fact WSU is 51-3 in the MVC regular season over the past 3 seasons, because those games don't matter. ;)

Just ignore the single lonely MVC Tournament banner hanging in Koch, the conference tournament doesn't matter. Wait, what's that? Winning the conference tournament is how they allocate auto-bids? Dang.... Guess the regular season doesn't matter.

[ShockingButTrue]

I'd say that basing one's worth on a tourney outcome as opposed to a season long accumulation of data points is pretty foolish.

Good luck gettin' this poor guy to agree with you.

[Play Angry]

Just ignore the single lonely MVC Tournament banner hanging in Koch, the conference tournament doesn't matter. Wait, what's that? Winning the conference tournament is how they allocate auto-bids? Dang.... Guess the regular season doesn't matter.

1985; 1987.

[Slalomshocker]

My entire point is that until WSU can consistently win the MVC tournament I don't believe they are as far and above the MVC as some seem to think. It is my opinion which I am entitled to.

[Stickboy46]

My entire point is that until WSU can consistently win the MVC tournament I don't believe they are as far and above the MVC as some seem to think. It is my opinion which I am entitled to.

You are correct that you are entitled to be incorrect by choice.

[Pigman]

I re-watched the game this evening. It looks so much different than watching it live. While watching the game from the stands, I too was incensed by the lack of reaction to UNI's offense, and what seemed to be a total screw-job by the ref's. But after some time to mope, I watched and was mostly sad at how many wide open shots we didn't make. We can't blame Fred or Ron for not getting the ball to people. We missed at least 4-5 layups, and missed wide open threes.
I do think that there is a bias against us so Elgin can hopefully get a second team in. But make shots at even a poor rate we win this game handily. Like Gregg told me, you need to be 10 points better than the refs. It is my hope and prayer that they will get an invite to the dance, and I still think that these young men will make a very impressive run.
I do enjoy reading what other people think, and appreciate people putting their opinions out there for others to accept or decline. I don't really understand the personal animosity because you don't agree. Be that as it may GO SHOCKS!!!

[mjbaker84]

so my thoughts have been WSU has 8 losses, 7 are to For sure tourney teams or bubble teams (tulsa), so with power 5 thoughts then these are all good losses and thus cannot hurt WSU's chances... correct? :)

[Shock Top]

Just ignore the single lonely MVC Tournament banner hanging in Koch, the conference tournament doesn't matter. Wait, what's that? Winning the conference tournament is how they allocate auto-bids? Dang.... Guess the regular season doesn't matter.

Damn. Guess WSU should take their Final Four and Sweet Sixteen banners down.

Please let me know when you call Gregg to let him know. I would love to listen in.

[WSUwatcher]

My entire point is that until WSU can consistently win the MVC tournament I don't believe they are as far and above the MVC as some seem to think. It is my opinion which I am entitled to.

FYI, during the last four seasons of The Flagship's 12-year reign of terror over the Big 12-2, they've won the conference tournament once, lost in the finals once, and were out before the finals the other two times (including 2012, when they subsequently rallied all the way to the NCAA championship game before losing to Kentucky). Does that mean the Jayhawk has fallen from its perch?

Or does it mean the regular season is more significant than the outcome of the tournament? But, hey -- carry on with that opinion of yours.

[shock]

I'm with @kochHead:. I have no idea why they quit going inside in the second half. You know what else all of our losses have in common? We try and win by chucking threes. There is no dribble drive. There is no back to the basket pass penetration. Just bombs from deep. We lose every game that we abandon Shaq in the post.
Shaq needs to put the tissues away in the offseason and TRAIN. Fred will not be here to hold his hand. This BS of only being able to play hard for 2 min at a time is ridiculous. JT wasn't even that big of a little b!tch. He needs to sling his nuts on his shoulder and RUN this summer.
Conner is coming along but he really needs to find his stroke. He had 2(?) blocks in the tourney. Hard to ask more on D than that.
I would trade Evan in a heartbeat for Graham Hatch.
Duff, Shaq, and Kelly need to find another gear.

[molly jabali]

I'm with @kochHead:. I have no idea why they quit going inside in the second half. You know what else all of our losses have in common? We try and win by chucking threes. There is no dribble drive. There is no back to the basket pass penetration. Just bombs from deep. We lose every game that we abandon Shaq in the post.
Shaq needs to put the tissues away in the offseason and TRAIN. Fred will not be here to hold his hand. This BS of only being able to play hard for 2 min at a time is ridiculous. JT wasn't even that big of a little b!tch. He needs to sling his nuts on his shoulder and RUN this summer.
Conner is coming along but he really needs to find his stroke. He had 2(?) blocks in the tourney. Hard to ask more on D than that.
I would trade Evan in a heartbeat for Graham Hatch.
Duff, Shaq, and Kelly need to find another gear.

But how do you REALLY feel?:)

I guess my biggest concern is the apparent tons of times that there is not an EARLY shot in the process...I'd like to see the offense take a GOOD shot within 15 seconds.

Maybe the team should spend the week watching some Warrior ball....:)