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So the game versus Oklahoma State was arguably one of the worst Shocker performances in years. I've seen a lot of negative talk about our players, but I think that is misguided. We expected inconsistency, we should not be surprised when we see it. Still, I think there are some consistent patterns in our losses.
Louisville and Oklahoma State both started hot, hitting a three. Michigan had a small run started with a three when the game was tied 12-12. We responded in each case by tightening up. This team plays completely differently when they are tight, something foreshadowed a little last year by the disappearance of many of our players past our home loss to UNI. We need Willis's swagger to spread to everyone else, with a double dose administered to Conner.
We also need a consistent offensive identity that doesn't get thrown to the wayside when we miss our first shot or our opponent comes out hot. That probably means shooting more 3s, as that is clearly the best part of our offense. We have shot just 50% at the rim against tough competition (Top-50 teams average 65% or more), and that isn't counting the number of times we travel or throw the ball away. It isn't an athleticism or height thing; we shot around 60% last year at the rim with less height and athleticism by taking better shots instead of simply driving to the trees because we lacked the confidence to shoot jumpers.
We are beating ourselves more than we are getting beat. Lots of empty offensive possessions, poor rebounding efforts, unforced TOs, easy transition buckets. These are fixable issues, just as FT shooting could have tipped the scales in Atlantis. OSU probably wins no matter what if they are going to shoot that well from 3 even when guarded, but we make it a game if we fix these issues.
One more game in the regular season, then we'll have to wait to March to see how much progress we've made in our composure against decent competition. It is mostly mental.
Louisville and Oklahoma State both started hot, hitting a three. Michigan had a small run started with a three when the game was tied 12-12. We responded in each case by tightening up. This team plays completely differently when they are tight, something foreshadowed a little last year by the disappearance of many of our players past our home loss to UNI. We need Willis's swagger to spread to everyone else, with a double dose administered to Conner.
We also need a consistent offensive identity that doesn't get thrown to the wayside when we miss our first shot or our opponent comes out hot. That probably means shooting more 3s, as that is clearly the best part of our offense. We have shot just 50% at the rim against tough competition (Top-50 teams average 65% or more), and that isn't counting the number of times we travel or throw the ball away. It isn't an athleticism or height thing; we shot around 60% last year at the rim with less height and athleticism by taking better shots instead of simply driving to the trees because we lacked the confidence to shoot jumpers.
We are beating ourselves more than we are getting beat. Lots of empty offensive possessions, poor rebounding efforts, unforced TOs, easy transition buckets. These are fixable issues, just as FT shooting could have tipped the scales in Atlantis. OSU probably wins no matter what if they are going to shoot that well from 3 even when guarded, but we make it a game if we fix these issues.
One more game in the regular season, then we'll have to wait to March to see how much progress we've made in our composure against decent competition. It is mostly mental.
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