Game thread: Shocks vs. Bears

[Blackmag]

Shocks played really well while building our lead to over 30. Last 12 minutes were very uninspired. Coach wasn't very happy, short interview. He wasn't have any of what Mike and Dave were selling him

[WuDrWu]

Missouri State has talent. They could use a weight program.

The Shocks were dominant for 20, acceptable for 10 and completely uninspired for 10. It's really hard to blame them for the last 10.

Overall really didn't shoot the ball very well. 46% from the field 65% FT. Made up a little with 45% from 3.

Outrebounded by 7. MSU is springy. Had several bounces not go our way. Oddity and easily fixable.

19 assists, 11 steals, 11 turnovers. I think if you'd told me prior to the game they'd shoot 47% from 3, I'd have been concerned about the winner.

As it was, all I was concerned about was the spread, and I don't wager on the Shocks, so that wasn't much of concern. More like an interest.

Loved the defensive intensity for a plurality of the game.

[forevershockerfan]

Johnson is quite a playa but the Shocks slowed him down to a mild roar.

[1972Shocker]

When this team is totally engaged and determined they are very good. OTOH, when they aren't.......well 3G will probably have a nice soothing little chat with them about the necessity of maintaining focus and intensity. Clearly, he was more than a bit perturbed in his post game interview.

[Stickboy46]

If you didn't watch the game on TV, CBS has some of the sound clips on their Twitter from having Marshall mic'ed up

Check out CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet): https://twitter.com/CBSSportsNet?s=09

[proshox]

My buddy and I had a debate during tonight's game:

He beleives HCGM needs to find his best eight players OR continue to play 10+ players regularly to press throughout the game.

I tend to disagree (our half court defense is so salty), but I do acknowledge LS and CF get better as they play more. I also believe there is an significant opportunity cost to pay when you go to less effective or less talented players. If your best players aren't fatigued they shouldn't sit unless you ar being kind to other coach. Finally, I could see recruits looking at a guy like McDuffie and wondering why he only gets 20 minutes a game.

It would have been difficult to pick a "top eight" ten games ago, but now I think it is clear:

Starters plus DW or RN, RK, and AR. Matchups would dictate if DW or RN is the primary backup at center.


Other thoughts - HCGM has treated MK like a certain radio show host that had a show in Omaha. Does anybody else notice? If yes, do you know WTF is going on? The pregame interview was bizarre and this isn't the first time.

DW calling out SM for not passing was funny. Did he miss his prior possession?

The last twelve minutes need to be burned from everyone's memories.

I liked just about everything RN did except for a few times when he tried to help block a shot and let his man get an easy rebound.

A lot of solid performances is the first 30, but it was hard to take much from it because MSU didn't seem interested in competing.

[WSUwatcher]

Score. Fixing.

Hardly, dizzle -- more like Lazy Basketball, or Coasting Home, or even Meter Check (sorry; I can't make myself do the one-word sentence affectation).

That's not to defend Janssen, whose name causes me to cringe whenever I see that he'll be doing a WSU game; and of course we all know that Higgins has a reputation to protect as a foul machine, especially if he's calling a game televised anywhere beyond the teams' film rooms. But you can bet that 3.3G is unlikely to cut his guys much slack next practice for bum calls. Not when he's just watched them score two points in the last 5 1/2 minutes, or get outscored 25-11 in the last 9 1/2, against a team that was competing only sporadically until then.

The other thing that's disappointing about such a finish is that it blows a chance to improve WSU's KenPom (or other) metrics, which may yet prove relevant as Selection Sunday approaches. WSU went into the game ranked 17th in KenPom with an AdjEM of 22.95, and they came out 17th at 22.97. The rank probably wasn't going to change in any case, because #16 SMU is a little over a point ahead of them, which is a lot -- but WSU could certainly have gained a good bit more ground than they did by playing closer to 40 minutes instead of 30.

[molly jabali]

Missouri State has talent. They could use a weight program.

The Shocks were dominant for 20, acceptable for 10 and completely uninspired for 10. It's really hard to blame them for the last 10.

Overall really didn't shoot the ball very well. 46% from the field 65% FT. Made up a little with 45% from 3.

Outrebounded by 7. MSU is springy. Had several bounces not go our way. Oddity and easily fixable.

19 assists, 11 steals, 11 turnovers. I think if you'd told me prior to the game they'd shoot 47% from 3, I'd have been concerned about the winner.

As it was, all I was concerned about was the spread, and I don't wager on the Shocks, so that wasn't much of concern. More like an interest.

Loved the defensive intensity for a plurality of the game.

agree with all of this , EXCEPT I DO like a beat down margin, regardless of the betting....

[Dan]

If the game was closer, I think the bench would be shorter. In the Ill State game, Coach wanted to make a point and several of our rotation guys played much less than they did last night.

[jdshock]

The MVC voters seem like they value points above any other metric when voting for all-conference teams. I'm starting to wonder if we could see a scenario where MM gets left off the first team because of games like this one.

That would be a really Valley thing to do.

[Bluzrover]

Agree with all the commenters on the lack of intensity for the last 10 to 12 minutes of the game. I was a bit spoiled after the complete beatdown of Illinois State last weekend so to see them blow a 30 point lead to win by JUST 18, well.

It was good to see Daishon have a little bit of his swagger back. Looks like 3G's mental mojonastics is starting to have an effect on the young man.

Darrall. Just. Pass. The. Ball.

MM had only 1 point. But had 5 assists. We still score 80. I'll take it.

Conner's defense is improving. And his offense is following. Nice timing.

Austin is in dire need of a lot of big meals. Paging Shockermama: can you cook this young man some vittles?

Shaq with 1 foul (and a phantom foul which just shows Marshall is on to something) in 19 minutes of play.

Hamilton is auditioning for his next team. Good luck young man, I had high hopes for you.

[pie n eye]

My buddy and I had a debate during tonight's game:

He beleives HCGM needs to find his best eight players OR continue to play 10+ players regularly to press throughout the game.

I tend to disagree (our half court defense is so salty), but I do acknowledge LS and CF get better as they play more. I also believe there is an significant opportunity cost to pay when you go to less effective or less talented players. If your best players aren't fatigued they shouldn't sit unless you ar being kind to other coach. It would have been difficult to pick a "top eight" ten games ago, but now I think it is clear:

Starters plus DW or RN, RK, and AR. Matchups would dictate if DW or RN is the primary backup at center.

DW calling out SM for not passing was funny. Did he miss his prior possession?

I think it's difficult to make a case to leave Daishon out of the rotation after his last couple of games. He's playing much better overall. Yes, there are still a couple of cringeworthy turnovers or near turnovers almost every game. Besides, now is the perfect time to give more minutes to the reserves. You never know when we're going to need one or more of those guys down the stretch.

I also don't think we're solid enough in the press to do it the whole game. Too many good looks given up.

Where did you see that Willis got on Shaq for not passing? It looked to me like it was the other way around. Right after DW's ugly turnover Shaq said some words to him and DW kinda shoved him and the two had to be "separated" by Devon Smith. At least that's how I saw it, could be wrong.

[jdshock]

Desean ... Devon Smith

Daishon.

Edit: Devon Smith might be right. I didn't see the play!

Desean isn't, though.

[ShockerExpress]

My buddy and I had a debate during tonight's game:

Other thoughts - HCGM has treated MK like a certain radio show host that had a show in Omaha. Does anybody else notice? If yes, do you know WTF is going on? The pregame interview was bizarre and this isn't the first time.

Uhhh yes... I was actually thinking the same thing during the Illinois State pregame interview. Could 3G sound anymore douchey? I love him but lord, why are you running your own radio guy through the ringer? He is on your side.

[jazztrane]

Team kinda followed the crowd/students, or vice versa. I thought the students brought great energy in the first half and the crowd was in to it (although not as much as vs Ill St.). Second half up 30 we let off, and they started hitting every 3 they put up. Gives them some things to work on which is probably good.

To the point about only playing best 8 or pressing, I've had the same thoughts-if we're this deep why not run/press to wear the other team down? At this point I'm fine with playing 10-11, hopefully fewer minutes now will pay off later in the season when we do need to go wit the best 8.