Evansville post-game thoughts.

[RoyalShock]

Officiating issues aside, this team needs to learn how to handle these types of defenses and how to respond on the defensive side of the floor.

Our guards couldn't dribble around their defenders regardless of how tight they were playing. Yet theirs could get around ours when we were playing it straight, causing the defender or what little help defense we could muster to foul.

We need to learn that if they are going to play that tight, you attack the basket instead of falling back on your heels. The refs aren't going to call fouls when you give the defense exactly what they want. And if you meet their defensive intensity, you force the officials to call a more consistent game, IMO.

Our cutters still need to learn how to setup and use a screen. It was nice to see Hatch use a ball screen effectively and drain a jumper.

And on a more general note, whatever happened to the pass fake? Is that a total lost art? Maybe we need an NFL quarterback to come in impress upon our guys how effective it can be to freeze a defense or get a defender going the wrong way.

[xazshox]

Post Game thoughts

Royal, don't you mean Evansville Post game thoughts"?

[Ricardo del Rio]

Lack of quickness at the point exacerbates some of the problems you have listed.

We need three minimum and preferably four jump shooters on the floor. We only have two at most.

[pinstripers]

You really need the shooting threat at the 3. Hawkins cannot shoot a lick, and Hatch can't seem to find his shot.

[Shocker85]

Royal, I agree with you to an extent. I also believe the problems the Shocks are having due more to lack of experience (both in the offense sets and playing together/anticipation), and not necessarily the defensive schemes or the other teams, per se.

In general, the offensive sets the Shocker are running haven't become 'second-nature' to the players. Screens are set, passes are made and caught, etc. but the players have to take that extra split second to think about and react to the defensive responses. These slight hesitations allow the defense to collapes, double team, close on shooters, or seal off the drive and by then it is too late; resulting in a bad pass, a forced shot, charge, traveling, etc. Many good teams seems to execute their offensive sets and anticipating each others' movement so well they actually pass the ball to a spot on the court and their teammates are there when the pass arrives.

Some players are far worse than others at reacting quickly in the defense (i.e. Chamberlain, Stutz) while others have improved a lot in that regard (i.e. Durley, Ellis). Others are gifted enough to sometimes overcome the hesitation (i.e. Hannah, Murray). Others seem to be executing the offense pretty well (i.e. Clemente, Hatch, Hawkins), although their shooting accuracy can come and go.

I think that is why our break and secondary break offense seems so much more successful - the players rely more on their basketball instincts and athelticism to execute and score on the break, while in the set offense they're still in the process of learning the sets and each others' roles and reactions within the sets.

Same thing the defensive end, the players have some trouble anticipating what each other are doing. A few players are horrible at recognizing what to do when our big men show on a guard at the top of the key. Other times when a double-team seems natural on the block, the weak side defender doesn't take away the passing lane, resulting in an easy shot, or an easy rebound and put back on the weak side.

I could be wrong about this, but it's my observations.

--'85.

[xazshox]

Hatch

Didn't Hatch hit a couple of long jumpers in the Evansville game? Other than that, I agree that WSU needs more shooters.

[Snapshot9]

Royal ... You mentioned exactly what I alluded to in another post, that we could not handle Evansville pressure defense, and it shut down our offense, but yet Evansville handled our pressure defense fairly easily.

[Slalomshocker]

you cannot try and run an offense from 40 ft from the basket, and our guards continually allow defenses to push them out. To me its a matter of toughness to not accept that.

[RoyalShock]

Re: Post Game thoughts

Royal, don't you mean Evansville Post game thoughts"?

Yes, I mean Evansville. My bad. I edited the subject. Thanks.

[WuDrWu]

Larger, more physical guards will fix what ails us......and that is exactly what is on the way.

Until then, we dance with the girl we came with.

[tgcshock]

Larger, more physical guards will fix what ails us......and that is exactly what is on the way.

Until then, we dance with the girl we came with.

We have a winner :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

[ShockerFever]

We have shooters similar to SIU shooters of the past... absolute bricklayers who relied on defense and easy baskets to win games, also referees..

I really can't believe how overhyped AJ was. He's had a couple good games, been decent defensively at times, but sucks it up most of the time. He can't shoot outside of 10 feet and relies on driving to the hole to get his points. When he does drive, he has no control and knocks the defender over like it's no biggie.

Our guards also have little idea how to pass it inside. The pass around the perimeter and then settling for a long shot days are getting old. We have improved slightly from that though.

As far as the EU game specifically is concerned, well, it's impossible to win 5 on 8.

[ShockerGorilla]

Our guards also have little idea how to pass it inside. The pass around the perimeter and then settling for a long shot days are getting old. We have improved slightly from that though.

This is part of the reason for the foul discrepancy in the Evansville game. We were content to try to shoot it from the outside instead of going inside and drawing the foul call.

[Overtime]

I won't defend the refs,..But EU was very good at 'off-ball' fouling whereas we tended to foul the guy with the ball which is the guy the refs are scrutinizing...they tend to bump, grab and hold the 4 guys without the ball....irritating and easier to get away with

[SubGod22]

I won't defend the refs,..But EU was very good at 'off-ball' fouling whereas we tended to foul the guy with the ball which is the guy the refs are scrutinizing...they tend to bump, grab and hold the 4 guys without the ball....irritating and easier to get away with

The only problem there is that's why they have three officials. The other two watch off ball stuff while one watches the ball and the area around there.