Reasons We Lost

[CastroFan]

Coaching -
Why is it that our starting game plan is always to sit back and encourage the opposing team to attack us offensively? C'mon Dement - you start the game the same way every time and lack adjustment skills. Any scout team can pick up on that and both Boise State and Nevada did this weekend.
From the beginning of the second half, the game plan changed to making everyone run around like chickens with their heads cut off so we could get Q the ball and he could save us. Q is a great player, but by the 10 minute mark in the second half he was exhausted. We definitely limited our options too early. Dement obviously forgot that Castro had 21 points in our last contest with Nevada because he only got three touches in the post for the entire game.

Fundamentals-
Defense wins championships and our players do not realize that. I've seen Bhop grab the guy that was screening him to make it look as if the guy was really grabbing him so he wouldn't have to run through the screen. Laziness like that should be intolerable to Dement. We have to talk more on defense and get tough and run through the screens or start switching earlier.
Learn to blockout guys - you can't just turn around and jump in the air hoping that the ball will fall in your hands. Get a butt on someone! Second shots are killing us!
Quit telegraphing your passes so much and move to the ball when it is passed to you. Give the freakin' ball with a good pass that is not at the feet to the big guys when they are open and one-on-one with their defender under the basket. We just like to stare at them. Dement obviously doesn't recognize the talent that we have under the basket. We could have definitely used those high-percentage shots last night when our outside shots weren't falling from the beginning. Simpson and Castro are definitely under-utilized in the post. Most of the passes that they get down low come from each other and not the guards.
Bhop has to have more assists and less silly turnovers. Just look at any other point guards across the nation and you will see that they make an effort to drive in the paint and dish it off when they are covered and to give it to their big men in the posts when they are open. Quit trying to force everything and carry the team on your shoulders. You have lots of talent around you. Dement's focus for next year has to be on encouraging a more balanced offense that relies both on outside and inside shots.

[50's PONY]

Anyone taking bets that he will change?

[Ikus]

Nothing's going to change. And you make a great point, about starting the way we finish. How many games were there this year when we mounted a late rally (San Diego, Nevada - at Moody - and others), relying on high-pressure defense and clutch shooting? If we started the game in a frenzy, maybe the rallies wouldn't have been so necessary.

[OldPony]

Why don't you make those suggestions to Mike. I bet he's never heard that defense wins. I bet he tells BHop to play lazy defense. This game wasn't about coaching unless you want to blame the poor effort and poor shooting. It may be that these guys are still young and I hope will continue to improve. This team came a long way from the first half of the season but I guess that was all just self learning by the players. Get a grip.

[abezontar]

OldPony, I would by your explaination if this were a one time season, and normally we played better than we did this season, but we don't. The ails that affected this team are the ails that has plagued every team Dement has coached since I was a freshman at SMU six years ago (Poerner's senior season). The faces have changed, but the outcome is still the same. I will continue to support them, but I am begining to believe that a change needs to be made, I've thought that for most of the season though.

[CastroFan]

Old Pony - I definitely agree that this team has come along way from the first half of the season. Yes, poor shooting did hurt us, but I think the effort was there. It is these guys' dream to make it to the NCAA tournament. Give them a little bit more credit. But the problems I mentioned above have been happening all year as well as last season. I think that these guys will definitely improve, but it is going to take a little bit more positivity and motivation from Dement. I honestly do not think that any of his players respect him as a coach and that is a huge problem.

[Charleston Pony]

All I know is that we had plenty of good looks at the basket to open that Nevada game, but we threw up brick after brick. We fell too far behind and aren't a deep enough team to play pressure defense for 20-30 minutes to try to get back into the game. Had a nice run to open the 2nd half, but appeared to have run out of gas. Nevada got hot from 3 pt range and although they had too many good looks, they were hitting treys when we did get a hand in the shooter's face. Looked to me like they were simply more athletic than the Ponies. I don't get to watch often, but that's what I say Friday night.