Poor Starts and Not Finishing Games

[bagice]

I am still looking for some things in the game tonight. Most teams have been totally embarrassed at Memphis and we have shown some ability to hang with tough opponents on the road here lately with Tulsa and UAB.

Really interested to see if we can carry that forward or if we totally fold up tent and give up.

[LA_Mustang]

Oddly enough Ryan Harp, our worst offensive player, was the last true scorer we signed out of high school. Averaged 22 ppg his senior and junior seasons (D-Rob averaged close to 30 as a Senior at Nimitz here in Houston).

I never saw Harp play in high school but I wouldn’t automatically consider a 22 pt/game scorer in HS playing against Abilene area competition as a true scorer. He probably didn’t have another division 1 player in his district. If he scored 22 a game in a DFW 5A district that would be a different story. I imagine most division 1 college basketball players averaged at least 20 pts a game in HS.
As for Roberts - all the signs were there that he would be a scorer at the college level...it just never worked out that way.

[MustangIcon]

Of the two "macro" problems that caused me to post this thread we have corrected one. The team starts games well and no longer digs itsself big holes.

We still don't finish well and that comes from a lack of leadership, chemistry, and confidence. Hopefully these areas will get a boost during the final games of this season and improve greatly next year as Bamba is the only Senior.

[MustangIcon]

Let's take a look at our last 8 games. 2 games vs Memphis. 4 games vs the #2-5 ranked CUSA teams. 2 bottom feeders.

Tulsa (road)- SMU within 5 with 2:16 left. SMU Loss.

Memphis (home)- Tied with 13 min left in the game, down by 3 with 9 minutes left. SMU Loss.

Cal State Bakersfield (home)- SMU Win.

Houston (home)- SMU leading with under 12 minutes left in the game. SMU Loss.

UAB (road)- Within a couple of points either way the entire second half. SMU lead with 18 seconds left in the game. SMU Loss.

Memphis (road)- Memphis rolls. SMU Loss.

UTEP (road)- SMU leads most of game, goes to OT. SMU Loss.

We won the two games we were supposed to. We played right there with the #2,3,4 teams in CUSA. We had a lead with 12 min left in the game against Houston before they pulled away.

We could certainly use an immediate contributor from the JUCO ranks for next season, but I cannot help but think, with our entire rotation (sans Bamba) returning, that we will make huge improvements next season.