Poor Starts and Not Finishing Games

[MustangIcon]

I posted this in another thread but wanted to bring it out on its own topic to see what others here think.

Taking a step back from specific problems regarding the talent of players, ability of the coaches, and in-game execution, what in general has been our problem in the majority of games we have lost this season?

1. We come out nervous/flat or whatever we do, and dig a big hole for ourselves.
2. After fighting back and being in a position to take over the game or finish an opponent, we aren't able to close it out.

Those facts speak to lack of chemistry and lack of leadership. Call it an excuse if you like, which I alerted everyone to above, but here are facts for you:

A&M (road)- SMU down by 10 at half. SMU within 4 with 3:22 left. SMU Loss.

UTSA (home)- Led for first 14 minutes of 2nd half. UTSA ties with 6 min left. SMU Loss.

UTEP (home)- Down by 7 at half. Within 3 points with 2 minutes left. SMU Loss.

Rice (road)- Down by 15 at half. Pull to within 3 points in second half. SMU Loss.

Marshall (road)- SMU takes first lead of the game at 8min left. Tied from 1:51 until buzzer beater. SMU Loss.

ECU (home)- SMU leads from early second half until 7:52 left in game. Down 1 inside of 3 min. SMU Loss.

These are all losses from this season that came as a result of digging an enormous hole, not being able to close out the game, or a combo of the both. In every one of these games SMU either had a lead or was within 4 points late in the game.

I cannot agree that we just don't have the talent to compete or that the team has given up or that this is the worst team SMU has ever had. This is a team that either from coaching, lack of experience, lack of chemistry, or lack of leadership is inconsistent with the way it starts and finishes games. That will need to change as this season progresses. If we come in next year able to correct these two problems, we will be a very competitive squad.

[Stallion]

I think what you have is that SMU recruited some pretty darn good athletes and only about 2 maybe 3 have any idea what to do with the basketball on the offensive end. I think its really not surprising since few of these recruits were particularly great on the offensive end in high School. Go back and check on Bamba, Dia, Walker, Nykundi, Faye. Otis, Kwiatoski. Not a single polished offensive player in that group-

Not a single player in that group was considered anything but a mediocre -if that-shooter except perhaps Nykundi who was a sharpshooter from the FT line. Players may have been rated too high on athletic talent but I'm sure I posted on everyone of these guys having deficiencies on the offensive side of the ball.

I think now Doherty turns to the JUCO level to mix in some scorers. I wish he'd at least shorten to bench and give the Big Line-up a chance (Bamba, Dia, Faye, McCoy and Williams). It couldn't do much worse. Its obvious this tinkering with Nykundi and Otis as starters has been a monumental failure since we generally have been 8-10 points down right off the jump-ball. If we can't shoot, lets go big, establish the boards and play defense.

[MustangIcon]

Tulsa (road)- SMU down by 16 with 8min left in the game. SMU within 5 with 2:16 left. SMU Loss.

Tulsa is another good team that we were within 5 points and 2 minutes left in the game. Considering the performances highlighted in this thread, I simply cannot agree with the notion that SMU's talent level is awful and that is why we are losing. In each of these losses, SMU's talent has preformed well wenough to be right in the game late in the second half. That is in spite of how very bad all of us know that the team has looked. To me, that shows we do have talent to compete and other areas are lacking.

Execution (which comes from coaching and dedication by players), Chemistry, Leadership- these are the team's broader shortcomings and the reasons we haven't pulled out W's in these closer games.

[EastStang]

Clearly chemistry is a problem and outside shooting is a problem. We just don't have a guy who can light it up from the outside and make opponents pay for having a packed in zone. I don't think its nerves, so much as its just a lack of confidence in outside shooting. Unless a kid drills one at the beginning of the game, he has no confidence in his outside shot. A true shooter will keep on firing because he knows sooner or later they'll start dropping. This leads to trying to over pass or trying to make risky passes which leads to turnovers.

[MustangIcon]

Memphis (home)- Tied with 13 min left in the game, down by 3 with 9 minutes left, then just ran out of gas. SMU Loss.

This is not typical of the majority of other games I have listed in this thread. However, to me it looks like we really do have talent to be very competitive in CUSA and I think we will be next season.

[Hoop Fan]

Memphis (home)- Tied with 13 min left in the game, down by 3 with 9 minutes left, then just ran out of gas. SMU Loss.

This is not typical of the majority of other games I have listed in this thread. However, to me it looks like we really do have talent to be very competitive in CUSA and I think we will be next season.

tonight didnt mean much. Go on the road to Memphis and hang around in a game and maybe you have something. Moral victories at home are fools gold. Memphis had a much better team two years ago and SMU came alot closer to the upset at moody than tonight. Best crowd of the year by far, ranked opponent, great atmosphere, our guys competed over their heads like you would expect under in that situation. Heck, go to Rice and win a game and then maybe we can talk about being on the upswing.

[MustangIcon]

Memphis (home)- Tied with 13 min left in the game, down by 3 with 9 minutes left, then just ran out of gas. SMU Loss.

This is not typical of the majority of other games I have listed in this thread. However, to me it looks like we really do have talent to be very competitive in CUSA and I think we will be next season.

tonight didnt mean much. Go on the road to Memphis and hang around in a game and maybe you have something. Moral victories at home are fools gold. Memphis had a much better team two years ago and SMU came alot closer to the upset at moody than tonight. Best crowd of the year by far, ranked opponent, great atmosphere, our guys competed over their heads like you would expect under in that situation. Heck, go to Rice and win a game and then maybe we can talk about being on the upswing.

All I'm saying is that I think we have the talent to be competitive in CUSA. Many people are claiming we simply don't have the players, which I don't think is true. We have been in all the games mentioned in this thread late in the second half. Take out the Memphis game and I think we had players able to compete with all these other teams and had chances to win but didn't, due to the reasons I have previously stated.

[MustangIcon]

Go on the road to Memphis and hang around in a game and maybe you have something. Moral victories at home are fools gold.

Well it wasn't Memphis and it wasn't a win, but going down to the wire on the road, against a team as talented as that UAB team we just faced, is not something we have been able to do over the past 4-5 seasons.

Again, while everyone clamors to talk about how terrible the team is, another winnable game that got away. This one against the second best team in conference who also happens to be undefeated at home. Add those to the many games above and I still feel like we are not far from being a strong, or at very least competitive, CUSA team.

[MustangIcon]

Updating my recap of our recent, numerous losses...

A&M (road)- SMU down by 10 at half. SMU within 4 with 3:22 left. SMU Loss.

UTSA (home)- Led for first 14 minutes of 2nd half. UTSA ties with 6 min left. SMU Loss.

UTEP (home)- Down by 7 at half. Within 3 points with 2 minutes left. SMU Loss.

Rice (road)- Down by 15 at half. Pull to within 3 points in second half. SMU Loss.

Marshall (road)- SMU takes first lead of the game at 8min left. Tied from 1:51 until buzzer beater. SMU Loss.

ECU (home)- SMU leads from early second half until 7:52 left in game. Down 1 inside of 3 min. SMU Loss.

Tulsa (road)- SMU down by 16 with 8min left in the game. 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, then just ran out of gas. SMU Loss.

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.

[friarwolf]

We have no consistent down low threat so we live and die by jump shots. Unless you have several stone cold outside shooters who heat up together, this is a fool's gold offense. We hit enough 3's to get close but when the game tightens up at the 10 minute mark and Williams and McCoy's legs give out, we lose steam and get whipped.

Otis is absolutely not polished but he is our only big guy with a strong offensive move close to basket. His reverse spin to the baseline is pretty but he only gets 1 - 2 chances a game. We need more guys like this who will go to the hole hard down low - not 7 foot Sengalese or Eastern Europeans with no low post moves..............

[RGV Pony]

Updating my recap of our recent, numerous losses...

A&M (road)- SMU down by 10 at half. SMU within 4 with 3:22 left. SMU Loss.

UTSA (home)- Led for first 14 minutes of 2nd half. UTSA ties with 6 min left. SMU Loss.

UTEP (home)- Down by 7 at half. Within 3 points with 2 minutes left. SMU Loss.

Rice (road)- Down by 15 at half. Pull to within 3 points in second half. SMU Loss.

Marshall (road)- SMU takes first lead of the game at 8min left. Tied from 1:51 until buzzer beater. SMU Loss.

ECU (home)- SMU leads from early second half until 7:52 left in game. Down 1 inside of 3 min. SMU Loss.

Tulsa (road)- SMU down by 16 with 8min left in the game. 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, then just ran out of gas. SMU Loss.

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.

so what you're saying is we still suck?

[LA_Mustang]

I think what you have is that SMU recruited some pretty darn good athletes and only about 2 maybe 3 have any idea what to do with the basketball on the offensive end. I think its really not surprising since few of these recruits were particularly great on the offensive end in high School. Go back and check on Bamba, Dia, Walker, Nykundi, Faye. Otis, Kwiatoski. Not a single polished offensive player in that group-

exactly.......I've been saying this for several years. Derrick Roberts was the last true scorer at the high school level we signed. And I know these guys aren't exactly standing on every corner but we should be able to find at least one in every other class.

[MustangIcon]

I think what you have is that SMU recruited some pretty darn good athletes and only about 2 maybe 3 have any idea what to do with the basketball on the offensive end. I think its really not surprising since few of these recruits were particularly great on the offensive end in high School. Go back and check on Bamba, Dia, Walker, Nykundi, Faye. Otis, Kwiatoski. Not a single polished offensive player in that group-

exactly.......I've been saying this for several years. Derrick Roberts was the last true scorer at the high school level we signed. And I know these guys aren't exactly standing on every corner but we should be able to find at least one in every other class.

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).

Also, Derrick Williams averaged 19 ppg last year as a JUCO. To my knowledge that is more than any of the numerous JUCO names that have been thrown around the board as being immediate impact guys.

[MustangIcon]

By the way, in our recent games it appears that we have gotten past our tendency to come out nervous/tight and dig ourselves a huge hole. Maybe the guys are more confident, maybe Coach has changed something up, or maybe they are just gelling as a team, but in the last 5 games we have started out strong. Big improvement in that area over the past couple of weeks.

[George S. Patton]

By the way, in our recent games it appears that we have gotten past our tendency to come out nervous/tight and dig ourselves a huge hole. Maybe the guys are more confident, maybe Coach has changed something up, or maybe they are just gelling as a team, but in the last 5 games we have started out strong. Big improvement in that area over the past couple of weeks.

That's a fair point. But I won't use that as a barometer at Memphis tonight. IMO, I just throw out the Memphis games for us -- despite our respectable performance against them at Moody two weeks ago -- and judge us according to a different level of competition.