UTEP game thread

[Lamont_Cranston]

Was at the game tonight, too. Downright fugly.

[mavsrage311]

I wanted to get on to say much of the same things! Rack had his worst game ever...every time he touched it he'd brick the shot or be called for traveling/turn it over, just horrible. Killen, although he tries, is not a D-1 player, plain and simple, for a point guard he cant dribble or shoot, and can barely pass the ball without turning it over. Bamba was great, I'm VERY optimistic about his future, he blocked a lot of shots, rebounded well too. The defense and rebounding were unacceptable, period. We made the most unathletic player on either team, Topi, look like Kevin Garnett. Without looking, I'm sure he had atleast 30 points and 10 rebounds.

I was close, he finished with 29 and 11

[friarwolf]

My two cents regarding the game and our sorry state of affairs:

We recruit players that are athletic and can slash to the basket and then we try to run a patient, motion offense???? We have an unbelievable disconnect between who we recruit , what we try to run, how we coach, the obvious lack of teaching. Any questions why we struggle??? Once again, we have tough admission standards, tough academic requirements (re: no physical education major), old facilities and then we saddle the kids we get with a brand of basketball they obviously don't like?????

There is a reason most teams don't have two short players in the back court. UTEP's taller guards ate our backcourt up.

We were outcoached - again......

I hope our marketing department really enjoyed the halftime show...........Talk about another disconnect................

Any wonder why it looked like a UTEP home game last night. Hand me the trashcan, I need to throw up again.

I revise my prediction that we will be a .500 ball club this year. I don't see it.

I haven't said it, but I will now. Tubbs was the worst decision Copeland has made. The players can't stand him. Copeland and the administration choked and rolled over when presented with the infamous letter from Tubb's "buddies". They were afraid of how it would look if they didn't hire him. They got played. They took the easy way out - and now we pay for it.

[2112]

I can't believe I was charged to watch that mess! This is real bad basketball fellas!

[Hoop Fan]

who did you want Friar, Wojcik? Yea, he's doing great at Tulsa alright. I don't know about your slasher comment. My thinking is we are completely void of any real wing players or true slashers. Roberts can drive to a degree, but he often loses control of the ball and he has rarely been able to finish all year. I dont want a guy slashing out of control if he cant finish.

I agree that Tubbs got outcoached last night, but he has had alot of good coaching nights since he has been here, OU being one. What I see right now is a team that has no confidence in passing the ball to the post because it often results in turnovers, fumbles or missed bunnies. And a team that has no collective confidence as outside shooters. So instead of moving the ball around quickly with purpose, what you get is a bunch of perimeter dribbling.

I've said it since he got hired, Tubbs needs to revamp this team and get some natural rebounders, shooters and defenders. He tried to get shooters with Williams and Epps. Epps has been a non factor, but I at least see what he was looking for when he got Epps at least. Bamba is bringing something significant defensively. Still need some nasty rebounders, maybe thats what he sees in Nyam.

Blame Tubbs all you want but he still hasnt had time to put his stamp on this roster. Right now Dements last two unproductive classes are hurting us alot, when as juniors and sophomore they should be making an impact. Not getting much of anything from Killen, Roberts, Ritter, Pearson and obviously Chris Reay whose gone. Although I will say Roberts played hard last night, and got some buckets.

[Corso]

I can't believe I was charged to watch that mess! This is real bad basketball fellas!

Thanks for the insight.

The motion offense, leading to jumpers, was frustrating. But when a team misses as many lay-ups and put-backs as we did last night, what are your options?

There are nights when the ball just isn't going to go down except when you get a slam like that one (WOW) from Bamba Fall last night. Let's hope last night was one of those nights, take our lumps in Memphis and then re-start the season next week.

[MustangIcon]

drummer wrote:
I think if Iwas the coach that Rack and Killen would be the last
players off the bench.
I told my friend the exact same thing. I am not sure I would give either any minutes at all.

I can't be the only person who has noticed what an improvement The Rack has made in his game. Granted he still does not finish around the basket like he should for being 6'11 but lets not overlook his improvement. He has developed into an aggressive player who is actually very active in the rebound department. This is a far cry from the jump shooting softy that first came to SMU.

Who do you propose play his minutes? I certainly would rather have him on the floor than Ike O. who really brings nothing to the table. While Bamba and Morris have played well as Freshman they can't play 40 minutes a game. It isn't like we have a stud big man rotting away on the bench while Rack plays.

[Corso]

Frankly, I agree. The Rack is a LOT better than he was. Still got a long way to go, as far as low-post offense, but vastly improved, nonetheless.

[Hoop Fan]

Other than being bad last night, i think Rack has shown improvement and some decent flashes at times. The problem is he is a senior and its too late for him now. He has improved, but he had too far to go and the injuries have kept him down.

[MustangIcon]

Actually Rack is a Junior bc he redshirted last year while he was injured all season. It really was a blessing in the sky for him as well as SMU considering the improvements he has made. Tell me you aren't at least a little excited about having Rack, Morris and Bamba on the front line next year.

With his soft shooting touch from 16 feet and in, I am not sure why we don't run a little high post with Rack and Morris on the low block. It might actually help give us something that resembles an offense. I have never seen a team take so much time to constantly end up with contested jump shots.

[Hoop Fan]

I think you are right about Rack being a junior eligibility wise, I got thrown off by something that listed him as a senior. I dont know what I was thinking, because I was very aware we only had two graduating players this recruiting year in the Hop brothers.

[Blunt Pony]

Actually Rack is a Junior bc he redshirted last year while he was injured all season. It really was a blessing in the sky for him as well as SMU considering the improvements he has made.

Tell me you aren't at least a little excited about having Rack, Morris and Bamba on the front line next year.

With his soft shooting touch from 16 feet and in, I am not sure why we don't run a little high post with Rack and Morris on the low block. It might actually help give us something that resembles an offense. I have never seen a team take so much time to constantly end up with contested jump shots.

I can honestly tell you with a straight face that no I am not the least bit excited about a Morris, Bamba and Rack front line. Nice try.

[Pony_Fan]

I can't believe what I am reading. Rack - improvement?

He doesn't have a choice but to play Rack some. Fall will get more minutes as the season progresses. Can we take him to Steaks & Shakes?

Tubbs does have a choice to give Killen minutes which should not be happening.

I saw little Mike Dement there last night...I wonder what he is thinking.

[Ikus]

Absolutely Rack is improved. He's not the "next Dirk" as someone wrote when he signed, but two years ago, he was lost. Now he's at least grabbing boards and blocking a few shots, and scoring occasionally. That would be improvement.

[MustangIcon]

With the current state of our hoops program I think we could be a lot worse off than a 7'1 soph, 6'8 soph and 6'11 sr. for next season.

Rack averages 7pts and 5reb a game while only playing 21 min a game.

Morriss averages 7 and 5 playing while shooting almost 60% playing 18 minutes a game.

Bamba is a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end and much further along offensively than I ever anticipated.

Once we get these guys conditioning up to where they can play 25-30 minutes a game each we might very well have something.