Beat Houston/Game Day

[SMU 86]

Russel is a good player but that was a bad pass to Williams imo.

[ponyscott]

[quote="SMU 86"]Russel is a good player but that was a bad pass to Williams imo.[/quot

He seems to make a habit of making bad passing choices during crunch time....hope he grows out of it soon.....

[GiddyUp]

Russel is a good player but that was a bad pass to Williams imo.

I think that was Giles passing actually

[gostangs]

that was giles who made the bad pass.

[SoCal_Pony]

very frustrating reading this thread page by page and seeing another game slip away.

I have a new goal for this team. Let's win a C-USA tourney game.

Hoopmanx, if given the opportunity, would this team play in the CBI or CIT tourney?

[Charleston Pony]

that was giles who made the bad pass.

Giles tried to force the ball inside to Williams on that last possession (when I thought we should have been looking for a trey to win the game). I was referring to an earlier play up top where Nick dropped a "lazy" almost hand-off type pass that was stolen for a driving layup the other way

[JasonB]

Bad passes happen when you have no PG on the roster.

next year:
PG: Moore/Head
SG: Manuel/Russell/Bernardi/Brown
SF:Jones/Ofoegu
PF:Kennedy/Williams/Moreira/Moore
C: Cunningham/Dickerson/Blaise

I realize some won't be around, but just a reminder

[PoconoPony]

Bad passes happen when you have no PG on the roster.

next year:
PG: Moore/Head
SG: Manuel/Russell/Bernardi/Brown
SF:Jones/Ofoegu
PF:Kennedy/Williams/Moreira/Moore
C: Cunningham/Dickerson/Blaise

I realize some won't be around, but just a reminder

LB stated again in his post game interview words to the effect: " Get us now because we have many pay backs next year."

[ponyscott]

very frustrating reading this thread page by page and seeing another game slip away.

I have a new goal for this team. Let's win a C-USA tourney game.

Hoopmanx, if given the opportunity, would this team play in the CBI or CIT tourney?

C'mon this team is not going to any post season Tourny....just the CUSA and won't last long. They aren't set up to last long with the shallow bench in a quick game time setting. Besides I would doubt SMU won't even be a .500 team at the end of the year. How does one get invited with a sub .500 record?
Next year.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

if given the opportunity, would this team play in the CBI or CIT tourney?

I would think even if there was interest we would decline since we wouldn't be able to properly host any games.

[Hoop Fan]

HF - dont understand your post. This "core" wont be next years "core". and whats so hard to understand about no depth - he cant take anyone out because there are no options. next yr when someone is cold then there is an option. also we go timid at the end since a foul out is a killer (due to no dopth) - as we saw when cunningham went out of the game.

I don't think your core really gets displaced that much. I think Williams clearly becomes a bench guy (not sure how well that goes over as a senior) and maybe possibly Giles (another senior), but i don't see Manual, Jones or Cunningham losing their starting spots. Just because he came from Illinois, and Illinois was good 10 years ago, don't assume Crandall Head is a difference maker. Nice piece, can give you something that complements Manual, but not a star. I am looking forward to Moriera getting here, but don't expect him to be your Papa Dia emotional leader right away either. Kennedy is talented, and a little nasty, which we need, but we will have to see how he meshes if you know what i mean. My hope is that Nic Moore is a glue guy and absolute emotional leader. Thats really what is missing right now, as much as a natural point guard skillset. my best guess:

Nic Moore/Russell
Manual/Russell/Head
Cunningham/Head/Williams
Jones/Kennedy/Cunningham
Moriera/Kennedy/Blaise?

this doesn't even comtemplate Frazier who will have to get minutes somehow if he comes. Good problem to have? Maybe, but chemistry can be a real issue when you assemble a team this way with so many transfers on top of 4 year players, plus freshman who are ready to play. I think Cunningham has to slide to the 3 next year. he is very skilled, and he is not banging or taking up enough space as much as you need in the post. If he can't slide to the 3, you might not see him here next year, which i think would be a shame.

So you have depth, too much, and the chemistry question will be can some guys like Russell and kennedy check egos at the door and willingly come off the bench? We should be pretty good, but i also think we should have had enough to get it done against Houston yesterday, who had 2 freshman on the floor most of the day in Stiggers and House and not alot of depth either. Yet we blow a 19 point lead. I was real disappointed with the loss yesterday, and for good reason i think.

[RGV Pony]

Giles is a senior.

[ponyscott]

Giles is a senior.

Good...and why he continues to get minutes is beyond me. He is shooting 31% from 3 point land and is 36% from 2 range and Brian Bernardi in limited time, is shooting in the mid 40's...time to let a real shooter play that maybe has a future as a real shooter here, or somewhere.

[gostangs]

houston had a ton of depth - check their box score. lots of points off the bench. we had almost none.

I really like Ryan but both he and Cunningham will get lots of pressure for minutes next year. Ryan is not going to be a point - and he is not enough of a pure shooter at the 2 to rack up minutes there.

I can see Cunningham going to the 4 - i don't see him at center next year - and he may be coming off the bench also.

i think Jones and Russell are a lock for starters but that is probably it. Totally different team next year. the next 3-4 guys on the roster will get meaningful minutes, as opposed to right now when we have a 2 guard on one leg and another one with not enough defense, and a center that plays a bit lost at the moment. That is a shallow bench and the reason for our constant running out of gas. i dont think nick or Ryan came out for a combined 4 minutes in an overtime game. that causes bad decisions, late help on defense (thus the 65%+ shooting percentage for Houston) and no legs for shooting.

all that changes with a bench.

[Hoop Fan]

Giles is a senior.

I meant Russell. sorry.