This is tongue in cheek, but Iâve long resisted the mantra that âTony likes to play two point guards simultaneously.â
So maybe heâs finally ready to disprove that assertion, but he knows that playing Bliss while sitting Dante wouldnât provide convincing evidence.
You know, we can both recognize last year had a good record and in many ways maximized the results of a low-ceiling roster, while also recognizing that the offense was unwatchable way too often and that we foresee it as part of a continued slow but very real year-over-year backsliding.
I donât think Staff viewed last season as successful and if you asked their view would probably more align with those frustrated with the last few years.
I loved those guys. Ranking doesnât matter to me. Fit does. Im asucker for diamond in the roughs. But we havenât had that lanky mobile defensive versatile 4 man we can rely on to do a little bit of everything in a long time. Dunn next year would have been the first in a hot minute (and he tried his best this year/still a little raw).
The offense was often unwatchable because, too often, the team couldnât make shots. It was execution and not the scheme. McKneely was the only consistent outside threat (until the emergence of Murray), and if Groves wasnât making shots, Virginia struggled. Beekman driving the paint and dishing to Dunn or Harris in the corner for a three point attempt wasnât a formula for success. Groves putting the ball on the floor and attacking the rim rarely, if ever, worked. It was simple. When Virginia was hitting shots, they looked very good. When they werenât making open shots, they looked horrible.
It was absolutely scheme. Whether it be standing around, how how the scheme at times took away from the natural instincts of players and put them in positions to take shots not within the flow of their game.
You had McKneely as the only consistent outside shot so you run mover blocker where teams know to just follow where McKneely is? for example. You have Dunn, who is afraid to shoot 3s, continually hold the ball open on the perimeter where the defense doesnât even bother with him?
https://x.com/tiptonedits/status/1779865335392350244?s=46
Go get him Tony (jk) part 2!
Bad flashbacks for those of us who watched 2023 PSA Cardinals games and witnessed the crimes Boogie committed against good basketball decision-making.
He May need to find a point forward or a combo guard with great handles and court vision, playing to under size guards not working especially if they not great shooters or distributors.
The scheme is partially to blame for our offense this past year. Yes, we only had one or two players who could reliably knock down shots. That, to some extent, is on the players, but going from erratic jump shooter to reliable jump shooter probably isnât a realistic in-season development arc. So the staff, knowing that we lacked consistent jump shooters, chose an offensive scheme and style of play that emphasizes efficient jump shooting. Itâs sort of head scratching.
I was a little concerned at the B&W scrimmage when Reece was called out as one of our 4 best 3-point shooters. I hoped that it was either an indication of Reeceâs off-season improvements or Tony showcasing Reece as our veteran leader. Unfortunately, it was an indication of how limited skill-wise this team was.
What natural instincts were denied? What shots were not in the flow of anyoneâs game? Essentially, too few players could make open shots on a consistent basis, and there is little to nothing that can be schemed to mitigate that simple fact. There was no reliable interior scoring threat to distract defenses from focusing on the perimeter. And, if McKneely is the only one making shots, no scheme can keep opponents from successfully defending him.
I seen posts where it was said that coach Bennet and staff spend majority like 70 to 80 percent of their practices focusing on defense, if thats the case maybe thats the problem it needs to balance out more. It will explain to me why we dont look very crisp on the offensive side alot of times.
Rohde shooting off the dribble for example vs forcing him into catch and shoot.
McKneely and Reece looking extremely uncomfortable in the midrange, etc. etc.
Minor being a strong pick n roller and capitalizing on a lot of the opportunities in those situations but not really giving him many opportunities in that pick n roll.
During Colorado State I remember @Hoohoohoo pointing out something I also noticed, we were down 20 and then we ran out first pick n roll with Minor and he scored so easily since CSU didnât have that much size inside. Reminded me of the Ohio game when we were down late and Reece decided to just drive it at the rim out of urgency and started scoring and creating so easily but it was too late. Itâs a lot of adjustment and versatility.
This roster was weak talent, but they also had skillsets that werenât capitalized on.
It was both. Players obviously need to shoot better but taking so many long 2 point jumpers in this era of basketball is like playing offense with one hand behind your back. Needs to change if we ever want to have a top 30 offense again
Not really that âhead scratchingâ. As weak as the jump shooting was, I am not convinced that the alternatives were any better. There really wasnât a reliable scoring threat in the post. Aside from Beekman and, possibly, Murray, driving to the basket wasnât better option than the jump shooting. In the game in Blacksburg, how many bunnies were missed? On the other hand, when players other than McKneely were hitting perimeter shots, Virginia was winning. Sometimes, handily. Perhaps, the staff felt that jump shots did give Virginia the best chance for success.
I guess that makes 1 of you then, whoâs not a little flummoxed. The Blacksburg game wasâŚa low point. Others have mentioned different sets that we could have run that better fit the teamâs strengths. For my part, Iâll point out that by playing such an extreme version of the low-possession game, we were basically choosing to attack a deliberate defense on every offensive possession with a team that had limited offensive firepower. That just seems like a poor decision to me, but clearly others feel otherwise, which is fine.
https://twitter.com/TiptonEdits/status/1779893531206725643
https://twitter.com/portal_updates/status/1779894845043028056
I WOULD TAKE HIM IN A HEART BEAT.
And he can play the 4 some cause heâs an athletic freak
edit: seems like even though he was solid last year they are looking to upgrade. More minutes for former @Hooandtrue dream recruits Drew McKenna and Micah Peavy at the 3/4
Show him Justin Anderson Jr year tape.
Boogie canât shoot⌠I watched a few of his highlights.