More 1 than 2. We’ve shown what we can do this year against some really good competition. Happy we’re grinding our wins while Reece isn’t 100%. Break coming at the perfect time.
5 Likes
Dunn is now averaging 11 minutes per game, despite having not played at all in game 1.
4 Likes
Last two games, at home, 5-21 and 5-19 from 3. Armaan needs to shot more. Issac and BVP need to pick it up, take and make open shots. BVP looked like he had no confidence in his shot last night
6 Likes
I thought the announcers referenced Clark dealing with an injury but my wife thought it might be illness based on how tired he looked at the end when he was missing FT’s. What did you guys think?
2 Likes
BVP has seemed hesitant to pull the trigger from 3 lately. Pump faking when he has plenty of room to let it fly. He has the old man YMCA game on the block, which I love most of the time. Last night though his dribble was loose - looked like it was about as high as his neck the handful of times he turned it over
5 Likes
The offense was clunky last night. A bit of a perfect storm of circumstances. No Reece changes things obviously. But BVP being hesitant/off hurt. Id love to see him pull the trigger more rather than driving every time. The biggest issue to me was free throws. 50% from the line is awful. If they bump that to 75% it’s a very different outcome and an easy double digit victory.
The hoos shot out of the world out of the gate and they are returning to earth. You also can’t discount the hangover affect from the shooting. They powered through Vagas on emotion but now that has passed.
7 Likes
There’s got to a hangover effect from playing all of these important games and then coming back home and playing these teams that you should beat. All the while staring into a two week break with a top two matchup on the horizon.
10 Likes
Not to mention, presumably staring down the barrel of several exams/papers/projects.
4 Likes
Incoming GIF …
26 Likes
Reece out just shows how important he is to our success this year… the offense just flows better with him at full strength…
The common denominator in both our lose games was Reece at 70% for FSU and Reece and pretty much 0% (even though he played a few minutes) at JMU…
All the other games… Reece is at 100% and we roll…
10 Likes
If I’m not mistaken, Franklin didn’t take a shot after picking up his second foul late in the first half.
Then he picked up a BS foul — after an offensive rebound shove by JMU’s #5 — to open the second half and sat for nearly 10 minutes before being brought back, and was whistled for No. 4 with about 5 minutes left.
Zebras took him out of his game (and he was kind of on last night).
8 Likes
I wonder if there’s also pressure from starting so well. Good things were expected from this squad but not great things. This is a lot more attention with higher expectations that anyone thought and I wonder if it’s wearing on them.
6 Likes
idk. i think a lot of this is that it’s hard to get up for every game and everyone gunning for you because you’re #3. Look at Houston surviving Kent State.
5 Likes
Would love for someone more tech savvy than me to put together a compilation of Dunn’s defensive efforts from last night. I’m sure Cuts will do it but felt like he was so disruptive all night and that’s going to earn him PT going forward.
He’s already substantially more impactful than Kody which is just awesome to see. Even when he’s getting beat, his length compensated. I’m positively giddy about his future.
4 Likes
In the Illinois and Maryland Eastern Shore games, when Reece was fully healthy, we were also 10-32 from three. It’s a concern to me until we get another little hot shooting streak going.
Pre Illinois: 33/64 (52%)
Post Illinois: 24/80 (30%)
Sample sizes are still way too small, but let’s get a few nice games in and pump those numbers up. (Or burn Traudt’s redshirt!)
4 Likes
Of note, going by how Torvik adjusts for opponent quality, that was the best defensive performance of the season, and it came with practically no Reece minutes. I’m as cautious about over-generalizing what that might mean as I am about the offensive struggles.
Held JMU to 6-19 at the rim, 2-13 from midrange. As much as Kadin did not have a good rebounding game or offensive game, his rim protection was still felt. Dunn a big factor in that too.
We were 11-16 from the rim, which is a welcome sign, but we weren’t getting shots there as much as we could have. Dunn’s late game drive was the action we needed the whole game, as JMU gives up baseline when they close out to the corner, but their help defenders aren’t really shot blocking threats, especially when they had someone like Freidel as the low man in the paint guarding Jayden/BVP.
2 Likes
Not losing last night was a positive, I thought.
15 Likes
100% agree. Glad that we decided to win instead of losing, IMO taking a loss would’ve had a negative effect on our overall record.
5 Likes
Yet only JMU’s second worst offensive performance: slightly better than against UNC’s vaunted (ha-ha) defense. I agree with don’t over generalize. Part of the story is that JMU’s offense is pretty meh against power 5 comp, IMO.
2 Likes
At some point I want to see a situational lineup consisting of Beeks/Armaan/Dunn/JG/Sheds, don’t think it would be the most optimal offensively but man would that be a tough unit to score on.
8 Likes