State of the Hoyas: Second-Guessing JTIII
by CasualHoya on Jan 11, 2012 9:18 AM EST
in State of the Hoyas
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PrintCasual wiseman sleepyhoya takes a look at some curious coaching decisions in the Cincinnati game:
For the record, I have never coached a basketball game at any level. I never played a competitive basketball game after high school. (I don't really count Yates intramural games) There is absolutely no reason why anyone would want to listen to my view on how to coach or game strategy.
What I am an expert in is second guessing. For a time a few years back, I stood at a podium every day and listened to the biggest second guessers in the world, the national media. Everyday somebody stood up telling me what we were doing wrong with some half-baked plan to make it better. Day after day I smiled at these "helpful" suggestions barely able to conceal my contempt for the questioner or the process.
More after The Jump:
So being an expert in second guessing and channeling the frustration of Hoya fans everywhere, I'm hoping to get the chance to sit down soon with Coach Thompson and hear what he has to say. I'll stipulate he's a former national coach of the year and I'm an aging political hack. I'll further stipulate that he's won two Big East Championships and I've lost four Presidential elections.
But as Ron Paul would say, if we have liberty we have the right to second guess. So here are my top five questions. I hope others have some to which I'll be glad to include at my summit meeting with the coach. I also hope my meeting with Coach Thompson is both good for me and good for the team.
1) How can we have an offense that limits our best shooter, a streak shooter on a hot run, to just a handful of shots in a game. The good news from last night is Hollis Thompson hit every shot he took in the first half. The bad news - he only took four including an acrobatic double clutch to beat the buzzer. So after gathering the brain trust at half time to make adjustments what happens? He takes cuts his shots in half to two. Why, when trying to beat the zone were we constantly working the ball to Nate Lubick's side of the court? Nate is not a threat from the corner - Hollis is. And how could Hollis being standing in the corner for the entire last critical possession leaving it to a freshman to drive to the out of bounds line...I mean basket.
I'm sure there is a good answer to this. I'd suggest maybe a beer at the Tombs -just me and the coach one on one.
2) We got lit up by two players on Monday night, both of whom were quicker than anyone we could put out on the floor. Why did we stay in man-to-man for most of the game and rely on Hollis and Markel Starks to guard two of the Cincinnati guards? If it was about staying in man-to-man because playing zone makes us feel like morons from upstate NY, why then didn't we try Jabril Trawick to muscle one of them or at least deny the ball and make them work harder. Jabril barely played and was only in while we were in a zone defense.
Maybe the Tombs is a little too public for our beer - not exactly safe right now. Maybe Coach would like to meet me at the Four Seasons for that drink.
3) Timeouts are better used to draw up really cool plays, not design elaborate turnovers. At two critical junctions Monday night our designed play led to a basket...for the OTHER team. I think we should make an in game adjustment here and go for our basket.
No need to talk about this at the bar coach - this one is pretty simple.
4) Inbound plays under the basket... see advice from number 3.
5) Dion Dixon is a punk. When he pulled that punk ass dribbling exhibition just before halftime a message needed to be sent. Now I know the Hollis shot was a positive message. But I'm thinking more along the lines of a more direct message - upside his head the next time he drives to the basket. This was in our house and he disrespected our house.
This one might need multiple drinks to fully explain my important theory of MAN to MAN defense.
Let's have that beer, you choose the place, under one condition - you don't listen to a damned word this second guessing, know nothing blowhard has to say. You are a respected coach at a nationally ranked powerhouse. You don't need to prove anything to anyone. You had a bad night, admit it to yourself and the team and then shake it off.
Next stop St. Johns.
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LOL
No second guessing here no matter if we would have went zone or Trawick playing more…the fact remains that our coach wasn’t turning the ball over at crucial stages of the game…that was the blower right there…we were shooting 60% and had Cincinnati beat they were frustrated and tired sat right behind Cincy’s bench heard and saw everything…we gave that game away, but hopefully we learn to take care of the ball…It’s Our Ball!
I agree with this.. To’s have been a major problem recently..
Guys got to be stronger with the ball…
All great questions
As for #1 – I can’t think of a great player on any JT3 teams with an “‘ef this, I’m going for it!” mentality. If Hoya fans have one lingering complaint about the play of Jeff Green, it’s that he was probably too hesitant to try and take over games his junior year. I guess Chris Wright was the closest/only thing we’ve ever had to that lately, but at some point to really dominate you need guys who know they can take over games, and do it regardless of “scheme”. Cincy played great D on Hollis, but only attempting one shot says something about his hesitation as well.
I don’t mean to start an avalance of “limiting system” comments – I think this is just a notable trend in guys that wear the Blue and Gray.
At the end of the day, JTIII will only be judged by what his teams do in March
We’ve been in the top ten every damn year. Are we really questioning the coach? 3-4 more NCAA wins over the past 2 years and all this talk would evaporate. The same will occur this year … 2 wins and we’ll shut up. 0 and we’ll go nuts. Only issue now is whether we can make it.
right if we had any NCAA tourney wins in the last 3 years there wouldn't be this talk
But, we haven’t had any.
Being in the top 10 and then collapsing every year is not a feather in JTIII’s cap.
by SomebodyBuyAustinaSteak on Jan 11, 2012 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
I still don't understand our inbounds play
It either is out to the wing, or throw it as far as possible to the other teams hoop. If you look at Kentucky, Louisville, Duke, etc, they all have some go-to plays to get the ball inbounds. Granted, they have a lot of players above the rim, but there is always an option.
The pass long is the "safety net"
If the out of bounds play gets covered than the last option would be that back pass.. Unfortunately it hasn’t been much of a safety net lately.
Regarding Hollis he seems to be content waiting for his looks rather than take charge. I think it’s easy to say "it’s the offense" but since Jason finds spots to attack all the time I don’t believe it to be the case.
I think it’s part of Hollis’s growth. As a star player of this team, and it’s best shooter he needs to understand when it’s time to defer to teammates and when to get more selfish. He can’t always rely on his teammates to get him open. 6 8 with a descent handle, almost every game he is going to have a mismatch he needs to exploit.
yes yes yes
I don’t think he’s to blame for the losses or the dysfunctional offense but he needs to do more to get into the game. He has to do more than spot up
by El Scorcho! on Jan 11, 2012 11:41 PM EST up reply actions
Agreed and Love The Intro
Thanks for your humility and honesty. As to Top 10 comments, we don’t finish in the top 10 at the end of the year. We approximate .500 in the Big East. And we lose NCAA games. Yes……………common threads in our recent history are:
1. Lack of our best player to step up CONSISTENTLY when we need him (confidence, style or system?)
2. Too many turnovers (on too many forced passes driven by the “system” or just plain lazy execution?)
3. Inexplicable timeouts and subsequent in-bounds plays
4. Passive acceptance by JTIII of inexcusable play (did you check out Frank Martin on K State’s loss to Baylor???) rather than sending a message. Lazy inbounds, forced passes and goaltending shots (TWICE) that have already hit the backboard deserve 45 seconds + on the bench.
It is somewhat instructive that our younger players who have not yet been bent to fit the system are surprising on the upside. And that our best team in the past 6 years was our youngest. Look………….if the system is not working well against a particular team or defense, we have the talent and athleticism to win games. In recent years, we have often looked our best on offense when we play catch up. Downplaying the system and putting the ball in the hoop.
JT III has had some very notable coaching successes in big games and some very notable failures. He is a good coach, but does he have the flexibility to really adjust to what is going on out there on the court?
With paranoia,
a little off topic
But Herb Sendek – ASU’s coach who has had 8 players leave in their first two years since 2008 – quoted a study saying 40% of D1 players who sign LOI are not at the school they signed with by the end of their sophomore year.
I wish I could find that study because that number is incredible – but if true makes me feel much better about Macklin, Wattad, Rivers, Benimon etc.
You’re all still talking about this loss? Seriously? …
Hollis couldn’t score because he was covered like a blanket in the second half, UC was down a starter after Parker took an elbow to the sternum and Guyn, who is our best outside defender hit his head.
They won through sheer will and speed. Georgetown is a slow team. Why your coach doesn’t just recruit a few athletes and become a little looser on offense, I don’t know. You’d think after having it blow up in his face a couple times, he’d make minor adjustments.
I don’t get why he would keep Otto Porter in. That’s asking too much of a frosh imo.
As for Dixon and his clowning, I don’t know how the players keep from busting out laughing when he does it. It was obviously in jest, not sure why people are so offended…
Will see you again!!!!!!
Eastcoastteddy
by Melvin M. Tuggle III on Jan 11, 2012 3:14 PM EST up reply actions
Did the Evil Butterfly guy come over here to ask us..
Why we’re still talking about the game, and then proceed to talk about the game?? Seriously??
Never mind carry on evil one..
What would he prefer us to talk about?
The next game isn’t until Sunday. This is a Georgetown basketball blog. Would he prefer we document lunches instead?
What are these assertions!?
by DHB Enterprises on Jan 11, 2012 5:42 PM EST up reply actions
Not sure how the lunch thing started, but if it works…
The next game seems like it’d be more of your focus, given that there are a lot of threads already, about the previous game and lingering doubts.
You know what? You’re right. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t care anyway :(
Forget I said anything. Mope all you want.
by EvilButterfly on Jan 11, 2012 9:41 PM EST up reply actions
The fact that you're here
Shows that you still want to talk about the game. Why can’t we?
What are these assertions!?
by DHB Enterprises on Jan 12, 2012 4:42 PM EST up reply actions
Nah, I just like following conference basketball.
You can talk about it, just kind of weirded out you still would make threads about it (o_0) A bit masochistic don’t you think? Not much difference between this and the Pitt board.
by EvilButterfly on Jan 12, 2012 8:44 PM EST up reply actions
A well-reasoned article that can form the basis for discussion
Is better, in days after a loss, than letting any apocalyptically-minded folks’ commentary overrun everything else. Besides, we talk about lessons learned about the team/players for days & weeks after big wins – why can’t losses be just as instructive?
(And please don’t compare us to the traitors!)
the problem is with
Our offense. It isn’t created to create open shots for Hollis every time. It’s meant to utilize the open man no matter who it is or where they are on the floor. That can be viewed as a problem, but ultimately its up to Hollis to create shots for himself. It’s not up to coach to create them for him
by GeorgetownCuddler on Jan 11, 2012 2:05 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions
17 turnovers
Can’t be 100% on the D, although that’s certainly a big part of it.
What are these assertions!?
by DHB Enterprises on Jan 11, 2012 5:42 PM EST up reply actions
# 3 (Plays coming off a timeout)
Has been a problem for several seasons now. Drives me crazy.
After that last, unholy row,
I never, ever play, basketball now.
It joins a list of things I'll miss like fencing foils and lovely girls I'll never kiss.
by vivanloshoyas on Jan 11, 2012 6:22 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions
Can we bump this discussion to hoyatalk
and go back to documenting lunches?
Rutgers just held Pitt to 39 points
So basically remove Syracuse and USF, invert all other preseason predictions, and that’s what the Big East looks like this week? Lunacy.
by Hoya Saxual on Jan 11, 2012 9:17 PM EST via mobile reply actions
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