Okay so we're 9 games in...Let's hear what you think!

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GuardShock

GuardShock

The All-MVC Level
What do you think? Who has impressed you? Who hasn't and why? What do you think about our younger players? Is there something different you would like to see?

I'll answer my questions but I would like to hear everyone's thoughts.

What do I think?

Overall I am pretty happy. Two losses by one point a piece arent the worst. Could we be undefeated right now? Yeah but overall I am pretty happy. I am very happy with how our defense is doing.

Who has impressed me?

A couple players. Dawon has changed a lot since last year. He is much more reliable. Devonte is getting better. He is becoming more confident but still drives at the wrong times. He is shooting quite well though. Demetrius for sure. Hopefully he keeps striding. He is doing great but I'd like to see him get more aggresive around the boards. Lastly Justin Gant, He is much improved over last year and is doing great. I feel as though he has a long way to go but next year I would expect a high teens or low twenties in points per game from him. (It's a high goal but hey ya gotta reach for something)

Who hasnt and why?

JO because we hold such a high expectation from him. I wanna see him go the NBA but who knows. I wish he would attack more and be more confident in his shooting. He could easily be scoring more per game.

Manny also, for being a senior, getting the minutes he has been, I just feel like he is quiet and not willing to take it by the reins. He is a great shooter and attacks the rim well.

What do I think about our younger players?

Like said above I'm alright with Devonte. K smith started off great. What happened? Hoping he turns this slump around. Overall he looks promising though.

Is there something different you would like to see?

I think I would like to see a little more zone and some stronger defense. We have had some good games defensively but there could be better. Offensively everyone seems to be finding the hot hand and using it. But defensively I wanna shut down SLU and Belmont. Double digit wins to me would mean something.

Bored at work, thought I'd start an interesting conversation.
 

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GuardShock said:
What do you think? Who has impressed you? Who hasn't and why? What do you think about our younger players? Is there something different you would like to see?

I'll answer my questions but I would like to hear everyone's thoughts.

What do I think?

Overall I am pretty happy. Two losses by one point a piece arent the worst. Could we be undefeated right now? Yeah but overall I am pretty happy. I am very happy with how our defense is doing.

Who has impressed me?

A couple players. Dawon has changed a lot since last year. He is much more reliable. Devonte is getting better. He is becoming more confident but still drives at the wrong times. He is shooting quite well though. Demetrius for sure. Hopefully he keeps striding. He is doing great but I'd like to see him get more aggresive around the boards. Lastly Justin Gant, He is much improved over last year and is doing great. I feel as though he has a long way to go but next year I would expect a high teens or low twenties in points per game from him. (It's a high goal but hey ya gotta reach for something)

Who hasnt and why?

JO because we hold such a high expectation from him. I wanna see him go the NBA but who knows. I wish he would attack more and be more confident in his shooting. He could easily be scoring more per game.

Manny also, for being a senior, getting the minutes he has been, I just feel like he is quiet and not willing to take it by the reins. He is a great shooter and attacks the rim well.

What do I think about our younger players?

Like said above I'm alright with Devonte. K smith started off great. What happened? Hoping he turns this slump around. Overall he looks promising though.

Is there something different you would like to see?

I think I would like to see a little more zone and some stronger defense. We have had some good games defensively but there could be better. Offensively everyone seems to be finding the hot hand and using it. But defensively I wanna shut down SLU and Belmont. Double digit wins to me would mean something.

Bored at work, thought I'd start an interesting conversation.
Click to expand...

What do I think?

I think that a loss is a loss and a win is a win. If you lose by 1 point twice you still have two losses. I don't care how much we lost by. Same applies to winning, we've had some ugly wins but at the end of the day a win is a win. I think it's a darn shame this team has been on the road for a month to start the season and played a below avg. non conf. slate. If your going to he gone for a month you'd hope that you've played someone better than Tulsa, Alaska Anchorage, Pepperdine, EIU and Missouri KC - the only road game in the last month of any value comes tomorrow at Slu.

Who has impressed me?

Cummings has shot the ball much better this year. That said, he hasn't faced the same kind of D pressure he faced last year, partly because of the new rules and partly because our non conf. sched is soft. (Sos 265 need I say more). If he can shoot well and take care of the rock vs. a good def. team he is in good shape. Gant is much improved but he opened last season playing well - what we get from Gant in Feb. will be telling. Again, he's played well but he has a combined 9 points in our two losses - that can't happen.

Who hasn't and why?

KSmith, since putting up a combined 43 points on 16/24 shooting (6 of 8 from deep) in two games vs. Belmont and ND since then he has scored 41 points on 15/38 shooting (3 of 6 from deep) and he hasn't rebounded the ball very well at all. So he hasn't impressed me much at all especially with that hot start to the season.

What do I think about the younger players?

Plain and simple Moore needs to play more mins. He is shooting 71% from the field - at the same time he has to rebound the basketball if he is going to be in the game and he hasn't done that yet.

I'm tough on Brown because he doesn't handle the ball like I expect a D1 PG to handle it. He turns the ball over and fumbles around with it too much for my liking. He has been much better from the FT line this year take away that 4 for 8 dud on Saturday. He has shot the ball much better from the field - seems to be being more selective and I'm pleased with that.

Bell still has a ways to go but we will continue to develop. Shouldn't play ahead of Moore or Kitch at this point.

Anything different I would like to see?

I'd like to see Lansing stick with the players that are playing well at the time and stop taking people out at set times. He has taken Odum out just before 4 mins to go in the half for the last 4 years - I know why he does it and I disagree with it. Play the guys that are playing well. Quit putting in players like Burnett because they are "good teammates" good teammate or not if your not ready your not ready.

I'd also see him make teams like Missouri KC who had 1 3 pointer made up until the final 2 mins of the game shoot the ball - either play a zone or pack it ala the Jake Odum Prevent D. Don't let them drive and make them shoot - you can't keep getting beat on dribble drive and the offensive glass.
 
Also should add I don't think Arop has been as bad as some might lead you to believe - he should do a better job on the rbs, down 2 a game from last year. His shooting is WAY up and that has been very helpful to our O. shooting nearly 5% better frim the field and 16% better from deep. Also shooting 94% from the line. So if he would do better on the glass and maybe attack the rim a little better (maybe get to the line more ala Colt Ryan) I'd be REALLY happy with his play. He hasn't been a dissapointment - that's inaccurate.
 
SycamoreStateofMind said:
What do I think?

I think that a loss is a loss and a win is a win. If you lose by 1 point twice you still have two losses. I don't care how much we lost by. Same applies to winning, we've had some ugly wins but at the end of the day a win is a win. I think it's a darn shame this team has been on the road for a month to start the season and played a below avg. non conf. slate. If your going to he gone for a month you'd hope that you've played someone better than Tulsa, Alaska Anchorage, Pepperdine, EIU and Missouri KC - the only road game in the last month of any value comes tomorrow at Slu.

Who has impressed me?

Cummings has shot the ball much better this year. That said, he hasn't faced the same kind of D pressure he faced last year, partly because of the new rules and partly because our non conf. sched is soft. (Sos 265 need I say more). If he can shoot well and take care of the rock vs. a good def. team he is in good shape.

I like Cumming's ability to play the perimeter passing lanes, thus leading to transition breakaways. It's an art...using peripheral vision/linear depth, deception, cat-like quickness. Hope these skills are contagious.

Gant is much improved but he opened last season playing well - what we get from Gant in Feb. will be telling. Again, he's played well but he has a combined 9 points in our two losses - that can't happen.

Who hasn't and why?

KSmith, since putting up a combined 43 points on 16/24 shooting (6 of 8 from deep) in two games vs. Belmont and ND since then he has scored 41 points on 15/38 shooting (3 of 6 from deep) and he hasn't rebounded the ball very well at all. So he hasn't impressed me much at all especially with that hot start to the season.

Smith's game peaks when the tempo increases. He's not a 1/2 court,10 pass-kinda guy He's athletic, and needs the SPACE to demo his skills!

What do I think about the younger players?

Plain and simple Moore needs to play more mins. He is shooting 71% from the field - at the same time he has to rebound the basketball if he is going to be in the game and he hasn't done that yet.

I'm tough on Brown because he doesn't handle the ball like I expect a D1 PG to handle it. He turns the ball over and fumbles around with it too much for my liking. He has been much better from the FT line this year take away that 4 for 8 dud on Saturday. He has shot the ball much better from the field - seems to be being more selective and I'm pleased with that.

I wanna see Brown defensively shadow-pressuring the up court dribbler on EVERY occasion...take 'em out of their offense or make it tough to get into!

Bell still has a ways to go but we will continue to develop. Shouldn't play ahead of Moore or Kitch at this point.

Anything different I would like to see?

I'd like to see Lansing stick with the players that are playing well at the time and stop taking people out at set times. He has taken Odum out just before 4 mins to go in the half for the last 4 years - I know why he does it and I disagree with it. Play the guys that are playing well. Quit putting in players like Burnett because they are "good teammates" good teammate or not if your not ready your not ready.

One of the problems w/ Lansing's frequent substitution pattern is that near the END of the season, our guys DON'T have any STAMINA. We're modeling "Thomas the Train"- like aerobic patterns, while our opponets are in hurricane season form. It's called OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE...use it!

I'd also see him make teams like Missouri KC who had 1 3 pointer made up until the final 2 mins of the game shoot the ball - either play a zone or pack it ala the Jake Odum Prevent D. Don't let them drive and make them shoot - you can't keep getting beat on dribble drive and the offensive glass.
Click to expand...


In a nutshell, Lansing needs to become MORE CREATIVE on "D"...take the LEAD & make the opposition counter to YOUR moves. It works, and we've seen it work the few times he's got out of his "coaching box" this season.
 
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Team lacks consistency and leadership.

Those are the only two things keeping them from being an upper crust team in the NCAA, not just MVC, this year.
 

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Jason Svoboda said:
Team lacks consistency and leadership.

Those are the only two things keeping them from being an upper crust team in the NCAA, not just MVC, this year.
Click to expand...

The leadership from Odum will be there in the crunch. I think he unselfishly moves to the "foreground" in an attempt to share the spotlight so to speak, allowing his teammates to exercise force & developmental latitude. If/when Lansing starts shortening the rotation, we'll see greater assertiveness & leadership from Odum. It's now or never...only 3 months left in his COLLEGIATE CAREER.
 
What do I think?

I think I'm relatively happy with a 7-2 record (even though it extremely feasibly be 9-0).


Who has impressed me?

Moore, the past two games.

Almost everyone has impressed me at some point during our first nine games. At one point (after the Tulsa game), we had SIX players averaging double figures in scoring. Currently, we have four players averaging double figures with one other player (Smith I think) at 9.8 points.


Who hasnt and why?

Because I'm such a fan of Manny, I'd love it if that guy would score more points. He has not disappointed me by any means, but I really thought that as a senior (and a fifth year senior at that), he'd become more of a scorer this season....still could.


What do I think about our younger players?

Even though Brown can get a lil erratic when he drives the lane, I love it when he drives the lane, he's the quickest Sycamore that I've ever seen (dating back to early nineties....and yes, feel free to educate me on quicker players who've suited up for ISU).

Is there something different you would like to see?

I'd like to see us get back to running a little bit...our scoring rate has slowed down a little bit in the past few games, I'd love to see us break the 80 point mark more and more.
 
Overall I'm pleased so far with this team.I too would like to see more leadership from Jake or someone at times during games.We can be too unselfish sometimes and that ends up with us not getting the best shot or matchup.Still having so many guys who can score has to be a plus.Some teams without our depth have trouble scoring if certain players are out,this is rarely a problem for us.

Time will tell but it should be interesting from here on out. I think a B is about right for now.Above average but we could improve to excellent.
 

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