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Why We Won

SpiderFan26

SpiderFan26

Team Manager
Mar 11, 2012
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VCU never presses us well, especially K0. I think because of that we play fast and aggressive and we dominate. We need to continue to run, we can play at a good pace with intensity.

I hope this sparks the guys going forward, dissapointed we didn't put ourselves in better position up to this point but keep playing hard.

And keep running, this is a completely different team when we play fast.
 
K0 is too quick, and his size is also a huge advantage. It's hard to steal against someone who keeps the ball so low.
 
would also give a shout out to the officiating crew...we shot 24 FTs to the Rams 13...not sure how often that has happened on Broad Street lately...

obviously they did not let the atmosphere and reputation of the "hack" attack intimidate them...kept the mugging under control...

Go Spiders!

The Spider Gang Group Facebook Page
 
Part of that was end of game dynamics when VCU was behind and having to play us close resulting in very obvious fouls. RPI had a number of times when K Zero or some other Spider blew by them and that would result in lots of noncalled body contact. Most of their non called hacking is before crossing center court and our speed and ball handling took a lot of that out of the equation. But yes officiating was better than usual but easier to say that with a win.
 
The game was really physical, refs were letting a lot of stuff go on both ends.
 
When games are one constant foul fest by one or both teams refs tend to let some of it go. We were called for 13 and they were called for 21 with much of that coming in late second half. Noticed Shaka backed off some of his standard "can't believe it mode" and CM contained himself except on the late 2nd half noncall.
 
one of Chris best bench games the way we controlled tempo, you could see him speed and slow the guys at different times
 
I was there and will tell you what you could not see on TV.

Weber took Kendal to hole and scored right over him in the first half. Then Weber gave him the I just abused you Punk stare all the way back down the court. From then on KO took the game over. We also did an absolute excellent job guarding the three point line. No real shooter got off an unguarded shot from three.

Lastly we rebounded!!!
 
Bottom line- Mooney made Shaka play his game. Shaka misses Mike Rhoades badly!!!
 
The reason we won was because we were wearing our home whites! Thanks, VCU, for making it happen. Can we convince some other opponents to do this too??
 
Originally posted by Eight Legger:
The reason we won was because we were wearing our home whites! Thanks, VCU, for making it happen. Can we convince some other opponents to do this too??
Click to expand...
We should burn our road uni's and bring the white ones to each road game. What are they going to do about it?
 
I thought we won, because we outplayed the Rams, in front of a sellout crowd. But what do I know.
 
we played with confidence and poise and we did not wilt at the end. look at uva-duke, devils just grabbed it and won in the end they EXECUTED, uva did not. this was the type of game which did not allow us to pull the ball out and just try and run clock and that was good for us. stay aggressive, keep attacking but most of all EXECUTE, which, of course, includes hitting foul shots.
 
TB, I agree that you nailed it. This was an instance where the best team won. If rpi was #14 and dayton #22, then the Spiders are playing like a Top 20 team.
smile.r191677.gif
 
Rams had only 2 offensive rebounds in the game, both in the first half. Combine that with their shooting struggles and it is difficult to win. I agree our protecting the ball and controlling the tempo were key as well.
 
From Matt Smith on Twitter this morning:

"@spider1: And to the moronic Spider "fans" bashing Mooney and calling for his ouster on message boards - UR totally out-coached VCU yesterday."
 
All due respect to Matt, but he is part of the program. Of course he is going to stick up for Mooney. The facts about the last 3 1/2 years don't lie, however, and one road win doesn't magically erase our horrendous record in the 27 or 28 before yesterday.

That said, we look like a different team since we lost that first Davidson game. I think Mooney has changed some of his philosophies a little, which was something that had to happen. I would love nothing more than for him to guide us back to the NCAAs this year and start another run of frequent postseason appearances. Let's hope we can get it done.
 
Originally posted by Eight Legger:
All due respect to Matt, but he is part of the program. Of course he is going to stick up for Mooney. The facts about the last 3 1/2 years don't lie, however, and one road win doesn't magically erase our horrendous record in the 27 or 28 before yesterday.

That said, we look like a different team since we lost that first Davidson game. I think Mooney has changed some of his philosophies a little, which was something that had to happen. I would love nothing more than for him to guide us back to the NCAAs this year and start another run of frequent postseason appearances. Let's hope we can get it done.
Click to expand...
+1. Great win, and we have changed, but its still only 2-31 in rpi100 road games. If we continue to stay this hot and make the dance things will change, and I am really hoping K0 gets to play in at least 1 NCAA tourney game
 
I think Mooney finally realized he has a big team that can't shoot, thus we should REBOUND!!! I hope the change is sustained and wasn't just dumb luck. I was stunned at the change. A-10 is very weak this year, if continue to REBOUND, I think we will end up near the top.
 
The stringent robotic offense has slightly ceased and its being utilized less and less. The team is finally using its athleticism,speed,and proper floor spacing to compete. We suddenly are not as predictable a team when running our offense.
 
Originally posted by KWeaver:
If Matt said that, he is the moron.
Click to expand...
Agreed. How many times did he say "tell me about" after this game. A little strange for him to be posting online about spider fans when he is a recognizable figure.
 
We definitely play better when we increase the tempo. SDJ has been a big part of this, IMO. He likes to push it, and I think Mooney has given him the room to do so when he is the point guard. Seems like the rest of the guys have been anxious to play this way too. It's working.
 
You know KO loves the time that SDJ spends as the PG. Kendall can lurk around and hide and create his offense like he did with Ced.

This post was edited on 2/1 3:21 PM by SpiderK
 
A-10 is very weak this year, if continue to REBOUND, I think we will end up near the top.

Agree with this. Rebounding is key.

I would not have said so a few weeks ago, but it is beginning to look a lot more like a run through the A-10 tournament is possible. Put together a few in a row and magic happens.
 
Matt smith, completely unprofessional. Way to take a shot at your own fan base. Just a stupid comment from someone in his position.

This post was edited on 2/1 3:18 PM by 97spiderfan
 
Sorry for the long post.

Sometimes when I read this board I wonder if some of us are watching the same games. That statement might be a bit dramatic because for the majority of what I've read about the VCU game I agree with a lot of the points made. Rebounding was a really important part of yesterday's win.

But honestly VCU isn't a very good rebounding team so we needed to win that battle. The other keys were handling their pressure (when they could get into their press) which honestly has never really been that tough for our team. We have always had good ball handlers and passers. Not many teams have big men who can pass like Cline or handle the ball in the open court like Allen. Not to mention K0 and SDJ. But more importantly we played lock down defense on a mediocre shooting team yesterday and because we rebounded well they didn't get to setup their press. That was huge. It forced them in their half court defense which is good but not great.

But when people make statements like 'we are a big team that can't shoot' my head spins. I know this has been an up and down season. We got off to a bad start. I can't spin that any other way. We lost to teams that we have more talent than and games that we had in control late. But we are currently 38 of 351 in the NCAA in shooting % (46.7%) Our 3 point shooting which we rely on too much is only mediocre at 155 (34.4%). We score well inside and we need to find a way to do that more consistently. We live and die from 3 a little too much for my liking.

But in the last 7 games we have been in the top 15 (out of 351) in both overall FG% (49.0%) and 3-Point FG % (40.0%). We happen to be 5-2 in those games with two heartbreaking road losses to very good teams by 6 total points. In the other 5 games we have won by an avg margin of victory of 19 points against 2 very good teams and 3 not so good teams. But you can't deny that we are shooting much better since the Davidson loss and we are really playing great defense too. Also we shot 82.4% from the FT line in the last 7 games (best in the nation) and 72.9% overall (54 in the nation).

I love having Cline and Allen on the court together with ANO as the defensive stopper. Cline is crafty in the paint and helps extend the defense when he is On the perimeter. Cline is a bit of a defense liability at times because he doesn't have great quickness. But offensively he seems to open things up for Allen and the guards to get to the basket off the dribble. Allen is at the 3 provides some good mismatches for us offensively. Outside of some of the elite teams who have one and dones on their roster he is tough to guard because he is too quick for a lot of 4's and too powerful for a lot of 3's.

I think one of the key stats going forward will be limiting offense rebounds. I care much more about how we rebound on the defensive end over the offensive end. If we continue to make shots we won't need to worry about offensive rebounds. In the last 3 games, we actually have a +2 advantage despite being the better shooting team in 2 of those games. In that prior 4 game stretch we lost that battle by a wide margin (13 to 52). Some of that is poor shooting by the other teams, giving them more chances. Clearly GW's offensive rebounding was why we lost that game. They out rebounded us 13 to 2 on the offensive end and it turned into a 19 to 0 advantage for them in 2nd chance points. We have done much better since that game and need to continue this going forward if we are going to win big games down the stretch.
 
SpiderVol, I stick by what I said about our 4 juniors not being able to shoot from the outside and are better using their God given talent playing strong defense and REBOUNDING!! It's common sense. That's what they did last night and it led to some nice fast breaks. They also made their free throws yesterday. I am very proud of Allen and Adoda for obviously working very hard on their free throw shooting during the off season.
 
Just did a ESPN replay and noticed some key points

- KO missed some wide open shots as did the Rams 3s so both of us could have shot better
- going to foul line as much as we did worked into CMs defense for offense rotation
- at any point we had one big going to boards on offense and 3-4 going to boards on defense.
they were not going to give up second chances
- right people were shooting FTs
- no panic and plenty of poise
- TJ did not have a great game from a handling standpoint and he will be better next time
playing faster and not throwing the ball away. Not taking anything away from his shooting.

On side note Weber seemed to be sliding and slipping a lot at points in game . Wondered if he did
Some damage early and weakened it enough to blow it out with bad plant.

This post was edited on 2/1 8:09 PM by CarolinaSpider
 
SpiderK, you called out the big men, not just the 4 JRs. Cline is part of the big men group.

Even then we basically play a 7 man rotation. So I guess the other 3 guys never miss if those 4 are terrible shooters if we are a solid shooting team overall. I mean don't let my facts get in the way of a good argument.

Our big men are essentially 4 key guys of which I would say 2 are very good shooters for there position, including one of those JRs. I will give you the other two aren't great outside shooters. I don't like seeing ANO or DT take 3's. I cringe when I see them jack one up from outside.

But Cline is shooting 56.6% overall and 41.3% from 3 (66.7% from 2) and Allen is shooting 54% overall and 32.4% from 3 (59.3% from 2). Those are very solid shooting %'s for big men. Allens outside shooting has slumped a little bit lately but he has adjusted and been more aggressive going to the basket.

The other 2 have been pretty bad from 3 but ok inside the paint (shooting above 50%). Never of them are get offensive threats which is why I like Cline and Allen on the court with either ANO or DT as the defensive stopper.

The other part of the game you mentioned was Allen and ANO's FT shooting. Both have been aggressive and getting to the line and making over 83% of them. They are #1 and 2 on the team in FT% and #2 and 3 in FT attempts.

In terms of the juniors, you have a valid point about ANO and DT but not about Allen. He is a much better shooter and scorer than you ever give him credit for and those are facts. Then there is Trey Davis the 4th junior. He like ANO and DT is more a defender. I have never been a fan of his shooting form. It just looks awkward. But he generally limits his shots to good loen looks and has been much more efficient this season. Overall he is shooting 53.2% and a decent 36.4% on limited 3 point attempts. He could go to the ANO school of FT shooting this summer though.
 
Carolina--Weber was slipping and sliding because KO was buckling his knees with his quickness. Cline did have a hard time with the speed early but adjusted later and passed well. Yes, KO missed more open shots than usual early on and TA missed some early layups. No doubt there were some early nerves. SDJ was in foul trouble very early so Kendall had to control the ball in the first half with little help. Takes a lot out of you.

This post was edited on 2/1 8:13 PM by SpiderK
 
Vol, good analysis

As others said, I'm very surprised and disappointed in those comments by Matt Smith.. In fairness Coach and Bob have made some softer, but similar in nature comments during the shows
 
Originally posted by Eight Legger:
All due respect to Matt, but he is part of the program. Of course he is going to stick up for Mooney. The facts about the last 3 1/2 years don't lie, however, and one road win doesn't magically erase our horrendous record in the 27 or 28 before yesterday.

That said, we look like a different team since we lost that first Davidson game. I think Mooney has changed some of his philosophies a little, which was something that had to happen. I would love nothing more than for him to guide us back to the NCAAs this year and start another run of frequent postseason appearances. Let's hope we can get it done.
Click to expand...
Good post.

I hope you are correct in that CM has changed his philosophies. The next several games should give an idea with a road game at La Salle & a home game vs. a good RI team next Sunday.

Two points - 1) More emphasis on rebounding showed what the results can be. It's the means to an end. We are more than capable of rebounding...especially on offense. IMHO more critical than getting back quickly (aka - prevent defense). Second chance points are critical. Don't forgo them. GM's 2nd chance points may have been the deciding factor in our close loss. 2) More uptempo playing & less 1/2 court offensive. We execute quite well in uptempo mode. I believe part of that played out the way it did yesterday due to us beating the VCU press, but we can play a lot faster and effectively against all teams. We have the athletes to do this. Maybe a % more uptempo and less reliance on the 1/2 court offense.

Yesterday was great. The momentum has to be maintained, and we need to play consistently for duration of the season. When the season concludes, we can have a real analysis of where we are. Until then we can take guidance, leadership, and instructions form Matt Smith. His opinion means nothing more, zero, nada than anyone on this board.
 
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