Season Sum Up

[SpiderFan]

No one can sum up this season better than the coach, even though he was only talking about last night's game:

“Just not quite good enough defensively,” said Mooney. “I thought they had long possessions. We needed more stops and were just not able to get them. The ones we did get, too often we didn’t come away with a rebound.”

So let's do this, we now have no illusions about where this team is head for the rest of this year so let's try and focus on the positives:

-Terry getting back on the 20+ point track and finishing a strong senior year
-TJ can score, but can he start hitting free throws and play defense moving into next year.
-SDJ getting ready to take the next step
-FORE! He used a WOOD on that shot! Both Khwan and Marshall being able to to have consistency on both ends of the floor every night.
-JJ, JP, PF & KD all having some kind of positive statistical impact in the box scores next year.
-Watching the incoming freshman for another 3 weeks as they're HS careers come to a close.
-Grabbing one more recruit (Andre Wesson!) for this year and possibly rounding out next year's class.
-Lacrosse has just started and baseball kicks in this week as well

 

[SpiderFan]

Oh and do we get a European/Overseas trip this summer for young guy development?

 

[SpiderK]

Mooney will only play 4 next year with no subs. Anyone caught playing defense, rebounding or making a free throw will be banned from the team.

 

[Ulla1]

No one can sum up this season better than the coach, even though he was only talking about last night's game:
“Just not quite good enough defensively,” said Mooney. “I thought they had long possessions. We needed more stops and were just not able to get them. The ones we did get, too often we didn’t come away with a rebound.”

So let's do this, we now have no illusions about where this team is head for the rest of this year so let's try and focus on the positives:

-Terry getting back on the 20+ point track and finishing a strong senior year
-TJ can score, but can he start hitting free throws and play defense moving into next year.
-SDJ getting ready to take the next step
-FORE! He used a WOOD on that shot! Both Khwan and Marshall being able to to have consistency on both ends of the floor every night.
-JJ, JP, PF & KD all having some kind of positive statistical impact in the box scores next year.
-Watching the incoming freshman for another 3 weeks as they're HS careers come to a close.
-Grabbing one more recruit (Andre Wesson!) for this year and possibly rounding out next year's class.
-Lacrosse has just started and baseball kicks in this week as well

Great post, SpiderFan. Let's be positive and enjoy the experience. OSC

 

[64Spider]

Somewhere in this mess I hope a leader on the floor emerges. Probably won't happen this year but hopefully next season. We have been in most of our games but can't finish. LEADERSHIP!
On that topic, has anyone heard anything about a team only meeting?

 

[PhillySpider]

“Just not quite good enough defensively,” said Mooney!

Seriously?? Not quite!! How about not remotely close to even acceptable much less less good enough.

I thought they had long possessions. - - More Mooney

Well yeah, they took their time looking for the matchup they wanted off a switch, safe in the knowledge that if that didn't materialize, they could just take us off the dribble for a layup or kickout three.

And herein lies the problem pointed out by CM in those two points of the quote. He simply isn't seeing what the rest of us our seeing. He thinks we are close on defense - - were close last night even. Not quite good enough (close but "not quite"). They had long possessions (we just need to finish it off but we're right there). We are not close. We are awful defensively. Have been awful since the start of the year. Are the same team with the same problems now as then. We are not improving and getting better defensively in any way. Yeah we have games against lower level teams where the stats look better but that's not because we are better, its cause the other guys are not as good. What happened last night has happened in virtually every meaningful game this year.

Occasionally we still win because the offense finds a way to outscore them or even because the other guys miss all those wide open three's etc. but our defensive performance is consistent (consistently awful). If his view in practice is " come on guys we are right there, we just need a little more; everybody concentrate and remember your assignments and where to go etc. etc." then its no wonder we still suck. At this point, he should be destroying people in practice for some of what is going on. Forget the switches that create bad matchups. The number of times we just flat get beat off the dribble and the absolutely atrocious number of times we have defenders in "never never land" - - not really helping on penetration and not really on their man either and standing still, upright and flat footed is worse then a third grade rec team. And this is the problem much more than the bad situations created by switching. We have defenders who in essence are not defending anything. Just standing and seemingly frozen, transfixed watching the ball. I can guarantee you a coach like Izzo would NEVER tolerate the fact that our guys are constantly out of proper defensive stance for instance. You should never be standing still, straight up and flat footed even when you are in "help" position and thats several of our guys all the time. ALL THE TIME. This is on the coach and on these guys. Its lazy and at this point I suspect they don't even realize they are being lazy, its just so 2nd nature.

I'll also go back to our attitude toward rebounding and the collateral effect that has. Rebounding is guts and effort and pride and just "want to". Every rebound is a flat out competition of who wants it more. In essence, we don't preach that. We don't teach that its a war and its a war you have to win every time. That "not so competitive" approach has to carry over. A guy learning to really battle for every rebound and to go after them etc. builds his competitiveness and his defense will benefit too from the "warrior" mentality that is built. Conversely, if we build this more stoic, we win with "system", just be we you are supposed to be mentality, we shouldn't be surprised that we then struggle at the things that require that "warrior" mentality. SAy all the bad things you want about Shaka at VCU, what havoc built wasn't just a defensive scheme but an overall mentality. It taught and instilled competitiveness. Go watch a video of him teaching his team (lots available). There are times he simply (and quite literally) tells a player - - "you just have to make a play there . . you have too. You figure it out but we have to have that play." They bring that whole attitude to every aspect of the game. He uses defense to teach it and instill it, knowing that he once they get it, they'll bring it to every aspect of the game. We simply don't. We teach that you have to be in the right place, do the right thing, understand our complex system etc. And that is what we have right now. Guys who are not making mistakes and are always in the right place but from there have not come to accept that now that they are there, they have to make a play there, they just have to. They need to figure it out but they have to make a play there.

 

[Eight Legger]

The sad thing is that we can't even say "Well, maybe we'll get hot in Brooklyn." No. We won't. We can't possibly win 3 straight games, much less 4 or even 5, playing defense like this. It's simply not possible. More power to anyone planning to waste their money to go watch us in the tournament, because there's no chance of it ending well.

 

[I-M-UR]

The worse thing about this season, so far, is the coaches didn't help the players meet their potential, what a horrible waste. I still think we have good, athletic players. Some I don't think really worked on their skills during the off season (TD and DT) coach's should have insisted or benched them. Some worked and their skills have improved (SJ, TA, TJC) but we put them in systems they can't do. We have a very thin bench and a very poor pipeline; it appears the coaches ran off players that didn't meet CM's expectations instead of him doing the work to improve the players or finding roles that fit their skills. It's almost like CM wanted players to perform at a level that will carry him to success, not the other way around.

Come on spider beat the Hippies.

 

[I-M-UR]

Great post, SpiderFan. Let's be positive and enjoy the experience. OSC

how do you enjoy the experience of underachieving for a team you invest in emotionally and financially? I watched the Wichita state/ UNI game the other day and thoroughly enjoyed it because who won didn't really matter that much. I hope I never become a dispassionate observer of Spider games.

 

[SpiderK]

Somewhere in this mess I hope a leader on the floor emerges. Probably won't happen this year but hopefully next season. We have been in most of our games but can't finish. LEADERSHIP!
On that topic, has anyone heard anything about a team only meeting?

TJ would be the natural leader on the floor if Mooney didn't cut his legs out from under him so often. TJ will be a coach someday, now is a good time to start.

 

[SpiderK]

how do you enjoy the experience of underachieving for a team you invest in emotionally and financially? I watched the Wichita state/ UNI game the other day and thoroughly enjoyed it because who won didn't really matter that much. I hope I never become a dispassionate observer of Spider games.

You were thinking how in the hell did we beat UNI so badly.

 

[SpiderK]

The sad thing is that we can't even say "Well, maybe we'll get hot in Brooklyn." No. We won't. We can't possibly win 3 straight games, much less 4 or even 5, playing defense like this. It's simply not possible. More power to anyone planning to waste their money to go watch us in the tournament, because there's no chance of it ending well.

First game in Brooklyn will be a mercy killing.

 

[fan2011]

TJ would be the natural leader on the floor if Mooney didn't cut his legs out from under him so often. TJ will be a coach someday, now is a good time to start.

How does Mooney cut the legs out from under TJ? In conference play he has been averaging 33 minutes a game and has the green light to shoot the ball whenever and wherever he wants.

 

[ur2K]

TJ has been great this whole month.

 

[Spider B]

The season sum up is really simple: disapointing.

 

[SpiderFan]

You guys are overlooking the fact that as gifted as TJ is offensively, he is a huge liability on defense and at the free throw line. In football, there's 3 pieces of the game: offense, defense and special teams. You don't win many if you are not good in 2 out of 3 of them. In basketball I feel its the same thing just subbing in free throws for special teams and he's deficient in 2 out of 3 areas.

 

[fan2011]

You guys are overlooking the fact that as gifted as TJ is offensively, he is a huge liability on defense and at the free throw line. In football, there's 3 pieces of the game: offense, defense and special teams. You don't win many if you are not good in 2 out of 3 of them. In basketball I feel its the same thing just subbing in free throws for special teams and he's deficient in 2 out of 3 areas.

In football your quarterback doesn't play on defense and special teams. TJ is our quarterback.

 

[SpiderPhoto]

Lets face it TA hasn't been stepping up the last month. he defers to TJ and is not aggressive. This is TJ's team not TA's.Last night he didnt score at all int he first half, they dont run anything through him anymore. Oh well

 

[Eighth_Leg]

Here's my opinion of this year

 

[SpiderK]

Lets face it TA hasn't been stepping up the last month. he defers to TJ and is not aggressive. This is TJ's team not TA's.Last night he didnt score at all int he first half, they dont run anything through him anymore. Oh well

To be fair to TJ, the 3 seniors deferred leadership by not taking charge the past two years. I am sure it's awkward for TJ to have to take over and run the team with 3 elders on the court.

 

[SpiderK]

How does Mooney cut the legs out from under TJ? In conference play he has been averaging 33 minutes a game and has the green light to shoot the ball whenever and wherever he wants.

In my opinion Mooney treated TJ like "crap" in front of everyone in the RC last year and half this year. He has been more tolerant of TJ the past month because he is the only one on the floor that knows what's going on during the game and is performing at a high level. TJ isn't perfect but if he was he would be a Blue Devil. Sure wish we had 5 just like him.

 

[spiderman]

Photo, we ran though both TA and TJ inside. only so much TA can do when doubled inside. it's not about being aggressive. he even forced it a little, but still ended up with 17 and 8.

 

[fan2011]

Lets face it TA hasn't been stepping up the last month. he defers to TJ and is not aggressive. This is TJ's team not TA's.Last night he didnt score at all int he first half, they dont run anything through him anymore. Oh well

TA is getting double and triple teamed and is still averaging 15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals a game over the past month. Saying he is not stepping up is ridiculous.

 

[97spiderfan]

I wonder why Terry is getting double and triple teamed. Hmmm. Who might the other team be playing off of to double Terry.

And I agree TJ is now the best player on the team over the past month. No question, everything we do runs through tj

 

[coachfezz]

I disagree Cline is defense liability..

 

[TD4Prez2004]

I disagree Cline is defense liability..

Yes and no - he's not really a defensive liability in the post, he was outstanding on defense against GW's bigs in the post in the 2nd half and overtime and a large part of why we were able to get stops and win. He is, however, a huge liability when covering a point guard or a shooting guard, or a slashing forward as we saw in the VCU game and last night and so was Geriot, but OF COURSE HE IS - he's a center he should't have to cover a slashing guard! But that's what our switching defense gives us and what other teams have exploited this year (see 2nd half VCU, Davidson last night). Know what would protect him? The 3-2 zone or MAYBE try switching everything 1 through 4 as some teams do but not 1 through 5.

And finally for all you PF fans, can you imagine him covering a slashing guard? Think maybe that's why he's not seeing a lot of minutes - think his foot speed and mobility is going to jump to Garrett or ANO levels sometime soon?

Same issue w/ coaching and recuruitng we've discussed - we get heady, Princeton-style players like TJ who can't cover 5 positions and then athletes like DT who can cover 5 positions but can't shoot and be effective in the offense.

 

[SpiderK]

DT cover 5 positions on D?????? Hmmmm Never seen that.

 

[SpiderRick]

TJ Cline IS the offense. He's the best passer, makes steals, and is a good defender when playing against other bigs. He plays with a lot of passion. He's the only one on the floor that looks like he actually enjoys playing. And with the exception of Jones, Cline looks like he is the only one who gives a $hit. If TJ is a liability, what are the rest of them?

 

[SpiderK]

TJ Cline IS the offense. He's the best passer, makes steals, and is a good defender when playing against other bigs. He plays with a lot of passion. He's the only one on the floor that looks like he actually enjoys playing. And with the exception of Jones, Cline looks like he is the only one who gives a $hit. If TJ is a liability, what are the rest of them?

+1

 

[MrTbone]

I think we have three really strong players in TJ, TA and SDJ. I do think TJ and SDJ look like more vocal leaders, I think TA is just a quiet guy. But he puts up seriously good numbers, not sure why people are down on him, he does a little bit of everything and a lot of certain things.

 

[SpiderK]

I think we have three really strong players in TJ, TA and SDJ. I do think TJ and SDJ look like more vocal leaders, I think TA is just a quiet guy. But he puts up seriously good numbers, not sure why people are down on him, he does a little bit of everything and a lot of certain things.

Love TA, I just know there is more in him.

 

[MrTbone]

Maybe, but he's still a beast. Dude is still putting up great numbers with consistent double teams. I would take him on my team all day long.

 

[SpiderFan]

I think we have three really strong players in TJ, TA and SDJ. I do think TJ and SDJ look like more vocal leaders, I think TA is just a quiet guy. But he puts up seriously good numbers, not sure why people are down on him, he does a little bit of everything and a lot of certain things.

Which is why this season is a complete and utter disappointment

 

[MrTbone]

Yeah, I don't disagree. I remember a time when we used to talk about having a "second scorer". Then it was a third scorer. Here we are talking about the need for a fourth scorer to overcome defensive deficiencies.

 

[wr70beh]

Mooney will only play 4 next year with no subs. Anyone caught playing defense, rebounding or making a free throw will be banned from the team.

 

[SpiderK]

Love it!!!

 

[Hanca]

Yeah, I don't disagree. I remember a time when we used to talk about having a "second scorer". Then it was a third scorer. Here we are talking about the need for a fourth scorer to overcome defensive deficiencies.

Why not just get a first coach?

 

[SouthJerseySpiderFan]

Which is why this season is a complete and utter disappointment

+1 Season is in regression mode and most of blame I put on CM. With his total lack of adjusting could attach the label of "one trick pony" to him this year. Even if some want to suggest the team isn't that talented, you have 3 seniors back, 1 very talented junior guard, 2 quality redshirt juniors, and a promising redshirt frosh. No true frosh have really existed in the rotation. Good chemistry among experienced personnel should have team much better off than 14-12.

 

[SpiderK]

South Jersey, I think there is plenty of blame to go around to the coaches and this disappointing group of seniors. I think the world of all four as young men, but they never brought to the floor what I thought they were capable of, including ANO. I don't think it's work ethic or laziness, just never had the burning desire to do what it takes to win. Talent had brought them close to victory many times, but that will to win was not strong enough to finish the game.
Thinking back over the past 4 years it was always K0 or SDJ or Brothers or TJ making the tying or winning shots. The four seniors always disappeared at the big moments. I know they contributed, but never took it on their shoulders to win the close game.

 

[SpiderFan]

Just wash, rinse, repeat on my original post at the top.