Time for the Mooney to meet his favorite team. That's what this team came back for.
VCU PART 3
- Thread starter Gospiders06
- Start date
I wonder what Mooney's record is? I am sure a different result is going to happen this time!! We barely got by a mediocre Rhode Island team.
If the law of averages is a real thing, blind luck would suggest that we are way past due here, both this season and in the A10 tournament in general, when it comes to VCU. They can't continue to beat us ALL the time in every significant game.
But I have zero faith in this team or coach to get it done, considering how they all sleepwalk through the first 25-30 minutes of every single game. The level of apparent disinterest and lack of preparation is staggering for a team with this experience and supposed talent.
But I have zero faith in this team or coach to get it done, considering how they all sleepwalk through the first 25-30 minutes of every single game. The level of apparent disinterest and lack of preparation is staggering for a team with this experience and supposed talent.
This is the no excuse game. If the players do not come out motivated for this one then there isn’t a game when they ever will. I would be really surprised if the Spiders get blown out and if they do, Hardt needs to pull the trigger immediately. Like 23, I expect a game more like the one at the Robins Center and the question is can UR come up with the key make or key stop depending on which team has the ball last. Which outcome do I expect to see? I really have no idea. However, since I really think the best thing for UR basketball is a new coach, I expect Mooney on the postgame with a multi-million dollar smile.
Row of annoying VCU fans on opposite site were crazy annoying as expected last night … we might have resurrected the Ole SAT chant
Maybe we shoot the lights out tonight (It's possible although it's been well documented on this board that this team is not a great shooting team) but it's more likely that this will be a tough, closely contested game featuring bitter rivals where rebounding and physicality will be at a premium. Not a ton of open, uncontested looks. We all know how that story ends for us and it's not because our kids don't care but it's because of the system that our coach has run for 17 years. It's why we very rarely beat more athletic physical teams. Its why a far inferior basketball team last night had us on the ropes (rebounding and toughness/ability to grab and secure loose balls, etc). Change the coach and this issue can be resolved. Stay the course and keep getting these results against good teams.
If we play like we did yesterday. We have zero chance giving a team a 15 point lead. We looked so disinterested the first 30 mins of the game.
Be nice to VCU fans, they made some of the best burgers I ever ate at McDonalds
We know for sure we will be out prepared and out coached, so the boys are going to have to dig deep to over come the Mooney staff.
that's commonly posted here. disinterested ... flat ... we got a ton of good looks early yesterday. I just think we look awful when we're missing shots. we're not a team that gets 2nd chances. so when we go through poor shooting stretches it looks really bad.
counting on shooting isn't a great recipe when you need to win 4 games in 4 days. we need to shoot better tonight.
We look awful when missing shots because we don’t do any other facet of the game well. We don’t play defense, we don’t make free throws, we don’t rebound and now we have started turning the ball over. We have started making behind the back and over the head passes to get on ESPN highlights. We just don’t have the athletic ability on this team for that crap. Play solid, protect the ball and make a few shots tonight and they can stay in the game with VCU.
We look awful BECAUSE we are missing shots BECAUSE we are forced to take bad shots BECAUSE our offensive scheme is outdated and largely ineffective as structured.
We looked a lot better when we said screw it, let's just run.
But when we run our robotic/mechanical crap every possession, it doesn't allow for any creativity or spontaneity, we pass it around 26 times like we're playing hot potato, and the last guy with the ball has to shoot as the shot clock is running out.
URI defends pretty well but we got good looks. early on with the Mitchells on the bench we went right inside. Grant and Nathan both missed inside 8 feet a few times. and Goose bricked open 3s. Nick barely hit rim. none of that meant we were flat or disinterested, and what we ran worked fine. we just didn't make shots.
eventually we start hitting shots and the narrative here is that the players must now be ignoring Mooney?
eventually we start hitting shots and the narrative here is that the players must now be ignoring Mooney?
I agree with your sentiment that our "flatness" is in direct relation to making shots. Players are going to be fired up and showing emotion when they are draining 3's and forcing the opponent to call timeouts...the opposite is true when shots are clanging off the rim and air balling. My issue is completely with Mooney. A coach's job is to install a gameplan and system which will give his players help and options if and when shots aren't falling. Every coach looks like Coach K or John Wooden when guys can't miss. Our inability and most times strategy not to rebound means that we have a razor thin margin of error against more physical, athletic teams. Mooney's inability or refusal to recruit any rim protection also exacerbates our defensive issues with grabbing rebounds, contesting shots, and our overall team help defense. This is no knock on Golden or Grace but they aren't shot blockers and shouldn't be expected to be rim protectors. Mooney clearly doesn't value that skill set since we haven't had a rim protector since Garrett. Just like Mooney seems to value diminutive guards which also creates defensive liability and doesn't help our rebounding issues. These issues aren't new after year 17 yet we still hope we can overcome them in big games.
I would guess we will need 67 points to win this game. Where will those points come from? VCU’s weakness is shooting, rebounding and ego. By ego I mean (own the streets of Richmond) they will foul the hell out of you when you go to the basket to avoid an embarrassing dunk or easy layup. Tyler, Golden and Cayo must go hard and quick to the basket and make their damn free throws. Gilyard and Goose must keep the turnovers to a minimum and create turnovers like they did in the first game. VCU is not a good rebounding team either, we must be with in 3 or 4 boards with them. We will need 15 from Golden, 15 from Burton, 12 from Cayo, 10 from Gilyard (he will have his hands full), 6 from Goose and at least 9 from Nick, Crab and Grace combined.
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We are due for a good shooting night and a (big) win. We are also due for a win against VCU. I sure hope it all comes together tonight.
A vcu fan would never admit it but I have to think they r a little nervous. They get a team that badly underachieved but has the players, they overachieved relative to ability of most vcu teams, fell down to 3 seed last game of season & get rewarded with a tougher 3/6 rivalry game. They completely embarrassed us last game we “should” have massive chip on our shoulder, also hard to believe we can play as badly as we did for most of last game & maybe the lay-off hurts them a bit.
Of course u have to discount the history, metrics & us coming up short in big spots. Just saying the other things r in our favor.
Of course u have to discount the history, metrics & us coming up short in big spots. Just saying the other things r in our favor.
I think we play them close in the first half. I think playing last night helps us get off to a good start, but I think we get worn down and hit our 2nd half drought, and VCU wins by 11. Overall - I think its close most of the game, but they pull away at the end on free throws.
I am convinced VCU isn’t good, they just get most calls in their favor. Maybe we can finally witness a fair game tonight.
No excuse for us not to come out loose and just play. They have all the pressure of playing for their ncaa tournament lives and being the favorite. In most circumstances I would love our chances but Mooney and his results in this tournament and against VCU just can’t let me think that we will win.
This is true and they always benefit from more loosely called games but we need to expect the contact and play through it…and actually make them pay when they are called for fouls by hitting the fts. Traditionally we’ve been very good at taking care of the ball which does help against their pressure defense but we can’t be whining about missed calls. Expect to be hacked and hit…play through it.
like we started out last night, I'd pound the ball inside. if we run our weave, VCU really pressures the perimeter and contests shooters.
We don’t have anybody who can create their own shot against VCU. And anytime someone beats their man they’re terrified to drive so they back it back out. Maddening to watch
This game is there for the taking. A little bit of fire from Gilyard. Good to see it.
