Where's the Deef?

[GKiller]

Tough to figure out where you get Sal minutes. I wouldn't pull Cayo for Sal, and the other options are to pull bench minutes from JJ, or minutes from Gustavsson/Wojcik. I think you might be underselling Wojcik. Kid can definitely shoot. Agree he hasn't shown much in terms of getting in the lane but I expect he's roleplaying. His D looks acceptable if unspectacular. I'm ok with unspectacular for a freshman, just not bad.

I'm a little underwhelmed by his shooting actually. Yes he beats our team 3 pt shooting but that isn't saying much. For guy who gets the most 3s and also gets pretty good spot up looks from 3 he should be in the high 30s with his rep as great shooter. But like you say he's a freshman. Seems to have good bball sense and plays hard on both ends, and if he can knock down the spot up 3 he'll definitely have a role. I liken him to Jeff Myers a bit. Athletically in A10 he won't match up, but if used in a complimentary role as that 5th-6th guy (especially when he's jr/sr) he'll be very valuable. Right now I'd like to see some of his minutes go to Andre in that shooting guard role, think Jake is playing a bit too much and getting worn out for a frosh. Granted the experience should serve him well later and the experience should allow him to expand his game too. Not down on him at all, just where we're at with Mooney lack of roster flexibility and management. If Wojcik can up his 3 pt shooting he'll have a niche regardless.

 

[Not-A-Homer]

Give Cayo credit for performing better than I expected. He still has a lot of issues with his game, BUT, he is only a sophomore so he should continue to improve.

After watching Wojcik play in person I am convinced that he can be a very sound A-10 caliber starter. He is a true freshman, and he is being asked to do more than he is quite ready to do. Too often he finds himself in positions where he doesn't have the time or space to shoot. He will be more effective offensively as he learns to find the right shooting spots in rhythm. Agree with others that he needs to develop a move to the basket.

I think Andre is doing quite well for a true freshman. He is athletic and has good potential as a one-on-one defensive specialist. Though he stills makes too many errors (a freshman), Andre moves the ball better than anyone else on the team. I think with time he can be a solid A-10 contributor.

There is no excuse for Sal's excessive bench time. Most agree that he is not ready for prime time, but he is not going to get ready being buried on the bench. I would give J.J. Johnson's minutes to Sal all day long. Would lose some toughness but, J.J. isn't giving a 12-win team enough to justify slowing Sal's development.

 

[nathanw19]

Thanks B. Agree of Woj. Expect pushback on that take because Woj has started and has had a couple good games of hitting the 3 ball against some Quad 4 teams.

But you are dead on. He can't create his own shot, isn't very athletic, and is simply a spot up jump shooter, who unfortunately is not making a high percentage of those shots either. I like his grit/toughness but just not enough talent to be anything more than an A-10 bench player the next couple of years. Of course, he starts and plays 30 minutes for Mooney.

I’ll take this bet. Jake is 9th in 3pt’s made and 25th in 3p% in the A-10, as a freshman. He’s more than a bench player, and I would expect his consistency and confidence to grow the next 3 years.

 

[spiderman]

I know its taboo to talk about next year. heck, we could have a new coach and 12 players might transfer before then. but at the risk of being optimistic and repetitive ...

Woj at the 2 and Andre at the 3 have talent, but they're freshmen. they're currently the weakest links in our starting 5. they'll be better next season.

but say Grant, Jacob and Nathan come back even better next year. and say Nick is 110% healthy and Francis is everything we hope. that would likely move Woj and Andre to very experienced bench roles, along with Noah, Matt and Sal. that's more talent and depth than we've seen in a while. plus who knows where Burton fits in. maybe 13th man, maybe 6th man.

I've got to be excited about something, and it's easier to get excited about next year already.

 

[spider fan]

I've got to be excited about something, and it's easier to get excited about next year already.

Agree, much easier to have optimism about what may be instead of thinking about how disappointing this season is. Problem is that has been the situation year after year....

 

[spider23]

I am in agreement that if Sherod comes back, and then we work in Francis next to Gilyard, we have a very capable offensive squad.

Like most fans at most levels, we seem to only be focusing on the offensive side of the basketball. If Mooney keeps his word and schedules up in OOC, just not sure how the main 5 (Gilly, Francis, Sherod, Cayo, and Golden) can hold up defensively against p6 teams or the URI's and VCU's? We know the match ups that other coaches exploit in our switching D with one diminutive guard, but two? I know Gilly is very good with steals and disruption, but a big athletic guard next to him would help, and think Gilly/Francis would be susceptible to post ups/switches. Especially with Golden having to be careful. And Sherod was not a star defender to start with. I am pulling for him to come back 100% but a lot to ask for from a mental stand point, and just not sure how his defense will get better. I do like the looks of Burton, and hopefully we can add some length and athleticism with Schneider's spot.

 

[Eight Legger]

23 is correct. Sherod was our worst defender. We actually got better on defense with him hurt. Golden is probably next worst. Both of them must improve next year or else it negates a lot of what they bring on offense.

I don't know what kind of defender Francis is, but he and Gilyard better be leading the nation in steals to make up for the size disadvantage that we'll have and the troubles Sherod and Golden have.

 

[Not-A-Homer]

23 is correct. Sherod was our worst defender. We actually got better on defense with him hurt. Golden is probably next worst. Both of them must improve next year or else it negates a lot of what they bring on offense.

I don't know what kind of defender Francis is, but he and Gilyard better be leading the nation in steals to make up for the size disadvantage that we'll have and the troubles Sherod and Golden have.

Agree completely. There is no way that team can defend well enough to have a BIG win total overall. They may be able to score, but they will not be able to contain anyone. Gilyard and Francis would need to get about 20 easy points a game from steals to give them a chance. Not going to happen.

 

[ur2K]

23 is correct. Sherod was our worst defender. We actually got better on defense with him hurt. Golden is probably next worst. Both of them must improve next year or else it negates a lot of what they bring on offense.

I don't know what kind of defender Francis is, but he and Gilyard better be leading the nation in steals to make up for the size disadvantage that we'll have and the troubles Sherod and Golden have.

Agree, and I think this is Mooney's biggest failure here. He's attached to systems (especially on defense) but hasn't recruited the make-up of a team that is best to play in those systems. The defense has been our weak link going on a few years now, but we've done nothing to address that besides throwing a token change in defense now and then in games.

 

[MolivaManiac]

Blake Francis averaged 1.6 steals per game at Wagner.

As usual, we are going to put way too much pressure on a guy we have not seen in uniform against D1 competition yet.

 

[mcspider]

There were two plays during the Davidson game that encapsulate, for me, why having this defense is sooooo risky.

First play: last play of the first half. Frampton is spotted in the corner, with Cayo kind of close enough to guard him. As Davidson advances the ball up the same sideline, Cayo leaks forward ever so slightly to be closer to help on dribble penetration. Of course, this creates way too much space for Frampton, who promptly drains a three pointer, to extend the lead from 7 to 10. Dagger.

Second play: early on in the second half, Cayo is guarding Brajkovic on the right block and Golden appears to be responsible for Frampton coming from the left corner to the right corner. Brajkovic gets the ball, and Golden comes over either to double him or to shift with Cayo so that Cayo picks up Frampton heading to the corner. They either miscommunicate the switch, or they actually do double Brajkovic on purpose (using the guy who is supposed to be covering the guy who nearly broke Steph Curry's school record for threes in a game), but it results in Frampton with a wide open three in the corner. Of course it's good.

I don't know if these plays are bad design, or bad decision-making on Cayo and Golden, or both, but it is f&cking ridiculous to leave one of the top shooters in the conference wide open in the corner at any time. He didn't display any ability to drive the ball or do anything other than catch and shoot. Stick a dude in his face and don't leave him. Don't switch, don't rely on 100% perfect communication, don't help off of him to protect against Carter Collins driving to the basket. Just f&cking cover him.

It was the same against Matt Mobley and Bonnies in last year's tourney game. And countless games before that. The matchup requires 100% perfection in communication and focus, or else you are dead and leaving a shooter wide ass open, and the only defense is a scrambling flying dutchman and/or the "Julius" (fouling a three-point shooter).

With our personnel, we would be way, way, way better on defense if we would just play a straight man to man.

On the specific plays that you mentioned, I don't know if it all happened by design or because of miscommunication either. I will say, though, that for years I have seen that the weak side defense sags in toward the lane and away from the perimeter. I constantly yell at games "Watch the weak side!" or similar. Often what will happen is that a player will send a quick pass to the wide open guy on the perimeter there. I have always assumed that was a risk that was willing to be taken by the coaching staff, and thus the team was taught to give that space on the weak side in favor of help down low. In execution, my opinion has always been that we have tended to leave the perimeter players in that scenario too wide open.

 

[97spiderfan]

I’ll take this bet. Jake is 9th in 3pt’s made and 25th in 3p% in the A-10, as a freshman. He’s more than a bench player, and I would expect his consistency and confidence to grow the next 3 years.

The problem is Woj's 3 point game is the only aspect of his game that is an A-10 level starting skill. He can't beat his guy off the dribble, he doesn't have much of anything of an inside game, he is undersized, he isn't an athlete, and isn't much of a defender because of the former two things.

This is he is a bench guy. You bring him off the bench to be a shooter and he plays hard and with grit. BUT, since this is only A-10 level talent, he needs to be a whole lot better than 25th in the conference in shooting 3's.

I see Woj as a Junior/Senior, as being a great 6th, 7th man on a good A-10 team. Next year, Woj is going to be a bench player because Francis is a much better player. That is where he will be best suited.

 

[Eight Legger]

On the specific plays that you mentioned, I don't know if it all happened by design or because of miscommunication either. I will say, though, that for years I have seen that the weak side defense sags in toward the lane and away from the perimeter. I constantly yell at games "Watch the weak side!" or similar. Often what will happen is that a player will send a quick pass to the wide open guy on the perimeter there. I have always assumed that was a risk that was willing to be taken by the coaching staff, and thus the team was taught to give that space on the weak side in favor of help down low. In execution, my opinion has always been that we have tended to leave the perimeter players in that scenario too wide open.

Yes, it is by design. The idea is to put as many guys between the ball and the basket/passing lanes as possible. So we sag toward the ball and a team that can move it quickly can get good weak side looks. It's a risk-reward kind of scheme, but the past few years it hasn't been very rewarding at all.

 

[MrTbone]

6-10, 6-7, 6-4, 6-0 and 5-9

There is a reason height matters in b-ball.

 

[kneepadmckinney]

I'm shocked and thrilled we actually committed to playing straight man to man last game. I think everyone could tell we were better at that than the matchup.

And then... in the last few minutes, on both wide open three pointers we had pointless double team/switches on the perimeter, leaving a guy wide open at the three point line, and naturally they made both. I don't know if this was by design (we were playing matchup), or by bad execution (Cayo and Golden and Gilyard prominently involved), but it was incredibly frustrating to see the straight man work most of the game and then we did the awful, pointless double team/switch and fail to communicate properly, and leave a guy wide open.

So to sum up, I want to give Mooney credit for actually making a defensive adjustment and installing a straight man. I don't care if it indicates evolution or desperation, I just think we are way better using that than the matchup.

 

[whampas]

I'm shocked and thrilled we actually committed to playing straight man to man last game. I think everyone could tell we were better at that than the matchup.

And then... in the last few minutes, on both wide open three pointers we had pointless double team/switches on the perimeter, leaving a guy wide open at the three point line, and naturally they made both. I don't know if this was by design (we were playing matchup), or by bad execution (Cayo and Golden and Gilyard prominently involved), but it was incredibly frustrating to see the straight man work most of the game and then we did the awful, pointless double team/switch and fail to communicate properly, and leave a guy wide open.

So to sum up, I want to give Mooney credit for actually making a defensive adjustment and installing a straight man. I don't care if it indicates evolution or desperation, I just think we are way better using that than the matchup.

We went back to the match up with about 3 minutes to go. Go figure? If you think about it, these kids probably have more time playing man from their high school/AAU days than the convoluted match up that Mooney can't teach.