MBB falls to JMU, 69-66 on Senior Night

[TuTigers2012 1,061]

1 hour ago, TSU86 said:

 Reading the coaches comments – it seems to me he’s really calling out his seniors. He said perhaps he should’ve played some other guys more and some guys less -  and the one comment about him fighting some of the seniors. This team has been so so disappointing. They get swept by one of the worst teams in the conference, Madison, and barely beat the other bottom team,Delaware

To little to late 

[TSU88 1,070]

Starr averages 2.6 assists per game to 2 turnovers. We need better point guard play next year, but the bar is set fairly low given the production at that position this season. Unless the freshman Dottin comes in & wows Skerry, we’re probably back next season to a JUCO point guard again, or a grad transfer.

I’ve all but given up on this season. Anything’s possible, but realistically it’s hard to imagine we win either of the last 2 regular season games, & 1 and done is a distinct possibility in the tournament. 

So, between Morsell’s 14 ppg, & the combined 24 ppg from Starr, EK & the departed Morman (each averaged about 8 ppg this season) we’re talking 38 ppg that have to be made up next season. That’s a lot. And ZM ain’t making them up all by himself. We’re also losing about 15 rebounds a game, though I think we can actually be a better rebounding team next season with Sanders, Solomon U. & a healthy Tunstall. 

[mat1992 2,231]

1 hour ago, TSU86 said:

 Reading the coaches comments – it seems to me he’s really calling out his seniors. He said perhaps he should’ve played some other guys more and some guys less -  and the one comment about him fighting some of the seniors. This team has been so so disappointing. They get swept by one of the worst teams in the conference, Madison, and barely beat the other bottom team,Delaware

It's not too late. But there are few options. He can't play Tunstall 35 minutes but he can play him 25-30 and why not start him? Play EK less minutes and start Gorham at the 4 with DT at the 5. As for McNeill, you never know what you're going to get from him. If you play him more over Starr, you risk a lot more turnovers. Even though Starr had a very bad Senior Night, he's normally not a turnover machine.

[mat1992 2,231]

You have eight players in the rotation and Prophete showed that he's not ready. So this is your team the rest of the season, which might not last past three games. In fact, if they play like they have the last few weeks, they will be stuck on 18 wins.  You can change a few parts around, play guys less, other guys more, but not sure it's going to matter. The only guy who really has earned more time is Tunstall and if you look at our defense yesterday, it was pretty good. The press was pretty good, esp. with Tunstall in there. We lost it at the FT line.

[mat1992 2,231]

39 minutes ago, TSU88 said:

Starr averages 2.6 assists per game to 2 turnovers. We need better point guard play next year, but the bar is set fairly low given the production at that position this season. Unless the freshman Dottin comes in & wows Skerry, we’re probably back next season to a JUCO point guard again, or a grad transfer.

I’ve all but given up on this season. Anything’s possible, but realistically it’s hard to imagine we win either of the last 2 regular season games, & 1 and done is a distinct possibility in the tournament. 

So, between Morsell’s 14 ppg, & the combined 24 ppg from Starr, EK & the departed Morman (each averaged about 8 ppg this season) we’re talking 38 ppg that have to be made up next season. That’s a lot. And ZM ain’t making them up all by himself. We’re also losing about 15 rebounds a game, though I think we can actually be a better rebounding team next season with Sanders, Solomon U. & a healthy Tunstall. 

 

I think our offense has been slightly better statistically without Davis and Moto. We complained about losing them last year and we did miss their inside scoring but we made up for the loss with Zane going from 5 to 20ppg and Gorham improved a bit. I'm sure we'll find players to replace the scoring (Tre Campbell? Wiley?) but this time you are depending on transfers and freshmen and not rising sophomores like ZM and JG. But I think JG can be a bit like Zane next season in terms of improvement. I can see him averaging double digits. Add Sanders (10 and 8?) and that's a big improvement on Thomas' production. Starr's production will be easy to replace but you just need somebody who doesn't turn the ball over a ton. Give him credit for being steady and running the offense. The x-factor is Drayton. He can score some but has to work on the rest of his game.

[mat1992 2,231]

1 hour ago, TSU88 said:

I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again-with this crop of seniors on the way out the door, it’s addition by subtraction as far as next year goes.

Starr throws away the inbounds pass (is it just me, or do we struggle mightily every game to inbounds the ball)

EK’s FT attempt at the end of the game was cringeworthy; a grade schooler would have more touch.

Morsell scores 4 points in the 1st 30 seconds, & 6 points the rest of the game.

 

Morsell misses two front ends of a one-and-one yesterday. He should have had 14 points but is that surprising. Dude has the best stroke on the team and has made some big shots but not the most poised player. Worried that Zane is becoming that way though I watch his form and it's  not great. One-handed, doesn't really let his other hand guide it. It works for the most part on the floor but I think he needs to change his free throw approach in the offseason. He could go from 20ppg to 23 or more if he makes those improvements.

As for Starr inbounding the ball underneath our own basket, how about have Eddie or some other guard do it. It's been an issue since conference play began.

EK usually hustles for blocks and steals but for a guy that wide, he should be getting a lot more rebounds. His whole offensive game is cringeworthy though his drives and short jumpers have been better as of late. However, if I'm a defender and he beats me, I foul him. Make him earn it at the line because while some guy can't make FTs down the stretch, at least EK is consistently bad. To me, he's a 15-20mpg role player that has been forced to be a regular and thinks he's a star. He makes a great pass in the first half to Jordan in the corner after a drive and then where was that the rest of the game. We players collapse on you on the drive, why not look for the open man once in awhile.

[mat1992 2,231]

2 hours ago, TuTigers2012 said:

Smoked by a bunch of underclassmen on senior day. Embarassing.  But starr leaving has to be a positive for next year. WTH 6 turnovers and couldn’t inbound the ball late.  

Ft awful. Crappy day all around. Dennis needs to play more.  Honestly at this point he changes the game for the better way more than gorham and alex

By a team off an overtime loss on Thursday and a make up game on Tuesday. They were not exactly Northeastern. We just gave the game away. Though I think Lewi is going to be a great player in this conference when he fills out.

[mat1992 2,231]

48 minutes ago, TuTigers2012 said:

As much as everyone complains about players getting angry and frustated with  eachother and  coaches,  I don’t see a worse attitude than gorham which leads me to believe he transfers 

 

caa is loaded next year everyone on the first and second all caa team will be back minus Chealey 

I hate that kind of speculation and he lost his father last season so maybe that anger is being taken out on the floor. He's probably going to start next season here so if he wants to make a move to another similar program, he won't be guaranteed anything. But again, it's ludicrous to even think that.

[mat1992 2,231]

48 minutes ago, tualum said:

Was a pretty bad game. Noticeable things that stood out was how Starr performed. Everytime I took a look at the feed he turns it over (from going baseline and getting nearly trapped with a bad pass that went no where, to the inbound pass at the end of the game that flew over his teammate's head). Guy is pretty mediocre (hate to say it). Thought the refs missed some calls. Did anyone see that goal tend that wasn't called on JMU? The foul at the end was questionable as well. Oh well...

The call on Martin was late and likely horrible. I thought EK got away with one at the end on a block but yeah, Starr is like the team. Mediocre. He probably will bounce back but he was shooting over 40% from 3-pt and 84% from the line at one point. His FT numbers are about the same but he has basically given up on the 3. He's not even close on most of those looks and looks like he's lost his confidence.

[TSU88 1,070]

Mat, have you gotten any feel for what the coaching staff thinks of Drayton for next year? Wondering if he & Betrand could split time at the 3 next season, so that McNeill doesn’t have to start. Of course, they could always still bring in another guy with 1 of the 2 open ships