Will we be a better TEAM next year??

**CYKOFAN** · 03-11-2010, 09:41 PM

I went into this year optimistic when we had experience and talent, and like the song says, I won't get fooled again. Greg hasn't shown he can compete in the Big 12 with or without talent. What's really dissappointing is that I thought if Greg had any problem it would be in the recruiting area, not in player development and game coaching. I've seen just the opposite. It looks like Colorado has passed us and I fear Nebraska may also pass us next year. Sorry for the pessimism, but I can't let myself get up again for a basketball season until Greg shows he can do it or we get a new coach.

**Clonedogg** · 03-11-2010, 09:42 PM

I hate our offence, OVER a hundred set plays and NO ONE does anything? How long does it take to learn these plays? We are adding 4(?) new players. I am no expert but my logic says no we won't be better, but the bar is not to high. So who knows.

**Tornado man** · 03-11-2010, 09:49 PM

Originally Posted by Clonedogg

I hate our offence, OVER a hundred set plays and NO ONE does anything?

Yes, please, let's get some "motion" in our offense. And maybe screen off the ball? With a perimeter emphasis next year, if we don't become harder to guard by constantly moving without the ball, we are screwed.

**larrysarmy** · 03-11-2010, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Clonedogg

I hate our offence, OVER a hundred set plays and NO ONE does anything? How long does it take to learn these plays? We are adding 4(?) new players. I am no expert but my logic says no we won't be better, but the bar is not to high. So who knows.

That's the point. The main focus was to get the ball to CB down low...or have MG on an isolation. Both did OK to get their own shot...but more often then not...it was a bad shot, forced shot. But you are almost dammed if you don't ride them or try it...both were capable of doing big things. It just didn't pan out.

Teams would throw constant doubles at CB all year. How many TO's did he have, frustrating possesions, forced - fall away jumpers?

MG...flashes of dominance some games, but others....he was no where to be found, but still found his shots.

**CloneState1028** · 03-11-2010, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by larrysarmy

I look at a team like TT. No one star...just a bunch a good players running a system to get shots and plays hard all the time. I believe they have 17 wins...probably an NIT bid...all at a school where they draw flies for a crowd, with a guy who has never coached a team to an NCAA tourny game or with any prior HC experience.

It just seems like they never beat themselves...and they also gave KU a decent game today.

Well, they do have John Roberson. Very very solid guard. If Diante could resemble him next year, I'd say we have a pretty good chance next year at being in a position similar to theirs this year.

**Tornado man** · 03-11-2010, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by larrysarmy

That's the point. The main focus was to get the ball to CB down low...or have MG on an isolation. Both did OK to get their own shot...but more often then not...it was a bad shot, forced shot. But you are almost dammed if you don't ride them or try it...both were capable of doing big things. It just didn't pan out.

Teams would throw constant doubles at CB all year. How many TO's did he have, frustrating possesions, forced - fall away jumpers?

Watch other teams. To counteract these double-teams, a teammate will come up and set a back screen on one of those defenders, who is then picked off when the star, say Brackins, then cuts back to the opposite side of the lane to hopefully receive the ball with a single defender on him. That's coaching, or lack of it.

**Tre4ISU** · 03-11-2010, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by Tornado man

Watch other teams. To counteract these double-teams, a teammate will come up and set a back screen on one of those defenders, who is then picked off when the star, say Brackins, then cuts back to the opposite side of the lane to hopefully receive the ball with a single defender on him. That's coaching, or lack of it.

In all honestly, toward the end of the season, teams did not double Craig all the time. They just let him float outside and a lot of the time he played into their hand by settling for jumpers. I still feel a lot of our offense was not allowed to be run because a lot of the time when CB and MG got the ball they were just looking to score. The guy I work with has watched the last few ISU games and every day after the games he mentions that when those two touch the ball they never look to create for someone else.

**HHWalters** · 03-11-2010, 11:00 PM

No. This team will have more breadth ... players to throw into the rotation ... but less depth ... players who can actually make a difference in this league. McDermott may start challenging Floyd's winning percentage with the Bulls.

**woodie** · 03-11-2010, 11:14 PM

NO,NOT WITH MCDERMOTT COACHING.

**Skyh13** · 03-11-2010, 11:23 PM

I kind of expect our offense to be this:
Our 3 (or 4) guards dribble the ball around and pass it amongst themselves, without really positioning themselves to do anything off the ball or with it. Then, they either turn it over, or when the shot clock is about done, throw up a forced, bad shot.
Dendy will try to post up, but our guards won't pass it to him. Or if they do, they'll wait till the defender has pushed him out another 10 feet from the basket, just like with Brackins. And Ham will try to post up to, but he still won't be passed the ball.

Those 100 sets start to blend together after a while, it seems..

**synapticwave** · 03-12-2010, 12:32 AM

I think we will be significantly better as a team. We will have less athletic talent and less basketball talent, but I think we'll use the talent we have much better.

The biggest reason for a much improved team is because (and I'm sure I'll get railed for this, but) Brackins sucks as a "star" player. Yaman3 already pointed out one major flaw with CB (and MG) trying to do it all themselves the last half of the season, and maybe that was what they were being told to do by the staff, but neither one of them were good at drawing the defense away from other players and distributing. In general, I was very unimpressed with Brackins, given the same number of touches a "star" player should have dominated a game and when he isn't getting touches it's up to him (not coaches or point gaurds) to get the ball and do something with it. Combine the lack of creation for other players with bad shot selection (everyone in the arena knew if he caught the ball outside of 10 feet we'd see the fade away) and not commanding the ball and our "Star", that our offense was supposed to revolve around, and we end up with the "record" we ended up with.

But besides the lack of playing really well, the big reason why Brackins drug the team down was his complete lack of ability to finish a game. Brackins was looked to by this team as the leader, he was supposed to be the guy that led us to victory, who set the tone for every game and for the entire program. He was supposed to be the man. Every great team (heck, every winning team) has the guy on the floor that everyone else looks to. That might not be the leading scorer or the point gaurd but every good team has that guy. And for this team, for the last 2 years, that has been Craig. The problem is, he's not that guy, he's not the closer, the general we needed. In my opinion, he would have been the greatest non-"star" player ISU has ever had if we would have just had someone else to be that guy and lead the team.

Without Brackins, next year someone else on the team will get their chance to take the reins of the program. I honestly don't know who that will be, maybe DG will get the nod from the team. Maybe Ejim will come in and start lighting it up in practice and turn into that guy, or maybe it's Boozer's hussle that the team ralleys around. I don't know who that guy is going to be, but the point is, it will be someone other than Craig and that is a refreshing thought for me. It's someone else's turn and maybe with another player as the "go to guy" we'll find a winner and some of those close losses will turn into wins.

I think someone will step up to lead this team, someone with a bigger drive to win than Brackins. And that will translate into a much better team and an improved record. We won't have the talent to play with the big boys, but we'll still be right in the middle of the pack in the conference. And next year, I think we see what a real leader can do, a winner; someone that brings it everynight and knows how to win.

**nickwc** · 03-12-2010, 02:15 AM

we will miss the talents of quez and brackins, but their production can be replaced. I'm really not too concerned on brackins leaving. I really think dendy can do what craig should have been doing all year, and that is bring an attitude and desire to the paint area.

**Cyclonepride** · 03-12-2010, 06:23 AM

I think they could be. While losing Brackins and Gilstrap is tough, our guard court will have more depth and experience, and that should be a huge positive. Diante did start asserting himself towards the end of the season, and I think that could play a large role in the turnaround. Add a few playmakers in to the mix, and we should be much more versatile with more positions being able to create their own shot. Much less predictable that way.

**URBCLONE** · 03-12-2010, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by woodie

NO,NOT WITH MCDERMOTT COACHING.

This. Just another wasted year ahead. Now UI gets the jump on ISU in rebuilding by making a necessary move.

**larrysarmy** · 03-12-2010, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by nickwc

we will miss the talents of quez and brackins, but their production can be replaced. I'm really not too concerned on brackins leaving. I really think dendy can do what craig should have been doing all year, and that is bring an attitude and desire to the paint area.

This. CB is a talent, but a low post scorer he is not. I actually like Dendy more playing with his back to the basket than CB. Oh course he wasn't seeing all the double teams, but at times seemed like the best back to the basket option in the post. I don't recall any fall away jumpers on the baseline from Dendy. Dude...just make 60-70 of your FT and he'll do just fine.

This mornings DSM Reg has an article which is claiming that McD went to Dendy late Wednesday night and said that he needs to start getting ready for filling the role of Craig Brackins. Dendy responded very well and says he will get ready and will prepare harder than he's ever prepared for a season.

Sounds like he's not going anywhere...