I'm excited for some of the "other guys" getting an opportunity to step up and extend the season. The time is now for Edozie, Percy, Matt Thomas, and maybe even SDW. Go get 'em, guys!
MBB Fans Positive Thread
- Thread starter mikedp
- Start date
Here is a positive I can think of: Losing Georges to injury will spur the other players to pick it up. If Georges were to play a bad game or gotten in foul trouble and had to sit, the team would think, "Uh oh, the wheels are falling off." Now everybody wants to win the game "for Georges," which you have to love.
Plus, I think we have to keep the injury in perspective. Lots of other teams have battled injuries or other problems. We're playing without Niang. Well, North Carolina is playing without P.J. Hairston, who was suspended early in the year. Kansas is playing without Embiid (for now). Okie State had to play the whole conference season without Michael Cobbins. Michigan is having to play almost the entire season without its best player, Mitch McGary. So, when you reflect on it, we've been pretty lucky this year avoiding injuries.
Plus, I think we have to keep the injury in perspective. Lots of other teams have battled injuries or other problems. We're playing without Niang. Well, North Carolina is playing without P.J. Hairston, who was suspended early in the year. Kansas is playing without Embiid (for now). Okie State had to play the whole conference season without Michael Cobbins. Michigan is having to play almost the entire season without its best player, Mitch McGary. So, when you reflect on it, we've been pretty lucky this year avoiding injuries.
If our usual suspects can continue to score very well with some added scoring from MM (which I believe he's been holding out this year to feed guys like Niang more), some buckets by Long like usual, and Thomas....and Edozie and or Gibson play some solid defensive minutes for us, I think we can still win. Hell, SDW may get some minutes and step up. He's more than capable of scoring. There's nothing unusual about any of this minus Edozie and Gibson playing a number of defensive minutes, but it's only unusual because they haven't played much this year. But they are more than capable of going out there and being big bodies.
In the biggest games under the brightest lights - character counts - just ask Duke. ISU didn't come out flat last night vs NC Carolina, statistically it was one of our best offensive performances of the year. ISU has been down by double figures in the second half 10 times this year and has won 10 times. Against, OSU in Ames and Baylor in KC, after horrific 1st halves, ISU showed tremendous heart and character and found a way to win. A team takes on the personality of its leader - CH is our leader and a flat out winner and so is this team. Let's take it one game at a time, and trust in our coaches and players. One thing is for sure, this team is going to fight until they can fight no more.
I'll say this... after watching a LOT of games over the last 3 days, I don't see any team that scares me at all.... even if we don't have Niang.
I'm not predicting we win it all or anything, but I don't see a team out there that we couldn't beat, even without Niang. There is some pretty bad basketball being played out there folks. We look as good or better than anyone else I've seen.
It's too bad he did get hurt, because with him in our lineup, I'd say we've looked better than everyone, with the possible exception of maybe what Wisky and Wichita State did in their first round games.
Oh well. I'm still VERY intrigued to see what Fred and company can come up with for a game plan. If anyone can pull this off, it's Fred. I look for the guys to play for Niang, which could help.
I'm not predicting we win it all or anything, but I don't see a team out there that we couldn't beat, even without Niang. There is some pretty bad basketball being played out there folks. We look as good or better than anyone else I've seen.
It's too bad he did get hurt, because with him in our lineup, I'd say we've looked better than everyone, with the possible exception of maybe what Wisky and Wichita State did in their first round games.
Oh well. I'm still VERY intrigued to see what Fred and company can come up with for a game plan. If anyone can pull this off, it's Fred. I look for the guys to play for Niang, which could help.
Michigan State scares the crap out of me, but we have to win two more games before we have to worry about them.
I needed this thread. I had that same feeling that I usually have after a loss last night... today none of the games seem as interesting as when ISU is in contention. I need to snap out of it. Hope the team does as well!
They are about the only team that scares me, and it's just because of Payne and how versatile he has become. The rest of the team is good, but neutralizing him is pretty much the key to beating them if you are scoring.
The other positive is that Niang isn't the only guy on our team that can present a mismatch. Kane can do it by scoring from pretty much anywhere and Ejim kind of presents it too because he can score inside, rebound, shoot from the outside, and can also drive it like Kane. Hogue as well - though not as much, but he's shown he can shoot the 3 as well as play inside.
The key will be ensuring the usual suspects get their points but someone else or a few people will have to step up their point production such as Hogue, Morris, and/or Thomas. UNC may score inside on us, but if we can play tit for tat, then it may not be as negative as people think. Luckily, UNC is not an amazing 3 point shooting team - they are very average. In fact, more than 50% of their games this year they have shot under 30 or 33% from 3 pt. They've had a few fluke games in shooting the 3, but they are averaging 32% for the year and barely shoot it from 3.
So yes, if we shot well from 3, and they couldn't make theirs, we could win on that alone even if they got a bunch of paint points. Get a few defensive stops and voila.
The key will be ensuring the usual suspects get their points but someone else or a few people will have to step up their point production such as Hogue, Morris, and/or Thomas. UNC may score inside on us, but if we can play tit for tat, then it may not be as negative as people think. Luckily, UNC is not an amazing 3 point shooting team - they are very average. In fact, more than 50% of their games this year they have shot under 30 or 33% from 3 pt. They've had a few fluke games in shooting the 3, but they are averaging 32% for the year and barely shoot it from 3.
So yes, if we shot well from 3, and they couldn't make theirs, we could win on that alone even if they got a bunch of paint points. Get a few defensive stops and voila.
I Hoiball I trust!
These young men are ALL going to come out swinging haymakers. UNC won't know wtf happened till they're down 20. Go State.
These young men are ALL going to come out swinging haymakers. UNC won't know wtf happened till they're down 20. Go State.
We still have 2 first team all conference players and the player of the year. Throw in there a pg who just set a record in assists to TO.
We will be fine.
We will be fine.
Indeed. I think Morris could be our third true scoring threat. He has great moves, soft touch, and great BB smarts.
They were obviously ready to play yesterday. They will be tomorrow and they'll have the added motivation of winning for Georges. UNC may very well get our best game of the year!
Nice thing about our team is we have multiple scorers play good defense and rebound, let's roll Cyclones!!!
Some more positive analysis here. I took each ACC team (and Providence) and calculated their average points/game in ACC play and post season. Then for each UNC game, I calculated the difference between the opponents points scored and the average each team scores in ACC/post season play excluding the game being calculated at the time.
1) UNC has averaged giving up 3.2 points per game more than their opponents average.
2) HOWEVER, since teams go to OT and UNC has once, we recalculate as per 40 minutes, instead of per game. This means that UNC has been giving up 4.3 more points per 40 minutes to its ACC/NCAA tournament opponent than their average.
3) UNC has only managed to keep 5 out of 19, or only 26%, of their ACC and one NCAA tournament game under the opponents' average. Opponents have managed to score more than their averages in 74% of these games against UNC.
4) The 5 times they did were against Syracuse (-5.3 points/40), Maryland (-5.2 points/40), Duke (-8.9 points/40), and Notre Dame Twice (-2.9 points/40 and -3.9 points/40)
5) The only team from above to average more than 68 points per 40 minutes is Duke at 74.5 points per 40. Everyone else is under 68. We average almost 82 points per 40 minutes.
6) Opponents scored more than 5 points above their per 40 average 9 of 19, or 47%, times against UNC.
7) Over their last 7 games, these figures account to an average of +8.5 per 40 for opponents. The only game which resulted in an opponent scoring less than their average was their 2 point win against Notre Dame.
8) UNC averages 77.8 points/game in their 19 ACC + NCAA tournament games or 77.3 points per 40 minutes. Over their last 6 games, this figure is 78.2 points/game but that includes a 105 point performance against 6-12 Wake Forest. Take that away and it's actually 74 points/game. However, one of these games went to OT, so per 40 that's 72.3 points per 40 minutes.
So doing some math here, pretend that whoever makes up for Niang's absence only gets half of his average, or 8 points which is more than whoever that is' combined averages. Since we score 81.7 points per 40 minutes, that point total drops to 74 points. Even if they held us to our average which this year they haven't been doing to most teams, and they score their per 40 average in the last 6 games, we'd still win.
However, since UNC has been giving up 4 points per 40 more than their opponents average, that would be 78 points if the average holds, which is about what UNC scores per game all ACC season.
Point 7 above shows that the last 7 games they have been giving up more on average. Add a few more there and realize that the most potent offensive team that UNC has faced since ACC season started is Duke, who averages 7 less points per 40 than we do and.........yep
Of course, I'd have to calculate this for ISU and the Big 12, but this game is definitely winnable without Niang if everyone else plays as efficient as they have all year, if not more efficient and someone steps up.
1) UNC has averaged giving up 3.2 points per game more than their opponents average.
2) HOWEVER, since teams go to OT and UNC has once, we recalculate as per 40 minutes, instead of per game. This means that UNC has been giving up 4.3 more points per 40 minutes to its ACC/NCAA tournament opponent than their average.
3) UNC has only managed to keep 5 out of 19, or only 26%, of their ACC and one NCAA tournament game under the opponents' average. Opponents have managed to score more than their averages in 74% of these games against UNC.
4) The 5 times they did were against Syracuse (-5.3 points/40), Maryland (-5.2 points/40), Duke (-8.9 points/40), and Notre Dame Twice (-2.9 points/40 and -3.9 points/40)
5) The only team from above to average more than 68 points per 40 minutes is Duke at 74.5 points per 40. Everyone else is under 68. We average almost 82 points per 40 minutes.
6) Opponents scored more than 5 points above their per 40 average 9 of 19, or 47%, times against UNC.
7) Over their last 7 games, these figures account to an average of +8.5 per 40 for opponents. The only game which resulted in an opponent scoring less than their average was their 2 point win against Notre Dame.
8) UNC averages 77.8 points/game in their 19 ACC + NCAA tournament games or 77.3 points per 40 minutes. Over their last 6 games, this figure is 78.2 points/game but that includes a 105 point performance against 6-12 Wake Forest. Take that away and it's actually 74 points/game. However, one of these games went to OT, so per 40 that's 72.3 points per 40 minutes.
So doing some math here, pretend that whoever makes up for Niang's absence only gets half of his average, or 8 points which is more than whoever that is' combined averages. Since we score 81.7 points per 40 minutes, that point total drops to 74 points. Even if they held us to our average which this year they haven't been doing to most teams, and they score their per 40 average in the last 6 games, we'd still win.
However, since UNC has been giving up 4 points per 40 more than their opponents average, that would be 78 points if the average holds, which is about what UNC scores per game all ACC season.
Point 7 above shows that the last 7 games they have been giving up more on average. Add a few more there and realize that the most potent offensive team that UNC has faced since ACC season started is Duke, who averages 7 less points per 40 than we do and.........yep
Of course, I'd have to calculate this for ISU and the Big 12, but this game is definitely winnable without Niang if everyone else plays as efficient as they have all year, if not more efficient and someone steps up.
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