Yeah, but he was shooting great in the Cap City League...if I had a buck for every person that got suckered in by some kid's performance in the Cap City League, I could retire tomorrow...
MBB question for those more informed than myself
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Yeah, but he was shooting great in the Cap City League...if I had a buck for every person that got suckered in by some kid's performance in the Cap City League, I could retire tomorrow...
Someone like Josh Young would be nice...he might be the best point guard in the country right now.
You should just change your name to Cenex Guy...
I honestly don't think Haluska is as bad as he's been playing. He is a good shooter. It doesn't seem like he's been setting himself real well and that he's in a rush most of the time. I think he's useful off the bench, but he's not the next Jeff Hornacek, as people kept making veiled comparisons to.
I don't think a pressing defense can be a great success unless you have a Kelvin Cato or a Jared homan who will get back consistantly. A great shot blocker who can defend the post against the breakaway. Brakins might be that guy someday, not today.
This post is spot-on!
I cannot believe some people actually think that we may be "too athletic". In my opinion, you could never have a team that is too athletic in BB...in fact, the more athletic the better, generally speaking!
I also agree that great coaches are able to take full advantage of the strengths their team possesses. It is foolish to mandate a system that does not exploit the talents of the players. In business they call this using your competitive advantages to your benefit!
A Coach Can't Change his Stripes
Mac has a coaching philosophy and he needs to stick to it. The key for him is to recruit players that fit his system. Sure guys like Rahshon, Diante or Craig might prefer an uptempo style- but good coaches & more talented teams can take that away.
I look at G-Mac's system and think of the old tortoise & hare kids story. G-Mac's system can be very methodical- but with more quality players who are endoctinated in his system we'll see a steady offensive machine and a tough/physical defense.
Athleticism in basketball might be the most overrated quality. Kids have to have basketball skills first & foremost. A kid can jump out of the gym & run like a deer, but if he can't dribble or shoot- he'll be nothing more than a role player. The top players combine great athleticism and basketball skills.
G-Macs system doesn't require athletic players like Wayne Morgan's system required. However, no coach in the major conference can have an "unathletic" team. You have to be able to guard people.
Lastly, I agree with what other's have said. I'm sure G-Mac would like to run more, but we are at best average at the PG position & we lack that rebounding machine in the post.
Mac has a coaching philosophy and he needs to stick to it. The key for him is to recruit players that fit his system. Sure guys like Rahshon, Diante or Craig might prefer an uptempo style- but good coaches & more talented teams can take that away.
I look at G-Mac's system and think of the old tortoise & hare kids story. G-Mac's system can be very methodical- but with more quality players who are endoctinated in his system we'll see a steady offensive machine and a tough/physical defense.
Athleticism in basketball might be the most overrated quality. Kids have to have basketball skills first & foremost. A kid can jump out of the gym & run like a deer, but if he can't dribble or shoot- he'll be nothing more than a role player. The top players combine great athleticism and basketball skills.
G-Macs system doesn't require athletic players like Wayne Morgan's system required. However, no coach in the major conference can have an "unathletic" team. You have to be able to guard people.
Lastly, I agree with what other's have said. I'm sure G-Mac would like to run more, but we are at best average at the PG position & we lack that rebounding machine in the post.
Re: A Coach Can't Change his Stripes
Nice post without putting down specific current players that we have or wishing so and so was on the bench or so and so is not D1 qualtity..... Our team will get better this year, next year....as Mac puts together his team.
Yes it would be great we had 10 players on the team that were pro potential...most teams don't either!
Z
Nice post without putting down specific current players that we have or wishing so and so was on the bench or so and so is not D1 qualtity..... Our team will get better this year, next year....as Mac puts together his team.
Yes it would be great we had 10 players on the team that were pro potential...most teams don't either!
Z
Re: A Coach Can't Change his Stripes
So if you were a football coach and your coaching philosophy had always been a west coast type offense where you pass 90% of the time, but then you get the #1 rated running back in the country. Would you still pass 90% of the time? I don't think so. If you want to win, you do what will help you to win. If that means changing your coaching philosophy to match the team you have, that's what you need to do.
And you're right that basketball fundamentals are necessary, but let's look at the guys on our team that have the fundamentals down....BP, Haluska, Brock Jacobson...Now, those aren't the type of players you can make a team with. You have to have guys like Brackins, DG, Clark, Wes to win.
So if you were a football coach and your coaching philosophy had always been a west coast type offense where you pass 90% of the time, but then you get the #1 rated running back in the country. Would you still pass 90% of the time? I don't think so. If you want to win, you do what will help you to win. If that means changing your coaching philosophy to match the team you have, that's what you need to do.
And you're right that basketball fundamentals are necessary, but let's look at the guys on our team that have the fundamentals down....BP, Haluska, Brock Jacobson...Now, those aren't the type of players you can make a team with. You have to have guys like Brackins, DG, Clark, Wes to win.
If I hear about what a good shooter Haluska is one more time, I may puke. The guy is 0-25 from 3 point range! 90% of us would have made at least 1 of those.
I do think that coach Mac is adapting to his athletes. Look at Wes, he was moved to the 2 to get more touches. What else could he do to better use the "athletes" on the team? The only thing I could think of is to run with the fast break more often but we just don't have the guards to be able to handle that.
I do think that coach Mac is adapting to his athletes. Look at Wes, he was moved to the 2 to get more touches. What else could he do to better use the "athletes" on the team? The only thing I could think of is to run with the fast break more often but we just don't have the guards to be able to handle that.
Re: A Coach Can't Change his Stripes
For argument's sake, if you were a football coach who ran a west coast or spread offense, why would you recruit a #1 running back? You need receivers with good hands and lots of speed who can make plays in space. You need a smart, agile quarterback who understands the offense and can deliver the plays. You need a running back who is durable enough to help keep the defense honest, make catches out of the backfield, and assist in pass blocking. You don't recruit a kid who doesn't fit your system. It doesn't make sense to recruit the #1 running back just because he's #1 if he doesn't fit your offense. You find the guys you need to be successful.
For argument's sake, if you were a football coach who ran a west coast or spread offense, why would you recruit a #1 running back? You need receivers with good hands and lots of speed who can make plays in space. You need a smart, agile quarterback who understands the offense and can deliver the plays. You need a running back who is durable enough to help keep the defense honest, make catches out of the backfield, and assist in pass blocking. You don't recruit a kid who doesn't fit your system. It doesn't make sense to recruit the #1 running back just because he's #1 if he doesn't fit your offense. You find the guys you need to be successful.
I agree with your first point...I am sick of hearing that "he is really a good shooter that just needs one to drop"!
However, I don't necessarily believe that 90% of us could have made 1 of his shots. I was a good shooter in HS (back in the early 80s) and I can still shoot (I recently dropped 94 of 100 free throws during a workout).
But there is a big difference in shooting in a drill by yourself or in a pick-up game with very little defense being played and shooting in a major college basketball game with some guy that is 6-6 and athletic closing out on you as you release.
As one of my buddies that I play ball with says..."I can still shoot, I just have trouble getting open!"
G-Mac has let these guys start running in a few of these recent games. Gotta start with the "boring" fundamentals first.
I agree a good coach adapts his system to the talent - but he still needs to maintain some foundation of his system. Greg has put that in place and seems to be enhancing it to fit the personnel in the last few games.
I agree a good coach adapts his system to the talent - but he still needs to maintain some foundation of his system. Greg has put that in place and seems to be enhancing it to fit the personnel in the last few games.
If you watch Haluska, he shot is actually really nice. And when I say that, I mean his form and technique. For whatever reason, he just hasn't been able to hit them in a game. It's more a psychological thing than it is his actual ability to shoot. Anyone who has seen him play more than just the games he's been in this year know that. Did you know that this summer they did a shooting drill where you shoot 3's until you miss three in a row. If you miss the first two, you have to make the third. Mac has been doing this drill at every team he ever coached and he had two players on the team this year break the previous record. Those two players were Lucca and HALUSKA, so don't say the kid can't shoot.
And DG is the perfect guard for an up tempo game. That's what he's best at.
I was at a business conference once and saw a motivational speaker that told a story of a guy (unfortunately, I cannot remember his name) that can make over 1000 free throws in a row on a regular basis. This guy never played HS BB and he now makes millions of dollars as a shooting coach.
My point is, while having great shooting form and technique is certainly important, just because you can drop a bunch of threes while no one is guarding you in a drill or while you are playing in the typical pick-up game with very little defensive effort being exhorted...it does not mean you can do the same with major DI talent guarding you during the course of a real game.
PS: I thought the fabled Wes Eikmeier held the record on this three point drill?!
And they didn't move Wes to the 2 to get more touches. They moved him there because they know they have to have him, Rahshon, Craig and Jiri all on the floor, and it made more sense to move him to the 2 than Rahshon because he's a better ball handler.
I completely agree. But my argument is that Haluska does have the fundamentals. He is a good shooter, he's just not a game time player.
He has been knocking down his pull up 17 footer pretty well the past few games, which is one of the more difficult shots in basketball, and he has been doing it with a hand in his face. That shows he can hit the shots. The fact that he hasn't knocked a 3 down yet is hitting those shots shows it is in his head, especially considering how many of his 3's have rimmed out.
That was not with the MBB team, but at his high school where he did this same drill.
