Scoring Droughts

[Drew0311]

One thing I really appreciate about this team is that we are getting out and playing with tempo when we get stops. Unfortunately, we didn't have that opportunity in the first 8 minutes because Auburn just kept making shots. That really took us out of the flow of the game IMO.

Which is why the other teams point totals are going to be higher than they were two years ago. We used to not run on a turnover. We used to slow it down. So naturally more possessions means the other team will have more points, does not mean our defense is worse.

The scoring drought is no big deal if it's just missed shots. That is not what last night was about. It was about we changed our way we were scoring in the second half. Like we had a panic offense going one on one instead of sharing the ball like the first half. I think it was more about panic instead of trying to be a hero. Hopefully we can get better at that this season. Just control our emotions and keep playing the team game.

 

[madguy30]

I said it in another thread, but I think Gilbert's foul trouble was the key to the game. In the first half Auburn was playing good but not great defense and the team was able to work around the loss of Gilbert creating opportunitites and turning defense into offense. In the second half Auburn was playing defensively about as well as they can and ISU missed Gilbert's ability to penetrate and create for himself and others. I said TJ had to put Gilbert in just a few seconds before TJ sent him to the scorers table. ISU was able to right the ship then but at that point it was a dogfight.

I'm not saying this to be mean because I like Jefferson, but him being successful early in the game dribbling in the paint between two defenders to score a bucket might be the worst thing that could have happened. I think he tried it at least 3 more times throughout the game sometimes into triple teams and I think he turned it over every time. If he gets turned over that first time maybe he thinks twice about driving into a double/triple team down low.

I'm not worried though. If ISU makes just one more of those open three looks or if Tamin gets a couple of whistles on the in bounds plays 94 feet from our basket when his defender was wrapping both arms around him it might have been a different result.

TJ has the team's undivided attention and they understand how important it is to close a game out. This is going to fun.

Ward being out last year hurt in the Feast Week tourney but the way the team operated was also different than when they went to Depaul a week later with shot selection, etc.

TJ obviously wants to win but I think there may be some aspect of letting guys fall on themselves a bit with things they've been trying to work out and it may take the receipts of tourneys like this to show out. Also good film against good opponents going forward.

You have to play Jefferson because of his abilities but there's no way the coaching point was for him to try to take to the hoop. We'll see if there's even a bit of change in that tonight (I'd like to see him flash to the lane or get it on the block and perhaps that's down the road); and maybe TJ has a better handle on rotations too.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I thought everyone looked gassed at the end of the first half, and maybe towards the end of the game.

 

[madguy30]

Which is why the other teams point totals are going to be higher than they were two years ago. We used to not run on a turnover. We used to slow it down. So naturally more possessions means the other team will have more points, does not mean our defense is worse.

The scoring drought is no big deal if it's just missed shots. That is not what last night was about. It was about we changed our way we were scoring in the second half. Like we had a panic offense going one on one instead of sharing the ball like the first half. I think it was more about panic instead of trying to be a hero. Hopefully we can get better at that this season. Just control our emotions and keep playing the team game.

An achilles heel last year imo was the team getting impatient and getting tight at times and that was the case last night too.

 

[cytor]

Scoring droughts happen to every team, this is not just an ISU thing.

That being said, ISU needs to shorten up those droughts and they will be fine. ISU cannot do what they did against Pitt a few years ago in the NCAA tournament.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Scoring droughts happen to every team, this is not just an ISU thing.

That being said, ISU needs to shorten up those droughts and they will be fine. ISU cannot do what they did against Pitt a few years ago in the NCAA tournament.

Last nights scoring drought felt worse than it really was because Auburn was making everything in that stretch.

 

[CycloneErik]

You should write TJ an email about your displeasure.

Spelled JP wrong.

 

[chuckd4735]

Auburn made some adjustments, but especially upped the intensity. The flagrant one on Jackson seemed to start the momentum shift. Main thing I saw on the offensive end was that Auburn was a lot more decisive. Point A to point B to point C shoot, which didn't allow us to get the help there.

This. The game ended up being even, but the difference was offensive rebounds/2nd chance points. Auburn had an advantage there and it was because they upped their intensity, and we struggled to match it.

 

[Cyclonepride]

This. The game ended up being even, but the difference was offensive rebounds/2nd chance points. Auburn had an advantage there and it was because they upped their intensity, and we struggled to match it.

They also seemed to have bigger bouncy guys (or quicker big guys). Some of it was being in the right place at the right time too. Had a couple where we had position and it just bounced over their heads.

 

[JP4CY]

They also seemed to have bigger bouncy guys (or quicker big guys). Some of it was being in the right place at the right time too. Had a couple where we had position and it just bounced over their heads.

Their length made in bounding VERY difficult.

This Auburn team is probably a Huggins WV team on steroids athletically.

 

[3TrueFans]

Their length made in bounding VERY difficult.

This Auburn team is probably a Huggins WV team on steroids athletically.

That's illegal!

 

[ruxCYtable]

We didn't hit a fg for the first 5 minutes of the first half and only one FG in seven minutes, that is where the game was lost. It has been a problem that has plagued TJs program every year. We won't make a final 4 because a big scoring drought in a tournament game more often than not is a loss. Don't get me wrong, LOVE TJs program, it's awesome, but that is the one thing I wish he could get fixed.

Edit. 5 minutes of the second half, not first half like mentioned above

When we came out walking the ball up the court in the second half, I knew we were in trouble. It got us all out of sync, compared to what we were doing in the first half. I feel like we needed to keep the hammer down a while longer before we started trying to chew clock.

 

[Malone]

You should write TJ an email about your displeasure.

More smug condescension from you? Say it ain’t so.

 

[fsanford]

100%. Lots of CFers seemingly pretty happy about another nice little moral victory here. How anyone can be pleased with blowing a 16-point halftime lead (especially in the manner it happened, come out after the half and get your doors completely blown off) is beyond me.

Bring back Prohm then you would actually have a legitimate beef

 

[Klubber]

Shots were going in and Auburn wasn't pressing the perimeter.

Gilbert was also a big reason ISU even had a chance late.

You could make the case that Gilbert was the best player on the court last night, and that's saying a lot 'cause Auburn has some dudes who played very well too.

Gilbert's added some lbs, which should pay dividends especially later in the season.

 

[NENick]

When we came out walking the ball up the court in the second half, I knew we were in trouble. It got us all out of sync, compared to what we were doing in the first half. I feel like we needed to keep the hammer down a while longer before we started trying to chew clock.

This is not a team that runs on made baskets. Auburn wasn't missing and wasn't turning the ball over. That makes it hard to push tempo.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Guys need to move better without the ball. That way Keshon and Tamin are more likely to pass rather than over dribble. We didn't take many shots from 3 in the 2nd half. Plus Milan disappeared.

 

[snowcraig2.0]

Their length made in bounding VERY difficult.

This Auburn team is probably a Huggins WV team on steroids athletically.

SOO you're saying length helps prevents scoring droughts? Dammit I'm screwed.....

 

[AuH2O]

This is not a team that runs on made baskets. Auburn wasn't missing and wasn't turning the ball over. That makes it hard to push tempo.

It's definitely a snowball effect - ISUs half-court offense isn't great, but is a good transition offensive team. You can't get into transition when the other team is making shots.

And there were some defensive lapses, but Auburn was knocking down some tough shots too.

The big problem was even a decent job on the defensive glass and ISU wins pretty easily. The big shift last year in my opinion was seeing the guards starting to hit the defensive glass hard, especially when Ward went down.

Obviously Jackson needs to be more productive on the glass, but against a long and athletic team like Auburn, the bigs mostly need to keep bodies cleared out, and we need the guards to rally and have 5 guys on the defensive glass.

Not really concerned. They'll figure it out.

 

[MJ271]

Obviously you'd like to not have a scoring drought like last night, but I think Otz's first two years might make fans overrate the problem as far as this version of the team is concerned. Last year Iowa State ranked very well in terms of "Kill Shots," a stat recording 10-0 runs scored and given up. I see no reason to expect that this team will be extraordinarily different, it just so happened that we were playing another very good team last night.