Something is up

[SpokaneCY]

It’s disappointing to see guys regress, and Lard is not the only one that has played as though the coaching isn’t registering. It’s not easy coaching at this level.

Yet we are 9-2 missing 3 starters from last year - 1 an all-American, another an important cog in the defense and the last - Lard - an other-worldly talent that is figuring out adulthood.

9-2 with no bad losses missing over half our starters, 2 true frosh starting, another logging minutes off the bench....

 

[jsb]

It’s disappointing to see guys regress, and Lard is not the only one that has played as though the coaching isn’t registering. It’s not easy coaching at this level.

MInd blowingly stupid. Who else has regressed? We literally have all new players. Lewis is clearly better. Babb is about the same with less minutes and less responsibility.

Two of the new guys are much better than we would have thought.

 

[Psiclone]

Yet we are 9-2 missing 3 starters from last year - 1 an all-American, another an important cog in the defense and the last - Lard - an other-worldly talent that is figuring out adulthood.

9-2 with no bad losses missing over half our starters, 2 true frosh starting, another logging minutes off the bench....

Agree. Too bad winning is never enough for some people. Can't see the forest....

ISU was favored by 13 points and won by 9, 12 but for a fluke banked 3-pointer. So, the people who crunch the numbers and make money off those numbers pretty much hit it on the nose. Maybe they realize Drake is a good basketball team?

And, for those criticizing Prohm for "not coaching" because the team didn't consistently play defense, ever think the play of the team has something to do with that? Jacobson said the team needs to play defense the way they did in earlier games. Last I checked, Prohm logged zero seconds in the game. I actually prefer the team won the way they did vs blowing out Drake. It's something they will draw upon later in the season when down, knowing that they are able to still win by playing D the way their coach wants them to.

 

[DurangoCy]

I'm a big Cam fan, but he's done literally nothing that warrants more or earlier PT this year. We have a good team without him, so it's on him to fit into the team, not the other way around for the players or coaches. ...last year we were awful, so there wasn't any other option.

The coaches do realize that he can help this team win, so it sounds like they're staying in his ear about keeping positive, which is about all you can do. It's on him to decide if he's going to do it or not.

This is what it's like to have a lot of good players. Every year KU ends up with a 4-5 star guy that everything thinks is going to tear it up, but ends up sitting on the end of the bench all year. Somehow they manage to soldier on with their 7-8 other semi-pros and win the league every year.

 

[DurangoCy]

Agree. Too bad winning is never enough for some people. Can't see the forest....

ISU was favored by 13 points and won by 9, 12 but for a fluke banked 3-pointer. So, the people who crunch the numbers and make money off those numbers pretty much hit it on the nose. Maybe they realize Drake is a good basketball team?

And, for those criticizing Prohm for "not coaching" because the team didn't consistently play defense, ever think the play of the team has something to do with that? Jacobson said the team needs to play defense the way they did in earlier games. Last I checked, Prohm logged zero seconds in the game. I actually prefer the team won the way they did vs blowing out Drake. It's something they will draw upon later in the season when down, knowing that they are able to still win by playing D the way their coach wants them to.

...your last paragraph - Well said. I don't think people realize how some games the staff will try to let the players "figure it out" vs. over coaching, which is a lot of the early season. That tape is so much more valueable than the, "we did everything perfectly" tape.

I've generally been inpressed with our D this year. Iowa was just scalding hot in that game and Drake is better than we probably gave them credit for. The instate games are such a crap shoot sometimes.

 

[Scott34]

I wonder if it's all mental with Cam. I wonder if, when he was done serving his suspension that he would thought he would play more and with that not happening, has got in his head a little. He just doesn't seem to be the same right now compared to the Cam Lard player that we all saw last year.

 

[Baseline23]

Kansas players are intense....and genetically superior and nicer people generally with more facebook likes and good deeds.

As is Bill Self.

 

[CyCloned]

so, Lard didn't play until 8 minutes or so left in the game because Prohm was worried about him fouling out? Even though he hadn't played and had zero fouls? Against Iowa he got pretty much all of his fouls late in the game with Iowa up 15-18 pts. At that point he had barely played. Maybe Prohm should play him more early and see if he can actually get involved in the game and stay out of foul trouble.

So far there has not been any situation Lard has been in were he didn't foul at an alarming rate. Until he gets that under control he will be on the bench most of the time. No idea what some people are thinking about when they want to see him playing more and he continues to be a giant hack. I want the kid to get back to his former self as much as anyone, but there is something not quite right now and it is't that Prohm is somehow punishing him by not playing him more.

 

[FinalFourCy]

Yet we are 9-2 missing 3 starters from last year - 1 an all-American, another an important cog in the defense and the last - Lard - an other-worldly talent that is figuring out adulthood.

9-2 with no bad losses missing over half our starters, 2 true frosh starting, another logging minutes off the bench....

There’s a little bit of truth there and a lot more contradiction and false narratives to your post, but I recognize you have low expectations and viewpoints on this staff and roster.

 

[blutarsky]

Prohm knows he needs Lard if the Cyclones want to be their best in March. Lard knows he needs to improve on and off the court.

Cam’s going to get a chance ... he’ll have a game where it will “click” for the big man.

 

[ClonesFTW]

The situation will become even more interesting if Young comes back playing good D and grabbing boards right out of the gate. That would likely put Lard behind all 3 post players heading into conference play, would be a pretty steep climb for more playing time.

 

[blutarsky]

The situation will become even more interesting if Young comes back playing good D and grabbing boards right out of the gate. That would likely put Lard behind all 3 post players heading into conference play, would be a pretty steep climb for more playing time.

Competition will be good for both Cam and this team. Nothing is given.

 

[Rabbuk]

I feel like paired with the fouling he also isn't playing good defense. Minus a few blocks people will cling to on here.

 

[SpokaneCY]

There’s a little bit of truth there and a lot more contradiction and false narratives to your post, but I recognize you have low expectations and viewpoints on this staff and roster.

I'm open to the feedback - perhaps you could point out the flaws?

 

[Gunnerclone]

Probably not a popular opinion but I feel like Prohm should have just moved on last summer. Right now Lard is a distraction and it’s only going to get worse when Young is back. This has a chance to destroy the locker room and it almost seems more likely than not at this point. Prohm has a huge job in front of him. Probably needs to start with the guys that actually want to buyin defensively and on the boards.

Short-sighted, terrible for recruiting.

 

[NoCreativity]

Yet we are 9-2 missing 3 starters from last year - 1 an all-American, another an important cog in the defense and the last - Lard - an other-worldly talent that is figuring out adulthood.

9-2 with no bad losses missing over half our starters, 2 true frosh starting, another logging minutes off the bench....

Why shouldn't we be 9-2 so far? I swear some of you guys act like this is a 4-7 type start team and we should all be worshipping Prohm for getting us to the magical 9-2 promise land.

Look at who we've played so far, for cripes sake, last year we went 10-2 in the non-conf with one of the worst Iowa State teams in recent memory.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Yet we are 9-2 missing 3 starters from last year - 1 an all-American, another an important cog in the defense and the last - Lard - an other-worldly talent that is figuring out adulthood.

9-2 with no bad losses missing over half our starters, 2 true frosh starting, another logging minutes off the bench....

Look how far we’ve come from “I love watching these new guys they try hard I love the effort. This team is easy to root for.”

It’s pretty ****** up.

 

[WastedTalent]

Probably not a popular opinion but I feel like Prohm should have just moved on last summer. Right now Lard is a distraction and it’s only going to get worse when Young is back. This has a chance to destroy the locker room and it almost seems more likely than not at this point. Prohm has a huge job in front of him. Probably needs to start with the guys that actually want to buyin defensively and on the boards.

He's a distraction for the fans, not the team. Do you think the other players are sitting around asking the same questions us fans are?

 

[Cynonymous]

Why shouldn't we be 9-2 so far? I swear some of you guys act like this is a 4-7 type start team and we should all be worshipping Prohm for getting us to the magical 9-2 promise land.

Look at who we've played so far, for cripes sake, last year we went 10-2 in the non-conf with one of the worst Iowa State teams in recent memory.

I don't know how anyone could have expected us to be anywhere close this record given all the hurdles we had going in to this non-conference season. I vividly remember so many moping about how we were going to lose multiple games in a row and with no hope of success in Maui. Now, after glimpsing at some of the talent those same folks are putting unrealistic expectations on progress and consistency. They are creating some crazy history by rewriting in their minds as if this was the expectation all along and how we a failing to meet some new unrealistic standard.

 

[WastedTalent]

So far there has not been any situation Lard has been in were he didn't foul at an alarming rate. Until he gets that under control he will be on the bench most of the time. No idea what some people are thinking about when they want to see him playing more and he continues to be a giant hack. I want the kid to get back to his former self as much as anyone, but there is something not quite right now and it is't that Prohm is somehow punishing him by not playing him more.

I mean if he plays sooner, and fouls at the same rate, then he'll just be out sooner, so basically the same. What's it gonna hurt to put him in earlier?

If you remember correctly, he struggled pretty bad at the beginning of last season, fouling too much and costing himself minutes. Difference was, there was no one else to play, so Prohm just kept throwing him out there. He eventually figured it out, and became pretty dominant in the Big 12.

Hindsight is 20/20, but in a game like Iowa, he should have been out there earlier. What would it hurt? If he's gonna foul, I'd rather it be earlier in games.