Free Quebec wrote:

After the game, JR Pinnock said we look like a team that doesn’t trust each other.  Maybe he’s right, or maybe they are just aren’t being coached to move and pass and find the open man.  We continue to rely far too much on one on one, especially when things start going bad or late in a close game.

There were possessions where I saw good movement, but then when it didn’t lead to an open shot, everyone stopped and we just waited for one guy to go one on one.  Seemed like maybe the movement was because we were running a play - so maybe what we are doing is running plays, but not a cohesive, consistent offense that uses motion and quick ball movement to find the open man for a good shot.  If we were doing that and missing, so be it, but we have so many bad possessions.

And on defense, we once again were totally unable to stop penetration.  That once again led to 12 offensive rebounds.  It did seem like we were competing harder on the boards, but when the other team penetrates at will and the post man has to step up, it leaves someone for an uncontested rebound. 


- Our lack of low post offense makes us really easy to guard.   We can’t shoot and we don’t have anyone down low to go to, so opposing teams just play the passing lanes and  clog the paint, forcing us into one on one chucks from three.

- we had sooooo many bad possessions in the second half.  So many times where one guy just held the ball and then shot a bad shot, often without even dribbling - just fading away standstill shots.

- Our ball movement is painfully slow.  So many times, the ball just stops.  Adams and Bam are both really bad at moving at the ball.  They catch it and then study the defense.  We need to just play with better tempo and swing the ball around. 

- Bryan Knapp got I believe 1 possession (or one where he touched the ball) and he did TWO great things I’ve rarely seen from anyone else.  He caught it at the foul line extended beyond the arc and VERY quickly swung it to corner (to a guy who slowed the ball movement down.). It was noticeable to me because it was the kind of ball movement we’ve seen from so many opponents but never from us.   Second, later in the possession (or on the next one), he was on the right side when the ball went to the post (Lindo I think). He took a quick step or two right to get open and give Lindo a passing lane, then as his defender recovered and Lindo went left, he quickly moved back left.  The ball didn’t come back to Knapp, but I would LOVE to see other guys constantly moving to get open instead of watching when the ball does go to the post.

More minutes for Knapp might really help our offense.

- Finally, we scored 10 points in the first 18 possessions of the second half.  Once again, we just collapse to start the second.  They scored 10 points in 5 possessions coming out of the half. .  See a problem? This team is mentally broken and JC needs to figure it out.


2-7 against this schedule feels as bad as anything since the 1-27 year.  We are just playing some really, really bad basketball. Dismal.

 
  FQ rightly asks for Knapp. Every game I wonder,why is there no Knapp sighting (or literally 1 inconsequential minute). It is extremely odd because he shot 43% from the 3 point line at Cornell as FQ or someone pointed out,twice our once again dismal  3  point percentage last night. Why, when we lose steadily to inferior opponents is he not worth a try? Maybe he's a bit rusty since Cornell didn't play last year.
  But unless missing something, he averaged more points in his last season than any of our other new transfers. So,it is obvious he can play and score a bit at a D1 level,but he sits even in blowouts.
And FQ notes Knapp's high basketball IQ.
  Since Knapp was free as a walkon,unlike any of JC's numerous recruits not panning out, wouldn't you want to encourage him to stay on the team?
Also it's not like we're tinkering with a winning formula for success.

Last edited by jf (12/02/2021 6:22 pm)

Maybe as a group we should boycott the remaining home games (although considering the size of the current crowd on our side of the stands it might be hard to notice the difference). I have made the decision to do that on my own until the team starts to play smart, disciplined basketball which might be right after the 12th of Never. I haven't done this since the 1-27 season under Kuester. I'm too old and emotionally tied to the program to sit and watch one loss after another to programs (with the exception of Maryland) that we routinely beat up on. My have times changed!

Skittles wrote:

I think that's exactly why posters keep bringing up the ML thing, including me. We were beating top 10 teams in sold out games. 3 years in a row beating power conference team after power conference team. A 22-10 season was considered disappointing. We took home a championship, and to those who say NIT doesn't count you're ridiculous. Now? A 10 win season could be the ceiling. Coaches are buddies instead of coaches. The Smith center can't fill up more than one sliver of a student section. This program has fallen off. It's actually really sad, 5 years ago I'd circle when games were and make sure I was at every home game when I could be there. Now? If I didn't have espn + I wouldn't be able to tell you how the last few even went, and there's better entertainment on the weather channel.

Same.

moneybox wrote:

Maybe as a group we should boycott the remaining home games (although considering the size of the current crowd on our side of the stands it might be hard to notice the difference). I have made the decision to do that on my own until the team starts to play smart, disciplined basketball which might be right after the 12th of Never. I haven't done this since the 1-27 season under Kuester. I'm too old and emotionally tied to the program to sit and watch one loss after another to programs (with the exception of Maryland) that we routinely beat up on. My have times changed!

MAYBE we should show up to every remaining home game, support the young men on the team, support everyone working to succeed in the program, and stop whining.  One person's opinion - MAYBE

Well said keithgreene.

These kids are part of our GW community and need/deserve our complete support. As long as JC and his coaches are our coaches they will also get my support.

 

Am I the only one who thinks that it's entirely possible to support the team by attending games and watching them on tv/internet while at the same time, providing negative analysis and commentary when the team is performing poorly?

If you enjoy attending games, then boycotting them only spites yourself.  If you really can't take all of the losing, there are plenty of perennial wining programs you can support.

What you refer to as whining is what I would call venting.  Maybe you see no difference between the two but I do.  This fan base is frustrated and rightfully so.  

This is not a misunderstanding of what GW basketball can and can not be.  It can win A10 Championships because it has done this.  It can go undefeated in conference regular season play because it has done this.  It can reach the Sweet 16 because it has done this.  It can win an NIT Championship because it's done that too.  Now, nobody carries the expectation that this program can accomplish these things year in and year out.  Not even more often than not.  The fact though is that since the NIT Championship, this program has not come anywhere close to begin approaching such goals.

With regard to Rising's three factions, he has left off a very important fourth one.  It is entirely conceivable that you've either moved on from the ML mess (or thought he got what he deserved), have no real stake in anything to do with Nima, and are not at all delusional about what GW basketball can be, yet still feel the need to vent here for one very simple reason.  The reason is because you experienced what GW basketball can be and has been but over the past 5+ years, you're at a loss as to why this program has fallen so hard and shows little if any signs of returning to prominence anytime soon.  That's the faction I am a part of and have to believe plenty of others are as well.

Steve wrote:

Gwmayhem wrote:

With regard to Rising's three factions, he has left off a very important fourth one.  It is entirely conceivable that you've either moved on from the ML mess (or thought he got what he deserved), have no real stake in anything to do with Nima, and are not at all delusional about what GW basketball can be, yet still feel the need to vent here for one very simple reason.  The reason is because you experienced what GW basketball can be and has been but over the past 5+ years, you're at a loss as to why this program has fallen so hard and shows little if any signs of returning to prominence anytime soon.  That's the faction I am a part of and have to believe plenty of others are as well.

::Raises hand:: Yep. I don't give a damn about the ML drama other than to bemoan our lack of a successful and seemingly capable coach since then. 

Same here. In my mind it's completely acceptable to attend/watch as many games as possible and provide constructive negative feedback. The occasional outburst here and there is totally fine if at the end of the day we all come back down to earth.
 

I fall into no faction. I whine because the team stinks, is not fun to watch, and for three years there has been no sense of what the plan for success moving forward is (from the outside). I whine because I want better, even if "better" is not realistic or would require luck.

I am in Mayhems group.
Rising, I agree that ML is not coming back and I don't hold JC accountable for the shitty record our administration has on making decisions that impact our school. JC did what any of us would have done and that was to accept the HC job at GW. He may have been given a break during year 1 and 2, but we are now in year 3 and the buck stops with him - no more excuses. He hasn't made a good start and all factors point to this trend continuing once we play better teams in-conference.
My anger is at the administration (Knapp/Maltzman/Nero) and always has been (and the dufus known as dude).
Even with that said, I continue to hope and pray GW gets back to where we were under ML - a program and system it took him 2 years to build that can play with anyone despite lack of resources, student support, etc.
Dude, the conspiracy theories are starting to come out again - follow your therapists advice and plug the NIT Championship game into your basement VCR and watch it again. It will bring you a calmness you need. Make sure you watch the end when it shows ML climbing up the ladder to cut off the net!

I have given up all hope of the GW leadership making any changes.
Remember, we are dealing with an institution who tried to white wash our successful history just 5 years ago in order to hide their inept decision making. That's not whining, that's stating the obvious.