danjsport - do you really follow this team? Just so many inaccuracies. Battle was not JC's recruit neither was Paar. Try Mojo for those two.

How do you "know" what he did or didn't do to keep JNJ, Brelsford or Ball?

One thing is for sure ... the team's record may be 2-6 but that's a better winning percentage than your accuracy in this thread.
 

Last edited by GWRising (11/30/2021 11:34 am)

Rising, it sounds like a pipedream to suggest that this team can compete with VCU, Richmond, Dayton, etc. given who it has lost to so far this season.  By the way, I do think we will be better in conference play only because this is what JC teams have done during his short time at GW.  Given how the past OOC performances went, nobody had GW beating Davidson two years ago or Duquesne and URI last season.  So I am not saying that the light bulb will never click.

Let me also add that I fully agree that there is zero point in discussing JC's future at GW right now.  It's a pointless discussion.  He is ours and we are his for at least a while longer.  And, let's all assume that JC is a great guy with a competitive fire who desperately wants to turn things around.  Am not sure anyone is suggesting otherwise.

So with all of this out of the way, let's talk basketball.  First, let's talk about what presumably is a JC strength...motivation.  We all saw how this team looked when playing against Maryland.  And, we can all understand why they competed so well that game.  Local rivalry of sorts, chance to play in CP, Lindo returning to CP, etc.  And, nobody should expect that GW take the court each game with this exact same level of motivation against other opponents.  This would admittedly be unrealistic.

However, this team has not looked remotely close to being fired up for a game ever since.  Frankly, this team isn't playing well enough to look past teams if that's what happening.  Assuming this is not the case, this team still needs to show far more enthusiasm.  And that really does start with the coaching staff.   None of us are there day in and day out to see what the staff is doing but whatever is happening, it's clearly not looking.

Perhaps we are looking at a self fulfilling prophecy?  The team takes the court afraid that they are going to lose when they are expected to win, so they perform poorly.  This team needs to be confident against schools from lesser conferences.  They need to know, not think, but know, that they are the better team and go out and play like it.  Since this has happened several years in a row with an entirely different roster, how can you not look at the coaching staff and ask if they are mentally preparing these guys properly?

On offense, much has been written about the team's inability to play as a cohesive unit.  There is a definitive over-reliance on one-on-one basketball, often resulting in low percentage plays with the shot clock winding down.  There is little movement without the ball, little pick setting, little backdoor cutting.  The offense is way too easy to defend.  Perhaps JC doesn't want to put things on film for A10 opponents to see but if this is actually the case, this is ludicrous.  This team needs repetition when it comes to running an actual offense.  The transition offense has been much better as we appear to play more loosely when we are on the break.  But the halfcourt offense has been a nightmare.

One more plea for Brayon...if you looked at who his opponents often were in high school/prep ball/AAU, they were often arguably better players than who he has seen so far in college.  While I understand the hesitancy in throwing a freshman point guard in the deep end too soon, I would add that it was this high level of play that Brayon experienced which makes him very prepared for the college games.  Yes, he will mistakes and refs already seem to be a bit hard on him.  But in my mind, it's worth handing him the keys.  James needn't look at anyone other than Bradley Beal to learn how a guard playing off of the ball can still generate a ton of shots and scoring possibilities.  I've seen enough to believe that James has the chance to be a GREAT shooting guard but not a great point guard.  And in Brayon, you have a natural fit to run the point.  Play Brendan off the bench as the "do everything" role that we envisioned for Amir (but whose minutes must be limited).
 
On defense, we have gotten killed at allowing points in the paint.  This is everything from offensive rebounds to post up moves to penetrating guards.  We are chasing guys off the 3 point line but smart teams know that the way to beat us is to get to the basket.  Come up with ways to prevent this even if that means surrendering a few more 3's. Think about this:  GW is tied for 51st in the country in 3 point FG % defense.  That's really good.  Now, how would you characterize our defense as a whole?  Exactly.

Others may feel differently but I don't feel that are primary issues have to do with talent or effort.  Having a full week off before tomorrow's game has hopefully provided an opportunity to go back to the drawing board.  What I am hoping to see is a team that plays together, that runs an actual offense, and that does a far better job in keeping players out of the paint.  I'd like to see a team that's fired up to have an opportunity to play Division 1 basketball regardless of who the opponent is.  Through 8 games, this team has looked disjointed at times in 7 of them (Maryland being the exception).  

It's time to make some changes and start playing as a unified team.

Last edited by Gwmayhem (11/30/2021 11:47 am)

Gwmayhem wrote:

Rising, it sounds like a pipedream to suggest that this team can compete with VCU, Richmond, Dayton, etc. given who it has lost to so far this season.  By the way, I do think we will be better in conference play only because this is what JC teams have done during his short time at GW.  Given how the past OOC performances went, nobody had GW beating Davidson two years ago or Duquesne and URI last season.  So I am not saying that the light bulb will never click.

Let me also add that I fully agree that there is zero point in discussing JC's future at GW right now.  It's a pointless discussion.  He is ours and we are his for at least a while longer.  And, let's all assume that JC is a great guy with a competitive fire who desperately wants to turn things around.  Am not sure anyone is suggesting otherwise.

So with all of this out of the way, let's talk basketball.  First, let's talk about what presumably is a JC strength...motivation.  We all saw how this team looked when playing against Maryland.  And, we can all understand why they competed so well that game.  Local rivalry of sorts, chance to play in CP, Lindo returning to CP, etc.  And, nobody should expect that GW take the court each game with this exact same level of motivation against other opponents.  This would admittedly be unrealistic.

However, this team has not looked remotely close to being fired up for a game ever since.  Frankly, this team isn't playing well enough to look past teams if that's what happening.  Assuming this is not the case, this team still needs to show far more enthusiasm.  And that really does start with the coaching staff.   None of us are there day in and day out to see what the staff is doing but whatever is happening, it's clearly not looking.

Perhaps we are looking at a self fulfilling prophecy?  The team takes the court afraid that they are going to lose when they are expected to win, so they perform poorly.  This team needs to be confident against schools from lesser conferences.  They need to know, not think, but know, that they are the better team and go out and play like it.  Since this has happened several years in a row with an entirely different roster, how can you not look at the coaching staff and ask if they are mentally preparing these guys properly?

On offense, much has been written about the team's inability to play as a cohesive unit.  There is a definitive over-reliance on one-on-one basketball, often resulting in low percentage plays with the shot clock winding down.  There is little movement without the ball, little pick setting, little backdoor cutting.  The offense is way too easy to defend.  Perhaps JC doesn't want to put things on film for A10 opponents to see but if this is actually the case, this is ludicrous.  This team needs repetition when it comes to running an actual offense.  The transition offense has been much better as we appear to play more loosely when we are on the break.  But the halfcourt offense has been a nightmare.

One more plea for Brayon...if you looked at who his opponents often were in high school/prep ball/AAU, they were often arguably better players than who he has seen so far in college.  While I understand the hesitancy in throwing a freshman point guard in the deep end too soon, I would add that it was this high level of play that Brayon experienced which makes him very prepared for the college games.  Yes, he will mistakes and refs already seem to be a bit hard on him.  But in my mind, it's worth handing him the keys.  James needn't look at anyone other than Bradley Beal to learn how a guard playing off of the ball can still generate a ton of shots and scoring possibilities.  I've seen enough to believe that James has the chance to be a GREAT shooting guard but not a great point guard.  And in Brayon, you have a natural fit to run the point.  Play Brendan off the bench as the "do everything" role that we envisioned for Amir (but whose minutes must be limited).
 
On defense, we have gotten killed at allowing points in the paint.  This is everything from offensive rebounds to post up moves to penetrating guards.  We are chasing guys off the 3 point line but smart teams know that the way to beat us is to get to the basket.  Come up with ways to prevent this even if that means surrendering a few more 3's. Think about this:  GW is tied for 51st in the country in 3 point FG % defense.  That's really good.  Now, how would you characterize our defense as a whole?  Exactly.

Others may feel differently but I don't feel that are primary issues have to do with talent or effort.  Having a full week off before tomorrow's game has hopefully provided an opportunity to go back to the drawing board.  What I am hoping to see is a team that plays together, that runs an actual offense, and that does a far better job in keeping players out of the paint.  I'd like to see a team that's fired up to have an opportunity to play Division 1 basketball regardless of who the opponent is.  Through 8 games, this team has looked disjointed at times in 7 of them (Maryland being the exception).  

It's time to make some changes and start playing as a unified team.

Good post. And I'll add a plea for Nixon. If there were players ahead of him killing it, maybe I wouldn't feel this way. But there is no good reason to not at least give Nixon some run. 
 

Gwmayhem wrote:

Rising, it sounds like a pipedream to suggest that this team can compete with VCU, Richmond, Dayton, etc. given who it has lost to so far this season.  By the way, I do think we will be better in conference play only because this is what JC teams have done during his short time at GW.  Given how the past OOC performances went, nobody had GW beating Davidson two years ago or Duquesne and URI last season.  So I am not saying that the light bulb will never click.

Let me also add that I fully agree that there is zero point in discussing JC's future at GW right now.  It's a pointless discussion.  He is ours and we are his for at least a while longer.  And, let's all assume that JC is a great guy with a competitive fire who desperately wants to turn things around.  Am not sure anyone is suggesting otherwise.

So with all of this out of the way, let's talk basketball.  First, let's talk about what presumably is a JC strength...motivation.  We all saw how this team looked when playing against Maryland.  And, we can all understand why they competed so well that game.  Local rivalry of sorts, chance to play in CP, Lindo returning to CP, etc.  And, nobody should expect that GW take the court each game with this exact same level of motivation against other opponents.  This would admittedly be unrealistic.

However, this team has not looked remotely close to being fired up for a game ever since.  Frankly, this team isn't playing well enough to look past teams if that's what happening.  Assuming this is not the case, this team still needs to show far more enthusiasm.  And that really does start with the coaching staff.   None of us are there day in and day out to see what the staff is doing but whatever is happening, it's clearly not looking.

Perhaps we are looking at a self fulfilling prophecy?  The team takes the court afraid that they are going to lose when they are expected to win, so they perform poorly.  This team needs to be confident against schools from lesser conferences.  They need to know, not think, but know, that they are the better team and go out and play like it.  Since this has happened several years in a row with an entirely different roster, how can you not look at the coaching staff and ask if they are mentally preparing these guys properly?

On offense, much has been written about the team's inability to play as a cohesive unit.  There is a definitive over-reliance on one-on-one basketball, often resulting in low percentage plays with the shot clock winding down.  There is little movement without the ball, little pick setting, little backdoor cutting.  The offense is way too easy to defend.  Perhaps JC doesn't want to put things on film for A10 opponents to see but if this is actually the case, this is ludicrous.  This team needs repetition when it comes to running an actual offense.  The transition offense has been much better as we appear to play more loosely when we are on the break.  But the halfcourt offense has been a nightmare.

One more plea for Brayon...if you looked at who his opponents often were in high school/prep ball/AAU, they were often arguably better players than who he has seen so far in college.  While I understand the hesitancy in throwing a freshman point guard in the deep end too soon, I would add that it was this high level of play that Brayon experienced which makes him very prepared for the college games.  Yes, he will mistakes and refs already seem to be a bit hard on him.  But in my mind, it's worth handing him the keys.  James needn't look at anyone other than Bradley Beal to learn how a guard playing off of the ball can still generate a ton of shots and scoring possibilities.  I've seen enough to believe that James has the chance to be a GREAT shooting guard but not a great point guard.  And in Brayon, you have a natural fit to run the point.  Play Brendan off the bench as the "do everything" role that we envisioned for Amir (but whose minutes must be limited).
 
On defense, we have gotten killed at allowing points in the paint.  This is everything from offensive rebounds to post up moves to penetrating guards.  We are chasing guys off the 3 point line but smart teams know that the way to beat us is to get to the basket.  Come up with ways to prevent this even if that means surrendering a few more 3's. Think about this:  GW is tied for 51st in the country in 3 point FG % defense.  That's really good.  Now, how would you characterize our defense as a whole?  Exactly.

Others may feel differently but I don't feel that are primary issues have to do with talent or effort.  Having a full week off before tomorrow's game has hopefully provided an opportunity to go back to the drawing board.  What I am hoping to see is a team that plays together, that runs an actual offense, and that does a far better job in keeping players out of the paint.  I'd like to see a team that's fired up to have an opportunity to play Division 1 basketball regardless of who the opponent is.  Through 8 games, this team has looked disjointed at times in 7 of them (Maryland being the exception).  

It's time to make some changes and start playing as a unified team.

Mostly fair points. I think the problem here is that the presumption is that it is all on the coaching staff. In the literal sense it is under the captain of the ship doctrine. And while the coaching staff needs to look in mirror and change some things (and I believe you will see some changes tomorrow without saying more), some of the players who have aspirations to play beyond college need to start playing like it. JC can run all the great offense in the world but if guys can't make shots, it's not going to matter. Offense looks great when shots are falling and pretty bad when they don't. Same offense. Defense is a choose your poison issue. JC has done a far better job than even I thought possible in taking away the three ball. But like anything else when you emphasize one thing so much you give up something else. Ironically even with the poor interior post defense, we have played defense overall well enough to win with some decent offense. In essence, our poor offense has put so much pressure on defense that we have to be near perfect to win.

Point here is if shots start falling consistently at a higher level everyone will find that everything else starts improving. If shots don't, well it will be a year that will rival some of the worst in recent GW history. One of blessings and curses of being a basketball coach is that when shots fall and you play even mediocre defense you are genius and when they don't fall you are a dope.
 

GWRising wrote:

Gwmayhem wrote:

Rising, it sounds like a pipedream to suggest that this team can compete with VCU, Richmond, Dayton, etc. given who it has lost to so far this season.  By the way, I do think we will be better in conference play only because this is what JC teams have done during his short time at GW.  Given how the past OOC performances went, nobody had GW beating Davidson two years ago or Duquesne and URI last season.  So I am not saying that the light bulb will never click.

Let me also add that I fully agree that there is zero point in discussing JC's future at GW right now.  It's a pointless discussion.  He is ours and we are his for at least a while longer.  And, let's all assume that JC is a great guy with a competitive fire who desperately wants to turn things around.  Am not sure anyone is suggesting otherwise.

So with all of this out of the way, let's talk basketball.  First, let's talk about what presumably is a JC strength...motivation.  We all saw how this team looked when playing against Maryland.  And, we can all understand why they competed so well that game.  Local rivalry of sorts, chance to play in CP, Lindo returning to CP, etc.  And, nobody should expect that GW take the court each game with this exact same level of motivation against other opponents.  This would admittedly be unrealistic.

However, this team has not looked remotely close to being fired up for a game ever since.  Frankly, this team isn't playing well enough to look past teams if that's what happening.  Assuming this is not the case, this team still needs to show far more enthusiasm.  And that really does start with the coaching staff.   None of us are there day in and day out to see what the staff is doing but whatever is happening, it's clearly not looking.

Perhaps we are looking at a self fulfilling prophecy?  The team takes the court afraid that they are going to lose when they are expected to win, so they perform poorly.  This team needs to be confident against schools from lesser conferences.  They need to know, not think, but know, that they are the better team and go out and play like it.  Since this has happened several years in a row with an entirely different roster, how can you not look at the coaching staff and ask if they are mentally preparing these guys properly?

On offense, much has been written about the team's inability to play as a cohesive unit.  There is a definitive over-reliance on one-on-one basketball, often resulting in low percentage plays with the shot clock winding down.  There is little movement without the ball, little pick setting, little backdoor cutting.  The offense is way too easy to defend.  Perhaps JC doesn't want to put things on film for A10 opponents to see but if this is actually the case, this is ludicrous.  This team needs repetition when it comes to running an actual offense.  The transition offense has been much better as we appear to play more loosely when we are on the break.  But the halfcourt offense has been a nightmare.

One more plea for Brayon...if you looked at who his opponents often were in high school/prep ball/AAU, they were often arguably better players than who he has seen so far in college.  While I understand the hesitancy in throwing a freshman point guard in the deep end too soon, I would add that it was this high level of play that Brayon experienced which makes him very prepared for the college games.  Yes, he will mistakes and refs already seem to be a bit hard on him.  But in my mind, it's worth handing him the keys.  James needn't look at anyone other than Bradley Beal to learn how a guard playing off of the ball can still generate a ton of shots and scoring possibilities.  I've seen enough to believe that James has the chance to be a GREAT shooting guard but not a great point guard.  And in Brayon, you have a natural fit to run the point.  Play Brendan off the bench as the "do everything" role that we envisioned for Amir (but whose minutes must be limited).
 
On defense, we have gotten killed at allowing points in the paint.  This is everything from offensive rebounds to post up moves to penetrating guards.  We are chasing guys off the 3 point line but smart teams know that the way to beat us is to get to the basket.  Come up with ways to prevent this even if that means surrendering a few more 3's. Think about this:  GW is tied for 51st in the country in 3 point FG % defense.  That's really good.  Now, how would you characterize our defense as a whole?  Exactly.

Others may feel differently but I don't feel that are primary issues have to do with talent or effort.  Having a full week off before tomorrow's game has hopefully provided an opportunity to go back to the drawing board.  What I am hoping to see is a team that plays together, that runs an actual offense, and that does a far better job in keeping players out of the paint.  I'd like to see a team that's fired up to have an opportunity to play Division 1 basketball regardless of who the opponent is.  Through 8 games, this team has looked disjointed at times in 7 of them (Maryland being the exception).  

It's time to make some changes and start playing as a unified team.

Mostly fair points. I think the problem here is that the presumption is that it is all on the coaching staff. In the literal sense it is under the captain of the ship doctrine. And while the coaching staff needs to look in mirror and change some things (and I believe you will see some changes tomorrow without saying more), some of the players who have aspirations to play beyond college need to start playing like it. JC can run all the great offense in the world but if guys can't make shots, it's not going to matter. Offense looks great when shots are falling and pretty bad when they don't. Same offense. Defense is a choose your poison issue. JC has done a far better job than even I thought possible in taking away the three ball. But like anything else when you emphasize one thing so much you give up something else. Ironically even with the poor interior post defense, we have played defense overall well enough to win with some decent offense. In essence, our poor offense has put so much pressure on defense that we have to be near perfect to win.

Point here is if shots start falling consistently at a higher level everyone will find that everything else starts improving. If shots don't, well it will be a year that will rival some of the worst in recent GW history. One of blessings and curses of being a basketball coach is that when shots fall and you play even mediocre defense you are genius and when they don't fall you are a dope.
 

For full transparency, I saw most of the opener, all of the Maryland game, a little bit of UC San Diego, but haven't been able to watch the team since, so it's possible they looked different in Naples than what I was witnessing. However, is your opinion that the team is running really good offense and generating great shots, but guy's are just missing? Because if that's the case we've been seeing two different teams. 

Class of 13, I wouldn't consider their offense to be great but they'd probably have a couple more wins if they were shooting better. I have personally been disappointed by Adams and his three point shooting. I was under the impression he would be a better three point shooter than he has been (and maybe I was misguided for thinking that). He can't keep taking so many of these shots if they aren't falling for him.

gwstudent, my only problem with the "make or miss league" line of thinking, is that it tends to be a one-sided way of looking at things. For example, it's easy to say, "if we had just made a couple more open looks from the perimeter, we would have beat Maryland." It would be just as easy for me to say right back that they could have beat us by 20 if they hit a few more of their open look from the perimeter. If all other facets of the game are equal (meaning shot quality, rebounding, turnovers, FTA etc...), then yes, it is as simple as which team made more shots. My experience watching the team, though, is that we do not come close to consistently generating good shots, or even having good possessions. Aside from some clear curl actions off of horns sets in the Maryland game, we often feel disjointed and lacking structure on the offensive end. 0,1 or 2 pass possessions feel like the norm, as opposed to consistent player and ball movement. Those things to me will always fall on coaching. Players not executing isn't a valid excuse because the coach has a roster of 12 guys that he selected to be here and he only has to play five at a time. 

Steve wrote:

Yep - i don't see how it isn't a coaching issue at heart, when it is plain as day that our players are not playing cohesively on the offensive end. The talent is clear and the talent gap between our guys and some of the lower conference teams is also clear, but it is like night and day as those less talented teams cut us up with basic ball movement while we flounder trying to play hero ball. 

We rank 331st in Assists/game with 10 Apg. That is horrific.

This is definitely a coaching issue.  Everyone on this board knows I'm among the biggest supporters of JC, and that I believe he's highly talented as a coach.  But, ultimately, we have to eliminate what it ISN'T.  It's not the athleticism of the team; the players have plenty of that.  It's not that they can't make their shots; we've seen them do that.  It's not that they don't have experience; they do.

I want JC to succeed; I know all of you do, too.  If he can't figure out how to solve this mental problem, if he can't motivate the players to keep their minds in the game, to strengthen their teamwork and communications on the court, then the results will be as they have been and it's not going to get better.

Missing free throws, jacking up poorly-decided shots, and allowing easy baskets on defense are all fixable.  The players aren't getting it done, so he has to fix the problem.  It's as simple as that.  Either he fixes it, or he doesn't, but he'd better do it soon.

Not a lot left to be said, but I don't agree that this team is "experienced" in that most of them were bench warmers in their previous lives and played few meaningful minutes, especially with the game on the line. Lack of playing time was probably a major consideration for their decisions to transfer. With their talent comes a curse, which is they want to be the Alpha on their teams, and now with five Alphas on the court at the same time, getting to a cohesive offense is a pipe dream. 

If you look back at everything coaches from the professional ranks have said (up to yesterday as pertains to Yuta), the first thing they mention about Yuta, Pato, and Tyler is that they are great team players. We haven't had that in a while. All the turnover in personnel has made things difficult, but a common trait of the teams that have "less talent" and beat us anyway, is that they have a core that has played together for several years. 

With this group, it's hard to say that will happen, because who knows who will still be around next year.

Everything is not as simple as blame the coach. If it was it would be fixed because there aren't a lot of secrets and most guys who get to coach at a mid-major or higher know what they are doing including JC. We have a multitude of problems probably any one could be fatal in any game against any opponent.

1. Giving up offensive rebounds
2. Foul differential and free throw differential - our opponents have made more free throws thatn we have attempted.
3. Three-point shooting. We are shooting a woeful 28.3% from three.
4. Ball movement - 10 assists per game
5. Paint defense

When this many things are broken at once it's hard to figure out which to fix first. The analytics don't show a lot of "bad" shots just a lot of "missed" shots. The one thing is that many of you don't realize that when we are running down the shot clock it's often because (1) the ball didn't go to the right place or (2) someone turned down a good shot earlier. To me the offense is stymied because we don't have anyone who is a great threat to score because no one is shooting well. For example, if Bishop or Adams starts raining threes watch how it opens it up for Lindo or Bamisile. Blockouts are being focused on in every practice but players have to make that non-negotiable during games. Paint defense is largely a function of help side defense and getting guys not to switch on screens so bigs aren't posting up guards in the paint. All of this is known but for it to be put into practice the players have to buy-in.

When I started with the experience issue - sometimes experience is the reason why things that everyone knows to do, don't happen. As Mike Tyson says and probably one the smartest observations ever ... everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Having had experience getting punched in the face helps you maintain the plan or adjust it accordingly.