Asked Jamion about the slow starts to the second half in the post game press conference. Here's his response:

"It's been a theme for two years, so we've tried a lot of different things. I mean, I've spoken to sports psychologists. I'm talking to different people. We've had music at halftime, we've tried talking to them. We've tried yelling at them. We tried whispering to them. We've tried a lot of things. I think we're still trying to find the answer there. But I'm definitely not pleased with the way we're starting halves out. I mean, this is the fifth or sixth game we've been up at the half this year. So we're doing the work early. And we're just not starting the half out well enough obviously, as we can all see. So we're gonna just continue to identify it. I do think it's getting better. In the beginning years it was like 13-0 runs to start the half, now it's like 6-0 runs. So we've definitely cut that down some. But we just got to continue to grow as players and come out with a really tough mindset and just trying to continue to get better. And doing in the first four minutes of a half is important to do. We haven't found that solution yet. I know when we do find that solution we're every bit as good."

Last edited by gwstudent2024 (12/01/2021 9:50 pm)

Geno wrote:

The offense stinks of five guys reluctant to pass the ball out of fear of never getting it back. Unwatchable.

It looks like streetball out there. Five guys running around for themselves. Chucking up shots.

I think our team is pretty well summarized in the final two plays. Great talent. I forgot whoever it was, but on the second to last play, one of our players outjumped his BU defender to get the offensive rebound. But the final play was a total bust.

Lots of talent. Just not well coached. This game was pretty boring, too.

PKGW wrote:

Undisciplined players = poor coaching

We are SUPER undisciplined.

gwstudent2024 wrote:

Asked Jamion about the slow starts to the second half in the post game press conference. Here's his response:

"It's been a theme for two years, so we've tried a lot of different things. I mean, I've spoken to sports psychologists. I'm talking to different people. We've had music at halftime, we've tried talking to them. We've tried yelling at them. We tried whispering to them. We've tried a lot of things. I think we're still trying to find the answer there. But I'm definitely not pleased with the way we're starting halves out. I mean, this is the fifth or sixth game we've been up at the half this year. So we're doing the work early. And we're just not starting the half out well enough obviously, as we can all see. So we're gonna just continue to identify it. I do think it's getting better. In the beginning years it was like 13-0 runs to start the half, now it's like 6-0 runs. So we've definitely cut that down some. But we just got to continue to grow as players and come out with a really tough mindset and just trying to continue to get better. And doing in the first four minutes of a half is important to do. We haven't found that solution yet. I know when we do find that solution we're every bit as good."

Long "old fuddydud telling a convoluted story in a rabbinical style" warning: In the early 1990´s I covered the Costa Rican national football/soccer team´s failed attempt to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. In their first match of the final stage, they were up 2-0 at halftime at home against Honduras in what was basically the match that would determine Costa Rica´s fate. Honduras brought in a striker who played in England off the bench at the half and 12 mins later the match was even and Honduras would dominate the second half and eventually get the win. Asked after the match why his team went from dominating to getting its ass handed to it, the coach answered "there is no scientific explaination for what happened." A few mins later I asked the team´s captain and he said no one on the bench pointed out the substitution to the players until after the second goal had been scored and a substitution had been used to replace an injured forward for another forward (when the midfield needed shoring up). So, how does this relate? Well, turning those 13-0 runs to 6-0 runs (and tonight it was a 12-2 run, just to be accurate) but not knowing why they happen is a bit like not noticing the other team is doing something different until your chances of getting to the World Cup have set sail on a banana boat.
End rant. 

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. 

Some other observations while it’s on my mind.

- Their big man was killing us in the post, just taking his time and backing out bigs down.he was only 7-16, but got our front court in foul trouble and I’m guessing they got a number of easy putbacks on his misses (could be wrong on that)   It was frustrating on three levels.  First, that our bigs couldn’t guard him.  Second, that we never adjusted to have a wing or guard dig down to help on it - we are quick enough that a good coach would teach them how to help down low and recover to contest a three (Jarvis was great at teaching that)!   Third, it was frustrating that we don’t have anyone like that with Lee injured.

- 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. 

-   Whoever said Bishop ball hogging was a problem is nuts.  He played well and was our only consistent scorer.   Even shot 10-19.

- JC made a bad mistake taking Freeman out at around 4:45 and not putting him back in until it was too late. Freeman was playing well and attacking the defense.  Our offense stagnated when he came out, and JC was WAY to slow to adjust.

- Bam had a horrible game.  Took bad contested shots or threes out of rhythm all game.  And a game crushing mental error late when we got a fast break with under a minute to go.  If you didn’t see it, Noel Brown gets a good block, Bam grabs the loose ball and starts to go, one on one.  Clearly he’s thinking dunk, but he doesn’t see Bishop streaking 25 feet up the court with literally no defender within 50 feet of him. Crowd can all see it and as Bam approaches half court  and Bishop is getting toward the 3 point line with no defense back, he looks up and finally passes it, but throws it behind James out of bounds.  It was a soul crushing turnover. 

- when we were down 2 with 16 seconds left, after the time out, we wound up with a Bam 3 - which is a bad shot with the game on the line.  I’m not going to say that’s how JC drew it up because I don’t know.  Freeman drove, drew multiple defenders, and found the open man, which was Bam (maybe BU intentionally left him, daring him to beat us?).  Bam was in rhythm off the good pass, but he probably still couldn’t have driven and passed, instead of shooting, since there was time left.  If the play was designed for a Bam three, that’s just dumb so I doubt it was the play. 

- Sure looked like Lindo got hacked across the arms on the final play.  From my angle, even though refs often swallow their whistles at the end, I was actually shocked because it seemed so obvious and clearly disrupted a pretty good shot.  I probably need to go back to see the TV, but it sure looked strange not to have a whistle there. 

- FT differential once again a killer.   We only took 2 FTs in the second half, and 6 for the game.  BU made 13 FTs, we only took 6.  Not blaming the refs for that (though they did miss a few).  I remember that being the kind of detail ML used to harp on - he wanted us making more FTs than our opponents took and we often did.  But we also aren’t going to get to the line when all we do is take pull ups off the dribble, threes without dribbling, and fadeaways in the post.  Are the coaches teaching them how to get to the line?   It’s bad.

- Adams defense was pretty good, but got God sakes man, move the ball quickly instead of just holding it and looking around every time it’s passed to you. 

-Lindo showed signs of regaining confidence after a couple of early misses, but then he was not involved in the offense down the stretch at all.  He did have some sick blocks in the game.

-Hunter Dean racked up the fouls.  He picked up his 3rd 25 feet from the basket, and he almost picked it up twice out there right before that.  I don’t know what he was thinking reaching like that so far from the basket. We need him on the court. 

- Tyler Warner.  I didn’t even know we had a guy with that name on the team. Probably a hard worker, but I don’t understand why he got 7 minutes. It’s not like he was putting up much resistance inside or getting any rebounds (he did get one stop, where the BU put up a wild shot while Warner just stood still, after easily giving up 2 layups just before).  Yeah, who knew we had a Tyler Warner? 

- will Amir Harris ever shoot again?

- 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.

“ We've had music at halftime, we've tried talking to them.”

Yes. It’s come to this. And it’s time for this Bozo and his overseer to go.

Found it interesting that in one of the late timeouts,our team was on the court while the cheer teams were still performing. And JC was talking to his coaches.
  Meanwhile, the BU coach was still instructing his players huddled around him.

jf wrote:

Found it interesting that in one of the late timeouts,our team was on the court while the cheer teams were still performing. And JC was talking to his coaches.
Meanwhile, the BU coach was still instructing his players huddled around him.

I noticed the same thing on a couple of occasions.    More and more, Christian seems like a nice guy who is in over his head at this level.     

I think they're ripping bongs at halftime.

A couple of positive observations.

1. The final play drawn up to Lindo was actually decent.

2. The student section was fairly full which was nice to see, especially 1-2 weeks before finals and on a Wed night.