What is off about this team?

[jared52 4,354]

No chemistry (all me first on both ends). No leadership. No composure. Every game they get worse and worse. It’s like watching Barbee era ball and it’s very frustrating. 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

See uab and then repeat every game since then against good opponents. 

No offensive identity, no defense, and poor chemistry. Team is lost right now. We may win a few games on talent alone but this is not a “Team” 

[CameronCrazy 1,054]

Didn’t Chad Prewett coach the defense last year in place of Chuck Person? Didn’t we move him to an off-the-court position this year? Our defense is back to looking like it did in 2017. We need Mr. Prewett back on the court.

[AU64 10,122]

8 hours ago, CameronCrazy said:

Didn’t Chad Prewett coach the defense last year in place of Chuck Person? Didn’t we move him to an off-the-court position this year? Our defense is back to looking like it did in 2017. We need Mr. Prewett back on the court.

Isn't young Pearl the guy coaching defense ?..thought I remembered that change of assignments last year?. 

[aujeff11 6,243]

1 hour ago, AU64 said:

Isn't young Pearl the guy coaching defense ?..thought I remembered that change of assignments last year?. 

Would make sense. Every time I see young Pearl his hands are in his pocket, looking around, and not coaching anybody.

[tigeraddikt 1,590]

I have wondered about Steven Pearl's coaching influence on the team. He is always seen meekly lurking in Bruce's shadow kinda like a dapper GQ wallflower. He certainly doesn't seem to have the demeanor or delivery of pops. Just wondering what his contributions are.

[AU64 10,122]

14 minutes ago, tigeraddikt said:

I have wondered about Steven Pearl's coaching influence on the team. He is always seen meekly lurking in Bruce's shadow kinda like a dapper GQ wallflower. He certainly doesn't seem to have the demeanor or delivery of pops. Just wondering what his contributions are.

The hazards of nepotism.....nobody is really able to ask the HC  about his assistants and how they are doing. ...and expect an impartial response...  JMO but BP has gotten a free pass from the media with his coaching hires...so how long does that continue? . 

[Gowebb11 9,305]

I hate to say it, but to me the parallels between Gus and Bruce right now is frightening. Both returned a highly ranked team loaded with veteran talent, and the minute the game plan doesn’t work, the ability to make adjustments or change direction is absent. Juniors and senior  who should be team leaders have regressed. I’m sick of AU’s track record of high expectation teams underperforming. It is maddening. 

[AU64 10,122]

1 hour ago, Gowebb11 said:

I hate to say it, but to me the parallels between Gus and Bruce right now is frightening. Both returned a highly ranked team loaded with veteran talent, and the minute the game plan doesn’t work, the ability to make adjustments or change direction is absent. Juniors and senior  who should be team leaders have regressed. I’m sick of AU’s track record of high expectation teams underperforming. It is maddening. 

Yep....there are always good explanations for the "demise" but....it still turns out to be so dismaying when it happens.   

[alexava 6,972]

We turn it over way too much. We don’t move without the ball. Our opponents get too many 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances at put backs. We not only don’t get enough offensive rebounds, we too often  don’t even have a player anywhere near the lane to contest a rebound. On defense our opponents get easy scores from penetrating and dishing when our defense adjusts to the ball. We never do that on our end. Not sure if our offense is not good at it or our defense is that bad. 

I still like to watch the team play but it’s all or nothing with the three balls.

[Sani-Freeze 552]

2 hours ago, Gowebb11 said:

I hate to say it, but to me the parallels between Gus and Bruce right now is frightening. Both returned a highly ranked team loaded with veteran talent, and the minute the game plan doesn’t work, the ability to make adjustments or change direction is absent. Juniors and senior  who should be team leaders have regressed. I’m sick of AU’s track record of high expectation teams underperforming. It is maddening. 

I have to disagree here - Gus inherited a program just two years removed from winning the national championship, with a good amount of talent still on the roster. 

Bruce inherited a program that was one of the very worst in the country for nearly 15 years, and had absolutely no talent. Sure, this particular team may be underachieving relative to its talent - but Bruce is absolutely the only reason there is any talent at all on the AU campus to begin with. Huge difference from Gus. Bruce may not be perfect, but we need to all be thankful he stuck around and made this program competitive. I'm disappointed in the results we are seeing on the court, but I'm giving him a pass for whatever happens this season. 

[AU64 10,122]

34 minutes ago, alexava said:

Our opponents get too many 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances at put backs. We not only don’t get enough offensive rebounds, we too often  don’t even have a player anywhere near the lane to contest a rebound.

Not sure if this is gonna change anytime soon. Looking at our next incoming class and no serous size in the group....looks like a new round of players pretty much like what we have now ….bunch of jumpers but not the kind that are gonna close off the lane and dare anyone to take it to the hole.   Hoping we pick up some bulk from somewhere to help AW...assuming he's back for next year. 

[cole256 17,039]

2 hours ago, Gowebb11 said:

I hate to say it, but to me the parallels between Gus and Bruce right now is frightening. Both returned a highly ranked team loaded with veteran talent, and the minute the game plan doesn’t work, the ability to make adjustments or change direction is absent. Juniors and senior  who should be team leaders have regressed. I’m sick of AU’s track record of high expectation teams underperforming. It is maddening. 

Key people were lost that many assumed weren't a big deal.....many were wrong

[alexava 6,972]

23 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Not sure if this is gonna change anytime soon. Looking at our next incoming class and no serous size in the group....looks like a new round of players pretty much like what we have now ….bunch of jumpers but not the kind that are gonna close off the lane and dare anyone to take it to the hole.   Hoping we pick up some bulk from somewhere to help AW...assuming he's back for next year. 

I know we are not big but last year we did better. We don’t use our bodies/ position enough. Desean Murray was very good at this as  6’3” pf. I think it was the Kentucky game Harper was in the paint and tried to one hand a rebound. Uk player not much bigger broke through unseen grabbed it an got an easy bucket. You have to see that box him out and let a teammate get it or get fouled. It doesn’t really take talent or size to do that. Just awareness and discipline. Murray could have taught a class on it. Dunbar is also pretty good at this type of awareness. 

[alexava 6,972]

I happen to think we actually have pretty good size. Especially if Wiley is playing. We have been much smaller. 

[AURex 1,983]

Okay, so I'm curious why Harper and Brown continually drive to the basket, knowing that Wiley is gone and no other Auburn "bigs" are moving bodies, and they get stuffed over and over and over.

Is this CBP game plan, or is it just these guys trying (ineffectively) to do something other than pump 3s?

I don't know the answer to this and I don't understand it.

 

[AU64 10,122]

11 minutes ago, alexava said:

I happen to think we actually have pretty good size. Especially if Wiley is playing. We have been much smaller. 

Gee...I don't know.....6-8 and 220 pounds is not much beef to work in the lane.   Even AW who has the size is not aggressive enough to force the issue inside and Spencer was manhandled by USCe as was AMac.    Okeke looks like he would rather play outside...and there is not much blocking out and as AU Rex noted, our smaller guys go to the hoop and have nobody keeping defenders off them.     

JMO but outside shooting is our only real offensive hope and we just have to hope that one or two guys hit a reasonable percentage...and live with the rebound and foul shot deficit.     Can't just swap 3 point shots however. 

[alexava 6,972]

8 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Gee...I don't know.....6-8 and 220 pounds is not much beef to work in the lane.   Even AW who has the size is not aggressive enough to force the issue inside and Spencer was manhandled by USCe as was AMac.    Okeke looks like he would rather play outside...and there is not much blocking out and as AU Rex noted, our smaller guys go to the hoop and have nobody keeping defenders off them.     

JMO but outside shooting is our only real offensive hope and we just have to hope that one or two guys hit a reasonable percentage...and live with the rebound and foul shot deficit.     Can't just swap 3 point shots however. 

I admit “ pretty good “ is not factual. But good enough, even better than last year unless I’m forgetting someone. 

[bigbird 60,367]

1 hour ago, cole256 said:

Key people were lost that many assumed weren't a big deal.....many were wrong

Yep! Remind me who was it that  thought Doughty would be able to easily replace Heron.  

 

😁

[alexava 6,972]

12 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Yep! Remind me who was it that  thought Doughty would be able to easily replace Heron.  

 

😁

I thought prrifoy returning would nullify losing Heron. I thought Wiley would easily nullify losing Murray. Then Mac being back healthy. I have been wrong before but On paper this is disappointing. The good news ( maybe) is none of these players are “ enter the draft early “ type players. 

[AU64 10,122]

9 minutes ago, alexava said:

I thought prrifoy returning would nullify losing Heron. I thought Wiley would easily nullify losing Murray. Then Mac being back healthy. I have been wrong before but On paper this is disappointing. The good news ( maybe) is none of these players are “ enter the draft early “ type players. 

Agree...returning players should have covered the losses....but all seem to lack the attitude of the departed players.....well except for Dunbar.

[tgrogan21 6,198]

All of you people who want to trash Pearl are out of your minds. Disappointing season or not the only reason that we are in this position (being upset that we're not winning games) is because of what Coach Pearl has brought to the Auburn Basketball program. I am one of those people who tried to get into watching AU Basketball during the Barbee years and couldn't stomach sitting through one game. This year might not be as good as last year but I also think that Pearl coached out of his effing mind last year to get us a SEC Championship. Now that we lost 2 main key pieces of our team last year we're not as good but, my god, we're miles better than we were without  Coach Pearl.

I think some people should go back and watch the Barbee years to see just how bad we were and then thank our lucky stars that we were able to get a coach that is as good as Bruce Pearl. 

[alexava 6,972]

I’m not happy with the fundamentals I see. But I’m not trashing Pearl. At least not intentionally. We are better than we were before he arrived. And like Gus, we ain’t got top five coaches lined up to replace him. It’s ride or die. 

[bigbird 60,367]

2 hours ago, AU64 said:

Agree...returning players should have covered the losses....but all seem to lack the attitude of the departed players.....well except for Dunbar.

Except the returning players didn't remotely have the same skill set.  We don't have anyone that can consistently drive and be effective at the rim. We also don't have anyone that crashes the boards like Heron or Murray did.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,640]

5 hours ago, AURex said:

Okay, so I'm curious why Harper and Brown continually drive to the basket, knowing that Wiley is gone and no other Auburn "bigs" are moving bodies, and they get stuffed over and over and over.

Is this CBP game plan, or is it just these guys trying (ineffectively) to do something other than pump 3s?

I don't know the answer to this and I don't understand it.

 

I mean someone has to drive or the 3 pt shooting is gonna be even more abysmal, but they just arent very crafty finishers usually. Jared is worlds better than BB, but thats not saying the most, per se. For Jared, he has a solid floater and solid lay up package, but he doesnt create enough space relative to his stature and as you partially mentioned, you can help off of everyone else because the bigs arent great rebounders, plus the shooters arent that good. 

not to mention the guards arent very good passing off the drive