Pretty pathetic attempt in SEC Tournament

[BHDAU1 240]

This is exactly what I was afraid of.  We are relying on way too many 3-point shots when we have not only very capable big men in the paint but the ability to drive into the paint for points.  The first half pretty much sunk the whole game for me.  At one point I looked on espn gamecast and we had shot two times as many three pooint shots as we had 2 point shots.  That is NOT going to get it done.  We do not have a Bryce Brown or Harper on this team that reliably hits 3's when we need them.  Jabari is the closest thing Auburn has and he settled for contested threes instead of creating his own shot inside.  This is a VERY bad start to the NCAA Tourney.  Pretty much the only thing I felt Auburn needed to do to have a good chance of going far in the NCAA tourney was win at least one game in the SEC tourney.  There is no excuse for losing against Texas A&M on a neutral court. Would have been nice to be a 1 seed for once but maybe at least this way the team realizes that they aren't all that and a bag of chips.  We can't play anything but the very best basketball they are capable of playing every minute of every game.  If the outside shots are not falling for the love of GOD PLEASE go inside!!!!!  I hope Bruce chews their asses out the entire ride back to Auburn and then they get to doa nice walk of shame from the bus once in Auburn.  Pitiful how they did not play together as a team nor did they play with equal or greater energy than their opponent.  Those ate two things at least that is completely under their control that they just totally crapped on.  

Edited March 11, 2022 by BHDAU1

[fishepa 1,902]

As the season has gone on, teams have adjusted to our type of play.  Defenses are "packing it in" the lanes so our guards can't drive.  This leads to many open 3's and we are not a good shooting team.  When our guards to decide to drive and create contact, fouls are generally not being called.  Teams know we are not good shooters so they're giving us pretty much uncontested 3's.  Gotta shoot out of this, if we can't we will lose early.  We shot 25% from 3 and A&M shot 50% which is the reason we lost.

[AUloggerhead 2,229]

1 hour ago, BHDAU1 said:

This is exactly what I was afraid of.  We are relying on way too many 3-point shots when we have not only very capable big men in the paint but the ability to drive into the paint for points.  The first half pretty much sunk the whole game for me.  At one point I looked on espn gamecast and we had shot two times as many three pooint shots as we had 2 point shots.  That is NOT going to get it done.  We do not have a Bryce Brown or Harper on this team that reliably hits 3's when we need them.  Jabari is the closest thing Auburn has and he settled for contested threes instead of creating his own shot inside.  This is a VERY bad start to the NCAA Tourney.  Pretty much the only thing I felt Auburn needed to do to have a good chance of going far in the NCAA tourney was win at least one game in the SEC tourney.  There is no excuse for losing against Texas A&M on a neutral court. Would have been nice to be a 1 seed for once but maybe at least this way the team realizes that they aren't all that and a bag of chips.  We can't play anything but the very best basketball they are capable of playing every minute of every game.  If the outside shots are not falling for the love of GOD PLEASE go inside!!!!!  I hope Bruce chews their asses out the entire ride back to Auburn and then they get to doa nice walk of shame from the bus once in Auburn.  Pitiful how they did not play together as a team nor did they play with equal or greater energy than their opponent.  Those ate two things at least that is completely under their control that they just totally crapped on.  

Spot on.  The trouble with "going inside" is that except for Jabari Smith, AU has no one else that can consistently generate points 1-on-1.  Can't understand why Kessler doesn't have any inside moves or at least a turn-around jumper close in.  With his height, who's going to block that?  If he's going to stay for next season, I'd like to see him bulk up in the weight room and develop an inside game.   

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

1 hour ago, fishepa said:

As the season has gone on, teams have adjusted to our type of play.  Defenses are "packing it in" the lanes so our guards can't drive.  This leads to many open 3's and we are not a good shooting team.  When our guards to decide to drive and create contact, fouls are generally not being called.  Teams know we are not good shooters so they're giving us pretty much uncontested 3's.  Gotta shoot out of this, if we can't we will lose early.  We shot 25% from 3 and A&M shot 50% which is the reason we lost.

Can we at least try mid range shots though? lol. I have to laugh this off from crying. But some guys on the team should NEVER be shooting 3s. I mean NEVER! 

[Cardin Drake 1,826]

1 hour ago, fishepa said:

As the season has gone on, teams have adjusted to our type of play.  Defenses are "packing it in" the lanes so our guards can't drive.  This leads to many open 3's and we are not a good shooting team.  When our guards to decide to drive and create contact, fouls are generally not being called.  Teams know we are not good shooters so they're giving us pretty much uncontested 3's.  Gotta shoot out of this, if we can't we will lose early.  We shot 25% from 3 and A&M shot 50% which is the reason we lost.

This is a pretty good summary.  While you gotta take what the other team is giving you,  if we don't adjust to the adjustments that teams are making, we are going to have a short trip thru the big dance.   Hope this last kick in the groin leads to some soul searching that generates some answers.  Bruce has some serious work to do to get this team ready.

Edited March 11, 2022 by Cardin Drake

[e808 3,025]

10 minutes ago, Cardin Drake said:

This is a pretty good summary.  While you gotta take what the other team is giving you,  if we don't adjust to the adjustments that teams are making, we are going to have a short trip thru the big dance.   Hope this last kick in the groin leads to some soul searching that generates some answers.  Bruce has some serious work to do to get this team ready.

I agree just because it’s open doesn’t mean u have to shoot it. Move in to get a better shot. Some points are better than no points. If the mentality is to shoot it because u open then the tournament run gonna be short unless somehow they get hot

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

Multiple times today Kessler was isolated in the paint with a much smaller player on him. Where all we had to do was throw it height to him but instead our guards jacked up 3's. Cole has mentioned this multiple times over last few years our guards don't know how to feed our big men when the get position. This was also one of Jabari's worse games at least twice he got great position inside on a smaller man with an easy shot and he short armed it. Earlier in the season it was mentioned that he had trouble when smaller men bodied him up.  Last few games he made them pay when they did that this game he was timid like earlier in the year. Kessler also got abused inside today by shorter player who bodied into Kessler to get the space to score. 

There is little doubt in my mind that Kessler will go Pro after the year but if he doesn't get bigger and stronger he will get abused as a defender as the pro centers are all taller then the A&M Center and thicker and Kessler will have trouble with that. 

 

 

[tightendoverthemiddle 102]

Ya take the mid 70s bunch.. 2 points per bucket 

and match them vs this "throw it up from the corner bunch"

more like throw up bunch, give them the 3 points they so crave..

 

70s bunch in a runaway... Bob Davis

Edited March 11, 2022 by tightendoverthemiddle

[e808 3,025]

11 minutes ago, AuburnNTexas said:

Multiple times today Kessler was isolated in the paint with a much smaller player on him. Where all we had to do was throw it height to him but instead our guards jacked up 3's. Cole has mentioned this multiple times over last few years our guards don't know how to feed our big men when the get position. This was also one of Jabari's worse games at least twice he got great position inside on a smaller man with an easy shot and he short armed it. Earlier in the season it was mentioned that he had trouble when smaller men bodied him up.  Last few games he made them pay when they did that this game he was timid like earlier in the year. Kessler also got abused inside today by shorter player who bodied into Kessler to get the space to score. 

There is little doubt in my mind that Kessler will go Pro after the year but if he doesn't get bigger and stronger he will get abused as a defender as the pro centers are all taller then the A&M Center and thicker and Kessler will have trouble with that. 

 

 

Actually there are maybe a hand full of big men that actually play like centers in the NBA. Most are to busy trying to shoot threes. So he should be fine

[e808 3,025]

4 minutes ago, tightendoverthemiddle said:

Ya take the mid 70s bunch.. 2 points per bucket 

and match them vs this "throw it up from the corner bunch"

more like throw up bunch, give them the 3 points they so crave..

 

70s bunch in a runaway... Bob Davis

Same method Phil Jackson used with Shaq vs Dantoni’s Suns. U not gonna hit 3s all day but u can get killed inside with 2s

[JMassie11 1,610]

Look let’s be real here for a min. Yes it’s disappointing but definitely not end of the world. Having a bye hurt us this game wether you want to believe it or not. The refs let A&M play extremely physical which took the team by surprise first half. They closed off the lanes and as a team just didn’t shoot the ball. That part is what it is. If shooting is the problem right now I’d rather have the extra days rest and get to the drawing board rather than grind out 2 wins in the conference tournament. 

[SaturdayGT 719]

Kinda new to following B-ball....does this end the season for us? 

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

12 minutes ago, SaturdayGT said:

Kinda new to following B-ball....does this end the season for us? 

No next is the NCAA tournament where because of this game we are probably a 2 seed.

[NoALtiger 3,857]

Big crowd and would have been crazy tomorrow, what a letdown. Guard play is doodoo. 

[passthebiscuits 6,845]

Bad guard play. Bad shooting team. 
we aren’t going far I’m afraid. 

[kennypowers 1,431]

We shot more 3s than 2s against a smaller team.   We have 2 3P shooters...one of which rides the bench.  Crazy.  

[kennypowers 1,431]

1985 the only thing sticking in my mind 😑😞

[TexasTiger 12,838]

Brilliant move to rest up for NCAAs!  😉

[creed 1,635]

2 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

Multiple times today Kessler was isolated in the paint with a much smaller player on him. Where all we had to do was throw it height to him but instead our guards jacked up 3's. Cole has mentioned this multiple times over last few years our guards don't know how to feed our big men when the get position. This was also one of Jabari's worse games at least twice he got great position inside on a smaller man with an easy shot and he short armed it. Earlier in the season it was mentioned that he had trouble when smaller men bodied him up.  Last few games he made them pay when they did that this game he was timid like earlier in the year. Kessler also got abused inside today by shorter player who bodied into Kessler to get the space to score. 

There is little doubt in my mind that Kessler will go Pro after the year but if he doesn't get bigger and stronger he will get abused as a defender as the pro centers are all taller then the A&M Center and thicker and Kessler will have trouble with that. 

 

 

I love Kessler's defensive game, but offensively I doubt he gets selected in the top 2/3 rounds of the pros. Actually, he is a liability from an offensive standpoint from a pro perspective. He needs, some center moves if he's going to play center in the pros (hook, mid range jumper,  and better free throw shooting). If he projects as a forward in the pros then I'm not sure he goes high at all.

[oracle79 3,569]

40 minutes ago, kennypowers said:

1985 the only thing sticking in my mind 😑😞

Spiders?

[SumterAubie 3,031]

The problem is not the shooting of three pointers. The problem is the missing of them. 

[MaxCohen216 514]

Virginia traveled.

[MaxCohen216 514]

The thing that irks me is that we were taking bad shots most of the game, yet Pearl said at halftime that we were taking good shots that just weren't falling.  Is he afraid to rein in his own team?  I don't know.

KD was 0-14 shooting from the field.  He missed his first 10 shots, then kept shooting?  Didn't get to the foul line even once.

A&M looked like they wanted it more.  They were more energetic than us, yet they played an overtime game yesterday.

We have a great front court and had a height advantage today, yet we shot (and missed) 3 after 3 after 3 after 3.  And Pearl didn't do anything about it.

In our last nine games, we've lost four - after starting 22-1 and taking our jerseys off after every win doing the Karate Kid bird thing.  That's long gone now.

I'm really bummed.

[ArgoEagle 1,779]

33 minutes ago, SumterAubie said:

The problem is not the shooting of three pointers. The problem is the missing of them. 

That's what I was saying listening to Sonny Smith make excuses why we were missing and how to fix it.

Quit making excuses and reasoning out and simply Put The Ball in the Hole!!!!!!!

[penguin149 391]

This team is average away from their home court.  Unless Auburn is hosting an NCAA regional (sarcasm).... we're toast.