What does the Memphis loss tell us?

[TuscaloosaTiger 281]

2 hours ago, JwgreDeux said:

I don't think we were watching the same games. The bama houston (71-65) game was a slop-fest as well. Houston shot 39% from the floor and 23% from three, bama shot 40% from the floor and 30% from three, both teams with more turnovers than assists. Just ugly basketball.  Bama's star freshman was 0-8 from the floor and 0-5 from three, really struggled all game. 

 

Davis (their PG) had a nice game, but it wasn't like he was lights out. Shot 47% from the field and 33% from three. He got 7 of his points from the stripe and took 20 shots. He was the best player that night and his 6 assists hurt us, but I think we are overreacting to this one. We didn't play well, but this isn't a sign of the apocalypse. 

Yes, I watched the same UA v Houston game you did. Houston's guards would have embarrassed ours and beaten us by 20 or more points. Great rebounding and team defense was played by two very athletic and physical teams. We were lucky to have been playing Memphis instead of Houston.

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

Memphis ran some 5 out keeping our bigs away from the basket to open up lanes. Our wings/guards struggled with it a bit, but the bottom line is we win that game if we make a few more shots. I know CBP doens't like to restrain guys and gives more green lights than other coaches, but if you go back and watch KD, he has a nice release on catch and shoot 3s, but terrible body control on pull up 3s. He has to stop taking so many pull up 3s and let those shots go to someone else. Westry is further behind as a shooter than I expected after watching the summer games. There will be tweaks to the rotations as this group grows. 

I still think we have the pieces to build into a really good team as the season goes along. 

[Old fan 47 769]

On 12/11/2022 at 9:14 AM, gr82b4au said:

We can’t shoot and the offense is stagnant. Broom is a disappointment so far, Westry is not a point guard ( we have no backup to WG), and JW and AF are not playing well. 
Simply put: we can’t put the ball in the basket. Our schedule has been cupcakes. 
Teams realize we are only good if we have a lot of transition points so they are getting back and clogging the middle. Again, we can’t shoot. There is no Jabari to bail us out. 
 

I agree fully. I really appreciate what BP has done for AU basketball and making it relevant again, but since the Final Four run, even with two top draft picks last year, his teams are not performing as well. Yes, I know he can recruit, but what got AU to the final four a few years ago? Players, that have the ability to make 3 pointers at a higher clip than 7% a game. BP has completely gotten away from why he got us on the map and who cares about 5 stars like Sharife Cooper or others, when they can’t play the position they were recruited to play. What has Westry done, nothing, what about Broome, very little. These guys were considered top recruits, but their play on the court is not translating. Simply put, either this team lacks talent, which so many people think recruiting STARS are automatic, or BP and staff are recruiting the wrong skill players to run the type game he wants. Whatever it is, after getting destroyed by Memphis and barely besting GA ST., this team is in big trouble.