We had one stretch where all the wrong dudes were taking the shots. Dre? He plays hard, gives 100%, but offensively if we are to rely on him as a go to guy? If that’s the case, we are simply screwed.
12/1/21 LOUISVILLE AT #22 MICHIGAN STATE GAME THREAD - 7:15 PM ESPN
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Might be able to get the shooters better looks with his ability to beat his own guy.
Need Withers to stop floating around like a 3. He is a 4 here. That's on Mack to fix.
Yeah Ellis drive and kick to the open shooter could definitely be a key play.
I can't tell you how frustrated I get watching Withers floating around outside, especially when he immediately pulls up for a 3 at the beginning of the shot clock. Williams too.
Somebody said that it's a 4 out 1 in offense so Withers is just following the game plan, but if that's true it needs to change now.
He needs to correct his weak side defense collapsing all the way to the paint and leaving shooters for wide open 3s . That happened way too often allowing them to build a significant lead after cutting it to 3 early in the 2nd half. And I was disappointed he didn’t correct that immediately.
If Withers and Malik shot a decent percentage from 3 then that would probably work but we cannot even get our supposedly best shooter to even shoot 25 percent.
Tonight, Cross had three wide open looks behind the arc and he missed them all. I'm not counting that 30 foot airball he shot.
If the fast offense is what Mack's going with this season, these guys are going to have to take better shots and shoot a decent percentage or we're NIT bound again.
I don't like the new offense where everyone on the court think's they're Steff Curry if they're open for a second behind the arc. They shoot it like it's a layup for them and they're shooting 27 percent from 3.
Mack has to get control of the offense and who shoots the quick 3.
In my opinion of course.
Tonight, Cross had three wide open looks behind the arc and he missed them all. I'm not counting that 30 foot airball he shot.
If the fast offense is what Mack's going with this season, these guys are going to have to take better shots and shoot a decent percentage or we're NIT bound again.
I don't like the new offense where everyone on the court think's they're Steff Curry if they're open for a second behind the arc. They shoot it like it's a layup for them and they're shooting 27 percent from 3.
Mack has to get control of the offense and who shoots the quick 3.
In my opinion of course.
This early season so far has shown me one thing; there is a lot of individual talent on this roster, but inconsistent performances from one game to the next, and in some cases from one moment to the next.
At times, Samuel Williamson has been really effective shooting his mid-range jumper and rebounding with confidence, only to turnaround and play as poorly as he has ever performed as a Cardinal. In only 7 minutes, Sam failed to score, committing 4 TOs and 3 fouls.
Cross has also shown plenty of contribution beyond just his prolific 3 point shooting, but since the finger and the flu, he has not been effective at all.
Early in pre-season, Locke started out looking like he was going to pickup where he left off at UF, only to find himself in a slump that is as bad as we have seen here in quite awhile.
Same with Withers, Williams and Davis ……..one game they play up to their expectation, only to revert back to turning the ball over, taking ill-advised shots and lapses on the defensive end.
Ellis; go figure? ….. he showed a few flashes of talent leading up to last night‘s game, but really struggled up until the last 8 minutes where he looked every bit as one of the very best JUCO Guards in America.
Losing sucks, and all the potential in the world only goes so far, but I still see a great deal of individual talent and depth on this team that has time to put it together. What was expected to be a significant improvement from last year in shooting the 3, has failed to produce. As several noted in this thread ……. If the 3 point shots were falling, that alone could have changed the outcome.
At times, Samuel Williamson has been really effective shooting his mid-range jumper and rebounding with confidence, only to turnaround and play as poorly as he has ever performed as a Cardinal. In only 7 minutes, Sam failed to score, committing 4 TOs and 3 fouls.
Cross has also shown plenty of contribution beyond just his prolific 3 point shooting, but since the finger and the flu, he has not been effective at all.
Early in pre-season, Locke started out looking like he was going to pickup where he left off at UF, only to find himself in a slump that is as bad as we have seen here in quite awhile.
Same with Withers, Williams and Davis ……..one game they play up to their expectation, only to revert back to turning the ball over, taking ill-advised shots and lapses on the defensive end.
Ellis; go figure? ….. he showed a few flashes of talent leading up to last night‘s game, but really struggled up until the last 8 minutes where he looked every bit as one of the very best JUCO Guards in America.
Losing sucks, and all the potential in the world only goes so far, but I still see a great deal of individual talent and depth on this team that has time to put it together. What was expected to be a significant improvement from last year in shooting the 3, has failed to produce. As several noted in this thread ……. If the 3 point shots were falling, that alone could have changed the outcome.
Not the same " Bill" Withers I saw last season. I hate watching guys parked out on the 3 point line. Where is the cutting?
That’s the way man-to-man defense is taught. You don’t hug your man when the ball is opposite. You get flat or below your man, “seeing both” and you’re either one foot in the lane or straddling the “help line.” Yes, you can deviate from it if instructed by the staff, but if he’s not “playing help” in the lane the staff would be ripping his butt and subbing him out. Plus, if he’s leaving the lane opposite his man to help if someone gets beat another teammate is responsible for “helping the helper.” Go to YouTube and watch any “Shell Drill” video, it’s simply the way man defense is taught.
the offensive schemes are so bad. every Mack team goes through the same droughts with frequent scores in the low 60s range. the only option is to chuck up 3 point shots because there is no spacing on the floor. very few pick and rolls, cutting to the basket, dribble hand offs.
have to place Sam and Withers in positions where they take 3 dribbles at most.
start Ellis. set a max cap of 18 threes a game rather than 27. that is 9 a half.
have to place Sam and Withers in positions where they take 3 dribbles at most.
start Ellis. set a max cap of 18 threes a game rather than 27. that is 9 a half.
Dre Davis should be halfway between the lane and the 3 point line not standing under the basket with Williams waiting on rebounds. How the hell can you close out on a 3 point shooter when your in the paint and they reverse the ball to the weak side and the shooter is standing there with no defender within 15 feet? I have played winter league basketball with the likes of Louie Dampier . Yes you flatten out the weak side some but you don’t leave you’re man totally and go stand under the basket. That is why they lost last night 4 uncontested 3 pointers that’s 12 points they lost by 9. I don’t blame it on missed shots. They failed to correct it and let it happen over and over.
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This is a real interesting point.
As others have said, I think the difficulty in those 3 pt attempts is also issue in addition to the volume you point out. And the personnel that's hoisting. Issue.
I blame lapses on defense not missed shots some nights you’re not going to shoot well. But you can not leave shooters wide open for uncontested 3s They hit 4 of them and game over.
It depends on where the ball is in relation to the man you are guarding. You cannot just say Dre or anyone else “should be halfway between the lane and the 3 point line.” It also is dependent on “how many passes away your man is from the ball.” The bulk of coaches teach man-to-man to have either one foot in the lane or straddling the center point or help line. As the ball reverses the distance closes on the defender.
I don’t know the fine details of his defense however if they are instructed to collapse to the lane whoever has the responsibility of covering the shooter on the weak side failed miserably. When they are shooting wide open shots and there is not even a Louisville Jersey on my tv screen that’s a problem. And it happened 4 times and he made absolutely no adjustments. If it wasn’t for Ellis going off at the end he would have been blown out by 25. He should watch the women’s team they play tough physical smothering defense.
The defense wasn't too shabby in the 1st half. Unfortunately,these 2 things seemed to go hand in hand in the 2nd half,especially during the stretch when they pulled away. Missed shots on our end feeding the inability of locking it down at the other end to stay in the game. That mental part is what separates teams imo.
Cards had to get down by 20 before somebody got aggressive - Ellis.
It's great to see he wasn't in the mood to get blown out. I think the next couple games are going to be big in identifying who the leaders are going to be when the team needs plays. Williams and Dre might be your emotional leaders but I don't know if they have enough to go out and lead it by example.
Somebody (Withers where art thou) needs to join Ellis and make plays when things are tough. If not, it's just going to be a very average team this year.
All that said keep in mind that was first true road game against a T25 program that had taken a few losses to T10 teams so the timing and all other things were leaning against UofL.
It's great to see he wasn't in the mood to get blown out. I think the next couple games are going to be big in identifying who the leaders are going to be when the team needs plays. Williams and Dre might be your emotional leaders but I don't know if they have enough to go out and lead it by example.
Somebody (Withers where art thou) needs to join Ellis and make plays when things are tough. If not, it's just going to be a very average team this year.
All that said keep in mind that was first true road game against a T25 program that had taken a few losses to T10 teams so the timing and all other things were leaning against UofL.
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