Some are fine with our usual starting lineup and some aren't.
If it was up to you, who would you like to see start?
If it was up to you, who would you like to see start?
Who Would You Start?
- Thread starter shadow force
- Start date
West, Faulkner, Sam,Cross,Malik
Doesn't really matter because regardless who starts your not going to get any consistency game to game .
Doesn't really matter because regardless who starts your not going to get any consistency game to game .
El, Locke, Sam, Cross, Malik
Get Faulkner and Curry off bench together.
Would let El and Sam play through mistakes.
Get Faulkner and Curry off bench together.
Would let El and Sam play through mistakes.
Curry
Malik
Sam
Ellis
Locke
If West's defense is needed he checks in, if not Faulkner spells Ellis.
Cross would spell Sam, especially against zones.
Withers and Wheeler are the front court depth and Davis comes off the bench at both guard and wing.
Depending on the opponents strengths, this group has it covered. They just need to find a rhythm and gain some confidence.
Malik
Sam
Ellis
Locke
If West's defense is needed he checks in, if not Faulkner spells Ellis.
Cross would spell Sam, especially against zones.
Withers and Wheeler are the front court depth and Davis comes off the bench at both guard and wing.
Depending on the opponents strengths, this group has it covered. They just need to find a rhythm and gain some confidence.
I think Sam plays better coming off the bench. Faulkner is making some really lazy passes that is causing turnovers. I like Ellis, Curry, Cross, Locke and Malik. That gives us an inside threat and an outside threat. I think our problem is we don’t play intense the whole game. We start out real intense and then we have these moments where we just get lazy.
I suggested several weeks ago that Curry needs to be on the floor at the same time Malik is there …… Malik lacks the physicality to box out defensively, or position himself inside. Curry, and even Wheeler can be a fixture in the paint.
This would be my starters, but I would add Davis into this 8 to 9 man rotation for most of the game.
Curry
Williams
Williamson/Cross
Ellis
Faulkner/Locke
West is a great defensive guard and does a great job handling the ball, but his offensive limitations makes it difficult to justify most of his minutes.
This would be my starters, but I would add Davis into this 8 to 9 man rotation for most of the game.
Curry
Williams
Williamson/Cross
Ellis
Faulkner/Locke
West is a great defensive guard and does a great job handling the ball, but his offensive limitations makes it difficult to justify most of his minutes.
After last night:
Ellis
Faulkner
Locke
Curry
Davis or Malik
West plays hard but offensively he just doesn’t have the athleticism to beat people or get shots. Sam & Withers? I’d bury both on the bench. Cross? Good effort but he’s up and down. If he turns it over and gets beat off the dribble, he’s done for that game. Wheeler, I think he needs a bone thrown to him occasionally unless he’s just not practicing hard.
Mack needs to shorten the bench, he gets very little from the “W’s” and it’s killing this team. So, limit the minutes from here on out.
Who starts really doesn’t matter. We’re just not very good. All you have to do is watch us play and then watch some of the top teams play. We’re not even close in play or talent. It’s pretty tough to watch. Outside of some of Denny’s last teams I’ve never had to endure this level of play and I’ve been a fan over 50 years.
Mack may get one more year but only because we currently have no permanent Prez & AD in place.
Ellis
Faulkner
Locke
Curry
Davis or Malik
West plays hard but offensively he just doesn’t have the athleticism to beat people or get shots. Sam & Withers? I’d bury both on the bench. Cross? Good effort but he’s up and down. If he turns it over and gets beat off the dribble, he’s done for that game. Wheeler, I think he needs a bone thrown to him occasionally unless he’s just not practicing hard.
Mack needs to shorten the bench, he gets very little from the “W’s” and it’s killing this team. So, limit the minutes from here on out.
Who starts really doesn’t matter. We’re just not very good. All you have to do is watch us play and then watch some of the top teams play. We’re not even close in play or talent. It’s pretty tough to watch. Outside of some of Denny’s last teams I’ve never had to endure this level of play and I’ve been a fan over 50 years.
Mack may get one more year but only because we currently have no permanent Prez & AD in place.
You got me by about 5-10 years and I am 100% with this. You were clear about this team's issues from day 1 you probably could have piled on but you showed some restraint. I was pretty much in agreement with you from the beginning.
It doesn't matter who starts friends.
Last edited:
Locke - he’s our scorer
Faulkner - best assist/turnover ratio for PG in minutes played
Williams - still need his defensive presence. Curry got ate up on the switching defense and is not a shot blocker.
Curry - showed last night he is a really good post player
Williamson
Davis sub for Curry and Cross sub for Locke
Faulkner - best assist/turnover ratio for PG in minutes played
Williams - still need his defensive presence. Curry got ate up on the switching defense and is not a shot blocker.
Curry - showed last night he is a really good post player
Williamson
Davis sub for Curry and Cross sub for Locke
I would like to see both Williams and Curry or Wheeler and Curry play at the same time but I don't think Macks new style allows for that.
Remember Withers last season those few games Williams came back, they looked great together. Of course this was when Withers actually banged inside and played like a PF with his skills should.
Funny thing is, we actually have the bigs and personnel to play the way Mack wanted to last season but since changing to this new style it seems he won't use his bigs like that.
Remember Withers last season those few games Williams came back, they looked great together. Of course this was when Withers actually banged inside and played like a PF with his skills should.
Funny thing is, we actually have the bigs and personnel to play the way Mack wanted to last season but since changing to this new style it seems he won't use his bigs like that.
I don’t have the benefit of being at practice and I’m not a D1 college basketball coach but I do scratch my head on some of Mack’s combinations. For instance, putting Ellis in the starting lineup. I was ok with that but he shouldn’t have started in place of Locke. Locke is our scorer, good or bad, we need someone to get the ball to him. West is conservative and seems reluctant to shoot the 3. Ellis starts and goes 1-6. We simply switched one scorer for another.
Nothing says that you can’t play Williams at the 5 on defense simply because he’s more of a rim protector. Neither Malik or Curry are shot blockers but Malik has the length and height to guard the basket. Curry struggled going out on the high pick and roll, often leading to an easy score at the basket. However, Curry has shown he can play the 5 on offense as he definitely has more of an inside game than Malik does. There’s no reason why they can’t be on the floor at the same time during segments of the game. It’s like he doesn’t identify specific strengths and weaknesses of his players.
Few said it, but I dont think it matters. He starts one guy for another and the other guy plays better off the bench. Its an effort, intensity thing. I get those of you that like Faulkner but he makes really bad decisions for a 23 year old, 5th year guy. Plus, he CAN'T guard an athletic guard that is fast or long. From a pure effort deal Ellis, Curry, and Davis should play 30 minutes and from there you fill in the other minutes/spots with who looks good that night. Not sure what else you do. Good news/bad news is we only have 14 more games + the ACC tourney.
It seems safe to say that Mack's new style experiment is a failure so far. It's been asked before, but why go to a new style in which your two best returning players are unable to thrive in?
Sam doesn't have the three point shooting or handles to consistently do well in this system. Withers doesn't have the outside shooting, handles, or decision making to play the way Mack wants either. I know Withers said, after last year, that he didn't want to play center or back to the basket anymore but that is what his skill set thrives in.
If Mack could go back closer to his original style it would seem like more of the players would thrive in it. I want Curry to play at the same time as either Williams or Wheeler but I don't think that is possible in this new fast paced run and gun 4 in 1 out system. Well, it would be easier if our outside shooters shot it well consistently but they haven't so far. Same with Withers if he were AT ALL willing to play down low, post someone up, and play tougher like he did last season.
Sam doesn't have the three point shooting or handles to consistently do well in this system. Withers doesn't have the outside shooting, handles, or decision making to play the way Mack wants either. I know Withers said, after last year, that he didn't want to play center or back to the basket anymore but that is what his skill set thrives in.
If Mack could go back closer to his original style it would seem like more of the players would thrive in it. I want Curry to play at the same time as either Williams or Wheeler but I don't think that is possible in this new fast paced run and gun 4 in 1 out system. Well, it would be easier if our outside shooters shot it well consistently but they haven't so far. Same with Withers if he were AT ALL willing to play down low, post someone up, and play tougher like he did last season.
You know its a shame it has come to this. Personally i never had an issue with his style of play . However all you heard and read last year from our fanbase was whining about it. And Mack really hearing it tried to fix something he was not comfortable doing. And this is the result. That old adage "be careful what you wish for" has come full circle so far. He looks defeated and it would not surprise me if he has decided in his mind if being here is worth it any much longer.
I had a misguided thought about his ability's after that Fl.st game. But i've came off the ledge and realized he knows how to coach it's just maybe a bad marriage.
Mack can coach. He's a good but not great coach though he looks really bad this season.
But he has won some big games here. There were times his teams looked good and didn't have these mind boggling inept stretches where they looked totally lost. A big part of that, like you said, is that Mack tried to put in a new style he was uncomfortable and unfamiliar with.
I can't explain the late season losses and downward trends though. Not saying he should stay our coach but his original style was better.
West is 0-4 in the first half; not sure if Mack has any influence from one half court possession to the next. Faulkner’s TOs are in part a result of his placement on the wing next to the sideline where Pitt obviously see him as vulnerable to the trap …… same place where West is intentionally left wide open. Capel seems to know our weakness better than Mack.
Very true, but the wheels came off in that portion of the 1st half, and it appears to me that set the tone for the balance of the game.
Later on I wondered to myself how the rest of the players might react to seeing West taking the 3 point shots that clearly Pitt was giving him, and at the same time watching Pitt recognizing an obvious opportunity when Faulkner received the ball next to the sideline and appears to freeze when they trap him there.
Later on I wondered to myself how the rest of the players might react to seeing West taking the 3 point shots that clearly Pitt was giving him, and at the same time watching Pitt recognizing an obvious opportunity when Faulkner received the ball next to the sideline and appears to freeze when they trap him there.
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
UL Volleyball Losing Coach Kelly to Nebraska Just Announced
- Latest: Birdie King