Two Texas Post-Game Thoughts
by dcrockett17 on Jan 31, 2012 3:34 PM CST
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All wins are good. All road wins are fantastic.
Repeat this mantra silently while you read.
1. This one goes to the coaching staff, both good and bad. Despite the up and down last few minutes of the game, Missouri was mostly in control last night (obviously until the very end). Last night, was in many critical respects the kind of win that says to me, "This isn't just a perfect storm of awesome things--smart, motivated senior led team with an uber-talented backcourt--this guy can coach." The decisions to spread the floor and then to zone Texas on the last possession were positively brilliant. Spreading the floor was the right move. It opened up driving lanes and made Texas come out of the lane to guard. Haith was not just burning clock. He was looking to put Texas' help defense in a bind and negate some of their shot blocking. But, Knight made an insightful point on the telecast. We started the offense too close to the half court line. Dixon's flagrant foul was completely a function of starting the offense too high. He let the defender eat up his entire cushion and then had to clear out. Zoning the Texas inbound play completely befuddled them. Haith and the staff REALLY pants'd Barnes on that one.
2. Last night you could clearly see Denmon's confidence get shaken. He just doesn't know what's going to work. His jumper is consistently short. Layups are rimming out. (By contrast, Dixon's jumper is coated in magnetic sweat--he is catching major rim but it's rattling in.) Last night Denmon could have gotten a couple of calls to go to the line, but he didn't and it seemed to knock him off-balance, off-kilter, and he grew increasingly unsure what to do with the ball. I just wonder if his inability to get healthy on wide open shots versus Tech at home just messed with his head. For the first time he looked like he was "running away" from good shots last night; he was not ready to shoot or drive when he caught the ball off curls, he never threatened his man when Mizzou spread the floor. When he missed that layup in the final minutes it looked like one of my shots. When you try to guide it instead of let it go it sticks in your hand. (I have mastered that miss.) Some speculated in the thread that Denmon is hiding an injury. It's possible, but whatever it might be seems to only impact his shooting from the field. Seems more like a slump that has morphed into a crisis of confidence.
If I were Haith I'd invite Denmon into my office, and I'd be rocking my Starsky-and-Hutch-police-captain-plaid-blazer. I'd say something like this: Son, I'm not worried about you missing a good shot. Missing a good shot ain't the worst thing in this offense. You wanna know what I am worried about?! I'm worried about the ball sticking to ya' hands because you don't have the guts to do what you're supposed to do with it. Now, I don't know that the hell has gotten into you and I don't care! When you come off the damn curl, be ready to dish, drive, or take your shot! YOU GOT FOUR DAYS TO GIT YO ASS IN GEAR! NOW GIT THE HELL OUTTA MY OFFICE!!! [As Denmon walks out shoulders slumped I reach into my desk drawer and take a huge gulp from a bottle of Pepto Bismol.] Grumble.. grumble... tryin' to retire... need this crap... grumble... grumble...
That would soooo work.
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One possession in particular really stood out to me...
I guess it was late in the first half. The shot clock was winding down and Denmon caught the ball on the wing. He pumped and got his man in the air, sidestepped and stared at a WIDE OPEN three. He brought the ball down and kicked over to Pressey who had to shoot one from the hip to even beat the shot clock. That was the first time during the slump that I could really see his confidence go. Camera cut to Haith and he just raised his hands and said “Shoot the ball.” Think there might have been an adjective to describe ball, but you could tell he was a bit worried also. I agree with your thoughts above. Denmon has to shoot the ball especially if they are good shots. If this ship sinks b/c Denmon keeps missing open shots, I say it just has to sink. As his confidence faded last night, I caught myself thinking he is hurting more than helping right now and I tell you I absolutely hated that thought. Here’s to him coming out of this and torching the beakers on Saturday.
That's always the dilemma when a guy who is naturally unselfish starts to slump
If anything I’m impressed it’s taken Marcus this long to start shying away from shots. He’s taken more bad ones than normal, and even on those he’s hesitating.
Marcus is very much NOT Clarence Gilbert, who must have secretly believed that invisible gnomes nudged the rim whenever he missed.
Slumps are a bitch but everyone has them. Good shooters shoot their way out. He’s a good shooter. He’ll get right.
"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin
he got hurt at one point in the game and was holding his hip.
I believe it was on one of his layups where he was fouled and fell hard to the floor, (no call) which seemed to have him frustrated and irritated immediately after. Then they called a foul on Mizzou on the other end and you could see Denmon clearly grabbing at his side while Texas shot free throws.
Steve Moore didn’t look right either. I know we are short of manpower and there was some foul trouble but both Moore and Denmon seemed like they needed some extra break time on the bench. Denmon appeared hurt and Moore just seemed in a fog plus he took two hard hits to the head.
Disagree on spreading the floor
v. stalling. I think it is absolutely a great gameplan to spread the floor as much as possible with the guards we have to open driving lanes. The problem last night was starting to stall around the 4:00 minute mark. Some may say they were not stalling but when Phlip or Dixon is just standing with the ball for the first 20 or so seconds of the shot clock and no one else is moving then it is defintely a stall and they started too early. They weren’t even attempting to attack the basket until 15 seconds were left on the clock and that is the definition of stalling to me.
No reason they couldn’t spread the floor and continue to run some motion until 15 or so seconds were left to attack the basket. If they found a layup through their motion before that then you take it regardless of how much time has been taken off the clock.
Ding ding ding.
They were starting way too late in the shot clock. That’s what made it look more like stalling than slowing down the offense.
2012 Chiefs Draft Picks by Falcon58: CB Kirkpatrick/G DeCastro 1st rd, WR Wright/OT Adams or Sanders 2nd rd, QB Foles/ILB Cole 3rd rd, TE M. Williams/RB I. Pead 4th rd, S G. Iloka or DT/NT Hicks 5th rd, RB L. Dunbar or ILB Galippo 6th; FA Signings: NT Poliai or Hill; Resign: Carr, Bowe, Orton, McClain, Gordon, Belcher. Trade Dorsey for picks, promote Gordon to DT/DE.
there was another possession late in the game
Marcus had the ball 40 feet from the basket, with the floor spread. Dribble a bit, look for a pass, but no one’s moving. Tries for about a step to go past his defender, but stops and picks up the dribble. Shot clock down to about 10. Bail-out pass to a teammate (don’t remember who), leading to a wasted possession.
It looked like Denmon just didn’t have the confidence to do anything with the ball. I hate seeing it, as I think he is a big key to the Tigers’ winning the rest of the regular season.
If Marcus can find his shot again, the upside of this team is tremendous. If not, there’s a lot of downside left.
Go find your groove, Marcus!
I hope Haith reads RMN because we clearly have all the answers
But seriously.
There was something oSu did last week that I liked. A couple of times near the end of the game when Mizzou thought oSu would walk it out, oSu called a super-aggressive play down the court to catch Mizzou off-balance. I would liked to have seen something like that on one of the late possessions just to force the defense to pull back a bit.
"You have to remember, basketball to the University of Miami is like football to the University of Kansas." - Kim English
Hahaha that last part just made my day.
Good work, sir.
Follow me! A slightly pedophilic thing to say to someone without context! @JMan_Rife
The Maneater stated...
He still had the remnants of a cold, and have been hearing about a high ankle sprain? Either way, he has plenty of time for recovery. For some odd reason I am fairly confident about him come game time Saturday night.
Are there any sites that show where shots were taken/missed from?
I was thinking gametracker would have that, but I don’t see it.
What I’m wondering is Marcus’ shooting percentage on mid-range vs. 3 pointers. How often are his drives turning into either scores or fouls?
I get the impression that he’s still shooting at a good percentage on mid-range jumpers, and when he drives, he usually gets fouled, but 3s are just off. True, it’d be great to have him hot from 3 again, but if he’s shooting well from 10-15 feet, I’d like to see him focus on shooting those shots.
Rational Mizzou Talk, whether you like us or not.
Gametracker has it
"You have to remember, basketball to the University of Miami is like football to the University of Kansas." - Kim English
I see that it will show you the little figurine shooting from a spot on the floor
but, is that pretty accurate? Or, are you seeing an actual map of the court with dots at each place a shot was taken from? That’s what I would ideally like to see.
Rational Mizzou Talk, whether you like us or not.
I see the shot map
I’m looking at the tab called “shot chart” and it lets you pick the player.
"You have to remember, basketball to the University of Miami is like football to the University of Kansas." - Kim English
the gametracker that links from MUtigers.com? the CBS one?
I don’t see a “Shot Chart” tab.
are you maybe looking at ESPN?
Rational Mizzou Talk, whether you like us or not.
No, CBS
"You have to remember, basketball to the University of Miami is like football to the University of Kansas." - Kim English
Aaahhh, thank you
I was looking on the Gametracker website that loads in a separate window. Appreciate it.
Rational Mizzou Talk, whether you like us or not.
not worried in the least about denmon.
maybe if we didn’t have the other weapons we have i would be, but he’ll get it straightened out.
Lamentations 3:22-23
I think he'll be fine
We just need to keep giving him unsolicited advice until he gets pissed off and takes it out on Kansas.
"You have to remember, basketball to the University of Miami is like football to the University of Kansas." - Kim English
Absolutely
"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin
I like this plan. Where do I sign up?
I’d like to see Marcus release the beast all over the Beakers this weekend.
2012 Chiefs Draft Picks by Falcon58: CB Kirkpatrick/G DeCastro 1st rd, WR Wright/OT Adams or Sanders 2nd rd, QB Foles/ILB Cole 3rd rd, TE M. Williams/RB I. Pead 4th rd, S G. Iloka or DT/NT Hicks 5th rd, RB L. Dunbar or ILB Galippo 6th; FA Signings: NT Poliai or Hill; Resign: Carr, Bowe, Orton, McClain, Gordon, Belcher. Trade Dorsey for picks, promote Gordon to DT/DE.
I am surprised the Tigers came out of there with a victory last night.
Outrebounded and dominated on the free throw attempts, banged up, foul trouble and then the crowd really got going late in the game, that was a tough game all the way around. When they were up three with the ball, I was nervous knowing they needed to make a shot and then Dixon’s flagrant foul resulting in 4 Texas points, it was amazing the Tigers were able to pull that one out. That was an extremely gritty game.
Ok, last 2 games, Denmon missed from everywhere
Against OSU, he was 0-6 from 3, but 3-7 from close-in.
Vs. Baylor, he shot nothing that wasn’t a layup or a 3, and shot 1-7 from 3.
Vs aTm, he was 5-6 on non-3s (2-2 on jumpers) and 1-7 from 3.
Obviously, as the season has progressed, his overall shooting performance has dropped, but he’s taking less shots from inside 3 and just as many from 3.
Rational Mizzou Talk, whether you like us or not.
Mostly way off topic..
I’d like to see Alden work MO State into an open date. Maybe even make a regular series out of it. As long as cupcakes are still on future schedules, why pursue the McNeese States of the world while Arky, Okie State and K State play the Bears? Seems like it might help solidify Spfld as an MU town, which will be even more important going forward. DGB won’t be the last great player to come from SW MO, and it’s time Arky and Sooner (et al) stop feeling like Springfield is a neutral sight. They should at least feel they are on the outside looking in. Maybe one has nothing to do with the other, but more local exposure couldn’t hurt..
"KU, you're nothing to me now. You're not a rival, you're not a friend. I don't want to know you or what you do."
were you listening to art haynes' show today?
Lamentations 3:22-23
by threadkiller on Jan 31, 2012 7:36 PM CST up reply actions
a caller was and he agreed, though he didn't necessarily agree with the caller's sentiment of
MIZZOU’S CHICKEN BLEEP!!
Lamentations 3:22-23
by threadkiller on Jan 31, 2012 7:43 PM CST up reply actions
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