Date: December 11th, 2022

Time: 2:00 PM

Opponent: Morehead State (4-5, 0-0 OVC)

Place: Johnson Arena (6,500)

Television: none

Webcast: ESPN+ *(subscription)

Radio online: 640WXSM.com

MSU 2022-2023 Schedule

MSU 2022-2023 Roster

We haven't been able to beat a D1 team in over 3 weeks. Let's hope that changes on Sunday and everyone is clicking.

Coach Oliver did a great job bringing in ready-to-play big men. The newcomers are settling in, and I expect them to get better and better as the season progresses. But, you don't win the SoCon without great guard play.

The simple fact is, Strothers, King, and Tipler have to perform better. Much better.

(12-09-2022 11:20 AM)Flippmb Wrote:  Coach Oliver did a great job bringing in ready-to-play big men. The newcomers are settling in, and I expect them to get better and better as the season progresses. But, you don't win the SoCon without great guard play.

The simple fact is, Strothers, King, and Tipler have to perform better. Much better.

Yes that is it in a nutshell. But the upside is that the potential is all there. Last year with no bigs there was no hope. This year we have plenty of hope if those three players can come around like we know they can.

We have 3 undersized shooting guards running point with a shoot first mentality, that’s the heart of it. When they are making shots, so be it. Each game I grow increasingly frustrated with King’s shooting slump—half of which is shot selection and forcing shots—and with Strothers’ penchant for turnovers seemingly due to lapses in focus, as well as some questionable decisions. Tipler? Who’s that? Haven’t seen him on the court in a minute. Next year coach needs to recruit a true PG.

(12-09-2022 12:20 PM)shampoo Wrote:  We have 3 undersized shooting guards running point with a shoot first mentality, that’s the heart of it. When they are making shots, so be it. Each game I grow increasingly frustrated with King’s shooting slump—half of which is shot selection and forcing shots—and with Strothers’ penchant for turnovers seemingly due to lapses in focus, as well as some questionable decisions. Tipler? Who’s that? Haven’t seen him on the court in a minute. Next year coach needs to recruit a true PG.

Your post prompted me to look up the season stats primarily to review the shooting stats - UGH! King's taken almost twice as many 3s as the next highest teammate. Thus far, he's at 24% 3pt FG%. This brings down the overall team 3pt FG% to a touch under 30%. I think the average NCAA D1 average is around 32%. 3-point attempts are a significant chunk of our offense - 36% of the shot attempts are 3s - so we're already behind offensively.
I had to do some cipherin', but our 2pt FG% is about 54%, so up to now, we've a better points/attempt shooting a 2 instead of a 3. Do with that what you will.

I checked out a couple other stats I like. Turnovers are 15 a game. FT% is 66%. I was thinking NCAA D1 average has run around 12 turnovers a game and FT% has been 70%-ish. You can help offensively by being better than the league in turnovers or free throws and those are much more controllable than shooting well. We're doing neither, so the way I see it, we're starting the game with at least a 5 point deficit.

(12-10-2022 07:25 AM)frankenheimer Wrote:  Your post prompted me to look up the season stats primarily to review the shooting stats - UGH! King's taken almost twice as many 3s as the next highest teammate. Thus far, he's at 24% 3pt FG%. This brings down the overall team 3pt FG% to a touch under 30%.

shampoo nailed it in the Georgia thread:

"Jordan King is a dangerous loaded gun. Right now he is shooting us in the foot."

As the standard philosophy goes..............a loaded gun can be a great friend, or an enemy used unwisely. Oliver knows he can win us games, so it would take even worse shooting from him FOR NOW, to put the brakes on him. He's got a lot of good things in his stroke, but doesn't have Good's vertical to allow him to shoot over almost anybody. That was an underrated factor for Good.

We know King can play much better. We saw it last year when he shot .429 from 3-point range for the season. And, in case anybody is wondering, he took a lot of shots last year, too, averaging 7.1 3-point attempts per game (versus 8.4 attempts per game this year). King has taken on a leadership role this year, and that may be affecting his play somewhat. He seems to be pressing a little bit instead of playing relaxed and letting the offense come to him.

Strothers has taken a lot of 2-point shots, more than anyone except Haynes and King. Unfortunately, he's making less than 30% of those attempts. I have to believe he's a much better shooter than he's shown. Coach Oliver doesn't seem to discourage these attempts, so I assume Oliver has seen him make those shots consistently in practice. Maybe it's a case of rust from sitting out his redshirt year. We have to remember, too, that Strothers still has less than 10 games against collegiate competition under his belt.

Tipler is shooting .425 from 3. I'll take that. But, he needs to follow the team rules, so he can be out there to help his teammates. And, like King and Strothers, he turns the ball over too much. The number of turnovers by our guards are bad enough, but it's the type of turnovers that are even more bothersome, with far too many falling in the careless, nonchalant, and/or unforced category.

Bottom line, I believe our guards are better than they've shown. They, and the rest of the team and coaches, need to put their heads down and work hard each and every day to get better. If they do, this team has a lot of potential.

So you (the 2nd person plural you, not any particular person) think King is taking too much on his shoulders, which is affecting decision-making? Last year, he wasn't "the man" offensively, but the third or fourth option. This year, he's the first or second.

I think Jaynes should be the first option on offense, with the Bucs operating inside out. If opposing defenses don't double team Jaynes, then I very much like his chances to score and/or get fouled. Or, if he gets doubled (and I don't believe anyone in the SoCon will play straight up against Jaynes), then someone else should be open for a good shoot.

Picture a Wofford-style offense, when they had Cam Jackson operating in the post.

(12-11-2022 01:18 PM)Flippmb Wrote:  I think Jaynes should be the first option on offense, with the Bucs operating inside out. If opposing defenses don't double team Jaynes, then I very much like his chances to score and/or get fouled. Or, if he gets doubled (and I don't believe anyone in the SoCon will play straight up against Jaynes), then someone else should be open for a good shoot.

Picture a Wofford-style offense, when they had Cam Jackson operating in the post.

Strong agree. Feed the big man and get everyone else out of his way. Take advantage of the open shots around the perimeter that follow, and stop letting the guards simply pull stuff out their butt under pressure. Haynes has more potential than Cam Jackson IMO, if he can stay healthy and keep a cool head.

I ain’t sayin’ **** to jinx it (*knocks on the thickest wood in the house*), but the Bucs are looking in very good form this 1st half!

(12-11-2022 02:46 PM)shampoo Wrote:  I ain’t sayin’ **** to jinx it (*knocks on the thickest wood in the house*), but the Bucs are looking in very good form this 1st half!

Same here! Fingers crossed while knocking wood.

Good to see us playing better. This Morehead team is a far cry from some of the excellent teams they’ve had recently though. I would’ve expected them to have decent fan support with their history but that’s of one of the sadder and emptier looking facilities I’ve seen the Bucs play in and we’ve seen some sad ones.

The Lady Bucs game has 3 times the fanscthan Morehead. What a pathetic atmosphere our team has CV to play bbn in.

(12-11-2022 02:55 PM)MTBuc Wrote:  Good to see us playing better. This Morehead team is a far cry from some of the excellent teams they’ve had recently though. I would’ve expected them to have decent fan support with their history but that’s of one of the sadder and emptier looking facilities I’ve seen the Bucs play in and we’ve seen some sad ones.

"Late-arriving crowd" say the announcers. LOL. Looks like "good seats still available".

(12-11-2022 03:28 PM)posterformerlyknownasthedoctor Wrote:  

(12-11-2022 02:55 PM)MTBuc Wrote:  Good to see us playing better. This Morehead team is a far cry from some of the excellent teams they’ve had recently though. I would’ve expected them to have decent fan support with their history but that’s of one of the sadder and emptier looking facilities I’ve seen the Bucs play in and we’ve seen some sad ones.

"Late-arriving crowd" say the announcers. LOL. Looks like "good seats still available".

I’ve been to Morehead. They can’t blame it on traffic or having better things to do that’s for sure.

Haynes needs more than 3 FGA. He should touch the ball every possession. They’re still taking way too many low % 3’s and missing most.

Really sick of King and Tipler taking contested 3’s with time left on the clock. Holding my breath with 26.4 seconds, ETSU up 57-56, MSU to inbound…

EDIT: MSU 59-57, 16.9 to go. I have no faith in a last second 3. PLEASE FEED HAYNES. PLEASE ATTACK THE BASKET. Next foul is double bonus ETSU shooting a pair.

This team has a strong identity: keep it close and collapse at the end. How many times has that been the case already?