How bad is Moss's injury, going to miss any time ?

(12-23-2023 04:23 PM)Springboromark Wrote:  How bad is Moss's injury, going to miss any time ?

He played today and got 21 points, so my guess is not too bad.

Moss played 26 minutes today, and probably would have been more, but he fouled out with what, 5 to go? One T, which sounded like it was because he was staring at the ref (based on what Coach K said post game).

Not out classed again, but too many turnovers and forced shots. Simmons is really good down low, but he needs help. Ford with a nice game and 28 minutes.

They got a week off, so maybe Moss can get healthy. They didn't have much of an answer for him when he was in there. He had 5 boards, but got his pocket picked 4 times.

Need
More
Bigs
Than
Just
Simmons


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes

(12-23-2023 09:20 PM)indianasniff Wrote:  Need
More
Bigs
Than
Just
Simmons


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We signed a 6-8/6-9 PF for next year. I expect us to get a 6-9 or taller legit post transfer for next season.

If Wight is a total disaster this year, Wilson has to be pretty close by.

this game restored faith in the season for me.

started out badly with a hangover of Vermont. WVU couldn't miss and attacked the rim and went up 25-9. Then, Moss and Simmons started to lead us back. Rockets outscored WVU for the rest of the game and were right there a bucket behind for most of the stretch until WVU's big made a couple of big plays and WVU got some calls. UT was the more aggressive team and handled themselves physically although WVU had more play up in the air. WVU's announcers said UT had more success at the rim against them than anyone else (granted their 7 foot NBA prospect shotblocker was out).

If it is isn't already obvious. This team relies on Raheem Moss to make it good. We need him healthy and looking to make plays and get to the rim.

WVU had no answer for Simmons and in the 2nd half we ran our offense very well getting him the ball in good spots. if WVU hadn't spent 6-7 fouls shoving/grabbing him when he had them beat but was still on the floor, he would have had 25.

you can wish for an effective new big to magically emerge mid-season. i will consider our squad with who is on the team. Simmons is listed 6-7. he's probably 6-6. he plays 6-10. Lorentsson had a good game and contributed on the glass. he often finds a way to lose on defense. down the stretch he made a really good defensive play on a drive and was in perfect position for a charge but as he took the blow in his chest he ridiculously bear hugged the offensive player. the ref literally started to call charge but had to whistle the rockets. there was a media timeout after and half our staff rushed onto the floor to yell at him "What are you doing?!?"

I like that TK is tinkering with the roster and lineups. This game he played a less than 100% moss off the bench. and saw that Ford was playing with more confidence than Wilson and stuck with him, starting him in the 2nd half. The offense rad appreciably better with Ford. He got Simmons touches where he likes them and our offense simply runs better with a pg who is hunting jump shots and can make them. As we posted about a bit on another thread the staff spent years recruiting Wilson while Ford's recruiting peaked late when we needed 1 more guard who could shoot as we filled out our class. Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player, but my opinion has gradually been moving towards acknowledging that Ford is a better fit now for our offense. Against a deep WVU backcourt he was slick and confident handling the ball and he's the most pure shooter on the team (yes, he couldn't throw it in the ocean vs Vermont). we actually ran quick effective sets with him in there and that flow carried over when he went to the bench. Noted, his defense isn't there yet, but he's not horrible.

Refs did us no favors. That tip dunk that made it a 3 possession game late was an obvious offensive goaltending. the ball was directly over the center of the rim, the WVU guy just got so high that everyone was too impressed to make the call. Brcic had a great help defense play in front of the rim when he went high and vertical and absorbed contact causing a missed shot but the refs called a foul. UT attacked the rim at least twice as much but had 14 FT to WVU's 28 (UT chose not to foul down 7 in the last minute). Moss was T'd late by another ref who felt the need to be the personality police and assert himself. Cochran had several ticky tack fouls and when he went out a 1-4 point game became and 3-8 point game. We played through contact attacking rim all game and rarely complained.

team gets a break to rest up and see if they learned enough about themselves from a rugged non-conf to be a MAC champion (would have loved to see either of the past 2 teams play this schedule, fwiw). I think it's possible. I saw that offense today after the terrible first 6 minutes, we've seen the defense in a few games. Gotta put it together as a team.

(12-24-2023 03:42 AM)pono Wrote:  this game restored faith in the season for me.

started out badly with a hangover of Vermont. WVU couldn't miss and attacked the rim and went up 25-9. Then, Moss and Simmons started to lead us back. Rockets outscored WVU for the rest of the game and were right there a bucket behind for most of the stretch until WVU's big made a couple of big plays and WVU got some calls. UT was the more aggressive team and handled themselves physically although WVU had more play up in the air. WVU's announcers said UT had more success at the rim against them than anyone else (granted their 7 foot NBA prospect shotblocker was out).

If it is isn't already obvious. This team relies on Raheem Moss to make it good. We need him healthy and looking to make plays and get to the rim.

WVU had no answer for Simmons and in the 2nd half we ran our offense very well getting him the ball in good spots. if WVU hadn't spent 6-7 fouls shoving/grabbing him when he had them beat but was still on the floor, he would have had 25.

you can wish for an effective new big to magically emerge mid-season. i will consider our squad with who is on the team. Simmons is listed 6-7. he's probably 6-6. he plays 6-10. Lorentsson had a good game and contributed on the glass. he often finds a way to lose on defense. down the stretch he made a really good defensive play on a drive and was in perfect position for a charge but as he took the blow in his chest he ridiculously bear hugged the offensive player. the ref literally started to call charge but had to whistle the rockets. there was a media timeout after and half our staff rushed onto the floor to yell at him "What are you doing?!?"

I like that TK is tinkering with the roster and lineups. This game he played a less than 100% moss off the bench. and saw that Ford was playing with more confidence than Wilson and stuck with him, starting him in the 2nd half. The offense rad appreciably better with Ford. He got Simmons touches where he likes them and our offense simply runs better with a pg who is hunting jump shots and can make them. As we posted about a bit on another thread the staff spent years recruiting Wilson while Ford's recruiting peaked late when we needed 1 more guard who could shoot as we filled out our class. Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player, but my opinion has gradually been moving towards acknowledging that Ford is a better fit now for our offense. Against a deep WVU backcourt he was slick and confident handling the ball and he's the most pure shooter on the team (yes, he couldn't throw it in the ocean vs Vermont). we actually ran quick effective sets with him in there and that flow carried over when he went to the bench. Noted, his defense isn't there yet, but he's not horrible.

Refs did us no favors. That tip dunk that made it a 3 possession game late was an obvious offensive goaltending. the ball was directly over the center of the rim, the WVU guy just got so high that everyone was too impressed to make the call. Brcic had a great help defense play in front of the rim when he went high and vertical and absorbed contact causing a missed shot but the refs called a foul. UT attacked the rim at least twice as much but had 14 FT to WVU's 28 (UT chose not to foul down 7 in the last minute). Moss was T'd late by another ref who felt the need to be the personality police and assert himself. Cochran had several ticky tack fouls and when he went out a 1-4 point game became and 3-8 point game. We played through contact attacking rim all game and rarely complained.

team gets a break to rest up and see if they learned enough about themselves from a rugged non-conf to be a MAC champion (would have loved to see either of the past 2 teams play this schedule, fwiw). I think it's possible. I saw that offense today after the terrible first 6 minutes, we've seen the defense in a few games. Gotta put it together as a team.

I will defer to your judgment but isn’t it difficult to have a good season while giving up almost 80 ppg?

Much better effort yesterday against WMU than against Vermont! Unlike Wednesday night when we got punched in the mouth early on, we got off the mat against The Mountaineers and punched back to the point where we were in position to win in the last 10 minutes of the game. Now we need to figure out how to avoid that early on punch, so we are not digging ourselves out of a hole the rest of the game! A couple of bright spots were the performances of Ford and Lorentson off the bench who both provided needed points to make the comeback even possible. It will be interesting to see if Ford replaces Wilson as the Starting Point Guard against Ohio U in 9 days. As for the 6- 6 Non-Conference Record against good overall Mid Major competition, one area that is going to need major improvement going forward is our overall defense where we are giving up almost 80ppg on 50% overall shooting. Those statistics are alarming and not sustainable for winning a Conference Tournament Championship. It also puts a lot of pressure on the Offense to be at peak efficiency game in and game out which I am not sure we have the “horses” to that this season even though we are averaging a surprising 79ppg with the production we lost after last season. While I’m always optimistic, this will be TK’s best coaching job if we get to 20 Wins this season based on what I have seen so far!

My guess is a 16-14 (10-8) or 17-13 (11-7) record, heading into the tourney.

(12-24-2023 07:01 AM)rkt Wrote:  

(12-24-2023 03:42 AM)pono Wrote:  this game restored faith in the season for me.

started out badly with a hangover of Vermont. WVU couldn't miss and attacked the rim and went up 25-9. Then, Moss and Simmons started to lead us back. Rockets outscored WVU for the rest of the game and were right there a bucket behind for most of the stretch until WVU's big made a couple of big plays and WVU got some calls. UT was the more aggressive team and handled themselves physically although WVU had more play up in the air. WVU's announcers said UT had more success at the rim against them than anyone else (granted their 7 foot NBA prospect shotblocker was out).

If it is isn't already obvious. This team relies on Raheem Moss to make it good. We need him healthy and looking to make plays and get to the rim.

WVU had no answer for Simmons and in the 2nd half we ran our offense very well getting him the ball in good spots. if WVU hadn't spent 6-7 fouls shoving/grabbing him when he had them beat but was still on the floor, he would have had 25.

you can wish for an effective new big to magically emerge mid-season. i will consider our squad with who is on the team. Simmons is listed 6-7. he's probably 6-6. he plays 6-10. Lorentsson had a good game and contributed on the glass. he often finds a way to lose on defense. down the stretch he made a really good defensive play on a drive and was in perfect position for a charge but as he took the blow in his chest he ridiculously bear hugged the offensive player. the ref literally started to call charge but had to whistle the rockets. there was a media timeout after and half our staff rushed onto the floor to yell at him "What are you doing?!?"

I like that TK is tinkering with the roster and lineups. This game he played a less than 100% moss off the bench. and saw that Ford was playing with more confidence than Wilson and stuck with him, starting him in the 2nd half. The offense rad appreciably better with Ford. He got Simmons touches where he likes them and our offense simply runs better with a pg who is hunting jump shots and can make them. As we posted about a bit on another thread the staff spent years recruiting Wilson while Ford's recruiting peaked late when we needed 1 more guard who could shoot as we filled out our class. Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player, but my opinion has gradually been moving towards acknowledging that Ford is a better fit now for our offense. Against a deep WVU backcourt he was slick and confident handling the ball and he's the most pure shooter on the team (yes, he couldn't throw it in the ocean vs Vermont). we actually ran quick effective sets with him in there and that flow carried over when he went to the bench. Noted, his defense isn't there yet, but he's not horrible.

Refs did us no favors. That tip dunk that made it a 3 possession game late was an obvious offensive goaltending. the ball was directly over the center of the rim, the WVU guy just got so high that everyone was too impressed to make the call. Brcic had a great help defense play in front of the rim when he went high and vertical and absorbed contact causing a missed shot but the refs called a foul. UT attacked the rim at least twice as much but had 14 FT to WVU's 28 (UT chose not to foul down 7 in the last minute). Moss was T'd late by another ref who felt the need to be the personality police and assert himself. Cochran had several ticky tack fouls and when he went out a 1-4 point game became and 3-8 point game. We played through contact attacking rim all game and rarely complained.

team gets a break to rest up and see if they learned enough about themselves from a rugged non-conf to be a MAC champion (would have loved to see either of the past 2 teams play this schedule, fwiw). I think it's possible. I saw that offense today after the terrible first 6 minutes, we've seen the defense in a few games. Gotta put it together as a team.

I will defer to your judgment but isn’t it difficult to have a good season while giving up almost 80 ppg?

yes, it is. there's some bad mac offenses so that will go down. our defense is best when we press. doing that requires setting it up off made baskets, and having moss and cochran not in foul trouble. TK has a tendency to tease us with an effective full court press early but back away from it as the season progresses. what i saw in the wvu game was us looking good when we played the 2 minute drill. initiate offense quickly. don't necessarily take the deep ball but don't wait for anything.on the other side press, go for steals, egg them into quick so so jump shots or contested drives. we maximize the talent of this group in that kind of game. we are neither big enough, precise enough, or have the d and boards to win low scoring games regularly.

we can give up 75 if we get 8-10 steals. we can't give up 91.

(12-24-2023 09:32 PM)pono Wrote:  

(12-24-2023 07:01 AM)rkt Wrote:  

(12-24-2023 03:42 AM)pono Wrote:  this game restored faith in the season for me.

started out badly with a hangover of Vermont. WVU couldn't miss and attacked the rim and went up 25-9. Then, Moss and Simmons started to lead us back. Rockets outscored WVU for the rest of the game and were right there a bucket behind for most of the stretch until WVU's big made a couple of big plays and WVU got some calls. UT was the more aggressive team and handled themselves physically although WVU had more play up in the air. WVU's announcers said UT had more success at the rim against them than anyone else (granted their 7 foot NBA prospect shotblocker was out).

If it is isn't already obvious. This team relies on Raheem Moss to make it good. We need him healthy and looking to make plays and get to the rim.

WVU had no answer for Simmons and in the 2nd half we ran our offense very well getting him the ball in good spots. if WVU hadn't spent 6-7 fouls shoving/grabbing him when he had them beat but was still on the floor, he would have had 25.

you can wish for an effective new big to magically emerge mid-season. i will consider our squad with who is on the team. Simmons is listed 6-7. he's probably 6-6. he plays 6-10. Lorentsson had a good game and contributed on the glass. he often finds a way to lose on defense. down the stretch he made a really good defensive play on a drive and was in perfect position for a charge but as he took the blow in his chest he ridiculously bear hugged the offensive player. the ref literally started to call charge but had to whistle the rockets. there was a media timeout after and half our staff rushed onto the floor to yell at him "What are you doing?!?"

I like that TK is tinkering with the roster and lineups. This game he played a less than 100% moss off the bench. and saw that Ford was playing with more confidence than Wilson and stuck with him, starting him in the 2nd half. The offense rad appreciably better with Ford. He got Simmons touches where he likes them and our offense simply runs better with a pg who is hunting jump shots and can make them. As we posted about a bit on another thread the staff spent years recruiting Wilson while Ford's recruiting peaked late when we needed 1 more guard who could shoot as we filled out our class. Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player, but my opinion has gradually been moving towards acknowledging that Ford is a better fit now for our offense. Against a deep WVU backcourt he was slick and confident handling the ball and he's the most pure shooter on the team (yes, he couldn't throw it in the ocean vs Vermont). we actually ran quick effective sets with him in there and that flow carried over when he went to the bench. Noted, his defense isn't there yet, but he's not horrible.

Refs did us no favors. That tip dunk that made it a 3 possession game late was an obvious offensive goaltending. the ball was directly over the center of the rim, the WVU guy just got so high that everyone was too impressed to make the call. Brcic had a great help defense play in front of the rim when he went high and vertical and absorbed contact causing a missed shot but the refs called a foul. UT attacked the rim at least twice as much but had 14 FT to WVU's 28 (UT chose not to foul down 7 in the last minute). Moss was T'd late by another ref who felt the need to be the personality police and assert himself. Cochran had several ticky tack fouls and when he went out a 1-4 point game became and 3-8 point game. We played through contact attacking rim all game and rarely complained.

team gets a break to rest up and see if they learned enough about themselves from a rugged non-conf to be a MAC champion (would have loved to see either of the past 2 teams play this schedule, fwiw). I think it's possible. I saw that offense today after the terrible first 6 minutes, we've seen the defense in a few games. Gotta put it together as a team.

I will defer to your judgment but isn’t it difficult to have a good season while giving up almost 80 ppg?

yes, it is. there's some bad mac offenses so that will go down. our defense is best when we press. doing that requires setting it up off made baskets, and having moss and cochran not in foul trouble. TK has a tendency to tease us with an effective full court press early but back away from it as the season progresses. what i saw in the wvu game was us looking good when we played the 2 minute drill. initiate offense quickly. don't necessarily take the deep ball but don't wait for anything.on the other side press, go for steals, egg them into quick so so jump shots or contested drives. we maximize the talent of this group in that kind of game. we are neither big enough, precise enough, or have the d and boards to win low scoring games regularly.

we can give up 75 if we get 8-10 steals. we can't give up 91.

I agree with you tenfold! We need to do something different to disrupt other teams on the defensive end because our current half-court defense has not shown any evidence of being capable of stopping anyone. As I said before, giving up 50% overall shooting to the opposition is not a recipe for success so something needs to change. TK said in his WVU postgame presser that he and the coaching staff are going to “tweak” some things” before the Ohio U MAC Opener so he recognizes that the status quo is not acceptable!

(12-24-2023 03:42 AM)pono Wrote:  this game restored faith in the season for me.

started out badly with a hangover of Vermont. WVU couldn't miss and attacked the rim and went up 25-9. Then, Moss and Simmons started to lead us back. Rockets outscored WVU for the rest of the game and were right there a bucket behind for most of the stretch until WVU's big made a couple of big plays and WVU got some calls. UT was the more aggressive team and handled themselves physically although WVU had more play up in the air. WVU's announcers said UT had more success at the rim against them than anyone else (granted their 7 foot NBA prospect shotblocker was out).

If it is isn't already obvious. This team relies on Raheem Moss to make it good. We need him healthy and looking to make plays and get to the rim.

WVU had no answer for Simmons and in the 2nd half we ran our offense very well getting him the ball in good spots. if WVU hadn't spent 6-7 fouls shoving/grabbing him when he had them beat but was still on the floor, he would have had 25.

you can wish for an effective new big to magically emerge mid-season. i will consider our squad with who is on the team. Simmons is listed 6-7. he's probably 6-6. he plays 6-10. Lorentsson had a good game and contributed on the glass. he often finds a way to lose on defense. down the stretch he made a really good defensive play on a drive and was in perfect position for a charge but as he took the blow in his chest he ridiculously bear hugged the offensive player. the ref literally started to call charge but had to whistle the rockets. there was a media timeout after and half our staff rushed onto the floor to yell at him "What are you doing?!?"

I like that TK is tinkering with the roster and lineups. This game he played a less than 100% moss off the bench. and saw that Ford was playing with more confidence than Wilson and stuck with him, starting him in the 2nd half. The offense rad appreciably better with Ford. He got Simmons touches where he likes them and our offense simply runs better with a pg who is hunting jump shots and can make them. As we posted about a bit on another thread the staff spent years recruiting Wilson while Ford's recruiting peaked late when we needed 1 more guard who could shoot as we filled out our class. Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player, but my opinion has gradually been moving towards acknowledging that Ford is a better fit now for our offense. Against a deep WVU backcourt he was slick and confident handling the ball and he's the most pure shooter on the team (yes, he couldn't throw it in the ocean vs Vermont). we actually ran quick effective sets with him in there and that flow carried over when he went to the bench. Noted, his defense isn't there yet, but he's not horrible.

Refs did us no favors. That tip dunk that made it a 3 possession game late was an obvious offensive goaltending. the ball was directly over the center of the rim, the WVU guy just got so high that everyone was too impressed to make the call. Brcic had a great help defense play in front of the rim when he went high and vertical and absorbed contact causing a missed shot but the refs called a foul. UT attacked the rim at least twice as much but had 14 FT to WVU's 28 (UT chose not to foul down 7 in the last minute). Moss was T'd late by another ref who felt the need to be the personality police and assert himself. Cochran had several ticky tack fouls and when he went out a 1-4 point game became and 3-8 point game. We played through contact attacking rim all game and rarely complained.

team gets a break to rest up and see if they learned enough about themselves from a rugged non-conf to be a MAC champion (would have loved to see either of the past 2 teams play this schedule, fwiw). I think it's possible. I saw that offense today after the terrible first 6 minutes, we've seen the defense in a few games. Gotta put it together as a team.

“ Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player”. Absurd statement! Hopefully nobody else on the team likes losing. How would u know if he or anybody else on the team likes losing? I hate losing in ping pong and I never played college sports. Someone, maybe you, made a statement that K worked hard with Wilson’s family in recruiting him and doesn’t want to break ties. We’ve lost better players to the program than Wilson….so if Wilson wants to move on…..best wishes to him. The one thing I’ve always hated about Kowalcyck is that he gets something in his head about a player and won’t play them. Maybe it’s time for him to move on.

(12-25-2023 12:13 PM)Somersetco Wrote:  

(12-24-2023 03:42 AM)pono Wrote:  this game restored faith in the season for me.

started out badly with a hangover of Vermont. WVU couldn't miss and attacked the rim and went up 25-9. Then, Moss and Simmons started to lead us back. Rockets outscored WVU for the rest of the game and were right there a bucket behind for most of the stretch until WVU's big made a couple of big plays and WVU got some calls. UT was the more aggressive team and handled themselves physically although WVU had more play up in the air. WVU's announcers said UT had more success at the rim against them than anyone else (granted their 7 foot NBA prospect shotblocker was out).

If it is isn't already obvious. This team relies on Raheem Moss to make it good. We need him healthy and looking to make plays and get to the rim.

WVU had no answer for Simmons and in the 2nd half we ran our offense very well getting him the ball in good spots. if WVU hadn't spent 6-7 fouls shoving/grabbing him when he had them beat but was still on the floor, he would have had 25.

you can wish for an effective new big to magically emerge mid-season. i will consider our squad with who is on the team. Simmons is listed 6-7. he's probably 6-6. he plays 6-10. Lorentsson had a good game and contributed on the glass. he often finds a way to lose on defense. down the stretch he made a really good defensive play on a drive and was in perfect position for a charge but as he took the blow in his chest he ridiculously bear hugged the offensive player. the ref literally started to call charge but had to whistle the rockets. there was a media timeout after and half our staff rushed onto the floor to yell at him "What are you doing?!?"

I like that TK is tinkering with the roster and lineups. This game he played a less than 100% moss off the bench. and saw that Ford was playing with more confidence than Wilson and stuck with him, starting him in the 2nd half. The offense rad appreciably better with Ford. He got Simmons touches where he likes them and our offense simply runs better with a pg who is hunting jump shots and can make them. As we posted about a bit on another thread the staff spent years recruiting Wilson while Ford's recruiting peaked late when we needed 1 more guard who could shoot as we filled out our class. Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player, but my opinion has gradually been moving towards acknowledging that Ford is a better fit now for our offense. Against a deep WVU backcourt he was slick and confident handling the ball and he's the most pure shooter on the team (yes, he couldn't throw it in the ocean vs Vermont). we actually ran quick effective sets with him in there and that flow carried over when he went to the bench. Noted, his defense isn't there yet, but he's not horrible.

Refs did us no favors. That tip dunk that made it a 3 possession game late was an obvious offensive goaltending. the ball was directly over the center of the rim, the WVU guy just got so high that everyone was too impressed to make the call. Brcic had a great help defense play in front of the rim when he went high and vertical and absorbed contact causing a missed shot but the refs called a foul. UT attacked the rim at least twice as much but had 14 FT to WVU's 28 (UT chose not to foul down 7 in the last minute). Moss was T'd late by another ref who felt the need to be the personality police and assert himself. Cochran had several ticky tack fouls and when he went out a 1-4 point game became and 3-8 point game. We played through contact attacking rim all game and rarely complained.

team gets a break to rest up and see if they learned enough about themselves from a rugged non-conf to be a MAC champion (would have loved to see either of the past 2 teams play this schedule, fwiw). I think it's possible. I saw that offense today after the terrible first 6 minutes, we've seen the defense in a few games. Gotta put it together as a team.

“ Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player”. Absurd statement! Hopefully nobody else on the team likes losing. How would u know if he or anybody else on the team likes losing? I hate losing in ping pong and I never played college sports. Someone, maybe you, made a statement that K worked hard with Wilson’s family in recruiting him and doesn’t want to break ties. We’ve lost better players to the program than Wilson….so if Wilson wants to move on…..best wishes to him. The one thing I’ve always hated about Kowalcyck is that he gets something in his head about a player and won’t play them. Maybe it’s time for him to move on.

Sonny Wilson was the #2 ranked player in the state of Michigan. I think we should give him a little more time than the first couple months of his freshman season before we give up on him. It takes some freshman players more time to adjust to the college game. We were very spoiled with freshman point guards Juice Brown and Marreon Jackson who were big contributors right away their freshman seasons.

(12-25-2023 02:48 PM)RocketBBallFan Wrote:  

(12-25-2023 12:13 PM)Somersetco Wrote:  

(12-24-2023 03:42 AM)pono Wrote:  this game restored faith in the season for me.

started out badly with a hangover of Vermont. WVU couldn't miss and attacked the rim and went up 25-9. Then, Moss and Simmons started to lead us back. Rockets outscored WVU for the rest of the game and were right there a bucket behind for most of the stretch until WVU's big made a couple of big plays and WVU got some calls. UT was the more aggressive team and handled themselves physically although WVU had more play up in the air. WVU's announcers said UT had more success at the rim against them than anyone else (granted their 7 foot NBA prospect shotblocker was out).

If it is isn't already obvious. This team relies on Raheem Moss to make it good. We need him healthy and looking to make plays and get to the rim.

WVU had no answer for Simmons and in the 2nd half we ran our offense very well getting him the ball in good spots. if WVU hadn't spent 6-7 fouls shoving/grabbing him when he had them beat but was still on the floor, he would have had 25.

you can wish for an effective new big to magically emerge mid-season. i will consider our squad with who is on the team. Simmons is listed 6-7. he's probably 6-6. he plays 6-10. Lorentsson had a good game and contributed on the glass. he often finds a way to lose on defense. down the stretch he made a really good defensive play on a drive and was in perfect position for a charge but as he took the blow in his chest he ridiculously bear hugged the offensive player. the ref literally started to call charge but had to whistle the rockets. there was a media timeout after and half our staff rushed onto the floor to yell at him "What are you doing?!?"

I like that TK is tinkering with the roster and lineups. This game he played a less than 100% moss off the bench. and saw that Ford was playing with more confidence than Wilson and stuck with him, starting him in the 2nd half. The offense rad appreciably better with Ford. He got Simmons touches where he likes them and our offense simply runs better with a pg who is hunting jump shots and can make them. As we posted about a bit on another thread the staff spent years recruiting Wilson while Ford's recruiting peaked late when we needed 1 more guard who could shoot as we filled out our class. Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player, but my opinion has gradually been moving towards acknowledging that Ford is a better fit now for our offense. Against a deep WVU backcourt he was slick and confident handling the ball and he's the most pure shooter on the team (yes, he couldn't throw it in the ocean vs Vermont). we actually ran quick effective sets with him in there and that flow carried over when he went to the bench. Noted, his defense isn't there yet, but he's not horrible.

Refs did us no favors. That tip dunk that made it a 3 possession game late was an obvious offensive goaltending. the ball was directly over the center of the rim, the WVU guy just got so high that everyone was too impressed to make the call. Brcic had a great help defense play in front of the rim when he went high and vertical and absorbed contact causing a missed shot but the refs called a foul. UT attacked the rim at least twice as much but had 14 FT to WVU's 28 (UT chose not to foul down 7 in the last minute). Moss was T'd late by another ref who felt the need to be the personality police and assert himself. Cochran had several ticky tack fouls and when he went out a 1-4 point game became and 3-8 point game. We played through contact attacking rim all game and rarely complained.

team gets a break to rest up and see if they learned enough about themselves from a rugged non-conf to be a MAC champion (would have loved to see either of the past 2 teams play this schedule, fwiw). I think it's possible. I saw that offense today after the terrible first 6 minutes, we've seen the defense in a few games. Gotta put it together as a team.

“ Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player”. Absurd statement! Hopefully nobody else on the team likes losing. How would u know if he or anybody else on the team likes losing? I hate losing in ping pong and I never played college sports. Someone, maybe you, made a statement that K worked hard with Wilson’s family in recruiting him and doesn’t want to break ties. We’ve lost better players to the program than Wilson….so if Wilson wants to move on…..best wishes to him. The one thing I’ve always hated about Kowalcyck is that he gets something in his head about a player and won’t play them. Maybe it’s time for him to move on.

Sonny Wilson was the #2 ranked player in the state of Michigan. I think we should give him a little more time than the first couple months of his freshman season before we give up on him. It takes some freshman players more time to adjust to the college game. We were very spoiled with freshman point guards Juice Brown and Marreon Jackson who were big contributors right away their freshman seasons.

Guess you lost my take on Wilson. More concerned with the statement that he “ hates to lose” rather than on whether we should give up on him. That’s Kowalcyzk’s decision to make.

Going into this season, I thought I would finally see some big guys on the roster that would make us better against that team with a 6-9 or 6-10 kid that always gives us fits.

After averaging 11/5 in a comparable league to the MAC last season, I had big expectations for Wight. Now he's not plaing at all. First semester final exams ended December 15, so if he was going to leave he wouldn't have been at the WVU game. I think TK needs to at least make some reference to him to let those who buy tickets what the situation is. Maybe he is just playing out of position as others have stated.

As for Bircic, he's a 20 year old freshman, who I thought could be a rebounder who would get some points in the paint. Sometimes he looks lost out there and, in my opinion, spends way too much time away from the basket. I think he's making progress. At the end of the season it will be interesting to see where he is.

(12-25-2023 12:13 PM)Somersetco Wrote:  

(12-24-2023 03:42 AM)pono Wrote:  this game restored faith in the season for me.

started out badly with a hangover of Vermont. WVU couldn't miss and attacked the rim and went up 25-9. Then, Moss and Simmons started to lead us back. Rockets outscored WVU for the rest of the game and were right there a bucket behind for most of the stretch until WVU's big made a couple of big plays and WVU got some calls. UT was the more aggressive team and handled themselves physically although WVU had more play up in the air. WVU's announcers said UT had more success at the rim against them than anyone else (granted their 7 foot NBA prospect shotblocker was out).

If it is isn't already obvious. This team relies on Raheem Moss to make it good. We need him healthy and looking to make plays and get to the rim.

WVU had no answer for Simmons and in the 2nd half we ran our offense very well getting him the ball in good spots. if WVU hadn't spent 6-7 fouls shoving/grabbing him when he had them beat but was still on the floor, he would have had 25.

you can wish for an effective new big to magically emerge mid-season. i will consider our squad with who is on the team. Simmons is listed 6-7. he's probably 6-6. he plays 6-10. Lorentsson had a good game and contributed on the glass. he often finds a way to lose on defense. down the stretch he made a really good defensive play on a drive and was in perfect position for a charge but as he took the blow in his chest he ridiculously bear hugged the offensive player. the ref literally started to call charge but had to whistle the rockets. there was a media timeout after and half our staff rushed onto the floor to yell at him "What are you doing?!?"

I like that TK is tinkering with the roster and lineups. This game he played a less than 100% moss off the bench. and saw that Ford was playing with more confidence than Wilson and stuck with him, starting him in the 2nd half. The offense rad appreciably better with Ford. He got Simmons touches where he likes them and our offense simply runs better with a pg who is hunting jump shots and can make them. As we posted about a bit on another thread the staff spent years recruiting Wilson while Ford's recruiting peaked late when we needed 1 more guard who could shoot as we filled out our class. Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player, but my opinion has gradually been moving towards acknowledging that Ford is a better fit now for our offense. Against a deep WVU backcourt he was slick and confident handling the ball and he's the most pure shooter on the team (yes, he couldn't throw it in the ocean vs Vermont). we actually ran quick effective sets with him in there and that flow carried over when he went to the bench. Noted, his defense isn't there yet, but he's not horrible.

Refs did us no favors. That tip dunk that made it a 3 possession game late was an obvious offensive goaltending. the ball was directly over the center of the rim, the WVU guy just got so high that everyone was too impressed to make the call. Brcic had a great help defense play in front of the rim when he went high and vertical and absorbed contact causing a missed shot but the refs called a foul. UT attacked the rim at least twice as much but had 14 FT to WVU's 28 (UT chose not to foul down 7 in the last minute). Moss was T'd late by another ref who felt the need to be the personality police and assert himself. Cochran had several ticky tack fouls and when he went out a 1-4 point game became and 3-8 point game. We played through contact attacking rim all game and rarely complained.

team gets a break to rest up and see if they learned enough about themselves from a rugged non-conf to be a MAC champion (would have loved to see either of the past 2 teams play this schedule, fwiw). I think it's possible. I saw that offense today after the terrible first 6 minutes, we've seen the defense in a few games. Gotta put it together as a team.

“ Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player”. Absurd statement! Hopefully nobody else on the team likes losing. How would u know if he or anybody else on the team likes losing? I hate losing in ping pong and I never played college sports. Someone, maybe you, made a statement that K worked hard with Wilson’s family in recruiting him and doesn’t want to break ties. We’ve lost better players to the program than Wilson….so if Wilson wants to move on…..best wishes to him. The one thing I’ve always hated about Kowalcyck is that he gets something in his head about a player and won’t play them. Maybe it’s time for him to move on.

If you watch player's second effort after a play doesn't go their way you get a sense of their competitiveness. Most of Wilson's good plays come right after a failed one. In HS he built a reputation as a big game clutch player. Of course, everyone doesn't like losing but some guys are particularly driven. Wilson has a competitiveness that's a little greater than most of his peers-he wasn't the #2 rated recruit in Michigan because of size or skill. Conversely, the transition to college ball has hit his confidence. If he gets that back I think you'll see what I mean with the "hates to lose" comment. Of course, many college players never become who they were in HS and many kids are totally different players in their 2nd college yr than how they looked as freshmen.

I agree that TK can get locked into how he views a player's value (up or down). However, Bobby Nichols was kinda the same way. Players who start off with a good impression and continue to practice well usually get more opportunity. There's always a few kids who are just gamers but you wouldn't quite see it unless they get sufficient game time to relax and show out.

I'd argue TK has been more flexible with PT and roles on this team than he typically is. Wight had a fair audition for a starting role and struggled to do anything well. The staff looked at the tape and metrics and made a change. Wouldn't mind having a second look at him as a backup but also don't mind Brcic getting meaningful minutes to develop (I'm sure this board would have its share of "why aren't we developing Brcic" opinions if Wight was playing those minutes-and Brcic and Wight aren't playing together and neither is playing with Simmons unless we tweak the way we switch. Personally, I see the biggest defensive problem being the young guys switching too easily and creating mismatches. TK prefers to put a defender on an island than give help and leave shooters open in rhythm at the 3 pt line. Moss, Cochran, Simmons, Maddox need to collectively be better coaches on the floor, talk on d and get teammates in better position. If I see Sonny Wilson unnecessarily switch onto another 6-8 guy I'm gonna go nuts.

I'm curious to see if Thomas or Maletic can get into the rotation. TK has praised Thomas' practice play and he's got that good role player energy. Maletic, Lewis and Lorentsson are prob battling for the same minutes unless any of them can become good enough on defense to be used in new ways.

(12-25-2023 07:29 PM)pono Wrote:  

(12-25-2023 12:13 PM)Somersetco Wrote:  

(12-24-2023 03:42 AM)pono Wrote:  this game restored faith in the season for me.

started out badly with a hangover of Vermont. WVU couldn't miss and attacked the rim and went up 25-9. Then, Moss and Simmons started to lead us back. Rockets outscored WVU for the rest of the game and were right there a bucket behind for most of the stretch until WVU's big made a couple of big plays and WVU got some calls. UT was the more aggressive team and handled themselves physically although WVU had more play up in the air. WVU's announcers said UT had more success at the rim against them than anyone else (granted their 7 foot NBA prospect shotblocker was out).

If it is isn't already obvious. This team relies on Raheem Moss to make it good. We need him healthy and looking to make plays and get to the rim.

WVU had no answer for Simmons and in the 2nd half we ran our offense very well getting him the ball in good spots. if WVU hadn't spent 6-7 fouls shoving/grabbing him when he had them beat but was still on the floor, he would have had 25.

you can wish for an effective new big to magically emerge mid-season. i will consider our squad with who is on the team. Simmons is listed 6-7. he's probably 6-6. he plays 6-10. Lorentsson had a good game and contributed on the glass. he often finds a way to lose on defense. down the stretch he made a really good defensive play on a drive and was in perfect position for a charge but as he took the blow in his chest he ridiculously bear hugged the offensive player. the ref literally started to call charge but had to whistle the rockets. there was a media timeout after and half our staff rushed onto the floor to yell at him "What are you doing?!?"

I like that TK is tinkering with the roster and lineups. This game he played a less than 100% moss off the bench. and saw that Ford was playing with more confidence than Wilson and stuck with him, starting him in the 2nd half. The offense rad appreciably better with Ford. He got Simmons touches where he likes them and our offense simply runs better with a pg who is hunting jump shots and can make them. As we posted about a bit on another thread the staff spent years recruiting Wilson while Ford's recruiting peaked late when we needed 1 more guard who could shoot as we filled out our class. Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player, but my opinion has gradually been moving towards acknowledging that Ford is a better fit now for our offense. Against a deep WVU backcourt he was slick and confident handling the ball and he's the most pure shooter on the team (yes, he couldn't throw it in the ocean vs Vermont). we actually ran quick effective sets with him in there and that flow carried over when he went to the bench. Noted, his defense isn't there yet, but he's not horrible.

Refs did us no favors. That tip dunk that made it a 3 possession game late was an obvious offensive goaltending. the ball was directly over the center of the rim, the WVU guy just got so high that everyone was too impressed to make the call. Brcic had a great help defense play in front of the rim when he went high and vertical and absorbed contact causing a missed shot but the refs called a foul. UT attacked the rim at least twice as much but had 14 FT to WVU's 28 (UT chose not to foul down 7 in the last minute). Moss was T'd late by another ref who felt the need to be the personality police and assert himself. Cochran had several ticky tack fouls and when he went out a 1-4 point game became and 3-8 point game. We played through contact attacking rim all game and rarely complained.

team gets a break to rest up and see if they learned enough about themselves from a rugged non-conf to be a MAC champion (would have loved to see either of the past 2 teams play this schedule, fwiw). I think it's possible. I saw that offense today after the terrible first 6 minutes, we've seen the defense in a few games. Gotta put it together as a team.

“ Sonny Wilson does not like losing and will find a way to be a solid college player”. Absurd statement! Hopefully nobody else on the team likes losing. How would u know if he or anybody else on the team likes losing? I hate losing in ping pong and I never played college sports. Someone, maybe you, made a statement that K worked hard with Wilson’s family in recruiting him and doesn’t want to break ties. We’ve lost better players to the program than Wilson….so if Wilson wants to move on…..best wishes to him. The one thing I’ve always hated about Kowalcyck is that he gets something in his head about a player and won’t play them. Maybe it’s time for him to move on.

If you watch player's second effort after a play doesn't go their way you get a sense of their competitiveness. Most of Wilson's good plays come right after a failed one. In HS he built a reputation as a big game clutch player. Of course, everyone doesn't like losing but some guys are particularly driven. Wilson has a competitiveness that's a little greater than most of his peers-he wasn't the #2 rated recruit in Michigan because of size or skill. Conversely, the transition to college ball has hit his confidence. If he gets that back I think you'll see what I mean with the "hates to lose" comment. Of course, many college players never become who they were in HS and many kids are totally different players in their 2nd college yr than how they looked as freshmen.

I agree that TK can get locked into how he views a player's value (up or down). However, Bobby Nichols was kinda the same way. Players who start off with a good impression and continue to practice well usually get more opportunity. There's always a few kids who are just gamers but you wouldn't quite see it unless they get sufficient game time to relax and show out.

I'd argue TK has been more flexible with PT and roles on this team than he typically is. Wight had a fair audition for a starting role and struggled to do anything well. The staff looked at the tape and metrics and made a change. Wouldn't mind having a second look at him as a backup but also don't mind Brcic getting meaningful minutes to develop (I'm sure this board would have its share of "why aren't we developing Brcic" opinions if Wight was playing those minutes-and Brcic and Wight aren't playing together and neither is playing with Simmons unless we tweak the way we switch. Personally, I see the biggest defensive problem being the young guys switching too easily and creating mismatches. TK prefers to put a defender on an island than give help and leave shooters open in rhythm at the 3 pt line. Moss, Cochran, Simmons, Maddox need to collectively be better coaches on the floor, talk on d and get teammates in better position. If I see Sonny Wilson unnecessarily switch onto another 6-8 guy I'm gonna go nuts.

I'm curious to see if Thomas or Maletic can get into the rotation. TK has praised Thomas' practice play and he's got that good role player energy. Maletic, Lewis and Lorentsson are prob battling for the same minutes unless any of them can become good enough on defense to be used in new ways.

Agree 100% on your point regarding the switches I see. I don’t have a problem with a guard switching out on the perimeter but, man, we are getting killed with our smaller guards defending inside players. Don’t remember seeing this in past seasons. Could it be our young guards inexperience?