To all who thought Ben might leave after his junior to go to the pros better realize Ben is really overmatched as a center.  Always said he might be better as a wing.  Time to start Parham and bench Ben.  Ben has shown no improvement in many areas, for that you can blame the coaches.
I hope Clark can add something next year or Hamilton but not sold on him to be a difference maker.  Another player, DO, saw him at the scrimmage and thought he would add to the team, but he has offered minimally oh well.  Zaide coming on. Tre just a body with no shot.

Welcome back!

OF 712 D-I PLAYERS LISTED 6'8" OR TALLER, ONLY 1 HAS A DR% LOWER THAN ROYCE THIS SEASON. 710 HIGHER. 1 LOWER. (source: barttorvik.com query)

Quote from: Jay Bee on Today at 08:22:02 AMOF 712 D-I PLAYERS LISTED 6'8" OR TALLER, ONLY 1 HAS A DR% LOWER THAN ROYCE THIS SEASON. 710 HIGHER. 1 LOWER. (source: barttorvik.com query)

You neglected to mention that you used a Min % floor of 30.

Quote from: Jay Bee on Today at 08:22:02 AMOF 712 D-I PLAYERS LISTED 6'8" OR TALLER, ONLY 1 HAS A DR% LOWER THAN ROYCE THIS SEASON. 710 HIGHER. 1 LOWER. (source: barttorvik.com query)

DOES THIS INCLUDE BACKTAPS?!?!?!

Lots of Ben Gold apologists quiet this past week

Quote from: Markusquette on Today at 08:39:43 AMLots of Ben Gold apologists quiet this past week

Lots of Ben Gold haters coming out of the woodworks after being gone all season.

He did not play well last night.  I believe in him and his ability to return to better form.

Quote from: Markusquette on Today at 08:39:43 AMLots of Ben Gold apologists quiet this past week

Still here.  Still believe.  Ebbs and flows.

Quote from: Its DJOver on Today at 08:45:28 AMLots of Ben Gold haters coming out of the woodworks after being gone all season.

He did not play well last night.  I believe in him and his ability to return to better form.

That is true.  Ben playing poorly inspired NYG and BCHoopster to end their months long, self imposed exiles.

I believe in Ben but teams have figured him out. He cannot create his own shot and has a slow release. Defenses are rotating more quickly to him and pushing him further out on the perimeter when he gets the ball. His defense has improved so that's a positive. Right now I'm not sure how the offense gets him open like last season as there is no post like Oso to cause the defense to sag off Ben.

At the risk of exposing myself as not knowing ball, I don't see the defensive prowess that is often cited here as Ben's best attribute.  I don't want to just join the hate parade, and the biggest reason I'd like to see Ben cede minutes is Parham's and Hamilton's improvement. But I feel like I see Ben getting torched far more often than I see him fitting in as an important defensive cog.

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on Today at 08:54:44 AMI believe in Ben but teams have figured him out. He cannot create his own shot and has a slow release. Defenses are rotating more quickly to him and pushing him further out on the perimeter when he gets the ball. His defense has improved so that's a positive. Right now I'm not sure how the offense gets him open like last season as there is no post like Oso to cause the defense to sag off Ben.

Our guards need to drive recklessly to the hoop to throw up weak, highly contested layups.  That'll do it.

Quote from: MUBurrow on Today at 08:57:20 AMAt the risk of exposing myself as not knowing ball, I don't see the defensive prowess that is often cited here as Ben's best attribute.  I don't want to just join the hate parade, and the biggest reason I'd like to see Ben cede minutes is Parham's and Hamilton's improvement. But I feel like I see Ben getting torched far more often than I see him fitting in as an important defensive cog.

He stifled Crowl and Reese.  He led the charge in holding Sorber and Kalkbrenner under their season averages.  Both did most of their damage when he was out of the game or on switches.  Both did very little when Ben was guarding them one on one. 

Ben is good defensively against "big bigs." Struggles more with "quick bigs."

On the offensive side, I thought we would see more of the PNR that we saw with Oso. But he's more picking and popping, and I think Billy is right here - his release isn't the quickest and teams aren't afraid of his drive. (Though he did have a nice one yesterday.)

I think Billy's point about Gold can be broadened to the entire team.  MU has had eight starters over the last 2.67 seasons.  MU runs the offense it runs.  The other coaches aren't dummies.  They can game plan.
Butler game.  Matta changes his starting line up to force Ben to guard small ball.  Only brings in Screen when Ben goes out. 

Kalkbrenner on Stevie.
Taking away Kam's spin back to the left.

Quote from: tower912 on Today at 09:10:22 AMI think Billy's point about Gold can be broadened to the entire team.  MU has had eight starters over the last 2.67 seasons.  MU runs the offense it runs.  The other coaches aren't dummies.  They can game plan.
Butler game.  Matta changes his starting line up to force Ben to guard small ball.  Only brings in Screen when Ben goes out. 

Kalkbrenner on Stevie.
Taking away Kam's spin back to the left.

If this is true (and I believe it is) then what is our counter?  Do we have one or are we just going to continue to try and do the same things?  Our coaches aren't dummies either so what is the adjustment?  I guess that's the $$$ question.

Quote from: ATL MU Warrior on Today at 09:13:46 AMIf this is true (and I believe it is) then what is our counter?  Do we have one or are we just going to continue to try and do the same things?  Our coaches aren't dummies either so what is the adjustment?  I guess that's the $$$ question.

I know you're not going to like the answer, but a big part of it is just shooters regressing to the mean and hitting a higher percentage.  The offense is still generating a lot of the same good looks it always does.

That being said, I wouldn't mind a few more designed sets. I know that a large part of the offense is teaching the players to learn to read the defense and make the right call, but a few more designed plays targeted at getting good looks would go a long way IMO. We haven't out assisted a team since the Seton Hall game.

Quote from: Its DJOver on Today at 09:19:06 AMI know you're not going to like the answer, but a big part of it is just shooters regressing to the mean and hitting a higher percentage.  The offense is still generating a lot of the same good looks it always does.

That being said, I wouldn't mind a few more designed sets. I know that a large part of the offense is teaching the players to learn to read the defense and make the right call, but a few more designed plays targeted at getting good looks would go a long way IMO. We haven't out assisted a team since the Seton Hall game.

You're right, I don't like that answer, but I hope it happens.

Quote from: tower912 on Today at 08:47:58 AMStill here.  Still believe.  Ebbs and flows.

Agreed. Our offense doesn't cater to his strengths right now with limited ball movement and extra passes to get open three looks. We had one possession last night where we swung the ball with a few passes and Zaide got a wide-open look from the corner at a key moment that he unfortunately missed. Most of our perimeter shots seem to come off of a direct pass from a guard driving, though the guards aren't so quick as to create many help over reactions from the defense. Sean would have helped get defenses spinning a bit more. There are overall some flaws that other teams have learned to exploit.

As for Ben's rebounding, I can only guess/hope that whatever is bugging him with his right lower leg is impacting him on the boards. Several times a game it is clear something is giving him a lot of pain.

Hopefully we figure it out soon, but ultimately our ceiling this season will be determined by whether Kam and Jop can return to shooting at their historical levels, or close to it. People can rip on Ben all they want, but the key guys have to "be stars in their role." Kam and Jop need to score at an efficient level. They aren't lately.

Recurrence of shin splints?

Quote from: ATL MU Warrior on Today at 09:24:43 AMYou're right, I don't like that answer, but I hope it happens.

To build on Towers point too, all the adjustments mentioned are on the defensive end.  We have certainly made our own defensive adjustments that have worked (and probably a few that didn't). Beast leading scorer Dixon was essentially an observer until the last 90 seconds. Ashworth probably has nightmare's about Stevie (look up his shooting numbers against us the last two years). Future 1st round pick Sorber largely neutralized.  The game happens on both ends of the court.

Quote from: tower912 on Today at 09:03:05 AMHe stifled Crowl and Reese.  He led the charge in holding Sorber and Kalkbrenner under their season averages.  Both did most of their damage when he was out of the game or on switches.  Both did very little when Ben was guarding them one on one. 

Quote from: The Sultan on Today at 09:05:21 AMBen is good defensively against "big bigs." Struggles more with "quick bigs."

Yeah, I guess these two things are it.  He's quicker than the slow and slower than the quick.  So he's a matchups guy, which is fine. When we play teams that have a traditional big, let him do his thing.  But against teams that play like St. Johns, I'm not convinced MU is well served with 26 minutes of Ben. And that's not just because he had a bad game last night.  I don't think there are a lot of worlds where Ben can have a good game against St. Johns.  [bookmarked to look stupid after the conference finale]

Quote from: MUBurrow on Today at 09:36:08 AMYeah, I guess these two things are it.  He's quicker than the slow and slower than the quick.  So he's a matchups guy, which is fine. When we play teams that have a traditional big, let him do his thing.  But against teams that play like St. Johns, I'm not convinced MU is well served with 26 minutes of Ben. And that's not just because he had a bad game last night.  I don't think there are a lot of worlds where Ben can have a good game against St. Johns.  [bookmarked to look stupid after the conference finale]

He is a 6'11 Parham.  And a better rebounder.

Quote from: Its DJOver on Today at 08:45:28 AMLots of Ben Gold haters coming out of the woodworks after being gone all season.

He did not play well last night.  I believe in him and his ability to return to better form.

It's been 3 games, the defenses have figured how to play him.  Can not get open on the perimeter, and has no center skills whatsoever. Do not know what you see?

Quote from: tower912 on Today at 09:47:45 AMHe is a 6'11 Parham.  And a better rebounder.

I think Royce is our most willing rebounder, but the way MU defends it just makes it very difficult for our bigs to rebound.

Of the players that actually get real minutes, Royce leads in Offensive Rebounding Percentage, but he is dead last in Defensive Rebounding Percentage. Weird.

Zaide leads in Defensive Rebounding Percentage which is very obvious when he's playing.