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I had an issue with one, maybe two, of Ralstons shots. I wouldn’t call him a chucker, just a about average outside shooter (the only capable shooter on the team) who is not being set up by the PG.
No one other than Cat or TJ are getting the looks they choose when Barber runs the point. Post players don’t get the ball on the block and perimeter shots are never drive and kick out. It’s the blind leading the blind with him running the offense, especially against the zone.
Three big issues that Gott can’t deal with.
Cat is a better on ball defender than TL. Gott is arguably the worst team defense HC out of the 350 D1 level teams (seriously, we looked retarded in our zone last night). He needs individual defensive efforts to have any hope of getting a string of stops.
TL just needs to make a few threes and he will immediately start earning minutes back. The Zone is killing us and to have a undersized white guy who made the McD’s All-Star game not able to shoot and make a three is mind-boggling. Seriously, how can he be that terrible?
Cat is the future PG. There is no room on the roster for TL next season with every G returning along with adding Lacey and the Martin twin that projects as a pure SG. Dez and Lacey will spell Cat for any minutes needed. So the question is how much run do you want to give Cat this year in order to prepare for the future? He is obviously a million miles from being a true PG so Gott may be hedging on quantity minutes leading to quality play down the road some.
I am hoping the comparisons between Barber and CJL turn out to be completely wrong. Dennis Horner is averaging more points in the NBDL this season than Leslie. Surprise anyone?
VaWolf82, without next year, sports fans would have a higher depression rate. It is the light at the end of the tunnel, the grass on the other side, the sunshine after the rain, it glimmers, it springs eternal; when the world says “give up,” next year says, “give it one more try.” If every sports fan were a poet, his first sonnet would be, “An Ode To Next Year.” Give me next year or give me death. I’d trade all my “nows” for just one “next year.”
“Gott may be hedging on quantity minutes leading to quality play down the road some.”
I hope so (w/r/t Barber) … I think Barber brings a lot to the table. Unfortunately, running an offense is not one of them at this time.
Years ago, freshmen couldn’t take you to the “promised land” because they were competing against talented seniors. But in the 1990s, those talented seniors ended up in the NBA and now, most of your really talented players don’t get past their sophomore year. Carmello Anthony is one of the few exceptions I can think of from recent years.
Now, I expect more out of frosh and sophs because that’s who they’re competing against. What I saw in the final 10 seconds of last night’s game raised many red flags on this team (maybe the flags were already flying and I just couldn’t see them or WOULDN’T see them, whatever).
In those final seconds, we looked like a Sidney Lowe team on the inbounds play. Why in the world we didn’t keep Vandenberg in the game and simply pack in the defense to prevent a close-in shot is beyond me. The big man’s D isn’t the best I’ve seen, but his presence is well-recognized to those who attack the rim, especially smaller ones.
And in the final 4.whatever seconds, we looked like a HWSNBN team trying to get off a last-second shot. It was Maryland, Boston College, Duke and UNC, all rolled into one frustrating Chinese fire drill.
The real tragedy for the Wolfpack men’s basketball program is that while the Blues are struggling and the Clemsons and Wake Forests are improving, we’re stuck in the mud. Of the 15 schools now in the ACC, 13 of them can claim some success or at least improvement in either football or basketball, or even both. Not us, though.
We’ve arrived at the Boston College level; we’re near or at the bottom in just about everything that really matters to fans, and what’s even worse, there’s nothing on the horizon that suggests a turnaround in either sport, anytime soon.
The passion of two years ago is all but gone. It just sucks being a Wolfpack fan.
13OT, with all due respect in the last 4 seconds, with no TO’s, what did you expect us to do? The FT missed and the clock starts right away. We got the ball to the fastest player to get it upcourt, and really no chance other than a miracle shot.
Last night – Could it be that all we need is a point guard who can run the show? I see that many of you on here see that also, and I am sure Gott sees it too. Last night I saw really good players for State but no one to lead from the point. Tyler Lewis is the obvious better point but even more of a defensive liability than Cat. Put TL at point and leave it that way, let our bigger, quicker guard defend the other teams biggest threat at the guard position.
Last 23 years – There just hasn’t been many sustained periods of confident and fluid play like there was in the 70’s and 80’s. When the team went final 16 in Gott’s first year, I said “We’re back”. Now all I see is the same ole’ same ole’. As a fan, it leaves you wondering if things will ever return to “glory days”?
In respects of the refs last night, I don’t think they contributed to State’s loss at all. Don’t get me wrong, I saw State get screwed by the refs many times(Carl Hess) over the past few years, so much it almost brought me to tears a few times (semi-final against heels in ACC tourney 2 yrs. ago). Lately it just seems to be State’s own fault. They just don’t seem to really believe they are supposed to win.
Giving it to Cat was the right call. But he needed to be aware of the time, go directly to the basket and get off a MUCH better shot than that.
No, a PG is not what this team is missing. Even when he’s off, Cat is absolutely an asset. Right now, the complementary guys just aren’t doing much.
Not saying Cat isn’t contributing to the crappy play – he IS. But to act like he’s the sole, or even primary problem…that’s just madness.
Too much Barber criticism. The kid has been one of the few bright spots on the team. Inconsistent, yes, and at times out of control, but the alternative simply hasn’t been better. Not even close. Granted, I’ll agree that Lewis managed the offense well in the first half against WFU. At times this season, he’s provided a calming influence. But by and large, he hasn’t consistently given you as much as Barber. The offense has been equally stagnant, sometimes far more so, with Lewis in the game. Barber’s outside shot, though not a strength, doesn’t look that bad either. He’s nearly 30% from three on the year, only taken 29, and better than Lee, Lewis, and Buckets. I’d prefer he shoot it more. Without him, we’re probably .500 or worse.
Outside of Warren, Barber is our only difference maker that can create for himself and others. I love Lewis but there is just no comparison. It is a sad state of affairs right now. Just not a whole lot to work with. That’s on the staff and no one else.
I agree Barber is a big upside for us with lots of potential. So I will not bash him at all. However, I still think Lewis runs the offense better at current moment. All I have said all along is Lewis deserves more minutes than he gets. I agree he has to start hitting the 3 and needs to be more confident with taking the shot/driving the Lane. No that doesn’t mean he is better than Cat but it does mean he his a lot better than sitting the bench as much as he does.
If only Gott had the ability to motivate and organize this team. I feel those are his weaknesses as a HC. If he can turn the ship around from the current track I will gladly take a large plate of BBQ Crow.
We have a lot of concerns to deal with concerning both our FB and BB programs in the months ahead. I love Baseball….
I don’t want to start thinking about how baseball will manage to disappoint me. The airing of grievances always takes forever on Wolfpack Festivus.
I’m not sure we’ll even score against Syracuse. 🙁
Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy. Mao Zedong
I agree that there might be too much Barber bashing, as he’s only a freshman, and I expect mistakes, being out-of-control sometimes and all the rest. But, in my opinion, to put him worlds above TL at this point like some of you and the announcers want to do is crazy. I prefer an offense that has shooters and post players, where the PG’s main job is to run the offense and get several assists. Yeah, score and even take over sometimes when he needs to, but by-and-large, run the offense.
I think the reason everyone talks about how good Barber is, is because the rest of our offense stinks. If we had last year’s team (not the attitudes, but the scoring production coming from multiple places depending on the night), I would be completely frustrated with Cat. I don’t see him driving IN ORDER TO set up other guys.
Now, in all fairness, Cat fits right now because he’s one of the few that can score (except the last few games). And his D may be better, but from what I’ve seen, not enough that TL in the game is going to cost us much more than we’re giving up right now. To me, PG is as much about bbIQ as it is talent. I think TL’s is much higher right now, and his shooting may go up if he played some. But only playing a few minutes and then when he does miss a shot, being taken out of the game, is not going to help at all.
Now, with all of that rambling said, it’s clear to me that the bigger issue is not simply that we don’t have great shooters (and they aren’t great), but that we don’t actually run an offense. My wife, who is a casual fan at best, watched some last night and her first comment was, “Wow, they just stand around a lot. Do they not set screens or run anything?” All I could say was, “Not that I’ve seen.”
Surprised no one has brought up the decision to sub out vandy for Wake’s last play…sure would have been nice to have him guarding the rim for that shot.
And I don’t blame that last play on cat. He is a freshman, he went for a steal…hell, I seriously doubt he was coached to do much else than what he did.
Gott is a great recruiter, good offensive coach and overall a solid coach, but this is the acc and “good” may not be enough.
Still, he has earned at least another season regardless of what happens his year (for on court performance).
In summation, State sucks. It’s a shame when so many who have given so much support over so many years become apathetic about something they used to be so passionate about. It would be sad if it wasn’t so incredibly rational.
Soon, State’s major revenue sports will be able to suck in peace. No one will be mad, they will just accept. Maybe that’s for the best.
^
You’re just fans doin’ what fans do best.If ya can’t blame the refs, ya can’t watch the crap. If ya can’t blame, blame, blame,…ya got no one to blame.
It’s a GD game peeps.
I agree with some many of the comments regarding our offensive issues but I would like to make a silly observation about mechanics. If you look at the shot mechanics of RT, you will see a lot of motion in his shot and a small twist, so you should expect him to be erratic. Barber and Lee are reasonably solid, TL has a little “twist” also and even Buckets has too much wrist motion in his shot to be a consistent threat from the foul line out but he’s just a natural scorer! A lot of our FT misses are by these guys that get the ball alot and their shots have mechanical questions.
I don’t know how to coach a college kid but by the time he’s in your program, I guess its too late to worry about changing his “mechanics” and you concentrate on the other tangible skills. Where are our skills and strengths?
And not to be left by the wayside of forever sucktitude of short stroke memories …2 whole F..kin’ years since damn near bein’ in the last standing.
And a whole 3 years from an Orange Bowl game that Tom O’Brien would not allow on his watch.
Fans.
We are 1-3 about to go 1-4, and then Maryland has the opportunity to put us out of our misery. So it ain’t just a game. We’re all seeing where we are headed fairly clearly.
As for the Barber/Lewis debate, I’m just not seeing the TL’s camp’s reasoning. He does not force the D to guard him, has no outside shot, and is a defensive liability. It’s not close.
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