Devoe and Blake

[EG#9]

The difference in the game. We got open looks from 3 for both of them and neither knocked down a single one while Meachem from Illinois knocked down 3 or 4.

 

[gopher7]

Add Nolen and Westbrook in there too. All told, those four guys are like a combined 3-24. We could not hit an outside shot tonight to save our life. And I can't even count how many turnovers.

 

[From the Barn]

Talk to Nolen about hurting the team.

 

[Schnoodler]

That's the story of the game if you ask me. You've got to knock down a few. supposedly we have some guys that can do it, they need to step up.

 

[FiveStarFan]

These kids should be taking 500 shots a day with hands in their face every day this summer

 

[XMan]

Blake had such a nice shot last year. What has happened?

 

[bga1]

confidence- some of these guys are good shooters. Blake, Devoe, JAS, Westbrook all can shoot it and all were near 40% when we were 16-1. Now they can't hit open threes- it's hard to believe that an entire team would so badly lose it's confidence. I am wondering if the uneven substitution drill that we have had all year long has these guys thinking too much instead of just playing.

 

[Schnoodler]

I'm a big fan of the substitution methods...early in the year. but i believe that as the season rolls on you need more continuity. We saw it again today. We were smoking, changed the entire lineup and illinois crept back in. it seems last year tubby did have a more traditional pattern at the end of the year. I had expected the same this year. I'm dissapointed.

It just seems like we've got the right kind of roster where you could change one or two guys at a time and totally change the way the team looks. go from big to small and quick. Get really big. All shooters, whatever. But this, I don't like it. it's two different teams and one just isn't that good.

 

[cwilson21]

No doubt lack of confidence is to blame. With Tubby, if you suck the first couple of minutes when you are in the game, you will be on the bench in no time. He subs too, too much. No continuity, no rhythm.

 

[ShowinGoldyLove]

The difference in the game.

Blake had such a nice shot last year. What has happened?

confidence- some of these guys are good shooters. Blake, Devoe, JAS, Westbrook all can shoot it and all were near 40% when we were 16-1. Now they can't hit open threes- it's hard to believe that an entire team would so badly lose it's confidence. I am wondering if the uneven substitution drill that we have had all year long has these guys thinking too much instead of just playing.

Blake only took two 3's all night. He needs more than 2 shots to do anything in a game. Nolen was 0-5, Westbrook 2-10, and Joseph 0-6.

Hoff's the only guard who had 0 turnovers (compared to 9 combined for the other 3 guards) while dishing out a team high 3 assists in only 16 minutes. He's the least of our worries right now.

 

[skoalvikings]

The missed 3s were a problem, but the lack of ability shown by our starting guards is the reason we lost. The low basketball IQ of Nolen and Westbrook is more and more apparent each game.

 

[cncmin]

What I hate to see is the hesitation.

Blake only took two 3's all night. He needs more than 2 shots to do anything in a game. Nolen was 0-5, Westbrook 2-10, and Joseph 0-6.

Hoff's the only guard who had 0 turnovers (compared to 9 combined for the other 3 guards) while dishing out a team high 3 assists in only 16 minutes. He's the least of our worries right now.

Each of our guards, maybe except Westbrook, and maybe now Joseph to some extent, is scared to shoot the ball. How many open looks did Nolen have tonight from 3 - how many did he shoot, 1? Hoff didn't work extra hard to pull the trigger either, sometimes passing up an opportunity to hit Joseph, or Westbrook. It's time Hoff quits being scared and becomes the outside shooter and fundamental player that he is. His head is much better than a few weeks ago, but still not right. I'm telling you, it happened when Tubby relegated him to 11th man early in the Big Ten season. He's never been the same since, all hesitation now except for the game at OSU.

The one guy who's not scared to shoot long jumpers who probably should be is Carter. He needs to stick to stuff within 15 feet, his jumper is too flat and long shots take him off the offensive boards where he's more effective. Sampson can shoot FTs, why does he miss all of his jumpers so badly? That'll come with time, but not this year.

The thing that really bothers me about the offense is lack of quick ball movement and hesitation to shoot. Actually, in tonight's game the offense was really moving the ball well the first 15 minutes of the game, getting great looks. They weren't hitting the shots, but they were open. In the second half, they slowed it back down to the same old crap they've been doing the whole Big Ten season, and they lost it.

I can't figure out why if Tubby is going to use 11 or 12 players, that he doesn't stick with the full court zone press the whole game. The Gophers are most effectively offensively when they run. With the number of players they use, they should be running up and down that court like no tomorrow. They always play their best ball when they're pressing zone. The beginning of the game, that held true (why did Tubby stop?). DJ was amazing out there. And they missed their jumpers, but passed very well and got open looks underneath. That all stopped when for whatever reason they slowed down the game. Not smart.

Also, Hoffarber needs to play more minutes. He was last year, and still is, our best passer, fundamental rebounder, and shooter. He's a step slow and needs to run off more picks to get open, but the guy is a good player, and IMO the most important player on the team. As he goes offensively, so goes the team. Tubby's making a big mistake not starting him and giving him 25+ minutes. Also, Tubby should mix up the lineups a bit more. Why not start Joseph once in a while and really, that starting of both centers needs to stop, what a waste of time. It hasn't been effective yet in about 20 tries now. I'd say 0-20 is proof enough to do something different.

As for the game itself, the Gophers played hard, they were expected to lose, and would have won had they simply shot at a reasonable rate. They didn't even need a good rate, just somewhere below average would have easily sufficed. Sometimes I'm mad or disgusted when the Gophers lose a game they could have won, but I wasn't here. They gave an A+ effort, but the ball just didn't go in the hoop. It happens to the best of us from time to time.

 

[TruthTeller]

Blake only took two 3's all night. He needs more than 2 shots to do anything in a game. Nolen was 0-5, Westbrook 2-10, and Joseph 0-6.

Hoff's the only guard who had 0 turnovers (compared to 9 combined for the other 3 guards) while dishing out a team high 3 assists in only 16 minutes. He's the least of our worries right now.

Perhaps.

Fundamentally sound, however a step slow. When he is not hitting his shots, which has been most of the year, his contributions are very limited.

 

[Monty519]

Hoff's scoring contributions are limited, but you can't argue his ability to open up the floor by simply standing beyond the line, cause you best believe no team is gonna leave him out there. And once the big fellas mature into better post scorers, that will pay huge dividends.

 

[Section201]

Seriously,

Blake had such a nice shot last year. What has happened?

Blake had such a smooth stroke last year I cant believe his numbers this year. Seriously, have they checked his vision lately? Maybe he needs new contacts!