***OFFICIAL UMKC AT MINNESOTA IN-GAME THREAD!!!***

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gopheraschells said:
Above average defender. Struggles against quicker guards. Hope he turns it around, but based on present play Tre should be eating into his minutes. Between Gabe, Tre, or maybe even Mutaf... whoever can make a higher 3% should be the one getting the PT. Having a shooter on the floor to compliment Carr and Gach slashing would put us into the middle half of the conference rather than the bottom
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He din't appear to struggle with the guards that we're getting to the basket when Jamal, Tre, and Marcus were guarding them. If I remember correctly there was one point in the first half when UMKC got 2 straight layups right after Gabe left the floor. Again, that's the difference between "looking the part" and getting it done.

I agree we need a shooter on the floor and I get the frustration with Gabe. I'm frustrated with him he needs to get rolling, but Tre shot 27% from deep last year and is currently shooting 28.6%. He also needs to turn it around. Jamal is 11.1% from deep. I'm not sure that is his game. He looks the part of a mid-range, move the ball PG that will get to the basket to keep the defense honest.

I guess you could just throw Mutaf in there ... you'll find out real fast in the next 7 games if he has any chops for defense.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
I actually think the exact opposite. I think we'll be ok on defense, I didn't see anything tonight to suggest our offense was impressive.
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I agree that we should be okay on defense but it is a work in process. The athleticism and length of Gach and Ihnen and the ability of Robbins to block shots will help. That plus depth, there's no reason we can't be a good defensive team. We have to be because we are not a great shooting team that gets an open look and you say-"that's going in". I also agree that on the offensive side we have a long way to go- I just liked that we were finding Robbins much closer to the basket.
 

McDobb4BB said:
I made an effort to watch the defensive end closely last night as well. As you mentioned, what Gabe does is not "flashy", but he really does a great job staying in front of his man, limiting their scoring chances, and especially working over screens. He's very quick to get through and back on his man which protects our bigs. His "help" defense is what stood out for me. On one play in particular, he slid across on help and created a turnover. Both was there to get the loose ball and the "steal" on the stat sheet, but it was clear Gabe's help side D created the turnover.

My general thought is that being a "Great / Elite Defender" is based upon reputation. You really can't see it on a stat sheet. As you mentioned, our coaches love what he brings to the defensive end and I'm sure it's noticed by the coaching staffs of our opponents as well. A lot of guys "look the part" when it comes to defense, but don't get it done because of the level of effort and fight truly involved.
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As soon as I posted that last night, I realized I'd neglected to mention that one of the things he does very well is work around screens set on him. Admittedly last night was the first night I really watched that closely and Gabe seemed to know when to get over and when to go under. He also did a great job of recovering when he was screened and the few times he couldn't stay with his guy through the screen, he obviously seemed to let a teammate know he needed a switch.

I get the feeling that some folks only look at how a guy plays "On-Ball" defense against the guy directly in front of him in gauging their abilities. He, like everybody else, is going to get burned from time to time, but I would say that overall Gabe is a very good on-ball defender who understands & adjusts his defensive angles in order to stay with guys as needed during game. That said, great TEAM defense is so much more than individual match-ups, and that is where Gabe really seems to excel. Underestimating all the little defensive things that don't show on a stat sheet is how you end up with a not-so good defensive team. And a not-so-good defensive team won't seriously contend for a title.
 

Genius nyaaahk. Ihnen started because Johnson was out with an injury.
McDobb4BB said:
He din't appear to struggle with the guards that we're getting to the basket when Jamal, Tre, and Marcus were guarding them. If I remember correctly there was one point in the first half when UMKC got 2 straight layups right after Gabe left the floor. Again, that's the difference between "looking the part" and getting it done.

I agree we need a shooter on the floor and I get the frustration with Gabe. I'm frustrated with him he needs to get rolling, but Tre shot 27% from deep last year and is currently shooting 28.6%. He also needs to turn it around. Jamal is 11.1% from deep. I'm not sure that is his game. He looks the part of a mid-range, move the ball PG that will get to the basket to keep the defense honest.

I guess you could just throw Mutaf in there ... you'll find out real fast in the next 7 games if he has any chops for defense.
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I think that was Mashburn that got beat - Ihnen got beat twice as well. More time on the floor for each....
 


Omersa has his issues but size isn't one of them. He plays much bigger than he really is and while he does still make a lot of defensive mistakes he can frustrate opponents of any size. That said I wouldn't disagree that there are likely more deserving players to get minutes.
 

Fun game to watch. Competition was poor, but Pitino has done a nice job with his freshman and transfer class this year. All look the part of being able to improve and compete. Now it's time to be thrown to the wolves and see what happens.
 

G
Chico Gopher said:
As soon as I posted that last night, I realized I'd neglected to mention that one of the things he does very well is work around screens set on him. Admittedly last night was the first night I really watched that closely and Gabe seemed to know when to get over and when to go under. He also did a great job of recovering when he was screened and the few times he couldn't stay with his guy through the screen, he obviously seemed to let a teammate know he needed a switch.

I get the feeling that some folks only look at how a guy plays "On-Ball" defense against the guy directly in front of him in gauging their abilities. He, like everybody else, is going to get burned from time to time, but I would say that overall Gabe is a very good on-ball defender who understands & adjusts his defensive angles in order to stay with guys as needed during game. That said, great TEAM defense is so much more than individual match-ups, and that is where Gabe really seems to excel. Underestimating all the little defensive things that don't show on a stat sheet is how you end up with a not-so good defensive team. And a not-so-good defensive team won't seriously contend for a title.
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I for one, appreciate Gabe's overall game, what he brings, expect him to continue to start and get 30mpg. Gabe probably has a better grasp of the O & D scheme than anyone on top of tons of PT and experience. The newcomers are way behind in that area. He plays under control where Tre/Ihnen are still figuring things out. He never will be a strong rebounder but has been very solid at the line, his pull up game is slowly improving and is a decent ball handler. IMO, RP highly values Gabe's contributions and has been patient with his very weak 3 shooting %. I still think that will come around.
 

This game was a good opportunity to work at getting all the many new pieces working together. Fronm that perspective, it did exactly what it was supposed to do. I'd count Curry as a new piece, its been so long.
 



McDobb4BB said:
I agree we need a shooter on the floor and I get the frustration with Gabe. I'm frustrated with him he needs to get rolling, but Tre shot 27% from deep last year and is currently shooting 28.6%. He also needs to turn it around. Jamal is 11.1% from deep. I'm not sure that is his game. He looks the part of a mid-range, move the ball PG that will get to the basket to keep the defense honest.

I guess you could just throw Mutaf in there ... you'll find out real fast in the next 7 games if he has any chops for defense.
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Tre also turns it over a lot offensively still. Besides Gach, non of our wings are shooting the 3 real well. If that's the case, play the best defender and one who still demands attention from the defense. I do think the shooting will come around. I think part of the poor shooting is this team is so new and still learning to play off each other. Carr's need to do some hero ball the first couple games wasn't helpful either for that either.
 

Bayfieldgopher said:
G


I for one, appreciate Gabe's overall game, what he brings, expect him to continue to start and get 30mpg. Gabe probably has a better grasp of the O & D scheme than anyone on top of tons of PT and experience. The newcomers are way behind in that area. He plays under control where Tre/Ihnen are still figuring things out. He never will be a strong rebounder but has been very solid at the line, his pull up game is slowly improving and is a decent ball handler. IMO, RP highly values Gabe's contributions and has been patient with his very weak 3 shooting %. I still think that will come around.
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I think he guards the guy who shoots the most on the perimeter. He boxes that guy out plenty. Most people are told to not follow their shots anymore. I think this also contributes to his low rebounding numbers.
 

If everyone else in lineup can score I'll take 8 points from gabe and just have him play good defense. I would love him to shoot it better too, but if we play other guys who shoot it better, but cant play defense, what's that gonna do for us?
 

gophereric30 said:
If everyone else in lineup can score I'll take 8 points from gabe and just have him play good defense. I would love him to shoot it better too, but if we play other guys who shoot it better, but cant play defense, what's that gonna do for us?
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Good points 30.

IMO, Gabe has relaxed a bit and is not expecting to carry the team with his outside shooting. Gach and Carr are capable from long range and Ihnen has potential there. At this point, Mash has not been good from 3 pt range, although that may not be his strength, and does not have the overall game that Gabe has. Gabe brings a lot more to the floor than the younger, more inexperienced players. Maybe someone will come on and take more of his minutes if Gabe does not show more? For now its Gabe for 30mpg.
 



watching Gabe K - it looks this way to me:

when he gets the ball on a quick catch-and-release, with no time to think, his mechanics look smooth and he's making shots.

but, when he has time to think, that's when he starts hitching or double-pumping, and it throws his rhythm off. you can literally see the wheels turning - and that's when his mechanics look out-of-kilter.

I wonder if he might benefit from a session with a sports psychologist or even a hypnotist. I'm serious.
the less he thinks, the better he seems to shoot.
 

I think it was a plus the team realized what huge mismatch Robbins was for UMKC. I am not sure that type of play can really be replicated against quality opposition, but it's a positive that they were able to take advantage of their advantage in this game. Hopefully it corresponds to realizing where their advantages are against different opposition and hammering those constantly. It was great to see Liam knock down his free throws at a high clip as well.

I hoped to see more from Ihnen in this game. You'd think he would have been able to take advantage of his own huge size disparity and diversify that offensive game a bit. I am not a big believer in that jumper and in this game, the results matched the form. I do like what he's bringing in other areas and also like how quickly he can get that 3 off, but when you play teams twice a year in conference play you've got to be able to do a little more on offense even if the shot is real.

Something I noticed was how positive Jarvis Omersa was both on the bench and when he got in the game despite a very obvious move down in the rotation. I've been critical of the lack of development there (as much on Pitino as Jarvis), but he seems like an absolutely great kid. After the win over Louisville in Des Moines, Jarvis was one of the guys that came back out in to the arena and mingled with fans. He made a lot of kids days/weeks by signing and taking photos when he could have been off celebrating with his family or teammates.

You can take absolutely nothing from it ( I am not sure UMKC even had scholarship guys in the game at that point) but it was fun to see Mutaf knock down that 3 and handle the ball a little bit.
 

EG#9 said:
I think it was a plus the team realized what huge mismatch Robbins was for UMKC. I am not sure that type of play can really be replicated against quality opposition, but it's a positive that they were able to take advantage of their advantage in this game. Hopefully it corresponds to realizing where their advantages are against different opposition and hammering those constantly. It was great to see Liam knock down his free throws at a high clip as well.

I hoped to see more from Ihnen in this game. You'd think he would have been able to take advantage of his own huge size disparity and diversify that offensive game a bit. I am not a big believer in that jumper and in this game, the results matched the form. I do like what he's bringing in other areas and also like how quickly he can get that 3 off, but when you play teams twice a year in conference play you've got to be able to do a little more on offense even if the shot is real.

Something I noticed was how positive Jarvis Omersa was both on the bench and when he got in the game despite a very obvious move down in the rotation. I've been critical of the lack of development there (as much on Pitino as Jarvis), but he seems like an absolutely great kid. After the win over Louisville in Des Moines, Jarvis was one of the guys that came back out in to the arena and mingled with fans. He made a lot of kids days/weeks by signing and taking photos when he could have been off celebrating with his family or teammates.

You can take absolutely nothing from it ( I am not sure UMKC even had scholarship guys in the game at that point) but it was fun to see Mutaf knock down that 3 and handle the ball a little bit.
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Impressive on Jarvis. Myself in that position would quite honestly be pouting and feeling sorry for myself. Coaches have to love having someone with that spirit on the team.
 

skyman31 said:
From what I’ve seen from Freeman so far, seems like his floor is a Konate level player. Shot looks smooth enough that he definitely has potential to develop into something more, but he at least looks like a guy that can give you a couple decent minutes at a time.
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Looks like a really solid, career back-up to me.
 


BarnBurner said:
Genius nyaaahk. Ihnen started because Johnson was out with an injury.

I think that was Mashburn that got beat - Ihnen got beat twice as well. More time on the floor for each....
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When Gabe left the floor, they went after Mashburn, who was beat off the dribble four times. It felt like four straight but someone else says it was twice, a break, then twice more before he was yanked. In the second half UMKC's 12th man took Mashburn to the hole for a bucket. If you think posters on GH are rough, imagine what Jamal's teammates are saying after watching the film of that slow, White guy from the end of KC's bench blow past Mashburn, lol. He can obviously do better. And will.
 
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MaxyJR1 said:
Fun game to watch. Competition was poor, but Pitino has done a nice job with his freshman and transfer class this year. All look the part of being able to improve and compete. Now it's time to be thrown to the wolves and see what happens.
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Good point. I'm really enjoying watching the new/young players this year. This team may not be Final-4 material, but it's certainly an entertaining bunch.
 

Bayfieldgopher said:
I for one, appreciate Gabe's overall game, what he brings, expect him to continue to start and get 30mpg. Gabe probably has a better grasp of the O & D scheme than anyone on top of tons of PT and experience. The newcomers are way behind in that area. He plays under control where Tre/Ihnen are still figuring things out. He never will be a strong rebounder but has been very solid at the line, his pull up game is slowly improving and is a decent ball handler. IMO, RP highly values Gabe's contributions and has been patient with his very weak 3 shooting %. I still think that will come around.
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Gabe's overall game can not be overstated.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
watching Gabe K - it looks this way to me:

but, when he has time to think, that's when he starts hitching or double-pumping, and it throws his rhythm off. you can literally see the wheels turning - and that's when his mechanics look out-of-kilter.

I wonder if he might benefit from a session with a sports psychologist or even a hypnotist. I'm serious.
the less he thinks, the better he seems to shoot.
Click to expand...

 

EG#9 said:
I think it was a plus the team realized what huge mismatch Robbins was for UMKC. I am not sure that type of play can really be replicated against quality opposition, but it's a positive that they were able to take advantage of their advantage in this game. Hopefully it corresponds to realizing where their advantages are against different opposition and hammering those constantly. It was great to see Liam knock down his free throws at a high clip as well.

I hoped to see more from Ihnen in this game. You'd think he would have been able to take advantage of his own huge size disparity and diversify that offensive game a bit. I am not a big believer in that jumper and in this game, the results matched the form. I do like what he's bringing in other areas and also like how quickly he can get that 3 off, but when you play teams twice a year in conference play you've got to be able to do a little more on offense even if the shot is real.

Something I noticed was how positive Jarvis Omersa was both on the bench and when he got in the game despite a very obvious move down in the rotation. I've been critical of the lack of development there (as much on Pitino as Jarvis), but he seems like an absolutely great kid. After the win over Louisville in Des Moines, Jarvis was one of the guys that came back out in to the arena and mingled with fans. He made a lot of kids days/weeks by signing and taking photos when he could have been off celebrating with his family or teammates.

You can take absolutely nothing from it ( I am not sure UMKC even had scholarship guys in the game at that point) but it was fun to see Mutaf knock down that 3 and handle the ball a little bit.
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Nice takes.

Robbins is a work in progress, and I sense his confidence needed a game where he could just piss-pound the other team.

People need to just accept Jarvis for what he is. An athletic, high energy, dive-on-the-floor, team player who will accept any role the coach assigns him. There's plenty of room for Jarvis on this team as a reserve.

I admire Mutaf's swagger. He was only on the floor a few minutes, but it was clear he decided in the car ride over that he was going to make a statement if he got in the game.
 
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EG#9 said:
Something I noticed was how positive Jarvis Omersa was both on the bench and when he got in the game despite a very obvious move down in the rotation. I've been critical of the lack of development there (as much on Pitino as Jarvis), but he seems like an absolutely great kid. After the win over Louisville in Des Moines, Jarvis was one of the guys that came back out in to the arena and mingled with fans. He made a lot of kids days/weeks by signing and taking photos when he could have been off celebrating with his family or teammates.
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Jarvis is easily my favorite player on the team. I'd love for him to put up more points, foul less, whatever, but he plays his heart out every time he touches the court, is his teammates' biggest cheerleader from the bench, and brings an incredible amount of energy to the team. Maybe it's a soft spot from my own benchwarmer days, but when a bench guy hits a three pointer, you can guarantee that Jarvis is going to be losing his mind on the bench and I absolutely love it.
 

Costa Rican Gopher said:
Nice takes.

Robbins is a work in progress, and I sense his confidence needed a game where he could just piss-pound the other team.

People need to just accept Jarvis for what he is. An athletic, high energy, dive-on-the-floor, team player who will accept any role the coach assigns him. There's plenty of room for Jarvis on this team as a reserve.

I admire Mutaf's swagger. He was only one thew floor a few minutes but it was clear he decided in the car ride over that he was going to make a statement if he got in the game.
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Agree.

He appears to have a game that MN has not had in decades, imo. Tall guard, handles, appears BB savvy, and am guessing all of the above will lead to easy looks for teammates.
 

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