Three Pointers

[Gophers09]

I have never seen a team make more well contested 3s in a game in my life than MSU did today.

 

[cncmin]

I have never seen a team make more well contested 3s in a game in my life than MSU did today.

Well, that's why they won, and why the Gophers choked. Every time the Gophers had a chance to put a dagger into them, they'd miss a key shot (Carter missed dunk, Hoffarber in-and-out 3); meanwhile MSU could NOT miss a shot. It was quite ridiculous. I've never seen shooting like that before, ever.

 

[Son of a Badger]

You're gonna lose most of the time when the team you're playing shoots almost 50% from 3 (11-24) and I agree the defense on most of them were good. They couldn't miss from three it was unbelievable.

 

[awag777]

I got news for you, a lot of those threes weren't that well contested. Frankly we rotated like a bunch of idiots today. We were effective at clogging the lane and preventing points in the paint, which forced them into long shots, but that kind of defense only works if you rotate well and hurts you if the other team is hot from three. Defense was pretty solid for the most part, offense didn't execute when necessary.

I am always among the first two criticize the refs (especially Ted, I hate, hate hate, hate Ted), but the Gophs lost this game straight up. Anyone blaming it on the refs didn't watch the last ten minutes of the game as our ten point lead dwindled.

And lastly, as someone in the second row of the student section, everyone else beyond the first five rows was a joke. I was absolutely astounded at how apathetic the student section was, especially in key moments. When you can't sustain a "Let's go Gophers" chant more than 10 seconds, it's time to wake up.

 

[cncmin]

I got news for you, a lot of those threes weren't that well contested. Frankly we rotated like a bunch of idiots today. We were effective at clogging the lane and preventing points in the paint, which forced them into long shots, but that kind of defense only works if you rotate well and hurts you if the other team is hot from three. Defense was pretty solid for the most part, offense didn't execute when necessary.

I am always among the first two criticize the refs (especially Ted, I hate, hate hate, hate Ted), but the Gophs lost this game straight up. Anyone blaming it on the refs didn't watch the last ten minutes of the game as our ten point lead dwindled.

And lastly, as someone in the second row of the student section, everyone else beyond the first five rows was a joke. I was absolutely astounded at how apathetic the student section was, especially in key moments. When you can't sustain a "Let's go Gophers" chant more than 10 seconds, it's time to wake up.

I agree with you, I HATE our half-court D. It leaves many good looks from 3. And frankly, if the other team is making a run almost all with the 3-point shot, at what point do you change up the defensive scheme to take that away?!?! MSU was not playing well at all inside, and the refs were letting them play anyway, which means that inside shots are tough shots to make. That kind of game favors outside shooting, and one team had it, the other didn't have enough of it.

For three years now I've hated Tubby's half-court D. At first, other fans on this board said that "it was the only way we could play defense with the lack of athletes on the team" (referring to similar athletes from a 9-win season the year before). Two years and almost double-digit recruits later, still the same, frustrating, 3-point yielding defense. I'd absolutely LOVE to see Tubby let Ralph and Iverson take care of their own business down low, and play against the outside shot up top.

The Gophers' defense is built to stop Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson II, or perhaps McHale/Parrish in the middle each and every game; it's not designed to stop today's average college basketball team. That's why, when a team shoots well from 3, we lose or make a close game out of one that should be a blowout (see, e.g., NDSU at home two years ago).