Let's try to coach the men's basketball team

[Biggus Piggus]

Given that Stan Heath and staff decided to take an early vacation, let's take over and tell them what to do.

I said my piece after the Missouri game.  Gary Ervin is not going to work as the starting point guard.  He needs to be a role player.  Ervin could be very useful coming off the bench.  Use him as a defensive specialist in a three-guard lineup, as a change of pace when we need more pressure on the ball.

His main problem is being asked to do things he can't.

Train up Patrick Beverley to be the point guard.  Let him be a pass/score kind of point guard.  He may actually find better shots this way.  Of all the options I can't find a better one.

Choosing a starting five isn't the main problem for this team, it's choosing a style of play that the team can support through numerous player substitutions.  Whatever style Heath was trying to implement on Saturday was never evident.  That was a futile maneuver.

Looks like guys ranging from Weems to Beverley to Thomas to Hill...don't know what they are supposed to be doing.  Who's supposed to take the first step.  Like everybody's waiting, and finally Thomas asserts himself on his own.

I'd believed we should be playing Beverley, Weems, Thomas, Townes and Hill.  Beverley for having the most potential to be able to play the point (not that he's ready yet), Weems because he's the most dangerous and a defensive obstacle for opposing guards, Thomas at three because he needs a central role, Townes at four because he doesn't defend the post but can score face up, Hill at five because of anybody on the team he's the one with above-average defensive talent.

I don't like the way Hill is looking when he's on the floor.  Maybe he would look better with Townes and Thomas in there, but it wouldn't be a whole-game solution.  His development seems to be stuck.  Does anybody see new dimensions of skill blossom from Hill when he catches the basketball?  No doubt Hill came in as raw material, but right now giving him big minutes means dictating a style of play with no low post scoring, passing or rebounding.  Who wants to play like that?  Why hasn't he improved?

If we shift Weems, Thomas and Townes up a slot, somebody's gotta play the two.  Who's ready for that?  If we got our scoring elsewhere (very doable) then we could go with a defensive specialist, perhaps Ervin, but he's short enough to have major matchup problems at the two.  We don't recruit the 6-4-ish Walker, Robertson, Hawkins type who can run and defend like a demon.  Welsh seems too green.

As for post depth, our bench seems to be wasting oxygen.  Not surprising given that Hill, Townes and Hunter display the same limitations they had when they were freshmen.  Nobody's progressing.

What are we trying to do?  What kind of team are we going to be?  What's our core philosophy?  Feel free to e-mail Stan Heath some ideas, as he doesn't have any.  At least that's what it looks like.

[Hong Kong Sooey]

We need to become a good enough inside/out team to allow us to play our combo guards and skip the PG.  Beverly, Weems, and Welsh will give us a pretty good rotation as long as we play through Townes and Thomas.  As for Hill, I like his shot blocking but the rest of his game needs some work.  Stan should bring Joe Klein in to work with the big men.  We need an identity, my plan would provide it.

[HognotinMemphis]

Here are my suggestions for coaching the men's basketball team at U of A:

Firstly, persuade Broyles to resign;

Then hire an AD who can hire a top-flight basketball coach;

then fire Heath;

then hire a top-flight basketball coach as should have been done when Nolan went crazy and had to go, such as Bill Self for one example.

Finally, let that top-flight basketball coach coach the team.

[Conway Cool Daddy]

It's too early to give up on Ervin. Give him a chance.

I agree that Beverly has shown some ability to handle the ball, but being point full time is too much to ask.

As far as the no- motion offense, can we scratch this and do something else?

[proffitthog]

I'am usually the one who say's lets be patient with Stan he seems to be a good recruiter. But i really dont think he can get it done, I think it's time for someone else to take over. I think we are going to be awful this year. I hope i'm wrong, but i think we are going to get killed in the SEC.

[HognotinMemphis]

I'am usually the one who say's lets be patient with Stan he seems to be a good recruiter. But i really dont think he can get it done, I think it's time for someone else to take over. I think we are going to be awful this year. I hope i'm wrong, but i think we are going to get killed in the SEC.

Heath is here as long as Broyles is here because Broyles doesn't care about basketball anymore. He's too busy trying to remember who Ben Cleveland and Damian Williams are.

[Mr. Prozac]

I am no master of Basketball "strategery", but I agree about Ervin. He did take responsibility for his play on Saturday--maybe he'll play more "in control" Wednesday...The thing that frustrates me the most about many of our players is their passive nature. Some of our players need to get an aggressive streak, and I think you can do that without fouling out in 10 minutes.

[HawgG]

Steven is going to be what he is and that's a dominate defensive player but the opposite on the offensive side.in my opinion Hill has to start or we will see how poorest Arkansas' defense can really be.I do like Townes in the starting lineup with Hill and that was the plan a couple of years ago by Heath but that idea was scratched for reasons only the coaching staff knows.In the SEC every good team starts a big frontline if they have the bodies for it.Now with a big team there is no uptempo play and those that complain about wanting to see a race track team will not be getting their wish.On the positive side this team could become a more physical bunch and may benefit from the changing of attitudes.Now the thing that Heath and his staff are looking at and the reason we will not see Hill and Townes starting together is who will back them up when they need a blow or are in foul trouble.You have Hunter,Washington,and McGowen on the bench.How much confidence do we all have in those guys right now?Judging by their amount of minutes Heath doesn't have faith in those guys either.

[HogHillbilly]

Fire JFB....................Otherwise you can't fix any of the problems

[Mr. Prozac]

Steven is going to be what he is and that's a dominate defensive player but the opposite on the offensive side.in my opinion Hill has to start or we will see how poorest Arkansas' defense can really be.I do like Townes in the starting lineup with Hill and that was the plan a couple of years ago by Heath but that idea was scratched for reasons only the coaching staff knows.In the SEC every good team starts a big frontline if they have the bodies for it.Now with a big team there is no uptempo play and those that complain about wanting to see a race track team will not be getting their wish.On the positive side this team could become a more physical bunch and may benefit from the changing of attitudes.Now the thing that Heath and his staff are looking at and the reason we will not see Hill and Townes starting together is who will back them up when they need a blow or are in foul trouble.You have Hunter,Washington,and McGowen on the bench.How much confidence do we all have in those guys right now?Judging by their amount of minutes Heath doesn't have faith in those guys either.

He consistently blocks shots, but that's where the consistency ends. I have seen him rebound, I have seen him score--and even make an impressive move or two here and there...But how does a 7-footer play 17 minutes and take no shots and get no rebounds? One would think that his height alone would be good for a couple of trash buckets off of rebounds, even if the guards aren't getting him the ball inside. Saturday he stood around a lot (but that seemed to be going around).

[ArkansasI]

Our problem ever since Stan arrived is that we don't have a player that can dribble the basketball.  It is amazing how poorly these kids handle the ball.  Think what this team might do with just one of the following: Arlyn Bowers, Robert Shepperd, Lee Mayberry, Corey Beck, Clint McDaniel or even Kareem Reid...

I like the starting five of Beverly, Weems, Thomas, Townes and Hill...  I think that is the best that we can do with this team.  On offense, I would tell Hill to run baseline opposite any other player and go to the basket as soon as the ball is shot.  With Hill staying out of the way, the other four ought to be able to move around a bit and generate some offense.


I think that the play of Charles Thomas toward the end of last year and all of this year has gone under-appreciated.  He is really a fine player. 

I don't know what to say about Stan.  I give him credit for his ability to recruit decent talent, but I am frustrated by his inability to recruit a team.  I assume that he thought McCurdy was a Hurley type of point guard, but you still have to have two kids that can dribble to be a competitive D-I team.  The knock on Ervin has always been turnovers - a team cannot survive that from its point guard.

Perhaps the saddest thing about these guys are that they are so painful to watch.  You can tell by attendance that our fans can't take it anymore.  That alone will cost Stan his job.

[dish13-hog]

Well, where can I begin?  First of all, we can't shoot the 3 consistently.  We also can't play in the half-court consistently against a tough defensive squad (as opposed to the Sisters of the Blind who we've played mostly this year).  That being said, we should be doing more "up-tempo" like Stan has been saying for the last 3 freckin' years he's been here.  Where is it?

Also, we have issues on defense.  Did anyone else notice how many layups TTech got on Saturday?  Ridiculous.  We have got to get the game at a faster pace or we're screwed.  I'm sorry, but when you only have 32 points with 9 minutes or so to go in the game like we did on Sat., you don't have a chance to beat many teams.

[HawgG]

I'm wondering do all you guys want our basketball team to lose games just so Heath can be replaced?To me that is very sad and at the sametime it is just silly.I don't care if Stan leaves the UA,but I want the program to be on solid standing when he goes and a new HC is brought in and he Will have a smooth transition and not have to face what Stan had to when he became HC at Arkansas.If you people want Heath gone then it is best that he leaves of his own decision.

[Hong Kong Sooey]

I'm wondering do all you guys want our basketball team to lose games just so Heath can be replaced?To me that is very sad and at the sametime it is just silly.I don't care if Stan leaves the UA,but I want the program to be on solid standing when he goes and a new HC is brought in and he Will have a smooth transition and not have to face what Stan had to when he became HC at Arkansas.If you people want Heath gone then it is best that he leaves of his own decision.

What are you talking about?  Did anyone say we wanted to lose games?  Argue the points being discussed, not just whatever pops into your head.

[dish13-hog]

I'm wondering do all you guys want our basketball team to lose games just so Heath can be replaced?To me that is very sad and at the sametime it is just silly.I don't care if Stan leaves the UA,but I want the program to be on solid standing when he goes and a new HC is brought in and he Will have a smooth transition and not have to face what Stan had to when he became HC at Arkansas.If you people want Heath gone then it is best that he leaves of his own decision.

What are you talking about?  Did anyone say we wanted to lose games?  Argue the points being discussed, not just whatever pops into your head.

I think I saw another thread about this, and I don't understand that mentality at all.  We as Razorback fans should never want the team to lose in order to get a new coach.  Too many other people are involved in the situation than just the coach, and a losing season effects a lot more than just the coach (recruiting, current player's futures, etc.).  I don't think anyone here on this thread would disagree.

[Jim Harris]

I'am usually the one who say's lets be patient with Stan he seems to be a good recruiter. But i really dont think he can get it done, I think it's time for someone else to take over. I think we are going to be awful this year. I hope i'm wrong, but i think we are going to get killed in the SEC.

If we're going to get killed in the SEC, then I'd say Stan Heath isn't the good recruiting you think he is.

[WilsonHog]

Charles Thomas is going to have to take over leadership of this basketball team. He's the only player who possesses the skill, experience, intensity, and toughness to get it done.

Normally the point guard would fill that role, but it's hard for teammates to follow a player who is careless with the basketball. Townes is too quiet and disappears for too many stretches. Hill........well, how in the world does a 7-1 kid play 17 minutes and have a stat sheet filled with zeroes? Patrick Beverley is a good player, but he's a freshman; hard to rely on a freshman the first time he steps on the court in Austin, Tuscaloosa or Baton Rouge. Sonny Weems might be a leader in time, but right now he's still adjusting to Division I basketball.

As far as Stan Heath is concerned, I can't figure out whether it's a lack of basketball knowledge or a lack of will. I think the latter. He lacks the strength of personality that Nolan had to get a player's attention. Nolan forced his will on his teams, and Eddie Sutton did too. I don't see that quality in Stan Heath.

[Colorazorback]

I'am usually the one who say's lets be patient with Stan he seems to be a good recruiter. But i really dont think he can get it done, I think it's time for someone else to take over. I think we are going to be awful this year. I hope i'm wrong, but i think we are going to get killed in the SEC.

I am getting sick of hearing that Heath is a good recruiter and Nutt is a good motivator. How about hiring guys that are great coaches. Great coaches get great athletes that are self-motivated due to their competitive nature. This leads to successful programs year in and year out.

[Ross U (HDHF)]

Here are my suggestions for coaching the men's basketball team at U of A:

Firstly, persuade Broyles to resign;

Then hire an AD who can hire a top-flight basketball coach;

then fire Heath;

then hire a top-flight basketball coach as should have been done when Nolan went crazy and had to go, such as Bill Self for one example.

Finally, let that top-flight basketball coach coach the team.

No, that's too logical.  It'll never work. 

[HoopS]

Are we sure that S Walsh couldn't be trained to run the point?   I haven't seen him as close up as most of you i'm sure, but of what I have seen, he looks like he has some usable tools.   

[Beaverfever]

Can anyone think of one player that stan heath turned into a good player (improved greatly under his coaching)? 

[HoopS]

Charles Thomas is going to have to take over leadership of this basketball team. He's the only player who possesses the skill, experience, intensity, and toughness to get it done.
Normally the point guard would fill that role, but it's hard for teammates to follow a player who is careless with the basketball. Townes is too quiet and disappears for too many stretches. Hill........well, how in the world does a 7-1 kid play 17 minutes and have a stat sheet filled with zeroes? Patrick Beverley is a good player, but he's a freshman; hard to rely on a freshman the first time he steps on the court in Austin, Tuscaloosa or Baton Rouge. Sonny Weems might be a leader in time, but right now he's still adjusting to Division I basketball.

As far as Stan Heath is concerned, I can't figure out whether it's a lack of basketball knowledge or a lack of will. I think the latter. He lacks the strength of personality that Nolan had to get a player's attention. Nolan forced his will on his teams, and Eddie Sutton did too. I don't see that quality in Stan Heath.

I agree with your saying Charles needs to be the leader.   I have believed that since last year.   He is our stud and I have been on the record as saying that he will be an All-SEC player.   He is the type that gets us all pumped up and loving Hog ball.  I can see Beverly being a young leader.   These are our horses, IMO.

[spudhog]

Can anyone think of one player that stan heath turned into a good player (improved greatly under his coaching)? 

jj sullinger. wait, he improved at osu. nevermind.  i will have to go with charles tatum.

[Archie Gaines]

Wilson_Hog quote:
"As far as Stan Heath is concerned, I can't figure out whether it's a lack of basketball knowledge or a lack of will. I think the latter. He lacks the strength of personality that Nolan had to get a player's attention. Nolan forced his will on his teams, and Eddie Sutton did too. I don't see that quality in Stan Heath."
+++++++++++++++++++++

Bingo !!

I'll watch 'em... even as wife rolls those eyes,
and says our local HS coach could get better production
with that recruited talent.  Oh well.. another long season.

[jmchog]

PG) Stephen Welsh
SG) Patrick Beverly
C)   Steven Hill(Aka Mark Eaton)
PF) Darrian Townes
SF) Charles Thomas

6th Man..
Vincent Hunter

[Niels Boar]

I'd believed we should be playing Beverley, Weems, Thomas, Townes and Hill.  Beverley for having the most potential to be able to play the point (not that he's ready yet), Weems because he's the most dangerous and a defensive obstacle for opposing guards, Thomas at three because he needs a central role, Townes at four because he doesn't defend the post but can score face up, Hill at five because of anybody on the team he's the one with above-average defensive talent.

Well, there is no good option without a seviceable PG and only one option at the #2.  The problem I see with that lineup is that ballhandling woes, already critical, might be exacerbated.   I agree that Beverley might be our best option at initiating the offense, but that theory is untested.  Weems has been a poor ballhandler.  That lineup would put the ball in his hands even more often as the secondary ballhandler.  My equally dubious suggestion would be to let McCurdy do a Pat Bradley imitation.  Let him be the weakside outlet as Beverley feeds the post.  Can McCurdy really shoot?  He's never shown it on the court.  If Hill isn't going to rebound at all (9 minutes per RB? WTH?), his value as a defensive player is diminished greatly.  He's currently useless against a perimeter oriented team, but we will need his shot-blocking against certain teams like LSU and Bama. 

Maybe if Townes, Thomas, and Weems could put some points on the board early and give the team some confidence, we could add more D in the first rotation with Ervin and Hill.  We need more post touches on O.  Texas Tech had consistenly given up over 50% on 2's all season.  43% of our FGAs were treys, and we are shooting under 30% from the arc against RPI Top 100 teams.  My theory is to run the offense through Townes and Thomas in the post with Beverley and McCurdy behind the arc and Weems doing more slashing and less jump-shooting.

[rasorback4life]

It hurts me to watch this basketball team play.  I was once, a primarily basketball fan, and it is still my favorite game to play.  However, in the past 10 or so years, the skill level of basketball players has dipped so low, it is sickening.  I could go on and on about this, but it would do no good.

As for this team, I don't think that Stan has any control.  I noticed this last year when Ferguson got a DWI before the trip to Hawaii, and never lost a minute of playing time, or punished in any way that I could see.  This caused me to lose a lot of respect for Heath as a coach.  

I agree with you that Ervin needs to be moved to the bench until he shows some control and improvement.  It is like watching Dontell Jefferson all over again.

As for Hill, I really like the kid, but he will always be a primarily defensive specialist.  He blocks shots like no other, but he tries to block everyone that comes near the lane, and this puts him out of rebounding position.  Townes could be the leader in rebounds if he would get strong in there.  Rebounding is all about desire and positioning, and he has always be soft.  

I really like Beverly, but I think that we also need to give McCurdy some extended looks at pg.  I would really like to see screen, after screen set for Beverly and if he is going to have to handle the ball alot, it would be hard for him to move.  I know that McCurdy is a bit wild, but so are our other options at pg.

As far as Weems goes, I just don't know.  I see the potential, but what is another word for it, assume, and we all know what that makes out of u and me.

I really believe that if Nolan was still here, Charles Thomas would be the second coming of the Big Nasty.  He has all the tools.  And I think that for now he is by far our best player.  I love his attitude, he works extremely hard, and does what he is told.  I know he was trying to become quicker to play the 3, but give the boy some weights and put him at the 4.

[proffitthog]

I'am usually the one who say's lets be patient with Stan he seems to be a good recruiter. But i really dont think he can get it done, I think it's time for someone else to take over. I think we are going to be awful this year. I hope i'm wrong, but i think we are going to get killed in the SEC.

If we're going to get killed in the SEC, then I'd say Stan Heath isn't the good recruiting you think he is.

It seems like on paper our recruiting classes are there. I guess he just cant coach them.

[Hogvious]

My Never-Play 3 if I were coach.

Steven Hill
Vincent Hunter
Preston Cranford

[Biggus Piggus]

I'd believed we should be playing Beverley, Weems, Thomas, Townes and Hill.  Beverley for having the most potential to be able to play the point (not that he's ready yet), Weems because he's the most dangerous and a defensive obstacle for opposing guards, Thomas at three because he needs a central role, Townes at four because he doesn't defend the post but can score face up, Hill at five because of anybody on the team he's the one with above-average defensive talent.

Well, there is no good option without a seviceable PG and only one option at the #2.  The problem I see with that lineup is that ballhandling woes, already critical, might be exacerbated.   I agree that Beverley might be our best option at initiating the offense, but that theory is untested.  Weems has been a poor ballhandler.  That lineup would put the ball in his hands even more often as the secondary ballhandler.  My equally dubious suggestion would be to let McCurdy do a Pat Bradley imitation.  Let him be the weakside outlet as Beverley feeds the post.  Can McCurdy really shoot?  He's never shown it on the court.  If Hill isn't going to rebound at all (9 minutes per RB? WTH?), his value as a defensive player is diminished greatly.  He's currently useless against a perimeter oriented team, but we will need his shot-blocking against certain teams like LSU and Bama. 

Maybe if Townes, Thomas, and Weems could put some points on the board early and give the team some confidence, we could add more D in the first rotation with Ervin and Hill.  We need more post touches on O.  Texas Tech had consistenly given up over 50% on 2's all season.  43% of our FGAs were treys, and we are shooting under 30% from the arc against RPI Top 100 teams.  My theory is to run the offense through Townes and Thomas in the post with Beverley and McCurdy behind the arc and Weems doing more slashing and less jump-shooting.

Niels, Heath didn't run a jump-shooting offense on purpose.  He kept relying on the motion offense, and it didn't work.  The Hogs resorted to shooting jump shots under shot clock pressure.  We couldn't work the ball fast enough to find a decent shot.  Later in the game we were way behind and tried to speed the tempo to catch up.  It was ugly when we were trying to run motion against their combination of halfcourt defenses.  We were crude in everything we did, offense and defense.

[Biggus Piggus]

It's too early to give up on Ervin. Give him a chance.

I agree that Beverly has shown some ability to handle the ball, but being point full time is too much to ask.

As far as the no- motion offense, can we scratch this and do something else?

What do you mean too early on Ervin?  This is his year third of college basketball.  Same ol' stuff.

I am very disappointed to see the Ervin that we have.  I think we saw what kind of player he was at MSU.  His strength is athletic ability, which makes him a combo guard type.  Putting the pressure of "true point guard" on him was foolish.  Heath had Ervin for an entire redshirt season + everything since then, and this isn't what Heath was promising us.  Seems like another terrible error in judgment.

Ervin can be a productive player if asked to do what he can do, and not asked to morph into something else.

[Biggus Piggus]

I have no answers.  I think the bigger problem is trying to figure out a rotation & series of fives who can play together.  We have so many unproductive players under the current arrangement it's ridiculous.

[Conway Cool Daddy]

You are actually serious about starting McCurdy? What has he done?
I don't see him as any improvement over Ervin.

[ogar_hog]

My Never-Play 3 if I were coach.

Steven Hill
Vincent Hunter
Preston Cranford

I'll agree with Hunter, but why the other two?

[HoopS]

Ok, nobody mentions Welsh.   Does anyone see any promise in him?

[Conway Cool Daddy]

I have no answers.  I think the bigger problem is trying to figure out a rotation & series of fives who can play together.  We have so many unproductive players under the current arrangement it's ridiculous.

You can say that again.

I have a lot more problems with the system we run rather than the players.
This motion offense is terrible. Should Hipsher carry some of the blame for our struggles?

[Biggus Piggus]

We run the motion offense terribly.  It's a good offense.  Bob Knight is its master.  Eddie Sutton swore by it at Arkansas.

We can't settle on a style of play, not even a tempo.  We don't have an ace rebounder.  We don't have a defensive stopper to play on the perimeter.  We don't have a shooting specialist.  We are very role-player constrained.  SO we better jack up the tempo and try to use our athletic ability.

[Biggus Piggus]

Has anybody noticed that Heath's teams always seem to play well in November then hit a pothole in December?

His teams seem to be reasonably well prepared exiting fall practices but backslide when Heath starts fiddling with lineups.

Texas Tech wasn't exactly a titan.  They had three double-digit losses.  The Red Raiders had not beaten anybody close to the top 50 before our game.  We made them look great, and they are an NIT team at best.

[hogsanity]

I cant coach a team with no guards.  Therefore i can not coach this Hog team.

[dish13-hog]

Has anybody noticed that Heath's teams always seem to play well in November then hit a pothole in December?

His teams seem to be reasonably well prepared exiting fall practices but backslide when Heath starts fiddling with lineups.

Texas Tech wasn't exactly a titan.  They had three double-digit losses.  The Red Raiders had not beaten anybody close to the top 50 before our game.  We made them look great, and they are an NIT team at best.

Could be because we play Podunk State in November and then play decent teams in the mid to late December geating up for SEC play.  We will make a lot of teams look great this year.

[H-O-double g]

Looks like guys ranging from Weems to Beverley to Thomas to Hill...don't know what they are supposed to be doing.  Who's supposed to take the first step.  Like everybody's waiting, and finally Thomas asserts himself on his own.

I'd believed we should be playing Beverley, Weems, Thomas, Townes and Hill.  Beverley for having the most potential to be able to play the point (not that he's ready yet), Weems because he's the most dangerous and a defensive obstacle for opposing guards, Thomas at three because he needs a central role, Townes at four because he doesn't defend the post but can score face up, Hill at five because of anybody on the team he's the one with above-average defensive talent.

I don't like the way Hill is looking when he's on the floor.  Maybe he would look better with Townes and Thomas in there, but it wouldn't be a whole-game solution.  His development seems to be stuck.  Does anybody see new dimensions of skill blossom from Hill when he catches the basketball?  No doubt Hill came in as raw material, but right now giving him big minutes means dictating a style of play with no low post scoring, passing or rebounding.  Who wants to play like that?  Why hasn't he improved?

If we shift Weems, Thomas and Townes up a slot, somebody's gotta play the two.  Who's ready for that?  If we got our scoring elsewhere (very doable) then we could go with a defensive specialist, perhaps Ervin, but he's short enough to have major matchup problems at the two.  We don't recruit the 6-4-ish Walker, Robertson, Hawkins type who can run and defend like a demon.  Welsh seems too green.

As for post depth, our bench seems to be wasting oxygen.  Not surprising given that Hill, Townes and Hunter display the same limitations they had when they were freshmen.  Nobody's progressing.

What are we trying to do?  What kind of team are we going to be?  What's our core philosophy?  Feel free to e-mail Stan Heath some ideas, as he doesn't have any.  At least that's what it looks like.

Thomas playing the 3/small forward position?!? That doesn't make sense to me.

[Conway Cool Daddy]

We run the motion offense terribly.  It's a good offense.  Bob Knight is its master.  Eddie Sutton swore by it at Arkansas.

We can't settle on a style of play, not even a tempo.  We don't have an ace rebounder.  We don't have a defensive stopper to play on the perimeter.  We don't have a shooting specialist.  We are very role-player constrained.  SO we better jack up the tempo and try to use our athletic ability.

I'm not sure we run the same motion offense.  There are various forms but the one we run seems to focus on two guards remaining at the top with the weave going on below.  Not exactly the motion offense I was taught (5 man, or even 4 out, 1 in). 

I don't know much about basketball, but I was expecting lots of dribbling over screens and crisp passing
around the perimeter. Something with a little "motion". I'm not sure what our offense has to do with motion.
I guess it all is the movement in the paint.

[hogsanity]

Has anybody noticed that Heath's teams always seem to play well in November then hit a pothole in December?

His teams seem to be reasonably well prepared exiting fall practices but backslide when Heath starts fiddling with lineups.

Texas Tech wasn't exactly a titan.  They had three double-digit losses.  The Red Raiders had not beaten anybody close to the top 50 before our game.  We made them look great, and they are an NIT team at best.

Could be because we play Podunk State in November and then play decent teams in the mid to late December geating up for SEC play.  We will make a lot of teams look great this year.

EVERYONE in college bb top leagues do this.  UCONN play UCA for crying out loud. 

[dish13-hog]

Has anybody noticed that Heath's teams always seem to play well in November then hit a pothole in December?

His teams seem to be reasonably well prepared exiting fall practices but backslide when Heath starts fiddling with lineups.

Texas Tech wasn't exactly a titan.  They had three double-digit losses.  The Red Raiders had not beaten anybody close to the top 50 before our game.  We made them look great, and they are an NIT team at best.

Could be because we play Podunk State in November and then play decent teams in the mid to late December geating up for SEC play.  We will make a lot of teams look great this year.

EVERYONE in college bb top leagues do this.  UCONN play UCA for crying out loud. 

True, but UCONN hasn't lost badly to two average NIT bound Big 12 teams already this year.

[Ark_Jedi]

We can't settle on a style of play, not even a tempo.  We don't have an ace rebounder.  We don't have a defensive stopper to play on the perimeter.  We don't have a shooting specialist.  We are very role-player constrained.  SO we better jack up the tempo and try to use our athletic ability.

Perfect assessment. I thought the story coming into this season was that we would be good because we didn't have to depend on one player (Brewer) to carry the whole team because we had four or five quality players.

After being hopeful coming out of the Old Spice tournament, I'm dang near despondent now after watching the Mizzou game on TV, then being in the upper deck of Alltel Arena to witness the Texas Tech show on Saturday.

I like Thomas a lot but I'm afraid this team has no bigtime playmaker...someone who we CAN depend on to carry the team when they can't hit a shot. I thought it would be Weems. You can't make up a 16 point deficit waiting for Thomas to get a chance to post up for a shot...then giving up easy backdoor layups on defense.

I've been a support of Heath. He seems an earnest sincere guy who did a good job at Kent State in his one year...and has a nice resume with his time at Mich St. But I'm afraid he's hit the ceiling here. We don't have any quality recruits signed for this year's class after losing the Junction City kid to OK St. So to me, that doesn't bode well for the future.

I think this is Heath's make or break year and at this point, I think things are not going well.

[ArkansasI]

The Old Spice Classic had some quality wins for us.  Southern Illinois will irritate several and West Virginia is not terrible.  I felt pretty good about this team until the Missouri game.

Our defense was horrible against Mizzou and then another wheel fell off against Texas Tech.

I have no reason to believe that this team is ready to compete.

[RAZORBART]

You are actually serious about starting McCurdy? What has he done?
I don't see him as any improvement over Ervin.

Mccurdy is not any taller than ervin is he ? at ervin can play some defense.

I would like to start him at the 2.  At least give it a shot.  As was previously pointed out, Ervin would have too much trouble playing the 2 at 5-10 unless you have them take different defensive assignments (Ervin still guards the point guard, Beverley guards the 2 spot).

There is no perfect solution.  I don't believe you can continue to try and make Ervin the next Mateen Cleaves.  Who else do you want to start at the 2 spot?

If basketball were played with 4 guys, I could come up with a pretty good rotation.   

[waphill]

I would only play the players that actually show intensity, fire, competitiveness, etc. Right now very few players have this attitude. Most of the players have no aggression, just like their coach. When players are laughing on the bench while getting pasted shows me they don't care. I don't think they respect their coaching staff. How many players on Duke, Kansas, UNC, UCONN would be cracking jokes while getting a lesson on the court. I don't think those coaches would put up with that.

Somebody needs to tell Sonny Weems that he is a good player. I don't think he feels that way. So much of basketball is in your head. It is all about confidence. You have to have it. I don't see it in Sonny. There is no aggressive play. Numerous times vs. TT he was being guarded by a 6'10" power forward on the wing. The guy is overplaying Weems 2 steps to the inside. I was waiting for him to beat him baseline, but it never happened. He never takes it to the hole. He reminds me of Olu, tons of athletic ability, but just wants to shoot threes.

I think there is enough talent here to win some games, but not with Heath at the helm. He is too soft, and that has rubbed off on his players. I love the fire that Beverly and Welsh play with. They might make some mistakes, but they are playing hard and making aggressive mistakes. Thomas is about the only upperclassmen that plays with a little fire. Lack of leadership and a soft attitude are the two biggest problems IMO.

[spudhog]

Yes, I believe McCurdy is taller than Ervin.

only cause he spikes the front of his hair

[Hogvious]

My Never-Play 3 if I were coach.

Steven Hill
Vincent Hunter
Preston Cranford

I'll agree with Hunter, but why the other two?

Hill - 0 points and 0 rebounds with 1 block in 17 minutes versus TTech and seems to disappear in games.
Cranford - was a walk on for a reason.  He always looks lost on the floor, IMO.