Frustrating to look at Marquette

[Niels Boar]

How are they 20-2 (9-0) with nobody over 6' 6'' among their top five scorers?  Really, no player over 6' 6'' makes much of a contribution.  They only have one 6' 7'' and one 6' 8'' forward in the rotation.  Neither accomplishes much statistically.  Their three senior guards McNeal, James, and Mathews have been the focus of the team for four years.  They will graduate having gone to the NCAAT four times.  As frosh, their only help of note was great-shooting big man Steve Novak, who led the team in scoring.  They finished 19-11 (10 -6).

Those three guards are bigger than our guys.  James is a light-shooting PG at 5-11, but Mathews and McNeal are 6-3 and 6-5.  None of them were accomplished perimeter shooters when they arrrived, though McNeal has exploded this season.  McNeal is a very good defender.  He has averaged over 2 steals/game every season.  This season McNeal and Mathews get to the line a lot and make a high percentage.  That helps compensate for their lack of an inside game.  However, they have improved a great deal on offense since their freshmen seasons.

With Washington in the middle we shouldn't be struggling the way we have if we had the right mix at guard and forward.  I hope the next class is going to be better on the perimeter than most believe it is going to be. 

[razerbacker]

Marquette plays very good defense, rarely giving up good shots, even on fast breaks, their 3 guards all play very good on ball defense.

[vandybuff]

Look at Xavier, Duke, etc.  So, so often they do not have 'the best' freshmen .... but they do have intelligence, heart and they play their assignment and finish, be it offense or defense.  I truly think so, so much of it is the right young man for the program and a patient, gifted coach to adjust his plan to the talents of his team.

[RZRBack_FAN]

Next year is it, if we don't improve significantly then it's time to look for someone who can get the job done.

Last year we had all seniors and it was the players fault this year we have all freshmen and it's the players fault. Next year it's on the coaching staff no more blameing the players!!!

[3kgthog]

Yeah, look at Marquette. They lost to one heck of a bad Stan Heath boreball team. The Big Least is so overrated.

[Arazorbackguy1]

Dude, they just lost to South Florida.  Any team, any night can go down.

[jschulte]

Next year is it, if we don't improve significantly then it's time to look for someone who can get the job done.

Last year we had all seniors and it was the players fault this year we have all freshmen and it's the players fault. Next year it's on the coaching staff no more blameing the players!!!

goodness gracious, just be patient

[Niels Boar]

Yeah, look at Marquette. They lost to one heck of a bad Stan Heath boreball team. The Big Least is so overrated.

point

They lost one conference road game by a point.  Whew, glad we aren't them. Sorry, I was wrong. That means they have sucked the last four years with a three-guard lineup.

My point was that they have survived and, relative to our own current predicament, thrived for four whole years with a small lineup featuring three guards.  Meanwhile, we at times look completely overmatched physically.  I suspect, as razorbacker pointed out, it is mainly due to defense.  McNeal, James, Mathews didn't have great offensive numbers as frosh, and they were #2-#4 in scoring on the team.  Still, Marquette made the NCAAT, and they didn't have a post threat comparable to Washington.  Novak was a perimeter player, though a very good perimeter player. Pel really needs to find to some guys who can defend in the next two classes.  The current class, though it has potential on that end with development, didn't have a single player that wasn't at present a defensive liability, except maybe Fortson who has to be concerned with fouls.

[Coondog Hog]

Three SENIOR guards tells all you need to know about Marqutte this year.

[Niels Boar]

Three SENIOR guards tells all you need to know about Marqutte this year.

Half the post is about what they did as FRESHMEN without a post threat.

[Ulysses_S_Grunt]

There guards are a good 3-5 inches taller than ours. That makes a HUGE difference in perimeter defense. Our 6'0 guards have been missing some assignments on defense, but more often than not, its just the other time shooting over our much shorter guys.

We've got one good inside player at the moment, in Washington, and it seems he only shows up half the time on defense. We're missing Monk big time. When he was in, we didn't see those other teams coming in and taking down so many offensive boards.

Most people knew before this season that it would be rough once we got into SEC play. Most people also expected us to lose to Texas and Oklahoma. When we beat those teams, everyones expectations changed, they expected these guys to come into conference play and be world-beaters, and it just didn't happen. They went from playing one decent team every other week, to playing decent to good teams twice a week, and actually started playing some road games. The games got more physical, and our guys got intimidated.

It has been rough watching these guys play in the SEC this year, but I've still tuned in and watched every game I've been able to, and rooted for them until the very end. I still have faith in Pel and I believe he can bring Arkansas back to national prominence. The guys he is looking at to bring in next year feel a role we really need filled. Guys in the 6'3"-6'8" range that can play inside and out. Next year we won't be starting mostly freshman, we'll have several experienced sophomores, a great junior defender in britt, and hopefully washington will be back and welsh will figure out his role on this team. Pelphrey is laying the foundation for a great team a couple years down the road.

Have faith Hog fans, we'll get through this rough year and come back strong.

WPS!

[Oliver]

point

They lost one conference road game by a point.  Whew, glad we aren't them. Sorry, I was wrong. That means they have sucked the last four years with a three-guard lineup.

My point was that they have survived and, relative to our own current predicament, thrived for four whole years with a small lineup featuring three guards.  Meanwhile, we at times look completely overmatched physically.  I suspect, as razorbacker pointed out, it is mainly due to defense.  McNeal, James, Mathews didn't have great offensive numbers as frosh, and they were #2-#4 in scoring on the team.  Still, Marquette made the NCAAT, and they didn't have a post threat comparable to Washington.  Novak was a perimeter player, though a very good perimeter player. Pel really needs to find to some guys who can defend in the next two classes.  The current class, though it has potential on that end with development, didn't have a single player that wasn't at present a defensive liability, except maybe Fortson who has to be concerned with fouls.

Yeah, no kidding.  I mean I wouldn't trade a close road loss to a Stan Heath team if it meant we wouldn't be losing to the likes or Auburn and Miss. St. at home.

[Oliver]

Half the post is about what they did as FRESHMEN without a post threat.

Impossible!  Playing FRESHMEN is like being undermanned against your opponent.  Nobody can succeed with FRESHMEN.

[Niels Boar]

There guards are a good 3-5 inches taller than ours. That makes a HUGE difference in perimeter defense. Our 6'0 guards have been missing some assignments on defense, but more often than not, its just the other time shooting over our much shorter guys.

We've got one good inside player at the moment, in Washington, and it seems he only shows up half the time on defense. We're missing Monk big time. When he was in, we didn't see those other teams coming in and taking down so many offensive boards.

Most people knew before this season that it would be rough once we got into SEC play. Most people also expected us to lose to Texas and Oklahoma. When we beat those teams, everyones expectations changed, they expected these guys to come into conference play and be world-beaters, and it just didn't happen. They went from playing one decent team every other week, to playing decent to good teams twice a week, and actually started playing some road games. The games got more physical, and our guys got intimidated.

It has been rough watching these guys play in the SEC this year, but I've still tuned in and watched every game I've been able to, and rooted for them until the very end. I still have faith in Pel and I believe he can bring Arkansas back to national prominence. The guys he is looking at to bring in next year feel a role we really need filled. Guys in the 6'3"-6'8" range that can play inside and out. Next year we won't be starting mostly freshman, we'll have several experienced sophomores, a great junior defender in britt, and hopefully washington will be back and welsh will figure out his role on this team. Pelphrey is laying the foundation for a great team a couple years down the road.

Have faith Hog fans, we'll get through this rough year and come back strong.

WPS!

Agreed.  The size of Mathews and McNeal make a big difference on D on both the perimeter and inside probably.  Also, McNeal is an outstanding individual defender.  I like our guards.  I'm just not sure they all belong on the court at the same time together.  Hopefully the incoming class will allow us to mix and match units with an eye toward keeping floor balance at both ends.

[Ulysses_S_Grunt]

Agreed.  The size of Mathews and McNeal make a big difference on D on both the perimeter and inside probably.  Also, McNeal is an outstanding individual defender.  I like our guards.  I'm just not sure they all belong on the court at the same time together.  Hopefully the incoming class will allow us to mix and match units with an eye toward keeping floor balance at both ends.

Thats what I'm hoping also. I don't think Welsh and Rotnei should be on the floor at the same time. Having to use 6'0 guys to guard a shooting guard AND a small forward(usually) is just asking to get burned.

I really like what I saw from Henry on Wednesday, I think if he can continue to develop then he could become a stud on offense and defense for us.

[ICEman]

Recruiting hotbed of Chicago might lend a clue to their success.