- The game was pretty ugly. I thought we looked very tired - although Indiana looked tired as well. That resulted in some poor shooting and sloppiness/turnovers.
- The most frustrating part of the team continues to be Johns. He just looks like a kid that lacks confidence. He probably needs more minutes to get comfortable on the floor but the minutes are just not there for him. He looks like a kid who is always overthinking on the floor - often times rushing things (which results in a lot of short shots).
- People often blame too many games on getting tired but I think that's only part of it. I think a bigger part is the travel/trying to deal with other obligations (like academics). Traveling is tough on the body and mind because it involves spending time on planes/busses and adapting to new environments (including sleeping in hotels). But based on this team's ability to adapt to the 23 day Covid layoff, I think we will do well in a tourney situation where all games are played at the same facility.
- Perhaps the most underrated part of the team's success is our experience. We play a lot of older/experienced kids. Experience is underrated when it comes to playing team basketball. And that's what really our advantage over a lot of teams - experience, composure, decision making.
- We may turn the ball over but what's good is those turnovers are often not due to pure sloppiness. They're due to trying to make high reward plays. In the case of Smith, he will sometimes pass the ball to a sport that if successful, will result in an easy basket. Sometimes those plays work - like the many interior passes we see from Smith and Wagner that result in easy baskets. Sometimes they don't. But they're usually not made in the backcourt where they result in easy run outs by the other team.
- A lot of people used to complain about Brooks' ball handling. That clearly has improved this year.
- It was annoying listening to Gus Johnson keep saying yesterday that Indiana was missing shots they usually make. Sure, they missed a few that they should have made but there's a reason for their lack of success - that's because it's tough shooting the ball over guys who are 7'1" and 6'9" and who play physical.
- A guy who I worry about from an injury perspective is Smith. He's taken a beating this year. And yesterday he appeared to pull his groin. He appeared to tough it out yesterday but when that tightens up, it can be a problem and affect his quickness. Something to keep an eye on.
- Why were there so many fans at the Kansas - Baylor game last night with the piped in crowd noise (I think it was piped in) but it's quiet with very few fans in B10 games? Do different conferences have different rules on that? I think it's BS that any piped in crowd noise is allowed. Some tech guy should not be pushing buttons to change the playing environment to help one team or the other.
- The most frustrating part of the team continues to be Johns. He just looks like a kid that lacks confidence. He probably needs more minutes to get comfortable on the floor but the minutes are just not there for him. He looks like a kid who is always overthinking on the floor - often times rushing things (which results in a lot of short shots).
- People often blame too many games on getting tired but I think that's only part of it. I think a bigger part is the travel/trying to deal with other obligations (like academics). Traveling is tough on the body and mind because it involves spending time on planes/busses and adapting to new environments (including sleeping in hotels). But based on this team's ability to adapt to the 23 day Covid layoff, I think we will do well in a tourney situation where all games are played at the same facility.
- Perhaps the most underrated part of the team's success is our experience. We play a lot of older/experienced kids. Experience is underrated when it comes to playing team basketball. And that's what really our advantage over a lot of teams - experience, composure, decision making.
- We may turn the ball over but what's good is those turnovers are often not due to pure sloppiness. They're due to trying to make high reward plays. In the case of Smith, he will sometimes pass the ball to a sport that if successful, will result in an easy basket. Sometimes those plays work - like the many interior passes we see from Smith and Wagner that result in easy baskets. Sometimes they don't. But they're usually not made in the backcourt where they result in easy run outs by the other team.
- A lot of people used to complain about Brooks' ball handling. That clearly has improved this year.
- It was annoying listening to Gus Johnson keep saying yesterday that Indiana was missing shots they usually make. Sure, they missed a few that they should have made but there's a reason for their lack of success - that's because it's tough shooting the ball over guys who are 7'1" and 6'9" and who play physical.
- A guy who I worry about from an injury perspective is Smith. He's taken a beating this year. And yesterday he appeared to pull his groin. He appeared to tough it out yesterday but when that tightens up, it can be a problem and affect his quickness. Something to keep an eye on.
- Why were there so many fans at the Kansas - Baylor game last night with the piped in crowd noise (I think it was piped in) but it's quiet with very few fans in B10 games? Do different conferences have different rules on that? I think it's BS that any piped in crowd noise is allowed. Some tech guy should not be pushing buttons to change the playing environment to help one team or the other.
