I just don’t see an option for Giorgi at the 4. Ben not ready and Kipper not effective. When you have Kofi getting fouls outside the 3 pt line it is more of a problem with the scheme than the player imo.
Miami 81, Illinois 79 POSTGAME
Teams have a lot of video to dissect Ayo's game unlike last year. That makes him easier to defend. Also, we are not running a scheme that plays to his strengths. We may need to go back to the frenetic pressure D and platoon Giorgi and Kofi if we want to maximize Ayo. We probably need Tev playing to pull that off.
Could be correct Ayo is clearly better in the frantic pace, but does only that skill get you to being a lottery pick? I don’t think so. Even the NBA game comes down to guys being able to get their own shot in a half court game. Ayo can learn this, but he is not going to in 2 years is my fear. Probably more importantly, he is not going to develop his game with a coach who is scared to death to sit him when he does not play to the better of the team.
Before you kill me on that last statement let me explain
. Last night was a perfect example (one of the cupcake games end of first half was also an example - I just don’t remember which cupcake?) of what I mean. Ayo has to pass that ball, let his teammates who are open shoot? As you say, teams know what he can do now and reality is that it is limited in a half court set.Ayo, and the Illini, would be so much better off if he was not pressing and thinking about the NBA at all. He clearly has the skills to get there, but this is what we do with kids today (he is the greatest so we can’t teach at all). Sorry state really as this kid is a tremendous example of being a good person and hard worker. He just needs more time, yet everyone says he is ready (really coming out of H.S.).
I used to want him to succeed for the good of Illinois, but now I really want him to succeed because of what he did for the Illini.
Hope that makes any sense?
Not only us now, him later if he adopted this mantra!
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
Requires oven mitts.
IMO, Frazier earned and is willing and capable of being the Alpha, he already was after and during the freshman year.
I believe it was interjected upon TF to bring Ayo into the fold/allow Ayo to man the helm coming in based on reputation/recruiting scrutiny/ILLINI well being. Today we are still seeing in year 2 with Ayo, what feels like him trying to be the Alpha...Frazier was better at in imo.
Ayo is a phenomenal basketball player, skilled beyond belief, sees the game unlike many others. He also is a stubborn player, lapses in intensity, and possibly sees himself as a little higher than others and keeper of the throne so to speak.
Share the torch, but fan that flame from the both of them so this team can get hot and play/win up to it's abilities!
Against a D that Miami was playing, we should have Kofi down low, TF and AG outside the Arc. Our offense should focus on those 3. Feliz and Ayo should shoot 15 footers only if at all. Every offensive move that AF and Ayo make should be to create an open shot for Kofi, AG and TF. We MUST make some 3s to open up their D. IF the D starts to open up, then AF and Ayo can start to dribble drive. Giorgi would be a great man off bench. If DW is playing he should stay out of the way on offensive end. Why can't we recruit 3 point shooters like everyone else? Can BBV shoot 3s? If he can then we should park him outside of arc and run some plays to get him open looks and tell him to be ready to fire. We MUST make some 3s!
A couple of questions for any X and O experts out there:
1. I hear a lot of conflicting opinions on whether or not Georgi and Kofi are effective together. On one side there doesn't seem to be much room for the two bigs together, on the other hand it's claimed that GB is the only player consistently getting the ball to KC down low. I lean more toward the latter -- that you should be able to have Georgi play the four with Kofi in the middle. Is there something I should be looking for in terms of statistics or movement that might say otherwise?
2. What is the "weave" supposed to accomplish? I see guys running along the top of the three-point arc in opposite directions, and the ball going back and forth, and then...I dunno. Are there supposed to be cutters? Are we trying to set up a mismatch? Get someone on the defense out of position? Are we forgetting to do something? I don't pretend to be an expert on basketball tactics, but for all I can tell it's just 5-10 seconds wasted.
1. I hear a lot of conflicting opinions on whether or not Georgi and Kofi are effective together. On one side there doesn't seem to be much room for the two bigs together, on the other hand it's claimed that GB is the only player consistently getting the ball to KC down low. I lean more toward the latter -- that you should be able to have Georgi play the four with Kofi in the middle. Is there something I should be looking for in terms of statistics or movement that might say otherwise?
2. What is the "weave" supposed to accomplish? I see guys running along the top of the three-point arc in opposite directions, and the ball going back and forth, and then...I dunno. Are there supposed to be cutters? Are we trying to set up a mismatch? Get someone on the defense out of position? Are we forgetting to do something? I don't pretend to be an expert on basketball tactics, but for all I can tell it's just 5-10 seconds wasted.
Actually I noticed we scored at a very high clip in the weave whether it was guards taking their man off the bounce or flipping it to Kofi down lo
Ayo was all of a sudden popping that mid-range jumper. Don't know why he didn't try that shot at the end of the game. He was right there instead of trying to drive.
It's a way to get the defense moving before what is essentially just a high pick and roll. Usually around the 3rd time through it ended with Ayo up top and a big stepping out to set the ball screen. The hope is that the early motion gets their help defenders in the wrong spots. A few times the timing was off and Ayo had to wait for the screen, or the screener had to wait for Ayo.
I only wish to comment that this take is correct, really spot on. I am troubled how this affect Miller's "commitment"
Agree 100% We need guards driving and finding the open man. We need the two "diesels" passing back out for open 3's. UW really needs to get this team passing.......perhaps easier said that done.
Don't know for sure but, I truly believe that BU does not like the mid range jumper. I don't care about the efficiency stats. I believe at that level, a lot of guys will make that shot a lot more than driving to the rim and trying to get a shot off over interior defenders. So, I agree with your assessment but, I think that the shot is discouraged by BU who prefers a floater.
It's effective if you are a) good at it, and b) can create an open shot to take it. I mean, I guess that's literally every other shot, but midrange jumpers get a bad rap because it's worth the same from 1 foot as it is from 18ft. There's such a push for guys to take either threes or layups that I think defenses sag off guys who start to drive, as they are trying to get into better position to defend a layup. Typically, this leaves guys a better look when they are at the elbow if they start/stop their drive quick enough.
While I don't think a team should be reliant on them, if you can make them consistently, I don't have a problem with taking them, nor should anyone else. Leron Black had a great mid range shot, as did Malcolm. While I doubt BU has offensive sets centered around getting an open midrange look, if you can create it off the bounce and shoot it well, I doubt he's got much of an issue with taking it.
Mid Range jumpers also have a high % of fouls I would suspect from them as the defender is rushed to try and cover, by the time they do you are shooting and they are lunging. Driving the ball allows for a good defense to set for sot blocks/charges.
Illinois is 22nd in the nation with Assts per game...not sure if passing for shots is our biggest issue...possibly who his taking the passed ball shots might be so far this year? Illinois is 3rd in the nation scoring right now, as a team, we shoot at a 512% clip-374% clip from 3 and 74% FT.
Ayo has taken twice the amount of shots as any other guard which is fine from 2pt...however his 3pt right now is 28%, TF is 44%? This is just one stat, however, Andre the other primary guard is shooting a third more shots than TF, and his 3pt% is 25% currently?
We have 5 double figure scorers....but do those scorers have the right % to their name based on usage. In game formulates all of this with it's ebb and flow nature, but 3PT shots can be predicted/practiced and carried out for most part during any game regardless of situations.
Deleted member 4333
D
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Either is clearly superior to a charging foul in that situation.
I just can not yet be to confident generalizing from statistics, given the quality of the competition we have played. Will have to see what the numbers look like after 5 Big ten games.
IMHO our team needs to take much better care of the ball and not make so many TOs if we are to win games. Players also need to realize thier strengths and coaches get them to play to them. I like how GB and Kofi work together and I also am shocked that GB has not been taking more of a power 4 role more often. If I was an opposing coach I'd love it if we didnt feed him in the post and have Kofi crashing the glass or receiving passes on the opposite side.
Finally I want nothing but the best for Ayo and hope he grows and matures into the player many see him to be. He possibly can but as it stands now his shot needs a lot of work and he us a long way from being a lottery pick PG like Derek Harper or DWill. I hope he can get there by the years end I just dont see what many others do just yet. Dre has played well and I hope we can get it going soon. GO Illini.
Finally I want nothing but the best for Ayo and hope he grows and matures into the player many see him to be. He possibly can but as it stands now his shot needs a lot of work and he us a long way from being a lottery pick PG like Derek Harper or DWill. I hope he can get there by the years end I just dont see what many others do just yet. Dre has played well and I hope we can get it going soon. GO Illini.
Illinois is 116th in assist percent (% of fg's that are assisted) and even that is heavily skewed by the Hampton (assisted 29 of 45 fg) and Lindenwood (25 of 39) games. I do agree with much of what you're saying, I just couldn't believe the assist stats that you listed, so I had to do a little digging. I don't feel like the spread system does a great job of putting players in position to get assists, and I think players are missing opportunities to create those chances. For instance fairly late in the 2nd half against Miami there was a play when Griffin caught the ball on the left wing and started to drive middle, the entire defense sagged into the paint and Frazier was at the top of the key yelling and clapping for the ball and Griffin did a hook pass to Feliz in the corner instead. The possession ended poorly all because we didn't make an obvious, wide open pass to our hottest shooter.