AyoDos11
- Southern Illinois
I can totally see Coleman becoming a Trent/Damonte-type culture guy if he comes back next year.
Arkansas 73, Illinois 63 Postgame
- Status
Because the names will be different or the skill will be at a level we don’t recognize?
One thing really sticks out about Hawkins post game comments. The whole "we didn't move the ball, we didn't run anything" statement. Brad made the same statement to the sideline reporter at the end of the first half (of close to it).
Now why was that? I heard Underwood say it multiple times this year. Tells me there were a lot of locker room issues and internal conflicts. But honestly, if that was happening then Brad needs to fix it. That's his job. The offense was dysfunctional all year. Brads not a great offensive coach, I've said it since his first year, but this year was another level of bad.
It will be interesting to see how the roster shakes out. I really hope the three frosh stay. Most of the other guys I'm indifferent about. I'd love to have TSJ back too. With the right guys around him (where he isn't a primary ball handler) he could be outstanding next year. I can't see Dain coming back. Something seems....off there. I think everyone else is a crapshoot.
Now why was that? I heard Underwood say it multiple times this year. Tells me there were a lot of locker room issues and internal conflicts. But honestly, if that was happening then Brad needs to fix it. That's his job. The offense was dysfunctional all year. Brads not a great offensive coach, I've said it since his first year, but this year was another level of bad.
It will be interesting to see how the roster shakes out. I really hope the three frosh stay. Most of the other guys I'm indifferent about. I'd love to have TSJ back too. With the right guys around him (where he isn't a primary ball handler) he could be outstanding next year. I can't see Dain coming back. Something seems....off there. I think everyone else is a crapshoot.
TSJ could come back for 1 more due to covid year, if he wishes.
There is no way I'm going through the entire game thread tonight, so if this repeats !!!!, then oh well.
1) We got out-toughed way too often. The guys that are clearly bought in on the culture here were selling out and getting floor burns all over the place. The ones who aren't, weren't. And we lost way too many of those 50-50s on the glass and the floor. Arkansas is too talented to let them out-hustle you too.
2) Coleman was the best player on the floor for stretches of the game. And regardless of the team mojo, both these teams are loaded with individual talent. I really, really think he will come back and lead next year. And that's a good thing.
3) Our freshmen, to my eye, didn't look fazed. They looked like they belonged on the floor against some 5-star talent on the brightest stage. That is also a very good thing. This isn't their last rodeo.
4) Des Moines Arena isn't the worst place to see a basketball game. But I'm sure glad Omaha is a first round host next year.
5) AR fans were cool - I even got a kid next to me to start yelling random foods during FT attempts just like I do.
6) It pays to have an orange blazer in the closet. People dig it.
7) As soon as Coleman hit that first baby hook in the paint, I thought, maybe this team gets it and then we just went to pieces on offense. Like literally individual pieces.
8) This team frequently reminded me this year of the 98-99 team. There was clearly something really good there, and you could see it in the freshmen. But it certainly clicked the next season and the season after that...so, I'm disappointed its over but the optimist in me thinks this will just be part of the evolution towards a title shot soon.
1) We got out-toughed way too often. The guys that are clearly bought in on the culture here were selling out and getting floor burns all over the place. The ones who aren't, weren't. And we lost way too many of those 50-50s on the glass and the floor. Arkansas is too talented to let them out-hustle you too.
2) Coleman was the best player on the floor for stretches of the game. And regardless of the team mojo, both these teams are loaded with individual talent. I really, really think he will come back and lead next year. And that's a good thing.
3) Our freshmen, to my eye, didn't look fazed. They looked like they belonged on the floor against some 5-star talent on the brightest stage. That is also a very good thing. This isn't their last rodeo.
4) Des Moines Arena isn't the worst place to see a basketball game. But I'm sure glad Omaha is a first round host next year.
5) AR fans were cool - I even got a kid next to me to start yelling random foods during FT attempts just like I do.
6) It pays to have an orange blazer in the closet. People dig it.
7) As soon as Coleman hit that first baby hook in the paint, I thought, maybe this team gets it and then we just went to pieces on offense. Like literally individual pieces.
8) This team frequently reminded me this year of the 98-99 team. There was clearly something really good there, and you could see it in the freshmen. But it certainly clicked the next season and the season after that...so, I'm disappointed its over but the optimist in me thinks this will just be part of the evolution towards a title shot soon.
I'm not sure about doom but I'm feeling pretty gloomy and it's not about the student athletes. I'm extremely disappointed in the staff. We got worse as the season progressed. We suck at free throws, an unguarded mid-range shot. We struggle with layups. We are sloppy passers. We've struggled with turnovers at times and played brilliantly at times. The talent is there, but there's no focus. The body language of our players often looked like they had been beaten before the game ended. We're the worst three point shooting team in the B1G and our start to the game had us driving and kicking the ball out for open threes? We missed those shots btw and who could have seen THAT coming? Penn St. beat us three times in a single season. We had Coleman out at the point dribbling the ball multiple times tonight waiting for the shot clock to reach zero or turning the ball over. That's not a game plan. And that lack of game plan seemed to be a story on and off all season. I don't think Brad's on any kind of hot seat, but I think he needs to think long and hard about making some changes. The chemistry on this team was basically non-existent. I look forward to seeing how Coach Underwood turns this around next fall.
Hawkins definitely cares. Unfortunately I think he’s been coached very poorly during his time here. He’s been given the green light by his coach who calls him an “elite shooter”, but shoots well under 30% from 3. Brad also has him handling the ball 30-40 feet from the basket which leads to turnovers.
Hawkins should have been in the paint all season. Protecting the rim on defense and getting his offense near the basket. No dribbling. No shooting 3s. I feel like maybe one of the reasons he’s been here is Brad’s promise to allow him to do the NBA stretch 4, when his best college usage is just be a simple in the paint big man. Very frustrating player to watch but I blame the coach for not reigning him in
Sometimes a single loss can be worth getting what's next on tape for posterity. If anyone wants to get all weepy about getting yelled at during a TO next year, Brad can simply point to what a bunch of talent with discipline issues does in the modern NCAA tournament. It loses. Early.
I can name at least 10 coaches who would not allow a player to consistently not run plays or to follow the game plan. If the player consistently did what he wanted versus the coach, the player would sit until they figured it out. Cronin, Huggins, Few, Barnes, etc. would never let the problems persist all year.
It’s bad if he means freshman are leaving and that is how I took it!
I don’t disagree with your sentiment.
And to prove it…here’s a post I made in December:
But honestly…how can you speak to what 10 different D1 basketball coaches would do?How could you possibly know that for sure?
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
Not bothering to read anything else in this thread, so I'm sure I'm being redundant:
- Just not a very fun season; better than the John Groce years for certain, but this team never did play team-first ball
- Can't blame it on all the newcomers, because lots of successful teams excel with 5-6-7-8 new players each year
- Speculating we're now set up for a lot of transfers-out. But I sure hope the core group stays.
- Epps and Rodgers will start next year
- I want Hawkins to return (not because he's a sure-fire NBA lottery type guy), but for culture continuity. Should be the face of the program.
- RJ and Luke are just role-players, and likely will be for the next two years. (Luke should have red-shirted).
- Just not a very fun season; better than the John Groce years for certain, but this team never did play team-first ball
- Can't blame it on all the newcomers, because lots of successful teams excel with 5-6-7-8 new players each year
- Speculating we're now set up for a lot of transfers-out. But I sure hope the core group stays.
- Epps and Rodgers will start next year
- I want Hawkins to return (not because he's a sure-fire NBA lottery type guy), but for culture continuity. Should be the face of the program.
- RJ and Luke are just role-players, and likely will be for the next two years. (Luke should have red-shirted).
Also, the unanimous reaction of the entire Wells Fargo arena BOOOOOOOOOOOOing Duke at the top of 13k lungs at once.....that was almost worth the ticket.
Ayo is the “one” to whom I am referring. Sorry if I’m missing your sarcasm re Tyler, but he doesn’t count. A) He was academically a senior at his third college when he started playing basketball here. B) Come on, man.
I’d like to agree with this but I honestly don’t know if he ever it made to the top of the cliff to begin with…
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Also, last note....Kansas fans came off as the elitist pricks of the bunch. I was bummed that they eventually just outran Howard, who had by far the best fans and band of the teams today IMO.
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
Trying to think back if the word "ELITE" should have ever been used in discussing our players or program during the 2022-23 season. Jalen Pickett is my gold standard when using the word.
As such, I think maybe TSJ's performance against UCLA qualifies. But little else.
As such, I think maybe TSJ's performance against UCLA qualifies. But little else.
And frankly, this is why so many people started to walk back their expectations. It was so so obvious that we had players who weren't bought in.
And the damning part was that we just kept giving those players the keys to the team.
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
The moment that he said he wanted to win Big Ten defensive player of the year was laughable. There is a fine line between confidence and delusion
He put all the Easter Eggs in one basket. And when he figured out a couple were rotten and some others slightly contaminated by the rotten ones it was too late to get more before Easter. Lol
Brad realized he had to roll with it at a certain point. We basically saw him go through the kubler-ross stages
of grief before our very eyes. Lol
(I mean seriously…think back to all that happened…)
Boy you can bet he was relieved the season was over.
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You have some things right here (yes, Coleman does really care) , but my guess is that Coleman coaching problem began a long time ago in Sacramento. Think about it. Coleman already showed talent as a sophomore, but he couldn't hold a starting position because of his turnovers and his bad outside shooting streaks. When guys like Coleman are well coached at a young age (he wasn't), they learn to take advantage of the height, jumping ability, and quickness. Coleman has improved over the years (I really like the way he played in the last game against Penn State and on his first shot tonight), but he was allowed to play too much on the perimeter for a guy who will never be a great shooter (a little too flat). Heck, I will go so far as saying that don't like the idea of a "point center". It might actually work for Illinois when we have no Kofi or Dain in foul trouble against a dominant 7-foot center. But, in general, you should not have your tallest guy out on the perimeter, 20 feet from the basket. The Sacramento coaches should have known that. The Illinois coaches should have known that too (although it was already late to change it). Even Coleman should have known that. My guess is that he would have had much better college #s (higher shooting percentage, fewer turnovers) had everyone insisted that he learned to play better near the basket.
And while I'm at it, Coleman has a bad habit of long risky (often cross-court) passes (many of which result in TOs). This is related to discipline, and it is the accumulation of years of bad coaching and Coleman's own relaxed attitude about improving this. Coleman really isn't ready for the pro level. He needs to work on these things and becoming a reliable scorer who regularly gets shots in the paint and only settles for longer shots when defenders give him tons of space.
Whitmans Sampler
- Eastern Iowa
Wait, this actually happened? He refused to go back in the game? Also, from my seats it looked like he and Mayer were chatting it up on the bench most of the 2nd half. Neither was very engaged.
I appreciate that coach uses media statements to build up his players. We fans probably shouldn't assume all media statements equate directly to player instructions and game plans.
Though I like what CH can do in the paint, and want to see him do it more regularly, restricting him to the paint would be wasting a competitive advantage. I can't argue with the fact that he took too many threes. If he gets more selective, the percentage should rise to a respectable number.
When daydreaming about next year, we should remember that players can improve. CH averaged 32mpg this year - up from 19 and 6 the previous two seasons. That dramatic of a leap represents an entirely new level of responsibility. Applying his intelligence to that new body of game-play experience could make for a very productive off-season - a possibility made more likely when a player is invested, as CH seems to be.
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