Week of 2/3 Games & News Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
#103      
OrangeKrush1981
Dan said:
Rick Pitino was really laying into his players on the broadcast. His eyes were bulging out, it was quite something. Rick Pitino on the road just beat Dan Hutrley.
Click to expand...
Reading Rick's book and listening to him talk presents quite a contrast to his real-world behavior.

I will say: coaches that can fire-up guys, win. And many players who come from the rough side of town respond like gangbusters to a verbal reaming-out by a coach. They really do.
 
#105      
1m4tr
Illini 993 said:
That St John's team is for real. Love him or hate him, Pitino has that team cooking.
Click to expand...
Can’t shoot a lick but wow they play hard and their defense is tough. They fight through every pick and really stick to their man like glue. UConn had no room to breathe and had what like 25 turnovers (around 50 combined in their last two games). I’ve never seen a team turn the ball over more.
 
#117      
moonpies88
OrangeKrush1981 said:
Reading Rick's book and listening to him talk presents quite a contrast to his real-world behavior.

I will say: coaches that can fire-up guys, win. And many players who come from the rough side of town respond like gangbusters to a verbal reaming-out by a coach. They really do.
Click to expand...
I like the fact he's one of the few still doing the suit and tie. I just think it looks much more professional.
 
#118      
illinifan1987
1m4tr said:
Can’t shoot a lick but wow they play hard and their defense is tough. They fight through every pick and really stick to their man like glue. UConn had no room to breathe and had what like 25 turnovers (around 50 combined in their last two games). I’ve never seen a team turn the ball over more.
Click to expand...
The Illini will say...
Criminal Minds Jj GIF by CBS
 
#120      
alaskaillini
Running a little behind the conversation this morning. Wanted to respond to this line if discussion in pre-game thread. Typed it up and realized thread was closed.. Sorry if now out of context.

JJHUI79 said:
Re Brad's willingness to make changes/adjustments, my 2 cents is that there are two widely differing answers:

BU's big picture willingness to adjust philosophy/strategy has often been good. He dumped the full court pressure D once he realized that would not work and the Big 10; he realized the importance of recruiting a senior-filled roster (for last year at least - not sure what happened with that this year), he began
recruiting toward positional length, he has recruited the world, and more.

But as this board has hashed out many times, in-game adjustments are seemingly questionable due to his stubbornness. Do we remember how the first half of the UConn game went last year, when the strategy was to drive it right at Clingan, only for him to block everything that came his way? Brad then made it clear during one of his sideline interviews (paraphrasing) 'we're not going to change a thing, going to keep taking it right at him'? He got roasted on the national scene for that.

In my view, two different questions, two different answers in terms of his ability to adjust and change.
Click to expand...

There are two schools of thought. To use a fishing metaphor. Some people spend all day driving around the lake trying to find fish that are biting. Some times they do and sometimes they waste all their time driving. Other people go to an area they know well and wait for the fish to bite. The second group usually catches some fish., but don't load the boat very often. The first gets skunked a lot but loads the boat some days. Brad tends to the second group. He relies on what he knows and his experience to adopt a offense or defensive strategy (or prepare a game plan) and he sticks with it until he is convinced it is not going to work. Once he is convinced, he changes. I think Brad has seen these guys light it up in practice from 3, and in games like Oregon or Penn state where they light it up on the court, we are unbeatable by anyone in the country. If we play like that, we are a national championship caliber team. Brad is loath to give up on that. Yes, we can win some games pounding it inside, but that isn't going to get us to our ceiling where we have a legitimate shot at winning a national championship. Brad is trying to find and develop that team.
Unfortunately, to be that team we have to be healthy and playing well. If we are not, then things go off the rails. Our ceiling is fragile. The injuries and sickness keep us from realizing anything near that. If you want to see a national championship team, pray these guys get healthy and their mind right and start shooting the ball like they are capable. As has been accurately pointed out, these guys aren't shooting anywhere near their capability as shown by what they have done previously.
I am not going to dispute that Brad should have changed tactics in the UConn game - basically he did what everyone wants him to do this year - pound it inside and get the opposing players in foul trouble. We would have been far better off jacking threes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back