Mitchell Twins

[Rhody_NYCT]

Whatever happens next year with our coaching situation, which is looking more and more like we are going to have a change, I would really like to see the Mitchells stay with Rhody. They have great potential. They are gifted athletically, especially for their size, and they play hard and with heart. They are (obviously) excellent shot blockers and tough on the boards as well. Yes, they make mental mistakes and need to improve their FT shooting, but like I said, they have so much potential. I hope they reach it with us.

[Rhodymob05]

Agreed. With the right leadership, they can become all conference type players.

[section(105)]

………talent….OK, their talent is their height…….their games need to be totally broken down by a firm and knowledgeable coach, and then fundamentally built back up again into a system where their roles are cleanly defined……..not gonna happen here with the current coach……..

[PeteRI]

You can't teach height, so they've got that part of the game covered.

[ATPTourFan]

I doubt they will accept the right kind of coaching they need. They just leave when they feel uncomfortable. That’s their history.

[Blue Man]

I was very high on them when they got here - but they most definitely have the wrong coach. It’s Fatts all over again in the sense that their playing time and usage is being put above what’s best for the team.

Everything works a lot better with one Mitchell on the floor, but instead we’re playing 2 centers because of what seems to be a promise made in recruiting.

I haven’t seen real improvement in them - but who knows maybe it’s on the coach. Either way could use without the attitude, techs, and flexing when we’re down a billion.

[section(105)]

…….if yous agree they need fixing(I know they shouldn’t be linked together)the question remains can they stay here and be fixed?……..are they fixable?……..to me, uncoachable and coach killer often go in the same sentence………the most disturbing aspect of their time here is the alleged promises made for starting and playing time……..after all these prior years of thirsting for big men, we have two that are nit being utilized to make the players around them better, and playing to benefit the overall team concept…….I know the lovers will point to their stats……..the stats Don:’t tell the full story……..for me huge assets being under utilized……..no?

[Blue Man]

…….if yous agree they need fixing(I know they shouldn’t be linked together)the question remains can they stay here and be fixed?……..are they fixable?……..to me, uncoachable and coach killer often go in the same sentence………the most disturbing aspect of their time here is the alleged promises made for starting and playing time……..after all these prior years of thirsting for big men, we have two that are nit being utilized to make the players around them better, and playing to benefit the overall team concept…….I know the lovers will point to their stats……..the stats Don:’t tell the full story……..for me huge assets being under utilized……..no?

I put it in the game thread - but the common theme this year defensively, is that it's ALWAYS another team's stretch-4 that kills us. Or whatever guard/wing is playing in the 4 spot.

Camara last night was a perfect example.

The Mitchell's are old school rim protectors. No skill. But you're not going to go at the rim and score on them whenever you want. There's serious value there.

For some reason they're both on the floor at the same time. It would be like putting an offensive lineman at WR. It doesn't make sense.

Whichever Mitchell is bumped out to the 4 spot is not fast enough to keep up with most stretch 4's/wings that play those positions these days. They are not laterally quick - which is why they take so many stupid fouls away from the basket. They can't switch fast enough which is why we leave so many open 3's for the other team.

You could literally boil our entire team's issues this year down to the Mitchells because of the way they've been used. Just like Fatts in the first 3 Cox years. Could be great when used properly, but because we're forcing a square peg into a round hole the team is suffering.

Watching last night with one Mitchell on the floor - the offense had significantly better spacing. Defensively we weren't overly slow on rotations.

But when both Mitchells are in? They play Mitchell ball back to each other. They make bad decisions. They put the ball on the floor.

It seems so obvious...but why isn't the coach doing anything about it?

[steveystuds06]

I doubt they will accept the right kind of coaching they need. They just leave when they feel uncomfortable. That's their history.

That's my biggest worry. Will they be willing to take a lesser role that's best for the team? If they aren't getting a lot of minutes together and we aren't forcing it to them as much as we can, will they be ok with that?

They have talent but fit and attitude matter. I do agree that I want them to remain on this team. They can make an impact... This offseason is going to be very interesting.

[bigappleram]

Here’s the thing, it’s not even about them playing less than it is about them playing within a role and setting them up for success. And limiting their minutes on court together. They average 27 and 24 minutes. That wouldn’t change.

Give them each 20 minutes at the 5 and 5 minutes where they play together. The other 35 minutes at 4 goes to Twan and Malik. Walker could easily play 3-5 more minutes per game. Leaves a small window where you play Malik at the 4. This is all doable and wouldn’t change their floor time much at all. It would just minimize the time we play with Makhi at the 4 spot bc that just isn’t going to work. And it really shouldn’t have taken 24 games to see that.

[Blue Man]

Here’s the thing, it’s not even about them playing less than it is about them playing within a role and setting them up for success. And limiting their minutes on court together. They average 27 and 24 minutes. That wouldn’t change.

Give them each 20 minutes at the 5 and 5 minutes where they play together. The other 35 minutes at 4 goes to Twan and Malik. Walker could easily play 3-5 more minutes per game. Leaves a small window where you play Malik at the 4. This is all doable and wouldn’t change their floor time much at all. It would just minimize the time we play with Makhi at the 4 spot bc that just isn’t going to work. And it really shouldn’t have taken 24 games to see that.

100%. I really don't understand why it's this obvious to the fans but the guy being paid 3/4 mil doesn't recognize it.

Or worse - he does recognize it. I mean he has to, he's forgotten more about basketball than we'll ever know. But he might just be too soft or too nice to "go back" on a recruiting promise he made to a mom.

I'm leaning towards the latter, which is why he's not head coaching material. Assistants make promises. Coaches make decisions.

[steviep123]

You can't teach height, so they've got that part of the game covered.

The scuttle butt way back in the mid 90s when Skinner's staff was recruiting Michael Anderson, the assistants were questioning why. Skinner said, "you can't teach 7 feet." He turned out to be a pretty serviceable player in the late 90s due to coaching. Hoping for the same from the Mitchell twins.

[section(105)]

You can't teach height, so they've got that part of the game covered.

The scuttle butt way back in the mid 90s when Skinner's staff was recruiting Michael Anderson, the assistants were questioning why. Skinner said, "you can't teach 7 feet." He turned out to be a pretty serviceable player in the late 90s due to coaching. Hoping for the same from the Mitchell twins.

……..OK, I get the can’t teach height bit, but I think you can coach a big with physical talent in length into a serviceable player or more so…….players like this don’t just turn out be be decent with out breaking them of the bad habits, and teaching them the skills necessary to play within the team system and framework of the offense and defense…….letting these type players to go their own way, without corrective actions is reflective of deficient coaching…….no?

[Blue Man]

You can't teach height, so they've got that part of the game covered.

The scuttle butt way back in the mid 90s when Skinner's staff was recruiting Michael Anderson, the assistants were questioning why. Skinner said, "you can't teach 7 feet." He turned out to be a pretty serviceable player in the late 90s due to coaching. Hoping for the same from the Mitchell twins.

……..OK, I get the can’t teach height bit, but I think you can coach a big with physical talent in length into a serviceable player or more so…….players like this don’t just turn out be be decent with out breaking them of the bad habits, and teaching them the skills necessary to play within the team system and framework of the offense and defense…….letting these type players to go their own way, without corrective actions is reflective of deficient coaching…….no?

Common theme with 4* bigs and this coaching staff. Harris. Mitchells.

[bigappleram]

It's too bad the greatest big man in the history of URI basketball isn't around to maybe give them some work on the side.

[PlayMikeMotenMore]

It's too bad the greatest big man in the history of URI basketball isn't around to maybe give them some work on the side.

Jim Eitner?

[ATPTourFan]

Do the twins even want to learn and be challenged? Will they be capable of learning and working towards maximizing their abilities?

I would guess no.

[section(105)]

Do the twins even want to learn and be challenged? Will they be capable of learning and working towards maximizing their abilities?

I would guess no.

…….if the current coach does not see the need to “figure somethings out…..”regarding the Mitchell’s, then we have got problems…….what you asked ATP is the essence for me of being uncoachable……..

[Rhody15]

The scuttle butt way back in the mid 90s when Skinner's staff was recruiting Michael Anderson, the assistants were questioning why. Skinner said, "you can't teach 7 feet." He turned out to be a pretty serviceable player in the late 90s due to coaching. Hoping for the same from the Mitchell twins.

……..OK, I get the can’t teach height bit, but I think you can coach a big with physical talent in length into a serviceable player or more so…….players like this don’t just turn out be be decent with out breaking them of the bad habits, and teaching them the skills necessary to play within the team system and framework of the offense and defense…….letting these type players to go their own way, without corrective actions is reflective of deficient coaching…….no?

Common theme with 4* bigs and this coaching staff. Harris. Mitchells.

Don't even dare compare the talent of Harris to the twins.

It is night and day.

[ramster]

Here’s the thing, it’s not even about them playing less than it is about them playing within a role and setting them up for success. And limiting their minutes on court together. They average 27 and 24 minutes. That wouldn’t change.

Give them each 20 minutes at the 5 and 5 minutes where they play together. The other 35 minutes at 4 goes to Twan and Malik. Walker could easily play 3-5 more minutes per game. Leaves a small window where you play Malik at the 4. This is all doable and wouldn’t change their floor time much at all. It would just minimize the time we play with Makhi at the 4 spot bc that just isn’t going to work. And it really shouldn’t have taken 24 games to see that.

100%. I really don't understand why it's this obvious to the fans but the guy being paid 3/4 mil doesn't recognize it.

Or worse - he does recognize it. I mean he has to, he's forgotten more about basketball than we'll ever know. But he might just be too soft or too nice to "go back" on a recruiting promise he made to a mom.

I'm leaning towards the latter, which is why he's not head coaching material. Assistants make promises. Coaches make decisions.

I went to the Play-by-Play Log for Dayton:

We were at our worst with only 1 Mitchell in the game with -14

1st half
20:00 to 14:54 = 5:06 - Both Mitchells in = from 0-0 to 5-4 = -1
14:54 to 11:45 = 3:09 - Makhi only = from 5-4 to 11-10 = +0
11:45 to 8:07 = 3:38 - Both Mitchells out = from 11-10 to 11-15 = +5
8:07 to 0:00 = 8:07 - Makhi only = from 11-15 to 24-24 = -4

2nd half
20:00 to 15:13 = 4:47 - Both Mitchells in = from 24-24 to 32-29 = -3
15:13 to 12:26 = 2:47 - Makhel only = from 32-29 to 39-34 = -2
12:26 to 8:47 = 3:39 - Makhi only = from 39-34 to 52-43 = -4
8:47 to 3:56 = 4:51 - Both Mitchells in = from 52-43 to 54-52 = +7
3:56 to 0:00 = 3:56 - Makhel only = from 54-52 to 63-57 = -4

Both Mitchells In = 14:44 = -1 -3 +7 = +3
Both Mitchells Out = 3:38 = +5
Total 1 Mitchell In = 21:38 = -14

Makhi Only In = 14:55 = +0 -4 -4 = -8
Makhel Only In = 6:43 = -2 -4 = -6
Total 1 Mitchell In = 21:38 = -14

Total Makhel = -3
Total Makhi = -5

Others for the Dayton Game:
Sheppard -16
Leggett -15
Walker -11
Carey +1
El-Amin +2
Martin +7
Thomas +10

[Blue Man]

……..OK, I get the can’t teach height bit, but I think you can coach a big with physical talent in length into a serviceable player or more so…….players like this don’t just turn out be be decent with out breaking them of the bad habits, and teaching them the skills necessary to play within the team system and framework of the offense and defense…….letting these type players to go their own way, without corrective actions is reflective of deficient coaching…….no?

Common theme with 4* bigs and this coaching staff. Harris. Mitchells.

Don't even dare compare the talent of Harris to the twins.

It is night and day.

Lol I have this image of you rising like the Undertaker reading that.

Breathe. I am certainly not making any comparisons about talent or anything outside of the fact that this coach has now had 3 4* bigs on his teams and they certainly are not living up to those expectations.

Why they are not living up to those expectations is a different debate, I'm just pointing out a pattern. Whether there is a correlation is a different story. Just one more thing that I feel is noteworthy.

[Rhody15]

Common theme with 4* bigs and this coaching staff. Harris. Mitchells.

Don't even dare compare the talent of Harris to the twins.

It is night and day.

Lol I have this image of you rising like the Undertaker reading that.

Breathe. I am certainly not making any comparisons about talent or anything outside of the fact that this coach has now had 3 4* bigs on his teams and they certainly are not living up to those expectations.

Why they are not living up to those expectations is a different debate, I'm just pointing out a pattern. Whether there is a correlation is a different story. Just one more thing that I feel is noteworthy.

I did debate changing the “don’t you dare” part haha, didn’t mean to sound that intense.

[SGreenwell]

As Ramster's numbers point out - The Mitchells are frustrating as hell to watch, because there is a nagging feeling that they SHOULD be better than this. It can kind of distract from the fact that, even though they make poor decisions and have attitude problems at times, they're still net valuable players. They're the kind of "noisy" distraction that diverts the eye from the truly unproductive members of the team. Namely - Ish Leggett's PER is 11.8, and he's had about one, maybe two good games in the A-10 portion of the schedule. El-Amin's PER is down to 11.3, and Thomas is at 8.1. The three combine for roughly 63 minutes per game, and all three are below average players.

[steviep123]

What is frustrating is the sheer number of layups missed. Sure, most could be attributed to Dayton's defense which likely caused many shots to be rushed. Perhaps some even mentally rush (thinking "someone is there" even if not). But two or three of those made and it's a different outcome.

[Blue Man]

What is frustrating is the sheer number of layups missed. Sure, most could be attributed to Dayton's defense which likely caused many shots to be rushed. Perhaps some even mentally rush (thinking "someone is there" even if not). But two or three of those made and it's a different outcome.

Last year Mitchell missed 7 layups against GW.

It's impressive to lack a touch that close to the hoop.

[Rhode_Island_Red]

Please, enough with the 4-star crap. Outside of a handful of one-and-dones, those recruiting rankings are based on AAU play. Yes, size and athletic ability are important, but so are things that you don't see on AAU teams -- coachability, maturity and basketball IQ to name three.

[Rhody Guy]

Biggest improvement they can make in my opinion would be to learn how to find an open shooter when they get doubled. The wild hook shot is as good as a turnover.

[LIRAM]

The Twins are at times very frustrating but we are not losing because of them. We are losing because our guard and wing play is terrible. The A-10 is a guard/wing heavy league. This is just my opinion but our lack of being able to break people down and create for others and have guards who can make shots is the real problem. They would be so much better if they were receiving lobs and dump offs as oppose to having to create for themselves all the time. This exposes some of the holes in their offensive game. Sheppard loses his effectiveness as a shot maker and floor spacer because he has the ball to much. Leggett is just to slow/lacks any explosiveness and Ish El Amin you fill in the blank? Martin has no offensive game. Thomas works his ass off and is a good passer but struggles shooting and physically gets bullied. Jalen Carey has shown the most growth during the season and gives us what the others can't do. His shot selection is questionable but he at least attempts to put people on their back foot.

I hope the twins stay along with most of this roster. Add a true point guard(grad or transfer with game experience) and another wing/shooter. Allen Betrand could answer our problem at the wing? Hopefully the next staff can recruit 4 year talent again and not the NEC/American East/MAAC stuff that the current staff has brought in.

[rhodyblue12]

Agree. You get three shooters on the floor and the twins become better instantly.
Not sure anyone on the roster will ever qualify. Chance plus two new guys (one a PG, please).

[rhodylaw]

The Twins are at times very frustrating but we are not losing because of them. We are losing because our guard and wing play is terrible. The A-10 is a guard/wing heavy league. This is just my opinion but our lack of being able to break people down and create for others and have guards who can make shots is the real problem. They would be so much better if they were receiving lobs and dump offs as oppose to having to create for themselves all the time. This exposes some of the holes in their offensive game. Sheppard loses his effectiveness as a shot maker and floor spacer because he has the ball to much. Leggett is just to slow/lacks any explosiveness and Ish El Amin you fill in the blank? Martin has no offensive game. Thomas works his ass off and is a good passer but struggles shooting and physically gets bullied. Jalen Carey has shown the most growth during the season and gives us what the others can't do. His shot selection is questionable but he at least attempts to put people on their back foot.

I hope the twins stay along with most of this roster. Add a true point guard(grad or transfer with game experience) and another wing/shooter. Allen Betrand could answer our problem at the wing? Hopefully the next staff can recruit 4 year talent again and not the NEC/American East/MAAC stuff that the current staff has brought in.

This is my thought too - the guards have underperformed. I actually think the Coach recognizes that by trying to insert Thomas more but he is limited as well. Leggett, Shepherd, El Amin and Martin needed to be better then they are. Carey has been meeting/exceeding expectations this year but he is the only one of that group you can say that about. The other guys either cannot or do not create their own shots or consistently hit open shots. It is a major problem that I honestly did not expect going into the season because Shepherd, Martin and Leggett had finished last season with a strong stretch of games.

[cRAM4finals]

The Mitchells arrived here 4 years too late. Imagine what they could have learned from Antonio Reynolds Dean. He sure helped skill up our bigs (that played taller than their total inches) while he was here. Sure could use someone like him again

[PeterRamTime]

The Twins are at times very frustrating but we are not losing because of them. We are losing because our guard and wing play is terrible. The A-10 is a guard/wing heavy league. This is just my opinion but our lack of being able to break people down and create for others and have guards who can make shots is the real problem. They would be so much better if they were receiving lobs and dump offs as oppose to having to create for themselves all the time. This exposes some of the holes in their offensive game. Sheppard loses his effectiveness as a shot maker and floor spacer because he has the ball to much. Leggett is just to slow/lacks any explosiveness and Ish El Amin you fill in the blank? Martin has no offensive game. Thomas works his ass off and is a good passer but struggles shooting and physically gets bullied. Jalen Carey has shown the most growth during the season and gives us what the others can't do. His shot selection is questionable but he at least attempts to put people on their back foot.

I hope the twins stay along with most of this roster. Add a true point guard(grad or transfer with game experience) and another wing/shooter. Allen Betrand could answer our problem at the wing? Hopefully the next staff can recruit 4 year talent again and not the NEC/American East/MAAC stuff that the current staff has brought in.

This is my thought too - the guards have underperformed. I actually think the Coach recognizes that by trying to insert Thomas more but he is limited as well. Leggett, Shepherd, El Amin and Martin needed to be better then they are. Carey has been meeting/exceeding expectations this year but he is the only one of that group you can say that about. The other guys either cannot or do not create their own shots or consistently hit open shots. It is a major problem that I honestly did not expect going into the season because Shepherd, Martin and Leggett had finished last season with a strong stretch of games.

You can put it this way

No guard on this roster except maybe Sheppard would have gotten playing time on that 17/18 team.

Worst collection of guards we've had since maybe ever.

Hurley at least had Munford when he got here.

Hell Barons last season he had Jamal Wilson and Billly Baron.

It's really bad for the first time ever we don't have a stud back there.

[Billyboy78]

Here's something I noticed that just started a few games ago. During pre-game drills, the team breaks up into 2 groups. The guards do ball handling and shooting drills while the bigs do post moves and some outside shooting. Until recently, Makhi was with the bigs, along with Makhel, Twan and Ileri. Now Makhi is with the guards. While we discourage him from ball handling and launching up threes, this is now being encouraged. I wonder whose idea this was to switch him? Makhi? Cox? Mama Mitchell?

[reef]

I think it’s more important to get the right coach in here and if the twins buy in fine if they want to leave it would hurt but that would only be short term , the next coach is going to determine how bright our future will be if we make the right hire

[Rhody72]

...
Everything works a lot better with one Mitchell on the floor, but instead we’re playing 2 centers because of what seems to be a promise made in recruiting.
...

If you look at the over/under for Walker when he was on the court with one of them, this was not true against Dayton. It may be true against other opponents.

[steveystuds06]

...
Everything works a lot better with one Mitchell on the floor, but instead we’re playing 2 centers because of what seems to be a promise made in recruiting.
...

If you look at the over/under for Walker when he was on the court with one of them, this was not true against Dayton. It may be true against other opponents.

I have no idea why this is so small but check out who's number 1...

[LIRAM]

Again just my opinion but I actually think the Twins could some how help in bringing in the next Coach. If they decide to stay or the next Coach convinces them to stay you have two building blocks for success. They have clearly shown enough for any Coach coming into the A-10 (Rhody) to be excited about. Makhi's game is not that far away from being a really good 4 man. His ball handling and passing has improved during the course of the season and he is asked to do more and more. He has shot the 3 at about 30% although just a sample size 4/13. His assist numbers are right there with Ish Leggett and so are his steal numbers. Yes his turnovers are high and he fouls too much but he has started to correct some of this. I just think he is closer to being really good than bad and has a huge upside. In the A-10 very few 6'9" 230 pound guys have his 4 man potential. I'm not saying he is the next Tre Mitchell or Grant Golden but he is not that far away offensively. Makhi is also the best rebounder on the team. He also is a better defender than some of you claim him to be. I really like Antwan Walker and think he should be playing more but his defensive lapses have hurt us far more than the Mitchell's.

Makhel has been better than anyone anticipated. He had been very solid on both sides of the ball and gives us a true 5. He is a great shot blocker and works extremely hard. He is physical and plays with an edge. Both of these guys are shooting over 50 percent from the field and draw double teams. Yes they struggle from the line and it has cost us a game or two (GW) but they do get to the line and put pressure on defenses. They also are able to get our opponents interior players into foul trouble. If they can improve from the line look-out. Again closer to the solution than the problem.

The bad..... At times their loose play/undiscipline play drives me crazy and is very difficult to watch and their behavior on the court is embarrassing but the right guy corrects that. Hell Dan was able to get Kuran to buy!

The problem with this program is not the Mitchell's and it's not playing the two together. The problem is the horrific guard/wing play and construction of the roster. To many guys who can't do shit.... To many guys who struggle offensively.....

Fatts was the problem before for many of you and now it's the Mitchell's? No its the Coach and his Staff. Don't give up on these guys! There is too much good there. I truly believe with a little more polish and quality coaching Makhi is going to be a great 4 and Makhel is already a really good 5 who just needs some discipline.

Thanks for reading and just my opinion. Looking forward to the ladies tomorrow night on the stream.

[theblueram]

Again just my opinion but I actually think the Twins could some how help in bringing in the next Coach. If they decide to stay or the next Coach convinces them to stay you have two building blocks for success. They have clearly shown enough for any Coach coming into the A-10 (Rhody) to be excited about. Makhi's game is not that far away from being a really good 4 man. His ball handling and passing has improved during the course of the season and he is asked to do more and more. He has shot the 3 at about 30% although just a sample size 4/13. His assist numbers are right there with Ish Leggett and so are his steal numbers. Yes his turnovers are high and he fouls too much but he has started to correct some of this. I just think he is closer to being really good than bad and has a huge upside. In the A-10 very few 6'9" 230 pound guys have his 4 man potential. I'm not saying he is the next Tre Mitchell or Grant Golden but he is not that far away offensively. Makhi is also the best rebounder on the team. He also is a better defender than some of you claim him to be. I really like Antwan Walker and think he should be playing more but his defensive lapses have hurt us far more than the Mitchell's.

Makhel has been better than anyone anticipated. He had been very solid on both sides of the ball and gives us a true 5. He is a great shot blocker and works extremely hard. He is physical and plays with an edge. Both of these guys are shooting over 50 percent from the field and draw double teams. Yes they struggle from the line and it has cost us a game or two (GW) but they do get to the line and put pressure on defenses. They also are able to get our opponents interior players into foul trouble. If they can improve from the line look-out. Again closer to the solution than the problem.

The bad..... At times their loose play/undiscipline play drives me crazy and is very difficult to watch and their behavior on the court is embarrassing but the right guy corrects that. Hell Dan was able to get Kuran to buy!

The problem with this program is not the Mitchell's and it's not playing the two together. The problem is the horrific guard/wing play and construction of the roster. To many guys who can't do shit.... To many guys who struggle offensively.....

Fatts was the problem before for many of you and now it's the Mitchell's? No its the Coach and his Staff. Don't give up on these guys! There is too much good there. I truly believe with a little more polish and quality coaching Makhi is going to be a great 4 and Makhel is already a really good 5 who just needs some discipline.

Thanks for reading and just my opinion. Looking forward to the ladies tomorrow night on the stream.

Players helping to bring in a coach? Yeah no thanks. I hope we hire a coach who has enough cache to assemble a team and compete.

[ram1980]

Not sure these players can be "rehabilitated" to get the concept of team.. There was a play on offense where makhel thought he was fouled. He barked at the ref all the way down the court never getting into defensive position. During the following timeout Shep and he were having an animated discussion. Looked like Shep was trying to calm him down to no avail. Where's the coaches ? Maybe a new coach can get them to buy in. I doubt it.
They'll just take their ball and go home. Sorry really having trouble liking these guys..

[section(105)]

Not sure these players can be "rehabilitated" to get the concept of team.. There was a play on offense where makhel thought he was fouled. He barked at the ref all the way down the court never getting into defensive position. During the following timeout Shep and he were having an animated discussion. Looked like Shep was trying to calm him down to no avail. Where's the coaches ? Maybe a new coach can get them to buy in. I doubt it.
They'll just take their ball and go home. Sorry really having trouble liking these guys..

……yes, this…..

[reef]

Again just my opinion but I actually think the Twins could some how help in bringing in the next Coach. If they decide to stay or the next Coach convinces them to stay you have two building blocks for success. They have clearly shown enough for any Coach coming into the A-10 (Rhody) to be excited about. Makhi's game is not that far away from being a really good 4 man. His ball handling and passing has improved during the course of the season and he is asked to do more and more. He has shot the 3 at about 30% although just a sample size 4/13. His assist numbers are right there with Ish Leggett and so are his steal numbers. Yes his turnovers are high and he fouls too much but he has started to correct some of this. I just think he is closer to being really good than bad and has a huge upside. In the A-10 very few 6'9" 230 pound guys have his 4 man potential. I'm not saying he is the next Tre Mitchell or Grant Golden but he is not that far away offensively. Makhi is also the best rebounder on the team. He also is a better defender than some of you claim him to be. I really like Antwan Walker and think he should be playing more but his defensive lapses have hurt us far more than the Mitchell's.

Makhel has been better than anyone anticipated. He had been very solid on both sides of the ball and gives us a true 5. He is a great shot blocker and works extremely hard. He is physical and plays with an edge. Both of these guys are shooting over 50 percent from the field and draw double teams. Yes they struggle from the line and it has cost us a game or two (GW) but they do get to the line and put pressure on defenses. They also are able to get our opponents interior players into foul trouble. If they can improve from the line look-out. Again closer to the solution than the problem.

The bad..... At times their loose play/undiscipline play drives me crazy and is very difficult to watch and their behavior on the court is embarrassing but the right guy corrects that. Hell Dan was able to get Kuran to buy!

The problem with this program is not the Mitchell's and it's not playing the two together. The problem is the horrific guard/wing play and construction of the roster. To many guys who can't do shit.... To many guys who struggle offensively.....

Fatts was the problem before for many of you and now it's the Mitchell's? No its the Coach and his Staff. Don't give up on these guys! There is too much good there. I truly believe with a little more polish and quality coaching Makhi is going to be a great 4 and Makhel is already a really good 5 who just needs some discipline.

Thanks for reading and just my opinion. Looking forward to the ladies tomorrow night on the stream.

Players helping to bring in a coach? Yeah no thanks. I hope we hire a coach who has enough cache to assemble a team and compete.

Heck no don’t consult the twins or their mom , if they want to leave when the new coach comes in I’ll be disappointed but will get over it

[Rhody72]

There are several posters who continue to say that only one Mitchell should be on the court at a time. My take is that this changes game to game. I thought Camara abused Walker in the Dayton game particularly during the second half Dayton run. URI played better with both Mitchells on the court.

[Rhody Guy]

I don't think reef is saying that should help pick a coach. He is saying that a coaching search would be easier, because you could use the Mitchell's as a selling point on our roster to the guys we are interested in...

[steveystuds06]

There are several posters who continue to say that only one Mitchell should be on the court at a time. My take is that this changes game to game. I thought Camara abused Walker in the Dayton game particularly during the second half Dayton run. URI played better with both Mitchells on the court.

At the PC game last night I kept trying to figure out which one was you. I figured it was the guy who had a PC hat, shirt, sweat pants, and socks on in the aisle below me.

Sorry about the loss but it was a fun environment

[Blue Man]

There are several posters who continue to say that only one Mitchell should be on the court at a time. My take is that this changes game to game. I thought Camara abused Walker in the Dayton game particularly during the second half Dayton run. URI played better with both Mitchells on the court.

At the PC game last night I kept trying to figure out which one was you. I figured it was the guy who had a PC hat, shirt, sweat pants, and socks on in the aisle below me.

Sorry about the loss but it was a fun environment

You should’ve just looked for the guy giving Cooley halftime advice because of his corporate management experience.

[LIRAM]

Very poor phrasing on my part with with the Twins and the next Coach. I was just trying to make the point that if the Twins stay or don't jump ship right away that having them here would give the next Coach two 6'9" guys with game experience and super potential. Yes they are clearly imperfect but that is why they ended up here. Think Jim Harrick coming to take over after Al left with that team which was coming off the Tournament and all that potential. Harrick was not coming to a rebuild but a great situation. It enticed him. Granted he was out of work and damaged goods but it was a home run. This clearly is not that situation but if we maintain a few key pieces (twins) the next guy has two pieces. I think its worth the risk of seeing if the next guy can fix them.

[Rhody72]

At the PC game last night I kept trying to figure out which one was you. I figured it was the guy who had a PC hat, shirt, sweat pants, and socks on in the aisle below me.

Sorry about the loss but it was a fun environment

I've never been to a PC game except when URI was playing. I guess you have by your own admission.

[RJRam]

Biggest improvement they can make in my opinion would be to learn how to find an open shooter when they get doubled. The wild hook shot is as good as a turnover.

I agree 100%. I think our bigs are pretty darn good, but they are predictable which makes them easy to guard. Double or triple them, and they have problems. They need to learn to recognize when the double comes and kick it out to our shooters on the perimeter, or a cutter. If this is done successfully, the inside will open up for the bigs to attack the rim.

I also agree with other posters that our guards are lacking. However, their outside shooting is not terrible. Our three point percentage is better than at least one top 25 team that is familiar to us all. We just don't shoot as many. Playing more of an inside-out game should set up our shooters for more open shots and more success.

[RhodeIslandRams]

I was very high on them when they got here - but they most definitely have the wrong coach. It’s Fatts all over again in the sense that their playing time and usage is being put above what’s best for the team.

Everything works a lot better with one Mitchell on the floor, but instead we’re playing 2 centers because of what seems to be a promise made in recruiting.

I haven’t seen real improvement in them - but who knows maybe it’s on the coach. Either way could use without the attitude, techs, and flexing when we’re down a billion.

I wonder what someone like Dave Cowens would have done with our bigs. Who did we choose instead of Cowens that year? Don't remind me

[ramster]

Again just my opinion but I actually think the Twins could some how help in bringing in the next Coach. If they decide to stay or the next Coach convinces them to stay you have two building blocks for success. They have clearly shown enough for any Coach coming into the A-10 (Rhody) to be excited about. Makhi's game is not that far away from being a really good 4 man. His ball handling and passing has improved during the course of the season and he is asked to do more and more. He has shot the 3 at about 30% although just a sample size 4/13. His assist numbers are right there with Ish Leggett and so are his steal numbers. Yes his turnovers are high and he fouls too much but he has started to correct some of this. I just think he is closer to being really good than bad and has a huge upside. In the A-10 very few 6'9" 230 pound guys have his 4 man potential. I'm not saying he is the next Tre Mitchell or Grant Golden but he is not that far away offensively. Makhi is also the best rebounder on the team. He also is a better defender than some of you claim him to be. I really like Antwan Walker and think he should be playing more but his defensive lapses have hurt us far more than the Mitchell's.

Makhel has been better than anyone anticipated. He had been very solid on both sides of the ball and gives us a true 5. He is a great shot blocker and works extremely hard. He is physical and plays with an edge. Both of these guys are shooting over 50 percent from the field and draw double teams. Yes they struggle from the line and it has cost us a game or two (GW) but they do get to the line and put pressure on defenses. They also are able to get our opponents interior players into foul trouble. If they can improve from the line look-out. Again closer to the solution than the problem.

The bad..... At times their loose play/undiscipline play drives me crazy and is very difficult to watch and their behavior on the court is embarrassing but the right guy corrects that. Hell Dan was able to get Kuran to buy!

The problem with this program is not the Mitchell's and it's not playing the two together. The problem is the horrific guard/wing play and construction of the roster. To many guys who can't do shit.... To many guys who struggle offensively.....

Fatts was the problem before for many of you and now it's the Mitchell's? No its the Coach and his Staff. Don't give up on these guys! There is too much good there. I truly believe with a little more polish and quality coaching Makhi is going to be a great 4 and Makhel is already a really good 5 who just needs some discipline.

Thanks for reading and just my opinion. Looking forward to the ladies tomorrow night on the stream.

I agree with all of this............especially the potential of Makhi. I think Makhi is improving from his serious injury last season and has good upside potential. I hope Makhi and Makhel play well in the A10 Tournament and return next season.

Minutes/Opponent/Rebounds/Points in Makhi's last 8 Games
24-GW 10/4
28-Richmond 12/9
29-@Dayton 11/12
19-@Fordham 4/3
25-UMASS 13/13
31-@VCU 7/11
29-Davidson 11/16
29-Dayton 11/7

• Last 6 games Makhi has 3 double-doubles @ Dayton, UMASS and Davidson plus just missed vs Richmond 12/9

• Prior to that Makhi had 3 double-doubles vs Bryant, Georgia State and @Milwaukee

• Lately Makhi is having more frequent double-doubles and they are against stronger A10 Competition

Minutes/Opponent/Rebounds/Points
18-Bryant 18/13
24-Georgia State 10/12
30-Milwaukee 10/16

1st 16 games Makhi averaged 6.1 rpg and 9.8 ppg
Last 8 games Makhi's rebounds are 10,12,11,4,13,7,11,11= 9.9 rpg , his points are 4,9,12,3,13,11,16,7 = 9.4 ppg
Last 8 games Makhi's rebounds have increased by 3.8 rpg from 6.1 rpg to 9.8 rpg or 63% over his 1st 16 games
Last 8 games Makhi's fouls are 4,2,3,3,1,4,4,2= 2.9 fpg , his mpg are 24,28,29,19,25,31,29,29 = 27 mpg

• In the last 8 games there has been only 1 Technical Foul on a Mitchell Twin - Makhel at 9:59 in 1st half vs VCU.

• Makhi is 5th in A10 rebounding, Makhel is 20th

• Makhi is 8th in A10 blocked shots, Makhel is 3rd, Martin is 25th

• Makhel is 10th in A10 FG%, Walker is 9th