Game #6: UMass-Lowell - Sat Nov 23 @ 2pm ET

[BFC]

Currently, there are 12 scholarship players (including Hare). Next year Munford gets replaced by Watson, still leaving one open scholarship, two if Hare is gone. In two years, three more open up (Biruta, Buchanan, Powell). Plenty of scholarships to offer.

[rambone 78]

Like I said, 2015-16 is big. REAL big for recruiting.

Needs at all positions.

[Gonebarongone]

After next season, we lose Biruta, TJ, and Powell. Three scholarships constitute a big recruiting class.
Hare is gone, so there's four, unless they sign someone in the spring.
The juco used up one scholarship. I thought they had one, but others have
said two. Without Hare, there's definitely two.
The reason X is still taking nearly as many shot as last year is the same reason
he took them last season. Who else can score? Matthews, and maybe Reischel.
So far, that's it. We expected Biruta to be taking the majority of post play shots.
We're back to a guard oriented offense. Very disappointing. We all hoped for balance.

Right. Got to figure out who else can score. Even DH said it in the offseason, that X would be much more efficient. Last night, EC gets 7 points on four shots. Biggie gets 14 on six shots. But, X is rolling around firing 15 shots and getting 14 points. Including eight attempts from three. How does that guy take more threes than Biggie or EC take total shots against a team like that? Gil 13 points on eight shots. I said it last year that X has been used to being the alpha guy for a while now. It's going to be tough for him to go from 15 to 10 shots per game. But, he has to. These other guys can get it done. Rhody isn't always going to outrebound their opponents by 16 and take ten more FGA.
Sorry for the rant. This offense drives me crazy. There is talent on this team. How can two good guards who can get to the rim (EC and Biggie) only get ten shots against a cruddy team?

[rodfromcranston]

EC's defense was, according to someone who was there, atrocious.
That's why he wasn't in for much of the second half.
Like X or not, he plays defense, rebounds and can pass.

[Gonebarongone]

But what does that have to do with the offensive end? You want to sit EC because he doesn't play D? Fine with me. X scores 89 points per 100 possessions that end with him taking a shot or turning the ball over. That is so bad and drags down the offense so much. Our team number is 102 per 100 and that is bottom half of D1. If he just stopped taking so many jumpers and concentrated on playing good defense, passing, and getting to the hoop, he would be a VERY good college player. But he, and DH really, seem content to keep firing and running an AAU summer league game. I don't get it. There are guys that can score. And, secondarily, I know most of you guys want to win now (and I do, too) but in a non-NCAA year, I am about player development first. 15 wins or 19 wins, I could not care less. Give those shots (or at least some of them) to someone who WILL be on the next NCAA tournament team.

[rodfromcranston]

Someone playing matador defense is unacceptable.
Score 7 give up 14, where's the sense to that?
I guess you'd like X to be taken off the team, because we're not going to
the NCAAs., and he's a senior, so what's to develop?
There's also a culture of WINNING trying to be developed,
and X is the best all around player on the team,
despite whatever you think. Maybe YOU don't care about wins, but
most of us as well as everyone associated with the program and Athletic Department do.

[Gonebarongone]

Rod-

It's not black and white. Either caring about wins or not caring. Like everyone else, I like it way more after a win. But, can we be honest for once here? There is just zero reason for him to take 15 shots every game. Forget the last year thing. Our offense stinks and he is one of the big reasons. Over 26% of our possessions end with him shooting or turning it over. We have to get better on offense. For this year and for the future. The number one way that gets better is for X to be more playmaker than scorer. I'd love for him to get 8-10 shots every game, maybe even 1-2 good, clean, feet set looks from three. Get this offense going. Those extra shots will trickle down to the guys who will be here next year and that can only help. I just can't imagine anyone looking at this offense and saying "looks good to me". And, if you know it's broken, where do you go first? Getting other guys involved. Again, I agree EC has to play defense. Take him out if he isn't playing D. Let him learn that lesson now. But, he played 24 minutes last night and took four shots. He's our most talented player. If he is on the court, he needs to have his hands on the ball.

[RoadyJay]

X's efficiency will improve. Let him keep shooting. I have not seen him take many bad shots at all, they just aren't falling right now. We will be a better perimeter shooting team than we have proven to be thus far. Bank on it.

[Gonebarongone]

It's not improving unless he stops taking so many jumpers, which DH is apparently content to do. He was 84th out of a 104 A10 players last year in offensive efficiency. He is 78 out of 84 this year. He takes over 30% of the shots. He has shot 30.2% from three in his career at URI. What else do you guys need to see? The offense stunk last year. It stinks this year. If you want the same results, run that some offense.

[rodfromcranston]

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see Matthews take more shots.
I'd like to see Martin find his game, too.
Those guys are the future.

[RoadyJay]

Last year he had to force up many shots at the end of the shot clock. He did not have many open looks. This year he has been playing injured and his rhythm appears off. You can't just look at the stats at face value. The best is yet to come with X. Keep shooting.


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[Iggy1979]

I don't see 15 shots as too many for the SHOOTING guard. And X is passing up a lot of open jumpers right now and driving a lot into the lane.
And to say someone who will be on the next NCAA team should be getting the shots is crazy.You really expect Hurley to tell Munford to pass more to other players who will be around next year?

[Gonebarongone]

I don't see 15 shots as too many for the SHOOTING guard. And X is passing up a lot of open jumpers right now and driving a lot into the lane.
And to say someone who will be on the next NCAA team should be getting the shots is crazy.You really expect Hurley to tell Munford to pass more to other players who will be around next year?

I expect Hurley to tell his senior guard that he has shot 30% from three in his career at URI. That he is not an efficient offensive player, at least not since he came to URI. I expect him to make him an effective and efficient offensive player by putting him in places where he can be a very good college player and reducing his role to attacking the rim and the WIDE open three off of someone else's penetration. 15 shots is too many for him because half those are jumpers. The end result will be a better team and, like a said, the trickle down effect will be getting younger guys looks. Guys who I think are more talented. And, yes, there is nothing wrong with that. Not to mention that it wouldn't be throwing a wrench into a well oiled machine. This offense is in the gutter. So, all things considered, one of the things I would do is change the role X plays. I'd also give Biggie more minutes. And, also maybe get Martin a few more minutes.

[RoadyJay]

He takes jump shots because he is a jump shooter. What kind of shot do you want him to take? Set shots?


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