2/6 | Davidson | 7:00PM (ESPNU)

[DC_Rams]

I’m too lazy to do the research, but when a team is ranked as one of the worst 3PT shooting teams in the country, does it stay the same for said team every season going forward?

[rhodyruckus]

Fatts and Christion are such a black hole on offense, and they don't exactly light it up defensively either. Defense is anecdotal, but shooting I can quantify quickly based on a simple formula:

CT scores 6.2 PPG (1.3 FT made/game) on 5.8 attempts/game. So (6.2-1.3)/5.8 = 0.84 points per shot.
FR scores 13.8 PPG (4.0 FT made/game) on 14.0 attempts/game. So (13.8-4.0)/14.0 = 0.7 points per shot.

Yikes, I can tell that is not great even without a frame of reference. I am actually surprised Thompson is that close to 1 PPS, but then again he looks great in comparison to Russell because of Fatts' 18% 3-point "shooting".

[spookydog]

I mean who calls a TO when we just scored?

David Cox, every game.

I HATE when he calls those timeouts. (Just ask SmartyBarrett as I text him every time it happens complaining about it.) He does it every time in the second half. I would much rather have him save that TO until later in the game. For those of you wondering, after that timeout, Davidson went on a 6-0 run & it took URI almost 3 minutes to get its next basket. Solid TO coach.

[Rhody22]

As fans we tend to overhype and overrate our players. We are a horrible shooting team and will be for the foreseeable future, barring any miracles. We are super excited about next year but other than having more experience and more maturity, the team will be the same. I don't see any of the incoming players solving our shooting woes. We can hope Thompson and Tertsea leave and make room for shooters. If not, we will win games because we are athletically superior and lose games because we can't shoot and/or have low bball IQ.

I would agree except you could have easily said the same thing three years ago when we had a bunch of guys who were not very good shooters. They developed and we made two straight tournaments. No real great shooters on those teams.

That is true but I don't think we ever became a very good shooting team. We still won many games just because we had the better athletes and could get to the rim with ease. I hope this team takes a similar trajectory. I just wish we could have 1 or 2 guys who can shoot well consistently from the time they step on campus to the day they leave. Teams just pack it in now and it is much harder for us to drive into the lane.

[spookydog]

Jermaine Harris is now 0-9 from 3 with most if not all open looks. Christ, even that tall bastard Blake Vedder hit one for us.

[section(105)]

.......start Tate, sit Harris.....don’t know what to do with Omar, CT only if necessary.......

[Rhodymob05]

I agree, JH needs a wake up call. As much as I hate to say it, I think this fan base needs some patience including myself. They still have the capability to make a run , but we’ll be back in the near future.

[rhodyruckus]

I’m too lazy to do the research, but when a team is ranked as one of the worst 3PT shooting teams in the country, does it stay the same for said team every season going forward?

On Basketball Reference, using the Jim Baron era (error?) as a starting point. The hope is the team % can flip quickly based on only a transfer addition or improvement of the current roster! Let's see what the numbers and roster say...

2001/02: .310 (286th)
2002/03: .310 (293rd)
2003/04: .340 (177th) *No major shooting additions, key factor is major improvement from Dawan Robinson
2004/05: .300 (304th) *Dawan out, major roster transition (Daniels & Bitee incoming freshman), best scorers Wise and Hazelton not good shooters
2005/06: .305 (315th) *Dawan reverted to poor distance shooter after return from injury, Jimmy's freshman year (not high volume shooter yet)
2006/07: .391 (29th) * Daniels and Jimmy both improved to over 40% and were highest volume shooters
2007/08: .380 (55th) * Daniels reverted to average distance shooter, Bitee helped offset at OVER 50% on 4 attempts per game
2008/09: .392 (19th) * Jimmy's senior year
2009/10: .333 (211th) * Good Akeem Richmond (freshman year), but Cothran and James were the volume scorers and not great 3-pt shooters
2010/11: .337 (204th) * Not great Akeem year, Malesevic strong at 45%
2011/12: .278 (337th) * Oof, Malesevic down to 30% and Billy's 31% was BEST on the team
2012/13: .322 (249th) * Addition of Munford helped out
2013/14: .321 (289th) * EC freshman
2014/15: .303 (318th) * Terrell's freshman year, everyone mediocre or worse
2015/16: .365 (85th) * Four McGlynn highest volume 35%, Garrett improved from 20s previous year to 42%
2016/17: .332 (260th) * EC & Jared average, Kuran + Christion added up to Jared's attempts but both shot in the 20s
2017/18: .352 (163rd) * Jared improved from mid 30s to 41%. EC and Fatts kept us from being higher.
2018/19: .263 (352rd) * An absolute abortion. Only the freshmen are allowed to shoot 30%.

Geez this was more depressing than I thought. Consistently bottom half unless we get a coach's son, a graduate transfer, or an NBA player. Not luck of the draw at all!

Realistic answer: our attempts next year need to be shifted towards Tyrese and Omar, with the % drains this year being incrementally better since they can't get much worse (I hope!!). That will at least get us into the .300s and ranked in the 200s, which as shown in 16/17 passable 3-point shooting at least allows you to be a tournament team if everything else is in place.

[RhodyRam86]

That's OK luke Dayton sucks on the road too...maybe we can get one.

We are just a bad team on the road....the hoops are smaller so I hear...…

But what's not funny is Cox's use of Harris...the kid can not possibly have any confidence the way he is being jerked around.

Davidson won at St. Louis. We didn't. Davidson won at George Mason. We got crushed by George Mason at home. Davidson won at St. Bonnie's. Even in a down year, it's always tough to win in Olean. In my opinion Davidson does not suck on the road.

My apologies Rambone. I misread this. I read Davidson when you mentioned Dayton.

[rambone 78]

There had better be some tangible off season development for some of these guys...because we aren't seeing much improvement from anybody at this point, other than maybe Tate.

Last night we saw what happens when Tyrese has an off night. We were hopeless and helpless.

[RhowdyRam02]

The effort was there. Good game plan. Just can’t shoot.

Honest question, what about the game plan did you find good?

I think we defended well and held Davidson in check, I also think we had some good looks from 3 that didn’t go down, Cyril had a lot of looks down low that bounced out and then he missed the FTs. It is shooting - 100% of the reason we are a .500 team is lack of consistent shooting.

I hope these guys take the Jared Terrell approach (you know the guy who made the NBA) and work on their shots until the negative becomes a positive. Don’t rely on being a good slasher, actually work to improve your outside shot. Jared threw up missiles his freshmen year, by his senior year he had a soft touch from deep. Even a miss could lead to an easy put back. Too much clanging going on from deep this year.

It looks like we held Davidson about 3 points below their season average. Certainly not a Patriots vs. Rams Super Bowl performance, but it's not nothing, so I'll give you that. I think the good looks not going down however is a bug, not a feature. Any well coached team is going to see that an intramural team could hit at the same percentage and let us chuck them up there all night until we show that we've lucked into a hot performance (in theory we could have one of those). We have to resist the temptation to take the open shot the defense is giving us and work for a higher percentage play, and that's where coaching comes in. Cox has to stay on these guys so they're not going for the first open shot they see.

[section(105)]

......is Omar ever going to be solid defensive player rather then liability that he is now?

[PeteRI]

@RhodyRuckus: Thanks for putting those incredibly depressing statistics together. We just have to hope that there will be an improvement next year, because those numbers are an embarrassment.

[Billyboy78]

11 for 35 hopefully someone coming in next year is proficient shooter. My god they are just a horrible shooting team

Recruitment sticky note

We need a pure shooter that can shoot off screens and dribble handoffs

We need another Four McGlynn

That is all.

We could have had a kid like Tyler Bertram. We chose to go another direction. Supposedly not as athletic as others we were recruiting. Once in a while, we have to recruit basketball players, not athletes. Bertram is 6'4" and shoots the lights out. So, he's not as athletic as Fatts Russell. Neither was Jimmy Baron, 4 McGlynn, as you said, many others. We need SOMEONE who can shoot the ball. It's kind of an important skill for a BASKETBALL PLAYER!

[rambone 78]

......is Omar ever going to be solid defensive player rather then liability that he is now?

Hope so, because we need his shooting ability. He's not likely to ever see major minutes, but in spots he could help, just not now when he's giving up more than he gives.

Billyboy, Davidson seems to do just fine with guys who aren't all that athletic, but sure can shoot. It helps that McKillop knows how to run a motion offense that gives them enough open looks. It's the system folks. And it sure helps when they get open looks, because they can actually make them!

[section(105)]

.......just asking......what is our system?

[rambone 78]

Our the years, and that includes the Baron years, we've had good/great athletes that couldn't shoot and had fairly low BB IQ's.....other than his son of course...

That issue persisted with Hurley although Dan was able to recruit even better athletes who still couldn't shoot, but were good enough to largely overcome that his last 2 years here....

Now we still have good athletes who can't shoot....although Martin is the whole package and Jeff has good BB IQ....but it's not enough as we are painfully seeing.

[rambone 78]

We were told that Cox wanted to run an uptempo motion style offense instead of mostly sets.....what we are seeing is anything but.....of course you can't run when you can't make shots....

[rhodysurf]

......is Omar ever going to be solid defensive player rather then liability that he is now?

I mean Jimmy was a defensive liability too, his shots mattered more probably. Obviosuly Omar cant shoot at that level but its insane to expct we are going to get an incoming freshman who is solid on defense AND a knock down shooter. Davidson didnt play insane defense (they didnt have too cuz we cant shoot) and the 3s were the difference.

[rhodyruckus]

We were told that Cox wanted to run an uptempo motion style offense instead of mostly sets.....what we are seeing is anything but.....of course you can't run when you can't make shots....

That's what is frustrating about the TO timing as mentioned above: after a made shot, you have your defense setup just like you want and the other team only runs it up at their own peril. This can then lead to a turnover, which leads to run outs and a potentially easy shot attempt, and the cycle continues. When both teams have a plan leaving that timeout, it is not a huge difference but you still lose about 5% uncertainty from the opposing team in their plan of attack AND you just burned a TO on top of it.

That is a Dan trait of using timeouts to setup your defense at the possible expense of your offense, I've never really loved that idea though.

[Rhodymob05]

Davidson was the softest team I've ever seen. I know I'm hammering them and they're a hell of s shooting team with a great coach, but it bothers me so much that we lost to them. Cyril was manhandling them, including scoring/rebounding on three Wildcats in the paint. He should lead the charge in that huddle. Fire them up cyril!

[hrstrat57]

Again....

Do you want to run a “system” program like Davidson or always recruit the best athletes you can sign?

Difficult choice. PC oddly enough is in our exact same situation. Can’t score....

It’s not a clear choice. Davidson cannot win the National Championship with their system. The way D1 hoops is under the current rules they will get beaten in tournament play by a P5 elite one and done program.

Rhode Island chooses a different approach that has brought us success in the past and recently.

I don’t know what is the best path for us. Agree with Billyboy78, Tyler Bertram in my opinion was a difference maker for this group. Coach Cox doesn’t share that opinion. Can’t play elite defense you don’t get recruited or if you get on the team like Silverio and can’t defend you get no minutes. I understand it....

But ya gotta “score the ball” too!

I think last night was a pivotal moment for the coaching staff. I will watch with much curiosity on what type of player we recruit going forward.

Y’all know I need to see some picket fence plays!

[RhowdyRam02]

We were told that Cox wanted to run an uptempo motion style offense instead of mostly sets.....what we are seeing is anything but.....of course you can't run when you can't make shots....

That's what is frustrating about the TO timing as mentioned above: after a made shot, you have your defense setup just like you want and the other team only runs it up at their own peril. This can then lead to a turnover, which leads to run outs and a potentially easy shot attempt, and the cycle continues. When both teams have a plan leaving that timeout, it is not a huge difference but you still lose about 5% uncertainty from the opposing team in their plan of attack AND you just burned a TO on top of it.

That is a Dan trait of using timeouts to setup your defense at the possible expense of your offense, I've never really loved that idea though.

It's one thing to set up your defense at the end of the game. It's another thing to try to set it up with 12+ minutes to go

[Rhodymob05]

Do you know what helps beat a zone? Tall people. It's very difficult to run a high-low with a 6-4 to 6-7/8 guy. Length beats a zone (as well as shooting) We don't have either which is why it stops us dead in our tracks. That's why Cuse is so successful with it, their length. I saw it done successfully one time last night, Cyril-Preston.

[RF1]

Not at all surprised by last night's loss and horrible shooting. With the losses now in double digits the first week of February, I have become numb to these types of performances and no longer get too worked up over them. I basically gave up any hope for this season's URI team late in the second half against George Mason. I was so disgusted and dispirited by their performance that I walked out of the Ryan Center with three minutes still left on the clock. I have rarely ever left a Rhody game early, but I had seen enough that day. While I had lower expectations for this year due to all the new parts, I had not expected it to be as bad as that. This team cannot shoot and has also at times played porous defense. This is a lost season save for getting players more experience. The team will limp to the finish line in Brooklyn with more inconsistent play along the way bowing out of the tourney before Friday is over. There will be no post season play. While I have already given up on 2018-19, I am starting to have major concerns for next year as well, a season I earlier had high expectations for. Can one reasonably expect much better in the future from this mix of players? I fear that this team is not as talented as many thought and therefore incapable of reaching the goals we have.

[PeteRI]

Not at all surprised by last night's loss and horrible shooting. With the losses now in double digits the first week of February, I have become numb to these types of performances and no longer get too worked up over them. I basically gave up any hope for this season's URI team late in the second half against George Mason. I was so disgusted and dispirited by their performance that I walked out of the Ryan Center with three minutes still left on the clock. I have rarely ever left a Rhody game early, but I had seen enough that day. While I had lower expectations for this year due to all the new parts, I had not expected it to be as bad as that. This team cannot shoot and has at times played porous defense. This is a lost season save for getting players more experience. The team will limp to the finish line in Brooklyn with more inconsistent play along the way bowing out of the tourney before Friday is over. There will be no post season play. While I have already given up on 2018-19, I am starting to have major concerns for next year as well, a season I earlier had high expectations for. Can one reasonably expect much better in the future from this mix of players? I fear that this team is not as talented as many thought and therefore incapable of reaching the goals we have.

You're a better man than me. I walked out at halftime. If the team can't be bothered to show up, neither should I.

[steviep123]

Honestly if you told me we'd hold Kellen Grady to 5 points, I would have thought we won. Too bad we couldn't stop anyone else.

[ElmCityRhody]

emBARONsing !

[BleedBlue87]

Again....

Do you want to run a “system” program like Davidson or always recruit the best athletes you can sign?

Difficult choice. PC oddly enough is in our exact same situation. Can’t score....

It’s not a clear choice. Davidson cannot win the National Championship with their system. The way D1 hoops is under the current rules they will get beaten in tournament play by a P5 elite one and done program.

Rhode Island chooses a different approach that has brought us success in the past and recently.

I don’t know what is the best path for us. Agree with Billyboy78, Tyler Bertram in my opinion was a difference maker for this group. Coach Cox doesn’t share that opinion. Can’t play elite defense you don’t get recruited or if you get on the team like Silverio and can’t defend you get no minutes. I understand it....

But ya gotta “score the ball” too!

I think last night was a pivotal moment for the coaching staff. I will watch with much curiosity on what type of player we recruit going forward.

Y’all know I need to see some picket fence plays!

We will never have a team as atheltic as the P5 elite programs. Not going to happen. I think in a mid-major program, running that motion offense system is a really good choice.

[ramster]

........the Coach comments in the Koch article in the Journal today bring a new level of coach speak/babble.......

“I think what happened tonight was because we didn’t see that ball go in enough, we got a little bit frustrated,” URI coach David Cox said. “We started to settle a little bit. Then there were some cracks in the defense.”

eerily similar to

"da bawl jus dint go in da baaaskit" said a previous Head Coach

[Blue Man]

I’m too lazy to do the research, but when a team is ranked as one of the worst 3PT shooting teams in the country, does it stay the same for said team every season going forward?

I don’t think my main concern is how bad we are as a 3 point team (definitely a concern but not the main one), but WHY we attempt more than 10 threes in a game?

Last night was an example of CL imposing his will and we stopped trying to go to him. Just kept shooting.

This team shouldn’t attempt more than 10 threes in a game, nevermind 20.

I don’t care if they’re open shots - it’s obvious now we can’t hit them.

Everyone should be on a shot restriction with the exception of Tate and Martin. Jeff is what he is but I’m not crazy about him shooting either.

If Harris takes a 3 take him out. If Thompson takes more than 2 take him out. If fatts takes more than 2 take him out.

That’s not the strength of any of their games. They are what they are. Bad shooters.

Get into the lane. Create an open look. Get to the line.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP SHOOTING 3S.

[ATPTourFan]

It doesn't feel like it, but while we are well understood to be the 3rd worst (of 353 D1 teams) shooting the 3 ball, we actually don't shoot threes very much. There are 304 D1 teams that take more 3s as a percentage of their FGs than we do. In other words, only about 50 teams shoot 3s less often than we do.

[hrstrat57]

[DC_Rams]

Do you know what helps beat a zone? Tall people. It's very difficult to run a high-low with a 6-4 to 6-7/8 guy. Length beats a zone (as well as shooting) We don't have either which is why it stops us dead in our tracks. That's why Cuse is so successful with it, their length. I saw it done successfully one time last night, Cyril-Preston.

But guess what? We will be VERY LONG, next year.

[ElmCityRhody]

I’m too lazy to do the research, but when a team is ranked as one of the worst 3PT shooting teams in the country, does it stay the same for said team every season going forward?

I don’t think my main concern is how bad we are as a 3 point team (definitely a concern but not the main one), but WHY we attempt more than 10 threes in a game?

Last night was an example of CL imposing his will and we stopped trying to go to him. Just kept shooting.

This team shouldn’t attempt more than 10 threes in a game, nevermind 20.

I don’t care if they’re open shots - it’s obvious now we can’t hit them.

Everyone should be on a shot restriction with the exception of Tate and Martin. Jeff is what he is but I’m not crazy about him shooting either.

If Harris takes a 3 take him out. If Thompson takes more than 2 take him out. If fatts takes more than 2 take him out.

That’s not the strength of any of their games. They are what they are. Bad shooters.

Get into the lane. Create an open look. Get to the line.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP SHOOTING 3S.

this would require a true leader to send a message

i've yet to see it

so, the bricks continue

at this point for me it is the way we are playing/losing that is alarming

get some discipline out there for goodness sake

[section(105)]

.......Raise your hand if after this many games JH would be this ineffective.......

[rjsuperfly66]

If another team leaves you wide open from 3 and you have the potential to make the shot, you have to take it.
If guys just start blatantly passing up wide open 3's because of a bad stretch/bad season, you become so easy to defend.
Defense will just sag into the post and make it even harder for the big men to maneuver.
You'll get even more open shots, because it's not even worth extending the effort to contest.
Also in today's basketball environment, and chance a team has of getting "hot" is correlated pretty strongly to how hot they can get from the perimeter.
That doesn't necessarily mean volume, but hitting the shots available to you.
Probably not going to go on any streaks just trying to pound it in the post and avoiding the perimeter.

My only counter to that would be just making sure players are engaged.
You just have to make sure to put guys in the right position to be successful, and not everyone is successful standing around the perimeter waiting for a dish for an open shot.
Others would die for that opportunity.

[ElmCityRhody]

.......Raise your hand if after this many games JH would be this ineffective.......

CRICKETS

[KevanBoyles]

The effort was there. Good game plan. Just can’t shoot.

Honest question, what about the game plan did you find good?

I believe the game plan was to stop the three point shooters and have them beat us down low. For most of the game we did stop the three-point shooters and they did beat us down low. Good plan just didn’t work out.

[ace]

Anyone have thoughts about replacing Harris with Tate in the starting line-up? I don’t think it will necessarily immediately make the team better, but could it help both guys develop? It looks good to have two 6’8” (listed) guys in there, but it’s just not working. I don’t know if they completely lose Harris mentally if they do that because he hasn’t exactly played worse to lose his spot. He just hasn’t come along much. Maybe it helps him adjust and reset and maybe save his season?

[Rhodyram]

.......Raise your hand if after this many games JH would be this ineffective.......

I was a big JH guy coming into the season and from my untrained eyes, here what I see:
-very little spring in his legs esp vertically
-easily out muscled for rebounds
-tentative when getting the ball, esp at the top of the key
-seems to get a lot of shots blocked down low(see lack of explosiveness)

Not sure if there are physical limitations but there looks to be confidence/mental hurdles that must be cleared in order for him to take the next step

[DC_Rams]

If another team leaves you wide open from 3 and you have the potential to make the shot, you have to take it.
If guys just start blatantly passing up wide open 3's because of a bad stretch/bad season, you become so easy to defend.
Defense will just sag into the post and make it even harder for the big men to maneuver.
You'll get even more open shots, because it's not even worth extending the effort to contest.
Also in today's basketball environment, and chance a team has of getting "hot" is correlated pretty strongly to how hot they can get from the perimeter.
That doesn't necessarily mean volume, but hitting the shots available to you.
Probably not going to go on any streaks just trying to pound it in the post and avoiding the perimeter.

My only counter to that would be just making sure players are engaged.
You just have to make sure to put guys in the right position to be successful, and not everyone is successful standing around the perimeter waiting for a dish for an open shot.
Others would die for that opportunity.

BRA-FUCKING-VO!

[rjsuperfly66]

Big guys often have a huge transition coming into the college game.
In high school/AAU, many times they bully their way to good performances.
People fear their size on defense, they can push their way on offense.
Just all-around superior to much of their competition.
The college game is so technical and requires so much more thought.
I think many of these young bigs come in over-thinking things and it takes them a while to adjust.
I think over-thinking can lead to many of the things above (out-muscled, lacks explosiveness, tentative, etc.).
When you get the ball and you have to think too much, they are losing those natural instincts that make them explosive.
Experience over time should take away the thinking and make them be able to just explode.

[DC_Rams]

Majority had us losing double digits games...did we suspect we would only lose close games? Only to specific teams? I think I had us losing 13-14 games...who they are to and how they happen are of no consolation as long as we don’t lose any more than that lol

[Rhodymob05]

Do you know what helps beat a zone? Tall people. It's very difficult to run a high-low with a 6-4 to 6-7/8 guy. Length beats a zone (as well as shooting) We don't have either which is why it stops us dead in our tracks. That's why Cuse is so successful with it, their length. I saw it done successfully one time last night, Cyril-Preston.

But guess what? We will be VERY LONG, next year.

This is true!

[section(105)]

.......for me, it will be interesting to see how Coach Cox will work with and use this length.......

[ramster]

To say that we got out coached tonight is the understatement of the century.
Good game plan? You have got to be kidding. The 6'10" kid is not that good but we made him look like an all-american by not trying to double him when he got the ball down low without any defensive pressure. At least try to double him a couple of times to see how he responds.
Why don't we even try to get the ball to Harris down low and see what he can do? Getting him the ball at the 3 point line is ridiculous.
Thompson and Preston should only play if everyone else has fouled out. Play Tate until he fouls out please.
Tonight's box score is an embarrassment.

Brajkovic is just a Freshman. I think he has very good promise versus "not that good"
He played 32 minutes, 7-10 FG, 5-7 FT, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 blocked shots, 2 TO, 18 points
Consider this that he had 5 blocked shots and URI had ZERO blocked shots. So this "not so good" Freshman did quite good there.
Consider also Brajkovic had 4 assists which was higher than any URI players
I remember one shot Fatts put up driving the lane that 2 Davidson Players blocked - and Fatts always looks surprised when his lane driving prayers get blocked
Brajkovic played 32 minutes with 4 fouls

Some bigger questions for URI Coaching Staff................
1) Did you see McKillop immediately go to Brajkovic when you took Langeving AND Harris out of the game? Did you see Brajkovic immediately take over down low? No surprise McKillop did that, yet you continued to keep Langevine on the bench while McKillop continued to exploit this mismatch

2) Did you see McKillop keep Brajkovic in the game even with 4 Fouls? Why did you play Langevine only 30 minutes when he had only 2 Fouls all game?

3) Why didn't you feed the ball into Langevine more often? Most of Langevine's shots continue to come from his own hard work on the offensive glass. He gets his offensive rebounds, sometimes misses and gets his own miss. Langevine ended up 7-13 FG, 2-5 FT, 6 offensive rebounds (Davidson only had 4 Off Rebounds Total, 14 Total Rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 TO, 16 points. Why play Langevine only 30 minutes? Davidson Starters played 40,34,32,32, 23 minutes. Dowtin played 39, Fatts 35. Why not Langevine??????

4) Do you know Langevine is possibly in line for 1st Team Atlantic 10? Is anyone on the Coaching Staff working with him on his FT Shooting? He is a very, very hard worker and I would think he would be receptive to Coaching help with his FTs. Generally his FTs are on target but a bit too strong, hitting the back rim. Can he put more arc on his FT attempts? What does the film show on his FT attempts? Compare made vs missed - what is different? Is he getting help with this opportunity area for improvement?

5) Is anyone working with Langevine on kicking out the ball to guards if bottled up or double teamed inside? He seems to have good passing skills but guards are not looking to pass as much as they should to him - Dowtin being the exception as he does look for big men down low. Passing is contagious and so is lack of passing. It looks like some players are saying I better shoot it because if I don't I won't see the ball back because someone else WILL shoot it.

6) Why are Guards taking so many 3's:
- off balance
- or from so far back from the line
- or with so much time left on the shot clock?
- or off the dribble instead of waiting for a wide open catch and "shoot with rhythm" opportunity
- or why are so many of our players good FT shooters and such poor 3 point shooters? Doesn't make sense, does it? What is causing such poor overall 3 point shooting? How do we get more open 3's, closer to the line, not off balance, as a result of good passing?

7) What changes do you plan for the remainder of the season if any?

8) Why not play Harris 35 minutes per game? His is an excellent FT Shooter. His confidence is obviously low since he is playing only 14 minutes per game regardless of Foul situations. What is there to lose?

[ElmCityRhody]

F(L)ATTS


CAREER

FG% 33%
FG3% 24%

[ramster]

Anyone have thoughts about replacing Harris with Tate in the starting line-up? I don’t think it will necessarily immediately make the team better, but could it help both guys develop? It looks good to have two 6’8” (listed) guys in there, but it’s just not working. I don’t know if they completely lose Harris mentally if they do that because he hasn’t exactly played worse to lose his spot. He just hasn’t come along much. Maybe it helps him adjust and reset and maybe save his season?

Good question Ace.
I would do the opposite. I would increase his playing time to 25 - 30 minutes instead of the 14 minutes he is currently getting
He is an 80% FT shooter, feed him the ball inside, look for him, let him get fouled and go to the FT line. He and Langevine can be a strong combination
Pulling him from the game every time he makes a mistake is hurting his confidence. To make things worse, other players (all guards) are allowed to take horrible shots, prayers thrown up in the lane, lose their man on defense and almost never come out - at least they are not pulled immediately like Harris is pulled
Have a Coach talk to Harris when he comes out of the game. Don't yell at him or shake your head at him. Talk to him. Coach him. It happened with players last few years but this year I see more back talking players to coach - not a good sign. Need very strong communication, particularly with Freshmen
Have Guards look for Harris and Langevine - our strength is not 3 point shooting at this point. Go to our strength
Play Tate and Martin along with Harris and Langevine - they can both shoot the 3 better than Russell and Thompson - don't need to sub them for Langevine and/or Harris
My concern is that if Harris continues to get 14 minutes per game other programs will smell blood in the water and he will be gone. It would be a shame to lose a player with the upside potential Harris has. it's easy to criticize him but I believe he can be handled better.
While he is being criticized for this 3 point shooting many of those shots have been in and out - not the brick type misses that some of our guards are putting up with no "loss of playing time" ramifications.

In summary more playing time for Harris, not less and certainly not a take-a-way of his starting role - imho

[ElmCityRhody]

face JH up to the hoop not back to the hoop

set a pick for him for an open look

mix it up