Blue Man wrote: ↑3 years ago
bigappleram wrote: ↑3 years ago
OrangeRam wrote: ↑3 years ago
I never understood the last UMass game. Given our depth and that they were so short handed, I think I would have pressed and ran as much as possible. Forget the half court game, let's tire hell out of them.
Cox has a solid core going into next year. Certainly has areas to work on as a team, players on their skills and rolls, we are all familiar. I think a former highly experienced former x's and o's coach might go a long way. If he can't get next years team to be near the top of the A 10, then when?
Or how about when their 2nd string PG went out with an injury (Garcia) and we were down 6 points and went into a passive 3/4 court press that does not create turnovers and all it does is slow the game down. That’s the kind of zone you throw on VCU when you are up to shorten the game not on a team with their 3rd string PG when u are down. Just seems like a fundamental strategic faux pas.
Or how about when Cox got defensive in the post game presser after admitting he based his gameplan around a player not playing.
He then subsequently admitted he didn’t make ANY adjustments to that player being out THE ENTIRE GAME.
Who was that player? UMass’ best player, the best player in the conference potentially, who did not play in the previous game, and who was announced as not playing the day before...
That to me is the fireable offense. That’s what’s really offensive.
Getting beat, losing - thats part of the game.
But to not even be prepared to gameplan or make adjustments, and then to admit that?? What are we even doing here?
The only thing I can think of that was comparable to Cox planning for a guy that was out and not changing the plan in game was Bobby Valentine putting in the wrong lineup because he thought the other team's starting pitcher was a lefty instead of a righty.
"According to ESPN Boston, Valentine's initial lineup card included Darnell McDonald and Kelly Shoppach—right-handers who would typically play against left-handed pitching. One problem: The Twins were starting Liam Hendriks, a 23-year-old righty and a native of Australia who was a September call-up last season. Bobby V was eventually alerted to what he had done and made the fix hours before the start of the game, replacing McDonald with Ryan Sweeney and Shoppach with Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Here's Bobby V explaining what happened:
'I looked on this thing,' Valentine said, gesturing to his cellphone, 'and there was no history on [Hendriks]. It had his name, and 'against left-handed hitting.' My fault. That's why you make these lineups out early enough.'
Valentine said Saltalamacchia was the one who discovered the error."
When your coaching reminds people of the Bobby Valentine year in Boston, you're doing something colossally wrong. And unfortunately most of this season has had me thinking of the Taylor Twellman what are we doing here rant