Isn’t it refreshing this year to have a coach who is willing to make some adjustments on defense when things are not working out. Kudos to Casey for adjusting his defense as the daily dose article indicates.
Isn’t it refreshing this year to have a coach who is willing to make some adjustments on defense when things are not working out. Kudos to Casey for adjusting his defense as the daily dose article indicates.
Chris said in his post game interview immediately after the game that he was "searching" for a defense during the game that would slow Manhattan. The change to 3/4 court pressure, then dropping back into zone if/when Manhattan got into the frontcourt was brilliant. The Jaspers started turning it over, wasting shot clock and forcing shots. Yes, it is certainly refreshing to see a coach adjust to the flow of a game rather than stubbornly stick to a defense that isn't working. The last few seasons had been painful in that regard.
Isn’t it refreshing this year to have a coach who is willing to make some adjustments on defense when things are not working out. Kudos to Casey for adjusting his defense as the daily dose article indicates.
Agree. Plus he is not nearly as rigid with the offense. (although it's possible JY would have loosened up with this years crew that plays with 2 capable point guards at the same time and 2 other guards that can shoot)
I would like someone out there to tell me where this team will be when Leach, Fields and Goodine have graduated.
In this era, you could have 3 or more new starters every year. And frankly we haven’t had a stellar past 20 seasons so turnover can’t be worse for us. That said, these are the players we’ve got and they’re really good and a joy to watch. Happy to have this team.
Yeah, the way things are now with the portal, you can turn 90% of a roster over, and if you find a way to do it with the right pieces, you don't need to have a rebuilding year. That being said, it's exceptionally hard to do, and you need to have the right factors working for you, but teams like FAU that just return everybody are fewer and further between than ever.
One thing I noticed which initially surprised me was around the midpoint of the first half when we were behind. Casey repeatedly verbally and visually (rapidly moving his arms) urged his guards to pick up the pace and get the ball over halfcourt more quickly. At first, I thought that was strange as Floyd, Leach, and Fields all played lots of minutes against Iona on Friday. Today, I realize he wanted us to have as many of the 30 seconds as possible on offense — not to waste seconds just getting into our offense. Additionally, the scouting report or what they noticed last game against Manhattan must have convinced Casey that he wanted us to play at a faster tempo against Manhattan rather than a slow tempo.
Of course, it was the defensive changes plus better shooting in the second half that helped secure the W — but I liked seeing Casey stick to his guns while we were down in the first half and repeatedly urge the guards to push the pace of the game.
I would like someone out there to tell me where this team will be when Leach, Fields and Goodine have graduated.
In this era, you could have 3 or more new starters every year. And frankly we haven’t had a stellar past 20 seasons so turnover can’t be worse for us. That said, these are the players we’ve got and they’re really good and a joy to watch. Happy to have this team.
I am too, and BTW as some have correctly indicated, under the system as currently constructed, you never know who or what you will have next year, so let's just enjoy THIS year for what it's worth. But that said, finishing strong and posting a winning record, something the Stags haven't done since 2018, can't hurt their chances in putting together a pretty good squad in the near future, whether it's mostly returning players of even with some outsiders. Recruiting good players becomes an easier chore when you can prove you are a winner, right?
The maestro, however, was Jasper. He disrupted the Jasper offense (6 steals), ripped down 10 boards (much needed) all the while controlling the offensive flow. Hats off to all the Stags for a gutty win.
I call Jasper a THIEF on the court. Very accurate description of what he means to the Stags.
Yes, I loved the pressure and zone combination. Let's start with that at the next game and see how it goes. I'm not a big fan of man-to-man defense.
Actually I think Casey, given the short roster rotation, managed the game in a great manner by NOT pressuring much in the first half. I don't think anyone was in foul trouble early which gave him the ability to turn up the heat in the second stanza. And I'm glad he didn't really change the strategy until the second half so as not to give Gallagher and Manhattan a chance to discuss how to adjust to the pressure in the locker room at the break. I believe, again given the circumstances, that was the plan all along. And it certainly frustrated the Jaspers who looked totally unprepared for what was to happen in the final 20 minutes.
Post by nashvillestag on Feb 5, 2024 14:50:22 GMT -5
My final comment on this game involves some of the thoughts above about the value of such players as Seck, Brown and Johns, in other words players who are not the most important guys on the team. but yet in their own way very important to the overall effort considering the state of the roaster at the present time. Somebody has to get the minutes that Bleechmore and Smith would have taken up if both weren't out injured, and the fact is even if the numbers don't show it, they all did enough good things on the court to help the Stags come through with the victory. Birima I thought probably did more good things than in any game so far. Yes he's raw (almost like an untamed colt), but I think with this experience he's slowly starting to get better. JJJ, yes maybe he hasn't lived up to the hype that he had when he signed, but at times this year he has exhibited some of the talent his reputation suggests he has. And Jack, for all the talk about why he took those two uncontested shots from behind the arc yesterday, the fact is before that he had attempted six of those on the season and made 2, so it's not like he couldn't have made those and is the reason I'm sure that Casey doesn't mind him taking the open look. So anyway they all set an example by playing hard and therefore they are a very important part of the total equation IMO.
Post by reindeerfan on Feb 5, 2024 16:51:02 GMT -5
I put myself in the camp of being a big supporter of Jack Brown. I will grant to the critics that yesterday was not the best game of his career. But he has had many good games as a Stag. I like the fact that Jack understands his role and tries to play within himself. He tried to keep the game simple, to play defense and rebound. I do not know where we would have been against, BC, URI, Drexel and Queens without him. He was badly hurt in the Drexel game, didn't really feel he could go against Queens and then played through the pain. He did it because he's a team player and we really needed him.
As far as his three pointing shooting goes, I also am good with the shots he took. He was wide open. He didn't chuck up a couple of airballs. He hit both sides of the rim, they were good looks that nearly went down. He entered the game with a .375 percentage from deep for his career. I know its a small sample size, but nothing in those stats suggest he shouldn't be shooting. If he was chucking airballs, shooting when he wasn't open, or take too many shots then I'd be critical, but those criticisms don't apply to his play yesterday. He took good shots and just missed. Goodine had a game where the took good shots and missed. All players do.
Size wise Jack was overmatched trying to cover the players he did. He gave us a good effort. I will also credit Johns for not taking quick threes and trying to get closer to the hoop, which I feel is his strength. Seck, Johns and Brown did not have the games of their careers yesterday but I agree with Nash. They did enough to help us win. We can't expect anybody on this team to step right in and fill Yetna, Smith or Bleechmore's shoes. We should be expecting a tough road until at least one of those three is ready to play. Rider and SPU are going to kill us inside if we don't have some more help on the interior. I'm praying all of the above have miraculous recoveries.
Last Edit: Feb 5, 2024 17:10:33 GMT -5 by reindeerfan