Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

[OldHare]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

I am taking the easy route. I say look at the players Coach Otz has redshirted this year. Do not forget the players like Key and DJJ. Also, I might assume a player line Owen King will contribute next year. There may also be a player similar to DJJ that shows up. We lose 3 contributors of different levels to graduation. All 4 redshirts could be contributors. Krueger 6'6" was hailed as a great shooter(top Wisc shooter) and he kept growing after recruitment. Dillon/Dentlinger are both sized as 4 or 5 with shooting range. Arians 6'4" is a solid guard who played AAU ball with Krueger. Add the next year when another top big man is added from Iowa, the recruiting is not going backwards. Coach Otz is building this to win a game or two and not claim any moral victories. Coach Otz will earn his money and I expect some bonus money too. He will make some off season adjustments much like the halftime adjustments that are necessary to get that NCAA win streak going.

[bigticket1]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

Luck in the NCAA tournament would be a nice change.

From what I can tell, we have 10 players returning, 3 incoming freshmen, and I assume 1 scholarship (Polk-Hillard) to give (assuming Beau Brown is a walkon non-scholly).

5 seniors, 1 junior, 4 redshirt freshmen, and 3 incoming freshmen (likely redshirts?)

Sr F Mike Daum 6'9" 250
RSF F Alou Dillon 6'8" 225
RS? F Aaron Fiegen 6'7" 190
RSF G/F Matt Dentlinger 6'8" 230
RSF G/F Ryan Krueger 6'6" 200
Sr G Skyler Flatten 6'6" 215
Sr G Tevin King 6'2" 200
Sr G Brandon Key 5'10" 160
Sr G Chris Howell 6'5" 217
Jr G Beau Brown 6'1" 175
RSF G Alex Ariens 6'4" 190
RS? G Owen King 6'3" 195
RS? G Matthew Mims 6'0" 165

So we'd probably add, if anyone (and no unanticipated departures) either a juco junior or sophomore, preferably IMHO aforward/big man since we've got an awful lot of guards on the roster right now.

I agree we could be looking at a drop-off for 2019-20.

I believe you forgot Jenkins,Jr. We would have 10 scholarship players returning, plus 3 incoming freshman to put us at the 13 scholarship limit. We would not have an available spot unless someone leaves.

[OldHare]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

I believe you forgot Jenkins,Jr. We would have 10 scholarship players returning, plus 3 incoming freshman to put us at the 13 scholarship limit. We would not have an available spot unless someone leaves.

Mims may be a walk on like Dentlinger that gets scholly the following year. Polk-Hilliard slot may still be up in the air.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

I doubt Howell will be back.

[wcbsas]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

Maybe just a little luck? Remember the game against Maryland... one of their guys went off from 3. Yesterday, Ohio State had 9 in the first half, and they average 6 a game. Yes, part of that was game planning, and it seems like it was a good game plan, but imagine if they don't hit 9 in the first half?

Shoot, they played Baylor tough in the first run to the NCAA's too.

We haven't yet, run into a team that kind of lays an egg in the first round. And that happens. And you can say, well better defense will stop that, and maybe...

However, at HALF last night, Arizona was 2 for 11 from 3. They couldn't hit anything.

The old coaching adage, "When you make shots, you look good, when you don't, you look bad." We haven't ran into anyone, yet, that's had a bad day.

Yesterday, they were tied with under 2 mins left. That's honestly all you can ask for... OSU made a couple plays at that point.

I will add something though ... Buffalo played a heck of a lot better defense then the Jacks did. Part of it again was the game plan but defend (and rebound) just a little better in those last 2 minutes and we would probably be talking about Gonzaga right now!

[filbert]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

I believe you forgot Jenkins,Jr. We would have 10 scholarship players returning, plus 3 incoming freshman to put us at the 13 scholarship limit. We would not have an available spot unless someone leaves.

I KNEW I was forgetting someone! He probably got caught by the editing monster while I was putting that comment together.

[da_coach]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

I will add something though ... Buffalo played a heck of a lot better defense then the Jacks did. Part of it again was the game plan but defend (and rebound) just a little better in those last 2 minutes and we would probably be talking about Gonzaga right now!

Oh no doubt. Buffalo defended incredibly. They were very impressive.

I was just saying, it's not like we've had a game where a team played sloppy, got tight, and left the door open for the Jackrabbit upset. Every time, we've played a team that's come out, and played pretty well. And that's 5 times, with 2 different head coaches.

And if we get the rebound on those 2 possessions, we don't fall behind by 7 quickly. (and they were long rebounds, I realize...)

[goon]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

It seems we run into a team that makes a deep run.

I am just going by memory here,

Baylor made elite 8?
Michigan final 4?
Maryland I don't remember
Zaga the championship game?
Ohio st TBD

[da_coach]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

It seems we run into a team that makes a deep run.

I am just going by memory here,

Baylor made elite 8?
Michigan final 4?
Maryland I don't remember
Zaga the championship game?
Ohio st TBD

Michigan also made the Championship game.

[Southeast]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

Literally four months ago I could not have come up with DJJ's or Brand Key's names without looking them up - nor tell you who was who in a lineup. Now look at what a part of Jackrabbit basketball they've become. I've seen enough results from TJ's recruiting to feel confident that at this time next year we'll have a couple more "new" players making big impacts. Have we ever had four redshirt freshmen? If a scholarship is available I wouldn't be surprised to see a more experienced player hunting for a chance to play in the NCAA tournament join the cause. Clearly TJ knows how to find them. Non-traditional players certainly don't all work out but Orris, Hess, Key and Jenkins (prep school) is a pretty decent list for two years of work.

I agree with the comments regarding needing a little "luck" to get the first win. We're definitely still waiting for that and have certainly had a couple of teams that could have taken advantage of it. In the meantime, a little more defense and a bit more scoring punch on the bench would help. I'm not asking for a 9-man rotation, just a little more consistent punch out of players 7 and 8. Maybe having a big crop of RS freshmen will take care of that.

[thumper_76]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

I will add something though ... Buffalo played a heck of a lot better defense then the Jacks did. Part of it again was the game plan but defend (and rebound) just a little better in those last 2 minutes and we would probably be talking about Gonzaga right now!

I’d argue it was more rebounding than anything and let a poor 3 point shooting team just jack up some shots. The effectiveness is definitely debatable, but if we don’t let them get a boatload of offensive rebounds in the first half we are up by 10 points or more at half IMO.


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[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

Improvement on the defensive end is the place that we need to make a jump for next year. Offensively, our team is incredibly talented and the stats bear that out. Conversely, we weren't as good defensively. Although there was definite improvement or intensity the last few weeks.

Heck, if it was easy to win games in the tourney everyone would be doing it. Its hard. We've played against teams every year that have been there and done that. The first round game is just another game to them. Simply put, it isn't that for us, not yet. Until we get that first one, there will be that extra pressure there to do it. It's the same thing that football is going through. Beating the Bison in the regular season is something we've done and consistently but beating them in the playoffs is a different thing. The Bison take on a whole other persona when they get there. Our MBB has that persona when they take the court in SF for the Summit. It just isn't the same when in the tournament. Its 100% mental and it may not be fixable other than to finally just break through. Look at our women. They've gotten past it. Heck, we expect them to win today because they have an outstanding team AND they've done it before.

We all want it so badly. We all felt like a great chance was lost yesterday. And it was. Somewhere it will turn around and we will take that next step to become what a Gonzaga or Witchita State (oops, they lost) have become. Its possible and its possible here.

We just have to keep knocking on the frickin door until it opens.

SUPERBUNNY

[wcbsas]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

I’d argue it was more rebounding than anything and let a poor 3 point shooting team just jack up some shots. The effectiveness is definitely debatable, but if we don’t let them get a boatload of offensive rebounds in the first half we are up by 10 points or more at half IMO.


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I'm not bemoaning the 3-point shooting or the strategy letting them shoot but late in games it is a huge no-no to foul 3-point shooters. In both cases the inopportune fouls cost Jacks a total of 4 points ... in a game under 2 minutes you simply cannot do that. After that you have to chase after points and that almost never works in tight close games.

[jbjack]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

Churchill said that the army with the most divisions usually wins the war, so the obvious answer is to bring in better players but in the mid major world that is far easier said than done. Identify sleepers like Wolters, Daum and Jenkins and leave the door open for the Cody Larsons of the world to come "home" of the bright lights don't work out. The challenge for and midmajor is finding the combination of talent and athleticism. Those players tend to flock to major program.

[Nidaros]

Re: Breaking Through: What's Needed to win an NCAA game or two?

I doubt Howell will be back.

I did not check all the box scores on goJacks.com but Howell played up to 10 minutes in many OOC games so I believe he used his eligibility up and to get a medical redshirt might be more than what he wants to do. I would tend to agree. I don't expect him back.