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Re: Something To Think About
I think we are better than the past two years, but I have four issues with our MBB team and I don't know if any of them can be solved so we can improve this year or next.
1. Our frontcourt leaders (Ben and possibly Berte) are going to graduate leaving us very thin and pretty inexperienced in our first year of NCAA and Summit League eligibility. While I hope the younger players can develop and learn from some of their intangibles this year, I hope it doesn't set us back because they are not getting experience that they could be and not playing with each other as much on the court.
2. We have nobody on our team who seems to show an outward intensity that gets the people around them excited about playing or winning. I just want one or two Andy Moeller, Derrick Schantz, or Chris Stoebner types who even though they might not be as athletic, talented, or successful as their opponent are going to punch you in the face and give you all they got for forty minutes. We have lacked that attitude since those folks left and have never found it in our D1 days. We miss that cockiness. I know some of it has to do with our youngsters, but look at NDSU. Their fab four have this, and it has garnered results since they were freshman. Our women's team has this as well, even the freshman. Cadwell had glimpses of this before his attitude went downhill.
3. Our most natuarally talented player doesn't seem to want to take the team over and make it his own. You saw it at times last year, but even more so far this year. It is highlighted by the fact that he has so much talent, it makes it look worse. We are not going to win games when he scores 7-10 points and plays average defense.
4. We need shooters. I am not a college basketball expert, but I can tell you one common theme that all good mid-major schools have: great three point shooting. Look at Butler, Davidson, Winthrop, Gardner Webb, NDSU, etc.: they can all shoot the three. It is the ultimate equalizer when you don't have athletes and bigs like everyone else. Do we have any true shooters on this team...or will they become better shooters as they get older?
Finally, everyone keeps saying that we are young and inexperienced, but when are we going to be not young and not inexperienced. I'm starting to worry more about who is the next person to leave the program for some unforseen circumstance instead of wondering if we have finally turned the corner.
And to tie it back to the thread...I miss Holdren's game, Cadwell's fight, and Gilbert's athleticism. But if they don't want to be here than fine. Just wish they would have decided that before they accepted the scholarships in the first place.
Originally posted by filbert
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I think we are better than the past two years, but I have four issues with our MBB team and I don't know if any of them can be solved so we can improve this year or next.
1. Our frontcourt leaders (Ben and possibly Berte) are going to graduate leaving us very thin and pretty inexperienced in our first year of NCAA and Summit League eligibility. While I hope the younger players can develop and learn from some of their intangibles this year, I hope it doesn't set us back because they are not getting experience that they could be and not playing with each other as much on the court.
2. We have nobody on our team who seems to show an outward intensity that gets the people around them excited about playing or winning. I just want one or two Andy Moeller, Derrick Schantz, or Chris Stoebner types who even though they might not be as athletic, talented, or successful as their opponent are going to punch you in the face and give you all they got for forty minutes. We have lacked that attitude since those folks left and have never found it in our D1 days. We miss that cockiness. I know some of it has to do with our youngsters, but look at NDSU. Their fab four have this, and it has garnered results since they were freshman. Our women's team has this as well, even the freshman. Cadwell had glimpses of this before his attitude went downhill.
3. Our most natuarally talented player doesn't seem to want to take the team over and make it his own. You saw it at times last year, but even more so far this year. It is highlighted by the fact that he has so much talent, it makes it look worse. We are not going to win games when he scores 7-10 points and plays average defense.
4. We need shooters. I am not a college basketball expert, but I can tell you one common theme that all good mid-major schools have: great three point shooting. Look at Butler, Davidson, Winthrop, Gardner Webb, NDSU, etc.: they can all shoot the three. It is the ultimate equalizer when you don't have athletes and bigs like everyone else. Do we have any true shooters on this team...or will they become better shooters as they get older?
Finally, everyone keeps saying that we are young and inexperienced, but when are we going to be not young and not inexperienced. I'm starting to worry more about who is the next person to leave the program for some unforseen circumstance instead of wondering if we have finally turned the corner.
And to tie it back to the thread...I miss Holdren's game, Cadwell's fight, and Gilbert's athleticism. But if they don't want to be here than fine. Just wish they would have decided that before they accepted the scholarships in the first place.
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