nevada gdt

[jack power]

Re: nevada gdt

How does Garrett Callahan our leading scorer not get a shot off until 5 minutes into the second half?

Garrett did something wrong and got yanked about a minute into the game. He didn't play much until the second half, still only played 14 minutes the whole game.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: nevada gdt

Never good when your starters only score 8 points in a half.

Flat out....our upperclassmen ARE NOT TOUGH ENOUGH.

Until they learn how to "punch a team in the mouth" on the road we are not gonna succeed. Something Nagy can't do much about. Can't teach a kid toughness.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: nevada gdt

I agree, but whenever i see him play, he always misses boards because he is not tough enough

It seems no one on our team is tough enough!

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: nevada gdt

Something Nagy can't do much about. Can't teach a kid toughness.

Really? Coaches don't motivate kids to play hard? Coaches don't set the expectation level of what is acceptable play?

[WestSideRabbit]

Re: nevada gdt

Different season, but same results. The lights on, but no one is home. Thats how I feel with this team. Maybe the level of competition between our last two games had something to do with it. Going from SMSU to Nevada is a pretty good jump.
I really want to believe in this team because mens basketball being respectable at SDSU is so key to SDSU athletics. Sell has big plans for both mens and womens. In order for these plans to come to fruition there needs to be people in the seats. I go because I already pay a fee and I love basketball. If I lived in Brookings right now and worked a 40 hour week I probably wouldn't spend the money to come watch the current Jacks. Its one thing if you knew the team would come out and give effort and show emotion every single game, but they don't. They're not exciting to watch, they drift through the game, and more often then not during the transition they lose.
This may be the attitude of a fair weather fan, but in my four years here I have seen nothing from this team and this group of seniors to make me say wow! (With the exception of last years first round tournament game). We as fans continue to get our hopes up. Iowa St., Oral Roberts, Wyoming, Purdue... We are ready for this team to turn the corner. The Dept NEEDS this team to turn the corner.
Sorry for venting, but I'm just tired of this team and tired of being dissapointed. I remember coming to Frost as a kid during the "D2 days" and seeing how cool Frost can be. That is what I want now for the students and fans of SDSU. I think we have been patient enough.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: nevada gdt

All you have to do is watch a few practices and you will CLEARLY see that Mark is not strong enough to compete with the starters in the games that the men play. Yea, he comes in late and seems to get some things done, but believe me, he is not even close to being able to help this team against the other teams best line ups. Now don't become all unglued on me, I love Mark to death, he is the nicest guy in the world. But, he is just too weak to even help this team.
If Mark was on the floor at the start of games, it would be obvious to the average fan that the speed and the physicality of the game would be way too much for him. He is a good end of game player, but sorry to say, he will never be able to help this team become better.

Your right the guys getting all the minutes are showing the degree of physicality and toughness that warrants them being on the floor. Give me a break. I see a lot of guys with similiar skill sets as Mark helping their DI teams in ways that may not show up in the box score, but cumulatively help the team. IMHO, the guys getting the minutes is more about the style of play Nagy want's to play. This average fan would rather see a 6'10 senior make a few mistakes, but has a chance than an undersized player who might be a bit more athletic but has no chance to contain their opponent. Nagy keeps saying in the postgame interviews that he is tired of being embarrased and he is failing in getting his team ready to play. Maybe there are some other guys lacking in talent that can bring some energy and change of pace. If Mark is so bad and can't contribute than who's fault is it? It's not entirely his that he has not developed into the true post center this team is so clearly lacking.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: nevada gdt

Really? Coaches don't motivate kids to play hard? Coaches don't set the expectation level of what is acceptable play?

I stand by what I said. Motivating a kid to play hard or to a certain level has nothing to do with playing tough.

Nagy had kids in his D2 days that had a lot of toughness. Andy Moeller comes to mind, I recall many times him getting in an opponents grill after a play was over. If you think Nagy taught him how to do that you are on something. That was Andy's personality. He was NOT backing down to ANYONE, ever. If you think that kind of play doesn't spark a team you are also on something.

This team lacks a player like that.

We need a leader that won't back down or let up....EVER! The guys everyone is saying our the leaders of this team seem to disappear at times.

[RabbitNation]

Re: nevada gdt

[QUOTE=MontanaRabbit;139650]I stand by what I said. Motivating a kid to play hard or to a certain level has nothing to do with playing tough.

Nagy had kids in his D2 days that had a lot of toughness. Andy Moeller comes to mind, I recall many times him getting in an opponents grill after a play was over. If you think Nagy taught him how to do that you are on something. That was Andy's personality. He was NOT backing down to ANYONE, ever. If you think that kind of play doesn't spark a team you are also on something.

This team lacks a player like that.

We need a leader that won't back down or let up....EVER! The guys everyone is saying our the leaders of this team seem to disappear at times.




You are dead on! I coach youth teraveling teams and most of the most talented players are way to tentative and parents ask, how can I get my kid to play with the desire and fire of our point guard. You can not teach that, a switch just needs to flip in their head.

Some intramural teams just needs challenge them and physically rough them up! Here is what would happen, They would get pissed and kick the stuffing out of them, for the simple reason they would be like, Don't you know who we are? They need to have that swagger everytime they take the floor!

Reference to Engen: get him 10-12 minutes for a couple of games and see what happens. Couldn't hurt!

Reference to Nagy: Stop taking for responsiblity for your team not playing well, start throwing players under the bus and see what happens!

[rabbit_boy]

Re: nevada gdt

How about throw the coach under the bus!! Why is it always the players fault? Who recruited them? Who coaches them?

[Jacks99]

Re: nevada gdt

From what little I've paid attention this year, I would have to agree with what those are saying about the players not being tough enough.

The fact is you can't change a person. You can help them, teach them, whatever, but they still have to make the choice themselves.

Maybe another coach could help them get there, but the upperclassmen are obviously not there. They seem to try and talk it, but they need to walk it.

Applies in the business setting as well, but as the new ND coach put it: they don't have free agency or a waiver wire. They have who they have. Are there many recruits that already have proven that fire?

[Kemo]

Re: nevada gdt

The Jacks will be fine if they can pick up their team D, as that has been the major problem all year. I have confidence it will improve, but I'm not going to jump to any conclusions till conference play heats up.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: nevada gdt

Really? Coaches don't motivate kids to play hard? Coaches don't set the expectation level of what is acceptable play?

Sorry about that post, it got cut off when the dog went beserk (sp?) and I thought that I hit the cancel but must have hit the submit button. The rest of my post was going to be basically what Montana Rabbit said about the personality of the individual player making them "tough," but that is for individual players. Talking about team toughness does go back to the coaches and the tone they set. I remember how the teams played in the D2 days under Nagy also, and while individual players did have "an attitude" so did the team. It was very difficult for other teams to impose their style of play on the Jacks, no matter what.

I do think this team is making steps in that direction, but it seems like it has been a couple steps forward, one step back. I can't wait for the team when, as someone else said, the switch goes on for the team. Then I think we will see many many steps forward before another backwards step (they always happen from time to time).

[jacks1]

Re: nevada gdt

The Jacks will be fine if they can pick up their team D, as that has been the major problem all year. I have confidence it will improve, but I'm not going to jump to any conclusions till conference play heats up.

Defense isn't a switch you can just turn on all of a sudden...

[Kemo]

Re: nevada gdt

Defense isn't a switch you can just turn on all of a sudden...

Team defense is something that can and will develop throughout the season, and though it is not a switch you turn on, it is something that kids learn as they play more. People tend to focus on team cohesion in terms of offense, but it is just as important as defense. All the effort in the world won't keep the other team from scoring 90 points if you are in the wrong spot/position on the defensive end. It takes time to learn how to adjust your positioning when an off-the-ball player drives and you have to either help out on the driver or rotate to take away a passing lane, and if there is even a slight hesitation a bucket is likely to be scored. This needs to be cleaned up, and the only way it is going to happen is drilling the concept into the kids at practice and teammates gaining familiarity with one another.

That is why I have confidence we'll see more wins down the stretch in conference play.