The Official “Regular Posters of the Basketball Forum” Thread

[DowntownVol]

I think you gotta ditch CKJH at this point. The standard is the standard.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I think you gotta ditch CKJH at this point. The standard is the standard.

She was extended a year ago. But if there are LV boosters willing to pony up the buyout I suppose Danny will hear them out.

BTW, Holly had 3x Elite 8s and a Sweet 16 in her 7 years before Fulmer fired her. With a 0.720 winning percentage.

 

[Orange.]

Lmao you are insufferable about every single positive topic that gets brought up on this site

Identified as a troll long ago. Idk which troll because I can't see their post.

 

[tev.sm]

I have a feeling that we are due for a DK run where he scores like 13 straight and finishes with 30+. Can’t imagine him having two bad games in a row.

Creighton's guards really didn't fight through ball screens at all against Oregon and even went under a few ball screens on the perimeter, which Oregon exposed. I think DK could get 30+ easily in this case.
Their front court also doesn't really play physical, so I doubt there'd be any resistance for DK at the rim.

 

[omghulkhands]

Creighton's guards really didn't fight through ball screens at all against Oregon and even went under a few ball screens on the perimeter, which Oregon exposed. I think DK could get 30+ easily in this case.
Their front court also doesn't really play physical, so I doubt there'd be any resistance for DK at the rim.

Their foul rate is lowest in the country. Im
Interested to see how that translate to us and a player like DK

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Their foul rate is lowest in the country. Im
Interested to see how that translate to us and a player like DK

They play this drop coverage that invites mid range shots, they are among the highest opponent mid range shot attempts. This keeps them out of foul trouble quite a bit as they really don’t harass opposing guards and then many guys pull up for the open mid range rather than attack the rim where Kalkbrenner awaits.

 

[RudyVol]

I have a feeling that we are due for a DK run where he scores like 13 straight and finishes with 30+. Can’t imagine him having two bad games in a row.

It's crazy to me that DK had probably his worst game to date and still had 18. I'd love to see him drop 40 again with a win this time.

 

[berryvol]

They play this drop coverage that invites mid range shots, they are among the highest opponent mid range shot attempts. This keeps them out of foul trouble quite a bit as they really don’t harass opposing guards and then many guys pull up for the open mid range rather than attack the rim where Kalkbrenner awaits.

Feels like JJJ could absolutely feast on his elbow pull up against this defense. Aidoo knocking down a few mid range jumpers early and giving Kalkbrenner something to think about outside of the paint, would also be a major advantage for us. One of those two, plus DK getting Kalk fully to the perimeter on the PNR would bode very very well for us. I want to furiously knock on wood, but I really like how we matchup with these guys (if we can make open looks).

 

[omghulkhands]

They play this drop coverage that invites mid range shots, they are among the highest opponent mid range shot attempts. This keeps them out of foul trouble quite a bit as they really don’t harass opposing guards and then many guys pull up for the open mid range rather than attack the rim where Kalkbrenner awaits.

That was a good read. Thanks for the share. The extra time to prepare should do wonders for us to try and expose that.

I think we are tougher to prepare for because we just have elite individual defenders.

 

[tev.sm]

Feels like JJJ could absolutely feast on his elbow pull up against this defense. Aidoo knocking down a few mid range jumpers early and giving Kalkbrenner something to think about outside of the paint, would also be a major advantage for us. One of those two, plus DK getting Kalk fully to the perimeter on the PNR would bode very very well for us. I want to furiously knock on wood, but I really like how we matchup with these guys (if we can make open looks).

Definitely agree. Our shooting has to show up on Friday because I don't see us being able to win without being able to shoot the ball.

Providence had to make tough shots to keep the lead against Creighton in the conference tourney. I can almost see our wings (SV, DK, JJJ) getting some open looks from the perimeter as a result of the drop coverage, that they'll have to knock down with confidence.

The more I watch Creighton's offense, the more I see how difficult it'll be to stop them offensively. They can make some tough contested shots and can get hot when shooting, especially from 3.

Their guards are all deceptively crafty and we'll have to really fight to stay in front of them in 1-on-1 matchups, and contest all of their shots. They got guys that can practically pull from the logo in transition if they're really feeling it. We'll have to give them practically no space to operate or get a clean shot off for the entire 40 minutes, which is very difficult to do. I can see them trying to close on any lead we might have, especially late in the 2nd half.

Also, worried that our physicality to defend Kalkbrenner might cause Aidoo (and definitely Awaka at this point) to get in foul trouble. Might have to let Kalkbrenner get his and let the defense from the guards carry us.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

It's crazy to me that DK had probably his worst game to date and still had 18. I'd love to see him drop 40 again with a win this time.

I mean define worst game, cause ya'll must have bad memories.

DK went 1 of 7 against NC State and finished with 2 points.

But Texas was his 2nd worst shooting night from deep, and his 4th worst FG% on the year. Worst game though? I'd say NC State, Kansas or even Mississippi State in SECT.

I do get what you're saying, despite him struggling we still won that game and lead nearly every minute of it. I just hope he gets hot like he did to end the season and we can ride the momentum of him dropping 25+ into the Final Four. We also haven't gotten a great ZZ offensive performance yet either.

What's really wild is that Awaka has been on a tear, but has only played a total of 21 minutes so far. In that time he's scored 18 points on 7 of 9 shooting (77.8%) grabbed 9 rebounds and went 4 of 4 from the FT line.

 

[VolGee4]

They play this drop coverage that invites mid range shots, they are among the highest opponent mid range shot attempts. This keeps them out of foul trouble quite a bit as they really don’t harass opposing guards and then many guys pull up for the open mid range rather than attack the rim where Kalkbrenner awaits.

Play pick and roll with JJJ and DK. On 2/3 of those videos, the screener is wide open for 3. Let JJJ drive the ball (midrange is his bread and butter), and tell DK to float to the 3 line. If Kalkbrenner drops, then Aidoo won’t be near as effective in the pick and roll.

 

[berryvol]

Play pick and roll with JJJ and DK. On 2/3 of those videos, the screener is wide open for 3. Let JJJ drive the ball (midrange is his bread and butter), and tell DK to float to the 3 line. If Kalkbrenner drops, then Aidoo won’t be near as effective in the pick and roll.

IF Aidoo is hitting from 15 on Friday, the DK/Aidoo PNR is going to be impossible for them to defend with this defense. But like you mention, I really like the contingency plans that will be available to us if not/on occasional possessions. Biggest thing (obvious, I know), as everyone has said all week, we just absolutely positively have to have someone other than DK/ZZ step up and make a few shots.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

If Creighton is going to play drop coverage and allow guards to take a fairly open mid-range jump shot, DK could feast. He has been money on that turn around jumper from the free throw line this year.

I’m going to assume they will add a wrinkle to try and take that away, but if they don’t I could see DK getting quite a few of those.

 

[Col_Cathcart]

For most of the second half against Oregon they were pretty content to just play their drop and take their chances with Oregon’s 2 man game. To the point that only 2 guys scored for Oregon pretty much the entire second half. It took until overtime before they started changing up their defense consistently. I doubt they’ll switch up what they do for us, at least not until we’ve really proven that we can pick it apart.

 

[RudyVol]

I mean define worst game, cause ya'll must have bad memories.

DK went 1 of 7 against NC State and finished with 2 points.

But Texas was his 2nd worst shooting night from deep, and his 4th worst FG% on the year. Worst game though? I'd say NC State, Kansas or even Mississippi State in SECT.

I do get what you're saying, despite him struggling we still won that game and lead nearly every minute of it. I just hope he gets hot like he did to end the season and we can ride the momentum of him dropping 25+ into the Final Four. We also haven't gotten a great ZZ offensive performance yet either.

What's really wild is that Awaka has been on a tear, but has only played a total of 21 minutes so far. In that time he's scored 18 points on 7 of 9 shooting (77.8%) grabbed 9 rebounds and went 4 of 4 from the FT line.

I assume he was injured/not 100% between George Mason and Ole Miss so I don't count those as much. Kansas was bad but I just figured it was a let down game for both teams and we certainly played like it. Miss State was bad too but I don't think we cared about winning the SECT personally. So, maybe not his worst game at all but in the bottom tier. In the tournament though we are all looking for Knecht to carry us to the promised land and he didn't give us an average or stellar Knecht game to get there. Of course, he has things going on so no disrespect intended to him and hope for the best still.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

If Creighton is going to play drop coverage and allow guards to take a fairly open mid-range jump shot, DK could feast. He has been money on that turn around jumper from the free throw line this year.

I’m going to assume they will add a wrinkle to try and take that away, but if they don’t I could see DK getting quite a few of those.

ZZ also could have a big night, if they dive under those pick and rolls and leave him to pull up.

I don't know...I'm nervous this team is without question good enough to win and keep winning...but we're not playing our best ball right now when it matters the most (the good news we're still dancing).

We've shot under 38% FG in 5 of our last 6 games, under 36% 3PT in 5 of our last 6 as well. Defense has been dialed in, but to play on the last Monday gotta have better offensive production.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

That was a good read. Thanks for the share. The extra time to prepare should do wonders for us to try and expose that.

I think we are tougher to prepare for because we just have elite individual defenders.

I’m putting DK/Aidoo in that PnR and having DK attack Kalk aggressively downhill off of it, rolls Aidoo to the other side of the rim and let DK either attempt the finish or throw the lob if he steps out enough. Also can have DK pull up from the mid range area as well, he’s shown a solid ability to hit that 12-15 footer.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Play pick and roll with JJJ and DK. On 2/3 of those videos, the screener is wide open for 3. Let JJJ drive the ball (midrange is his bread and butter), and tell DK to float to the 3 line. If Kalkbrenner drops, then Aidoo won’t be near as effective in the pick and roll.

Why would Kalk be defending a PnR between DK & JJJ?

 

[bleedingTNorange]

ZZ also could have a big night, if they dive under those pick and rolls and leave him to pull up.

I don't know...I'm nervous this team is without question good enough to win and keep winning...but we're not playing our best ball right now when it matters the most (the good news we're still dancing).

We've shot under 38% FG in 5 of our last 6 games, under 36% 3PT in 5 of our last 6 as well. Defense has been dialed in, but to play on the last Monday gotta have better offensive production.

That’s the point of that thread, they don’t dove under, they play over it forcing you to drive into the lane. But then they drop Kalk which causes you to not drive all the way to the hoop, leaving you with just a mid range pull up.

 

[VolGee4]

Why would Kalk be defending a PnR between DK & JJJ?

He wouldn’t. Do they only run drop coverage with Kalkbrenner? The post didn’t exactly specify, but it mentioned that’s their general defense. You can run a pick and roll with folks other than Aidoo. I like Aidoo’s ability to shoot, but he has not been consistent with it late in the year.

The 2 point midrange shot is the worst in the game, so I assume that is part of their overall defensive strategy, regardless of Kalkbrenner.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

That’s the point of that thread, they don’t dove under, they play over it forcing you to drive into the lane. But then they drop Kalk which causes you to not drive all the way to the hoop, leaving you with just a mid range pull up.

Yeah, same thing I was trying to say. With ZZ's speed if his defender is behind like in the 4 examples from the tweet then he can pull up and take a shot as Kalk drops and Aidoo crashes the rim. If Kalk tries to step out to put a hand up the lob or a quick pass to Aidoo should be there all night.

Of course it might be smarter to play DK/Aidoo in that 2 man game like you pointed out.

 

[Purplehaze26]

Jjj could help with the midrange shot, if he’ll take it.

 

[cncchris33]

I’m putting DK/Aidoo in that PnR and having DK attack Kalk aggressively downhill off of it, rolls Aidoo to the other side of the rim and let DK either attempt the finish or throw the lob if he steps out enough. Also can have DK pull up from the mid range area as well, he’s shown a solid ability to hit that 12-15 footer.

This is exactly what Couissnard and Dante did for Oregon. Creighton finally adjusted in the overtime periods by doubling Couissnard out front to force him to get rid of the ball before he was able to get going toward the paint, and force the rest of the team to create offense.

We've seen that be an effective defensive solution against Knecht, as well. If Creighton deploys that defensive approach earlier on, then someone else is going to have to initialize the offense getting to the paint. This would leave Aidoo as an option off the pNr and Knecht available as a kickoff option. ZZ can be that guy, but is less of a threat getting to the basket over Kalkbrenner.

It would be nice if JJJ was a better ball-handler, if Santi was more of a threat on the drive and with both hands, if Gainey wasn't prone to poor decisions, or if Mashack had an offensive bone in his body. Unfortunately, those guys all have severe limitations as options to be that facilitator. Truthfully, in a vacuum, Dilione is maybe the best option we have in terms of skill and athletic ability, but do you trust him to play big minutes (10-12) in such a pressure environment after not giving him hardly any minutes, and give him that responsibility? Seems like a tough ask. It's one of the few holes in our roster; a secondary option with some size that can get to the rim at will, and make good decisions.

 

[walkenvol]

This is exactly what Couissnard and Dante did for Oregon. Creighton finally adjusted in the overtime periods by doubling Couissnard out front to force him to get rid of the ball before he was able to get going toward the paint, and force the rest of the team to create offense.

We've seen that be an effective defensive solution against Knecht, as well. If Creighton deploys that defensive approach earlier on, then someone else is going to have to initialize the offense getting to the paint. This would leave Aidoo as an option off the pNr and Knecht available as a kickoff option. ZZ can be that guy, but is less of a threat getting to the basket over Kalkbrenner.

It would be nice if JJJ was a better ball-handler, if Santi was more of a threat on the drive and with both hands, if Gainey wasn't prone to poor decisions, or if Mashack had an offensive bone in his body. Unfortunately, those guys all have severe limitations as options to be that facilitator. Truthfully, in a vacuum, Dilione is maybe the best option we have in terms of skill and athletic ability, but do you trust him to play big minutes (10-12) in such a pressure environment after not giving him hardly any minutes, and give him that responsibility? Seems like a tough ask. It's one of the few holes in our roster; a secondary option with some size that can get to the rim at will, and make good decisions.

You’ve seen something I’ve missed if you view Dillione as an option right now, and I typically respect your opinion.