Status check...

[pnkranger]

...Yesterday's win was a nice statement about the improvement we've made, especially defensively. Here's the status report:

• 7-2 overall, 5-2 road + Neutral. We are probably the only major conference team in the country to play 7 of its first 9 games away from home.
  
• We are ranked 17 in the RPI with a 24 SOS
  
• We have done all this only shooting 42% from the field, with only two players averaging double figures. Romero is tops at 13 ppg.
  
• 10 players are averaging 10+ minutes/game and no one is playing more than 25 mpg.
  
• 7 players are averaging more than 6 points/game.
  
• Our opponents have a combined record of 38-29.
  
• Our next two opponents are RPI top 100 teams. Neither are world-beaters, but both have played well so far.
  
• 5 of our next 6 games are at Lloyd Noble, with the road game coming at West Virginia, who we have already beaten.

Here's what's exciting to me: we have shown that we can defend at a very high level. Combine that with the fact that NONE of our returning players are playing at or near the level they played at last year offensively yet. Our ceiling is a long way from where we are, but we are still winning games. We have a series of games coming up at home, where we can begin to gel...

One other thing that sticks out to me: this team has great poise, even when things aren't going right. We've got experience, we've got depth, and this season's schedule has the team playing with an understanding of how to win games.

This sunshine pumping is not to say that we'll win 30 games and make it to the Elite Eight. I'm a realist...But I am saying that we are getting better with a lot of room to grow. And our next 6 games gives us a chance to enter the meat of our schedule at 12-3 with 3 wins over conference opponents.

This reminds me of a lot of Kelvin's seasons, where we constantly harped on the offense, but the team ended up winning 20 games and getting an NCAA bid.

All this to say: I like our team...

 

[j2d2]

I think our defense is the principal reason reason for our wins. Kelvin proved to me that you can win with defense.

 

[Stikboy]

...Yesterday's win was a nice statement about the improvement we've made, especially defensively. Here's the status report:

• 7-2 overall, 5-2 road + Neutral. We are probably the only major conference team in the country to play 7 of its first 9 games away from home.
  
• We are ranked 17 in the RPI with a 24 SOS
  
• We have done all this only shooting 42% from the field, with only two players averaging double figures. Romero is tops at 13 ppg.
  
• 10 players are averaging 10+ minutes/game and no one is playing more than 25 mpg.
  
• 7 players are averaging more than 6 points/game.
  
• Our opponents have a combined record of 38-29.
  
• Our next two opponents are RPI top 100 teams. Neither are world-beaters, but both have played well so far.
  
• 5 of our next 6 games are at Lloyd Noble, with the road game coming at West Virginia, who we have already beaten.

Here's what's exciting to me: we have shown that we can defend at a very high level. Combine that with the fact that NONE of our returning players are playing at or near the level they played at last year offensively yet. Our ceiling is a long way from where we are, but we are still winning games. We have a series of games coming up at home, where we can begin to gel...

One other thing that sticks out to me: this team has great poise, even when things aren't going right. We've got experience, we've got depth, and this season's schedule has the team playing with an understanding of how to win games.

This sunshine pumping is not to say that we'll win 30 games and make it to the Elite Eight. I'm a realist...But I am saying that we are getting better with a lot of room to grow. And our next 6 games gives us a chance to enter the meat of our schedule at 12-3 with 3 wins over conference opponents.

This reminds me of a lot of Kelvin's seasons, where we constantly harped on the offense, but the team ended up winning 20 games and getting an NCAA bid.

All this to say: I like our team...

Nice synopsis. I think it was a very good win against a tough, physical Aggie team. While I worry about our offense, I think the potential is there. To me, last year we had guys that were physically unable to score. This year we have guys that can, in many different ways, they just need to do it. We need to take care of business at home these next few games going into conference. A couple of them aren't pushovers...

 

[playmakr]

One of the main reasons we are such a good defensive team is we play 5 guys who are interchangeable. Whover is playing the 1 thru 4 including bench guys can switch everything without creating major mismatch problems.

 

[stormspencer]

This year's schedule has really worked to our advantage regarding RPI. When you play seven road and neutral site games....and win a majority of them, it really puts you in prime position for postseason consideration. One, it shows you aren't hesitant about scheduling those types of games and more importantly, if you win those games, it shows the committee that your team is capable of thriving in those environments.

It couldn't have worked out better for us this season. As the OP said, beating an A*M, West Virginia, and UTEP at neutral sites and winning at UTA doesn't constitute "world-beating", some of those wins will count as quality wins come season end. We are also fortunate that Stephen F Austin and Ohio have relatively good RPIs thus far as well. Before the season began, I thought our OOC schedule looked extraordinarily weak, but it's nice it hasn't played out that way.

 

[pnkranger]

Storm,

You are exactly right. We have played Duke and North Carolina, but none of the teams we played are stinkers other than Louisiana-Monroe. The rest should finish well in their conferences...

 

[oSuJeff97]

Storm,

You are exactly right. We have played Duke and North Carolina, but none of the teams we played are stinkers other than Louisiana-Monroe. The rest should finish well in their conferences...

Yeah -- OSU played a schedule like this a few years ago.

Didn't really play anybody really good, but also didn't play anybody that was really bad. IIRC, we only played one non-conference team that had a sub-150 RPI. It made for a really strong RPI heading into conference play.

 

[jerry]

Shooting is a real problem. Hornbeak, Cousins and Fitzgerald have all shot bad and Grooms is no offensive threat when he plays. I'm not sure starting 2 freshmen is the way to go unless one of them is Buddy H.

 

[Krugerfan52]

yeah, part of the reason we hold people to 50-60 points is because our lack of PG play and slow style leads to 60-50 games. We are 8th in the big 12 this year in ppg and 6th in PPG allowed.

TCU is last in PPG but 1st in PPG allowed because they HAVE to hold people to 52 pts because they only average 54.

So far we are averaging more ppg than Texas and TCU, both of which have lost 4 games. Hopefully we can continue to hold people to around 60, but I imagine it will be a lot tougher to do against Kansas, Iowa State, Baylor and OSU.

 

[oSuJeff97]

TCU is last in PPG but 1st in PPG allowed because they HAVE to hold people to 52 pts because they only average 54.

Yeah, TCU's PPG defense is most definitely due to their pace.

They're ranked #267 in adjusted pace on KenPom's site.

They're 82nd in adjusted defensive efficiency and 319th (!) in adjusted offensive efficiency.

 

[AdaSooner]

Shooting is a real problem. Hornbeak, Cousins and Fitzgerald have all shot bad and Grooms is no offensive threat when he plays. I'm not sure starting 2 freshmen is the way to go unless one of them is Buddy H.

I think Kruger continues to bring Buddy off of the bench as a spark to our offense. I like Cousins at the point. But his anemic shooting from the field has been a drag on our offense so far. Thus, it may be time to go with Hield from the get go to produce more points from the guard positions. On the other hand, Cousins and Hornbeak bring a lot to the table on defense, which is likely why LK has been reluctant to make a change in the starting lineup to this point.

I don't know what to make of Drew's cold shooting. He has only had one good game that I can recall all season. Some might say that his confidence has been shaken by losing his starting spot this year, a theory that I don't buy for one second. One thing is for certain, we need him to step up in the worst way, just as Cam did against ATM.

The interesting thing about our shooting, though, is that at least two players have scored in double figures in every game except one (Northwestern State). I like the fact that we have five or six players on this team who are capable of putting up nice numbers. I just wish they would stop taking turns and blow some unfortunate team out for a change. My cuticles need a rest. lol

 

[pnkranger]

I think Drew is struggling with spacing. His offense depends a lot on angles, positioning, etc. He's not comfortable with the new players and has had trouble getting to his spots with any regularity.