My fiver on WVU's victory over Northern Colorado on Monday night...
1. Jordan McCabe. This has been talked about a great deal already, but it was my initial reaction after the game -- Jordan McCabe is the best force-multiplier that this team has available. Not only is he leading the team in assists (and it's not even close) while playing on 15 minutes per game (we have four other guards who are playing the same or more minutes), but he has started the season with an 11:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Last year, and at times this year, my biggest overall concern - right alongside our defense's long standing habit of giving wide open looks from "3" - are sloppy turnovers. We have a PG who is currently sitting at 11:1 assist-to-TO and we're not playing him. It just doesn't compute with me, and perhaps it's because we just want to give Deuce McBride and others quality PT before we get into the Cancun Tournament and Conference play. But, McCabe's ability to create, his ability this year to avoid mistakes, his ability to knock down jumpers and hit treys, and his ability to be lethal on a fast break...lead me to believe that he's still The Man to play point.
2. Derek Culver. Anyone have the story on his first half benching? Anyone really surprised? When I saw that he was benched for the first half, it was kind of a shoulder shrug and eyeroll moment. Furthermore, thought he really had some seriously bad attitude during the game. Yes, in his 11 second half minutes he scored 13 and hit his free throws down the stretch while pulling down 6 boards. But, he needs to cut out the pity parties whenever he is pulled from the game. Secondly, he needs to keep his head up and look for others when the interior collapses upon him. He had so many chances to kick the ball out to our guards for open looks from "3", and he basically ignored them. You could tell that he was out there to get his. And, the bull-in-the-china shop Derek Culver offense may work vs. Northern Colorado - it got him to the line plenty. But, when the opposition gets better, they'll take that ball right away from him when he tries that stuff. Get the ball, see the opposition coming, kick it back out, re-position. He knows better.
3. 4 of 9 from "3"...this follows our 5 of 13 home game vs. Akron. So, in two games at home this season, we are 9 of 22 from "3" - 41%. It seems to me that perhaps we should focus a bit more on getting a few more open looks on the perimeter (which, again, would include Oscar and Derek keeping their eyes up for kick-outs), and letting the misses fall where they may with two stud offensive rebounding machines. We recruited shooters like Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil, and guys like McCabe, Brandon Knapper and Emmitt Matthews seem really have increased their ability to make outside shots. It seems that we focused solely on playing "big boy ball" vs. Northern Colorado during that second half after scorching the nets from outside during the first. I'd like to see us mix it up a bit more and give our guards (and Matthews) the green light to launch. Repeatedly.
4. During the initial moments of the first half, Jermaine Haley took a jab step, then stepped back behind the three-point line, took a dribble, and swished a "trey". I about fell out of my seat on that one -- did not expect Haley to ever shoot a step-back three, let alone swish it like it was no big deal. But, that was it. He is now 1 for 1 from three-point land. He has a hell of a game this year and has been a stabilizing force.
5. It's good to get the win. But, I think we all expected a little more from these guys. If we out-rebound a team by 18, come out on fire from "3", hit the same number of free throws as them, hold a team to 37% shooting and 61 points...I expect at least a 15 point win. Well, we avoided an upset which we've seen befall teams like Kentucky, Pitt, LSU, Alabama, Nebraska (Hoiberg!), Vanderbilt and a few others this year. But, we should not be sweating games like this down the stretch at home. Offense stagnated during the 2nd half, and our defense once again devolved into allow drives and open looks from "3". At some point in this young season, I'd really like to see us click on all cylinders, and run someone out of the building. Because, with this group, they can -- it's just a matter of meshing together and getting our lineups situated.
1. Jordan McCabe. This has been talked about a great deal already, but it was my initial reaction after the game -- Jordan McCabe is the best force-multiplier that this team has available. Not only is he leading the team in assists (and it's not even close) while playing on 15 minutes per game (we have four other guards who are playing the same or more minutes), but he has started the season with an 11:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Last year, and at times this year, my biggest overall concern - right alongside our defense's long standing habit of giving wide open looks from "3" - are sloppy turnovers. We have a PG who is currently sitting at 11:1 assist-to-TO and we're not playing him. It just doesn't compute with me, and perhaps it's because we just want to give Deuce McBride and others quality PT before we get into the Cancun Tournament and Conference play. But, McCabe's ability to create, his ability this year to avoid mistakes, his ability to knock down jumpers and hit treys, and his ability to be lethal on a fast break...lead me to believe that he's still The Man to play point.
2. Derek Culver. Anyone have the story on his first half benching? Anyone really surprised? When I saw that he was benched for the first half, it was kind of a shoulder shrug and eyeroll moment. Furthermore, thought he really had some seriously bad attitude during the game. Yes, in his 11 second half minutes he scored 13 and hit his free throws down the stretch while pulling down 6 boards. But, he needs to cut out the pity parties whenever he is pulled from the game. Secondly, he needs to keep his head up and look for others when the interior collapses upon him. He had so many chances to kick the ball out to our guards for open looks from "3", and he basically ignored them. You could tell that he was out there to get his. And, the bull-in-the-china shop Derek Culver offense may work vs. Northern Colorado - it got him to the line plenty. But, when the opposition gets better, they'll take that ball right away from him when he tries that stuff. Get the ball, see the opposition coming, kick it back out, re-position. He knows better.
3. 4 of 9 from "3"...this follows our 5 of 13 home game vs. Akron. So, in two games at home this season, we are 9 of 22 from "3" - 41%. It seems to me that perhaps we should focus a bit more on getting a few more open looks on the perimeter (which, again, would include Oscar and Derek keeping their eyes up for kick-outs), and letting the misses fall where they may with two stud offensive rebounding machines. We recruited shooters like Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil, and guys like McCabe, Brandon Knapper and Emmitt Matthews seem really have increased their ability to make outside shots. It seems that we focused solely on playing "big boy ball" vs. Northern Colorado during that second half after scorching the nets from outside during the first. I'd like to see us mix it up a bit more and give our guards (and Matthews) the green light to launch. Repeatedly.
4. During the initial moments of the first half, Jermaine Haley took a jab step, then stepped back behind the three-point line, took a dribble, and swished a "trey". I about fell out of my seat on that one -- did not expect Haley to ever shoot a step-back three, let alone swish it like it was no big deal. But, that was it. He is now 1 for 1 from three-point land. He has a hell of a game this year and has been a stabilizing force.
5. It's good to get the win. But, I think we all expected a little more from these guys. If we out-rebound a team by 18, come out on fire from "3", hit the same number of free throws as them, hold a team to 37% shooting and 61 points...I expect at least a 15 point win. Well, we avoided an upset which we've seen befall teams like Kentucky, Pitt, LSU, Alabama, Nebraska (Hoiberg!), Vanderbilt and a few others this year. But, we should not be sweating games like this down the stretch at home. Offense stagnated during the 2nd half, and our defense once again devolved into allow drives and open looks from "3". At some point in this young season, I'd really like to see us click on all cylinders, and run someone out of the building. Because, with this group, they can -- it's just a matter of meshing together and getting our lineups situated.
