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Post by wgt on Dec 17, 2009 19:51:56 GMT -5
I viewed last year’s 15 win season as a substantial improvement in Bona basketball. Most, except Schmidt, were very pleasantly surprised with Andrew’s frosh season leading to A10 Rookie of the Year. Few predicted what an impact player The Professor would be. It is clear that Mark recognized his potential & early on compared him favorably to West. Many questioned his comparison.
Now 9 games into the season I would like to make some comparisons to our performance over the course of last season. At this very early stage such comparisons must be taken with a grain of salt but I hope it provides some insight on the direction this program is going.
Two areas where we have really excelled & lead the Conference is in shooting (.513) and assists (16.5 APG). Last season we were good in both areas but stood # 5 (FG% 5 @ .452) and # 5 (14.7 APG). Leading the conference in these key areas is remarkable.
Last season Malcolm really improved in taking care of the ball but was not getting the number of assists you hope for from your PG. This year he has improved his ability to distribute the ball (#3 with 4.6 APG) & our players continue to get lots of assists off their offensive movement. As a result there is no surprise our A/TO Ratio has improved from #13 in conference @ .86 to this season’s # 5 @ 1.1
Our 15.1 TOs a game are too many but an improvement from last year’s dreadful 17+. Hence our improvement from # 14 TO Margin ( -2.93) to # 4 (+1.4) this year. We presently rank # 6 in steals (#9 last season) & this has further improved our TO Margin ranking in the A10.
No surprise we are dead last in treys made. Chris is our only option beyond the arc at this point but I’m hoping this will change. Matthew’s leads the conference in Treys Made & is #4 @ .484. Quite an improvement on his last season’s .329.
There is a lot to point to in improvement. 2 of the 3 losses were there to be won. None of that reduces the humiliation at the hands of Miss State who were on fire.
Even though we have improved in points allowed from # 10 (71 ppg) to # 5 (65 ppg) I’m a little concerned with our FG% D which has dropped from #6 (.420) to # 11 (.432) but more concerned about our struggles defending the trey. We have dropped from #5 (.329) to #12 (.356). Then again the Mississippi State shoot out has skewed these numbers at this very early stage. Not to worry!
Obviously Andrew worked hard in the off season developing an awesome baby jump hook with both hands, perfecting his FT stroke (#3 in conference @ .824), & solid shooting out to 18’. Overall I like what I see with the exception of my expectations of LL and the lack of boards from Jonathan. I’m hoping that Hall will get busy on the glass & that LL will get the offense.
I like the state of our Bonnies, & of course the bottom line #s are Ws. I hope they bring their A+ game to the Dome.
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Post by pete on Dec 17, 2009 22:23:19 GMT -5
thank you for the excellent post.
I agree with you the Eleby's game has improved nicely.
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Post by b4life on Dec 17, 2009 22:57:07 GMT -5
Good points wgt. For me I was a little more excited about the team last year. Mostly because my expectations for last year's team were pretty low. That win at Rutgers got me really pumped knowing that we were in for a competitive year. We have not had that win yet this year. We beat everyone we were supposed to beat and lost 2 heart breakers then were embarrassed by Miss State. I guess I am just waiting for this team to show me what to expect come confrence play.
Heres to getting a huge win against those dreaded Oranggirls.
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Post by Sipowicz on Dec 18, 2009 8:31:36 GMT -5
The obvious keys will be how the BONNIES guards and JONATHAN HALL do against the no. 1 team in the nation in steals, how our young frontline limits the Orange's point in the paint, and ANDREW staying out of foul trouble. We will need CHRIS to be dead on if the BONNIES and COACH SCHMIDT have any chance for their signature win.
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Post by wgt on Dec 18, 2009 14:21:22 GMT -5
Turnovers must be a concern going against the #1 thieves in the nation. However TOs were not a real factor in our trouncing by the Bulldogs. We had a respectable 12 TOs yet were down 14 within the first 4 mins of play having turned it over only once. In fact we matched Miss State’s PIP and fast break points which made their winning margin all the more remarkable. Plain & simple they hit everything they put up (55% from the field & 54% treys) & beat us on the boards by 13.
The cuse zone is able to extend so effectively that Chris will find treys hard to come by. Opponent’s have tried to use the three ball to attack their zone with no success. Over their 9 games they have only allowed 31% of the treys to fall.
I see our inside game being a key factor in staying with the Cuse. With Chris being the only trey threat, at this point, we haven’t made that a focus of our offense as evidenced by 49% of our scoring coming from inside the paint. Our ability to get the ball inside with some finishes will be critical. Obviously The Professor must stay out of foul trouble while Johnson & Jackson take it to him. A big inside game is needed from Hall as well.
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Post by bartmitchell on Dec 18, 2009 16:46:40 GMT -5
Solid analysis (analysisis ?) wgt. No doubt 'cuse will key on staying out on Chris. He has done well this year taking what he's given and not forcing shots. Always seems if he can catch facing the basket and shoot his percentage is exceptional. If he has to move his feet and shoot, not so much...unless he's in unconscious mode and then they all go in.
I think if the Bonnies can come out with confidence and execute in the first 5 minutes we can hang with Syracuse. If 'cuse starts the game with a run it could be shades of Miss. St. Our 2 point guards have to be solid. Who's going to step up and stop Wes Johnson ?
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Post by bigdobber on Dec 18, 2009 17:15:56 GMT -5
Nicholson needs to have a career night and dominate down low. This can only happen if we get outside shots to drop by Hall, Eleby and Mathews. This is a is a tall order but games like this can make a kids career. Your best players step up against the best competition. A so-so performance by Andrew means Bonnies lose by 20 plus. The kid has the tools and I think Schmidt has coached him well but he needs to dominate this game for us to have a chance. "The Face of the Atlantic 10" needs to make a statement tommorow.
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Post by Sipowicz on Dec 18, 2009 18:56:45 GMT -5
I'm not sure that the CUSE will key on CHRIS, I think they will half court or 3/4 court zone press keying on MALCOLM or OGO, forcing either to pick up their dribbles and forcing them to make decisions.
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Post by wgt on Dec 18, 2009 20:51:55 GMT -5
I agree that Chris will not be their main focus. Most 2-3s are vulnerable to patient & crisp passing on the perimeter with some inside passes kicked out for usually fairly open shots. However the Cuse’s zone is not typical, in that they extend it out very effectively with quick long armed defenders. Pass & dribble penetration against this zone will be needed. Mark has made clear we must get the ball inside for quick shots or if the shot is not there to kick it out quickly. Patience, along with quick touches & proper decisions will maximize our chances against this strangling zone. I am eager to see Ogo's ability to penetrate & dump off tomorrow night.
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Post by sneakers on Dec 19, 2009 7:41:17 GMT -5
It seems obvious to me that Nicholson will be their key and they will bang him and try to run up his fouls. That is was has hurt the Bonnies the most in the past. Here's hoping Nicholson has a career night tonight and crushes the orange!
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Post by Chuck on Dec 19, 2009 13:26:11 GMT -5
Great stuff WGT. Bonnies have played better this year. Bonnies have not had any unexpected losses this year. At this time last year, Bonnies had 2 unexpected losses (Delaware and Canisius). Even the quality win against Rutgers in hindsight was not that great with Rutgers finishing the season with 21 losses. Comparing players from last year, I think Malcolm has improved the most and it is reflected in the stats. Malcolm is creating scoring opportunities: he leads the team in both free throws attempted and made, assists (twice as many as Ogo), and steals. Unlike last year he is getting into the lane and creating scoring opportunities for his teammates. Penetrating the zone and creating open looks for his teammates is exactly what will be needed tonight against Syracuse. I think Malcolm could be a key in tonight's game. Syracuse 2-3 zone extends out to the perimeter and challenges shooters from behind the arc. Syracuse is allowing only 31% from 3's (impressive stat for a zone defense) but more impressive is Syracuse number of blocks. Syracuse is currently 5th in the nation in blocks, with 2 players (Johnson 22 and Jackson 19) with more blocks than Andrew's 14 blocks. Two other players (Onuaku and Riley) have 1 less block than Andrew. Penetration is the key to attacking Syracuse zone. Chris has to hit open 3's and Andrew has to be the best player on the floor, but neither will happen without penetration from Jonathan, Michael and Malcolm. www.gobonnies.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/files/teamcume.htmstats.ncaa.org/team/stats?org_id=688&sport_year_ctl_id=10260web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/ranksummary |
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Post by wgt on Dec 19, 2009 15:19:59 GMT -5
Thanks Chuck for these fantastic web sites. Looking at the national rankings really point out how one-dimensional our trey scoring is. Essentially if Chris doesn’t take the trey we don’t get them.
It’s amazing that only 15 players in the nation have made more treys than Chris & only 22 shoot it better YET that is our team’s WORST category by far: Treys Made.
We rank a lowly 282 out of 334. I’m hoping that Michael, Ogo or possibly even Conger might hit some in the future to provide more punch to complement Chris. Tonight would sure be a good night to make them.
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Post by bartmitchell on Dec 19, 2009 19:15:37 GMT -5
Yeah, "key on staying out on Chris" was a poor choice of words. But while it will not be a 'key' for Syracuse, I do think Chris will be given no room to shoot. As the numbers bear out, if Chris is not hitting from outside for us, nobody else does. On the other hand, if he is hot, a lot of good things happen. If Chris is not making the '3', it will make it much tougher for us to score inside and I think points inside will be real hard to come by, including for Andrew. I think we have to hit jumpshots from mid-range and out before their will be anything inside for us.
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Post by wgt on Dec 19, 2009 19:59:58 GMT -5
39 - 35 Cuse at the half. Always glad to see my man Timmy Higgins doing the game. I know some don't agree but he did the Rutgers game last year. Andrew tremendous with I believe 12 or 14 pts. Great lob passes into him. They are beating us from the stripe & their guard penetration
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Post by presstowin on Dec 19, 2009 20:04:00 GMT -5
Nicholson best player on floor period!
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