2024-25 PSU MBB Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
Some thoughts on yesterday...
- That 0-12 start from 3 was a killer. A lot of those were really good looks too. Indiana is big and we had trouble scoring at the rim (we had that big spurt late after Ballo went to the bench with 4 and we scored a bunch inside).
- That 10-17 at the line (with a missed front end of a 1-and-1) was a killer in a close game.
- It's appearing that Konan is a different player when he's matched up against someone with his size/athleticism. We'll really need him to adjust to the Big Ten and pick it up quickly.
- Ace looks hobbled. But he's so important to us that cutting back his minutes or letting him get fully healthy isn't really an option. Just hoping he can hold up.
- That's a tough one to drop when Indiana came in without Reneau.
- Disappointed in the crowd overall. Can't believe that we're a bubble type team and yet we didn't sell out the Palestra (almost 1k seats went unsold). And Indiana fans really turned out...way more of them than we saw from Michigan, Iowa, or Michigan St.
- Really tough stretch coming up now. Winning at Illinois is a really tough ask (I worry they'll take out two years of frustration on us), but that Oregon game looms really large next weekend.
One thing I missed...I'm shocked that Puff Johnson ended up back in the game. His head hit the court really hard. And when he tried to get up at first, his legs looked like jello and he dropped back down. Then, he needed some help to walk off the court. Hope he's not diagnosed with a concussion after the fact and ends up missing time.
That surprised me as well. Especially since I saw a lot of requests on different lists I'm on for people seeking tickets to the game.
As for me, I thought strongly about going to the game. But scheduling it on a Sunday, with an Eagles game at 1, was something I couldn't entertain. (Especially since it wasn't until Sunday night a week ago when before it was clear that the Birds wouldn't be playing for the #1 seed on Jan. 5.)
I don't spend a lot of time looking at the crowd scenes during broadcasts, but in the 1st half (the only part that I watched), when the cameras panned the entire crowd, it did appear to be pretty crowded.
The team just was either out of their rotations or not adjusting quickly enough for the first three minutes of the second half. Agree about the free throws, in 20+ years of coaching we always said that missing the front end of one and ones are killer. If they could’ve just got Two or three more of those FT to fall while making their run, it could’ve been a tie game with the pressure back on Indiana.
All four corners and the top rows on the ends were empty as the game was tipping off, but people moved into them to spread out a bit and make it not look as bad. And granted we played in Philly two weeks ago...but there weren't a whole lot of fans at that one, so I don't think it really impacted this crowd.
I was hoping that we could play a game in Philly every season and get a good turnout...but maybe it will only be a once every couple of years thing.
Yea...unfortunately, I was closer to the shooter than the nearest defender on a couple of those wide open 2nd half threes. Painful.
If you thought that gym looked empty... move the game to the BJC on the same date.
Dilione missed both at a crucial point. He's only 58% from the foul line so far this season. For as much as he handles the ball he has to be much better from the FT line.
We're down to 34% from 3 for the season. Last year we finished at 33%. Hicks is still at 43% after his torrid start. The second highest among regular 3 takers is Dunn at 32%. All the others (including Dilione and Baldwin) are less than 30%. I think Hicks will remain at a high level, but if others don't step up we're in big trouble in B10 play.
Yeah, I think Carter has the potential to be a pretty good shooter so I’d like to see him get a little bit more time on the floor, maybe even with Ace.
Statistically, the highest percentage of three-pointers are made on either penetrate and kick outs, post up and kick outs or off of offensive rebounds and kick outs. We seem to shoot too many off of the dribble and not enough postop of Conan and kick out to shooters.
Even after Sunday's loss, Lunardi still has us in his last 4 in. REALLY need to pick up one of these next 3 (Oregon being the most likely one on Sunday, as winning at Illinois or Michigan St is a tall task).
Agree, January is just a brutal month for these guys with who they play versus the February schedule, which lightens up a little bit. The one positive with these tough games over the next three weeks is that there are plenty of opportunities for quad one wins.
Do we know anything about Nzeh's absence? Thought we needed him at the defensive end on Sunday, and will in some of these upcoming games.
Good question. I heard he was sick but that usually means something like a bad cold or flu that would only keep him out for a short time.
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