Anderson - is he really the guy ?

[MakingPlays]

Making Plays, great post.
The only question I have is can Anderson create plays to get a shooter a few open shots. 

Finding a shooter will always be a primary goal. But even the great shooters like a few open ones to get a feel of things. Anderson has not been successful doing that.

By the way, not singling you out. Just did not want to quote another post. Trying to limit the scrolling.

Anderson knows who to use shooters, he has one in the NBA right now in Isiah Joe that broke SEC freshman 3 point record in his first year under him.  There's been other great shooters under him to that have played in the NBA, Daryl Macon, Dusty Hannahs, etc.

Also, wasn't Julian one of the best 3 point shooters in the BE and shot it at high clip last year?  CMA's system actually allows shooters a lot of freedom, he runs a lot of screens, and motion offense allows shooters to get open looks.  Wheeler is another example of that, you look at his shooting numbers here compared to Purdue, he's done better here because of the motion offense that's allowed him good looks and he's knocked them down to his credit.  The problem this year is there haven't been enough guys like Wheeler knocking down the open shots.  Julian has missed A LOT of wide open 3's that he made last year.  He shoots 40+% like he did last year and probably looking at a team with 18 or 19 wins right now rather than 16 and it would be a whole different outlook.

 

[MakingPlays]

Do you think Wheeler could average 16-17 ppg next year? I think it’s possible. Champagnie is averaging 19 ppg, so I do think Wheeler could get close to that mark.

He's around 13.9 since turning the corner, so I can see 16-17 presuming he eliminates all the early season stinkers next season. But I'm a happy poster if he's at 15 and improves his rebounding numbers if he returns next season.

And who replaces Wheeler's production if he becomes Champ?

There's a few possibilities, AJ Storr comes in as a top 100 recruit, 6'6 Wing player, really athletic, good slasher, decent shooting. Also, wouldn't surprise me if Pinzon has a break out year, you can just see the confidence in his game when he's on the floor.  Wusu is also certainly capable of scoring more, was 3rd leading scorer for a good portion of this season.

If all eligible players return the lineup probably looks similar to this starting off next year...

Posh / Pinzon 
Mathis / King
Storr / Wusu
Wheeler / Stanley / Drissa
Soriano / Nyiwe

The big things in the off-season as Paultz mentioned is making sure Posh and Wheeler return.  Posh I don't see much concern for, but you never know, and Wheeler although he has another year of eligibility, he's an older player he may be ready to just start a pro career, but the fact he didn't start on senior night was a good sign IMO, either means he's playing another year or a decision hasn't been made yet, because I think if he informed CMA he was done he would have gave him a proper last home game starting.

Also, I think the transfer market will be important again.  The team badly needs another 3 point shooter.  The team is only returning 1 proven shooter in Wheeler.   The Jaquan Sanders decommit really hurts looking at the projected roster, he would have filled a very important role, he has the size and he's one of the best shooters in 2022 class.  You need guys that can knockdown shots.







 

If Mathis starts next year it wouldnt even be worth playing the season. You cant start a pg and a shooting guard who cant shoot.  It would be best for St Johns if Mathis is not on this roster next year.

I'm not the biggest Mathis fan, but the hate this guy receives by some is unreal.  He's out produced 80% of the roster, but if you listen to some talk about him, it's like he's the 12th man on the bench averaging 2 PPG.

 

 

[RedmanMike]

Mathis plays very hard.  He's a throwback lunch pail guy who defends and hustles every minute.  I just wish he would finish better around the rim...

 

[Mullins Revenge]

Do you think Wheeler could average 16-17 ppg next year? I think it’s possible. Champagnie is averaging 19 ppg, so I do think Wheeler could get close to that mark.

He's around 13.9 since turning the corner, so I can see 16-17 presuming he eliminates all the early season stinkers next season. But I'm a happy poster if he's at 15 and improves his rebounding numbers if he returns next season.

And who replaces Wheeler's production if he becomes Champ?

There's a few possibilities, AJ Storr comes in as a top 100 recruit, 6'6 Wing player, really athletic, good slasher, decent shooting. Also, wouldn't surprise me if Pinzon has a break out year, you can just see the confidence in his game when he's on the floor.  Wusu is also certainly capable of scoring more, was 3rd leading scorer for a good portion of this season.

If all eligible players return the lineup probably looks similar to this starting off next year...

Posh / Pinzon 
Mathis / King
Storr / Wusu
Wheeler / Stanley / Drissa
Soriano / Nyiwe

The big things in the off-season as Paultz mentioned is making sure Posh and Wheeler return.  Posh I don't see much concern for, but you never know, and Wheeler although he has another year of eligibility, he's an older player he may be ready to just start a pro career, but the fact he didn't start on senior night was a good sign IMO, either means he's playing another year or a decision hasn't been made yet, because I think if he informed CMA he was done he would have gave him a proper last home game starting.

Also, I think the transfer market will be important again.  The team badly needs another 3 point shooter.  The team is only returning 1 proven shooter in Wheeler.   The Jaquan Sanders decommit really hurts looking at the projected roster, he would have filled a very important role, he has the size and he's one of the best shooters in 2022 class.  You need guys that can knockdown shots.








 

If Mathis starts next year it wouldnt even be worth playing the season. You cant start a pg and a shooting guard who cant shoot.  It would be best for St Johns if Mathis is not on this roster next year.

I'm not the biggest Mathis fan, but the hate this guy receives by some is unreal.  He's out produced 80% of the roster, but if you listen to some talk about him, it's like he's the 12th man on the bench averaging 2 PPG.


 

Hes just not a fit for this team.  You cant pair him with a pg that cant shoot.  Now you have an entire back court that cant shoot.

 

[stjohnnie75]

Honestly it makes no sense to speculate on what any team in college basketball will look like next year. All players are potential one and done now.

I know that’s no fun, especially when a team is basically eliminated from the current season. But that’s where we are now in college basketball.

Who is going to make up Champagnies production? Who knows? In about four months we can speculate.

I agree.   Right now it makes no practical sense to speculate what might be.

A few years ago we speculated that the kid from Germany, Freudenberg, was going to be the next Detlef Shrempf before he played a minute for us.   He turned out to be not ready for D1 basketball.  Mustapha Heron was going to be a first team Big East player, and that never materialized.    I never get too excited or too deflated because you just never know how good someone is until you start playing games. 

There are a lot of delusional Johnnie fans. You would think that after being disappointed year after year hyping kids that they would learn.

 

[beast of the east]

Honestly it makes no sense to speculate on what any team in college basketball will look like next year. All players are potential one and done now.

I know that’s no fun, especially when a team is basically eliminated from the current season. But that’s where we are now in college basketball.

Who is going to make up Champagnies production? Who knows? In about four months we can speculate.

I agree.   Right now it makes no practical sense to speculate what might be.

A few years ago we speculated that the kid from Germany, Freudenberg, was going to be the next Detlef Shrempf before he played a minute for us.   He turned out to be not ready for D1 basketball.  Mustapha Heron was going to be a first team Big East player, and that never materialized.    I never get too excited or too deflated because you just never know how good someone is until you start playing games. 

There are a lot of delusional Johnnie fans. You would think that after being disappointed year after year hyping kids that they would learn.

And it does work both ways.  Posh, Champ, Wheeler were all big surprises for us.

 

[lawmanfan]

 

I'm not the biggest Mathis fan, but the hate this guy receives by some is unreal.  He's out produced 80% of the roster, but if you listen to some talk about him, it's like he's the 12th man on the bench averaging 2 PPG.



 

Hes just not a fit for this team.  You cant pair him with a pg that cant shoot.  Now you have an entire back court that cant shoot.
 

This is an absolutely correct.  If Posh does not take enough 3s to keep the defense honest, and you're playing  a center who isn't a shooter, then if you put Mathis on the floor then you are starting with 3/5 of your lineup that can't score outside of the paint.  If you then add Wusu it becomes far too easy to focus on Champ or Wheeler since they're the only shooting option on the floor.  And when Champ is cold, you wind up with no offense at all other than drives to the hoop, much too easy to defend.

IMO assuming Posh returns next season then Pinzon has to be the 2 guard.  With Pinzon and Wheeler on the floor you at least have two shooters.  Hopefully Posh adds a 3 to his game (his midrange is excellent, I don't know why he doesn't use it more) and if Wusu is the other wing he plays more consistently on the offensive end.
 

 

[Knight]

Making Plays wrote—
Also, wasn't Julian one of the best 3 point shooters in the BE and shot it at high clip last year?  CMA's system actually allows shooters a lot of freedom, he runs a lot of screens, and motion offense allows shooters to get open looks.  Wheeler is another example of that, you look at his shooting numbers here compared to Purdue, he's done better here because of the motion offense that's allowed him good looks and he's knocked them down to his credit.  The problem this year is there haven't been enough guys like Wheeler knocking down the open shots.  Julian has missed A LOT of wide open 3's that he made last year.  He shoots 40+% like he did last year and probably looking at a team with 18 or 19 wins right now rather than 16 and it would be a whole different outlook.


CMA runs a lot of screens?  I’m still waiting.  Sorry, I did not see that very often this season.

 

[boo haarvey]

Outgoing:  Champ, Mathis, Smith, Coburn
Incoming:  Storr, King, Traore

Based on production this year, I have to assume that Wheeler replaces most of Champ's production.

I expect Pinzon to be a more productive offensive player than Mathis (though not as good a defender)

Smith and Coburn were not major contributors, hopefully Storr and King will provide more than they did.

I have no thoughts on Traore, but if he's your 5th big then that's fine.

I do expect further progress from Soriano, Stanley and Nyiwe.

Adding an impact transfer would be hugely helpful.  And if there are departures (which you have to assume is a strong possibility from any program these days) then the burden will be on the staff not just to find replacements but to find upgrades.

And I already agreed to buy you dinner, all we're debating is the bar tab.  Which of course may be more than the food...

I like Wheeler but if you think he’s going to replace Champagnie’s production I think you’re setting yourself up for major disappointment.


 

Do you think Wheeler could average 16-17 ppg next year? I think it’s possible. Champagnie is averaging 19 ppg, so I do think Wheeler could get close to that mark.

While Champagnie has been disappointing at times, he does so much more than just score points.  I don't think it's fair to expect Wheeler to replace Champagnie even if he can increase his scoring total.  And I'm not convinced that Wheeler can continue to shoot anywhere near as effectively from outside if opposing teams focus their D on him.  All that's to say he could certainly avg 16-17 points per game next year, but he won't be Champagnie,

 

[stjohnnie75]

Outgoing:  Champ, Mathis, Smith, Coburn
Incoming:  Storr, King, Traore

Based on production this year, I have to assume that Wheeler replaces most of Champ's production.

I expect Pinzon to be a more productive offensive player than Mathis (though not as good a defender)

Smith and Coburn were not major contributors, hopefully Storr and King will provide more than they did.

I have no thoughts on Traore, but if he's your 5th big then that's fine.

I do expect further progress from Soriano, Stanley and Nyiwe.

Adding an impact transfer would be hugely helpful.  And if there are departures (which you have to assume is a strong possibility from any program these days) then the burden will be on the staff not just to find replacements but to find upgrades.

And I already agreed to buy you dinner, all we're debating is the bar tab.  Which of course may be more than the food...

I like Wheeler but if you think he’s going to replace Champagnie’s production I think you’re setting yourself up for major disappointment.



 

Do you think Wheeler could average 16-17 ppg next year? I think it’s possible. Champagnie is averaging 19 ppg, so I do think Wheeler could get close to that mark.

While Champagnie has been disappointing at times, he does so much more than just score points.  I don't think it's fair to expect Wheeler to replace Champagnie even if he can increase his scoring total.  And I'm not convinced that Wheeler can continue to shoot anywhere near as effectively from outside if opposing teams focus their D on him.  All that's to say he could certainly avg 16-17 points per game next year, but he won't be Champagnie,

You might be right, and I don’t expect Wheeler to be able to do everything that Champ did, but to me Wheeler’s game is a lot like Champ’s. Neither are really suited to defend/boxing out at the 4 spot. Both a bit too slow to guard the 3 spot. Both would rather play on the perimeter. Both can hit the outside shot.

They both seem like great guys that are easy to root for.

 

[bucketshardy]

Was at the game with my little ones last night- ages 3.5 and 1.5... (good way to keep things in perspective lol) but was a great night and glad to see the guys close out CA with a win this year. 

Enjoy reading the replies on the Question this thread poses.... cause i don't think it can be answered. Do I Want CMA to be the guy? Absolutely.... I want every Head coach to be The Guy. Do i feel his actions / team performance warrants firing? Absolutely not.  So I guess that answers the question from my point of view for the time being.  But a couple points to reference my stance:

1. His teams compete, don't think we can argue that. Does his substitution patterns/lack of offensive plays get me confused sometimes- sure, but my resume doesnt have 20 yrs of D1 Head Coaching experience. 
-We have lost 10 BE games by an average of 7.9 pts (6.2 if you take out the 23 pt loss to Creighton)
-We have won 8 BE games by an average of 15.3 pts (12.7 if you take out the 34 pt win over Butler)

When we win- we do so convincingly. And when we lose... we are in most games.... I can only think of 3 that i thought we didnt have a chance with 8mins to go (@Creighton and 2 to Nova - insane comeback aside). I believe that is where a lot of frustration comes from this year... our record could look a lot different and we would be singing a different tune. 

2. As much as we debate rankings... they are by players names and its tough to ignore. I believe this staff has done a great job at finding High School talent regardless of ranking- And his recruiting is improving... as much as we would like... probably not- but can't say it isnt improving: (247 rankings)
2019: Overall rank: 159. McGriff (435) / Julian (NR)
2020: Overall rank: 68. Posh (300) / Dylan (383)
2021: Overall rank: 63. Pinzon (217) / Drissa (293) / O'mar (304)
2022: Overall rank: 62. Storr (90) / King (294)

We haven't seen Drissa play... but everyone we have seen play... I feel they are all BE caliber players. Most importantly- the development we have seen in just a couple years is a great sign. I think we would all agree that each one of these guys have outplayed their rankings (Pinzon... like what i Have seen, but still too little tape on him these year. He sure looks to be a good piece)

Is Anderson really The Guy? TBD.... Should he continue to be our Coach- Yes. 

 

[Mullins Revenge]

 

I'm not the biggest Mathis fan, but the hate this guy receives by some is unreal.  He's out produced 80% of the roster, but if you listen to some talk about him, it's like he's the 12th man on the bench averaging 2 PPG.




 

Hes just not a fit for this team.  You cant pair him with a pg that cant shoot.  Now you have an entire back court that cant shoot.

 

This is an absolutely correct.  If Posh does not take enough 3s to keep the defense honest, and you're playing  a center who isn't a shooter, then if you put Mathis on the floor then you are starting with 3/5 of your lineup that can't score outside of the paint.  If you then add Wusu it becomes far too easy to focus on Champ or Wheeler since they're the only shooting option on the floor.  And when Champ is cold, you wind up with no offense at all other than drives to the hoop, much too easy to defend.

IMO assuming Posh returns next season then Pinzon has to be the 2 guard.  With Pinzon and Wheeler on the floor you at least have two shooters.  Hopefully Posh adds a 3 to his game (his midrange is excellent, I don't know why he doesn't use it more) and if Wusu is the other wing he plays more consistently on the offensive end.

 

I agree.  A starting 5 of Posh, Pinzon, Storr, Wheeler and Soriano is better the the starting 5 we have this year.  Its more dynamic offensively.

 

[beast of the east]

Was at the game with my little ones last night- ages 3.5 and 1.5... (good way to keep things in perspective lol) but was a great night and glad to see the guys close out CA with a win this year. 

Enjoy reading the replies on the Question this thread poses.... cause i don't think it can be answered. Do I Want CMA to be the guy? Absolutely.... I want every Head coach to be The Guy. Do i feel his actions / team performance warrants firing? Absolutely not.  So I guess that answers the question from my point of view for the time being.  But a couple points to reference my stance:

1. His teams compete, don't think we can argue that. Does his substitution patterns/lack of offensive plays get me confused sometimes- sure, but my resume doesnt have 20 yrs of D1 Head Coaching experience. 
-We have lost 10 BE games by an average of 7.9 pts (6.2 if you take out the 23 pt loss to Creighton)
-We have won 8 BE games by an average of 15.3 pts (12.7 if you take out the 34 pt win over Butler)

When we win- we do so convincingly. And when we lose... we are in most games.... I can only think of 3 that i thought we didnt have a chance with 8mins to go (@Creighton and 2 to Nova - insane comeback aside). I believe that is where a lot of frustration comes from this year... our record could look a lot different and we would be singing a different tune. 

2. As much as we debate rankings... they are by players names and its tough to ignore. I believe this staff has done a great job at finding High School talent regardless of ranking- And his recruiting is improving... as much as we would like... probably not- but can't say it isnt improving: (247 rankings)
2019: Overall rank: 159. McGriff (435) / Julian (NR)
2020: Overall rank: 68. Posh (300) / Dylan (383)
2021: Overall rank: 63. Pinzon (217) / Drissa (293) / O'mar (304)
2022: Overall rank: 62. Storr (90) / King (294)

We haven't seen Drissa play... but everyone we have seen play... I feel they are all BE caliber players. Most importantly- the development we have seen in just a couple years is a great sign. I think we would all agree that each one of these guys have outplayed their rankings (Pinzon... like what i Have seen, but still too little tape on him these year. He sure looks to be a good piece)

Is Anderson really The Guy? TBD.... Should he continue to be our Coach- Yes. 

Brian, this is a great post!   

I brought each of my kids to games from the time they were about 4 years old.   With a little luck you are creating lifelong Johnny fans and they will be going to games with you for the rest of your life.  I can't think of a better common interest to share.

Great analysis on how close we are to being a good team this year, and just how competitive we were on nearly every night.   I would add that for nearly all D1 coaches, the answer is TBD, because except for a few icons, they can't relax for a second because you are only as good as your record says you are.

 

[Johnny Rapper]

Was at the game with my little ones last night- ages 3.5 and 1.5... (good way to keep things in perspective lol) but was a great night and glad to see the guys close out CA with a win this year. 

Enjoy reading the replies on the Question this thread poses.... cause i don't think it can be answered. Do I Want CMA to be the guy? Absolutely.... I want every Head coach to be The Guy. Do i feel his actions / team performance warrants firing? Absolutely not.  So I guess that answers the question from my point of view for the time being.  But a couple points to reference my stance:

1. His teams compete, don't think we can argue that. Does his substitution patterns/lack of offensive plays get me confused sometimes- sure, but my resume doesnt have 20 yrs of D1 Head Coaching experience. 
-We have lost 10 BE games by an average of 7.9 pts (6.2 if you take out the 23 pt loss to Creighton)
-We have won 8 BE games by an average of 15.3 pts (12.7 if you take out the 34 pt win over Butler)

When we win- we do so convincingly. And when we lose... we are in most games.... I can only think of 3 that i thought we didnt have a chance with 8mins to go (@Creighton and 2 to Nova - insane comeback aside). I believe that is where a lot of frustration comes from this year... our record could look a lot different and we would be singing a different tune. 

2. As much as we debate rankings... they are by players names and its tough to ignore. I believe this staff has done a great job at finding High School talent regardless of ranking- And his recruiting is improving... as much as we would like... probably not- but can't say it isnt improving: (247 rankings)
2019: Overall rank: 159. McGriff (435) / Julian (NR)
2020: Overall rank: 68. Posh (300) / Dylan (383)
2021: Overall rank: 63. Pinzon (217) / Drissa (293) / O'mar (304)
2022: Overall rank: 62. Storr (90) / King (294)

We haven't seen Drissa play... but everyone we have seen play... I feel they are all BE caliber players. Most importantly- the development we have seen in just a couple years is a great sign. I think we would all agree that each one of these guys have outplayed their rankings (Pinzon... like what i Have seen, but still too little tape on him these year. He sure looks to be a good piece)

Is Anderson really The Guy? TBD.... Should he continue to be our Coach- Yes. 

I always believed this team had Big East level talent and believe the issue is not with the talent, it’s with the style of play. Had this team played a solid half count defense and not given away so many easy baskets the other way, that alone would have added a few more wins. When you score in the 90s but give up 99 points to a team like DePaul, that’s telling. 

And the reason that this team usually folds at the end of a close game is due to a lack of offensive structure. When was the last time Anderson drew up a play to win a game? 

I think with Anderson and staff, you get a hard working group that puts much effort into the kids. However, with the style of play he employs, I don’t believe you’ll ever get a consistent winner no matter how much talent is on the team. 
 

 

[beast of the east]

Was at the game with my little ones last night- ages 3.5 and 1.5... (good way to keep things in perspective lol) but was a great night and glad to see the guys close out CA with a win this year. 

Enjoy reading the replies on the Question this thread poses.... cause i don't think it can be answered. Do I Want CMA to be the guy? Absolutely.... I want every Head coach to be The Guy. Do i feel his actions / team performance warrants firing? Absolutely not.  So I guess that answers the question from my point of view for the time being.  But a couple points to reference my stance:

1. His teams compete, don't think we can argue that. Does his substitution patterns/lack of offensive plays get me confused sometimes- sure, but my resume doesnt have 20 yrs of D1 Head Coaching experience. 
-We have lost 10 BE games by an average of 7.9 pts (6.2 if you take out the 23 pt loss to Creighton)
-We have won 8 BE games by an average of 15.3 pts (12.7 if you take out the 34 pt win over Butler)

When we win- we do so convincingly. And when we lose... we are in most games.... I can only think of 3 that i thought we didnt have a chance with 8mins to go (@Creighton and 2 to Nova - insane comeback aside). I believe that is where a lot of frustration comes from this year... our record could look a lot different and we would be singing a different tune. 

2. As much as we debate rankings... they are by players names and its tough to ignore. I believe this staff has done a great job at finding High School talent regardless of ranking- And his recruiting is improving... as much as we would like... probably not- but can't say it isnt improving: (247 rankings)
2019: Overall rank: 159. McGriff (435) / Julian (NR)
2020: Overall rank: 68. Posh (300) / Dylan (383)
2021: Overall rank: 63. Pinzon (217) / Drissa (293) / O'mar (304)
2022: Overall rank: 62. Storr (90) / King (294)

We haven't seen Drissa play... but everyone we have seen play... I feel they are all BE caliber players. Most importantly- the development we have seen in just a couple years is a great sign. I think we would all agree that each one of these guys have outplayed their rankings (Pinzon... like what i Have seen, but still too little tape on him these year. He sure looks to be a good piece)

Is Anderson really The Guy? TBD.... Should he continue to be our Coach- Yes. 

I always believed this team had Big East level talent and believe the issue is not with the talent, it’s with the style of play. Had this team played a solid half count defense and not given away so many easy baskets the other way, that alone would have added a few more wins. When you score in the 90s but give up 99 points to a team like DePaul, that’s telling. 

And the reason that this team usually folds at the end of a close game is due to a lack of offensive structure. When was the last time Anderson drew up a play to win a game? 

I think with Anderson and staff, you get a hard working group that puts much effort into the kids. However, with the style of play he employs, I don’t believe you’ll ever get a consistent winner no matter how much talent is on the team. 

 

There's the old line Mel Davis supposedly said that Coach C. Csn make a bad team good and a great team good.

I have friends in Arkansas and a long term season ticket holder in missouri among others that all agree CMA can coach but question whether he can consistently attract top talent. I'd say armchair coaches think CYO coaching qualifies us to comment on what goes down on the sidelines.

 

[MakingPlays]

Making Plays wrote—
Also, wasn't Julian one of the best 3 point shooters in the BE and shot it at high clip last year?  CMA's system actually allows shooters a lot of freedom, he runs a lot of screens, and motion offense allows shooters to get open looks.  Wheeler is another example of that, you look at his shooting numbers here compared to Purdue, he's done better here because of the motion offense that's allowed him good looks and he's knocked them down to his credit.  The problem this year is there haven't been enough guys like Wheeler knocking down the open shots.  Julian has missed A LOT of wide open 3's that he made last year.  He shoots 40+% like he did last year and probably looking at a team with 18 or 19 wins right now rather than 16 and it would be a whole different outlook.


CMA runs a lot of screens?  I’m still waiting.  Sorry, I did not see that very often this season.

Absolutely.  They run a lot of screens actually, that's part of the motion offense.  If you want to make a $100 bet to make it worth my time, because it would take a little while, I can record and highlight on video for you at least 10 times they ran screens in last nights game.  The announcers actually pointed out several times how well St. John's uses screens and how well the cut to the basket.  Many teams including pro teams use the motion offense, it's very common and popular right now. 

Also, I find it hilarious some of you guys think CMA doesn't run anything and can actually win college basketball games.  I don't think some of you guys realize how hard it is to win games at this level.  Patrick Ewing, has 4 and 5 star players and runs organized old school, post up big man, play inside out basketball, and he can't win a single game conference.  So this nonsense that CMA just rolls the ball out there and sees what happen, just isn't true.  If he did that they would literally get beat by 30+ points every night.  
 

 

[Mug Costanza]

Making Plays wrote—
Also, wasn't Julian one of the best 3 point shooters in the BE and shot it at high clip last year?  CMA's system actually allows shooters a lot of freedom, he runs a lot of screens, and motion offense allows shooters to get open looks.  Wheeler is another example of that, you look at his shooting numbers here compared to Purdue, he's done better here because of the motion offense that's allowed him good looks and he's knocked them down to his credit.  The problem this year is there haven't been enough guys like Wheeler knocking down the open shots.  Julian has missed A LOT of wide open 3's that he made last year.  He shoots 40+% like he did last year and probably looking at a team with 18 or 19 wins right now rather than 16 and it would be a whole different outlook.


CMA runs a lot of screens?  I’m still waiting.  Sorry, I did not see that very often this season.

Absolutely.  They run a lot of screens actually, that's part of the motion offense.  If you want to make a $100 bet to make it worth my time, because it would take a little while, I can record and highlight on video for you at least 10 times they ran screens in last nights game.  The announcers actually pointed out several times how well St. John's uses screens and how well the cut to the basket.  Many teams including pro teams use the motion offense, it's very common and popular right now. 

Also, I find it hilarious some of you guys think CMA doesn't run anything and can actually win college basketball games.  I don't think some of you guys realize how hard it is to win games at this level.  Patrick Ewing, has 4 and 5 star players and runs organized old school, post up big man, play inside out basketball, and he can't win a single game conference.  So this nonsense that CMA just rolls the ball out there and sees what happen, just isn't true.  If he did that they would literally get beat by 30+ points every night.  

 

Yes, there's a loose motion offense system in place but you can't deny there's a decent amount of freestyle involved as well. Far too often the team goes through long stretches where there is little off-ball movement and the team can't generate any good looks in the halfcourt offense at all. 

But perhaps the worst of it is the absolutely putrid shot selection that hasn't yet been corrected and has been a problem his whole tenure (and to be fair was equally as bad with the last two coaches here). Mathis is the only one to have been somewhat reined in but there are still way to many quick low percentage shots taken early in the shot clock. 

 

[Dal975]

Motion or not, I can't recall any team doing as much confused handing off of the ball while bunched up in the foul line to the top of the key area as this year's group.  An indelible image of this season for me is Soriano holding the ball up there waiting to either hand the ball off or do who knows what as guys circle him from elsewhere on the perimeter, cutting here or there. 

 

[bamafan]

Motion or not, I can't recall any team doing as much confused handing off of the ball while bunched up in the foul line to the top of the key area as this year's group.  An indelible image of this season for me is Soriano holding the ball up there waiting to either hand the ball off or do who knows what as guys circle him from elsewhere on the perimeter, cutting here or there. 

Oh...that's our HELTER SKELTER offense.

 

[monte]

Motion or not, I can't recall any team doing as much confused handing off of the ball while bunched up in the foul line to the top of the key area as this year's group.  An indelible image of this season for me is Soriano holding the ball up there waiting to either hand the ball off or do who knows what as guys circle him from elsewhere on the perimeter, cutting here or there. 

Oh...that's our HELTER SKELTER offense.

I honestly don't see a whole lot of  difference between the Helter Skelter(undisciplined) style of offense of CMA's teams, and those of the Lav and Mullin teams. The main difference being the level of effort put forth from CMA's teams, which has kept us in many games and won some games.