The first 2/3 of the year, his 10-15 foot jumper was money.... and it's just been really off the last several games. Every time he pulls up for one I think "that's his shot".... but he's been missing them in bunches.
McConnell and Mathis...?????
- Thread starter RUSCFORMERLYRULOU
- Start date
The first 2/3 of the year, his 10-15 foot jumper was money.... and it's just been really off the last several games. Every time he pulls up for one I think "that's his shot".... but he's been missing them in bunches.
Just a look at Mathis' current slump over the last 4 games:
Michigan - 14 min, 0 pts (0-7)
Illinois - 15 min, 0 pts (0-3)
@OSU - 18 min, 7 pts (2-7).... first basket at 19:05 mark of 1st half, second basket at 15:13 mark of 2nd half, no points over the last 11:22
NW - 15 min, 4 pts (1-3)... no points over final 23:33
Overall: 62 min, 11 pts (3-20 FG, 1-5 3P), 7 rb, 2 ast, 4 tov, 2 stl, 7 pf
I don't know if we're just not running sets that allow him to score, if defenses aren't showing looks that give him clean opportunities.... or if he too is struggling with the mental aspect or has hit a sophomore wall. He's still in the starting lineup, but he needs to shake things up a bit and put some points on the board.
Michigan - 14 min, 0 pts (0-7)
Illinois - 15 min, 0 pts (0-3)
@OSU - 18 min, 7 pts (2-7).... first basket at 19:05 mark of 1st half, second basket at 15:13 mark of 2nd half, no points over the last 11:22
NW - 15 min, 4 pts (1-3)... no points over final 23:33
Overall: 62 min, 11 pts (3-20 FG, 1-5 3P), 7 rb, 2 ast, 4 tov, 2 stl, 7 pf
I don't know if we're just not running sets that allow him to score, if defenses aren't showing looks that give him clean opportunities.... or if he too is struggling with the mental aspect or has hit a sophomore wall. He's still in the starting lineup, but he needs to shake things up a bit and put some points on the board.
Johnson’s massive offensive slump is what is killing the offense imo. Every team we play now locks down the post and forces us to take perimeter shots or drive into the trees.
It’s even tougher when myles can’t shoot the 3. Most other starting bigs in the B10 can. Another wrinkle we can’t leverage.
It’s even tougher when myles can’t shoot the 3. Most other starting bigs in the B10 can. Another wrinkle we can’t leverage.
I love Pike as much as any coach that has ever coached at Rutgers. Here comes the but. He has gone away from what has made us successful from mid to late December until late January even through Geo’s injury. We played a 9 man rotation with everybody contributing . He struggled to get the lineup set for the first 10 games of the year, as he was going for the hockey subs every 4 minutes regardless if you were playing well. He put Yeboah in the starting lineup 10-15 games in and things started clicking better , and he went with the first team longer until the 13 minute mark of the first half. He kept guys fresh and brought back the starters both halves and the formula worked. Over the last 3-5 games , he seems to lose Montez and Caleb , gone away from Myles starting and his impact on the game both offensively and defensively as a rim protector seems to be lessened. 25 games in , is not a time to switch up what was working. In the process , an unintended consequence is that he has screwed up the confidence of all 3 , who were all starters. Part of the struggles of all three have a lot to do for not running plays for them or not getting them the ball and when they hardly get it , their confidence is not where it was earlier.
Despite Montez never having a play run for him, and having to get his points off hustle rebounds and steals, or in transition , he was hitting threes in rhythm from the wings and starting to hit his foul shots at a better clip, despite my earlier calls for running him off curls. His defense remained elite. Pike sitting him for longer stretches and 3 of the last 5 games sitting him for long stretches or not playing him at all in the second half is a mistake. We hardly scored for the last 15 minutes of the second half and Coach did not even try to bring him back for a spark , especially when no one was hitting and the rest of the guys went 2-21 .. Montez, rebounds both ways, he plays defense , he can steal the ball to allow defense to create offense when we are struggling , gets out in transition, and he had become a much better passer finding our guys. Now we are seeing no rebounds , a forced shot at the rim, not making it through contact , because of plays not being run his way and his confidence not being right. He is one of our best athletes , kinda in a Darryl Morsell role at Maryland and Coach should use him that way.
Caleb went from productive bench scorer, mid range shooter, to starting for Geo at the point , to going back to the bench but even before that , we were posting him up against smaller guards and he would hit his smooth mid range shot on the wing or inside the foul line. The opportunities the last few games have disappeared . He has had some turnovers but his length should be an asset that is not being utilized. You also cannot bury him on the bench for long stretches.
That brings us to Myles. He has to start next game and we have to play inside out. I will take my chances with him getting 2 quick fouls because that is what we did for the first 25 games. The guards have done a pathetic job of feeding him. We also get him out of the post where he can really offensive rebound . Yesterday ‘s first half, consisted of Myles running up on ball screen after ball screen, without any pick and roll pass, which has hardly been done all year except for a few Geo lobs and Paul finding Myles . Myles is not a pick and pop 3 point shooter, like Smith, Garza, Wesson or even Teske , but the guys that are not , like Williams at Purdue, Arturo at Minnesota, Jackson Davis at Indiana , Cockburn at Illinois and Watkins at Penn State in addition to all the centers that can hit the 3 , get fed the ball on the block at least 7-10 times a game even if they kick out to a wing off of a double team. We should be playing more inside out, not less . The best 3 point shot is one taken out of a kick out because it is usually uncontested . Blame goes to the guards mostly but Coach has to put Myles in the best position to succeed and he is not selfish and will pass out. Most of the really good teams stop another team’s runs, or any scoring droughts by dumping the ball down low to their big to get an easy basket. Myles is more than capable but he needs more chances not less . 3 to 5 shots a game will not be a good formula for offensive success.
Just go back to what was working for 25 games. Coach says he has faith that in all his guys but what he has done in the last 3 games or so has not demonstrated that formula.
Despite Montez never having a play run for him, and having to get his points off hustle rebounds and steals, or in transition , he was hitting threes in rhythm from the wings and starting to hit his foul shots at a better clip, despite my earlier calls for running him off curls. His defense remained elite. Pike sitting him for longer stretches and 3 of the last 5 games sitting him for long stretches or not playing him at all in the second half is a mistake. We hardly scored for the last 15 minutes of the second half and Coach did not even try to bring him back for a spark , especially when no one was hitting and the rest of the guys went 2-21 .. Montez, rebounds both ways, he plays defense , he can steal the ball to allow defense to create offense when we are struggling , gets out in transition, and he had become a much better passer finding our guys. Now we are seeing no rebounds , a forced shot at the rim, not making it through contact , because of plays not being run his way and his confidence not being right. He is one of our best athletes , kinda in a Darryl Morsell role at Maryland and Coach should use him that way.
Caleb went from productive bench scorer, mid range shooter, to starting for Geo at the point , to going back to the bench but even before that , we were posting him up against smaller guards and he would hit his smooth mid range shot on the wing or inside the foul line. The opportunities the last few games have disappeared . He has had some turnovers but his length should be an asset that is not being utilized. You also cannot bury him on the bench for long stretches.
That brings us to Myles. He has to start next game and we have to play inside out. I will take my chances with him getting 2 quick fouls because that is what we did for the first 25 games. The guards have done a pathetic job of feeding him. We also get him out of the post where he can really offensive rebound . Yesterday ‘s first half, consisted of Myles running up on ball screen after ball screen, without any pick and roll pass, which has hardly been done all year except for a few Geo lobs and Paul finding Myles . Myles is not a pick and pop 3 point shooter, like Smith, Garza, Wesson or even Teske , but the guys that are not , like Williams at Purdue, Arturo at Minnesota, Jackson Davis at Indiana , Cockburn at Illinois and Watkins at Penn State in addition to all the centers that can hit the 3 , get fed the ball on the block at least 7-10 times a game even if they kick out to a wing off of a double team. We should be playing more inside out, not less . The best 3 point shot is one taken out of a kick out because it is usually uncontested . Blame goes to the guards mostly but Coach has to put Myles in the best position to succeed and he is not selfish and will pass out. Most of the really good teams stop another team’s runs, or any scoring droughts by dumping the ball down low to their big to get an easy basket. Myles is more than capable but he needs more chances not less . 3 to 5 shots a game will not be a good formula for offensive success.
Just go back to what was working for 25 games. Coach says he has faith that in all his guys but what he has done in the last 3 games or so has not demonstrated that formula.
Montez was 0-7. He was brutal in the first half and then given a second chance to prove himself in the after RU had a 9 point lead, he threw up more airballs...sorry he was part of that scoreless run and then that was it for him
For the life of me, I do not understand why that foul line flash we run ad naseum with PM isn't similarly run for Caleb - at 6'7" with a good mid-range game, this is right up his alley. PM doesn't often enough want to take the 15 footer. Making that shot is the ultimate zone buster and leads to baseline cuts/dunks and easy kick out 3s.
Let's be real honest....Mathis has been in a shooting slump since he got here. His game is transition and defense. We are not getting many transition opportunities. I thought until recently he was making pretty good half court decisions. Now that his PT has been taken from him he is trying to do too much.
I want Paul in that spot. By in large we have been VERY efficient when he gets zone looks there.
No he was not . Go look at the play by play . We could have used some rebounds, some steals, some defense, from Montez.Montez and Caleb have hit big shots in the second half of wins and our losses ,He didn’t give them a chance. You cannot in my opinion change what is working after 25 games into the season.
16:06
Montez Mathis missed Layup. 33 - 37
16:04
Myles Johnson Offensive Rebound. 33 - 37
16:03
Myles Johnson missed Layup. 33 - 37
16:01
Paul Mulcahy Offensive Rebound. 33 - 37
15:58
Montez Mathis missed Layup.
in addition is defense was not good at the time. I trust Pike because he knows that when the team is struggling on offense the last thing we need is a Mathis who is cold as ice 0-7 taking 3 pointers or running into trees as he does when he is not dialed in
16:04
16:03
16:01
15:58
in addition is defense was not good at the time. I trust Pike because he knows that when the team is struggling on offense the last thing we need is a Mathis who is cold as ice 0-7 taking 3 pointers or running into trees as he does when he is not dialed in
What is working? You realize this team is and has been all year well below 200th in scoring in the country. Player substitutions and internet observations aren't going to correct the problems. We need shooters and scorers. Until then, D, D, D, and rebounding.
Yes, but I always like one of Young or Mathis on the court for their on-the-ball defense (especially Young) - hopefully they and Caleb will snap out of it soon. We need them.
Young hurt us big time. Way, way too much individualism. Much of it early in the shot clock. Mulcahy is hurting us on D. He continues to bite on a pump fake, leave his feet, get beaten & cause another guy to try to cover & then foul in order to prevent a bucket. And Baker needs to get himself under control & play smarter basketball.
Where is he the last 16 minutes of the game. ? Coach has earned your trust and my trust but I see a change in his pattern the last 3 games and I do not think it is right 25 games into the year, and not playing Montez and Caleb and Myles properly has affected their confidence and not playing them like he has all year does not give them a chance to redeem themselves for mistakes or missed shots. They have done it before. When no one was hitting for 12 minutes , I would have went back to them and run something for them.16:06Montez Mathis missed Layup. 33 - 37
16:04Myles Johnson Offensive Rebound. 33 - 37
16:03Myles Johnson missed Layup. 33 - 37
16:01Paul Mulcahy Offensive Rebound. 33 - 37
15:58Montez Mathis missed Layup.
in addition is defense was not good at the time. I trust Pike because he knows that when the team is struggling on offense the last thing we need is a Mathis who is cold as ice 0-7 taking 3 pointers or running into trees as he does when he is not dialed in
Several games ago I posted his minutes needed to be reduced as he was a liability. The past 3-4 games he has been a plus both in effort on the floor (rebounding) and some scoring. His minutes last few games are deserved.
It’s what makes JY so frustrating.
Montez is a slasher looking for a seam to drive to the basket... too often he tries to create and challenges bigs without success.. he’s limited in that he hasn’t yet develop the ability to shoot off the dribble like Geo and Harper. You have to love his D and toughness with rebounds but still needs to broaden his offensive game.
Do you bench your best baseball player or do you allow him to hit his way out of a slump?
In my opinion McConnell has a sweet mid-range jump shot and he needs to be scoring.
These guys are still young kids and they're confidence can be very shaky I would imagine.
Put him in position and get him the ball so that he can shoot his way out of it.
I love Mathis but his body language was down from the beginning of the game and he's forcing and trying to over make things happen. I believe he should be given brief timeouts but he needs to be in there because his aggression causes the other team to use a lot of energy.
I like PM a lot and he has a lot of maturity but I feel him playing that many minutes is almost like we're playing " not to lose'.
In my opinion McConnell has a sweet mid-range jump shot and he needs to be scoring.
These guys are still young kids and they're confidence can be very shaky I would imagine.
Put him in position and get him the ball so that he can shoot his way out of it.
I love Mathis but his body language was down from the beginning of the game and he's forcing and trying to over make things happen. I believe he should be given brief timeouts but he needs to be in there because his aggression causes the other team to use a lot of energy.
I like PM a lot and he has a lot of maturity but I feel him playing that many minutes is almost like we're playing " not to lose'.
We need another 6'9" offensive option in the paint. Bad. #GetBigCliff
McConnell is not our best player. He has to show something when he is on the floor. He has gotten 28 minutes in the last two games, with very little to show for it.
Boy you guys are so literal.
Okay I'll backtrack and say that I believe that he is the most gifted, the most natural shooter on the team. Just one man's opinion.
Just like a hitter who's in a slump you need to examine his body of work over the longer period of time not just during the slumping period. Okay so he's batted a buck 92 over the last five games but what's he done over the career.
It seems like when Michigan put in the big lineup we couldn’t adjust. It was one of the first times in awhile that we got out coached
Most other Big 10 bigs do not shoot the 3. Smith , Garza, and Wesson and Rievers do and do it well. Even Teske takes a 3 now and then. But the other 9 do not and are on the block and get the ball there a lot . Williams from Purdue, Arturo of Minnesota , Watkins of Penn State, Cockburn of Illinois, Jackson Davis and the other Davis at Indiana, Young of Northwestern, Tillman of Michigan State , and all the guys that do shoot the 3 well, are given the ball repeatedly on the block and they play inside out. Part of the problem is our guards have done a piss poor job of getting Myles the ball when he is down low. Myles had a nice drop step earlier in the year that he has not used for some reason , plus his push shot. Yes he has to do more but most centers are being given the ball a lot more on the block or on pick and roll , which again our guards do a lousy job there as well.
What I would like to see is Coach do a pick and roll or better yet a pick and pop withRon or Akwasi , like the good 3 point shooting centers we discussed and that keeps Myles down low for the lob or the offensive rebound.
If MJ is hitting a wall, which it looks like it to me, then it is on pike. Early in the season he played him way too many minutes against inferior opponents. We should have seen a lot more Carter and Doucoure back then.
One of my few criticisms of Pike. Think he is doing a great job overall.
Now I am not buying that one.. you just posted the trio that were 2 for 20.. 10%.. ANY shot by YOUNG ANYWHERE is probably double that percentage-wise.
He went thru a 5 game or so stretch where he might have been our best player.
There was a HUGE drop off from Myles to Shaq early in the season.
my theory is amount of minutes is only a part of the “wall” equation
remember when posters here opined that it didnt matter that Doucoure saw no playing time, that it was just matchups
More like decades that the offense has been challenged.In a power conference recruiting needs a major upgrade in attracting shooters.
Its not a question of having the # 1 or even 3 offense in the B1G. Its a question of having an offense good enough to win more games. We've had many losses where 2-3 possessions decided the outcome of the game. This is not a monumental jump.
If you're talking winning a national championship, yes. but if we make 2 more shots a game, we probably have 3-4 more wins already. IMO, that is within the realm of player development.
I would agree with you here. But; it seems that Michigan makes it really hard to drive the lane unless you go around a great pick and have a clearing. And even when you do, seemed like all of our shots were altered. Montez usually can make make of those or get fouled and he couldn't do either? I think Michigan is an under rated team. And they are hot right now and will be tough to beat. We need to get more open shots for McConnell. He's been invisible and probably is our best shooter. He's a guy I want to keep shooting because once he finds it; he's deadly. Don't stop shooting Caleb.
Is this really an analysis? I mean, if we successfully defend 2 more shots a game, we might have more wins. If we successfully get 2 more rebounds a game, we might have more wins. If we missed two more shots per game because certain players were not developed the way that they have been, we might have lost more games. And so on. This is a generalized trees without the forest analysis that, if accepted, would empower you to point to a failure to develop and coaching in any situation.
But, if you step back and see that there's a forest, you'll see that Pike has done wonders with this team, and that, also, we need to get more offensive talent.
My take is that it wasn't lack of adjustment - rather it was lack of execution. If a team goes with 2 Bigs zone....you have to be able to be a threat from deep. You can't go 3-18 from 3 and expect to win against this team.