Death By Statistics: Why UK Fans Should Worry About Cornell
by Glenn Logan on Mar 24, 2010 10:52 PM EDT
in Kentucky Wildcats Basketball
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PrintYesterday, we took a look at effective field goal percentage and what it means to a basketball team, specifically the Cornell Big Red and the Kentucky Wildcats.
Today, we are going to place shooting in the context of the other Four Factors to Winning. You remember I told you that shooting was far and away the major contributor to the Four Factors to Winning, comprising fully 40% of the relative value of the four stats. That leaves 60% to be divided as follows:
- Turnovers (25%)
- Offensive rebounding (20%)
- Getting to the free throw line (15%)
Now, you may ask why each of these are so important. In a nutshell, turnovers reduce the number of shots you can take. If you turn the ball over, that is an empty possession, and 100% of the shots a team doesn't take results in a net scoring opportunity for the opponent. Offensive rebounding is kind of the reverse of a turnover -- it generally (but not always) gets you an extra shot.
Getting to the free throw line is important because the free throw line is the most efficient place to score. Teams that get to the line often tend to be very efficient offensively.
So now that we have all this figured out, how does this impact the game tomorrow? Follow me after the jump to find out.
The first thing we will be looking at is the graph of the remaining three factors placed in the context of shooting percentage and team performance. What I have chosen to measure performance is simply the difference between offensive and defensive efficiency, which represents the margin of the game if it were 100 possessions rather than 70, or whatever, as dictated by the pace of play. Efficiency is simply points scored (or allowed) per 100 possessions.
With that in mind, UK's last six games look like this (Note: you can click on these graphs for a larger version):
Now, this graph looks really busy, but it isn't as hard to follow as it looks. We are looking at the same six games we looked at yesterday, but we are adding some data and looking only at Kentucky.
First, look at the yellow line. That shows how UK did -- the higher it is, the more the 'Cats won by. The last two games are the tournament games, and they look great, but there are 3 games that don't look so good. One of them I noted, game 4, which was the overtime win over the Mississippi St. Bulldogs. But UK had also had a couple of other close games previous to that.
So what was holding UK down? Kentucky has been shooting pretty well all year, and was well over 50% for all but the MSU game. So why were games 1 and 2 so close when they out-shot both teams by about 10% (the orange line is UK's eFG%, and the purple line is the opponent's eFG%)? If you look at the bars, you'll see they are grouped by color -- blue for turnovers, red for rebounding, and green for getting to the line. Look at the red bars in game 1, 2 and 4. That tells you why UK had such a tough time -- they were out-rebounded on the offensive glass.
While it is true that they were out-rebounded offensively by the East Tennessee St. Buccaneers as well, it was just by a tiny bit and UK out-shot that team by a vast margin, just as they did the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The bottom line is the old coach's maxim that shooting covers up a lot of other mistakes. Shoot the ball a lot better than your opponent, and winning is easy. But offensive rebounding, turnovers and free throw margin can cut into a shooting advantage, sometimes enough to change the outcome of the game.
Now, let's look at Cornell's last six games:
It may not hit you at first glance, but this graph should make you very, very nervous. First of all, look at the eFG% (orange line) that Cornell is putting up. Folks, that is lights-out. Their last two opponents shot way over 50%, normally a very solid, and even excellent number, and lost HUGE.
Now, to be sure, if both those teams had shot on the order of 65% like UK did against ETSU and Wake Forest, those games might have gone a little differently. And Cornell also out-rebounded both their early-round opponents as well as out-shooting them. And you can see how the other four factors can come into play, even the least of them -- free throw rate. Look at Cornell's game 1 -- they were out-shot from the field, out-rebounded on the boards, and still won. Why? Lopsided FTR%, of course. As I said, the most efficient way to score. Plus, Cornell is a very good free throw shooting team.
But the thing that strikes me most is that Cornell shoots the ball so well that the other four factors are almost completely overwhelmed. It doesn't really matter if they get out-rebounded or send the opponent to the line a lot -- they shoot so well, it's hard to fail bad enough in the other four factors to lose.
The bottom line here is that all these predictions of a UK blowout just don't square with the reality of what we've seen so far. Yes, UK has superior athletes, and yes, the Big Red really don't have good defensive or rebounding answers for what the 'Cats are going to bring.
What I'm telling you is this -- if Cornell comes out and shoots an eFG% of 70+% against Kentucky, UK will lose no matter what. UK has only shot 69% or better twice -- versus the Hartford Hawks and versus the Sam Houston St. Bearkats, and Cornell is superior to those teams by a wide margin. It is almost unimaginable that UK can shoot much better than 65% against Cornell -- we just don't have those kind of shooters, and Cornell is big enough to make a dunk-a-thon unlikely.
Fortunately, UK is more capable on defense than any team the Big Red have played, and it would be truly remarkable if they could shoot that well against a Kentucky defense. But based on their body of work, you have to believe that they are going to out-shoot Kentucky, and that means that Kentucky must win at least two of the other three Four Factors by a wide margin, and not lose the fourth by too much. While it is theoretically possible that UK could out-shoot the Big Red, it is statistically very unlikely.
So don't let the pundits fool you, and I hope Calipari isn't letting them fool the team. Cornell is not just a dangerous team, they are a genuine threat to defeat Kentucky if the 'Cats do not bring their "A" game. A "B" game out of UK means the chances for defeat go way up, and I don't think the Wildcats can play poorly against this team and win.
So sleep well, ladies and gentlemen of the Big Blue Nation -- but don't sleep thinking we will have an easy game tomorrow. This Cornell team is a major challenge, perhaps even more major than a weakened West Virginia Mountaineers team.
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Agreed
It would not be good for Cornell to shoot 70%! That would mean that UK was playing really bad defense. I do not believe in being able to sustain 70% shooting while being defended correctly.
UK also needs to ATTACK offensively, Take the legs out of the starting 5. Make them defend for 40 minutes. Get them in foul trouble.
Of course I also agree, Cornell should not be taken lightly. On the contrary, they need to be seriously dealt with starting in the first 5 minutes. Crush the confidence early and do not allow this team to get into Rythm. This will only happen with execution and effort and not by Cornell reading the names on the front of the uniforms.
This:
UK also needs to ATTACK offensively, Take the legs out of the starting 5. Make them defend for 40 minutes. Get them in foul trouble.
Cornell jumped out to a 22-11 lead over Temple ten minutes into the game, and a 16-4 lead over Wisconsin 5:30 into the game.
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
by bobo_the_vol on Mar 24, 2010 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Proves My Point
Since Wisconsin and Temple lost. UK must pressure them early and not allow this to happen.
Precisely.
It’s the same way in football: teams with better talent need to impose their will early in often, or the underdogs can start believing.
One thing that I’d say to counter that, though, is that as experienced as this Cornell team is, I’m not certain that they’ll ever believe they are flat out of the game.
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
by bobo_the_vol on Mar 25, 2010 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Just a breakdown of Cornell's eFG% on the season
And their wins/losses for the fields that I’m making up.
- < 50 eFG%: 6-0
- < 60 eFG%: 10-4
- < 70 eFG%: 10-0
- > 70 eFG%: 3-0
- Season Average: 57.3
For the sake of argument, here is what you get when you put Kentucky through the same strainer:
- < 50 eFG%: 9-2
- < 60 eFG%: 18-0
- < 70 eFG%: 6-0
- > 70 eFG%: 1-0
- Season Average: 53.7
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
Disagree.
As far as you go into numbers i think you leave out the fact that against teams with real athleticism Cornell has shot poorly. Statistically Wisconsin is a sub-par team(theyre 79th in defensive field goal%). Yes they have a low defensive Ppg but that is due not to low shooting percentages but because they hold the ball more on offense and try to offensive rebound. If there were no defense, by all means Cornell would shoot better than Kentucky. But thats not the case. Yes Cornell shoots well but, Kentucky would shoot well if it went up against the Ivy league Temple/Wisconsin too. These kids are good but youre over thinking it. Ken pomeroy does the numbers better than everyone and has a Kentucky advantage of 80%. Your numbers are in depth but they dont paint the whole picture.
Numbers never do.
And if you read my earlier article, you would know that we already talked about strength of schedule.
What impresses me is that this team has shot well regardless of the competition. And Kentucky has played teams weaker than Cornell and, on average, not shot nearly as well as Cornell has regardless of the competition they’ve faced.
So of course, the numbers don’t tell the whole story, which is why we don’t play the game on paper. Kentucky really upped it’s game against their last two opponents, and if they bring that with them tonight, there really isn’t much Cornell can do to stop them.
But time and again, we have seen this young team go up and down. Cornell, on the other hand, has had very few such ups and downs. So that’s something I think Kentucky has to be concerned about. A lackluster effort will almost surely be a big problem against this team.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Also
Wisonsin has an excellent defense. I’ve seen it play several times and they are not that bad, but Cornell absolutely lit them the heck up.
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
by bobo_the_vol on Mar 25, 2010 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions
All the pressure is on Kentucky...
Kentucky taxpayers pay Calipari 4 X in salary dollars per year than the entire basketball budget of Cornell. If he loses to a school which has no athletic scholarships, the Kentucky fans will go hunting for bear ! All the pressure is on Calipari…
Bill
I take it you’re not from around these parts. Calipari is not paid by tax dollars. Come back when you have some facts, not trash.
This comment smacks of a lack of knowledge.
Kentucky doesn’t pay its coach with tax dollars, and it would be insane for Kentucky fans to be too upset with a coach that went 34-3 starting three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior in his first year at UK.
In other words, you have no idea what you are talking about.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
34-3
I thought we lost only 2 games to Tenn and USC…Did I miss something ? :(
if we lost to Cornell that would be 3
"Come test me every day if you want," says Pujols, "Everything I ever made in this game I would give back to the Cardinals if I got caught."
Hi Bill, you've earned it:
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
Those ships...
They are always Florida!
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
by bobo_the_vol on Mar 25, 2010 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Wonder How Many Games John Wall
has played in his life time?
I mean high school, AAU, etc.
As Cousins said, this is just another game to us.
I know its the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and all but what about State Tournaments? Is the pressure on Wall more now than when he played, presuming he did, in high school? Wouldn’t his maturity and age show a better understand to handle the situation?
I’m not baiting anyone, just wonder what the amount of pressure would be if you presumedly played in previous situations as many times as he, Cousins, etc have.
I have be correctly accused of having a 'football fetish'. You know, someone who doesn't think football is the warm up sport to basketball season.
I would say ...
… that there is pressure. But I would also say that humans get used to playing under pressure, and Wall has proven that he can deal with it. In his very first college game at UK, Wall hit the game-winning shot.
Pressure? Yeah, but I think that he has a) had it before, and b) has shown he can handle it.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
good point
have thought about that myself. i am sure these kids put themselves under more pressure in situations where there were college coaches watching them play aau and they wanted to impress the coach.
maybe their youth is an asset in the sense that they have not been there so they really do not know how fleeting the moment is -
on the other hand, i heard a talking head on tv talk about the fact that the NIU kids all played aau out of iowa city (i think) together and had grown up playing against alot of the kids at KU – therefore, the intimidation factor may not be as great. he also acted like the cornell kids had played against john wall in aau bball. not sure if it is true, but interesting thought
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2010 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions
They very well might have
And, regardless, they have played against Kansas and Syracuse this year alone. I don’t think they will be intimidated by the size and speed of Kentucky — now, whether they can overcome it is something else entirely, but they won’t be shocked at how fast John Wall is or how big and strong Patterson and Cousins are, even if they are the best post players they have seen this year.
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
by bobo_the_vol on Mar 25, 2010 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Cornell / Le Moyne College
If Le Moyne College can beat Syracuse in the Dome (Le Moyne 82, Syracuse 79) then Cornell can beat Kentucky in the Dome. I heard Cornell held practice on the Le Moyne campus which is about 3 miles from SU. Perhaps some of that good luck will rub off on Cornell.
I don't think that is a logical argument ...
… but I agree with your conclusion. It is certainly possible for Cornell to beat Kentucky.
Keep in mind, though, that this is a UK community, and we don’t want any luck rubbing off on Cornell. We want it to rub off on UK. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I don't think it was a logical argument ;-)
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
by bobo_the_vol on Mar 25, 2010 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions
was meant to be, rather.
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
by bobo_the_vol on Mar 25, 2010 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions
And they can make a movie about it
called Angels in the Backcourt….with past LeMoyne champions running around the court putting air up under the Cornell shots, creating turnovers out of nowhere on a UK fastbreak, and all the while it will still come down to a last second shot by Jimmy the orphan on the team. The game winning shot will reconnect him with his birth parents and extended family who are wealthy barons of industry who just happened to be alumni of Cornell as well!!!
It’s got all the earmarkings of a great plot with intense dialogue and drama!!! Good luck selling that idea somewhere else. We’ve got that one covered with the Texas Western gig back in 66’. Thank you though.
Nin cow poop.
I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
Dont you people have nerd papers to study for or something?
D*** Jesuits! Go back to your liberal arts and “beautiful” northeastern landscape and cold climates and stop daydreaming about beating the best team and greatest tradition in college basketball. If fan smugness was a stat in the box score the “BIG” red just might stand a chance.
Only one ten seed or greater has ever made it past the sweet 16 and that was missouri who took out a team that was ranked 8th. BRING IT ON YANKEE!!!!!
Please don't write comments like this.
We treat everyone with respect in this community. Please read the community guidelines before commenting again.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
BIG red?
I dont understand all the angst over this game. The media loves to whip us into a frenzy. Saying ‘what if, ’what if’. Well, they gotta write SOMETHING til Thursday. CAN Cornell win? OF COURSE!!!!!……..WILL they win? Wanna bet your house and 401K on it? I keep seeing all these stats that show that UK might as well go home now and save some expense money on food/hotel. If Cornell is soooooo good, why werent they ranked? Why arent they a 1 seed? How did they lose to Harvard,…….. and Princeton……..twice? Why didnt some of these so-called experts in the media pick Cornell to win the NC? ‘Coz they’re NOT THAT GOOD! Listen, they’ve had a great couple games so far, I gotta hand it to them. But they are just not good enough to run with the big dogs unless the bigs play down to their level. Games are decided on the floor, not in the computer-generated stats. Our team understands that NO team can be taken lightly. They sure didnt take their 1st 2 games lightly and they wont take this one lightly either. Yes, there’s been a couple bigtime upsets in this tourney so far, but we aint gonna be one of ’em. Sleep well BBN.
Cornell is very good.
They weren’t ranked because of their weak schedule. Also, Cornell has not really beaten anybody significant until the tournament, where they defeated two much higher seeds in a row.
So it is possible, and in fact, somewhat likely, that Cornell cannot maintain this level of performance. But since the Wildcats have never performed at the level of the last two games all year except maybe twice, and have never shown the ability to sustain it, the ’Cats have to take Cornell much more seriously than most 12 seeds.
I am confident Kentucky will win, but only if they take Cornell as seriously as they would Syracuse or Duke, and play with Final Four type intensity. If Cornell gets the idea that they can beat Kentucky, UK is in for a rough ride.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Didn't Cornell sneak into the top 25
at some point in the season?
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
--O.W.
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A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
the ides of march....
brings out the crazies…
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2010 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions
but you do Lol, right?
;-)
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
by bobo_the_vol on Mar 25, 2010 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Northern Ky. fans..
There’s a chance that Insight might carry the X game here over UK. Is there a internet feed available tonight? Anybody know?
Local 12 will have the X game.
But they also got permission to show the UK game on the Cincinnati CW. This is channel 25 on insight. Cincinnati CW is available on:
Insight Communitcations (KY) : Channel 25
City of Lebanon Telecommunications (OH) Lebanon : Channel 17 / 508
Limestone Cablevision (KY) Maysville : Channel 736
DirecTV Channel : 25
Time Warner Cable Channel 25 (Former Adelphia Subscribers)
Time Warner Cable (Ohio) : See list below
Cincinnati 20 / 989
Clermont County 25
Delhi 98 / 713
Fairfield 20 / 989
Hamilton 20 / 989
Lebanon 25 / 713
Lebanon 20 / 989
Leesburg 20 / 989
Lynchburg 20 989
Middletown 20 / 989
Oxford 2
Seaman 20 / 989
Wilmington 20 / 989
Also:
Digital Television with Digital Tuner
Your digital television should be equipped with a digital tuner. You will find the CW Cincinnati on Digital Channel 12.2. You may need to do a channel rescan in order for it to appear.
It’s not available on Dishnetwork (what I have), so I’m going to a brother’s house to watch on Insight.
Yeah, I'm in this boat
I live in NKY, Xavier will be in HD on Channel 12, UK will not be in HD on the CW.
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
All the games
Will be available on CBSsports.com MMOD. Here’s a link:
http://mmod.ncaa.com/?tag=fastFacts.collegebasketball
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti
wow,
I can honestly say I wasn’t all that concerned about the game tonight — until I read this. Cornell’s shooting numbers do seem to be off the charts, don’t they? I haven’t seen Cornell play but like twice this season and even if I had I’m not sure I would have picked up on all this, so thanks for the graphs. Love, love, love the graphs. They are very neat. : )
I will be a little out of my element while watching the game tonight (and Saturday, as well, if all goes to plan) as I’ll be down in Houston watching from a sports bar and I normally don’t like to watch from sports bars because I’m always so afraid I will miss something. I’m usually the girl that is three-to-four inches away from my TV watching the ‘Cats as I don’t want to miss a single thing. So, I’ll be out of my element as far as location and I’ll also be out of my element when it comes to what kind of fans I am surrounded by as the bar will more than likely be full of Duke fans ready to cheer on their team on Friday night down in Houston. It will be interesting, no doubt, but fun, nonetheless, and you can be sure that I’ll be the loudest Kentucky-Wildcat t-shirt-wearing tall blonde girl in the bar who is ever-so-proudly cheering on the ’Cats! ; )
You go girl !!
Maybe you can show those dookies a thing or two about being a fan. Cheer on !! :-)
Have fun !!
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
The bright side
There are a lot of great sports bars in the Houson area – and many UK fans. See if you can contact the UK Houston Alumni club. I lived there in the ’70s and there was a very good Alumni Club with a lot of activities – Big Games on TV, Derby Parties, etc.
hey, thanks guys!
hoboat, thanks for sending that info, that was incredibly sweet of you. ; ) We are headed out now to conquer Houston — we will see where the spirit takes us…..GO ’CATS!!!!
I stand by what I've said in previous threads
UK by 15+. That is not a slap at Cornell, I just have a hard time thinking Cornell can stay out of foul trouble.
Some say a comet will fall from the sky. Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still. Followed by millions of dumbfounded dips**ts.
A Lot of Big People are Interested in this Game
The Wall Street Journal
The New York Times
The Washington Post
When was the last time you think the Big Red had WSJ reporters at their game? There’s a lot of pressure on these Cornell kids to make this game play out as some kind of Ivy League fairy tale, where balding investment bankers beat the stuffing out of trash-talking NBA All-Stars. Talk of this game is running rampant around the squash courts of the private Ivy alumni clubs. I don’t believe Cornell experienced that when they played a meaningless non-conference game in Kansas.
Fortunately, KY has some preparation for this hysteria by playing road games in the SEC. UK is everyone’s championship game in the SEC. And this will most likely be a road game for UK.
Look for an early “deer in the headlights” moment for Cornell. Maybe a long stretch without a basket that the Cats can exploit for a knockout.
Statistics are both interesting and useful, however, I would toss them out the window for this game. The social conditions around this game are shaping up to make it a black swan.
1966 all over again?
I think so. Blogged it already. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I think Cromwell makes a stand until the
under 14 minute mark of the 2nd half. By then UK will have had enough of the pesky wasps stinging them repeatedly. UK will bring the Big Blue fog and smoke em out from that point on.
Because of their deadly and accurate shooting it would behoove these young Cats to get their game on EARLY and don’t let this team hang around. Get up by twenty going into half and then crush their spirits by withstanding two tough waves in 2nd half and going to under 14 break with a double digit cushion AND momentum. Thar is your formula for UK’s success.
I somehow doubt that we will have to worry about our team being “up’ for this game. IT”S THE SWEET SIXTEEN!!! One weekend and two games away from their personal expectations and closer to their season long goal.
I salute Cromwell for displaying the necessary toughness pre-game. I look forward to watching them battle tonight and if Kentucky should lose to them I cannot think of a better team to lose to. Well, maybe one, Northern Iowa. ;) Both have pretty good stories.
I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
Get that Cromwell!!
;-)
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
by bobo_the_vol on Mar 25, 2010 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Many sources
are interested in this game as we have all been reading. I know very little about Cornell so I went to read the Cornell Daily Sun. I was overwhelmed with a story about issues on campus that require security fences on bridges. All the screaming about the class vs the classless or the non-scholarships vs the money-grubbers pales in comparison. I can see why the conflict between the stories cannot easily be addressed in the heat of a Sweet Sixteen game-of- the- ages….because I was hesitant to bring it up. I decided to because we need to keep our focus on what is important.
This is a basketball game…a game we are excited about and a game we want/expect to win. Nothing more.
Cousins said it first and best. Life happens in many other places and life has stress and pressure regardless of where the campus is located. We will remain proud of our team win or lose. This has been a season of a lifetime for the BBN and nothing that happens from this point on will detract from that.
Yes.
It’s a tough time on their campus – 2 or 3 recent suicides in the past few weeks to go along with a few more since the start of 2009.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
--O.W.
It is all about matchups..
UK is a nightmare for Cornell and UK wins by 20+. UK dominates at every position. Cornell’s first two games were against opponents vastly inferior to UK.
OK, if UK does not win by 20+ it will bebecause they blow a huge lead but are neverreally challenged in this game.
“Unleash Hell”
by Shootmeibleedblue on Mar 25, 2010 9:13 AM EDT reply actions
I agree..........
…..with Shootme, I think the Cats win this by 20 or so. I don’t dispute that Cornell is a very good shooting team, but our defense is up to the task. I think the team is getting tired of the hype as much as we are, and I don’t believe they’ll take Cornell lightly at all. The other thing that really encourages me is the emergence of Miller, Bledsoe, and Orton as bigger factors of late. It just seems to me this team is peaking at just the right time and I don’t see them falling flat on their face at this point. Just my opinion………
two words:
GAME DAY!
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Mar 25, 2010 9:32 AM EDT reply actions
There and back again... a hobbyists tale.
At first I was like, Conell who? Then I watched their games about 5 times and I was like “Oh no Cornell, they’re the perfect storm”. But now I’ve come to some calming conclusions.
Cornell had only a few modes of scoring.
1) Catch and shoot out of their normal flexy, motiony type offense. (I’m copywriting that!)
2) Feed the block.
3) Pick and roll.
#1 Wisconsin and Temple didn’t press the passer or get into the passing lanes enough IMHO. We’re much longer and quicker. When the Big Red Machine stalls out they tend to take long 3s. Only problem is that they’ve tended to make them. If we can force them to drive 1on1 then we’ve taken away most of what they want to do.
- doesn’t worry me. We’ve got more post D than Foot has ever seen. Bring it on.
- does worry me. We’ll need to switch everything to keep them from shooting so we may end up in some mismatches. However this is certainly the poison I’d pick.
by from_left_to_right_on_your_radio_dial on Mar 25, 2010 9:56 AM EDT reply actions
Just Wondering
I know how bad it can get when I think back. Does anyone else miss us playing Rick Majarus and Utah? The last few runs to a NC we played and beat them. It got to where Rick knew we would win it all. Just thinking NC
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
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