Interesting, early look at our offensive execution compared to last season. Our best assist-to-turnover player from last year would be tied for 5th this year. Reeves, CC & Jones are all improved from last year.
I'm not sure it's about toughness, the speed of FAU and their ability to knock down shots from the 3 from all angles was the difference. They were on our guys like white on rice the entire game. If FAU plays that way all year long they will be in the tourney. I thought our guys got worn down in the second half especially CC. This game will be a good learning experience for both coach and team. I did think coach needed to call time out when FAU started to make their run, our guys got frustrated. Let's be honest, FAU played a great game, I'm not sure if it was just there night or if that will be a constant for them. But sometimes in basketball, it's just not your night and if the other team catches fire, upsets happen. I mean these guys were making incredible 3s throughout the game. Just have to tip your cap and say they beat us.
I think fau is a legit good team. Last night was not a fluke. I went to a bunch of their games last year, and will do the same this year… including this Thursday. Dusty has a good, veteran squad. I suspect they battle it out with UAB for the conference. I also didn’t see them make a bunch of “incredible” 3s last night, but much more so … open ones. As for our toughness… you gotta fight thru screens. We conceded very easily, many times.
Defensive metrics - surprisingly, mostly better so far in this early look. FAU had 51.3% of their points from 3pt which really skews that metric.
I didn't get to watch the game so I might be wrong but this sounds like an NCAA Tournament type upset where the lower ranked seed just shoots lights-out and wins a close one. That 3-point line can change games.
It was the infamous “ dry spell “ of empty possessions. We had last year, and it seems, will have bouts of it this year. Saw a couple of things last night I really, really didn’t like from our offense BUT I’m more concerned about our defense right now. We’ll need that to vastly improve if we want to close teams out. I do think we got “ out-toughed” a little…..again. Thought the same in our last game. We are gonna have plenty of teams that will push the fringe when it comes to contact. We’d better get ready for it, and learn to play thru/ take advantage of it. The lack of trips to the FT line is sort of an indicator that you’re not challenging the defense enough. That loss, was a team loss ( including CC). We did just enough of the wrong things from a bit of everyone, to lose a close game.
My .02 cents: - CC is playing great but I wonder if having him in the high post against a size deficient team was a strategic failure. I think CC knows (and TG supports) that he will need to extend his game to play in the NBA, and there are many teams that can counter his size. FAU was not one. CC played great but not sure about how we ran through him. - Our offense against their switching man was atrocious. Back cuts, screens...? We were just weaving and they were faster, so few good looks. I chalk this up to a new team, new coach, and lack of system/time, but right now this is what we will face. - Other than CC we still do not seem to have guys that create offense consistently. Felder/Fudge pose little threat offensively and allow teams to overplay CC and CC is still not the best passing out of a double. - Defense.... ugh. Guards going below picks. Slow close outs. Miscommunications. Gotta say that if guys are going to put up zero on offense they damn sure better lock down on defense and that was not the case. Might would have liked to see us play a 3-2 zone guarding the perimeter? FAU was lights out and appeared to want it more (quicker to balls). Tough loss for sure but not a huge surprise in today's college hopes to lose to a hot shooting, motivated team. One data point on Golden very early in his career and this season. Not overly concerned.
FAU looked like a veteran team. I'm changing my tune a bit on Kugel. He's looked like a freshman but more comfortable than I first thought, and aggressive. Let's get a good look and if he steps up, start him with Reeves, Richard, Lofton and Castleton. Felder and Fudge off the bench for size and energy. Either is likely to break through at some point. Lofton needs time to mesh and get control but we need to play Bonham as much as possible so we're comfortable with him subbing for Lofton down the road. He has the potential to handle point better than Jones AND score more.
Two lulls totaling 10:20 - outscored 27-2, 36% of FAU's total points - missed 12 shots, 18% of our total - 6 turnovers, 50% of our total #1 3:40 Missed Layup - 2 Missed Jumper - 2 Turnover - 2 15:32 3 - 10 Colin Castleton missed Three Point Jumper Colin Castleton Turnover Colin Castleton missed Jumper Will Richard missed Layup Myreon Jones Turnover Alex Fudge missed Layup Riley Kugel missed Free Throw (2x) 11:52 11 - 10 #2 6:40 Missed Layup - 3 Missed Jumper - 5 Turnover - 4 10:52 52 - 55 Alex Fudge Turnover Niels Lane Turnover Niels Lane missed Layup Kyle Lofton missed Jumper Will Richard missed Three Point Jumper Colin Castleton missed Jumper Will Richard Turnover Colin Castleton made Jumper Kyle Lofton Turnover Will Richard missed Layup Colin Castleton missed Jumper Kyle Lofton missed Layup 4:48 71 - 57
If we are getting “out-toughed” again down low, then we better start Jitobo at the 5 move CC to 4 vs F$U. They always play physical. Imo, a White coached team gets blown out last night. Lee Humpreys (he should teach a class on how to defend the 3 as he was great at it) said that Coach Golden asked them if they had any pride? during the big full time out. They responded but it was unfortunately too late. Got to get some payback vs the Seminoles
We’re being pushed around and bumped a little at each position. Hope to see us use more screens and back picks to be the initiators of contact. Could also help to create spacing.
As I said earlier… There are several teams in several different sports that don’t need a year to jell. Everything matters especially when you are a bubble team. But back to my first thought, I just don’t see how not knowing each other well makes a team not play good three point defense. Defend the arc and either fight through screens or switch. I shall no adjustments and to hear some say well they shot lights out answer with yes, they are college athletes on scholarship and if they are not guarded they will make shots
Coach Golden has recruited all of the transfers, admittedly he may have done better with an earlier start, and he even recruited Castleton and Reeves to come back.
Golden said after the game their goal was to limit FAU to 20 threes. If they had done that, EVEN granting the absurd %, that takes 6 points off the board and we win. For as many criticisms as this thread has made (some definitely valid, some far less so), a close win would feel much different. What I love about Golden is how coldly analytical he is. You don’t have to make wholesale changes to ball screen coverages, set plays, starting lineups, rotations. You just have to pay attention to clear markers that make the difference (3 pt line, reb %, turnover rate). Eventually the data will help him adjust those coverages, plays, combinations, etc, but he has also said at a place like Florida you have time to pick up plenty of quad 1-2 wins, so you can figure this out as you go. And that’s what you should expect from a new coach who has overhauled much of the roster.
Seems to be the greater concern is only have 2 made field goals from the bench, and a total of 5 bench points. That lack of production is all the analytics you need. And if Fudge started over Fielder, that number would have been - 0 made field goals from the bench. You don't need a super computer to see that.
Throw out the analytics. Counting Klatsky, we have 14 guys who can play. We didn’t use them. We played a 2-man offense. We played a passive defense with no full court or half court pressure to speak of until desperation time at the end. There was very little player movement on offense. We didn’t switch on defense. We didn’t fight over the top of screens. We took a bunch of shots that had a zero chance of going in. Other than that, we were okay. TG needs a chance to get things going, but he has a very talented roster to work with. He needs to use it.
If we're not going to get more from the PF spot, then I think we should look at Lane there. At least he brings energy and defense.
He needs to just pass the ball off on offense then, unless he's got an open dunk. He had 3 touches against FAU. Two were turnovers and the other was a bad miss. I don't know what to make of the lack of production by Felder & Fudge against FAU. They had size advantage on every Owl except the center.
