All you need to do is look at the box scores this season. We were getting dominated by the opponents guards. Huge point differential that was absolutely the reason we were losing games. Ineffective D. Nice to have a disruptive defensive presence that impacts players ability to shoot, penetrate or pass the ball. Rubs off on teammates as well.
Was it ineffective defense or poor offense from our guards? Why are we acting like Lane is Gary Payton combined with Dennis Rodman? He played a whopping 17 minutes last night. I'm happy for Lane and he must be feeling great to be in the starting lineup, but from the first game when he went in and got 2 blocks in the game, people have been exaggerating his performance not because they really care about Lane, but because it's a new way to criticize White. What about giving White credit for experimenting with the lineup under tough circumstances? Seems like a great coaching job to me.
Not sure of the stat last night, but Lane was a whopping +22 over the prior 3 games, which is pretty impressive for an offensively challenged team.
Here we go with the second level stats. +/- can be misleading. Just because you are in the floor during a good or bad period for your team doesn’t necessarily mean you are a large factor in it either way. Let’s keep it real, Lane is probably not starting on any other SEC team. I’m ok with him starting for us because we have a very strong second unit if Jones and Reeves keep this up. Technically, Jones should be back in the starting lineup now, but I understand if Coach White doesn’t want to disrupt what has been working for the team.
You can call +/- "second level", but CMW has referenced it multiple times for both Lane and Castleton and considering none of the four wins have been in double digits, I suggest there is something to that stat.
Not that this is the way the players think but to me it is always not who starts but who is in the game going down the stretch.
You’re completely missing my point. Niels is a solid defender with upside on offense. He is not a star and might never become one. His current playing time has little to do with CC and JJ getting injured. I likely wouldn’t start Niels if I was the coach. What’s a joke to me is that White went a year and a half hardly playing the kid at all. Why? You can’t develop a prospect’s game without playing him. And then, suddenly, the kid is starting. That is insane. Niels should have been playing in every single game last season and this season even if it was only 5 minutes per game. Look at Glover last season. Similar stupidity. Now the kid is a star. Look at Ruzhnetsev. Hardly played last year. Now he is playing very well in a strong European pro team. Look at Eric Hester. The kid made 57% of his 3’s and played great defense as a freshman, and, yet, he didn’t get into half the games. As a coach, you have to have the guts to play young guys and let them make their mistakes early on. You will be rewarded later on. White, unfortunately, appears to not have the guts to do this. His best moves appear to be made out of desperation.
Yeah… players want that starting status, but it’s more important from a impact perspective to be on the floor at key times. I always play better when I start though. Just feels right.
It’s not just the decision over Lane. It is the past 7 years of decisions. Letting the air out of the ball with 10 minutes in the game and missing out on a trip to the Sweet 16. Having almost entire recruiting classes transfer out and having to bring in multiple transfers each year. Long scoring droughts and playing stall ball. It’s not just one thing with White, but a combination of things and an apparent inability to make any consistent strides forward. It has at best been one step forward, one step back, if not two steps back. You can say White has had bad luck, but good coaches have to overcome bad luck all the time.
You must think Mike White has a magic minutes factory in his office. There are a finite amount of minutes in a game. Not everyone can get meaningful minutes. From how Niels is playing, he was not really a guy that warranted being forced into the rotation. As far as Glover being a star… I don’t think he’s quite a household name, but hey I’m rooting for him. He went to a much better situation for him.
You going to keep harping in that loss to Oral Roberts? What about Mark Few getting badly out-prepared and coached in the championship game? You think he’s terrible? It’s a game… you win some you lose some.
Plus, with Lane on the floor, I know two things for sure. The ball is going to move & one less thing player who’s going to shoot a low percentage three. That isn’t stuffing the stat sheet, but it helps with how efficient we are, offensively.
Murph, I don’t think everyone is saying Lane is “ the next” …. The question is about how Mike uses players and some of his rotation decisions. I’m sure everyone is thrilled that Jones seems to be past his shooting slump, but there was a stretch there, he wasn’t giving us much ( either end). Those are the times when you ask, can’t we try someone else, try and get a little something that helps the team? It’s no secret, Mike has been stubborn with his rotations, while at UF. Lane is just the current lighting rod/ talking point that is an example.
But giving someone else a shot is exactly what CMW did with Lane. Is it possible Lane has progressed and isn’t a walking turnover anymore like he was earlier this year? I don’t think it’s static. He’s contributing now therefore he could’ve always contributed at this level? No. Now, let’s see Kennedy get some minutes to help him grow too! He’s got an offensive game too.
Coach has probably had 10 different starting lineups and we are going to criticize him not trying other players? I mean what is popping off your screen when you see Lane that shows White was wrong? Is Coach expected to start every player at some point during the season? What coach does that? He did exactly what you guys are saying he didn’t do. Lane is a lightning rod because people are conveniently using him as an excuse. He would beat me 21-0 in a one on one game. I’m not saying he’s not good, but skill wise, he is starting over better basketball players than him on our team. Of any guys that get any playing time on our team, he is by far the least likely to give you a bucket. What are you guys talking about? I’m seriously baffled.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I'll answer. I'm baffled that Lane has gone from 2 minutes per game (in our first 20) to 20 minutes per game in our last 3+. Either CMW was wrong in our first 20 games, or he's wrong now. You can't really have it both ways. (Unless something was going on like flu, injury, etc.) IMO he should have played Lane more early on. ESPECIALLY in our disaster vs. Texas Southern. I am happy that he did finally play Lane. Many coaches would not have- so good on CMW that he finally did. But IMO it took him way too long to figure this out.
Glover is better than every guard on our team. That’s our loss. As for Lane and others, there are 200 minutes of playing time. Giving Lane 5 or more minutes each game would have helped the team in both the short and long run.
People don't break out and perform on other peoples schedule. My breakout at work took three years and happened one afternoon. Niels plays differently today is ready because he has worked his backside off. He adds a dimension to defense that makes the team better and plays his part on offense, which is why he us on the floor now. I'm happy for him.
Let's paint a complete picture of Glover's season. His assist rate is VERY good. His 3-point shooting percentage is 0.273. He scores a lot because he is a volume shooter taking 37% of his team's shots. Maybe not all of them because I got this from Ken Pomeroy's site. Could be 37% when he is on the floor, but still a huge percentage. He plays on a team that Pomeroy predicts will be 7-11 in Southern Conference play and most years the Southern Conference NCAA bid is a 16 seed. Is this really better than Appleby?
