up-tempo?

[7220Fan]

First, let me say that I like Coach Shyatt and his program. I think he really has Cowboy basketball a lot further than where we were 3 years ago…. Minus the Luke thing. I do think that he cares a lot about the program and the kids.

He has forgotten more about basketball than I will ever know but am I the only one that wishes we played a fast paced, push it as hard as we can for 40 minutes of hell basketball? How many times this year have we had a 3-1 break or a 4-2 break and at the top of the key, one of our guards pulls back and let the clock start ticking until we get to 3 or 4 seconds then heave up a 3 that doesn’t come close? The times that we do take advantage of the break it seems like more times than not we score a layup or dish out to a wide open 3 which is perfect for our set shooters with no one in their face. At our altitude, I wish that we would run other teams to death. Why don’t we do this?

[NowherePoke]

First, let me say that I like Coach Shyatt and his program. I think he really has Cowboy basketball a lot further than where we were 3 years ago…. Minus the Luke thing. I do think that he cares a lot about the program and the kids.

He has forgotten more about basketball than I will ever know but am I the only one that wishes we played a fast paced, push it as hard as we can for 40 minutes of hell basketball? How many times this year have we had a 3-1 break or a 4-2 break and at the top of the key, one of our guards pulls back and let the clock start ticking until we get to 3 or 4 seconds then heave up a 3 that doesn’t come close? The times that we do take advantage of the break it seems like more times than not we score a layup or dish out to a wide open 3 which is perfect for our set shooters with no one in their face. At our altitude, I wish that we would run other teams to death. Why don’t we do this?

I think it's a balance and while this current group does seem to err on the overly cautious side, I can understand the general concept of operating a slow-mid tempo half court offense with our current personnel. We may have altitude, but that is offset by our lack of depth and athleticism. If we tried to get up and down the court with UNLV, UNM, SDSU, etc., the results would be ugly.

Having said that, I do believe we occasionally turn down high percentage looks as a result and that is not productive no matter how we try to spin it. I think Shyatt needs to loosen the reins a little bit.

I wouldn't expect things to ever be dramatically different under Shyatt. This is his 3rd year over two stints with three very distinct personnel groupings and all 3 played extremely slow.

[wellpoke]

We may have altitude, but that is offset by our lack of depth and athleticism. If we tried to get up and down the court with UNLV, UNM, SDSU, etc., the results would be ugly.

I think this is the biggest issue with the team this year. He knows he's outgunned, so he's got to find ways to win. Slowing down the game does that (when shots are falling). I think he'd rather open it up and play a little more "run-and-gun" but knows we'd generally get creamed if we did. So we keep it to our half-court game and hope to get good shots at the end of the clock. lately we haven't.

When Shy was here before - and if I remember correctly - they played a slower half-court game as well. But he recruited players that would allow us to open it up and play a little quicker. McClain used that to his advantage in his "run-and-gun" style. I think we'll see a little more of that as players developed in Shyatt's system. Just my

GO POKES!

[NowherePoke]

We may have altitude, but that is offset by our lack of depth and athleticism. If we tried to get up and down the court with UNLV, UNM, SDSU, etc., the results would be ugly.

I think this is the biggest issue with the team this year. He knows he's outgunned, so he's got to find ways to win. Slowing down the game does that (when shots are falling). I think he'd rather open it up and play a little more "run-and-gun" but knows we'd generally get creamed if we did. So we keep it to our half-court game and hope to get good shots at the end of the clock. lately we haven't.

When Shy was here before - and if I remember correctly - they played a slower half-court game as well. But he recruited players that would allow us to open it up and play a little quicker. McClain used that to his advantage in his "run-and-gun" style. I think we'll see a little more of that as players developed in Shyatt's system. Just my

GO POKES!

I don't know if we will ever see it, but I think McClain's tenure is an interesting example of why it doesn't necessarily matter that much. McClain came in promoting a run and gun style and his first couple of years were possibly our highest scoring years ever (can't remember exactly but I know they were very high). However, by his 3rd and 4th year he figured out that his team executed better in the half court (in no small part due to Bailey's ability to score in a variety of ways in half court sets) and he had size and depth up front to pound the opposition. The pace slowed and they won back to back conference titles.

Anyway, there is no right or wrong when it comes to tempo, it's all about execution and fitting the style to the personnel.

[wellpoke]

it's all about execution and fitting the style to the personnel.

That's it exactly, and I think that's what Shy has done, as well as he can. Looking forward to seeing what happens next year.

[7220Fan]

I guess another question concerning the up tempo style is in recruiting. If a junior or senior is being recruited, wouldn't it be easier to sell the uptempo? If you can walk into a kids house and promise him (and yes they all make promises) that in our style of offense you are easlily going to get 10-15 shots up a game, I would think that the kids eyes light up knowing that he is either dunking on a fast break or shooting all the time rather than an offense that passes the ball 8-10 times every possession.

[BackHarlowRoad]

Playing up-tempo only works if you have the speed and athleticism to get away with it. Doesn't make sense to race a pack of cheetahs if all you have is a handful of elephants.