Am I wanting too much from this team?

[wyoav211933]

After that 4 game winning streak, which included a couple of road games and games where they came back from some deficits, I thought that maybe the program had taken 2 or 3 steps forward. I also felt that finishing 3rd, or maybe even 2nd in the conference could be possible. The thing is, I think that with the Fresno State loss, I feel we took some steps back.

I know that they have been tough and in most of their games, but a team that only has 9 wins at this point in the season just can't be considered good. And for a team that I thought could 2-3 place, losing to a team clearly in the bottom tier of the conference is a major letdown for me. I'm afraid we are probably a 5-7th place team.

At the end of the day, I feel like the season will be considered a success and we will have shown improvement on seasons past, but I still can't shake the feeling that we have failed to play to our potential.

 

[BeaverPoke]

After that 4 game winning streak, which included a couple of road games and games where they came back from some deficits, I thought that maybe the program had taken 2 or 3 steps forward. I also felt that finishing 3rd, or maybe even 2nd in the conference could be possible. The thing is, I think that with the Fresno State loss, I feel we took some steps back.

I know that they have been tough and in most of their games, but a team that only has 9 wins at this point in the season just can't be considered good. And for a team that I thought could 2-3 place, losing to a team clearly in the bottom tier of the conference is a major letdown for me. I'm afraid we are probably a 5-7th place team.

At the end of the day, I feel like the season will be considered a success and we will have shown improvement on seasons past, but I still can't shake the feeling that we have failed to play to our potential.

I get what you are saying, but I think that is a bit of an over-reaction.
UNLV got swept by Fresno last season and finished 3rd.
SDSU lost to us (we finished 4-12 and played in the play-in game) and ended up a couple points away from the Sweet 16.

We still have 11 games left and are right in the middle of the pack.
There are plenty of teams that have 3 losses like us.

It does mean that getting into the top 5 to avoid playing in the first round will be a little bit harder, and we won't be clearly in the top echelon, unless we can steal some BIG games, (like going 2-1 against UNLV, NM, and SDSU).

Although we lost to Fresno in Fresno, it shouldn't be a season changer. The MWC has shown time and time again that winning on the road in the MWC is NOT easy. But this is still the team that beat Boise in Boise.
This team comes down to closing out games.
The only game that we lost because we couldn't close out in the final minute was the Ohio State game.

The more this team figures out how to close games out, the better this team will be.

They are going to have to close a lot of games out in the final minutes this season.

We need to beat USU to get back on track, then win at least 1, hopefully 2 of those big 3 games.

And don't forget, we get 3 of the last 4 games at home this season.

 

[Bryoming]

We need to win the rest of our home games and steal one or two on the road. Remember, this league has some of the best home courts in the country. If we can protect our home court we should be in good shape by the time the conference tourney rolls around.

 

[Adv8RU12]

Here is what I would like from this team: When things aren't going well, as they were at Fresno, then the offense shifts to a "no designed plays" style of play. Wooten, at UCLA, never used plays on offense, and look at how many championships he won. He just let the playes make it up as they went, using their innate basketball skills. Defense, of course, is a different matter.

 

[SDPokeFan]

Here is what I would like from this team: When things aren't going well, as they were at Fresno, then the offense shifts to a "no designed plays" style of play. Wooten, at UCLA, never used plays on offense, and look at how many championships he won. He just let the playes make it up as they went, using their innate basketball skills. Defense, of course, is a different matter.

You must have loved Ladrell Whitehead and Jay Strait. I don't think they played within the concept of an offense their entire careers.

 

[Adv8RU12]

Here is what I would like from this team: When things aren't going well, as they were at Fresno, then the offense shifts to a "no designed plays" style of play. Wooten, at UCLA, never used plays on offense, and look at how many championships he won. He just let the playes make it up as they went, using their innate basketball skills. Defense, of course, is a different matter.

You must have loved Ladrell Whitehead and Jay Strait. I don't think they played within the concept of an offense their entire careers.

You are missing the point. The TEAM has to play as a team, but without scripted plays. If a member doesn't perform in that way, he gets pulled. And this concept is only used when the scripted plays have been figured out by the opponent. As for Whitehead, I saw him at a game at Colorado giving fits to defender Chancy Billups with his play.

 

[SDPokeFan]

Here is what I would like from this team: When things aren't going well, as they were at Fresno, then the offense shifts to a "no designed plays" style of play. Wooten, at UCLA, never used plays on offense, and look at how many championships he won. He just let the playes make it up as they went, using their innate basketball skills. Defense, of course, is a different matter.

You must have loved Ladrell Whitehead and Jay Strait. I don't think they played within the concept of an offense their entire careers.

You are missing the point. The TEAM has to play as a team, but without scripted plays. If a member doesn't perform in that way, he gets pulled. And this concept is only used when the scripted plays have been figured out by the opponent. As for Whitehead, I saw him at a game at Colorado giving fits to defender Chancy Billups with his play.

I know what ya meant. Just playin.

 

[stymeman]

i expect consistency, and a chance to win each and every game, yes i get upset when we lose, but maybe we are chomping at the bit for this years team, I woulda thought by now tho that Granberry and Hankerson woulda been more scoring options, and as much as I like his ethic Derek Cooke has disappeared, we'll see from here on out

 

[Cowduck]

Here is what I would like from this team: When things aren't going well, as they were at Fresno, then the offense shifts to a "no designed plays" style of play. Wooten, at UCLA, never used plays on offense, and look at how many championships he won. He just let the playes make it up as they went, using their innate basketball skills. Defense, of course, is a different matter.

You must have loved Ladrell Whitehead and Jay Strait. I don't think they played within the concept of an offense their entire careers.

You are missing the point. The TEAM has to play as a team, but without scripted plays. If a member doesn't perform in that way, he gets pulled. And this concept is only used when the scripted plays have been figured out by the opponent. As for Whitehead, I saw him at a game at Colorado giving fits to defender Chancy Billups with his play.

Basic motion offenses don't have "plays" but a series of rules dictating the play, the cardinal one being "you don't get the ball unless you have cut/posted/screened first." I think Shyatt is basically running motion offense. There seems to be an emphasis on that weaving action to start a possession in the half court but I don't really think we have a set play or continuity type half court offense.

 

[Slow Hand]

It is interesting how late into the shot clock Shyatt has been going since he came to Wyoming. I thought the last time he was more uptempo with the same emphasis on defense. What changed?

 

[Cowduck]

It is interesting how late into the shot clock Shyatt has been going since he came to Wyoming. I thought the last time he was more uptempo with the same emphasis on defense. What changed?

We like to remember it that way, but the 97-98 Cowboys scored 63 points a game. The Pokes cleared 80 points in exactly one game that season, against Nicholls State. The 97-98 team averaged 47.7 FG attempts a game; 2012-13 team averaged 48.7; this year's team 45.7. That 97-98 team also shot 41.8% for the season. Anybody who thinks Shyatt's one year at UW in the 90s produced some sort of fast paced, high scoring team is misremembering things.

That said, he's certainly said he wants to play at a faster pace both the first time around and now, and his years at Florida with Billy Donovan sure seem to point that direction. However, I think he's cognizant of the fact that he can't play that way without the horses.

 

[stymeman]

the schedule doesn't get much easier from here on out, just win all of em at home and steal a couple elsewhere, we'll be a factor as usual at the tourney

 

[NowherePoke]

It is interesting how late into the shot clock Shyatt has been going since he came to Wyoming. I thought the last time he was more uptempo with the same emphasis on defense. What changed?

We like to remember it that way, but the 97-98 Cowboys scored 63 points a game. The Pokes cleared 80 points in exactly one game that season, against Nicholls State. The 97-98 team averaged 47.7 FG attempts a game; 2012-13 team averaged 48.7; this year's team 45.7. That 97-98 team also shot 41.8% for the season. Anybody who thinks Shyatt's one year at UW in the 90s produced some sort of fast paced, high scoring team is misremembering things.

That said, he's certainly said he wants to play at a faster pace both the first time around and now, and his years at Florida with Billy Donovan sure seem to point that direction. However, I think he's cognizant of the fact that he can't play that way without the horses.

Good points. The 97-98 team was our slowest team in the modern era until the more recent Shyatt teams. He has said he wants to play faster, but his actions don't indicate that. I would also point out that Florida is not as fast paced as some seem to think. They are 324th in Adjusted Tempo this year and have been over 250 for the past 5 years.

Simply put, don't expect the Pokes to become an uptempo team under Larry Shyatt. Which is fine by me. Winning 62-60 is a heck of a lot more fun than losing 85-72.

 

[NowherePoke]

After that 4 game winning streak, which included a couple of road games and games where they came back from some deficits, I thought that maybe the program had taken 2 or 3 steps forward. I also felt that finishing 3rd, or maybe even 2nd in the conference could be possible. The thing is, I think that with the Fresno State loss, I feel we took some steps back.

I know that they have been tough and in most of their games, but a team that only has 9 wins at this point in the season just can't be considered good. And for a team that I thought could 2-3 place, losing to a team clearly in the bottom tier of the conference is a major letdown for me. I'm afraid we are probably a 5-7th place team.

At the end of the day, I feel like the season will be considered a success and we will have shown improvement on seasons past, but I still can't shake the feeling that we have failed to play to our potential.

If you were hoping for a Top 3 finish, then yes, you were wanting too much. However, as BeaverPoke pointed out, 5th place and avoiding the play-in round in the MWCT is a legitimate goal and still a possibility. The Fresno loss hurts because two of the teams we will be competing with for 5th (Nevada and UNLV) both won there.

We are a 5-7th place team based on YTD results. Just need to hope for the top end of that group. I would really like to see the Pokes get to 9-9 or 10-8 and maybe win a game in the MWCT. I think a .500 MWC record, 20 wins, and some type of postseason play (CBI/CIT, albeit on the road) would be a solid season.

 

[Wyovanian]

Meh. I see a team that's long on will and guts, a little short on self-confidence and self-discipline, and very short on size and speed and the combination thereof. I personally expect that they'll continue to gel and improve as the season goes on- if they don't let the tough road-swing followed by SDSU get to them. IMO, they get one win out of those three games, we'll see a team that's taken yet another step up and might be capable of a tournament run.