Nicholls (11/17/14)

[CMJ]

NT 53

Nicholls 45

7:35 to go

Colonels starting to hit some treys and climb back in it.

[CMJ]

NT 61

Nicholls 52

3:14 to go

Tick clock, tick.

[NT03]

So still no Greg Wesley?

[THOR]

So will football win the scoring title???

[BillySee58]

So still no Greg Wesley?

Nope. And Aniefiok isn't playing tonight either. But I at least see him and Reese on the bench. I don't see Wesley

[MeanMag]

George just mentioned this was a poor shooting night for the mean green, but it appears it's just a poor shooting night for Jordan Williams.

5/17 - wow. Still scored 21 so far. Mostly on free throws.

[CMJ]

NT 71

Nicholls 57

Final

[Andrew]

Still concerned for the season. The defense hustled but we need to go man. We also still subbed far to much. I did not like that Benford in the post game said no player should ever play 30 plus minutes in a night. What is the point if conditioning all summer like they did if they just play 20-25 minutes a night. Guys like Chris Davis, Calvin Watson, josh white, Keith wooden, George O, and Tristan Thompson would lay 36/38 a night every game in the season. Someone needs to inform Benford of this. Guys like Ward, Eaglin, Flannigan, maybe even voss with the way he is playing need to ride the bench till the scrap minutes. We need to see a solid 35 minutes a night from Jordan, Combs, Pittman, Ahmed, TJ, Anefiok, and Harris. Get 7 or 8 guys and run it. Get a 30 point lead then the last five minutes play these other guys who slow down the game for us.

..... Also Benford needs to let these guys shoot. I miss the days of Chris Davis shooting it from the Wells Fargo sign and make or miss the coach would clap. Every miss Benford throws his hands up as if he thinks the point of basketball is to not put the ball in the hoop. Unless they make.... Then he claps. Watch some tape of the mavericks, push the ball, put it up in 10-12 seconds and get back in D!

[CMJ]

If we press constantly, I have no problem with no one playing tons of minutes. That's how Kentucky used to play when Pitino was there.

[Andrew]

If we press constantly, I have no problem with no one playing tons of minutes. That's how Kentucky used to play when Pitino was there.

We pressed a good chunk of the game but I do not see how these guys could be that tired. We would run 5 or even 6 hours in the rec hooping till midnight when I was these kids age. Was I playing college level players? Not usually but sometimes yes. Even so.... These guys should be able to go 35 minutes in a game going 100%

[CMJ]

We pressed a good chunk of the game but I do not see how these guys could be that tired. We would run 5 or even 6 hours in the rec hooping till midnight when I was these kids age. Was I playing college level players? Not usually but sometimes yes. Even so.... These guys should be able to go 35 minutes in a game going 100%

Tell it to Pitino.

He won a National Title in 1996 coaching that style. No one averaged over 27 minutes.....and eleven guys played in the NBA off this team.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/kentucky/1996.html

Edited November 18, 2014 by CMJ

[Andrew]

Tell it to Pitino.

He won a National Title in 1996 coaching that style. No one averaged over 27 minutes.....and eleven guys played in the NBA off this team.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/kentucky/1996.html

I'm going to assume we do not have 11 NBA caliber players.... Haha.

I'm all for pressing and playing more guys but when someone is hot leave them in. Pittman, TJ, Deandre, Williams, and Combs have great chemistry. Small but athletic line up.

[Mean_Green09]

Still concerned for the season. The defense hustled but we need to go man. We also still subbed far to much. I did not like that Benford in the post game said no player should ever play 30 plus minutes in a night. What is the point if conditioning all summer like they did if they just play 20-25 minutes a night. Guys like Chris Davis, Calvin Watson, josh white, Keith wooden, George O, and Tristan Thompson would lay 36/38 a night every game in the season. Someone needs to inform Benford of this. Guys like Ward, Eaglin, Flannigan, maybe even voss with the way he is playing need to ride the bench till the scrap minutes. We need to see a solid 35 minutes a night from Jordan, Combs, Pittman, Ahmed, TJ, Anefiok, and Harris. Get 7 or 8 guys and run it. Get a 30 point lead then the last five minutes play these other guys who slow down the game for us.

..... Also Benford needs to let these guys shoot. I miss the days of Chris Davis shooting it from the Wells Fargo sign and make or miss the coach would clap. Every miss Benford throws his hands up as if he thinks the point of basketball is to not put the ball in the hoop. Unless they make.... Then he claps. Watch some tape of the mavericks, push the ball, put it up in 10-12 seconds and get back in D!

Not to be mean, but your theory of volume shooting with this team is a bad idea. They already put up enough awful shots not bad, but awful. I don't want to see more prayers. I want a better shot selection.

[Andrew]

Not to be mean, but your theory of volume shooting with this team is a bad idea. They already put up enough awful shots not bad, but awful. I don't want to see more prayers. I want a better shot selection.

Where did I say throw up prayers? For years with guys like Davis, Watson, Hopkins, Thompson etc... We would catch and shoot out of screens constantly. These guys would shoot it up from 6 feet behind the line and knock them down. Why can't Jordan do the same? I think bad shots are shots where you drive it into the lane out of control and throw it up. A good shot is catching it and shooting it immediately before the defender can collapse on you.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Andrew

[Andrew]

I also wish the students would go back and sit in the student section. They are all over the seats and spreading out where people have payed to sit. There were tons of students there tonight... They just felt entitled to sit in other people's sits and not where students should be sitting.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

At this point in the season with weak non-conference games I'm fine with him subbing a lot gets a lot of guys some court time and will help keep our key players fresh hopefully for conference. Everyone getting low minutes can work great if we have depth which will be what we will have to see. So far can't complain too much, like what I see from the freshman duo so far, wish Jordan would not take a hundred shots in a game.

[Rudy]

Wow, 2-0. Let's hope we don't extend Benford.

[Andrew]

So still no Greg Wesley?

He is dealing with off court issues but I think we will see him at some point before this year is up. Hoping he can get everything together and wish him the best in any issues or trials he is going through.

Vote mentioned Greg in the paper last week. Never said anything about not seeing him again this season so I think we will see him at some point.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Andrew

[eagle2014]

He is dealing with off court issues but I think we will see him at some point before this year is up. Hoping he can get everything together and wish him the best in any issues or trials he is going through.

Vote mentioned Greg in the paper last week. Never said anything about not seeing him again this season so I think we will see him at some point.

What kind of off the court issues?

[Andrew]

What kind of off the court issues?

Vito did not say. Benford confirmed this in his post game interview on Friday. They both only said he was dealing with off court issues.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Andrew

[UNTFan23]

Where did I say throw up prayers? For years with guys like Davis, Watson, Hopkins, Thompson etc... We would catch and shoot out of screens constantly. These guys would shoot it up from 6 feet behind the line and knock them down. Why can't Jordan do the same? I think bad shots are shots where you drive it into the lane out of control and throw it up. A good shot is catching it and shooting it immediately before the defender can collapse on you.

Under Benford we're suppose to be running a system, that's why we don't see players "jacking up" shots.

Driving to the rim lends itself to a higher percentage shot, even if that shot might be contested. Best situation you can ask for is a made bucket and a foul. Almost half our points tonight (34 total for 77%) were from the free throw line.

Still concerned for the season. The defense hustled but we need to go man. We also still subbed far to much. I did not like that Benford in the post game said no player should ever play 30 plus minutes in a night. What is the point if conditioning all summer like they did if they just play 20-25 minutes a night. Guys like Chris Davis, Calvin Watson, josh white, Keith wooden, George O, and Tristan Thompson would lay 36/38 a night every game in the season. Someone needs to inform Benford of this. Guys like Ward, Eaglin, Flannigan, maybe even voss with the way he is playing need to ride the bench till the scrap minutes. We need to see a solid 35 minutes a night from Jordan, Combs, Pittman, Ahmed, TJ, Anefiok, and Harris. Get 7 or 8 guys and run it. Get a 30 point lead then the last five minutes play these other guys who slow down the game for us.

..... Also Benford needs to let these guys shoot. I miss the days of Chris Davis shooting it from the Wells Fargo sign and make or miss the coach would clap. Every miss Benford throws his hands up as if he thinks the point of basketball is to not put the ball in the hoop. Unless they make.... Then he claps. Watch some tape of the mavericks, push the ball, put it up in 10-12 seconds and get back in D!

I'm very worried for the season. From what I have seen, we don't have a post player. Like, at all. We kind of had one last season but he "went pro." I'm not sure if Voss or Combs was started as the 5 tonight but neither had more than 3 rebounds each with 20 minutes or less of PT. The best "post" player on the team may be a 6'7" forward - #20 Muhammed Ahmed, who had 10 rebounds on only 22 minutes tonight.

Edited November 18, 2014 by UNTFan23

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

Under Benford we're suppose to be running a system, that's why we don't see players "jacking up" shots.

Driving to the rim lends itself to a higher percentage shot, even if that shot might be contested. Best situation you can ask for is a made bucket and a foul. Almost half our points tonight (34 total for 77%) were from the free throw line.

I'm very worried for the season. From what I have seen, we don't have a post player. Like, at all. We kind of had one last season but he "went pro." I'm not sure if Voss or Combs was started as the 5 tonight but neither had more than 3 rebounds each with 20 minutes or less of PT. The best "post" player on the team may be a 6'7" forward - #20 Muhammed Ahmed, who had 10 rebounds on only 22 minutes tonight.

I was concerned about this too but then I remembered it seems like we never have had a true post player back when we were good... Even with JJ during those awesome 09-10,10-11 runs it felt like our tallest player was always 6-7.

[UNTFan23]

I was concerned about this too but then I remembered it seems like we never have had a true post player back when we were good... Even with JJ during those awesome 09-10,10-11 runs it felt like our tallest player was always 6-7.

We always managed to get by with what we had but I feel like now we have no one to throw out to cover the paint. It will be interesting to see what the coaching staff will do against a better rebounding team.

[CMJ]

I'm going to assume we do not have 11 NBA caliber players.... Haha.

I'm all for pressing and playing more guys but when someone is hot leave them in. Pittman, TJ, Deandre, Williams, and Combs have great chemistry. Small but athletic line up.

My point is that even on a team full of potential stars - no one played heavy minutes. Now, if we're gonna try playing a full court defense the majority of the time, this might be the way to go. VCU also employs that type of minute distribution.

[Andrew]

My point is that even on a team full of potential stars - no one played heavy minutes. Now, if we're gonna try playing a full court defense the majority of the time, this might be the way to go. VCU also employs that type of minute distribution.

We shall see as the year goes on how this works.