Louisiana Tech (3/7/18)

[Andrew]

15 minutes ago, cdizzle86 said:

I will admit that I haven’t watched one game this season until tonight, so take these notes with a grain of salt.

- Woolridge is not a starting PG. He makes too many mistakes and has no shot.

- Does anybody else on this team score other than Smart? 

- Smart has potential, but is also makes bad decisions too often. 

- I saw zero leadership from this team. Nobody holding each other accountable. 

I realize these comments are based only on one game, but at this point in the season we should be playing pretty clean basketball and that is not what I saw out there tonight. We’ve got a long ways to go to get back to our “glory days”.

Woolridge may very well be the best point guard in the league. In my opinion he needs to not play the entire game. It seemed like a majority of the season he has played all 40 minutes. He does need to work on his free throw shooting and get a nice jumper. He reminds me of Jason Kidd a bit. Her go snubbed not making a CUSA all team lost. 

 

I also aould have likes to have seen more Holston and Arikawe tonight and less Simmons. I don’t understand why he was out on the floor for such long stretch at the end of the game. We need to find a way to go deeper into the bench and give guys some rest. 

Edited March 8, 2018 by Andrew

[BillySee58]

Mercifully, this season ends. Watching this offense and free-throw shooting has been very difficult all year. Caught up with us down the stretch. Really hoping we can fix the offensive product over the offseason. Good news is we only lose Temara if everyone comes back. Bad news is we only lose Temara, if everyone comes back.

This team really needs another perimeter scorer and a rim defender. Really would be ideal if someone who is a shooting and scoring threat can take Lawson's spot in the starting lineup. J Simmons, Tikhonenko, and Gibson should really help but I feel like we need a JUCO or grad transfer perimeter scorer and a JUCO or grad transfer rim protector, so we don't have to rely on those guys to turn this team around, as they will still only be underclassmen. Would have to make room for that, especially if Draper is put on scholarship.

[cdizzle86]

6 minutes ago, Andrew said:

Woolridge may very well be the best point guard in the league. In my opinion he needs to not play the entire game. It seemed like a majority of the season he has played all 40 minutes. He does need to work on his free throw shooting and get a nice jumper. He reminds me of Jason Kidd a bit. Her go snubbed not making a CUSA all team lost. 

 

I also aould have likes to have seen more Holston and Arikawe tonight and less Simmons. I don’t understand why he was out on the floor for such long stretch at the end of the game. We need to find a way to go deeper into the bench and give guys some rest. 

I hope you’re right on Woolridge, but I didn’t see “best point guard in the league” type of play or anything remotely close. His lack of shooting ability is magnified because we have nobody else other than Smart who can score regularly. 

[EagleMBA]

This game just topped off a horrendous season-ending slide that left a horrible taste in my mouth!

How horrible you ask?  So horrible that even THIS seems like it would taste better...

[Andrew]

1 minute ago, cdizzle86 said:

I hope you’re right on Woolridge, but I didn’t see “best point guard in the league” type of play or anything remotely close. His lack of shooting ability is magnified because we have nobody else other than Smart who can score regularly. 

I agree with the lack of shooting. I saw he had 7 assists to 4 turnovers (although spent only shows 6 assists). He gets a little out of control at times, but he has a quick first step and can get to the hole relatively easily. We stood around to much and let the shot clock run down. I’m not sure what was up with our offense, we didn’t have much going for us. 

Woolridge and Temara/Holston use to have a nice pick and pop game, but neither of those two seemed to get many minutes tonight. 

[GrandGreen]

Predictable outcome

NT with one win in last 8.  

I think McCasland earns a lot of criticism for the way this team finished.  (Note, I am not saying he was a bad hire and recognize the turnaround in NT basketball he has engineered)

I think the rest of the league caught up with his very predictable offense.   McCasland managed for most of the year to hide a lot of talent deficities and what worked well early failed when it mattered.  

NT has two plus CUSA players in Woolridge and Smart.  

8 minutes ago, cdizzle86 said:

I hope you’re right on Woolridge, but I didn’t see “best point guard in the league” type of play or anything remotely close. His lack of shooting ability is magnified because we have nobody else other than Smart who can score regularly. 

Yes, Woolridge with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists is not point guard material.  He is not the best pg in the league and obviously needs to work on shooting.   If he develops even an average outside shoot and free throw accuracy; he could be the best point guard in the conference in the next two years.   That is the opinion of someone who has seen a lot more than one game. 

[Andrew]

13 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

Predictable outcome

NT with one win in last 8.  

I think McCasland earns a lot of criticism for the way this team finished.  (Note, I am not saying he was a bad hire and recognize the turnaround in NT basketball he has engineered)

I think the rest of the league caught up with his very predictable offense.   McCasland managed for most of the year to hide a lot of talent deficities and what worked well early failed when it mattered.  

NT has two plus CUSA players in Woolridge and Smart.  

Yes, Woolridge with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists is not point guard material.  He is not the best pg in the league and obviously needs to work on shooting.   If he develops even an average outside shoot and free throw accuracy; he could be the best point guard in the conference in the next two years.   That is the opinion of someone who has seen a lot more than one game. 

I can agree with that. I tend to look at everything through green tinted glasses. His assist to turnover rate was not fantastic, however as point guards for UNT go he worked his way up the stat line. I believe he finished second all time assists in a season. As far as point guards in UNT history go, he has already passed a majority of them and he is only a sophomore (playing in his first full season). If we would have played 10 deep instead of 6-7 deep every game he would get some rest and be more effective in crunch time. Next season we will be better. Hopefully McCasland goes deeper into the bench. 

[meanrob]

16 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

Predictable outcome

NT with one win in last 8.  

I think McCasland earns a lot of criticism for the way this team finished.  (Note, I am not saying he was a bad hire and recognize the turnaround in NT basketball he has engineered)

I think the rest of the league caught up with his very predictable offense.   McCasland managed for most of the year to hide a lot of talent deficities and what worked well early failed when it mattered.  

NT has two plus CUSA players in Woolridge and Smart.  

Yes, Woolridge with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists is not point guard material.  He is not the best pg in the league and obviously needs to work on shooting.   If he develops even an average outside shoot and free throw accuracy; he could be the best point guard in the conference in the next two years.   That is the opinion of someone who has seen a lot more than one game. 

He's going to improve his shot and FTs in the next two years? I listened to more games than I saw but you can't have your main ball handler be a liability at the free throw line. His assist to TO ratio was 1.7 to 1.  I guess you gotta go with what you got but to me his inconsistency is tied directly to the inconsistency of this team. Then again I'm trying not to knee-jerk over the finish to this season. 

I thought GM should really try to keep the game in the 60s with our offense struggling but we did that and still lost. 

[Mean Green Matt]

Certainly a disappointing and puzzling end to the season. I suppose if one was trying to put a reason behind the drop off it would be the team was tired, emotionally from all the close games, and physically. The other teams were tired too though. 

I was basically ready to give Mccasland a pass for this year before the season started so I'll take the improvement and hope he gets the end of the year figured out next season. 

[UNTLifer]

Losing Gibson was huge. He and the Russian will add quality. As noted above, we need a pure shooter that can create. 

[FirefightnRick]

Just gotta keep things in perspective and remind ourselves that the $hit show of the past is over and the turnaround process is in full force.

I look at it this way.  Half the season we only lost by 6 or less?  8 losses by 2 or less. The team had S ome early excitement and a chance to go out a winner after only beating 5 teams you could  find on a map the year before?

Theres lots to look forward to for sure.

 

Rick

Edited March 8, 2018 by FirefightnRick

[Shark84]

9 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Losing Gibson was huge. He and the Russian will add quality. As noted above, we need a pure shooter that can create. 

Gipson starts at PG next year without a doubt.

[GrandGreen]

22 minutes ago, Shark84 said:

Gipson starts at PG next year without a doubt.

I would think there is a big doubt.  Gibson is an unknown other than he was starting for what the first two games.  

Woolridge has demonstrated he is without question the second best player on the team.   If you think he is not a good enough shooter to play point, he sure is not enough for a wing position.   Woolridge has to have the ball to be effective, there is a reason he logged by far the most minutes on the team. 

NT will have a bevy of guards:  Duffy, Gibson, Draper, Smart, Woolridge and Simmons.  The problem is whose going to play on the interior.   Arikawe and Simmons and Tikhonenko are about it in the paint.  I think Simmons has a big upside and Arikawe is capable.  However, both of those players are going to have to get a lot better to be even be average in the conference.  I would be surprised if Tikhonenko is going to be ready for big minutes.  

In any case, if NT ends up with any ships to give, they have a much bigger need in the front court than finding another shooting guard. 

[UNTLifer]

Well, there are a few "shooting" guards that need to work in their shooting. 

[Cooley]

Gibson is not the point guard some of you guys are hoping for. He’s more a small shooting guard. 

[MeanGreenHoops]

The team is 4 players short of being at the top of CUSA. The fact there is only one player that can score (Smart) makes the record commendable. Woolridge would be fine if surrounded with 3 other threats (besides Smart).  The fact Draper gets heavy minutes tells you all you need to know, He is a liability everywhere especially defense except for he can hit an open three. He'd be a good 6th man on a great team ala Tim Duryea from back in the day.

The interior defense and athleticism of the team is way behind the top teams in the league. McCaslands 1st season reminds me of Litrells. He took a terrible team and made them competitive by figuring out strengths and weaknesses and getting buyin. Exactly what a good coach would do, but it caught up to both of them at the end of their 1st season. The main difference though is McCasland was able to change over half his team and doesn't have many scholarships to give to make an improvement. If he can recruit he can challenge at the top. That's the next step. Sounds familiar.

[Harry]

8 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

He and the Russian will add quality.

 

[Mean_Green09]

1 hour ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

The team is 4 players short of being at the top of CUSA. The fact there is only one player that can score (Smart) makes the record commendable. Woolridge would be fine if surrounded with 3 other threats (besides Smart).  The fact Draper gets heavy minutes tells you all you need to know, He is a liability everywhere especially defense except for he can hit an open three. He'd be a good 6th man on a great team ala Tim Duryea from back in the day.

The interior defense and athleticism of the team is way behind the top teams in the league. McCaslands 1st season reminds me of Litrells. He took a terrible team and made them competitive by figuring out strengths and weaknesses and getting buyin. Exactly what a good coach would do, but it caught up to both of them at the end of their 1st season. The main difference though is McCasland was able to change over half his team and doesn't have many scholarships to give to make an improvement. If he can recruit he can challenge at the top. That's the next step. Sounds familiar.

I've been critical of Draper a lot this season, but this is where your wrong. Go back and re-watch games. Draper was one of the better defenders. Smart was more of a defensive liability then Draper. 

Your correct about the rest. 

[diehardUNTfan]

33 minutes ago, Mean_Green09 said:

 Go back and re-watch games. Draper was one of the better defenders.

Yeah Draper is a pesk on D. Very agile on his feet. 

[GrandGreen]

22 minutes ago, Mean_Green09 said:

I've been critical of Draper a lot this season, but this is where your wrong. Go back and re-watch games. Draper was one of the better defenders. Smart was more of a defensive liability then Draper. 

Your correct about the rest. 

I agree Draper is a good defensive player, the problem is his lack of height.   He is going to be exploited by taller players particularly in McCasland's defense where he ends up too often on a big.  He has excellent feet and plays with maximum effort. 

1 hour ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

The team is 4 players short of being at the top of CUSA. The fact there is only one player that can score (Smart) makes the record commendable. Woolridge would be fine if surrounded with 3 other threats (besides Smart).  The fact Draper gets heavy minutes tells you all you need to know, He is a liability everywhere especially defense except for he can hit an open three. He'd be a good 6th man on a great team ala Tim Duryea from back in the day.

The interior defense and athleticism of the team is way behind the top teams in the league. McCaslands 1st season reminds me of Litrells. He took a terrible team and made them competitive by figuring out strengths and weaknesses and getting buyin. Exactly what a good coach would do, but it caught up to both of them at the end of their 1st season. The main difference though is McCasland was able to change over half his team and doesn't have many scholarships to give to make an improvement. If he can recruit he can challenge at the top. That's the next step. Sounds familiar.

I disagree to some extent, McCasland inherited much better players than what you would expect from a bottom of the league team.   Woolridge, Lawson, Temara, Holston, Simmons and Draper were a good group to build on.  

McCasland chose to bring in basically the ASU recruiting class to fill out the roster.   Smart was a great addition, but the jury is out on the rest.  Duffy and Arikawe showed they can play at this level, but both must improve to challenge as starters.  

The point is that McCasland did have an opportunity to bring in a lot of his own recruits, 7 players so it is not like he didn't have a lot to do with shaping this team.   So if the talent is not there on this team, it is not because McCasland didn't have ships to give; it is because he missed on some recruits.  

My guess there will be turnover and more ships to give.   However, on the bright side NT is losing only one player and he was not a factor in the last half of the season.  I think Simmons (the tall), Woolridge and Smart will start next year and there will be a battle for the other two positions.   

[Mean Green Matt]

54 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

I agree Draper is a good defensive player, the problem is his lack of height.   He is going to be exploited by taller players particularly in McCasland's defense where he ends up too often on a big.  He has excellent feet and plays with maximum effort. 

I disagree to some extent, McCasland inherited much better players than what you would expect from a bottom of the league team.   Woolridge, Lawson, Temara, Holston, Simmons and Draper were a good group to build on.  

McCasland chose to bring in basically the ASU recruiting class to fill out the roster.   Smart was a great addition, but the jury is out on the rest.  Duffy and Arikawe showed they can play at this level, but both must improve to challenge as starters.  

The point is that McCasland did have an opportunity to bring in a lot of his own recruits, 7 players so it is not like he didn't have a lot to do with shaping this team.   So if the talent is not there on this team, it is not because McCasland didn't have ships to give; it is because he missed on some recruits.  

My guess there will be turnover and more ships to give.   However, on the bright side NT is losing only one player and he was not a factor in the last half of the season.  I think Simmons (the tall), Woolridge and Smart will start next year and there will be a battle for the other two positions.   

So if Duffy and Arikawe showed they are serviceable division one players and Smart was a great get, plus tikhonenko, Gibson, and J Simmons sitting out, who did he miss on at this point? Miller? 

Z Simmons played well and should improve with experience. Lawson and especially Woolridge are very good players (though the FT shooting of the latter is immensely perplexing) but I think we may be retroactively overestimating  what was left in the closet for Mccasland based on what he did this year with them. 

Did this season end well? No way? But he did take a beaten down 8-win team that didn't even make the tournament last year and made NT basketball fun again. Expectations rise next year. I think coach knows that as well. 

[UNTLifer]

3 hours ago, Harry said:

 

Love it.  I couldn't remember how to spell his name so I went with "The Russian" over "The Trump Ally." 

[Mean Green Matt]

2 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Love it.  I couldn't remember how to spell his name so I went with "The Russian" over "The Trump Ally." 

How about Mark?

[Arkstfan]

13 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Predictable outcome

NT with one win in last 8.  

I think McCasland earns a lot of criticism for the way this team finished.  (Note, I am not saying he was a bad hire and recognize the turnaround in NT basketball he has engineered)

I think the rest of the league caught up with his very predictable offense.   McCasland managed for most of the year to hide a lot of talent deficities and what worked well early failed when it mattered.  

McCasland is now 7-13 in games played on or after February 1 as a Division I coach and 3-13 in games played on or after February 10.

That *might* be other coaches figuring him out -or- it could be that since both those seasons he was a first year coach blending his guys with leftovers and depth caught up -or- he's not made good decisions about strength and conditioning and the guys aren't physically ready for the full grind of the season.

I would presume depth until there is a greater sample of seasons.

EDIT

I wouldn't buy into the "other coaches figuring him out" unless he tanks early conference season next year. Because then every returning coach has seen him one to three times previously. If he runs well through the early conference season and tanks again late, I'd start looking at strength and conditioning.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Arkstfan

[GrandGreen]

34 minutes ago, Mean Green Matt said:

So if Duffy and Arikawe showed they are serviceable division one players and Smart was a great get, plus tikhonenko, Gibson, and J Simmons sitting out, who did he miss on at this point? Miller? 

Z Simmons played well and should improve with experience. Lawson and especially Woolridge are very good players (though the FT shooting of the latter is immensely perplexing) but I think we may be retroactively overestimating  what was left in the closet for Mccasland based on what he did this year with them. 

Did this season end well? No way? But he did take a beaten down 8-win team that didn't even make the tournament last year and made NT basketball fun again. Expectations rise next year. I think coach knows that as well. 

Did I say he missed on anyone?  Read. I stated if the talent is not there it is because he missed on some recruits.  The majority of the squad are McCasland's recruits.   So I don't think as inferred in a post above that McCasland is being severely limited because he doesn't have open scholarships.