Scoring Depth Numbers

[BillySee58]

Right now we are being led in scoring pretty clearly by the 4 seniors we returned from our rotation last year. Hamlet, Reese, Simmons, and Bell. After that, the scoring options have been rough.

Our team outside of those 4 shot 2-14 (14%) from the floor last night with just 6 points. We could get into why, or ask if they can turn things around, but unless these guys play better we won’t be able to keep up with the top teams in conference. Even more worrying is if those 4 seniors decide to grad transfer for their extra year of eligibility. We need much more out of these players.

Here are their scoring averages in conference play:

Mardrez McBride - 5.8 points, 37.5% shooting and 28.3% 3-pt shooting

Rubin Jones - 5.3 points, 32.8% shooting and 37.1% 3-pt shooting

JJ Murray - 3.8 points, 42.4% shooting and 37.5% 3-pt shooting (just 26.7% shooting and 22.2% 3-pt shooting in his last 7 games)

Terence Lewis - 3.0 points, 48% shooting

Abou Ousmane - 2.5 points, 52% shooting

For perspective, these guys are replacing Gibson, Geu, Draper and Smart in our rotation. Those guys last year gave us 29.7 points a game, while the guys above are only giving us 20.4 points a game, on less efficient shooting.

[southsideguy]

Geu was the biggest loss.  You are right we have four players on the court vs the other team.  Next year's team is a real worry. I am afraid we will see Ousmane hit the portal.  Just watching him with the coach I get the same feeling I had with Gibson.   We will be in real trouble.  Hamlet is not the same this year.  He had few turn overs in a games last year and they seem to be way up this year.  It might be the supporting cast that have caused this as time have focused on him.  

I am thankful we are not at the level of the Benford teams but next year may be real tough. If we lose Simmons and Ousmane our center will be 6'4".  If the coach lets Murray come back I will have lost all hope.  I am so tried of seeing him drive to the basket and stop and look for a person so pass it too and then he has turn over.  

Edited March 9, 2021 by southsideguy

[greenminer]

1 hour ago, southsideguy said:

I am thankful we are not at the level of the Benford teams but next year may be real tough. 

No need to bring up Benny.  There is literally zero reason to worry about getting that bad.

[Coach Andy Mac]

Everyone figured out Hamlet.  He is not surprising anyone.  Losing Geu hurt.  McBride has been a bust.

[bstnsportsfan3]

Agree that McBride has been a disappointment. I also expected more out of Lewis. 

[BillySee58]

Our bench plus McBride combined to score a whopping 9 points this weekend. 9 points scored by guys not named Hamlet, Reese, Bell, and Simmons. A colossal indictment on our recruiting.

Jahmiah Simmons has taken up a scholarship on our roster for 4 straight years. Wise took up a scholarship the last 3. We have two guys under 6 feet tall who can’t shoot taking up scholarships, which wouldn’t be as bad if they were our 12th and 13th players, but they aren’t.

The only 4 guys on this roster who score are all seniors. Mccasland needs to get real with this roster and stop filling it with guys who can’t shoot, especially when he can’t put these guys on the court because of their lack of offensive ability.

[bstnsportsfan3]

With rubin most likely out for the tournament we have likely no shot of winning much in frisco. Im just basing this on the fact he came out on cruches.... i doubt he is back by wednesday. 

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

Well I have a good feeling about this next crop of incoming players. Hamlet and Bell played like they did against Western last year, and those 2 are going to be a huge piece if we want to go far in the tournament. Hoping Rubin is okay though, if we had him I think we win. 

[bstnsportsfan3]

Personally i would feed mcbride the ball on the 3point line and give him a green light. Clearly in a shooting flunk but he shot close to 50% from 3 last season...sometimes shooters just need to shoot to break a funk but he is clearly scared and keeps passing up shots and when he does take one he hesitates and misses. 

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

4 minutes ago, bstnsportsfan3 said:

Personally i would feed mcbride the ball on the 3point line and give him a green light. Clearly in a shooting flunk but he shot close to 50% from 3 last season...sometimes shooters just need to shoot to break a funk but he is clearly scared and keeps passing up shots and when he does take one he hesitates and misses. 

There is no way he doesn't already have a green light, but it's clear that he isn't ready for High level mid major. No confidence at all

[southsideguy]

this maybe a one suit tournament team.

[BillySee58]

2 hours ago, bstnsportsfan3 said:

Personally i would feed mcbride the ball on the 3point line and give him a green light. Clearly in a shooting flunk but he shot close to 50% from 3 last season...sometimes shooters just need to shoot to break a funk but he is clearly scared and keeps passing up shots and when he does take one he hesitates and misses. 

Something to keep in mind with McBride, while his percentage was good at his JUCO, he didn’t take a ton of threes. He only took 3.5 threes per game, so while his percentage was good he didn’t have the volume to really solidify the legitimacy there. The year before he shot more threes and only made 33.6%.

Translating 3-pt shooting numbers to the next level is a lot more trustworthy when the volume is there to go with it. James Reese was taking close to 6 a game at Odessa in his JUCO season. 

I think McBride does have a green light, but he has really struggled against CUSA and higher opponents. He was lighting it up early when the space to shoot was big, then has really struggled hitting open 3s when the close out defender gets close. That’s the shot you have to hit at this level. Hoping he is more ready for that next year, as he should be now with some CUSA experience.

[bstnsportsfan3]

8 hours ago, BillySee58 said:

Something to keep in mind with McBride, while his percentage was good at his JUCO, he didn’t take a ton of threes. He only took 3.5 threes per game, so while his percentage was good he didn’t have the volume to really solidify the legitimacy there. The year before he shot more threes and only made 33.6%.

Translating 3-pt shooting numbers to the next level is a lot more trustworthy when the volume is there to go with it. James Reese was taking close to 6 a game at Odessa in his JUCO season. 

I think McBride does have a green light, but he has really struggled against CUSA and higher opponents. He was lighting it up early when the space to shoot was big, then has really struggled hitting open 3s when the close out defender gets close. That’s the shot you have to hit at this level. Hoping he is more ready for that next year, as he should be now with some CUSA experience.

didn't know that about his attempts. Everyone was hailing him as the next MO. Seemed to be incorrect

[greenminer]

On 3/6/2021 at 12:35 PM, Coach Andy Mac said:

Everyone figured out Hamlet.  He is not surprising anyone.  Losing Geu hurt.  McBride has been a bust.

I wouldn't say they figured out Hamlet.  The rest of our roster has been exposed, and we are witnessing a great PG that has very few tools to work with.  Hamlet has been great for clutch shots and managing our offense when every one is contributing.  Maybe not good enough, however, to take over a game by himself.  a la Allen Iverson.

[GrandGreen]

Hamlet has been and is a great PG for NT.  NT's problem is that the lack of other outside shooters, has allowed opponents to focus more on him than when he had a Draper, and Gibson as other long range threats. 

The team against UAB just looked tired and exposed NT's lack of depth. 

After that game, I thought NT would have no chance in the tournament.   I have reconsidered that and I think they do but McCasland is going to have come with some basketball magic.

NT now has no guard depth at all, McBride is going to have to deliver and that doesn't look promising.  The other four starters are going to have to up their game to offset NT's poor bench. 

Jackson is going to get a lot more minutes, and has to make a few shots.  He was a big scorer in high school and is going to have to get a lot better offensively to play for NT.   Not the optimal time to do it, but get Robinson into the game if Lewis doesn't perform better than he has shown thus far.   

[UNTLifer]

What is Jones' status?