MBB: CCU at App State 3:30 PM Last Chance for Home "W"

[app97]

Agreed, but I'm sure coach Fox bases his decisions on his own observations more than this message board, at least I hope so.

[EastHallApp]

I am not sure if Coach Fox is reading our post but if you check mine for the last couple of ballgames I was complaining about our lack of foot speed on defense and the need to play a zone sometimes. I have been to most all the home games the last 3 years and this is the first zone that I have seen us play. I do not want to disagree with ASU66 but the reason that we won this game was that we played a zone for most of it and that threw Ole Cliff Ellis and his boys off. When they started to come back was when we left the zone and went back to man to man. Their leading scorer was their point guard shooting lay ups. If we play more zone at the tournament we may win a couple of games. If not we will be back early and the other teams points leader will be a guard shouting lay up after lay up.

Scene: Office of Coach Jim Fox, 12:43 a.m.

Fox: "Well, we're 8-20, just one game left in the season. It seems like nothing I've tried is working, and I'm all out of ideas. Might as well head over to the Yosef's Cabin message board and see if they have any suggestions... Hmm, here's something. 'Zone defense' ... sounds intriguing!" <Searches Wikipedia to learn the basics of this mysterious new technique>

"Hey, this could work!"

And the rest is history...

[EastHallApp]

We actually won the game at the FT line as they only shot 54% there.

That's what I meant by "free throw defense." Ironic term that actually is tracked, which I know because I remember hearing that Notre Dame earlier this season was leading the nation in FT% but last in the nation in "free throw defense" (i.e., their opponents were shooting a really high percentage).

[hapapp]

I am not sure if Coach Fox is reading our post but if you check mine for the last couple of ballgames I was complaining about our lack of foot speed on defense and the need to play a zone sometimes. I have been to most all the home games the last 3 years and this is the first zone that I have seen us play. I do not want to disagree with ASU66 but the reason that we won this game was that we played a zone for most of it and that threw Ole Cliff Ellis and his boys off. When they started to come back was when we left the zone and went back to man to man. Their leading scorer was their point guard shooting lay ups. If we play more zone at the tournament we may win a couple of games. If not we will be back early and the other teams points leader will be a guard shouting lay up after lay up.

If that was the case, that might explain our 11th place finish. I sure hope he doesn't read this board for coaching tips.

[asu66]

I am not sure if Coach Fox is reading our post but if you check mine for the last couple of ballgames I was complaining about our lack of foot speed on defense and the need to play a zone sometimes. I have been to most all the home games the last 3 years and this is the first zone that I have seen us play. I do not want to disagree with ASU66 but the reason that we won this game was that we played a zone for most of it and that threw Ole Cliff Ellis and his boys off. When they started to come back was when we left the zone and went back to man to man. Their leading scorer was their point guard shooting lay ups. If we play more zone at the tournament we may win a couple of games. If not we will be back early and the other teams points leader will be a guard shouting lay up after la y up.

You and I have no issues. I'm relieved that we won the game. When our FG shooting went south in the 2nd half, the game turned into a looong afternoon as I predicted it would. But for our FT shooting in the last three minutes, as hapapp has noted, that "W" would have been Cliff's 807th. The only area where I missed on my prediction was that I didn't expect our guys to come out "on fire" on both ends of the court like they did. I just hope Fox has some more of that energy and fire canned and packed for NO.

As for the zone, Fox used a 1-3-1 on numerous occasions during the season and it was a complete disaster. I don't think we won any game in which it was deployed through the first 20 or so games. For several reasons, Saturday was a different day. Let's hope it was the first of many different days for Fox and his guys.

Oh, please include me in the camp with those who are pretty certain Fox doesn't rely on us for coaching strategy. He has McKillop and others on his cell hot buttons.

[3rd]

I am not sure if Coach Fox is reading our post but if you check mine for the last couple of ballgames I was complaining about our lack of foot speed on defense and the need to play a zone sometimes. I have been to most all the home games the last 3 years and this is the first zone that I have seen us play. I do not want to disagree with ASU66 but the reason that we won this game was that we played a zone for most of it and that threw Ole Cliff Ellis and his boys off. When they started to come back was when we left the zone and went back to man to man. Their leading scorer was their point guard shooting lay ups. If we play more zone at the tournament we may win a couple of games. If not we will be back early and the other teams points leader will be a guard shouting lay up after lay up.

We have played zone a bunch this year. But when other teams start shooting lights out from 3 against us we have to abandon it. The problem is we are young, between Capels last 2 classes losing players then completely losing the class between the coaching change we are just young. I know people don't wanna hear that because it has been that way the past 3 years but those teams had 1/2 older players who were seniors that helped settle things. Wait till Shabbaz is a senior along side 3-4 juniors and 3-4 sophomores if we still suck then.... then we can have a conversion about the state of the program.

[NavyApp]

I am not sure if Coach Fox is reading our post but if you check mine for the last couple of ballgames I was complaining about our lack of foot speed on defense and the need to play a zone sometimes. I have been to most all the home games the last 3 years and this is the first zone that I have seen us play. I do not want to disagree with ASU66 but the reason that we won this game was that we played a zone for most of it and that threw Ole Cliff Ellis and his boys off. When they started to come back was when we left the zone and went back to man to man. Their leading scorer was their point guard shooting lay ups. If we play more zone at the tournament we may win a couple of games. If not we will be back early and the other teams points leader will be a guard shouting lay up after lay up.

We have played zone a bunch this year. But when other teams start shooting lights out from 3 against us we have to abandon it. The problem is we are young, between Capels last 2 classes losing players then completely losing the class between the coaching change we are just young. I know people don't wanna hear that because it has been that way the past 3 years but those teams had 1/2 older players who were seniors that helped settle things. Wait till Shabbaz is a senior along side 3-4 juniors and 3-4 sophomores if we still suck then.... then we can have a conversion about the state of the program.

I get most of what you're saying, I read it as "hey don't get to down on the program there are good pieces in place let's see how they develop." If that's the sentiment then I completely agree, but the last sentence I have a hard time with. The point of having the state of the program conversation is provide an assessment of the program in the here and now whether it be good or bad. If we are honest with ourselves the team we fielded this year was not good by any measurement. Do we have good young talent? Oh heck yeah we do! Are we consistent game in and game out? Not even a little bit. Can we blame that on the relative youth of the team? Sure but I think it is more than that, some of which I think is depth and the lack thereof. Also the obvious dearth of big men really hampered us this year and needs to be addressed. But we I have watched this team play I find myself wanting to see more effort, when they are on man they can be fun to watch but when shots are not falling it looks like everyone is running in mud and that has to change. At the end of the day I believe the seeds of success are planted and I'm very intrigued to see how this signing class takes shape because next year is a make or break year for me with Coach Fox.

[firemoose]

Just as a point of reference, unless we have some attrition we are DONE for the Class of 2017. There is only one senior on this team, therefore only one scholarship available. And it was used on the transfer F Hunter Seacat, who will be eligible in Jan, one year from his enrollment date. There are no others to bring in because we have no spots. That could change but who is left to find now. We're recruiting the 2018 class now and have been for a while.

[3rd]

I am not sure if Coach Fox is reading our post but if you check mine for the last couple of ballgames I was complaining about our lack of foot speed on defense and the need to play a zone sometimes. I have been to most all the home games the last 3 years and this is the first zone that I have seen us play. I do not want to disagree with ASU66 but the reason that we won this game was that we played a zone for most of it and that threw Ole Cliff Ellis and his boys off. When they started to come back was when we left the zone and went back to man to man. Their leading scorer was their point guard shooting lay ups. If we play more zone at the tournament we may win a couple of games. If not we will be back early and the other teams points leader will be a guard shouting lay up after lay up.

We have played zone a bunch this year. But when other teams start shooting lights out from 3 against us we have to abandon it. The problem is we are young, between Capels last 2 classes losing players then completely losing the class between the coaching change we are just young. I know people don't wanna hear that because it has been that way the past 3 years but those teams had 1/2 older players who were seniors that helped settle things. Wait till Shabbaz is a senior along side 3-4 juniors and 3-4 sophomores if we still suck then.... then we can have a conversion about the state of the program.

I get most of what you're saying, I read it as "hey don't get to down on the program there are good pieces in place let's see how they develop." If that's the sentiment then I completely agree, but the last sentence I have a hard time with. The point of having the state of the program conversation is provide an assessment of the program in the here and now whether it be good or bad. If we are honest with ourselves the team we fielded this year was not good by any measurement. Do we have good young talent? Oh heck yeah we do! Are we consistent game in and game out? Not even a little bit. Can we blame that on the relative youth of the team? Sure but I think it is more than that, some of which I think is depth and the lack thereof. Also the obvious dearth of big men really hampered us this year and needs to be addressed. But we I have watched this team play I find myself wanting to see more effort, when they are on man they can be fun to watch but when shots are not falling it looks like everyone is running in mud and that has to change. At the end of the day I believe the seeds of success are planted and I'm very intrigued to see how this signing class takes shape because next year is a make or break year for me with Coach Fox.

I see what your saying also but I have watched almost every game from the last few years of Socon to the first few of the Belt, the Belt is so much of a stronger league from top to bottom. Do we as fans demand better yes of course but I also understand that in the Socon teams have about 1 really strong player keep the, in check and you have a shot. In the Belt each team is so much deeper from a scoring stand point it has made the rebuild that much harder. But yes I want to see improvement next year then year 5 needs to be MUCH improvement.