Basketball

[SpartyNash]

Holy fuck this team blows. Hope we enjoy being on the bubble again in a couple weeks:

ILL
@ IOWA
PUR
@ MICH
@ OSU
UMD

I can easily see a 2-4 to 1-5 end to the season.

 

[johnny2x2x]

Just awful. Embarrassing effort. Team lacks toughness and they don?t execute.

2-4 and we?re in 1-5 and we?re bubble and need a win in the BTT.

 

[SpartyNash]

Just awful. Embarrassing effort. Team lacks toughness and they don?t execute.

2-4 and we?re in 1-5 and we?re bubble and need a win in the BTT.

It?s mid February and I?m still wondering what our offensive identity is. The lineups are questionable at best. Gabe Brown is completely lost, when Hauser is leaps and bounds better than you then you?ve got some problems. They have no guy who you can run an offense through. The half court sets are so stale and stagnant. Zero killer instinct or toughness.

 

[gotime909]

I havent been watching this team much lately. Just got sick of guys stepping out of bounds or throwing the ball away unforced multiple times every game. Just zero basketball IQ on this team.

 

[biggunsbob]

18-7
You guys are not on the bubble. You only need 1 or 2 more wins and you will get in. The ncaa has so many bad teams. Just a blip. Tom will figure it out. Just my opinion.

 

[SpartyNash]

18-7
You guys are not on the bubble. You only need 1 or 2 more wins and you will get in. The ncaa has so many bad teams. Just a blip. Tom will figure it out. Just my opinion.

I?m not saying we?re on the bubble right now, but when we go 2-4 or 1-5 we most certainly will be on it.

As far as a blip, I don?t think this is one. It?s been about 2 months plus since this team has played well consistently/ for more than just a game or half here and there. I love izzo as much as the next Spartan but he?s done a really bad job this year. I heard Stephen Bardo last Saturday say that Dwayne Stephens is an outstanding assistant and future head coach, maybe he got confused with another guy named Dwayne Stephens because if ours was such a good assistant he would have gotten a job by now.

 

[Spartanmack]

Turnovers, consistently out rebounded, Hauser starting ahead of Hall and Hoggard getting 20 mins let alone starting? Bingham may block a lot of shots but he's still a net negative. The number of multiple minute scoreless droughts in a single game and the disparity between quality looks from 3 we give up vs create is mind boggling.

I was laughing to myself watching a recent game because after the michigan game I actually wondered if maybe Hoggard had turned a corner. Turns out it was just the competition - or lack of. Akins is either going to be another highly rated recruit Izzo has wasted or he's going to hit the portal if he has to watch Hoggard get all those minutes.

This team over the last two years has made the disappointment of cancelling the NCAA tournament in Cassius' senior season hurt so much more.

At least we're not dealing with the chemistry/conflict issues Emoni Bates would have brought to the program - so we got that going for us.

 

[Spartanmack]

Holy fuck this team blows. Hope we enjoy being on the bubble again in a couple weeks:

ILL
@ IOWA
PUR
@ MICH
@ OSU
UMD

I can easily see a 2-4 to 1-5 end to the season.

could you imagine if we had to play Purdue and OSU twice. We're going to be a bubble team with one of the softest schedules we could get in B1G play.

 

[Spartanmack]

I?m not saying we?re on the bubble right now, but when we go 2-4 or 1-5 we most certainly will be on it.

As far as a blip, I don?t think this is one. It?s been about 2 months plus since this team has played well consistently/ for more than just a game or half here and there. I love izzo as much as the next Spartan but he?s done a really bad job this year. I heard Stephen Bardo last Saturday say that Dwayne Stephens is an outstanding assistant and future head coach, maybe he got confused with another guy named Dwayne Stephens because if ours was such a good assistant he would have gotten a job by now.

Yeah, I like Bardo's color commentary most of the time but he says some pretty off the wall stuff that makes you wonder what the hell he's thinking. I think a big part of Izzo's problem is his assistant coach lineup. they're the guys that are supposed to have these kids ready to play, toughen them up, make sure they know how to not give 30 looks from 3, rebound, etc.

I liked the Fife hire and was bummed to see him go. I like Montgomery well enough, glad he's back given what we have. But it's probably time to move on from Stevens.

 

[gotime909]

I've changed my Hall over Hauser stance to Hall over Brown. I still think Hall is better than Hauser by a ton, but Brown hasn't offered shit to this team.

 

[Spartanmack]

i haven't watched enough to have a strong opinion other than Hall should be starting ahead of someone. What I've seen, Brown has a tendency to disappear whereas Hauser has a tendency to make a lot of stupid plays, turn the ball over, etc. Both have been disappointing but my impression is if both got it together, Brown is more valuable but again, that's not a high conviction position.

 

[Spartanmack]

Another huge disappointment. Played like crap for 35 minutes then somehow managed to make a run late but couldn?t finish. This team looks lost on offense, gives up offensive rebounds way too easily. Felt like a road game the way it was called but at least the refs let them play the last 4 mins or so. Houser definitely looked better than brown today - Brown just sits there on the baseline behind the arc and sometimes runs along the arc to the wing to catch a pass, fake a shot, dribble inside the arc, pick up his dribble and wait for a double team before passing it out to the point. Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[gotime909]

Brown needs to go to the bench. He brings nothing to the team other than occasionally hitting 3's.

 

[SpartyNash]

Brown needs to go to the bench. He brings nothing to the team other than occasionally hitting 3's.

He is absolutely lost

The first half was one of the most pathetic displays of offense I?ve ever seen. I?ve seen Izzo and some fans bitching about refs today, but I don?t want to hear it, you don?t get to do that when you play like complete shit for 80% of the game. The silver lining is maybe Walker will have some confidence going forward to shoot the damn ball now. He?s passed up far too many shots this year so far.

 

[Spartanmack]

He is absolutely lost

The first half was one of the most pathetic displays of offense I?ve ever seen. I?ve seen Izzo and some fans bitching about refs today, but I don?t want to hear it, you don?t get to do that when you play like complete shit for 80% of the game. The silver lining is maybe Walker will have some confidence going forward to shoot the damn ball now. He?s passed up far too many shots this year so far.

There were definitely some really bad calls but they didn?t make the difference. College basketball is the worst officiated game in major sports. It?s fine to point that out - they should be called out because they detract from the fun of watching games. But blaming that loss on them is different and in this case makes you wonder what game Izzo was watching because they didn?t lose that game due to bad officiating.

 

[Spartanmack]

another blow-out loss. glad I didn't watch but holy crap that looks bad. Can't shoot, can't get to the foul line (4 free throws all night). Brown 0-7, Bingham 4 TOs, Max Christie 2-11, Hoggard 23 minutes, Hauser takes just 3 shots, Walker comes off the bench after demonstrating he is at least our second best player - makes sense though since arguably our best player also does not start. WTF is going on with this team?

Edit: and what is Izzo thinking with these lineups?

 

[gotime909]

Need a big time shake up.

Id start Hoggard, Walker, Hall, Hauser and Marble. Might not be the 5 most talented, but at least I don't see thise guys standing around and watching the game. What has Brown, Christie and Bingham done to deserve a locked in spot in the starting 5? Akins gives effort too

 

[gotime909]

another blow-out loss. glad I didn't watch but holy crap that looks bad. Can't shoot, can't get to the foul line (4 free throws all night). Brown 0-7, Bingham 4 TOs, Max Christie 2-11, Hoggard 23 minutes, Hauser takes just 3 shots, Walker comes off the bench after demonstrating he is at least our second best player - makes sense though since arguably our best player also does not start. WTF is going on with this team?

Edit: and what is Izzo thinking with these lineups?

Walker has put most of his offense up with Hoggard at pg. They need to play together as much as possible imo

 

[Spartanmack]

Walker has put most of his offense up with Hoggard at pg. They need to play together as much as possible imo

not a great sample size but seemed like Walker created all of his own offense to get us back into the Illinois game. I guess we're still tournament eligible so you want to put your best squad on the floor, but something about Hoggard's game bugs me - I'd rather see Akin get more minutes because I think he has more upside than Hoggard.

 

[Spartanmack]

Nice win. Only saw the 2nd half - didn?t protect the lead that well but they didn?t fall apart and blow it either. Have to give credit to Hoggard - don?t know why Walker sat most of the half but he played well. Marble needs more minutes - he?s easily our best defender against bigs.