Darius Burford

[dpdoughbird06]

You would come up with a damn, I mean, darn good quip.

Joakim Noah always needed more ark on this shot…

 

[Redbird222]

THANK YOU Darius for your efforts. I really believe there's a better fit for him out there.

I liked Darius and wish he had stayed. He was the one guard that could consistently beat his defender off the dribble but I agree with you that I think there are probably better fits elsewhere for Darius's game.

 

[Redbird222]

So do we want more shooters or not? That seems to be the consensus on the board, and DB was not that. He could get a bucket, but he’s just not a good shooter at all.

Good teams have both shooters and scorers. We still have players that are neither. I would rather DB then some of the other ISU players.

Aftwr Christmas when the entire team was throwing up bricks and air balls, Pedon went to an iso offense with Myles and Burford. If the rest of the team had shot better in that stretch we may have one a few games.

During the stretch he was out, we also had the following games (losses) with him out

UIC 56
Bradley 45
Valpo 72
Evansville 53 ( I know he played limited action )

The one common theme in these games was our guards were pressured and could not generate their shot.

We still need to add pieces to compete and I would add another guard to the list now.

 

[Redbirdfan06]

Good teams have both shooters and scorers. We still have players that are neither. I would rather DB then some of the other ISU players.

Aftwr Christmas when the entire team was throwing up bricks and air balls, Pedon went to an iso offense with Myles and Burford. If the rest of the team had shot better in that stretch we may have one a few games.

During the stretch he was out, we also had the following games (losses) with him out

UIC 56
Bradley 45
Valpo 72
Evansville 53 ( I know he played limited action )

The one common theme in these games was our guards were pressured and could not generate their shot.

We still need to add pieces to compete and I would add another guard to the list now.

Was our problem really Burford not being an effective outside shooter or Johnny going off at Indiana state and Pedon realizing banks needed to give up the ball more and not putting us in garbage late shot clock scenarios?

 

[Baltimore Bird]

Without a change in his play, I don't see how we can win with Banks on the floor more than a few minutes. Horizontal aimless dribbling doesn't work.

 

[Hamdonger]

I liked Darius and wish he had stayed. He was the one guard that could consistently beat his defender off the dribble but I agree with you that I think there are probably better fits elsewhere for Darius's game.

I was a little frustrated and a bit confused with how we used Darius. Back to the mid year topic of putting players and the team in a position to succeed. No doubt he can get to the paint and convert. He definitely won us some games. But I just lean to the side of we're a better team by moving on - and if the staff is not willing to fully utilize him - it's best to move on.

When you break it all down to the simple, there's 2 approaches to a team and its coach. You either play to their strengths, or you bend them towards your will as a coach. It seems to be Ryan is doing his best to bend this program towards his will. Last 1/3 of the year was really fun. But those last two games just completely wiped it out for me, including the progress I thought we had made.

There's obviously higher expectations for this critical year 3. Rooting for our coach...and Redbirds...to relieve our frustrated Redbird fans.

 

[RedbirdSoxFan]

Go get a point guard with some size that can shoot from 3 at a decent clip and make free throws.

And play Johnny at the 2?

 

[Hamdonger]

Joakim Noah always needed more ark on this shot…

I conferred with the judges and we're all in agreement...that's a firm 9 out of 10!

 

[Redbirdfan06]

And play Johnny at the 2?

Yep. I think that’s where he is most effective. A lot of college teams play 3 guard offenses. I say all of that hoping we upgrade point guard and bring in another guard/wing.

 

[CB2K]

Disappointed in this. I am not one of the many that think he didn’t fit in here. He is the perfect complement to the type of offense coach has employed because he can slash and score like no other guard/forward could do especially when playing through the 4/5. Coach actually said that right before he returned and was eager to employ DB again. I was looking forward to seeing DB healthy and how the new found offense from JK and MP would flow when put together. Outside, driving, and inside. They now had all three levels of scoring represented on the team that could really be constructive and complimentary. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to see this but I was hoping to see it next year. However, DB was still not 100% and the team went into a shooting funk as well as a complete defensive letdown the last two games. DB did not play against Valpo.

The team mainly struggled because of shooting for most of the year. It is no surprise that coach is looking for shooting, shooting and shooting in the portal. The year-end gave some guys some minutes and they responded positively and grew some confidence and broke through. It became quite evident that the team had additional skill to add to the offense. The year-end games were won by having shooters make shots they weren’t making all year. JK was the breakout player that proved he can score in various ways that was needed all year but only matured at year end. MP found his shot too. So, scoring and skill increased by just these two improving their contributions resulting in better ball movement and successful sets. Imagine adding a slasher like DB to that scheme. Even richer.

Just because when DB came back from injury and the team lost 1, yes, 1 game - that the conclusion by some was that he was the culprit of a bad offense since it was really working when he went down. When DB was healthy no one was making anything except DB and Myles. He played 17 minutes in the Lou - yes, only 17 minutes. The team shot poor and was befuddled by the defense from the Aces. Shooting woes and defense raised its head again. Against Valpo, they couldn’t miss from three and our defense was pathetic albeit free from any contributions from DB since he was still out.

Correlation does not mean causation. That would be a pedestrian conclusion. The offense improved at year end because of good shooting and improved guard play by 2 guys that added points on the board and opened things up that was missing all year. The contributions from JK and MP was what was needed beginning in November. When outside shots are consistently being made then it opens up the floor and unlocks the offense and creates better spacing for people like Myles and Darius and Kendall.

Good luck to DB! Enjoyed having him on the team! He was especially gifted in transition which coach has said in the past he was trying to increase those opportunities during game play. We would have lost a few more games this year without him and people would have been more on the ledge than they are now.

 

[RedbirdSoxFan]

Yep. I think that’s where he is most effective. A lot of college teams play 3 guard offenses. I say all of that hoping we upgrade point guard and bring in another guard/wing.

I like the idea of Kinziger running the point and Mal at the 2 until Norris is ready to take over.

 

[Moreorless]

And play Johnny at the 2?

While JK can really shoot it, he’s more valuable at the 1.

 

[BirdGrad2011]

Just because when DB came back from injury and the team lost 1, yes, 1 game - that the conclusion by some was that he was the culprit of a bad offense since it was really working when he went down. When DB was healthy no one was making anything except DB and Myles. He played 17 minutes in the Lou - yes, only 17 minutes. The team shot poor and was befuddled by the defense from the Aces. Shooting woes and defense raised its head again. Against Valpo, they couldn’t miss from three and our defense was pathetic albeit free from any contributions from DB since he was still out.

Correlation does not mean causation. That would be a pedestrian conclusion. The offense improved at year end because of good shooting and improved guard play by 2 guys that added points on the board and opened things up that was missing all year. The contributions from JK and MP was what was needed beginning in November. When outside shots are consistently being made then it opens up the floor and unlocks the offense and creates better spacing for people like Myles and Darius and Kendall.

You know why Evansville beat us right? They knew Banks and Burford were absolutely zero threat from deep. So they sagged off those 2 and collapsed on Foster. It worked. Burford needs to at least develop an okay 3 ball to keep the defense honest. When he was healthy (note not judging one game after injury) the ball didn’t move well when he was on the floor. Way too much hero ball. When he got to his spot and hit that little floater he could take games over. However, that’s all he had this year. If it wasn’t there he was effectively useless on that end.

Could he have bucked that trend if he never got hurt? Sure. You can’t deny that the offense moved the ball much better on the perimeter while he was out. Too often we’d have Banks, Burford, Kasubke, Lewis, Foster on the floor and we had absolutely no offense other than hope Foster finished or got an offensive rebound. Kasubke was just as likely to pick up 2 fouls as he was to make an open shot. Individually these guys may be fine, but it clearly didn’t work as a unit.

 

[Redbirdfan06]

While JK can really shoot it, he’s more valuable at the 1.

If he was your point guard, we would have made that switch this year when the offense couldn’t do a thing.

Pedon needs to get a point guard. If he doesn’t, get used to a lot of crap offense with his security blanket in Banks. And get ready for another Thursday at the MVC appearance. This team has been a mainstay on Thursday night since we had a decent point guard. Turnovers aside, you can’t have a point guard that shoots less then 40% from the floor, 30% from 3, and 60% from the line with the ball in his hands the majority of a game.

 

[CB2K]

You know why Evansville beat us right? They knew Banks and Burford were absolutely zero threat from deep. So they sagged off those 2 and collapsed on Foster. It worked. Burford needs to at least develop an okay 3 ball to keep the defense honest. When he was healthy (note not judging one game after injury) the ball didn’t move well when he was on the floor. Way too much hero ball. When he got to his spot and hit that little floater he could take games over. However, that’s all he had this year. If it wasn’t there he was effectively useless on that end.

Could he have bucked that trend if he never got hurt? Sure. You can’t deny that the offense moved the ball much better on the perimeter while he was out. Too often we’d have Banks, Burford, Kasubke, Lewis, Foster on the floor and we had absolutely no offense other than hope Foster finished or got an offensive rebound. Kasubke was just as likely to pick up 2 fouls as he was to make an open shot. Individually these guys may be fine, but it clearly didn’t work as a unit.

Evansville didn’t sag that much in the game. Go back and watch it. Myles had an efficient great game with 18 and 9. He had his way down low and added 3 assists as well. It was the rest of the team that didn’t play the best. Poor shooting. Defense not great.

Yes, the ball did move better. That’s my point. It moved better because of the improved guard play from both JK and MP. JK came into his own and he’s not only a good shooter but a good playmaker. He can dish and find spacing and shoot. When guards are hitting shots and moving the ball then all kinds of opportunities open up. This only transpired when DB was injured. JK and MP brought a new dynamic that had not existed during the season up until that time. This means that without these two bringing new found improvements to the guard position that the offense would have stalled just as it had before. If JK and MP played as they did during the year then it would not have been any better. They did improve however and broke through so to speak because of the opportunity for increased PT. Because of this the team was now putting points on the board. So, of course the ball moved better and the offense improved. If this dynamic existed when DB was not injured then we wouldn’t have had an offense that relied on two people to score - DB and MF. It would have flowed even better in my opinion because of the added level of scoring that DB brings.

 

[BirdGrad2011]

Evansville didn’t sag that much in the game. Go back and watch it. Myles had an efficient great game with 18 and 9. He had his way down low and added 3 assists as well. It was the rest of the team that didn’t play the best. Poor shooting. Defense not great.

Yes, the ball did move better. That’s my point. It moved better because of the improved guard play from both JK and MP. JK came into his own and he’s not only a good shooter but a good playmaker. He can dish and find spacing and shoot. When guards are hitting shots and moving the ball then all kinds of opportunities open up. This only transpired when DB was injured. JK and MP brought a new dynamic that had not existed during the season up until that time. This means that without these two bringing new found improvements to the guard position that the offense would have stalled just as it had before. If JK and MP played as they did during the year then it would not have been any better. They did improve however and broke through so to speak because of the opportunity for increased PT. Because of this the team was now putting points on the board. So, of course the ball moved better and the offense improved. If this dynamic existed when DB was not injured then we wouldn’t have had an offense that relied on two people to score - DB and MF. It would have flowed even better in my opinion because of the added level of scoring that DB brings.

Didn’t sag much? They literally dared us to shoot from 3. Banks passed up so many wide open looks. Evansville had nobody to defend Foster that’s why he was efficient. They still crashed on the paint.

 

[PurpleRedbird]

My guess is that he ends up at DePaul

 

[Moreorless]

If he was your point guard, we would have made that switch this year when the offense couldn’t do a thing.

Pedon needs to get a point guard. If he doesn’t, get used to a lot of crap offense with his security blanket in Banks. And get ready for another Thursday at the MVC appearance. This team has been a mainstay on Thursday night since we had a decent point guard. Turnovers aside, you can’t have a point guard that shoots less then 40% from the floor, 30% from 3, and 60% from the line with the ball in his hands the majority of a game.

Idk about that. Pedon handled JK great last year. I think he would’ve eventually had him at the one anyway in due time. Coaches do know best, he groomed JK just for the moment he inserted him.

 

[DWRedbird]

Disappointed in this. I am not one of the many that think he didn’t fit in here. He is the perfect complement to the type of offense coach has employed because he can slash and score like no other guard/forward could do especially when playing through the 4/5. Coach actually said that right before he returned and was eager to employ DB again. I was looking forward to seeing DB healthy and how the new found offense from JK and MP would flow when put together. Outside, driving, and inside. They now had all three levels of scoring represented on the team that could really be constructive and complimentary. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to see this but I was hoping to see it next year. However, DB was still not 100% and the team went into a shooting funk as well as a complete defensive letdown the last two games. DB did not play against Valpo.

The team mainly struggled because of shooting for most of the year. It is no surprise that coach is looking for shooting, shooting and shooting in the portal. The year-end gave some guys some minutes and they responded positively and grew some confidence and broke through. It became quite evident that the team had additional skill to add to the offense. The year-end games were won by having shooters make shots they weren’t making all year. JK was the breakout player that proved he can score in various ways that was needed all year but only matured at year end. MP found his shot too. So, scoring and skill increased by just these two improving their contributions resulting in better ball movement and successful sets. Imagine adding a slasher like DB to that scheme. Even richer.

Just because when DB came back from injury and the team lost 1, yes, 1 game - that the conclusion by some was that he was the culprit of a bad offense since it was really working when he went down. When DB was healthy no one was making anything except DB and Myles. He played 17 minutes in the Lou - yes, only 17 minutes. The team shot poor and was befuddled by the defense from the Aces. Shooting woes and defense raised its head again. Against Valpo, they couldn’t miss from three and our defense was pathetic albeit free from any contributions from DB since he was still out.

Correlation does not mean causation. That would be a pedestrian conclusion. The offense improved at year end because of good shooting and improved guard play by 2 guys that added points on the board and opened things up that was missing all year. The contributions from JK and MP was what was needed beginning in November. When outside shots are consistently being made then it opens up the floor and unlocks the offense and creates better spacing for people like Myles and Darius and Kendall.

Good luck to DB! Enjoyed having him on the team! He was especially gifted in transition which coach has said in the past he was trying to increase those opportunities during game play. We would have lost a few more games this year without him and people would have been more on the ledge than they are now.

I would disagree that DB fit into Pedon's offense. DB was an up tempo player who worked better when slashing toward the bucket and either driving it or pulling up for a jumper. That is not what Pedon's offense is about. I thought a lot of the time he played this year, when the birds weren't in transition he looked out of place and looked like he felt uncomfortable.

I wish DB the best, and hope he gets onto a team that can best utilize his talents.

 

[redbirds2000]

That is 2. Hoping for at least 2-4 more from a group of Kasubke, Davis, Lieb and Banks.

Davis and Banks are staying.
Coin flip on Luke and Lieb.