Thoughts on each player

[V Boy]

Fayne - best player. Get him the rock more. There should never be a game where he has under 7 rebounds. He needs to be more assertive especially against the teams we are about to face.

Yarbrough - he and Fayne should run more high-lows and he should play on block more (triple threat. Score. Pass to Fayne. Kick out for a 3). He HAS to rebound and defend every night or we lose.

Evans - needs to play off the ball more. Not quick enough to get separation at the point. Defensively he should not be guarding other teams top dog.

Copeland - should be running the point. Has the quickness. Size. Playmaking ability. Need better shot selection. It will come. Defensively he needs to guard the top guard. Asking a lot from one player.

Jefferson - Would like to see him penetrate more. Teams have to respect his jumper, which is best on the team. Don’t understand why Muller does not use more high ball screens with Fayne and Yarbrough and his guards. They can all shoot. And F and Y can finish on the roll.

Tinsley - The confidence is not there because the effort is not there. He will sort out his role in the offense (which will be the 4th or 5th option - accept it). In the meantime, he should be trying to get 10 rebounds every game and holding his guy scoreless.

Gassman, Hein, Chastain - should not be shooting unless it is uncontested. Muller needs to play more zone when they are in there. And there should not be situations when 2 of them are on the floor together.

Rey - he really needs to play more. He should be setting a million screens and rebounding and blocking a shot here or there. We don’t need him to score. There should be 3 other guys on the court at all times who can score.

 

[redneckredbird]

Pretty solid analysis. All of them need to play with more intensity on defense. If they can fix that we will win a lot of games. If not ......

 

[saxman210]

Good analysis V Boy. Rey, right now, is the “coke machine” that everyone has asked for. A big dude that takes up space and can sorta play defense and sorta rebound. I think he will prove important to our success.

The question I keep asking myself is how we graduate NO seniors, retain 89% of our scoring and add a couple of great JUCOs and look nothing like the #2 team in the valley we were last year. It’s like we have taken a giant leap backwards but I can’t figure out how or why.

 

[redbirdron1]

V-Boy Good post. Not sure I see Copeland in the strong light as u but I'd like to believe he's gonna get better
because he's not playing free and easy at this point. Seems too tentative to me but maybe in time.......

Agree he can get to the hoop though he doesn't know how to finish at this level.

Where's the swagger with this group? If they're so darn good in Muller's eyes - why aren't they walkin the talk and just
kicking some butt with these athletes? We need 5 guys on the floor who look their opponent in the eye and squeeze the
air out of them - put the boot on their throat.

 

[TrueRedbirdFan23]

Good analysis V Boy. Rey, right now, is the “coke machine” that everyone has asked for. A big dude that takes up space and can sorta play defense and sorta rebound. I think he will prove important to our success.

The question I keep asking myself is how we graduate NO seniors, retain 89% of our scoring and add a couple of great JUCOs and look nothing like the #2 team in the valley we were last year. It’s like we have taken a giant leap backwards but I can’t figure out how or why.

The #1 killer to any team.... poor shot selection. It has a domino effect. Once one guy takes a few bad ones, the rest follow. There are two reasons you shoot a low % from 3... you’re either a bad shooter or you take bad shots (low % shots). With this group, there are guys taking several bad shots (Copeland & Boogie) I’ve seen enough of the perimeter pass 3’s... get into the paint and kick it out. Those are better shots!

This team needs an identity... they don’t currently have one. How are we going to play to win? What needs to be the focus? How important is guarding... bc you can’t just outscore everyone. Until they buy defensively, they are a mess and will lose games. Key needs to play better... Boogie is who he is... we get wow’ed by the body/potential but he has very little toughness & will never be the guy we want him to be.

There are growing pains with every team... Dan’s message will get through. “Maybe we aren’t as good as you think we are”... therefore the team finds the necessary hunger to compete!!

This team will be fine, the pieces are there, but they are still very flawed in several key areas.

#BackTheBirds

 

[Phantom]

The early stumbling block has not been fun at all. Obviously a lot of rust to shake out. Some great points above. I think an identity will present itself and the team could lock in if the following start to happen consistently:

- Defend without fouling
- Stop giving up second chance points
- Hit FT's
- Don't just bomb away early in the possession. Get better shot selection
- Let Phil and Milik take over

 

[JHBird]

Good analysis V Boy. Rey, right now, is the “coke machine” that everyone has asked for. A big dude that takes up space and can sorta play defense and sorta rebound. I think he will prove important to our success.

The question I keep asking myself is how we graduate NO seniors, retain 89% of our scoring and add a couple of great JUCOs and look nothing like the #2 team in the valley we were last year. It’s like we have taken a giant leap backwards but I can’t figure out how or why.

That is the million dollar question. Coach and everybody's saying we're soft now but we weren't last year and we have all our seniors back. It's kinda befuddling to say the least. Maybe too much off season hype has gone to their heads.

 

[Hamdonger]

Knight used to say, in terms of the game, mental toughness is to physical as four is to one.

This is not a physical issue. We're under pressure to perform because everybody, including the players and coaches, thinks we should be very good. We're playing tight. Almost scared. (exception Phil Fayne and last night Milik) You ever try playing from a fear base? You're literally half the player. Physically they know what it means to play hard but getting their minds wrapped around it just hasn't happened...because when your mind is wrapped around you go beyond your perceived physical capabilities and it also allows you to play loose.

I think they got a little too big for their britches, faced some adversity they weren't prepared for, and now they're in a flat spin out to sea. We do have a psychology problem right now and we have a big time confidence problem. Keyshawn jumps out at me right now in that regard.

We could break out of it and go on to have success. Or it could fester and grow larger and even impact a guy like Phil. Reminds me of '16-'17...last half of the year our offense rarely played well consistently. Alot of games went down to the last 5 minutes. But we sure as hell were confident and we had some authentic moxie and that's why even when we looked like sht we won most of them. And...senior leadership.

If we don't get our HEADS back to center, we're in trouble, cause right now we are mental cupcakes. It happens sometimes.

With that said...we are only 3 games in. These next 10 days are big.


PS. Don't forget we have a coach who has mentally been a winner all of his competitive life and we have two assistants with NCAA championship rings who played for arguably the two greatest coaches of all time.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

Good analysis V Boy. Rey, right now, is the “coke machine” that everyone has asked for. A big dude that takes up space and can sorta play defense and sorta rebound. I think he will prove important to our success.

The question I keep asking myself is how we graduate NO seniors, retain 89% of our scoring and add a couple of great JUCOs and look nothing like the #2 team in the valley we were last year. It’s like we have taken a giant leap backwards but I can’t figure out how or why.

That is the million dollar question. Coach and everybody's saying we're soft now but we weren't last year and we have all our seniors back. It's kinda befuddling to say the least. Maybe too much off season hype has gone to their heads.

Agree with the mega-befuddling. What I thought would be a strengths of this team early in the year...experience, continuity, coaching, leadership chemistry, swagger...all the intangibles that would get ISU off running fast and be a pillar for the team all year...have been non-existent. I am pro-Muller but so far this start (which I include the preseason games) has me disappointed in his coaching and team preparation. Team (coaches and players) needs to get focused ASAP.

 

[Hamdonger]

...all the intangibles that would get ISU off running fast and be a pillar for the team all year...

Intangibles. That's the key word right there.

 

[Tpguy]

Fayne - best player. Get him the rock more. There should never be a game where he has under 7 rebounds. He needs to be more assertive especially against the teams we are about to face.

Yarbrough - he and Fayne should run more high-lows and he should play on block more (triple threat. Score. Pass to Fayne. Kick out for a 3). He HAS to rebound and defend every night or we lose.

Evans - needs to play off the ball more. Not quick enough to get separation at the point. Defensively he should not be guarding other teams top dog.

Copeland - should be running the point. Has the quickness. Size. Playmaking ability. Need better shot selection. It will come. Defensively he needs to guard the top guard. Asking a lot from one player.

Jefferson - Would like to see him penetrate more. Teams have to respect his jumper, which is best on the team. Don’t understand why Muller does not use more high ball screens with Fayne and Yarbrough and his guards. They can all shoot. And F and Y can finish on the roll.

Tinsley - The confidence is not there because the effort is not there. He will sort out his role in the offense (which will be the 4th or 5th option - accept it). In the meantime, he should be trying to get 10 rebounds every game and holding his guy scoreless.

Gassman, Hein, Chastain - should not be shooting unless it is uncontested. Muller needs to play more zone when they are in there. And there should not be situations when 2 of them are on the floor together.

Rey - he really needs to play more. He should be setting a million screens and rebounding and blocking a shot here or there. We don’t need him to score. There should be 3 other guys on the court at all times who can score.

If Copeland plays the point no one else will ever get to shoot the ball :roll:

 

[DWRedbird]

Fayne - best player. Get him the rock more. There should never be a game where he has under 7 rebounds. He needs to be more assertive especially against the teams we are about to face.

Yarbrough - he and Fayne should run more high-lows and he should play on block more (triple threat. Score. Pass to Fayne. Kick out for a 3). He HAS to rebound and defend every night or we lose.

Evans - needs to play off the ball more. Not quick enough to get separation at the point. Defensively he should not be guarding other teams top dog.

Copeland - should be running the point. Has the quickness. Size. Playmaking ability. Need better shot selection. It will come. Defensively he needs to guard the top guard. Asking a lot from one player.

Jefferson - Would like to see him penetrate more. Teams have to respect his jumper, which is best on the team. Don’t understand why Muller does not use more high ball screens with Fayne and Yarbrough and his guards. They can all shoot. And F and Y can finish on the roll.

Tinsley - The confidence is not there because the effort is not there. He will sort out his role in the offense (which will be the 4th or 5th option - accept it). In the meantime, he should be trying to get 10 rebounds every game and holding his guy scoreless.

Gassman, Hein, Chastain - should not be shooting unless it is uncontested. Muller needs to play more zone when they are in there. And there should not be situations when 2 of them are on the floor together.

Rey - he really needs to play more. He should be setting a million screens and rebounding and blocking a shot here or there. We don’t need him to score. There should be 3 other guys on the court at all times who can score.

I think these are pretty spot on assessments, especially Phil/MY/Key/Jefferson/Rey.

I'd add to Tinsley's that he needs to drive more. He's 6'6, and has a lot of athleticism. Take the ball strong to the rim, and either get an easy lay up or get your confidence back at the line.

I'd also add in to Copeland that he could stand to take jumpers off the dribble over just straight 3s. I think he's got the ability to hit it with more consistency than his 3pt shot. Defensively, if he is going to guard the other team's top dog, he has to get better. That being said, there is no other guard on our roster that is better defensively...they are all pretty much in the same boat.

 

[SgtHulka]

What about Prayers?

 

[IHateWSU]

If past history tells us anything, Muller's teams usually are ready to compete by the Conference season. It is just usually pretty ugly getting there!

In my opinion we have about 3 set things we seem to do:
-Feed Phil
-MY drives to the basket
-Chuck up 3's

The first two choices I see a lot of success while we are attacking the rim. If this is our main focus, we should aim for:
40% of the time feed Phil
40% have Milik drive to the hole
20% shoot a 3 to keep defense honest.

This is the old "Inside - Out" model that most teams use successful.
Our problem is we do this:
60% Chuck up 3's
15% Feed Phil
15% MY time
10% do something stupid.

If we get the ball inside more, good things will happen!!

 

[SgtHulka]

If past history tells us anything, Muller's teams usually are ready to compete by the Conference season. It is just usually pretty ugly getting there!

Past history has also had us looking to integrate 6-7 new faces into the primary rotation so it was more expected. This year looked to be different, but the same slow integration seems to be occurring.

 

[JHBird]

I would like to see more of this. MY gets a pass out by the wing. He immediately beats his man off the dribble, and then with the Defense collapsing he kicks it out to a wide open JJ.

 

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

Is hein a telly tubby?

 

[Baltimore Bird]

Remember we were 18-15 last year with mostly the same cast of players and got blown out multiple times and didn't even qualify for the NIT. I made a comment in another post a few months ago not to expect too much. The evidence does not support it. Even with that being said, last night was about as low as it can go. Thankfully, we won.

 

[cpacmel]

Remember we were 18-15 last year with mostly the same cast of players and got blown out multiple times and didn't even qualify for the NIT. I made a comment in another post a few months ago not to expect too much. The evidence does not support it. Even with that being said, last night was about as low as it can go. Thankfully, we won.

The evidence of 3 whole games?

Also I’m pretty impressed at what Copeland, jj, Rey and Chastain can bring to the table once they get some D1 court time.

Pretty sure it will be more than what Elijah, ndiaye, etc brought.

 

[saxman210]

Is hein a telly tubby?

Pretty sure Quinn, who pays for this board, said no more name calling. I vote it's time for a Jsnhbe1Birds timeout!