vs North Dakota St - 12/17/23 - 3 pm - ESPN+

[Hamdonger]

Has Lieb ever been a "power" kind of center? If he hasn't, do we really expect him to start now?

No - but that's what our offensive setup needs (more of it, anyway) and it is the thing that is holding back Pedon's effectiveness as an offensive coach/his offensive style at ISU. And if Brandon can't provide it, we've got a glaring hole and a lot of peeps around the perimeter.

BIG props to Darius for hitting shots in the lane last night, though!

 

[Hamdonger]

One last thought. When I was a student crazie in the stands...I was always happy to get a win. That's all I needed. It didn't matter how we played. All I wanted was a good time and a wn. GOOD GOSH that was fun.

I miss that. I wonder if I'm missing the point. I think I'm gonna head back to the old mindset.

 

[Baltimore Bird]

I think Lieb as a backup big guy is better than most we have ever had at that spot. I think we all expected a lot more after being at U of I and being 7'1". I see some potential there. Yes, he definitely needs to finish at the rim. However, his shot blocking and rebounding are (IMO) very good. I have not given up on him at all.

 

[RedbirdSoxFan]

Yo JohnnyRedbird! (Mr. Kinziger might take your nickname) Merry Christmas! The statline vs what I am seeing with my own eyes in person are somewhat different...definitely different. Believe me, I'm rooting for Brandon to come alive.

Merry Christmas to you RedbirdDinger. I’ll gladly pass JohnnyRedbird on to Mr. Kinziger for the next four years. I’m hoping that as Brandon continues to get more minutes on the floor (didn’t see much with university of Illinoy) some of those bunnies he has been missing are going to drop.I could see 8 Pts 5 Reb 3 Blks 2 Assists.

 

[Metamoron]

Our issue is with 3-point shooting. Defenses are going to learn to collapse on Foster, Klew and Lieb, IF there is no credible 3- point threat. I understand and appreciate wanting to play the game in the paint. That works IF you have credible 3-point threats; which we do not have at present. My view is that Foster, Lieb and Kendall are trying to do too much, as they have no confidence in our perimeter offense. Yes, there’s Burford; but that’s not enough. We have improved dramatically from last few seasons. But we still need that player (6’7+) who can consistently hit the 3-ball.

I think we can shoot 3s well when the shots come from an inside out pass. When we really struggle with 3s is when we throw it around the 3pt line and then someone jacks up a 3, or when we try an out of rhythm 3 on a break.

 

[Redbird222]

One last thought. When I was a student crazie in the stands...I was always happy to get a win. That's all I needed. It didn't matter how we played. All I wanted was a good time and a wn. GOOD GOSH that was fun.

I miss that. I wonder if I'm missing the point. I think I'm gonna head back to the old mindset.

4 consecutive years of losing seasons and a major NCAA drought will make you over analyze everything.

Perhaps you are on to something.

 

[DWRedbird]

I think Lieb as a backup big guy is better than most we have ever had at that spot. I think we all expected a lot more after being at U of I and being 7'1". I see some potential there. Yes, he definitely needs to finish at the rim. However, his shot blocking and rebounding are (IMO) very good. I have not given up on him at all.

The thing that kills me with Lieb, is that for a couple of years he was banging around with some good, powerful big men at U of I's practice, and now it seems like he avoids contact at all costs.

That said, I think with some work, Lieb could play a lot like Duncan. Never going to over power a guy, but use his height and his ability to shoot to get points on the block. But, whether it is the offense or his preference, he drags his game away from the basket all the time and I think it is detrimental to him. I think there is a high ceiling with Lieb, and if he works at it, there is a ton of untapped potential, but right now he feels like he is ok with where he is at.

It is going to be awesome during conference play and beyond when our shooters like Mal shoot lights out to get back their averages.

I'm not expecting a bit swing the other direction with our 3pt shooting come conference play. I think there will be nights where we are a buzzsaw, but I think a majority of nights we are going to look ugly. I don't think this is on the shoulders of our players however. We run an offense that 80% of the time is exceptionally easy to guard and makes no motion towards the basket. Defenders don't have to work overly hard to make sure our shots are contested. In my opinion we are at our best when we do one of two things, play from the inside out, or when we run uptempo.

 

[WoodlandWarrior]

At 7’1” I expected more from Lieb and I agree there seems to be an avoidance of contact. I was hoping for a Ron DeVries or Joe Galvin type Center. Still hoping.......

 

[ISU86]

Not too bad!

Blind squirrel syndrome.

 

[MadBird]

Lieb - he seems to help most on the defensive boards. Collects those pretty well. The thing is, he looks to have not much touch. He gets those inside shots or offensive boards and he just doesn't have the soft touch to get them up and in, or the strength and power to slam them. I sense that's maybe why he drifts outside, has a better chance of dropping one of those. And all those practices against Kofi seem to mostly have led to him learning how to foul. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but I'm not sure how much help he'll give.

 

[stats]

And all those practices against Kofi seem to mostly have led to him learning how to foul.

If Lieb starts dunking those offensive rebounds or laying them soft off of the glass, fans will be much happier. I'm guessing there weren't many bunnies or dunks against Kofi at practice. Six to Eight weeks from now, I am confident we will see a better offensive player inside.

 

[DoubleDeuce]

I think Lieb is an important piece if this team is going to be successful. If just for rim protection and rebounding alone. We have all the necessary skills to be really good, the challenge is having all the right skills on the court at the right time and performing consistently. Burford can put up crazy points, if he can do this consistently...wow. Coach says every player brings a valuable skill to the team, let's hope he can coordinate the skills to make us successful.

 

[Bird Friend]

If Lieb starts dunking those offensive rebounds or laying them soft off of the glass, fans will be much happier. I'm guessing there weren't many bunnies or dunks against Kofi at practice. Six to Eight weeks from now, I am confident we will see a better offensive player inside.

So you’re saying Chase is gonna take off the red shirt?

 

[Redbirdmike]

Gosh I wish Chase would have played this year. We would look like an entirely different team. I am not giving up on Lieb,but IMO he is the least skilled offensive big man ( at 7’1) I have ever seen Hopefully he gets better, but I see his limitations. I literally cannot believe that he could not have gotten better at all by going against Kofi and Dainja every day in practice in Champaign. He has NO touch at all. I agree with Double Deuce that his contribution in the MVC will be that as a rim protector and rebounder. Kick the ball out, get second and third chance possessions and he is doing his job. Occasionally get the wide open dunk. What we don’t need from him at all is ball handling or him drifting out to the three point line. PLEASE!!! Oh and make some free throws please. That goes for everyone.

 

[stats]

So you’re saying Chase is gonna take off the red shirt?

Whoops! I need to remember to think twice before saying something positive about a player, especially this late in the season.

 

[Bird Friend]

Gosh I wish Chase would have played this year. We would look like an entirely different team. I am not giving up on Lieb,but IMO he is the least skilled offensive big man ( at 7’1) I have ever seen Hopefully he gets better, but I see his limitations. I literally cannot believe that he could not have gotten better at all by going against Kofi and Dainja every day in practice in Champaign. He has NO touch at all. I agree with Double Deuce that his contribution in the MVC will be that as a rim protector and rebounder. Kick the ball out, get second and third chance possessions and he is doing his job. Occasionally get the wide open dunk. What we don’t need from him at all is ball handling or him drifting out to the three point line. PLEASE!!! Oh and make some free throws please. That goes for everyone.

OTOH . . . he may still be getting over the bruises he got from going up against Kofi and Dainja . . .

 

[stats]

Gosh I wish Chase would have played this year. We would look like an entirely different team. I am not giving up on Lieb,but IMO he is the least skilled offensive big man ( at 7’1) I have ever seen Hopefully he gets better, but I see his limitations. I literally cannot believe that he could not have gotten better at all by going against Kofi and Dainja every day in practice in Champaign. He has NO touch at all. I agree with Double Deuce that his contribution in the MVC will be that as a rim protector and rebounder. Kick the ball out, get second and third chance possessions and he is doing his job. Occasionally get the wide open dunk. What we don’t need from him at all is ball handling or him drifting out to the three point line. PLEASE!!! Oh and make some free throws please. That goes for everyone.

I was bummed that Chase was redshirted as well. I agree with your idea of Lieb getting to the free throw line more. Per minutes played, Lieb gets to the line third most on the team. He does have a nice touch there shooting 78%.