I’m pretty biased because I’ve been shouting from the rooftops to hire Pope for a couple years now, and you said it right: Pope is doing great with the hand he was dealt. He may have the shortest team in D1, not a single player who can finish above the rim in traffic, and not a single player who can defend above the rim. That’s nuts in today’s basketball landscape. Imagine if he hadn’t recruited Barcello, easily our best defender, and Toolson, easily our best scorer!!! I loved Coach Rose for many years, but he sure left the cupboard pretty bare when he left.
People had big hopes for Lee and he has played reasonably well at times for a big, slow, can’t jump player, but imo he takes away from the continuity of the offense. Perhaps he will continue to improve
Speaking of the offense. I heard someone on BYU Sports Nation today make the comment about the offense being more direct and less of the weave stuff. I’d like to see us get into a motion offense and two man games looking for open spot up shooters. The weave takes too much time and as the game goes on, it causes fatigue and turnovers.
Toolsen has been up and down too. Has a good game then last night debacle missing layups and a last second 12 foot shot that went 10 ft. And, Barcello was nonexistent scoring.
Harding has been consistent. Get him the ball and let him shoot and drive more. He actually can play above the rim.
Yup. Kind of the signature of this team. I worked with TJ this summer. I mentioned to him that his shooting arm elbow is out to the side on shots. And had anyone pointed that out to him? He said, “not really”. tuck the elbow and you eliminate side drift of shots. Just one more variable.
When I looked at Lee after he signed, I thought he was slow, lumbering and would not translate into the D1 game. You can dominate in small Idaho gyms but put these athletes up against Chicago area big men, who play a foot above the rim, and you get what you get. Lee can’t out quick anyone, can’t shoot over them but he can use his wide body to block out and rebound. His offensive move is to methodically back in his defender and hook…Nixon, the same. Either of these guys would sit on the bench even on an average BYU big man team. Childs will make BYU a possible dance team but no doubt losing Baxter was devastating for our middle game. Tom points out that BYU would be a sweet 16 team with Baxter, I have to back that.
BYU would be undefeated today looking to make some noise in Hawaii and would have given Gonzaga ALL they could handle. get a high seat and make it at least to the 2nd week of the NCAA. Instead we get SCREWED by a (criminal NCAA) suspension.
So is that the reason he’s missing so many? He’s thinking about his elbow now? And we have you to thank, Chris? Haha!
Now he’s just short or long. He’s not using his legs properly. Mostly, everyone is trying to help him and it’s getting to him. He knows how to shoot. He just has to stop thinking about it so much.
Ya, why was he working with him? 4-24…Pretty lame.
Have to agree with everything thing you said-but looking forward to having Childs back and maybe getting the 2nd spot in the conference. Hard to survive without good big men and like you say…not happening right now. Nixon is a small forward whose main assets are hustle more hustle