But by taking the last shot at 3 seconds, there's little time left at all for any serious rebound or putback - you're putting all your eggs into one basket. If X is indeed taking that shot, why not go at 5-6 seconds, so at least if it doesn't fall, you've extended the game with the possibility of a rebound and/or second chance.@oberkfell The ENTIRE ARENA knew what the last play was going to be, since Mullins is incapable of actually coming up with anything BUT that.
As well as X has been with dishing the ball this season, someone would likely be wide open should he try to drive and dish, but you think Mullins could draw that up?
Nope.
I have a lot of issues with how the game ended up today, but putting the ball in your best players hand at the end of the game isn’t one of them. He got a really good look and missed. It’s a make or miss game. As far as him dishing the ball tonight…he had 5 turnovers, most on drive and kicks so decision making wasn’t great for him tonight.
But by taking the last shot at 3 seconds, there's little time left at all for any serious rebound or putback - you're putting all your eggs into one basket. If X is indeed taking that shot, why not go at 5-6 seconds, so at least if it doesn't fall, you've extended the game with the possibility of a rebound and/or second chance.@oberkfell The ENTIRE ARENA knew what the last play was going to be, since Mullins is incapable of actually coming up with anything BUT that.
As well as X has been with dishing the ball this season, someone would likely be wide open should he try to drive and dish, but you think Mullins could draw that up?
Nope.
I have a lot of issues with how the game ended up today, but putting the ball in your best players hand at the end of the game isn’t one of them. He got a really good look and missed. It’s a make or miss game. As far as him dishing the ball tonight…he had 5 turnovers, most on drive and kicks so decision making wasn’t great for him tonight.
A few reasons, they only had 11 seconds to begin with, they were running some screen actions to get guys moving for option 2 or 3 if the drive didn’t work, and you don’t want too much time on the clock for them to score. Having said that, he stated his drive with 6.5 seconds left and the ball was volley balled around for 2 or 3 seconds after the miss so there was a chance for a put back.
I thought Rupert should have laid the ball in on the fast break when he got the lob from X, but I guess he thought he didn’t have the angle and pulled it out.
In any case, it never should have came down to that shot. As many have already said, we were playing scared in the 2nd half with the lead trying to limit possessions and not getting good looks as a result. We also missed quite a few good looks. I don’t mind not wanting to go fast, but we typically shoot late in the clock when we run our normal offense anyway. Just run what got you to 45 in the first half. Everyone looked so damn stagnant hoping someone else would make a shot.
Defense struggled too, but a lot of points were given up in transition off missed baskets/turnovers (similar to the Drake game). Hopefully this is a wake up call. Adversity can make or break a season, let’s hope for the former and for these guys to grow as a team.
@siu_2011 I think the fan base is long past "wake-up call" games like this. We've been waiting since 2007 for ANY team to wake up and work their way back to the promised land of the NCAA tourney, but it's just the same ol, same ol', yet again.
So let's just fast forward this season, finish around 6th or so in the Valley, win a Thursday game in the Lou before getting outcoached in the quarters, and watch some other MVC middle-of-the-pack team make a Cinderella run to the MVC finals with dreams of winning that auto-bid.
The biggest problem I saw in the 2nd half was that Wardle put Leon's on X which took Southern completely out of rhythm the pick and roll left big guys switching on to X hard for 6 foot 2 to get away from 6 foot 9 with long arms when going in the lane
The biggest problem I saw in the 2nd half was that Wardle put Leon's on X which took Southern completely out of rhythm the pick and roll left big guys switching on to X hard for 6 foot 2 to get away from 6 foot 9 with long arms when going in the lane
I think Leons was on X for most of the first half too. X had a really bad 2nd half. But he's also carried this team all year so hard to get mad at him. I'll keep saying it, replacing this year's version of X is gonna be tougher to replace than both Domask and Jones. He's been that good.
An all-time meltdown. Plenty of blame to go around on both coaches and key players for that dreadful second half, but it’s a potentially season-killing loss if they don’t summon some serious resilience.
A damaging day for the program on what looked like it was going to be a great night. Sickening.
This year's transfer class looks more and more like the disaster I thought it was.
Miller: 2 points in 8 minutes
Hensley: 2 points in 6 minutes
Stulic: DNP
McGee: DNP
Not acceptable when you had to replace two Big Ten starters
@goroshnik you want to fold on the rest of the season be my guest. Most thought we had bottom 4 team this year (myself included), but to date they certainly haven’t played like one. I’ll ride it out the rest of the year and hope they can turn this around. If not, I’ll have an entire offseason to bitch and moan.
No point in hoping for miracles when we can pretty much see the end in sight already, and it'll be a 6th place finish in the Valley, a win on Thursday in the Lou, then a close loss in the quarters, and yet another year with no postseason, unless Mullins wants to pony up the dough for the CBI, which he won't do since the school would have to pay their way into that one.@goroshnik you want to fold on the rest of the season be my guest. Most thought we had bottom 4 team this year (myself included), but to date they certainly haven’t played like one. I’ll ride it out the rest of the year and hope they can turn this around. If not, I’ll have an entire offseason to bitch and moan.
I'll still follow the team like I always do, but I'm not getting my hopes up after these past two games are any indication of what's to come.
By the way... my son, who's a senior at Bradley, let me know that the school sent out a mass email informing all their students of Bradley's big W - it was their largest comeback win in school history.
Bryan Mullins Postgame with Saluki Radio:
https://siusalukis.com/watch/?Archive=7317&type=Archive
Clarence Rupert Postgame with Saluki Radio:
Not acceptable when you had to replace two Big Ten starter
if you had SalukiWorld saying the words “two Big Ten starters” on SalukiNation or Twitter on your bingo card then come on down to collect your daily prize.
Not acceptable when you had to replace two Big Ten starter
if you had SalukiWorld saying the words “two Big Ten starters” on SalukiNation or Twitter on your bingo card then come down to collect your daily prize.
I mean, it kind of matters? Does it not? It's something I'm not going to get over. The last 2 years were wasted seasons with talented players because they can't get the transfer portal right. And when they did get it right (X), he broke out a year too late.
