that was not an intentional foul
Sure it was. Coupet took him down with both hands. But I'm OK with it, since the guy was being a douche and trying to dunk on us with the game already decided.
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? BM sure didn't think so, but the ref won that argument.
Bryan Mullins postgame:
https://siusalukis.com/watch/?Archive=6076&type=Archive
Ben Coupet Jr. postgame:
Another awful shooting night from everyone not named Coupet. Glad to see him rebound. Showed a lot of fight, but just couldn’t close down the stretch.
Stats show we only turned it over 13 times, but you could have said 25 and I would have believed you. Our long stretches of stops on defense seemed to coincide with our dry spells on offense. The saying good defense leads to good offense doesn’t apply to this team for some reason. Once again, if Jones and Domask have an off night, we can’t do squat on offense. If I’m any other team in the valley, this is your blue print to beat us. Taller physical guy on Domask and let Jones jack up threes all game. At worst, you deal with Coupet going off and cruise to a double digit win as long as you can score.
Mullins has to figure out the offense. We don’t need a great offense with this defense but we have to find a way to get easier buckets and score much more consistently. Looking forward to Thursday, the boys are gonna come out firing and get a huge W. I’m speaking it into existence.
What is the word on Ben Harvey? I see him on the bench. I thought he was out due to Covid protocol but is there another issue that is keeping him off the floor?
What is the word on Ben Harvey? I seem in on the bench. I thought he was out due to Covid protocol but is there another issue that is keeping him off the floor?
I think it was said his spleen is bothering him again after his COVID illness.
I won't dwell on the obvious that Southern's offense is woefully inadequate (11 straight dry possessions on the road tend to get you beat), but here are a few quick observations from this one:
- There were a couple occasions where Verplancken was manhandled - once where his jersey was grabbed a couple times on a drive, and once right in front of SIU's bench - and I'm not sure if I was more surprised that there was no whistle or that Southern's bench didn't make a fuss.
- I love Lance and his fearless play, but anyone who thinks he's playing at the level needed for Southern to be a good team ... I beg to differ. His decision-making at some key times is painfully bad. Between that and Domask consistently being swarmed by physical, athletic defenders, and you get 50-to-60 point offensive outputs, if they're lucky. Damn ... I said I wasn't going to dwell on the bad offense. 😆
- To end on a positive, D'Amico continues to make some tough, smart, winning plays, and it was encouraging that he's able to do that against an opponent of Loyola's caliber. While he doesn't solve Southern's main problem for now (the need to put the ball in the basket with more regularity), I'm pretty confident he can be a key role player on a winning team.
Overall, it was about the usual ... good defense, scrappy and competitive play, but not enough points.
It is pretty obvious that this team/Mullins is a work in progress. Like everyone else, expectations as to where we would be in year 3 have fallen short. Paradoxically, we seem so close and yet so far away from the turnaround I thought would magically happen. I still have faith that Mullins will succeed at SIU, but if Domask and Jones leave SIU without Mullins having built the Salukis into a serious contender for the league title, then Bryan will have missed a good opportunity to bring back the glory years.
There is a ton of motion on offense, somebody needs to step up and make plays off of it. When teams went under screens Domasks freshman year he would just pull up, he needs to do that again, they meet him at the rim now. We pass up too many decent looks too. The ball moves and we create enough space for some of these guys to get decent shots off, just shoot them. I get it, we want wide open three's but against a team like Loyola sometimes a mildly contested three is as good as looks get. If we start shooting with confidence even when we get a little pressure we may end up with a few extra points that will put us over the top. Coup, Verplanken, Domask can make mildly contested shots. If Domask is one on one just jab and pull up like you used to, if they go under screens pop it. If Verplanken, Brown and Coup catch in rhythm with room to get it off, let it fly. If they start making contested shots, which they can the defense will over pursue that and it will create driving lanes, one on ones for Lance and Domask and one on ones for Kyler down low.
I want to see these dudes play like they're capable of. Don't tell me the talent isn't there. We have multiple kids on this roster that Loyola themselves wanted. Let loose, stop playing so tight, go ball. If I am Mullins that's my message.
It is pretty obvious that this team/Mullins is a work in progress. Like everyone else, expectations as to where we would be in year 3 have fallen short. Paradoxically, we seem so close and yet so far away from the turnaround I thought would magically happen. I still have faith that Mullins will succeed at SIU, but if Domask and Jones leave SIU without Mullins having built the Salukis into a serious contender for the league title, then Bryan will have missed a good opportunity to bring back the glory years.
I get this... lets remember something, when it got tight last night, super covid senior Lucas Williamson and Uguak turned the tide for an already good team. If those 2 graduate like they should have I think we win that game last night. That is exactly why this year is slightly tainted. If Drake doesn't get their COVID seniors we absolutely take the lead and take control of that game and win it.
There is a ton of motion on offense, somebody needs to step up and make plays off of it. When teams went under screens Domasks freshman year he would just pull up, he needs to do that again, they meet him at the rim now. We pass up too many decent looks too. The ball moves and we create enough space for some of these guys to get decent shots off, just shoot them. I get it, we want wide open three's but against a team like Loyola sometimes a mildly contested three is as good as looks get. If we start shooting with confidence even when we get a little pressure we may end up with a few extra points that will put us over the top. Coup, Verplanken, Domask can make mildly contested shots. If Domask is one on one just jab and pull up like you used to, if they go under screens pop it. If Verplanken, Brown and Coup catch in rhythm with room to get it off, let it fly. If they start making contested shots, which they can the defense will over pursue that and it will create driving lanes, one on ones for Lance and Domask and one on ones for Kyler down low.
I want to see these dudes play like they're capable of. Don't tell me the talent isn't there. We have multiple kids on this roster that Loyola themselves wanted. Let loose, stop playing so tight, go ball. If I am Mullins that's my message.
Agree with most of this. Domask especially but others at times absolutely need to pull the trigger on lightly contested 3s and other looks rather than letting the shot clock dwindle and ending up with a worse look. It's been happening way too often this season. That said, upgrading the offensive talent on the team so that Domask isn't asked to carry such a heavy load and be such a focal point of opponents' defenses is also needed going forward.
I want to see these dudes play like they're capable of. Don't tell me the talent isn't there. We have multiple kids on this roster that Loyola themselves wanted.
I did not know this. Which players of ours did Loyola want?
I think one of SIU’s problems is that them being a great defensive team is a bit of a myth. SIU grinds out long possessions on both ends of the floor but they often don’t finish those possessions on either side. They’re 344th in average possession length on offense (19.5 seconds per possession) and 343rd in average possession length on defense (18.5 seconds per possession). But SIU is 121st in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom and teams are blowing by our guys late in the shot clock and finishing. SIU is 227nd in the country in 2 point % against (50.9%) and getting 56.8% of their points from 2 (35th in the country).
So they’re probably somewhere near a decent to good defensive team and that’s not nearly enough to make up for their offensive struggles. And all together, doesn’t make for a fun product to watch.
And quite frankly, this limits the guys you can actually recruit to SIU. It’s a different basketball world from 15 years ago when SIU was able to grind out ugly wins. Steph Curry came along and changed the NBA and the NBA has shifted to a run up and down the floor and shoot 3’s kind of game. The college game hasn’t exactly mimicked that yet but it’s tough to find guys that want to play the style SIU is currently trying.
I want to see these dudes play like they're capable of. Don't tell me the talent isn't there. We have multiple kids on this roster that Loyola themselves wanted.
I did not know this. Which players of ours did Loyola want?
D'amico, Verplanken, They were at least in on Lance, unsure if they ever offered.
