MAC Quarterfinals: vs. Akron (3/11)

[fredthefalcon]

I get it’s disappointing but many of these posts are off. Sure there was a ton of talent, but we had absolutely no big man. Basketball requires an inside presence of some kind, it’s the same reason we overachieved with Richaun Holmes. He opened the court for everyone else. Likewise we didn’t have that this year

Exactly why this team was better with Wiggins

Yet how many on this board continuously ragged on Wiggins during his tenure. The guy was a horse and at least an above average college basketball center.

[HoopsFan]

Because Holmes in his senior year was so much better than Wiggins. To be fair, Wiggins made great strides in his Falcon career. Remember, he was probably a 45% free throw shooter in his Freshman year and had fumble fingers. Of course Holmes needed a better coach to become great and he got it in his senior year.

After Swingle drops 30 pounds, maybe we'll be saying that about him, too.

[hammb]

I could concede that you might need a big man to play the style of basketball Huger is trying to play, but it's complete fallacy to say you need a big man to win in the MAC (or really any college basketball) these days. UT is the best team in the MAC and they don't even play a kid over 6'7. UB a few years ago was the best MAC team in a decade or two and the only kid over 6'7 they played was McRae and he only averaged like 16mpg.

Now obviously you still need length. You still need to be able to defend. You still need to find ways to get easy buckets around the rim. But you don't need true big men to accomplish that goal. What you do need is is athletes with long arms, preferably with the versatility to play inside and outside. Probably don't want to be playing multiple 6'2 and shorter guards at the same time. But more importantly you need a system that can get them the ball moving towards the basket.

But I suppose if you just wanna do dribble handoffs all day, with the occasional pick and roll then it probably behooves you to have a true inside post presence to actually free things up for those guys making those handoffs. I'd say it's an asinine way to play basketball in this day and age, but what do I know. W

I do agree that the team was better with Wiggins and I found him to be super frustrating, and no doubt was bitching about him on here. Wiggins was a great kid. A tireless worker. He made himself into, probably, the best true center in the MAC over the last 5 years. But his penchant for attempting cute layups rather than dunking was really baffling. He was a very very good rebounder due to his athleticism, but he he did get bullied on the glass (and even defensively) when somebody his size was willing to put a body on him. But mostly, my frustration with Wiggins had nothing to do with the player he was but the insistence on PLAYING a player like that 30 mins a game. And he was a good, if not great, version of that style of player.

That type of player is not where basketball is today. Insisting you need one and trying to force one is how you keep rolling through guys like Swingle (who was beyond awful), Mattos (who was pretty bad, but looks like Mutombo compared to Swingle), or Gadson (never once did that kid look like he knew what he was supposed to do on a court).

Find athletes. Build a system to get them moving. Make sure you've got enough shooters to keep things spaced out. We can sit here and bemoan our lack of inside presence while we watch UT (nobody in the real rotation over 6'7), OU (nobody in the rotation over 6'8), and Akron (nobody over 6'8 plays a minute).

[hammb]

And in reference to Richaun, he was obviously a great great player here. He flourished with Jans and wasn't doing any of the crap Huger has asked his big men to do. I have no doubt that he would have been pretty good as a true post, but he would not have been maximized playing this type of ball, that's for sure.

[Diemilkweed]

I get it’s disappointing but many of these posts are off. Sure there was a ton of talent, but we had absolutely no big man. Basketball requires an inside presence of some kind, it’s the same reason we overachieved with Richaun Holmes. He opened the court for everyone else. Likewise we didn’t have that this year

Washington is mobile - why is he not playing?

They've had 2 years to get Swingle ready to play and failed. He can give spurts - and I didn't see any of the stupid reaching fouls he has committed in the past in this ONE game. But if he can only play 3 minutes at a time, and if he is a 100% liability anyplace but in the post, then we have not done anything close to enough to make him a D1 player.

Further, we created a scenario where a far more mobile actual big man chose to walk.

[Diemilkweed]

Also, when I say "Big Man" I mean "someone who can defend the post and rebound and score down there semi consistently. Freeman for Akron fits the bill perfectly, and he's the same size as Young (plus maybe a few pounds - but not many).

None of the guys we were willing to play could do that except Plowden.

[factman]

.....but the best thing that has happened is that the SCUDS go DOWN to OU!