On the road in Dekalb

[guest44]

It's a young team. That's the excuse we have used for 15 years. When 2 or 3 players leave each offseason, you replace them with freshman you are always young. And, next year is when they turn the corner. Just wait......

Other teams get grad transfers, and jucos. See Toledo, and Buffalo, and Akron very soon. Those coaches aren't preaching the 5 year turnaround.

[hammb]

It's a young team. That's the excuse we have used for 15 years. When 2 or 3 players leave each offseason, you replace them with freshman you are always young. And, next year is when they turn the corner. Just wait......

Other teams get grad transfers, and jucos. See Toledo, and Buffalo, and Akron very soon. Those coaches aren't preaching the 5 year turnaround.

Even if it IS a young team. Seems like half the teams we've played in the MAC are also young teams. I know Miami is. Akron is.

I've got no problem building a team with youth, although I do think they should bring in more JuCos/Grad Transfers. A bigger problem is that they keep not using their scholarships. We've got 2 walkons with scholarships right now, and neither deserves to play on a D1 court.

My issue continues to be long stretches, even games, of zero effort and mind boggling offensive sets. We have stretches where we move the ball well, but then we go through long stretches where we do nothing...it's maddening.

[Falconwriter]

We gave up 58 pts in the 2nd half. 58 freakin points.

I'm beginning to wonder if this program isn't under some kind of curse. It sure seems like it. Ugh.

[Globetrotter]

Team looks like hot garbage against an NIU team that is not good. Huger has got to figure out how to get these guys to actually play. I like some of the talent, but they go from looking good to terrible constantly. THere's no consistency at all except for Wiggins being a double double machine.

This is 100% true. I believe less and less in Hugers coaching ability every game. Seems like a pretty basic coach. Can recruit some talent and players like him. They are not trying hard for him. They aren't improving . The offense is garbage. On D they are Just blown by constantly. Offensively just want to messily attack the basket and throw up garbage. If we had used the scholarship the last 3 years we would have a jr right now. That is an absolutely ridiculous fact that he has not used all 13 scholarships THREE SEASONS IN A ROW. It's nonsensical. Often we just stand around on offense
Koch and Cummings are the worst defenders I have ever seen, might as well not even be on the court. There man consistently just blows right by them.

Huger seems like a nice person.

[Globetrotter]

We gave up 58 pts in the 2nd half. 58 freakin points.

To a bad team. Our Defense is the worst I have seen in a long long time. Must have gotten it from the Football team.

How long was Hugers contract?

[Globetrotter]

Someone has to be benched right? But who to start instead? Plowden makes a ton of sense. Hes aggressive if chaotic. Lillard?

[Flipper]

Not seeing any progress with the program....

[hammb]

Not seeing any progress with the program....

The team results have shown zero progress, and that's super frustrating.

Especially when Wiggins has developed into a legit upper tier MAC big man (despite my and many others' frustrations with him, he is a top 3 C in this league).

We've added a healthy Turner this season who gives us a 2 way player that we didn't have last year, albeit he's been as inconsistent as anybody.

We've added Plowden who gives us a lengthy athlete that we didn't have last year.

Rod & Frye have had a year under their belt to get acclimated.

This team has a LOT more talent than last year's and the best players off last year's team are still here with a year more experience. And yet the team is still the same inconsistent mess it has been for the past 15 years (outside of the one Jans season). I really like Huger, and I really wanted him to succeed. But we're not seeing the fruits of very much coaching.

[gmartin]

You say Koch is a terrible defender. So let's put this in perspective. Koch led the entire state of Ohio high school basketball in blocked shots a few years ago. Koch is also Ohio high school basketball all time rebounder. He has more rebounds than anyone to ever play high school hoops in Ohio, even more than the Great One LeBron. So he blocked shots and was an all time rebounder in high school. Comes to BG and can't play defense. Did he forget how to play?

[JohnFloyd4Life]

Koch's issue is right now his foot speed isn't quite there to defend most team's 4. Wiggins defends the other team's true post, doesn't like to get away from the basket (As you saw v CMU when he was standing in the paint while Meyer was drilling wide open threes from the top of the circle during their come back run). Koch is gonna be really good, he needs to get quicker and in better shape and develop his jumper if he's ever going to be an actual 4 but right now he really struggles to defend the quicker players he's asked to, especially away from the basket.

[gmartin]

Koch's issue is right now his foot speed isn't quite there to defend most team's 4. Wiggins defends the other team's true post, doesn't like to get away from the basket (As you saw v CMU when he was standing in the paint while Meyer was drilling wide open threes from the top of the circle during their come back run). Koch is gonna be really good, he needs to get quicker and in better shape and develop his jumper if he's ever going to be an actual 4 but right now he really struggles to defend the quicker players he's asked to, especially away from the basket.

Agreed but once again that comes back to coaching and developing a player.

[JohnFloyd4Life]

Koch's issue is right now his foot speed isn't quite there to defend most team's 4. Wiggins defends the other team's true post, doesn't like to get away from the basket (As you saw v CMU when he was standing in the paint while Meyer was drilling wide open threes from the top of the circle during their come back run). Koch is gonna be really good, he needs to get quicker and in better shape and develop his jumper if he's ever going to be an actual 4 but right now he really struggles to defend the quicker players he's asked to, especially away from the basket.

Agreed but once again that comes back to coaching and developing a player.

I think we should withhold most general Huger criticisms until next season. This year they have one senior who is a FWO. Next year if we are still mediocre with Lillard and Wiggins as seniors then I think that will be on Huger as a coach. Next year (pending transfers) you have this exact same team except Matiss will replace Fox, everyone should be improved, Cummings should be able to challenge and compete with Caldwell and hopefully, Gadsen progresses to become part of the rotation. If that team is mediocre, then it's on Huger.

[Flipper]

They should improve...but apart from Wiggins, who has improved?

[JohnFloyd4Life]

They should improve...but apart from Wiggins, who has improved?

Frye is better this year 13.4 ppg 3.6 rpg 2.2 ast. Last year he was at 8.9 ppg 2.2 rpg 1.2 ast.
Caldwell is better 11.1ppg 2 rpg 3.3 ast. Last year 6.8 ppg 1.8 rpg 1.7 ast. Caldwell has a 2-1 ast to TO ratio this season.

Lillard is the obvious disappointment. Other than his improved 3pt stroke (.421 this year .275 last year .231 freshmen year) he was a better player as a freshman than he is today.

Obviously, Wiggins has become a force on offense but he drives me nuts on defense. He constantly lets his man get in front of him and seal, is not an active defender and makes little effort to rebound unless the ball comes his direction.

Other than those four every other player on the team is in their first season. If Wiggins, Frye, Caldwell continue to improve, the first year players (especially emerging star Juice Turner) improve, and Lillard wakes up his senior year this team is a MAC championship contender. If they don't, then feel free to blame Huger/Stacey. But I'm going to reserve my judgment until then.

[hammb]

Koch's issue is right now his foot speed isn't quite there to defend most team's 4. Wiggins defends the other team's true post, doesn't like to get away from the basket (As you saw v CMU when he was standing in the paint while Meyer was drilling wide open threes from the top of the circle during their come back run). Koch is gonna be really good, he needs to get quicker and in better shape and develop his jumper if he's ever going to be an actual 4 but right now he really struggles to defend the quicker players he's asked to, especially away from the basket.

Agreed but once again that comes back to coaching and developing a player.

The game has changed. Koch is more of an "old school" 4, and unless he can make that size advantage big on the offensive end he's a huge liability on defense. Sure, in HS he probably was fine, but now he's guarding other teams' PFs who are closer in skillset to Plowden than they are to Koch. And does anybody want to watch Koch try to guard an athlete like Plowden?

Koch is a fine rebounder when he's down in the painted area, but when he's being drawn away from the basket he doesn't get that many rebounds. And like Floyd said, with Wiggins on the court you've got 2 guys who are post defenders in a basketball era that nobody plays in the post.

I think he can become a good player here, but I question if he has the athleticism to ever be a great player in this era. He's like a poor man's MAC version of Kevin Love. Can rebound, can shoot, and can score, but doesn't have the athleticism to defend in this era.