Taking a voluntary sabbatical to chew on this game, and to drink a few beers, saved me from dropping some raw language on my readers. The distance of 36 hours does not make this game any prettier; it remains one of the ugliest, worst played CU games I've ever witnessed. From another slow start, to P'Allen fouling out in just 15 minutes, to Chad Millard's frustrated elbow-to-the-face and subsequent technical foul, it was YOUGLY.
An awful lot of folks are in glass cases of emotion after this one. Myself, I was so upset I thought I heard the distant wails of a long-lost canine friend, and asked him out loud to bark twice if he was in Terre Haute, even though I knew deep down he couldn't hear me. These are the things one does in the heat of the moment, when your team is 0-2 in the league for the first time since the immortal Rick Johnson was the head coach. You remember Rick Johnson, don't you? The strapping lad who took over for Tony Barone, won just 28% of his games, and was fired after just three years and a 24-59 record? That's Rick Johnson. He started 0-2 in the Valley during all three years of his tenure; up until this year, it hadn't happened since. Even in his first sad year, Altman went 1-1 to start the conference season. Whenever you have to bring up Rick Johnson in a comparison, you know its not good.
Since there's little to be gained by focusing on this YOUGLY game, here's my quick synopsis. Tied 5-5, the Trees went on an 8-0 run, going up 13-5, and later were up 18-7. A 13-0 Creighton run, including two 3-pointers from Booker Woodfox, gave them a 20-18 lead; five straight points from Indy State's Todd McCoy gave them a 23-20 lead they would never relinquish. Up 25-24 at the break, they came out of the half with an 11-4 run helped by four consecutive Bluejay turnovers. And the game was essentially over.
A 35-minute post-game, closed-door meeting between the coaches and the team followed this one. You can bet on two things. One, DA is as embarrassed by the play of his team so far in Valley play as we are, probably moreso. Two, while we're all thinking in terms of "two days until the next game", DA is thinking long-term. As in "there are eight weeks until Arch Madness". We should do the same. You want to jump off a bridge, I suppose you can do so. Me, I'm buckling up for a long, wild ride.
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Putting on my coaches' whistle (scary, I know!), here's what I see. Dane Watts had been scoring in gobs against non-conference opponents, but against the two "State's", defenses have been sagging on him as soon as he receives the ball in the paint. Further, he's being pushed out from the basket without the ball, which in turn is making him dribble more when he does catch it. Turnovers are the result of this more often than not.
When he is able to kick it out to the wings, the guards aren't getting to their spots at the right time, making good passes difficult and open looks impossible. Flustered and frustrated, when good looks have come the players aren't hitting shots.
To attack the Jays defense, the "State's" attacked CU's lesser athletes with their best athletes, and thereby created great matchups for their other players against the Jays remaining defenders. From time to time, the Jays defense has tried to collapse in the middle to deny dribble penetration, and when they do, they aren't quick enough to get back to cover the wings and stop the kick-out-and-pop wide open threes.
Compounding those defensive issues, the Jays just aren't very physical. When Dane Watts, a potential all-Valley player at the "4", is playing the majority of the teams' minutes at center, its a problem. He's only 6'8" and he's just not big enough to play in the post. Its a disservice to both him and the team. Unfortunately, DA's hands are tied, because unless or until he's comfortable playing freshman major minutes at the "5", Watts is the man. Incidentally, to the guy who emailed me asking "Why the heck is Casey Harriman the first guy off the bench?"...watch how physical he is and his willingness to bang in the paint, and you will find your answer.
Put them together, and the Jays can't make sustained runs because they aren't playing good enough defense to allow them to do so.
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This is me making excuses. Illinois State is a veteran team hungry to prove themselves, and knows full well the level of intensity needed in conference games. They brought it, the young Jays did not. Indiana State, while not nearly as talented, benefited from Kevin McKenna knowing the Jays' system inside-out, from the inside. They run a lot of the same stuff, and their defenders seemingly knew what the Jays would be doing before they Jays did!
Not buying my excuses, are you. Ah well, it was worth a shot. Wait...is that you Baxter? Bark twice if you're in Terre Haute! You bet.
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