For better or worse, the return of P'Allen Stinnett was destined to be the story of this game. After being benched in the Little Rock game and being suspended for the Nebraska game, he came off the bench to score 18 points in 19 minutes. More importantly, at least to me, with the exception of one instance he played a better team game and seemed to have a more positive attitude. Of course, that one instance probably wasn't apparent to people seated on press row or in the hoopty-doo seats...but to those behind the basket like me, it was clear as day.
With 13 minutes to play in the second half, as MVSU was making a small run, Dana Altman called timeout to bring in five new players. P'Allen didn't go into the huddle, instead opting to go to the bench and pout. It was only when two players walked over to him moments later that he got up and joined the huddle. I make no judgments, I just report what I see.
One of the things I heard people complaining about was the odd substitution patterns in this particular game. Specifically, time after time Altman would send in five new players at a time. Mean as it is to say, the Jays knew they were going to win this game, so they used it as a glorified scrimmage to work on the numerous things they need to improve on. That's why Altman was trying different lineups, trying to find something, ANYTHING that works.
By works, I mean physicality. Remember that article in the Wichita paper before the season that accused the Jays of being soft? Well, its true. They get pushed around, whipped on the boards, and refuse to play defense. At home, at least so far, the crowd has kept them in games. On the road, they've blown big leads in both games when the shots stopped falling and their "defense" was unable to stop the opponent's run.
Look, I know people are frustrated with Altman's seeming lack of flexibility with his most talented player. The story goes that he won't allow more talented offensive players to showcase their skills if its outside of the offense. I watched Rodney Buford for four years become the leading scorer in school history playing in this system, so I don't buy that. As Tom Shatel notes in today's World Herald, Altman's best teams at CU have played tough defense, generating offense off of turnovers and pressure.
This team, and to a lesser extent, last years team, just refuses to play the kind of defense you have to play to win big. I don't ever remember worrying about defense on his earlier teams. You took it for granted. Now its cause for celebration if they get back on defense to contest a shot in the open floor. Stinnett is not the only offender, but I wonder if the suspension stemmed less from alleged actions and more from sending a message to the team that they needed to play harder and more physical, or they wouldn't play at all. Just a theory.
Of course, I also don't ever remember a younger team, either. People tend to forget this, but there is only one player on this team with more than one year of D-1 experience with this program, and that player is Josh Dotzler, the convenient scapegoat for people who have no idea what they're talking about. Yes, young players can and do excel in college basketball, but rarely on teams made up almost entirely of young players. You need veteran leadership to provide a different voice of enforcement from the coaches.
Think I'm nuts? Think back to the good Altman teams. What did they have in common? Strong veteran leadership.
The 1998-99 NCAA team had Rodney Buford and Doug Swenson to shepherd underclassmen like Ben Walker and Ryan Sears. They beat Louisville in the first round of the NCAA tourney.
The 1999-00 NCAA team had Matt West and Donnie Johnson. They lost on a last-second missed shot to Auburn in the NCAA Tourney.
The 2000-01 NCAA team featured seniors Walker and Sears leading underclassmen Kyle Korver and Terrell Taylor. They lost a heartbreaker to Iowa in the first round of the NCAA tourney.
The 2001-02 NCAA team had no "great" seniors, but was comprised of a group of players who had come up together in the Walker/Sears years and thus knew how to do what it took to win. They beat Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tourney.
The 2002-03 Top Ten team had Korver, Tyler McKinney, Joe Dabbert, and Larry House to lead young players like Nate Funk and Kellen Milliner. They went 29-5 and spent time ranked in the Top 10.
The 2003-04 team, heretofore the most disappointing team of the Altman era, had Brody Deren and Michael Lindeman. Lindeman reminds me of Dotzler in that he's a quiet leader; Deren simply quit on the team. Coincidence that this team was the first since 1999 to underachieve?
Now compare this years team to those above. Which one does it most remind you of, in terms of experience and youth? I hate to say it, but it has to be 2003-04, right? A mostly young team with a couple of veterans, coming into the season with huge expectations and falling flat. Now, I'll grant you the injury to McKinney was arguably the problem with the 03-04 team, but I still think its a valid comparison -- or at least one that ought to spark some debate.
You need vocal veteran leaders to get a team going in the right direction, to show them what needs to be done to win. A coach can only yell so much. I think this team is going to struggle until someone steps up and leads. Even though the last two games have certainly showcased a more physical Jays team, they're not where they need to be, they're far from a good team, but they're moving in the right direction.
*****
Today's Polyfro Player of the Game is brought to you by Shasta Cola. Yes, Shasta...if you mix in enough Captain, you can't even tell the difference, man!
Kenton Walker. Dude had 10 points, 10 rebounds and a block in 20 minutes. What I really liked were that many of his boards were the tough scrappy variety, where he either tipped the ball to himself to get it away from shorter players or just flat-out muscled the ball away. Loved it. More please!
You bet.
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