We're 19 games into the season, which is for all practical purposes 2/3 of the way through a season. By this point, its generally pretty clear who you are and what you're capable of. And at this point, the Bipolar Jays are two things: capable of beating all but the very best teams on a good night, and capable of losing to all but the very worst of teams on a bad night. In other words, a gloriously average team.
On Saturday, they took a mood swing back into the lazy, lackadaisical bunch we saw against Northern Iowa two weeks ago, and at this point, calling them average is actually a compliment, because many people I know are calling them much worse. And not all of the words are adjectives, either.
Wichita State is getting better as the season progresses, and coming into the game, I mentioned it scared me that they hadn't won a game in the league. The Valley Game of the Week on regional television, the fans wearing black for a "blackout" promotion, and the players wearing their road black jerseys as part of it -- combine these with the fact that traditionally Wichita State and Creighton don't much care for each other, and you've got a recipe for a tough game. Then add in that the crowd was insane and the refs were allowing the teams to play and not calling much, and things start to favor the more desperate team. All of the above favored Wichita State.
In case you didn't notice, I'm trying HARD to sugarcoat another butt whooping. You know what, though? I'm done doing that. These guys played poorly, and I'm going to call a thumbtack in the ass what it is: a thumbtack in the ass.
On Saturday, they stunk. Two weeks ago against Northern Iowa, they stunk. Before that, they stunk against Illinois State. And against Nebraska. And Arkansas Little Rock.
They've either tuned out the coaches pleas to play defense and rebound, or the coaches are failing to teach those fundamentals in practice. Its not clear to an outsider like myself which it is, but its clear one or the other is true. You don't get outrebounded by TWENTY FIVE if you have good fundamentals. Its not possible. And its not just the big guys, either, as easy as it might be to point the finger at Kenny Lawson and Kenton Walker.
Lawson can be a ninny at times, and seems to be under the assumption that the opponents have cooties because he avoids contact like the plague. Walker is more physical, but has an annoying tendency to set moving screens and is really bad at getting away with it. Both players aren't the greatest at boxing out their opponent, but the rebounding atrocities can't be blamed solely on them.
More times than I can count, Walker actually has his man sealed only to see two or three other guys fly in to grab the board. And why is that? Because the guards aren't boxing out their men! Rebounding is EVERYONES responsibility, even if you're 15 feet away from the basket. This is fifth grade YMCA ball stuff, here, not exactly the secret sauce of the basketball world. On defense, everyone boxes out their guy, giving their best rebounders the chance to get a rebound. If Creighton's guards and forwards would simply put their butt into someone and get them out of the way, the rebounding numbers would go up 25% immediately.
Alas.
The fans are getting restless in harping over the rebounding woes every night, but you know what else is getting old? P'Allen Stinnett pulling his best Randy Moss routine and "playing when he wants to play." When he plays 100%, the guy can be -- nay, has proven to be -- the best player in the league. The problem is, he only brings it about once every other time out, if then.
If you ever eat some bad peanut butter and need to induce vomiting to save your life, cue up the clip from the second half of P'Allen allowing his man to run past him halfway down the court to dunk -- while he sat on the floor and watched. Never got up, never attempted to chase him, never even watched the play. Just got up and got ready to go play offense. I threw up like I'd drank beer before liquor, and the weird thing was, I hadn't actually drank anything that day. Yet.
I don't think its unreasonable to demand 100% effort 100% of the time, I really don't. And I don't care to hear people whine and tell me "four-star players deserve different rules." I had someone tell me that one time. I promptly imagined breaking a beer bottle over his head, while in real life I replied in a Mr. Beleveredian accent, "Pardon me, but I call shenanigans on that spot of thinking, sir."
If this team played with 100% effort 100% of the time, wasn't afraid of boxing people out to get in better position for rebounds, and didn't give up when P'Allen and/or Booker Woodfox aren't making shots, they'd be dangerous. But its too late for that. They are what they are, and what they are is average and weak. And the worst of it is, I'm not sure they care.
Well I do, and I can't wait to see what happens Tuesday in Evansville. The only thing I know for sure is that we'll know by the under-16 timeout which Jays team has shown up. Lets hope its the clean shaven team, and not the team with the goatee.
Next.
