Game 9 recap: A defense that's indefensible

Four in a row

RMU fell to Youngstown State 84-76.

I can’t wait until RMU comes back home so their games will be archived on NECFrontRow.com. There is so much I would love to demonstrate using screen grabs that I just can’t do but will try to anyway.

Pick and roll defense is beyond clueless. Sometimes the big guys hedge and sometimes not. Sometimes there’s a double team. Sometimes there’s a switch. Almost all the time the other team scores. The biggest problem I’m seeing: off ball defender hedges screen but can’t get back in time, forcing another defender to rotate which leads to another man rotating to the rotators man, which most of the time comes really late giving lots of good looks near the rim. And wow did Youngstown State have a lot of open looks at the rim.

RMU went to the 2-3 zone every once in a while too, which usually consisted of getting caught in weakside back screens leading to wide open three’s. Another bad thing: YSU shot over 50 percent from the floor.

My point: Getting caught up in so many screens and giving up so many open looks at the rim is really concerning considering we’re almost a third of the way through the season. Toole is trying his best to mix things up but at some point the players have to play.

RMU was strong on offense again. There’s definitely some nitpicking I could do, like Mike McFadden settling for too many jump shots again. Mike is at his best working with his back to the basket with the OCCASIONAL jump shot. He shot 4-9 from the floor today, which isn’t bad, but took a few jump shots I didn’t really like (like his step back long jumper midway in the first half). Also, I’d like to see some more attacking of the rim.

Still, RMU shot 50 percent from the field and went 16-20 from the line. Even though they only went 6-17 from three (still not terrible), those figures are usually good enough to win. Great games from Lucky Jones (24 and 5), Karvel Anderson (18 and 7) and Jeremiah Worthem (12 and 8). Right now, those three are the best players on the team.

Something to keep an eye on is Toole shortened his bench significantly again in the second half. He did the same thing at Delaware. Clearly, the list of the players he trusts in crunch time is shortening.

That’s all for now. Feedback is appreciated!

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella