Robert Morris (1-7) vs. Oakland (3-3)
When: Saturday, Dec. 5 at 4 p.m.
Where: Charles L. Sewall Center, Moon Twp., PA
KenPom: RMU 265, Oakland 136
KenPom Line: Oakland -3
Link: NECfrontrow.com
Storyline: Robert Morris, off to their worst start in recent memory, finally returns back home after a long west coast road swing. In the way of win number two is a good Oakland team, led by long-time head coach Greg Kampe. RMU's defense will be put to the test against one of the nation's top offenses.
Getting to know the Golden Grizzlies: Did you know this Oakland is in Michigan, not California? I feel like that could be confusing for some people. Just wanted to clear that up.
OU (Oakland University, not Oklahoma University, just to clarify again) is off to a decent start. They're 3-3, but with two wins against rather unimpressive opponents (Alcorn State and Abilene Christian). They last played Tuesday, losing to Georgia 86-82.
Scoring in the 80's is not unfamiliar territory for the Golden Grizzlies. They're one of the most efficient offenses in the country, averaging 109.8 points-per-100-possessions. That's good for 37th in the country. It seems like Oakland is consistently one of the best three point shooting teams in the country. Recently graduated shooting guard Travis Bader is the NCAA's all-time leader in three point makes and attempts. That's the type of culture they have.
That three point shooting is still there. Junior point guard Khalil Felder, listed at just 5-foot-9, is leading the team in scoring at 23.5 points per game. he's shooting 39 percent (14-61) from three this season. Felder is also averaging an incredible 9.8 assists per game this season. His assist rate is third in the country. Senior guard Max Hooper is shooting 44.9 percent from three this season.
Oakland is a veteran team. Center Percy Gibson, an Iowa State transfer, is having an unbelievable season as well. Gibson is your more traditional center; athletic as hell, but likes to play with his back to the basket and bang on the boards. He's averaging 17.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game on 56.6 percent shooting. His offensive and defensive rebounding percentages rank in the top 175 nationally.
Giving up 80 points per game is also pretty common for Oakland. In their three losses, they've given up 92.6 points per game. If you take out wins against Alcorn State and Abilene Christian, who are really bad, they've given up an average of 89.7 points per game. There are points to be had.
A lot of Oakland's defensive struggles could probably be pointed at their tempo. OU wants to play really fast, giving teams more possessions to score. Their defensive numbers aren't actually awful; teams have an effective field goal percentage of 48.2 percent (140th in the country) and they defend the three point line well (teams are shooting just 31.3 percent from three). If there's one Achilles heel, it's that outside of Gibson, their bigs don't rebound too well.
Mixing it up?
One thing I suggested to spark RMU for this game is lots of small ball. I wouldn't mind seeing some Stewart-McConnell-Still-Pryor-Minnie lineups on the floor. Minnie is similar in size to Gibson and his shot blocking makes him a real rim protector. I'm not sure he's good enough to play on the wing in this game.
That doesn't mean I don't want to see lots of Billy Giles, who is playing really well. This just might be a game to experiment a little bit if he can play the wing. RMU's defense leaves a lot to be desired. 1-7 is a good time to try some different things.
To the tin
Not to sound like a broken record, but RMU has to shoot more free throws. They took a resounding six free throw attempts against Youngstown State. Oakland is going to employ a zone defense, much like YSU. The Colonials have to be more aggressive this time around.
Back home
RMU has played just one home game this season. While that was a loss to Bucknell, playing at home must feel nice. It could also mess with an Oakland team that is going to rely on the three point shot. The Sewall Center has nothing behind the backboards, which messes with depth perception a little.
Prediction
Oakland 80, Robert Morris 65. Color me pessimistic about this one.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Saturday, December 5, 2015
RMU housekeeping, NEC notes
Robert Morris lost to Youngstown State Wednesday night 65-58. RMU's leading scorer was Rodney Pryor, who scored 20 points on 7-15 shooting. He was aided by nice games from Billy Giles (5 points, 9 boards) and freshman guard Matty McConnell (12 points on 4-12 shooting).
Nine of McConnell's 12 points came in a 2:50 stretch in the middle of the second half. Unfortunately, the Colonials weren't able to capitalize on the hot streak. Youngstown State was going bucket for bucket through almost every stretch.
The Penguins scored 34 points and shot 52.2 percent as a team in the second half. This was the sixth time this year RMU's opponent has shot over 50 percent in the second half.
"We're down six at the half, and our defensive intensity to start the second half just wasn't there," head coach Andy Toole said postgame. "We need to defend. Our guys can't seem to grasp that each possession in a game is so important. One or two plays can be the difference between a win and a loss."
Minutes breakdown
We've played eight games this season. Here are the guys getting the most playing time:
-G Rodney Pryor, 31.0 mpg
-F Elijah Minnie: 30.5 mpg
-G Isaiah Still: 29.0 mpg
-PG Kavon Stewart: 25.4 mpg (missed most of a game with an injury)
-SG Matty McConnell: 21.8 mpg (missed three games with an injury)
-F Billy Giles: 21.1 mpg
-F Andre Frederick: 17.9 mpg
-PG Jordan Lester: 16.9 mpg
-F Aaron Tate: 14.3 mpg (has only played three games with an injury)
-G Steven Whitley: 11.1 mpg
-F Conrad Stephens: one game where he logged three minutes (!!!)
The injuries to Matty McConnell and Kavon Stewart has probably given more minutes to the freshman Lester than almost anyone expected.. Steven Whitley's minutes have really dipped since McConnell has returned from injury (was a DNP Wednesday)... Billy Giles is taking more of Frederick's minutes... Isaiah Still has been everything RMU could have expected and then some.. Get healthy soon Aaron Tate... Stewart-Pryor-Still-Minnie-Frederick is RMU's most commonly used lineup, per KenPom.
Around the NEC
Looking back, the RMU had it's first three win night all season! I actually have no idea if that's true, but it hasn't been a lot of fun to be an NEC fan this season. Here's how Wednesday broke down:
St. Francis Brooklyn (3-4) defeated Lafayette 69-62: Tyreek Jewell had 17 points in the win. Jewell still isn't doing the one thing everyone expected him to do well, which is shoot the three ball, but he's risen to the task of being the guy who steps in and tries to provide a scoring punch. Glenn Sanabria has struggled this season.
St. Francis PA (3-3) defeated Lehigh 84-73: Lehigh stinks, but it was nice to see the Red Flash put up some points and win that game. Point guard Greg Brown is having a good season. Freshman big man Josh Nebo looks like he's going to be pretty good one day. SFU lost to Maryland Friday night.
Wagner (3-2) defeated Morgan State 62-61: Romone Saunders made a free throw with four seconds left to help Wagner beat Morgan State. I like Dwaun Anderson this year. There, I said it.
Looking ahead
Five teams, including Robert Morris, are in action on Saturday:
-Sacred Heart at Temple
-Loyola (Maryland) at Mount St. Mary's
-Bryant vs. Brown
-Central Connecticut State at Fordham
-Robert Morris vs. Oakland
KenPom is predicting three wins for the conference in the next two days. He has Mount St. Mary's and Bryant winning today (agreed!) and Wagner beating American tomorrow. I also like a little upset special on Sunday, with St. Francis Brooklyn taking down St. John's. It's doable.
That's all for now.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Nine of McConnell's 12 points came in a 2:50 stretch in the middle of the second half. Unfortunately, the Colonials weren't able to capitalize on the hot streak. Youngstown State was going bucket for bucket through almost every stretch.
The Penguins scored 34 points and shot 52.2 percent as a team in the second half. This was the sixth time this year RMU's opponent has shot over 50 percent in the second half.
"We're down six at the half, and our defensive intensity to start the second half just wasn't there," head coach Andy Toole said postgame. "We need to defend. Our guys can't seem to grasp that each possession in a game is so important. One or two plays can be the difference between a win and a loss."
Minutes breakdown
We've played eight games this season. Here are the guys getting the most playing time:
-G Rodney Pryor, 31.0 mpg
-F Elijah Minnie: 30.5 mpg
-G Isaiah Still: 29.0 mpg
-PG Kavon Stewart: 25.4 mpg (missed most of a game with an injury)
-SG Matty McConnell: 21.8 mpg (missed three games with an injury)
-F Billy Giles: 21.1 mpg
-F Andre Frederick: 17.9 mpg
-PG Jordan Lester: 16.9 mpg
-F Aaron Tate: 14.3 mpg (has only played three games with an injury)
-G Steven Whitley: 11.1 mpg
-F Conrad Stephens: one game where he logged three minutes (!!!)
The injuries to Matty McConnell and Kavon Stewart has probably given more minutes to the freshman Lester than almost anyone expected.. Steven Whitley's minutes have really dipped since McConnell has returned from injury (was a DNP Wednesday)... Billy Giles is taking more of Frederick's minutes... Isaiah Still has been everything RMU could have expected and then some.. Get healthy soon Aaron Tate... Stewart-Pryor-Still-Minnie-Frederick is RMU's most commonly used lineup, per KenPom.
Around the NEC
Looking back, the RMU had it's first three win night all season! I actually have no idea if that's true, but it hasn't been a lot of fun to be an NEC fan this season. Here's how Wednesday broke down:
St. Francis Brooklyn (3-4) defeated Lafayette 69-62: Tyreek Jewell had 17 points in the win. Jewell still isn't doing the one thing everyone expected him to do well, which is shoot the three ball, but he's risen to the task of being the guy who steps in and tries to provide a scoring punch. Glenn Sanabria has struggled this season.
St. Francis PA (3-3) defeated Lehigh 84-73: Lehigh stinks, but it was nice to see the Red Flash put up some points and win that game. Point guard Greg Brown is having a good season. Freshman big man Josh Nebo looks like he's going to be pretty good one day. SFU lost to Maryland Friday night.
Wagner (3-2) defeated Morgan State 62-61: Romone Saunders made a free throw with four seconds left to help Wagner beat Morgan State. I like Dwaun Anderson this year. There, I said it.
Looking ahead
Five teams, including Robert Morris, are in action on Saturday:
-Sacred Heart at Temple
-Loyola (Maryland) at Mount St. Mary's
-Bryant vs. Brown
-Central Connecticut State at Fordham
-Robert Morris vs. Oakland
KenPom is predicting three wins for the conference in the next two days. He has Mount St. Mary's and Bryant winning today (agreed!) and Wagner beating American tomorrow. I also like a little upset special on Sunday, with St. Francis Brooklyn taking down St. John's. It's doable.
That's all for now.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Friday, December 4, 2015
Friday pod: 1-7 doesn't feel so good
Chris & Lee start the podcast with their dissenting opinions on if they should or should not be worried, how to help improve the offense and the adjustments that some players have to make moving forward.
The two also talk about Joe Hugley, bench mobs in general, Kavon Stewart being more of a scorer, the terribleness that has been the NEC and the sad state of the sports teams they root for.
Interested? Of course you are! You can listen to it here.
The two also talk about Joe Hugley, bench mobs in general, Kavon Stewart being more of a scorer, the terribleness that has been the NEC and the sad state of the sports teams they root for.
Interested? Of course you are! You can listen to it here.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Same mistakes doom Colonials
Robert Morris pretty much played a carbon copy of the previous seven games before this one, and the result was another loss. RMU is now 1-7, losing to the worst team they'll play before January 2 when conference play begins.
Ugly times, ugly times indeed. Unlike last year, RMU did a pretty good job defensively, limiting YSU to 8-25 from three. Also, Bobby Hain (14 points, seven boards) was good but not Jahlil Okafor good, so that was nice. Last year, RMU gave up 89 points to the Penguins at home, so I guess any type of capable, breathing body was going to benefit the defense.
RMU was leading 10-9 early and, like they have most of this season, went into a deep lull offensively and defensively. The Penguins went on an 11-0 run and really didn't look back the rest of the game. RMU went on some runs, but you can almost always count on this group to shoot themselves in the foot, and that's what they did.
Overall, it resulted in a 65-58 loss. Thoughts:
-I wonder if at any point, anyone on the floor thought, 'hm, maybe we shouldn't have four guys standing on the perimeter just to jack up threes or dump it inside to Andre Frederick." The offense tonight was complete garbage, full of jump shots, jump shots and more jump shots. Just when it looked like something good might happen, a jump shot took place, and I went back to kicking my dogs down the stairs. I've seen better offense at the YMCA.
RMU turned the ball over 14 times (forced eight), grabbed eight offensive boards (YSU had 11) and took just six free throws. The rebounding numbers aren't bad just by the sheer size of Youngstown State but everything else, once again, is just pretty unacceptable. YOU HAVE TO GET TO THE LINE AND TAKE SOME FREE THROWS EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE.
Last year, when RMU was slumping offensively, Marcquise Reed would just go into "fuck this" mode and drive relentlessly to the basket. Karvel Anderson was similar in his aggression. No one on this team is at that level, but it doesn't mean it shouldn't be tried.
-It's game eight now. Anyone who isn't sick and tired of the same mistakes is much more patient than I. I was never known for my patience, however.
-With under a minute left in the first half, Rodney Pryor (20 points, 7-15 shooting) had the ball in the corner, got his defender to leave his feet, and finished in traffic with his left off the glass. Fast forward to later in the game when RMU was down seven and Pryor again had the ball at the top of the key. He leans into his defender and takes an ugly three that misses by a ton.
This is what we like to call a microcosm. That small sample perfectly sums up exactly who Pryor and RMU are offensively: a bunch of dudes who are athletic enough to get to the rim, might not be the most confident in their abilities to do so, and settle for ugly three point jumpers. Taking free throws and driving to the rim are SO important to a competent offensive team. RMU is not a competent offensive team because they lack these qualities.
-Hey man, I'm just saying maybe RMU should try and take more than six free throws. I'm not sure if anyone has picked that up yet.
-I like Billy Giles. He just moves so well on offense and works hard on the boards. I think he'll be better than most forwards in the NEC because of these things.
-Matty McConnell had his first heat check game, scoring 12 points on 4-12 shooting. He went through a nice stretch where he hit a cluster of three's to keep RMU in it in the second half. McConnell, like everyone else on the team, will benefit a little more when he does more than just stand at the three point line. Good confidence booster for him though.
That's about all I've got. It's a frustrating start to the season. Really, the only positive has been "well at least the NEC stinks." Sports: sometimes fun, most of the time not at all.
--Chris Cappela
--@C_Cappella
Ugly times, ugly times indeed. Unlike last year, RMU did a pretty good job defensively, limiting YSU to 8-25 from three. Also, Bobby Hain (14 points, seven boards) was good but not Jahlil Okafor good, so that was nice. Last year, RMU gave up 89 points to the Penguins at home, so I guess any type of capable, breathing body was going to benefit the defense.
RMU was leading 10-9 early and, like they have most of this season, went into a deep lull offensively and defensively. The Penguins went on an 11-0 run and really didn't look back the rest of the game. RMU went on some runs, but you can almost always count on this group to shoot themselves in the foot, and that's what they did.
Overall, it resulted in a 65-58 loss. Thoughts:
-I wonder if at any point, anyone on the floor thought, 'hm, maybe we shouldn't have four guys standing on the perimeter just to jack up threes or dump it inside to Andre Frederick." The offense tonight was complete garbage, full of jump shots, jump shots and more jump shots. Just when it looked like something good might happen, a jump shot took place, and I went back to kicking my dogs down the stairs. I've seen better offense at the YMCA.
RMU turned the ball over 14 times (forced eight), grabbed eight offensive boards (YSU had 11) and took just six free throws. The rebounding numbers aren't bad just by the sheer size of Youngstown State but everything else, once again, is just pretty unacceptable. YOU HAVE TO GET TO THE LINE AND TAKE SOME FREE THROWS EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE.
Last year, when RMU was slumping offensively, Marcquise Reed would just go into "fuck this" mode and drive relentlessly to the basket. Karvel Anderson was similar in his aggression. No one on this team is at that level, but it doesn't mean it shouldn't be tried.
-It's game eight now. Anyone who isn't sick and tired of the same mistakes is much more patient than I. I was never known for my patience, however.
-With under a minute left in the first half, Rodney Pryor (20 points, 7-15 shooting) had the ball in the corner, got his defender to leave his feet, and finished in traffic with his left off the glass. Fast forward to later in the game when RMU was down seven and Pryor again had the ball at the top of the key. He leans into his defender and takes an ugly three that misses by a ton.
This is what we like to call a microcosm. That small sample perfectly sums up exactly who Pryor and RMU are offensively: a bunch of dudes who are athletic enough to get to the rim, might not be the most confident in their abilities to do so, and settle for ugly three point jumpers. Taking free throws and driving to the rim are SO important to a competent offensive team. RMU is not a competent offensive team because they lack these qualities.
-Hey man, I'm just saying maybe RMU should try and take more than six free throws. I'm not sure if anyone has picked that up yet.
-I like Billy Giles. He just moves so well on offense and works hard on the boards. I think he'll be better than most forwards in the NEC because of these things.
-Matty McConnell had his first heat check game, scoring 12 points on 4-12 shooting. He went through a nice stretch where he hit a cluster of three's to keep RMU in it in the second half. McConnell, like everyone else on the team, will benefit a little more when he does more than just stand at the three point line. Good confidence booster for him though.
That's about all I've got. It's a frustrating start to the season. Really, the only positive has been "well at least the NEC stinks." Sports: sometimes fun, most of the time not at all.
--Chris Cappela
--@C_Cappella
Game day: familiar foe
Robert Morris (1-6) at Youngstown State (3-4)
Where: The Beeghly Center, Youngstown, Ohio
When: Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 7:00 p.m.
KenPom: RMU 257, YSU 255
KenPom line: YSU -4
Link: ESPN3.com
Storyline: Exactly one year ago, Youngstown State came into the Sewall Center and put up an easy 89 points in an eight point win against the Colonials. Now, Robert Morris will look to do the same and grab a winnable game in Ohio.
Getting to know the Penguins: Robert Morris will look to put behind a forgettable November and start December fresh. In the way of that is an offensively talented Youngstown State team that has struggled to stop teams from scoring. The season is still young, but it's not that young. Robert Morris has to put behind the excuses and execute.
Youngstown State is led by center Bobby Hain, who tore up RMU for 24 points, 12 rebounds and an assault of quick passing from the high post that led to great looks. Hain is leading the team in points, rebounds and assists through seven games. He's going to be a handful for RMU forwards offensively and defensively. I wrote about him in a little more detail here.
Hain is a large part of the team, but he has a nice supporting cast around him. It's one of the reasons YSU is averaging 101.3 points-per-100-possessions, ranking them in the top-third in offensive efficiency in the country.
Shooting guard Cameron Morse is averaging 15.7 points on 43.9/83.9/40.0 shooting splits. The sophomore is also 26th in the country in steal percentage, which could spell trouble for a Robert Morris offense that can't stop turning the ball over.
Morse did not play in their last game Saturday against Niagra, so if he can't go again, that might be a nice break for RMU. Even without him, YSU put up 88 points. if Morse can't play, look for more freshman guard Latin Davis to see the floor a little more.
Any frontcourt that has Hain in it is a good one, but there are other role players who do a good job for them. 7-foot junior center Jorden Kaufman had 14 & 7 in their last game. Obviously, any team with size is going to pose a challenge for a small Colonials team. Power forwards Sidney Umede and Matt Donald, both listed at 6-foot-7, are pretty good rebounders who are shooting over 40 percent from the floor.
YSU isn't without their weaknesses. They're an awful defensive team, giving up 107.9 points-per-100-possessions. That's 309th in the country. They haven't held a Division I team to under 70 points this season. RMU, who actually isn't a bad offensive rebounding team, could benefit from extra possessions in this one.
Outlook: RMU should feel good about this one. They should be able to put the ball in the basket. If they bring some sort of urgency defensively and play with consistency, I think they'll come away with win number two.
Which team shows up tonight? if it's the one that played against new Mexico State, it should be enough.
Point guard Kavon Stewart, who logged just five minutes Saturday after being bothered by an ankle injury, should be good to go.
Prediction: RMU 77, YSU 75.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Where: The Beeghly Center, Youngstown, Ohio
When: Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 7:00 p.m.
KenPom: RMU 257, YSU 255
KenPom line: YSU -4
Link: ESPN3.com
Storyline: Exactly one year ago, Youngstown State came into the Sewall Center and put up an easy 89 points in an eight point win against the Colonials. Now, Robert Morris will look to do the same and grab a winnable game in Ohio.
Getting to know the Penguins: Robert Morris will look to put behind a forgettable November and start December fresh. In the way of that is an offensively talented Youngstown State team that has struggled to stop teams from scoring. The season is still young, but it's not that young. Robert Morris has to put behind the excuses and execute.
Youngstown State is led by center Bobby Hain, who tore up RMU for 24 points, 12 rebounds and an assault of quick passing from the high post that led to great looks. Hain is leading the team in points, rebounds and assists through seven games. He's going to be a handful for RMU forwards offensively and defensively. I wrote about him in a little more detail here.
Hain is a large part of the team, but he has a nice supporting cast around him. It's one of the reasons YSU is averaging 101.3 points-per-100-possessions, ranking them in the top-third in offensive efficiency in the country.
Shooting guard Cameron Morse is averaging 15.7 points on 43.9/83.9/40.0 shooting splits. The sophomore is also 26th in the country in steal percentage, which could spell trouble for a Robert Morris offense that can't stop turning the ball over.
Morse did not play in their last game Saturday against Niagra, so if he can't go again, that might be a nice break for RMU. Even without him, YSU put up 88 points. if Morse can't play, look for more freshman guard Latin Davis to see the floor a little more.
Any frontcourt that has Hain in it is a good one, but there are other role players who do a good job for them. 7-foot junior center Jorden Kaufman had 14 & 7 in their last game. Obviously, any team with size is going to pose a challenge for a small Colonials team. Power forwards Sidney Umede and Matt Donald, both listed at 6-foot-7, are pretty good rebounders who are shooting over 40 percent from the floor.
YSU isn't without their weaknesses. They're an awful defensive team, giving up 107.9 points-per-100-possessions. That's 309th in the country. They haven't held a Division I team to under 70 points this season. RMU, who actually isn't a bad offensive rebounding team, could benefit from extra possessions in this one.
Outlook: RMU should feel good about this one. They should be able to put the ball in the basket. If they bring some sort of urgency defensively and play with consistency, I think they'll come away with win number two.
Which team shows up tonight? if it's the one that played against new Mexico State, it should be enough.
Point guard Kavon Stewart, who logged just five minutes Saturday after being bothered by an ankle injury, should be good to go.
Prediction: RMU 77, YSU 75.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Can RMU slow Bobby Hain?
Last year, in a Dec. 2 meting at the Sewall Center, then-junior center Bobby Hain scored 24 points on 10-14 shooting, grabbed 14 boards and dished out two assists in an 89-81 Youngstown State win. Now, a year to the day, the Colonials have to find a way to slow down Hain for a win.
Hain imposed his will against Robert Morris in that game. His 24 points and 14 rebounds were a career high up to that point.
The word "will" was a pretty hot topic for Toole after that game. The head coach went on a several minute postgame rant about the competitiveness of his team.
So what can RMU do to slow down the man who crushed them most last season? The principles don't change, but the awareness has to. From what I remember (and wrote about last season), Hain was a decisive passer. He finished with two assists, but his decision making led to more ball movement and good looks. His quick touches haunt my memory.
RMU has to try and deny, deny, deny the high post. Hain is clearly a good passer and quick decision maker, but a strength of the zone is supposed to be crowding the high post. Hain might be tall (6-foot-10) but RMU has to take away passing lanes to the best of their abilities, and then stay disciplined when he does get the ball.
YSU was so effective because Hain was able to dish it to capable shooters. Even without guard Marcus Keene, who tore RMU up for 24 of his own last season, the Penguins are shooting 35.9 percent from three as a team this season. Communication will be key; can RMU not get screened off the ball and provide capable defense?
Then there's slowing Hain himself, who is shooting 56.7 percent from the floor and drawing a ton of fouls. Quite frankly, if I'm the Colonials coaching staff, I think I start the game guarding Hain the best I can one-on-one and let him get his. Yes, he might drop 30, but so what? YSU is a poor defensive teams. Get stops and don't let anyone else beat you.
Much easier said than done. If my memory serves me correct (it usually does), Hain is a guy who finishes well around the rim with a soft touch with both hands. He's going to brawl on the boards to create second chance opportunities. If Andre Frederick, Billy Giles and Conrad Stephens (???? half-kidding) don't come in with the right mentality, they'll get demolished. The task is theirs to handle.
I doubt this happens, but I'd love to see what Elijah Minnie could do anchoring the zone this game. He has similar height to Hain and it would be a good test of his rebounding and iso defensive discipline and overall defensive IQ.
No matter who is guarding him, Bobby Hain is at the top of the scouting report. I almost feel like a groundhog on groundhog day. Another year of Bobby Hain nightmares, or a night of peaceful sleep?
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Hain imposed his will against Robert Morris in that game. His 24 points and 14 rebounds were a career high up to that point.
The word "will" was a pretty hot topic for Toole after that game. The head coach went on a several minute postgame rant about the competitiveness of his team.
"We haven't imposed our will on anybody, we don't have a will. Our will is to point the finger," he said.I wrote more about that disastrous game when I was with Colonials Corner last season. *Pours one out*
So what can RMU do to slow down the man who crushed them most last season? The principles don't change, but the awareness has to. From what I remember (and wrote about last season), Hain was a decisive passer. He finished with two assists, but his decision making led to more ball movement and good looks. His quick touches haunt my memory.
RMU has to try and deny, deny, deny the high post. Hain is clearly a good passer and quick decision maker, but a strength of the zone is supposed to be crowding the high post. Hain might be tall (6-foot-10) but RMU has to take away passing lanes to the best of their abilities, and then stay disciplined when he does get the ball.
YSU was so effective because Hain was able to dish it to capable shooters. Even without guard Marcus Keene, who tore RMU up for 24 of his own last season, the Penguins are shooting 35.9 percent from three as a team this season. Communication will be key; can RMU not get screened off the ball and provide capable defense?
Then there's slowing Hain himself, who is shooting 56.7 percent from the floor and drawing a ton of fouls. Quite frankly, if I'm the Colonials coaching staff, I think I start the game guarding Hain the best I can one-on-one and let him get his. Yes, he might drop 30, but so what? YSU is a poor defensive teams. Get stops and don't let anyone else beat you.
Much easier said than done. If my memory serves me correct (it usually does), Hain is a guy who finishes well around the rim with a soft touch with both hands. He's going to brawl on the boards to create second chance opportunities. If Andre Frederick, Billy Giles and Conrad Stephens (???? half-kidding) don't come in with the right mentality, they'll get demolished. The task is theirs to handle.
I doubt this happens, but I'd love to see what Elijah Minnie could do anchoring the zone this game. He has similar height to Hain and it would be a good test of his rebounding and iso defensive discipline and overall defensive IQ.
No matter who is guarding him, Bobby Hain is at the top of the scouting report. I almost feel like a groundhog on groundhog day. Another year of Bobby Hain nightmares, or a night of peaceful sleep?
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Fixing a poor offense starts with aggression
There are a lot of components that help make up a good offense. Ball movement, shot selection, floor spacing, overall talent; all of these things are important.
Nine out of ten coaches would probably agree that not a whole lot beats free throws. There are so many positives to getting to the free throw line. Free throws stop play, put the other team in foul trouble and are high percentage shots.
Que in Robert Morris, who could use some offensive help at the moment. The Colonials are averaging 65.3 points per game in seven games, which is almost ten points below the NCAA average at this point in the season. Their 97.4 points-per-100-possessions is in the bottom-third (274th overall) in college basketball.
I’ve detailed earlier how turnovers and poor rebounding has hurt the team. I think experience and Aaron Tate can solve a lot of those problems. An Andy Toole team is just not going to continue turning the ball over at the rate they are.
What I do find concerning is RMU’s free throw numbers. According to KenPom, RMU’s free throw rate of 24.4 percent is 343rd in the country. There are only 351 D-I teams.
Free throw rate is simply a ratio. How many free throws do you take for every shot attempt? Right now, RMU is taking one free throw for every four shots. That’s very, very bad. For reference, Virginia Tech leads the country with a free throw rate of 60.9 percent.
Robert Morris has never come close to reaching that point but has always had an offense in the 35 to 40 percent threshold.
The offense is feeling the effects. RMU really has just one guy capable of getting to the rim at will, and that’s Kavon Stewart. His problem, of course, is he’s shooting 53.3 percent from the line and he’s never shot better than 63 percent from the stripe in his life. Despite his poor shooting numbers, Stewart is actually a really good example of playing aggressive and drawing contact. He’s attempted 28 free throws to 40 total shots.
The point of all this? It would benefit RMU a lot if the likes of Rodney Pryor and Isaiah Still, two guys who have really carried the offense, to show a little more aggression. Even driving to the basket and getting no-calls can open up the offense.
Right now, teams likely don’t respect RMU’s ability to get to the rim. Without a true post presence, defenses can really work to take away the three ball, which will ultimately carry the Colonials offensively again.
All of this is doubly true for Elijah Minnie. I wrote out my theory the other night on how I think teams will begin to play him defensively. He could really benefit from using some ball fakes to get to the rim. If he gets fouled in the process, even better.
Saturday was a good start. The Colonials shot a season high 18 free throws, making 14 of them. They took 53 total shots, giving them a free throw rate of 33 percent. That’s much more on-par for what would be an acceptable ratio.
The Colonials were able to flip the script for one game as the team getting to the line and hitting their free throws. Can they do that consistently? For the sake of their offense, they better hope so.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
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