Arizona 1/4 2:30 ESPN2

[bearcatlifer]

I for one am about ready to pull the plug on this season.The problem is I am a season ticket holder so now I have to sit through this garbage.It is starting to feel eerily similar to Scott Satterfield's disaster which I also had to sit through.My football compatriots are starting to bail for next year. I can see that coming for basketball. All of this after the universiry has committed massive amounts to upgrade facilities.Someone better be paying attention. I'm sure itis harder than it looks but schools with lesser orograms are clearly able to do it consistently.

[London 'Cat]

I for one am about ready to pull the plug on this season.The problem is I am a season ticket holder so now I have to sit through this garbage.It is starting to feel eerily similar to Scott Satterfield's disaster which I also had to sit through.My football compatriots are starting to bail for next year. I can see that coming for basketball. All of this after the universiry has committed massive amounts to upgrade facilities.Someone better be paying attention. I'm sure itis harder than it looks but schools with lesser orograms are clearly able to do it consistently.

The basketball program is far better off than football. At least there is hope for the future with incoming recruits. Football has little hope.

The team has not played well thus far in conference. The competition has increased and the ‘Cats need to respond to that increase. We’ll see whether they have it in them to respond or not. I think CWM will continue to grow as a coach but there will be missteps on that path. The team needs fan support not abandonment. We are two games into an 18 game conference schedule. IMO, it is far too early to give up hope.

[sedz]

To me the offense was MUCH better in the second half. In the first half, UC shot 32% (9-28). In the second half, UC shot 44% (16-36). UC scored only 26 points in the first half but scored 41 points in the second half. In fact, UC outscored UA 41-33 in the second half. However, the major problem was the free throw shooting. During the second half comeback, UC shot just 46% (6-13) from the free throw line. UC missed 7 free throw shots in the second half alone. It is difficult to win close games when a team shoots 52% (12-23) for the game from the foul line.

The HALF COURT offense was bad all game. We didn’t score much from normal offense in either half.

[sedz]

What is the end result of an offensive possession? Usually a shot (maybe a second shot) is the end result of an offensive possession. Sometimes the possession may end in a turnover. Teams that play at a faster tempo usually will take more shots. I have seen teams run up and down the floor but struggle to get shots off when the defense is good. It seems to me that the number of shots taken and tempo are highly related. The analytics guys would probably say that the number of shots taken and tempo are positively correlated.

What I am saying is that you can use the number of shots taken a game as a way to measure how fast or slow a team plays. I UNDERSTAND what tempo is. I am just using the number of shots attempted as a way of measuring tempo. Does that make sense?

Tempo = possessions. Always has. If you want to measure tempo, use that. Shots CAN be a proxy for tempo, but it's really measuring offensive rebounds, lack of turnovers, and lack of free throws. Our team does all three of those, but we don't have a high tempo. We put up a lot of shots from the field because we don't get to the FT line, not because we play fast.

[leeraymond]

The problem with running Simas off Aziz screens is that they're both one dimensional players. Simas is not a drive threat and Aziz is not a shooter. It's too easy to defend. We need to run some down screens or flare screens off the ball. Use the guards as screeners. I've been asking for us to use a point forward for years. It opens up so many more possibilities on offense. Most NBA teams do that now. Wes is stuck using a traditional offense in a modern game.

Is not Mitchell a point forward? He sometimes brings the ball up the court and initiates the offense.

[leeraymond]

SO -- what has happened - better competition or something else. Last year SL was winning games with the last shot. This year he is a different player. The opposing coaches knew about him at the end of last year and he was defended. Didn't Vik disappear too - How is Vik doing this year? PS is the team missing the little things Newman did?

Good observations Leo.

[leeraymond]

For a team to travel here and get up on the 'Cats by 19 shows UC was not ready to play and that's coaching...this UA team in no way is even close to a Lute Olson era team...can Jay Wright be coaxed out of retirement? The Dayton and Xavier wins have been completely offset - staring at a sub .500 season which could lead to attrition in the ranks.

I am with you on this one. How can a 7-5 team go up on UC by 19 AT HOME in a BIG CONFERENCE GAME? There is something really WRONG in the UC camp right now.

[leeraymond]

I'm trying to verify this still but apparently at least part of the team was sick leading up to this game which might explain a few things. I noticed several instances of Aziz being completely gassed yesterday.

In any case these are the shooting percentages for the game. Mitchell and Aziz combined for 1-9 from the stripe. You just can't do that.

FG

39.1%

3PT 20.0%

FT 52.2%

If some of the UC players were sick, that explains a lot. Miller does have other players on the bench that he can use. Reed comes to mind.

[leeraymond]

The HALF COURT offense was bad all game. We didn’t score much from normal offense in either half.

All we can do is go by the numbers. The second half numbers suggest that UC was more aggressive offensively and shot the ball 12% higher than in the first half. The way in which the shot is generated does not matter. All that matters is that the shot was made.

[sedz]

Is not Mitchell a point forward? He sometimes brings the ball up the court and initiates the offense.

Yes, exactly. He only does that if he gets the rebound though and quickly gives it up. I'd like to see us run some actions with Mitchell or Skillings up top. They are our best downhill drivers. Aziz can then set off ball down screens for the PGs, or an off ball flare screen for Simas.

[leeraymond]

Tempo = possessions. Always has. If you want to measure tempo, use that. Shots CAN be a proxy for tempo, but it's really measuring offensive rebounds, lack of turnovers, and lack of free throws. Our team does all three of those, but we don't have a high tempo. We put up a lot of shots from the field because we don't get to the FT line, not because we play fast.

Analytics is all about generating insights from data. Data can be examined in all types of ways, new and old, to give the observer a better sense of what is happening. There is MORE than one way to analyze data.

So, you are saying that fast shots are not a part of up tempo? Listen up. I saw two games in the past two days (Iowa vs Wisconsin and Florida vs Kentucky). The score of the Iowa game was 85-116 (UW won). Check these numbers out: Iowa shot the ball 66 times and UW shot the ball 62 times. In the UF and UK game, UF went 33-60; 12-33 (3 point); 8 fast break pts, and 22 free throw makes. UK went 37-64; 14-29; 17 fast break points, 18 free throw makes. Both of those games had nothing but fast shots (first open shot mentality on display).

Think about this for a second, UC shot the ball 64 times against UA (as many as UK). If UC was a more efficient shooting team (both field goal and free throws), they would be hard to beat. UC is very aggressive when it comes to putting shots up. That is Miller Ball. That is how Miler wants to play. The problem is he does NOT have the shooters to play that way. Running more set plays could probably help UC with hitting more shots.

By the way, what does putting up a lot of shots have to do with getting to the free throw line? The free throw usually comes after the shot, not before it.

[BearKatz]

In both the KenPom ratings (20 v 23) and the NET rankings (21 v 25) AZ was above UC. That would have made it a quality win, IMO. I am starting to question whether this a legitimate top 25 team. Their play in the last two games does not support their ranking. I think they fall out of the top 25 and won’t return again barring significant improved play.

Agree! Back to back losses, will probably drop between 30/35 and as you said, without significant improvement we will not return. If the Cats keep playing like this, will miss the tourney once again!

[leeraymond]

Yes, exactly. He only does that if he gets the rebound though and quickly gives it up. I'd like to see us run some actions with Mitchell or Skillings up top. They are our best downhill drivers. Aziz can then set off ball down screens for the PGs, or an off ball flare screen for Simas.

That is a good suggestion. However, if Aziz is in the game, teams know that Aziz is NOT a scoring threat away from the rim. Knowing this, the other team's center can just stand around in the paint to wait on Mitchell or Skillings to break towards the rim. Page might be better for the pick and roll using Mitchell because Page can shoot the three and is more of a scoring threat. The other team's center will have to follow Page out on the floor thus leaving the paint open.

[sedz]

Analytics is all about generating insights from data. Data can be examined in all types of ways, new and old, to give the observer a better sense of what is happening. There is MORE than one way to analyze data.

So, you are saying that fast shots are not a part of up tempo? Listen up. I saw two games in the past two days (Iowa vs Wisconsin and Florida vs Kentucky). The score of the Iowa game was 85-116 (UW won). Check these numbers out: Iowa shot the ball 66 times and UW shot the ball 62 times. In the UF and UK game, UF went 33-60; 12-33 (3 point); 8 fast break pts, and 22 free throw makes. UK went 37-64; 14-29; 17 fast break points, 18 free throw makes. Both of those games had nothing but fast shots (first open shot mentality on display).

Think about this for a second, UC shot the ball 64 times against UA (as many as UK). If UC was a more efficient shooting team (both field goal and free throws), they would be hard to beat. UC is very aggressive when it comes to putting shots up. That is Miller Ball. That is how Miler wants to play. The problem is he does NOT have the shooters to play that way. Running more set plays could probably help UC with hitting more shots.

By the way, what does putting up a lot of shots have to do with getting to the free throw line? The free throw usually comes after the shot, not before it.

You're telling me that Cincinnati plays as fast as Iowa and Kentucky because they all take about the same number of shots. We play WAY slower than those teams. Iowa has the 20th fastest tempo in the country. Kentucky is #36. We're #276. Iowa's games average 7 more possessions than ours.

Except for and-ones, free throws take the place of a shot. If you get fouled shooting and it doesn't go in, it doesn't count as a shot. Since we very rarely get to the line (our free throw rate is #341 in the country), we're ending possessions with a shot instead. Teams that play fast will have the same number of shots as us, AND more free throws. Or more turnovers and offensive rebounds. Florida shot 12 more free throws than we did. The Iowa/Wisconsin game had 15 offensive rebounds combined - less than we did by ourselves. That game was up and down. Shot on one end, shot on the other. 76 possessions.

You can say whatever you want about shots. "Tempo" is an actual term that has had an established meaning for decades. It's measured in possessions.

[sedz]

That is a good suggestion. However, if Aziz is in the game, teams know that Aziz is NOT a scoring threat away from the rim. Knowing this, the other team's center can just stand around in the paint to wait on Mitchell or Skillings to break towards the rim. Page might be better for the pick and roll using Mitchell because Page can shoot the three and is more of a scoring threat. The other team's center will have to follow Page out on the floor thus leaving the paint open.

If Aziz's defender stays in the paint while he's setting off ball down screens for Simas, then Simas (or the PG) will be open off the screen. There won't be anyone there to hedge. That's the idea. If his defender comes out, Aziz can roll for a lob just the same as he would from an on ball screen - and the pass becomes easier because the ballhandler isn't attacking. On ball screens are easier to defend because both defenders end up in the passing lane and a difficult pocket pass or lob is the only way around it. On ball screens or PnR had its time 10 years ago. We can still use it, but we need more variety in our offense. We can use down screens to get guys like Mitchell and Page more involved in the offense, and to get more catch-and-shoot looks for Simas.