Kansas State 3/5 7:00 ESPN+

[leeraymond]

We have this discussion almost every game. We get outscored at the rim because we don't get to the rim on offense! It's not because our defense is bad. We only scored 20 points at the rim. That's pathetic. The solution is not to add more slow players.

That strongly suggests too that UC has problems stopping people from getting to the rim.

[leo from jersey]

That strongly suggests too that UC has problems stopping people from getting to the rim.

it sure did look like that this season. I commented that the first 4 points KSU scored was an open path to the rim.

[leeraymond]

Page is probably our laziest player, it's pretty obvious why he doesn't play "enough". He's a center who doesn't box out. Page came in, boxed out once then got shoved way out of position on the next couple of rebounds. If you think he was going to match Hawkins physicality, you aren't watching him play.

Reed played great defense because he played defense for the full 30 seconds every possession, he didn't let Hawkins get the ball in the post. The one time I recall Hawkins getting the ball in the post against Reed, Hawkins scored with relative ease. The rest of the time, Reed denied him the ball and pushed him out of position before Hawkins got the ball. Again, if you think Page would have played 30 seconds of defense every time down the court, you haven't watched him play this year.

Hawkins had 6 turnovers and KSU had even more turnovers trying to force the ball to Hawkins when he was well covered.

Clearly Reed's defense was not enough because UC still lost the game with that smallish lineup. Every team this season that played with two active and sizeable big men have defeated UC. Why do you think that is the case? Hawkins is 6'10". Reed and Mitchell go about 6'7". Who do you think is going to get the better of those matchups?

If a team cannot play the matchups from one night to the next (regardless of why it cannot play the matchups), it will not win many of those games. The proof is in UC's record this year and the tail-end of last year. Miller should go get some size and stop f%$#@ around with these wings that cannot matchup. Check out all of the losses. You tell me if these small lineups are working for UC?

[zykarious]

Clearly Reed's defense was not enough because UC still lost the game with that smallish lineup. Every team this season that played with two active and sizeable big men have defeated UC. Why do you think that is the case? Hawkins is 6'10". Reed and Mitchell go about 6'7". Who do you think is going to get the better of those matchups?

If a team cannot play the matchups from one night to the next (regardless of why it cannot play the matchups), it will not win many of those games. The proof is in UC's record this year and the tail-end of last year. Miller should go get some size and stop f%$#@ around with these wings that cannot matchup. Check out all of the losses. You tell me if these small lineups are working for UC?

I thought we were talking about Page. What have you seen from him that makes you think he would have done close to as well at defending Hawkins? We weren't playing hard and you think taking our highest effort guy, who was playing great defense off the court and replacing him with the guy who has been the laziest throughout the season would have helped? If you want to make a logical argument, it should be about Aziz's defense on N'Guessan, Aziz has historically struggled with mobile big men and did against N'Guessan. But Aziz is 7' and N'Guessan 6'9", so that doesn't quite fit your model.

Would it be great to have a mobile big who defends well and can also play offense, definitely, every team wants one and hopefully Wes gets at least one in the off-season. I'm sure Wes would love if Page would play defense and consistently work to box out instead of getting pushed out of position. He gave Page more chances than he deserved for the first half of the season.

Plenty of teams have had great success with 4 guard line-ups, in fact I remember the days when one major criticism of Mick was that he was stuck in the two bigs mindset and hadn't adapted to position-less basketball.

[sedz]

Our best seasons have almost all been with small frontcourts. Jaquon Parker was playing the 4 the last time we went to the sweet sixteen. Our best team under Cronin featured Kyle Washington and Gary Clark, neither of whom are tall or bulky. Kenyon Martin was undersized at the 5 and he shared the frontcourt with Pete Mickeal who was only 6'6. And that team played two point guards. Herb Jones was our leading rebounder on the final four team at 6'4. The Bearcat way is not to load up on huge, strong guys. It's quick, tenacious athletes who are first to the ball.

If anything I'd have rather gone even smaller against Kansas St. Put Reed on Hawkins and Mitchell on N'Guessan. Then you can spread the floor on offense.

[red_n_black_attack]

This is a good idea in theory, but put yourself in the player's shoes. If you have one NIL offer that depends on escalators, and another offering equal money that doesn't, you're going to take the guaranteed money. So escalators have to be above what other schools are offering, making everything cost more.

In pro sports this usually goes the other direction. Teams will put player options or no trade clauses in there to entice them to sign for less money.

You have to give equal NIL to other offers before the escalator. We have to make base pay competitive or better and still pay for the winning the fanbase wants