BE game thread 1st round

[muskieman]

Missing foul shots in big games kills teams

And Coaching Careers.

when your 70%plus players miss both FTs it is not the coach but the coach gets the blame. Missing more FTs than you make is just sad.

[Jesseandrippers]

Missing foul shots in big games kills teams

And Coaching Careers.

when your 70%plus players miss both FTs it is not the coach but the coach gets the blame. Missing more FTs than you make is just sad.

Agree, players have to make their FT’s. But it is the coaches fault that it was even this close against a poor Butler team.

[XavierBob]

MM,
I beg to differ I was sure that the first thing I would read was Travis didn’t miss any free throws. Well I’ve said all year teams take on the personality of the coach. I’ve also said we have no mental toughness. They talk a good game but it rarely shows up on the floor. Travis, great guy I’m sure he knows the game but he just might be a lifetime assistant. I know he won’t get fired but give me one reason he should stay, please don’t use recruiting, because that really hasn’t worked out either.

[ChitownSteve]

They could have withstood the missed FT’s in regulation, but while leading, X fouled Butler four times in the last minute, three by Scruggs. This fouling, while up late in the game, is an issue repeatedly pointed out throughout the year. Fundamentally X is poorly coached and there have been no consequences for some throughout his tenure on the bench.

Each year, under Steele, X collapses down the stretch. Not just one game at the end, but games every February and March. Each year there are some different players. Steele is the constant in falling short.

Pretty sad when now I need to hope for DePaul. Coach Stubblefield and his squad overachieved expectations this year. X underachieved.

Years ago I experienced DePaul’s decline and why I am so passionate about X absolutely needing to make the change in the 1st Chair on the bench.

[N67ER]

MM,
I beg to differ I was sure that the first thing I would read was Travis didn’t miss any free throws. Well I’ve said all year teams take on the personality of the coach. I’ve also said we have no mental toughness. They talk a good game but it rarely shows up on the floor. Travis, great guy I’m sure he knows the game but he just might be a lifetime assistant. I know he won’t get fired but give me one reason he should stay, please don’t use recruiting, because that really hasn’t worked out either.

Agree on all points. Those were not star struck freshmen missing 16 of 29 free throws.

[FickforX]

This has to be the worst game in X history. Absolute embarrassing collapse. Great d when you let a freshman score 27 points. Miss more free throws than made. This program is in deep trouble. And oh yeah, your veteran doesn’t know what the score is

[Michigan Musketeer]

Give Steele (4) more Yrs to figure it out and have Dollar Beer Nites to fill the seats.- may be free Hot Dogs too. A sense of humor badly needed now. Were they really picked to finish 3rd in the BE? A joke.

[skyhops]

Butler is typically wins when that freshman scores in double figures as point out in Broering's podcast, maybe he should coach X. They might as well show Steele the door because with Johnson and Scruggs leaving as well as others (Edwards, and a couple others) we will actually need a real coach. We could be chosen 10th in preseason BE poll next year.

[pdxmuskie]

MM is correct that the coach is not the 1 missing FTs. He is wrong that, that excuses him. Shot selection was again a huge problem. Taking the right shots alone would have generated a win. The team basketball IQ is incredibly low. This has been an issue for many years. This issue extends past Travis with the exception of the Macura/Bueitt years. The entire coaching philosophy after Miller departed has been wrong. The former coach lucked into players that negated his coaching philosophy errors and was able to have a few successful seasons. The same could happen to Travis but generally he will underachieve like his predecessor.

Zach played very well. This was expected as Butler is a favorable matchup. He does well against moderate athletes. Pair him against a tall and athletic player and he will struggle offensively and be a nightmare defensively. This is a coaching issue. Either coach him up or sub him out against competition that he cannot matchup with. Congrats to Zach for having a great game. He is a competitor and deserves recognition for how well he played.

My apologies to Scruggs. He always brings intensity with few exceptions. He is a talented player that was never properly taught how to take advantage of his skills. He was also asked to play a position that was not suited for him and he did well in many ways and struggled in others. I can't help but think he could have been great with the right coaching. Ignoring the missed FTs, his struggles were largely decision making. That was true his entire career.

[skyhops]

Poor Scruggs? Scruggs rarely played a whole game with intensity and was known to enjoy his social time more than anyone so I don't feel sorry for him thinking they were up by 3 points and fouling (ask Dante Jackson). You're correct he is not a PG, but even when he was a SG he still would take the ball up the court. This is all by a 24 year old.