Northern Iowa U. Game thread 11/22/17

[kyzrex]

So tell us homer.....

What’s more important to how you judge the team’s success at the end of the year.....

A....winning a game, on the road, against a quality opponent, in DECEMBER

Or

B....winning conference and NCAA tourney games in MARCH


Because sooner or later this year Goodin is going to get either sick, or injured, or in foul trouble and Scruggs is going to have to pick up the slack. When that happens, and it will happen, I’m going to feel much better about having a Scruggs with some meaningful expereince coming into the game at that time, than I would about having a Scruggs coming into that game that has never been in a pressure situation. Pretty sure I can tell you which one Mack thinks is more important.

[Anti-Homer]

So tell us homer.....

What’s more important to how you judge the team’s success at the end of the year.....

A....winning a game, on the road, against a quality opponent, in DECEMBER

Or

B....winning conference and NCAA tourney games in MARCH


Because sooner or later this year Goodin is going to get either sick, or injured, or in foul trouble and Scruggs is going to have to pick up the slack. When that happens, and it will happen, I’m going to feel much better about having a Scruggs with some meaningful expereince coming into the game at that time, than I would about having a Scruggs coming into that game that has never been in a pressure situation. Pretty sure I can tell you which one Mack thinks is more important.

Ky,

Would you agree that B is predicated largely on A? Success doesn't operate in a vacuum. Sacrificing wins before Conference and NCAA tourney play reduces the chances for B to occur. Winning 2-3 more games against quality opponents could be the difference between being a 2 or 7 seed. It means X as a 2 seed would play a solid opponent like Michigan, as opposed to a team like Oklahoma, if we're a 7th seed. I'm pretty sure I know whom CM would rather play.

BTW,

You never answered the question about whose time gets sliced when we play Harden 10 more minutes a game, so we can see if he can hit the big 3 down by 2 at the end of the game at Seton Hall, versus TB or JP. X may lose, but at least Harden gets the experience.

[kyzrex]

A.....NO, I would not. I think it’s much more important how healthy a team is and how well they are playing come tourney time, than it is where they are seeded or even who they play. I base that on the expereince of the Xavier team (and others) over the years AND on personal expereince as a contestant and coach. ( A loss to UNI on the road in December is not going to be the difference between a 2 and a 7 seed anyway.).

B...I didn’t answer because Hardin, and his playing time was not what was being commented on. Scruggs, who is a direct backup to the only other pg on the team, was the focus of the discussion. Hardin will not be counted on to play any meaningful minutes unless a couple of players go down. Scruggs will be counted on to give Goodin a break in virtually every game, even if Goodin doesn’t get sick, injured, or in foul trouble.

C....X WON! And Scruggs got some quality minutes while the score was close and the game was on the line. Goodin was back in for the last few minutes and hit some pressure free throws. Mack knows what he is doing much more than you or I.

[bleedXblue]

why take the bait? you think some of you would know better

[finalfourorbust]

why take the bait? you think some of you would know better

Bad assumption.

[madness31]

Scruggs is getting plenty of playing time to develop. He needs to prove himself during the game before he should be given time at crunch time. It is preferred to have him ready to step in but it is also important to get favorable seeding and X has a shot at a 1 seed if they keep winning.

If Q fouls out or gets hurt there are other options beyond playing Scruggs late in a tight game. A group effort can be utilized to bring the ball up.

My comment regarding Bluiett was due to him forcing the action just prior to fouling out. He was looking to be the hero and took 2 shots that were not smart plays. Both were early in the shot clock and simply not needed. He is a great player and generally has shot well and limited bad shots to just a couple per game. It has been a tough 3 game stretch for Bluiett as he has not shot or played particularly well in any of the last 3 games. I suspect he will get it going very soon.

My opinion of Bluiett has changed this year. I did not think he would play NBA and believed Macura's smooth style of play was a better fit. Bluiett's great shooting and continued rebounding has me believing he has a spot in the NBA. I'm less certain about Macura as his shot has not improved. His ability to take his man to the rim has but the officials distaste for him is limiting his FT opportunities and making his overall offense less efficient than it should be. He is generally efficient but his numbers deserve to be higher based on frequency of contact vs. frequency of foul calls in his favor.