Disappointed but pleased with the potential outcome of the season. Guess USM will get top 25 votes now.
Disappointed but pleased with the potential outcome of the season. Guess USM will get top 25 votes now.
The Southern Miss D makes it difficult to drive to the bucket. Which is why I thought we should go zone some in the first half(they were struggling from outside). It slowed them down some in the 2nd half. Since conference began we've had a bad habit of starting off slow. Southern Miss is too good to do that against.
We had 4 guys in double digits. The difference was inside, and a team with an aggressive big with some talent gives us fits. This game, Lafayette, and St. Mary's. I remember watching Charlotte early in the season, and I think they have a decent big. I said in another thread 70+ points wins most of our conference games. It is up to the D, and that was no where to be found in the first half.
We will be much more physical when these five guys get on the floor for Tech.
Erik McCree, 6-8 220 F So
Leo Edwards, 6-8 230 F Fr
Josh Butler, 6-6 225 F Fr
Joniah White, 6-10 220 C HS
Branden Sheppard, 6-8 220 F HS
Exactly. This loss was almost identical to the WAC Tournament title loss to NMSU 2 yrs ago. LA Tech lost both games because we got our arse's whipped badly inside by bigger, stronger players from the opposition. I believe that NMSU loss was in White's first year as our coach. Today's loss makes me wonder if he's really developed the team, or is he just delivering more of the same. Clearly, the weaknesses between the two teams are the SAME.
As long as LA Tech can play a "perimeter" game....hit some 3's and make its' free throws.....then everything is fine. But when it comes time to play angry basketball in the trenches, we're not cutting it.
I don't mind a team's big making a contested shot. Everyone knows our inside D is our weakest link. It's letting them get points off offensive rebounds that hurts. We tend to think we can just out jump people for rebounds. Saw a lot of ball watching instead of blocking out.
Not having Appleby hurt us today. His movement to the lane would have won us he game.
That said, this was a tough game in a hostile environment, I expect they will overcome it.
Guard play will be much more valuable come tournament time.