You need balls out of bounds to setup a press. Hard to set one up when you aren’t shooting free throws or even making shots.
Did they really take a bus to Burlington? Unbelievable!
Should have flown—too far for a bus ride. I guess the budget is really tight.
1 Like
My comments will echo some already made. I thought we matched or exceeded their intensity for about 15 minutes, most of those in the last half of the 2nd half. I’m disappointed in how we don’t move our feet consistently on defense in 1-on-1 situations. I’m disappointed on how we don’t communicate consistently. In the 1st half, Ipsaro got beat off the dribble on a high pick and roll, but Woolfolk completely turned his back to face the roll guy and didn’t offer a challenge on the driver. And I wish we would ditch the pack line, not just because of tonight, but overall, we give up way too many rhythm 3s. Defenders that are 1 pass away sag way too much into the middle, forcing them to recover over more ground and allows for our opponents to move the ball and find an open shot.
In those last 10 minutes, we moved our feet some, and wouldn’t ya know, we got some stops.
Offensively, the 1st half saw too many quick possessions and impatience. It’s like we thought we were still playing Bethany. I liked Craft’s aggressiveness going to the basket and Woolfolk down low, but I don’t like Craft shooting 3s off the dribble when he hasn’t made any and Woolfolk’s carelessness with the ball at the top of the key. Elmer was invisible for most of the game. That can’t happen.
In the 2nd half, we were more aggressive getting into the lane. We didn’t settle for contested 3s. You can’t sag off Ipsaro like you can Cooper right now. Our 3 scorers need to be willing to get into the lane and make some tough 2s and not settle. I like the staggered screen on the weak side which gives our wings a chance to get a half step and get into the lane, if they’re willing.
I was disappointed in how unprepared we looked for Vermont’s offensive attack in the 1st half. They did a great job of using their screens to get open.
And yet, we almost won this game? I think it’s pretty clear now that guard play and consistent defensive intensity will determine our year. We’ve shown flashes, but we need more than that.
3 Likes
Holy shit! I was close!
This. Had we aggressively attacked the basket the first half, the outcome may have been different.
Not a lot of good things to say about this game. 1 for 15 on threes. It shows what a joke the three point record was against Bethany. Bethany was undersized and decided to put all 5 guys inside and make us shoot 3’s. So Yes, Craft and Byers can make open 3’s all night long. However, that just basically gave us bad habits. Vermont came out to defend the threes, it took us forever to start taking the ball inside time after time. Basic basketball strategy is you take what they are giving you and we never seemed to figure that out till too late.
Coopers shooting slump continues, time to start Ipsaro and maybe drop Coop to #3 point guard for now. I think the other 4 starters are all pretty good, but maybe we are playing the bench too many minutes. Ian Elmer was too quiet last night, he needs to assert himself more.
Another complaint which I have heard several friends mention. Part of a head coach’s job is pre and post game interviews. This was just another time that Coach Steele was evidently too upset or too busy to do the postgame interview. Every other coach, football, hockey, women’s basketball and volleyball manages to make the time to answer the questions win or lose. This is part of the job. I like Coach Steele and what he is trying to do and how he is doing it, but it is a bad look to skip post game interviews.
‘
@DICK, were the missed interviews with Miami radio?
Agree if he’s just skipping them that’s not good
Well, most of the time for road games they tape the postgame interview and it is on MU RedHawks the next morning. I did listen to the game last night but not to the postgame, but there was no interview on our website this morning.
Maybe @VoxRedHawks can illuminate us.
It feels weird Coach Steele would just straight skip or big-time Miami produced interviews. That’s why I’m asking.
I think there’s a good chance somebody should be upset that the SID isn’t getting them uploaded vs them not being attended.
I’m not so sure I would start Ipsaro or Cooper. I might start Skaljac. And Suder is a pretty decent ballhandler, he could help with PG duties. Sklajac does has a net negative assist to turnover ratio currently 9/14 so that needs to improve. Matter of fact, Suder does a lot of nice things off the dribble anyway. Just a thought.
1 Like
I really like coach Steele- I think he is doing a good job
But Dick you did raise an interesting point that maybe I never properly vetted before - but i have noticed that Steele doesnt do all of the weekly press conferences- doesnt do hawk talk and is hit or miss on the postgame interview (i am not sure i connected the wins vs losses). I assume some if it is having a young family and not living in Oxford
I love listening to coach martin talk and never miss it.
1 Like
Did they only bus there, because they’re flying back:
https://x.com/MiamiOH_BBall/status/1869896086078247101
If so, that’d be great. I know App State wasn’t and i know the team hasn’t flown to Buffalo in years. If they did, it would be counter to history but a step in the right direction.
How likely is it they bused there and flew home? If they flew there that 12 hour bus ride excuse doesn’t fly.
If so? Were the pics from the airport not convincing enough? Why would we assume they took a bus all the way to Vermont and then spend part of the thread complaining about it?
1 Like
Literally and figuratively.
2 Likes
The exact thing I told my two friends asd fellow Miamians after the game. For six minutes they couldn’t get the ball in! They had no clue how to deal with our six minute defense. Should have won easily. They were average at best.
Hope they learned a lesson. Start next game with 94’ defense and no mercy.
2 Likes
“Wait for year 3”
To sum up my feelings so far:
1 nice win
2 disappointing losses
Rest of results as expected
Although, I think their record is better than how last year’s team would’ve faired, so there has been some improvement, just not what I was hoping for.