Lots of pieces but do we have the entire puzzle

[sdzag]

After watching last nights game I think that this team has lots of interesting players. Going through the roster I think that this is the year of "find a way" basketball. We are not particularly good at anything and it seems that no one is good enough to Ammo this team. Just wanted to post some thoughts on certain players.

Big Rob- He is taking steps in the right direction but I believe he still needs to learn to use his size and strength. He needs to be able to take contact and finish with the ball. It amazes me that he does throw down dunks more. Rob should be playing more like Castro over at WSU. Get nasty and throw it down big man.

Harris- I think that he is the new Daye. I love this guy and the skills that he brings to the NCAA court. Not sure if I see it translating over to the NBA. However, he is still one of my favorite Zags to watch play the game.

Gray- Is he more concerned about legacy or the team?

Keita- Love the gritty way this kid plays. He will have a role on this team.

MM- The shot is pretty and does that kid look like Zack Morris or is it just me? And if he is the German Zack Morris can he stop time with the timeout signal?

PGs- They try their best. Keep going guys! I am of the belief that NCAA tourny wins come from PGs and that is why I have a tempered expectations this year.

Arop- Keep plugging away kid. You and Keita need to bring that energy every night.

Besides that I think this team is still improving which is very different then most Zag teams who peak about now. Few has been very interesting this year. The line up of 4 froshs and a Soph last night was just one example of how Few is having to uniquely work with this team. Not sure Few knew what to do with this team or even still knows what to do. Should be a fun rest of the season. Hopefully, we keep improving and have a much more defined zag team by March. Hope that everyone of the board has a great Holiday season and go zags.

[Hoopaholic]

yes we have the pieces of the puzzle to be playing the second weekend of the tournament and farther depending on matchups.


Team love is present

Big Post presence, with good backups for possible foul trouble issues

Shooting wings to bust any zones

Excellant off guard with ball reversal rotation

Have guard who can shut down any other opposing teams stud guards

Have wing player who can play lockdown defense on a wing player

Rebounding well as a team

One of the top scoring teams in country (49th at 77.4) which is enough points to win any game

Shoot the ball well as a team

Free throws have shown we can make them this year

***Key issues***
continue to find consistency at the 3 slot
Get SG healthy
Get Harris healthy and in shape
Continue to improve the confidence level of this team
Cut down on the bigs turnovers

[TacomaZAG]

SDZag

Really like your overall post, but what's with the veiled knock on Steven???? He has been an unselfish, team player his entire ZAG career. He is our only perimeter threat this year and is getting double or triple teamed whenever he touches the ball. He is our best perimeter defender and is tasked with shadowing the opposing teams best scorer every night. So, he carries both the offensive and defensive loads, and as the only senior is expected to be the team leader as well. Pretty big load for one guy, and I think he has accepted and embraced the challenge.

Please elaborate.............

Go ZAGS

[sdzag]

No real big knock on Steven. I love his game. He is a good defender, nice stroke and has stepped up this year with leadership. My main concern is with the idea that he needs to be the #1 guy. I think few was quoted in the wrap up article on SR as saying that everyone depends so much on steven when get into games with good guards. How do we break that mentality to still play like this when Steven gets healthy? Steven is trying to be everything for this team and is that what this team needs or is it holding back the team? Not sure but it is an interesting question. I know we are a better team with Steven but with some bad habits.

[primal23]

No real big knock on Steven. I love his game. He is a good defender, nice stroke and has stepped up this year with leadership. My main concern is with the idea that he needs to be the #1 guy. I think few was quoted in the wrap up article on SR as saying that everyone depends so much on steven when get into games with good guards. How do we break that mentality to still play like this when Steven gets healthy? Steven is trying to be everything for this team and is that what this team needs or is it holding back the team? Not sure but it is an interesting question. I know we are a better team with Steven but with some bad habits.

Same was said last year with Matt.

[TacomaZAG]

SDZag........

Thanks for the explanation............

I agree that everyone (including the coaching staff) has depended on SG as the only senior and, as such, the defacto leader. I don't think Steven has installed himself as the leader and "go to" guy, rather I think the rest of the team and coaching staff has put this on him as a result of his being the only senior, and most talented player, on the team.

It's not fair (just like life) that Steven has been asked to play this role, as his personality and playing position (not PG or post player) might not be suited to the role of verbal leader or "rah rah" guy. The last couple of games, with Steven out, the leadership role has been filled by Rob, and I think he fits the role better than Steven, at least personality wise. I think Steven has been at his best when allowed to be the "silent assassin", as opposed when he has been expected to be the leader/director on the floor. I'm not saying he can't do it or hasn't done a good job, just that he seems more comfortable in the supporting role.

Hopefully, when he returns, the other guys will have grown in his absence and the resulting increase in overall team confidence will be evident. This is turning into Rob's team, and I'm OK with that.

We'll see, it's always a helluva ride, every year...............

Go ZAGS

[roxdoc]

+1 Tacoma

The silver lining to SG's misfortune is that the coaches and team should no longer feel that SG is our major source of offense and defense. V important - yes, and in some instances the major role. However, his absence has shown that we have more than one bullet in our gun. Hopefully when SG returns the coaches will be able to devise an offensive scheme that utilizes both SG and our "newly found" strengths.

[ZagsObserver]

I doubt we get to the second weekend, but depending upon matchups, we could win the first matchup. I think this could be a great set-up year for next years squad. My assessment:

I love Sacre...he's really picking things up and being a beast down low

Harris is still not the Harris of last year...hopefully at some point he will rediscover his former self

Gray looked great the first few games, but he hasn't been able to respond as well to the double teams, which teams have gotten away with due in part to the pg's offensive liabilities.

PG play is the glaring weakness of the team, and not just as an inability to score, but more importantly, an inability to run an offense and pick up assists.

Arop needs to be the player we all know he can be.

[DZ]

I agree that this team does not have the experience or the offensive capability to go to the second weekend. Right now, getting a birth is not a lock and will require the continued effort, unselfish play and nasty defense. Yes, RS is a beast down low but he cannot carry a team alone. We have been blessed in years past with offensive all-stars and questionable defense, the defense is improving and has won us two big games but neither team was hot from the three point line and we have to wait and see if we have improved in that area.

We are very very young, thankfully. I think that is the primary reason that we are not seeing the Zag offense of driving cuts for layups, sharp passing to a guy in flow, I have not seen a backdoor play yet this season which is incredible.

That said, it is wonderful to have a team with so much upside. I am confident that the offense will come around. To those that point to our 47th ranking in points, that average is due in large parts to high scoring games against Southern, IUPUI, Eastern and such. SG will be a far more valuable asset when he comes back b/c of the confidence the other players have.

So, I think we should enjoy the improvement and the possibilities. But we are not good at the point, period. Carter may improve enough to be an offensive threat from the point, maybe not. That is the primary reason that I do not think the team has enough to go deep. But I have always been an optimist and am trying to make a better effort at being realistic.

IF - Harris comes back around to the level of play he showed in games last year, if RS continues to get better each game, if MM can get a few more open looks and become a threat, if we limit the TO's and run the offense more crisply, if we continue to play good D and defend the three better than early in the year, if SG can be allowed to shine by only doing what he excels at and we continue to be a great rebounding team and LASTLY, IF the team excels in conference play with grit and determination on those away games when the whole world is against them.

Then I think we might have the chance to go deep, not FF deep, but 16/8 and given how young we are and who is coming that would be a damn good year.

[Once and Future Zag]

The numbers indicate this team is much better than their record - for the best stat analysis off we go to KenPom.com (since it's not dependent on quality of opponent)

We're ranked 27th in offensive efficiency and 79th in Defense. This is against the 15th most difficult (aggregate ) offenses and the 13th most difficult defenses. Overall we're ranked 51st.

Overall we've got the 13th toughest NCSOS going - and there's only 1 team with a tougher SOS that's ranked higher than us (Tennessee) in the overall ratings - so almost nobody's W/L record is going to reflect that they're running into teams their equal or better in any significant qty.

Now to look at the teams we've played
SDSU - ranked 21st
KState - 32
Marquette - 39
Illinois - 25
WSU - 24
Notre Dame - 31
Baylor - 8
Xavier - 79

In the end - we've got 3 weak points: turnovers, 3P Defense and we don't force TO's (Steals). Otherwise, the numbers indicate that this is a pretty robust team (and take a gander at being ranked #20 in FT%) that happened to have a series of teams that were too much, too early in the season.

So we're in pretty good shape offensively already - this is turning out to be the most efficient team - aside from the fifth ranked '09 Heytvelt/Pargo team -in terms of real offensive production (since there's no such thing as style points that I've ever seen put onto a scoreboard) since the number 1 ranked '06 Morrison/Batista monster ended our offensive heyday.

Our W/L record is an artifact of our schedule... not how good this team is.