why isn't cu better?

[sys]

subjectively, i'd say they have more talent than kstate had last year.  objectively, they've got guards with good stats and several serviceable 6'7-9"ish bigs.


isn't college bball supposed to be a guard's game?  shouldn't cu's guards be sufficient to mask whatever interior talent issues they have?

http://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Colorado

[pike]

They've just been SLTHed down

[Bookcat]

They were slow in transition..and got pounded on the boards.

[sys]

They were slow in transition..and got pounded on the boards.

yeah, they're horrible on the boards.  not just oboards, but dboards too.  but why?  they don't have a true center, but they've got 3 guys with prototypical big 12 pf bodies.  and their guards are huge.

not sure what to say about being slow in transition.  i don't think they're a markedly unathletic team.  if it's true that they're slower in transition than most big 12 teams, it is likely a choice.

[kso_FAN]

I think his system is just too rigid to compete well in the Big 12.

In his 2 good years at Air Force, both teams averaged less than 59 possessions a game, his best year was slightly over 56.  I think it was more reasonable to play that pace with really disciplined players and in the Moutain West.  In the Big 12, the better teams will overcome that.  And he was able to get those teams to play decent defense.  

One of his his real issues at CU has been defense.  This year he has a pretty good offense, but a bad defensive team that seemingly doesn't even try to rebound.  Last year he couldn't even get that decent offense from his SLTH system and the team was terrible.  His first year was decent defense with average offense.  

This year he's got his best team, and probably the 4th best team in the North, but the gap is big.  Passing up NU and ISU is one thing, but making a substancial move will be too difficult if he keeps insisting on playing at such a conservative pace and with an offensive style that pretty much concedes 1 shot trips most of the time.  There is just too little margin for error playing like that.  I do think he's moving in the right direction with pace as this team is playing at nearly 68 per game, but as he continues to get some decent athletes I think he needs to concede a few runouts and send 2 to 3 people at the offensive glass if he wants to take another step forward and move past more than just ISU and NU in the league.

[yosh]

They're just a bunch of losers. 

[EMAWzified]

Wooly-like 1-7 record in down-to-the-wire games. KU, ISU, aTm, Cats at Colo, Gonzaga, Arizona and Oregon State -- all loses of six points or less.

Don't know their end-game failings, but with their guard play that should be a strength.
K-State was really in control down the stretch so I don't know if that counts as down to the wire. Only other game I've seen is against KU, and they didn't get a good shot up with a chance to in in regulation.

[sys]

One of his his real issues at CU has been defense.  This year he has a pretty good offense, but a bad defensive team that seemingly doesn't even try to rebound.  

good point that their issue, at least this year is chiefly defense.

i'd like to criticize his offense (not enough 3s, and as you mentioned, no 2nd chance pts), but looking at the stats - offensively they aren't bad.  you have to think a big part of their issue could be solved by an active shotblocker.  cut down the fg% and maybe decrease how frequently they foul.

so maybe that's just personnel.  but the other thing is rebounding.  and looking back, they've never rebounded well under bzey.  basically getting worse each year.  you almost have to think there is a systematic failure in how he coaches rebounding.  dboards i mean.  if he wants to abdicate oboards, that's a time-honored slth choice.

[Havs]

They had a win given to them by Iowa State in Ames and didn't take it.

[theKSU]

Their bigs are terrible--slow, can't jump, can't shoot much either.  They play slow-down offense, which is only really going to work if you have big men who can hammer the glass and make layups.  Interestingly, they played much better during the games when McLain was coaching in Hawaii, although they couldn't finish those ones either. 

[CHONGS]

as dumb as this is going to sound:

effort.  they don't really try that hard to be good.  very lazy and soft.

[nicname]

as dumb as this is going to sound:

effort.  they don't really try that hard to be good.  very lazy and soft.

Not dumb, rebs and defense are mostly about effort.  They can X and O all they want, but until they get tougher they will continue to suffer especially in the Big 12. 

[slimz]

isn't college bball supposed to be a guard's game? 

I'm starting to think this talking point has been overplayed.  Not that there's no truth to it, but it may be getting overvalued as conventional wisdom.

[chum1]

isn't college bball supposed to be a guard's game? 

I'm starting to think this talking point has been overplayed.  Not that there's no truth to it, but it may be getting overvalued as conventional wisdom.

It's huge in the tournament.  Which is what college basketball is about.

In response to the original question:  pot.

[PowercatPat]

They have little depth and their bigs suck.

[kcchiefdav]

isn't college bball supposed to be a guard's game? 

I'm starting to think this talking point has been overplayed.  Not that there's no truth to it, but it may be getting overvalued as conventional wisdom.

Usually the talking point is that guards help you make deep runs in the NCAA Tourney. Everyone says you want to have experienced guards come dance time. While that's probably true, you probably also want good players at every position and on the bench as well.

[michigancat]

I Zvosec had good insight during KSU @ CU - he watched both practices, and noted that KSU spent all their time working on rebounding and CU spent all their time working on offensive sets.

KSU, despite not having a huge talent advantage in the top 4 players, gets more offensive production from playing AAU streetball than CU does from their nifty little backdoor cuts.  CU would probably be just about as good on offense if they let Burks and Higgins throw up shots all day, but they could improve a lot on defense and rebounding.

That and quality depth, and not taking more 3's from their good (great?) shooters.

[steve dave]

Everyone says you want to have experienced guards come dance time. While that's probably true, you probably also want good players at every position and on the bench as well.

remarkable insight here