Cautious Optimism

[MasonCrew]

I touched on this a little in the PC's biggest game ever thread, but I am starting to become cautiously optimistic for this team. Perhaps it's a product of my lowered expectations, but I was very impressed with how we played against UMass. I was also impressed with how we played against vcu (for all but three minutes), and thought we should have beat St. Joes.

Does anyone else feel good about the guys right now? Jenkins is going to be an absolute beast. Moore is going to be quite good. PH can fire a barrage of 3's in less than 10 seconds, and Wright is starting to play again.

Perhaps I'm just tired of reading the same negative shit over and over again, but I think our reactions (as always) are over the top.

 

[GreenLantern]

I think the talent is there. What I want to see is improved fundamentals. We're getting killed by the things that most easily solved. Controlling inbound passing, basic defense, etc...

 

[JBiggs]

GL nailed it. There is quite a bit of talent, and I think everyone knows that. It's mostly mental at this point. Fundamentals are sorely lacking.

 

[Scythe]

The team play has drastically improved compared to ~4-5 games ago where everyone was doing their own thing. We do need to focus on fundamentals as mentioned by GreenLantern, but it seems we're improving.

 

[Raider_SPE]

Cautiously optimistic is a where I'm at as well.

Problem is the defense cannot keep us in a game when we are not shooting well, and we know those game are going to happen.

As much as I hate to say it, I miss it when we could bear down on Defense and still be in a game when we sucked on offense that particular day under Coach L.

Saw the box score last week (2) Syracuse 49 Miami 44, and just laughed.

 

[mkaufman1]

I understand where you are coming from OP and do agree to a degree, but as Raider SPE said, the defense is still a huge concern. Mason has given up 88 and 84 points the last two games which is not good to anyone. IF they can get those averages down, then they might have a chance to steal a few.

 

[Walter]

We have the talent to beat anyone. The coaches appear to be doing some things better, i.e., game strategy, better rotation, more emotion. I expect we will be playing much better come tournament time. No one will want to be the #5 seed in Brooklyn and have to face us.

 

[GMUSSTN]

It honestly feels like the 2013 Redskins season--offense was okay and showed flashes of greatness, sometimes, but they couldn't catch a break from the defense.

If this team can tighten down on the D and maybe learn how to build a lead we'll have a shot. I just remember how good we used to be at taking a 5pt. lead and turning it into a 12pt. lead. Now we're good at taking a 5pt. lead and turning it into a 1pt. deficit, then a 2pt. lead, then back up to 5pt., then 8pt. somehow, then back to 2pt, then a 4 pt. deficit, then up to a 2pt. lead, etc., etc., etc...

 

[gmutom]

It really is amazing how much Jenkins (inside scoring), Holloway (3-point shooting) and Moore (breaking the press) have filled three huge voids on this team. While I agree we have made some progress as a team and individually, we still need to do the little things that make the difference between winning and losing.

The other thing we need to learn is how to play to win instead of playing not to lose. A confident team would have beaten UMass' press and turned it into points. Once we get a win or two under our belt, I think we'll see the confidence increase more and more. Having a team with swagger is 100x better than have a few players with swagger.

 

[polepino]

We have the talent to beat anyone. The coaches appear to be doing some things better, i.e., game strategy, better rotation, more emotion. I expect we will be playing much better come tournament time. No one will want to be the #5 seed in Brooklyn and have to face us.

If Hewitt & Co.'s whole plan for this season is to warm up and tinker for the A10 tourney... it will blow my mind if we kill it up in BK.

 

[dr. gunnie]

I am optimistic as well, but I don't believe the talent is there like everyone else here believes. I don't think we have an A10 caliber PG yet, although MM could develop and be one. I also don't think we have a guy down low that is capable to perform every night to the A10 level. Our 2, 3, and 4's are very talented, especially when SW is playing well, but at the 1 and the 5 we aren't there yet.

Having said that, what we do have is good enough to beat any team on any given night, but I don't think it is good enough to finish in the top 4 or so of the A10.

 

[expendable smurf]

I'm cautiously optimistic as well. Seeing us play better has been nice, but I still think we lack an identity.

The last few games have been very entertaining though. I'd also like to see the defense improve, but all those years of watching games scored in the 60s was f'in boring. Also, our offense sucks in lower tempo games so a slower, more defensive-oriented, game isn't necessarily going to lead to wins.

 

[GreenLantern]

I am optimistic as well, but I don't believe the talent is there like everyone else here believes. I don't think we have an A10 caliber PG yet, although MM could develop and be one. I also don't think we have a guy down low that is capable to perform every night to the A10 level. Our 2, 3, and 4's are very talented, especially when SW is playing well, but at the 1 and the 5 we aren't there yet.

Having said that, what we do have is good enough to beat any team on any given night, but I don't think it is good enough to finish in the top 4 or so of the A10.

I agree. We have talent in several areas but PG is killing us right now. MM could be the future but that likely won't be this season.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Oh I'm cautiously optimistic with the level of our teams play, but the question is, be optimistic for what?

Unless we rip off 13 straight and win the conference reg. Season or win it all in Brooklyn the NCAA or NIT is now beyond reach.

I mean it'll be nice to see continued progress but....

 

[GreenLantern]

Oh I'm cautiously optimistic with the level of our teams play, but the question is, be optimistic for what?

Unless we rip off 13 straight and win the conference reg. Season or win it all in Brooklyn the NCAA or NIT is now beyond reach.

I mean it'll be nice to see continued progress but....

We need to be realistic that unless we win the conference tourney, this season will be about team progress and watching the young guys get the needed experience. At this point I'd be happy to win a plurality of our remaining games and win a few close ones instead of choking at the end.

 

[gmubrian]

I'm cautiously optimistic as well. Seeing us play better has been nice, but I still think we lack an identity.

The last few games have been very entertaining though. I'd also like to see the defense improve, but all those years of watching games scored in the 60s was f'in boring. Also, our offense sucks in lower tempo games so a slower, more defensive-oriented, game isn't necessarily going to lead to wins.

I agree. We seem to have played much better in our last 3 games when we were playing up-tempo. It seems to mask some our weaknesses a little bit. As soon as things slow down, Which, confuses me, since I thought that was what Hewitt was supposed to be implementing here.

We have definitely played much more complete games in these last 3 than we did earlier in the season.

What gets me is that we play well for most of the first 35 minutes, and then something happens. I have not had time to look at the recap to see if it is true, but it feels like that is when the tinkering with the substitutions/or we don't adjust to the other teams adjustments, and we look like we are playing prevent D/trying to not lose (like others have mentioned).

So, since I am seeing a little progress, I will hope for more and I can say I am cautiously optimistic.

 

[gmubrian]

Oh I'm cautiously optimistic with the level of our teams play, but the question is, be optimistic for what?

Unless we rip off 13 straight and win the conference reg. Season or win it all in Brooklyn the NCAA or NIT is now beyond reach.

I mean it'll be nice to see continued progress but....

This is true, and it begs the question: when do we start looking forward towards next year (more so than a win or two more this year)? When do you start giving next year's starters/high minute guys the lion's share of the minutes this year?

We have seen a little of it with Jenkins (but he has flat out earned it). Should we start giving guys like Holloway, Marko, Copes (until he fouls out), Moore, and heaven forbid, Gray more minutes in the hopes of improving them?

 

[MasonCrew]

Oh I'm cautiously optimistic with the level of our teams play, but the question is, be optimistic for what?

Unless we rip off 13 straight and win the conference reg. Season or win it all in Brooklyn the NCAA or NIT is now beyond reach.

I mean it'll be nice to see continued progress but....

No doubt. This season is done. I'm more cautiously optimistic that Mason basketball isn't ruined for the next 5 years, which is where I was after the ODU loss. I want to see our younger players develop. I want to see Gray get more minutes.

 

[gmubrian]

I'm more cautiously optimistic that Mason basketball isn't ruined for the next 5 years

Oh, if that is what you meant (not just optimistic about this season), I will have to revise my earlier response. While the last 3 games have shown some improvement in play, I am going to have to see a lot more than than just a little bit of improved play in 3 losses to be optimistic that we see anything more than the same thing we have seen so far (or worse) for the next several years.

 

[GSII]

Hewitt over thinks, amongst other things, the end of games and other coaches go right by him. Leave the starting 5 in to end the game. If they are good enough to start, they are good enough to end.