Hey,VCU coaching staff: You have some things to learn!

BradRamFan said:
Regarding the zone issue. We MUST play inside-out. When Veal, Reddic, and Haley are in the game we must trust them enough to be able to pass to them....even if their marching orders are to pass it back out rather than shoot a lot. That at least pull the opposition in a bit to give our perimeter guys better looks at the basket. Yesterday we were passing around the perimeter at least 5-10 feet outside of the 3 point line because ODU knew we only go to Skeen on the inside.
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W&M had that very issue for years. The way they solved it was by going to a system similar to the John Beilein 5-out. It basically took advantage of the ability of several players on the perimeter to shoot 3-pointers, and had players playing outside-in. When the defense was drawn to the perimeter, they could quickly penetrate and get easy looks at the basket.
 
I'm sure the coaching staff will make the necessary adjustments. Seemed to me the Rams were very jacked up at the start of the game and had trouble settling down. Seemed we couldn't recover from ODU's 8-0 start, and then the ODU 6-0 run to start the second half was a killer. Thought maybe we might have had momentum to start the second half after the trey at the buzzer in the first.

I think we see a more aggressive and focused (and hopefully a little less jacked up) VCU team on Tuesday that will beat GMU. Plus, GMU's got to lose sometime, right?
 
BradRamFan said:
G-Man said:
RESRam said:
Why do you think Veal gets such little playing time? He brings energy and effort, yet rides the pine a lot. I love the fact that he's physical and pushes back when getting position. Not coach-bashing, just curious.
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Probably because he doesn't have much offense and is too short...and the upside potential is greater with Reddic and Haley.
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I totally disagree with the too short comment...Nick George with something like 6'6", Troy Godwin was 6'6", TJ Gwynn was 6'6", Burgess is something like 6'7" or so. He simply lacks experience at our game and perhaps level. Very few transfers are dominant players their first year....Even Skeen didn't hit his stride until the last month of the season the first year he played here.
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I get your point. Maybe his arms are short or something. All that I know is that I don't see him being a rebounding machine like J-Rod indicated in one of his off-season tweets.

Other than being transfers, there's no comparison between Skeen and Veal. Skeen an ACC transfer, where he started some games...Veal, a JUCO with very modest stats and skill set, brought in to fill the gap before Haley and Reddic have developed.

I agree with your assessment of experience and our needing to play "for now", not the future. Of the 3, perhaps Veal is the best bet to go with now. Reddic has/is having his opportunity, but really hasn't made the best of it, IMO.
 
Yes, these guys need to learn a few things. They have picked up some things, but the defensive assistant coach (name?) is clearly the most "intellectually challenged" of the bunch.

And yes, Shaka is stubborn - surprisingly so.
 
senor ram said:
I think our big guys with the exception of Skeen play "soft" because they know if they make one mistake or turnover they get taken out of the game and replaced with our 4 guard offense which puts at a distinct disadvantage on the boards. I imagine it is hard to show what you can do playing so little minutes and feeling like one mistake and you are out. We basically are a guard oriented team that lives and dies with the three ball. I like to see Skeen, Reddic and Veal or Haley in there all at once giving a tired Burgess some rest when he needs it.
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I agree with your observations. One issue is that we play an up and down style that is not particularly suited for young traditional big guys. Our style requires we play a lot of people and that we rotate them frequently. However, Shaka does has shown a propensity to stay Joey, Jamie, Brad, and to a lesser extinct Brandon/Ed. He typically gets his minutes for about 3-4 guys from the 5-10 left from Ed and Brandon, and the 40 from the four spot.

DJ has a lot to learn and will get better with more minutes. He is really raw now and it is tough at this time of the year to get him more than 7-8 minutes. Toby should be getting and needs more minutes. I know he isn't a big offensive threat but we dont need him jacking up shots we have more than enough shooters. Same for Juvonte he needs more minutes to get in a grove.

Shaka seems to prefer the small ball because of the advantages on offense and in the press. Why not? He has had some success with it. However, Veal and/or Juvonte will have to get more minutes. I think if they do they will produce.

As to the coach and staff, they kind of remind me of JCIII in his first couple of years. Although, JCIII's 2nd team made the NCAA tourney it wasn't without a bit of up and down play. Also, JCIII's first team was loaded and he they went 12-6 in the league losing to weak Delaware, JMU, and W&M teams. JCIII had two of the top six players in Dominic, and Willie Taylor, plus a solid big in LF, lights out shooter Mathis, solid defender in Antoine Willie, and a young Nick George. We didn't go anywhere. My point is it takes time for the coach to catch up to the talent.

Let's hope we get hot this year, and in a year or two we should see continued progress from the coach and staff. I don't like it but hey this is where we are and hopefully Shaka gives us 2-3 years of service once he gets in a groove.
 
88RAM said:
Yes, these guys need to learn a few things. They have picked up some things, but the defensive assistant coach (name?) is clearly the most "intellectually challenged" of the bunch.

And yes, Shaka is stubborn - surprisingly so.
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Mike Jones is our "defensive assistant coach"/defensive coordinator
 
I think the problem is when you shoot 37% from the floor (at home) you prally aren't gonna win.
 
My first post since the ODU debacle:

If our guards cannot learn how to stop their man from penetrating into the paint we lose.

Joey let his guy inside so often and then they just lay the ball off to a big man for a layup. I said this a month ago and everyone said I was being negative because we were winning. Joey may as well get a red cape and play matadore when he lets his man get past him. I love Joey and his spirit, but he needs to learn to play team D.

And after winning the first matchup with some zone, why do we not do it again? Too proud?

We'll have more losses if we continue to play like this. We'll be lucky to get in the NIT.
 
I'm trying to be positive here.

Not switching to zone/sticking with the full court pressure too long....thought that was a problem they had put behind them.
 
If Joey and Jamie are playing with bad wheels and Toby and Brandon coming off injuries, why press? That makes no sense folks, plain and simple. So yes, VCU coaching staff: You have some things to learn!
 
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