one of the things i really like about this team

[buckwheat]

the fact that we have 4 guys (sanders, rozzell, rodriguez, and burgess) who have the legitimate potential to drop 20+ on any given night. last year it was one guy and one guy only who could do it. when he was off, the team was in trouble (didn't happen often, obviously).

as the season progresses, i really think this will bode well for the team. when one guy disappears, another steps up. if someone would have told me that burgess and rozzell would be 0-10 from the field with one point last night on the road, i would have said we easily lose. nope. two other starters stepped up big time. instead of simply sitting back and watching maynor destroy the competition, which they got accustomed to last season, they are learning to pick each other up and step into the scoring role when called upon.

that said, i really wish burgess would take more shots. he's averaging almost 20ppg when he take 10+ shots. for a guy who is shooting 50% from the field, there is no reason to have 3 or 4 shot games. luckily for us, others stepped up last night. i think brad is our most well-rounded scorer, but it seems like he just disappears after missing a couple early shots in games. sometimes it looks as if he doesn't even realize how good he is.

 

[Natty]

It's also nice that we've got guys on the team who may not put up 20 points on "any given night" persay...but are definitely capable. TJ and Jay have both dropped 20, I think we'd all agree Skeen is more than capable if given the minutes, and Ed has come quite close...17, and 18 points (had like 11 or something in the first half of last night's game too). I'm also of the opinion Saintil could do the same (posts great numbers in very limited minutes).

I would be curious to see how Brad would do shooting more shots. I think the thing people forget is that Bradford is hitting a high percentage of shots...because he's taking good shots. I'm not 100% convinced that him shooting more is the best thing for this team though, because what Brad does so well is let the game come to him, he doesn't force things. And that's what makes him a great team player.

 

[L72boy]

It's all about winning! When we lose we all point fingers and have opinions. We the fan, have high expectations. We have a great deal of talent on this VCU team and we want to see them succeed. Some guys are stars and some are role players. When they figure that out and are put in the right position to exacute by the coach then we dominate. We have five guys that should shoot the ball nightly and these players should have plays ran for them to score. Start down low! Larry on the box = 31! Joey out top = 21. Brandon and Bradford coming off screens = 18 to 30. Skeen on the box = ??? Everyone else is a role player and if Nixon scores 17 then great. Kp gets 9, super! If they realize this and help each other succeed then VCU can beat anyone in the country. Great game!

 

[Mistachill]

So are we no longer the worst team in the CAA with a coach who doesn't know what he's doing? Are we back to being VCU?

 

[Mercury]

So are we no longer the worst team in the CAA with a coach who doesn't know what he's doing? Are we back to being VCU?

Until we lose again

 

[L72boy]

So are we no longer the worst team in the CAA with a coach who doesn't know what he's doing? Are we back to being VCU?

Until we lose again

We are a team finding its way!
And we get there, look out!

 

[MADRAM]

Anyone think about this? Perhaps is not the lack of defensive why we lose our lead/game. Maybe it’s the offensive that is getting us. Part of finding "the way" means NOT going stale on offense. Last night we were up around 15 at the half and they clawed back to around 8 and finally us beating them by 13. Don't get me wrong I like the win but it frustrates the heck out of me and could have lost the lead had it not been for some key buckets. Nixon's 3 come to mind.

2 of Joey's shots get blocked and others shooting with 30 second left on the shot clock with about 8-10 minutes left in the 2nd half. Why not burn some clock and run some set plays? We had Larry playing his ass off and schooling their bigs. The HAVOC offense baffles me. I don't know of any "BCS" schools that runs like we do with long term success.

VCU 40 41 81
HOF 25 43 68

 

[vcubanana]

JUST WIN!

 

[VCU Finance 2008]

I would be curious to see how Brad would do shooting more shots. I think the thing people forget is that Bradford is hitting a high percentage of shots...because he's taking good shots. I'm not 100% convinced that him shooting more is the best thing for this team though, because what Brad does so well is let the game come to him, he doesn't force things. And that's what makes him a great team player.

I think we saw that @Drexel. In the RTD article on Bradford earlier this week coach mentioned that Brad is usually the guy that they wish had taken more shots after looking at the box score after the game. I think they will start to feed him more, especially when he gets going early. Like you mentioned, I think it is situational though. When he can get good shots he will take them, if not he won't force a lot of shots. I think that is why he tends to disappear in games sometimes like last night. If Larry hadn't been knocking them down the way he was I think Bradford might have taken more and tried to get going, but he seems to realize when someone else is having a better night.

 

[Wolfpack Ram]

So are we no longer the worst team in the CAA with a coach who doesn't know what he's doing? Are we back to being VCU?

The next 3 games will determine that. We need to win all three. If we do, we will be 41-4 overall and 6-3 in the CAA with home and home splits with Northeastern and W&M. That would put us back in the race and also have 2 of the top 4 teams in the CAA right now done on our schedule. That would leave a home and home with ODU and an away game with Mason while the top 4 teams start beating up on each other. Other than Mason losing @ Northeastern and ODU losing @ Mason, I don't think the top 4 teams have played each other. VCU winning the next 3 games and splitting with Northeastern and W&M would be huge.

 

[VCU Finance 2008]

So are we no longer the worst team in the CAA with a coach who doesn't know what he's doing? Are we back to being VCU?

Correct.

 

[Sometimes]

we will be 41-4 overall

Wow! Has a team ever been left out of the tournament with a record like that?

 

[fmrick]

Anyone think about this? Perhaps is not the lack of defensive why we lose our lead/game. Maybe it’s the offensive that is getting us. Part of finding "the way" means NOT going stale on offense. Last night we were up around 15 at the half and they clawed back to around 8 and finally us beating them by 13. Don't get me wrong I like the win but it frustrates the heck out of me and could have lost the lead had it not been for some key buckets. Nixon's 3 come to mind.

2 of Joey's shots get blocked and others shooting with 30 second left on the shot clock with about 8-10 minutes left in the 2nd half. Why not burn some clock and run some set plays? We had Larry playing his ass off and schooling their bigs. The HAVOC offense baffles me. I don't know of any "BCS" schools that runs like we do with long term success.

VCU 40 41 81
HOF 25 43 68

DO you watch any basketball at all? Basketball is all about runs. Most games see both teams go on runs, one team gets up, the other makes a comeback. Back and forth, back and forth. On the way home last night we listened to the Kentucky-Florida game. Kentucky was up big, Florida made a come back to tie it at 72, Kentucky goes on a run to end the game.

The problem with the defense we are running is that if we don't score, we can't press. A lot of our game starts with the press. We are a team still finding itself, and we are 11-4. As we find our self we will get better yet. This is a powerful team that is just starting to understand how to play the game the new coach wants to play, AND WE ARE 11-4!!

Relax people. We are good and getting better.

 

[VRam]

So are we no longer the worst team in the CAA with a coach who doesn't know what he's doing? Are we back to being VCU?

Yes, but it took us a whole week.

 

[MADRAM]

Rick, no doubt basketball is about a game of runs and I realize that. Simply stating did we lose because we couldn't make as many buckets as our opponents due to a lull in offensive or was it our lack of defensive that let teams come back from 15+ points down?

I know its not as cut and dry like that but base on what you said, "The problem with the defense we are running is that if we don't score, we can't press. A lot of our game starts with the press." you think offensive is culprit. Our half court offensive sets are pretty good espeically if our bigs are given opportunities. I'm just saying why not run more of it. Our press didn't tire a 7 man Hofstra rotation either.