Pitino: "Significant Changes" Have Been Made
by Mike Rutherford on Mar 1, 2012 8:34 PM EST
in Basketball
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PrintA very interesting Rick Pitino radio show this Thursday as he began very obviously perturbed, but sounded cautiously optimistic by the end of the program.
The coach started the show off by discussing how, after reviewing the game tape, U of L only had two good possessions in the entire game against South Florida. Pitino signaled out Kyle Kuric in particular as someone he is unhappy with. He then said that "significant changes" were made in practice in an attempt to get things straightened out.
The show's other main theme was Wayne Blackshear. Pitino said assistant coach Kevin Keatts challenged Wayne today to start playing without fear, and that he responded by finally practicing "like the player I recruited." He then said it's become apparent to him that Blackshear has to play and that he hopes he can become an additional scoring threat. My guess is this means we might also be seeing a little of Kyle at the two on Saturday (or at least next week), something Pitino himself alluded to after the game on Wednesday.
I'll admit it: last night was the lowest I've been at any point this season. I don't care how much clock USF burns, scoring 51 points and looking completely incapable of asserting your will in the second-to-last game of the regular season is incredibly disheartening.
To me, this is sort of like the moment in any bad movie where the situation looks completely dire before a "longshot" success plan is discovered. The news that Wayne is going to play more and that Kyle might see some time at the two shouldn't have anyone researching flights to New Orleans, but it's a shot...dammit.
You can say that Pitino should have tinkered with the lineup earlier or that Blackshear is still too green to play significant minutes, but the fact of the matter is that it was embarrassingly apparent last night that what this team had been doing was not going to get it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. These "significant changes" could result in an even worse performance at Syracuse and then again in New York four days later, but this is a shot Pitino has no choice but to take at this point.
A few other quick tidbits from the show:
--Pitino acknowledged that the team is probably not going to get a great seed in the NCAA Tournament now, but also noted that it's capable of playing with any team in the country.
--He said that the team morale is good "because everyone knows how upset I am." He said the team had a great practice today.
--Again talked about the need to stop committing careless turnovers. He said the team's poor assit-to-turnover ratio has been the biggest disappointment of the season.
--In news that might cause yet another divide amongst the fan base, Pitino acknowledged the need to sign high quality players who will develop before their junior and senior seasons. He did not specifically use the term "one-and-done."
--He ended the show answering some questions from the folks at Buckheads and said despite Wednesday's performance he still has a lot of confidence in this team and believes they'll bounce back.
I didn't have the stomach to be this guy last night, but beat Syracuse with these changes and I'm back to being barely covered from the waist down excited about the postseason.
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Russ
My guess is that we will see much less Russ going forward.
No,... w/out Russ we can't break 50
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by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Mar 1, 2012 8:54 PM EST up reply actions
If Kyle moves to the 2 what happens to Russ
If you have your top two scorers sharing the same position it would seem you would be reducing your scoring output, not increasing it. I see 39 point games coming.
Unless he thinks that changing the lineup and chemistry will spark the offense.
System are complicated and rarely are things ever black or white, this or that, with or without.
-Dustin
Sounds like CRP may have had an epithany on the "one and done" types.
I have always thought that the Louisville First concept sounded too good to be true and would seldom land us an elite level player. If you’re good enough to be an NBA lottery pick in a year or two, you’re not likely to be overly thrilled with a Phys Ed degree and a $15k starting salary, no matter where it came from.
by Carolina Cardinal on Mar 1, 2012 8:51 PM EST reply actions
That's not fair,.. if we would've had everyone this year "Louisville First" would have been the greatest thing since sliced bread
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by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Mar 1, 2012 8:55 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
No,.. if it hadn't been for all the injuries,.. we would've been a running, pressing, lock you down on defense, get out in transition,..wrecking ball of a team this year.
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by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Mar 1, 2012 10:58 PM EST up reply actions
I agree with Chick, injuries really derailed this team more than anything.
STV would mean when Gorgui goes out there isn’t as much of a drop at the 5
Marrra would give a legitimate outside threat as well as depth for the press
Buckles would have gotten better as the year progressed, and helped in the press as well
Ware wasn’t able to practice until December, and maybe wouldn’t have been a liability when backing up Siva
Blackshear was a top 15 talent that has only been able to even practice for about a month.
I think the Marra injury has been overlooked by everyone
He may not have been the most talented player, but he was a coach on the floor and our most vocal player on defense. Pitino can yell all he wants from the bench, but you need someone on the court telling players where to be. While not as good as Padgett or Preston as a player, this was his role on the team, and there has been no one else to stand up and fill it.
by Ellis from Compton on Mar 2, 2012 12:19 AM EST up reply actions
He also exploited the back door when he defender overplayed him,
we don’t have anyone moving to open space to defeat the D right now, he added that too.
I'm in total agreement about the Marra thing. I've pointed out many-many times here that he was due for a break-out year in 2012 beofre the injury.
He’s numbers were just as good, and better in some areas, than Kuric’s as a Soph. No one knew who Kuric was until the last game of his Soph year and then he had a great Junior season.
If you watched Marra before the injury, he was playing well. He was a leader on the floor, he was moving people into place on offense and defense. He was looking like he could be another facilitator at the top of the key, passing down low ala David Padgett.
The Marra injury hurt this team more than I think anyone can/ will ever know
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by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Mar 2, 2012 9:21 AM EST up reply actions
Have always looked at Marra as our version of Andy Rautins from Syracuse.
Was saying that a year ago, before he ended up with a knee injury like Rautins. Scary. My bad, Marra.
Stout Out!
Marra is going to be a very valuable contributor for the next 2 years
Assuming he gets 2 more years, and I think he is a guy CRP will want to keep around.
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 2, 2012 11:09 AM EST up reply actions
Agree w chick.
Seems like a lot of us are allowing the huge disappointment in the results on the court to blind them from the reality of the significant effect if the injuries.
by WindyCityCard on Mar 2, 2012 11:28 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
I have no issues with the abnormal number of injuries. Clearly that was a huge issue.
My main concern is:
1.a lack of offense,
2. CRP constantly saying that the offense was not the problem, and
3.continuing to run the same damn plays so often that absolutely everyone knows exactly what is coming, who is doing it, and where they are going. And how about those awful inbound plays?
I just don’t get how a Hall of Fame coach can see the games, work with these guys everyday in practice, and not figure out that he needs to do something else. New offensive sets, different players combinations, something.
by Carolina Cardinal on Mar 2, 2012 11:37 AM EST up reply actions
Agree completely with 1, 2, and 3.
But I disagree with your original post regarding Louisville First. I concede that any advertising agency would certainly deem “Louisville First” to be a terrible tagline to use as an advertisement for our program. It merely sells the idea of team first, but fails to imply anything attractive about Louisville or the team itself. With all the creative minds that visit CC, I am sure that we could come up with a better and more appealing tagline in 24 hours to express the idea that the team comes first while also distinguishing Louisville as a special place to play.
No matter how the team is sold to recruits, the fact remains that Pitino’s MO is to humble players and suppress their oversized egos so that they accept responsibility within a team team that is larger than themselves. This year’s offense may not reflect it, but forcing an18 yo kid to put their trust in the system/team as a whole more than themselves or any one player is going to provide far better results more often than not. The only way that the alternative can be successful is if you have whatever that thing is that allows Cal to bring multiple top flight freshman year after year. To do that ou have to promise them that the team will built around them. Moreover, there are only so many Kidd-Gilchrists and Davises and Blackshears each year, so only one or two teams ca rely on such a long-term strategy. If you can’t match it, then you end up looking like Memphis with guys who came believing that they were great and the tea would be built around them as individuals. When that doesn’t work out, then a coach like Pastner is left saying shit like “I love you, but you have to try harder” or whatever bullshit he said when he was mic’ed during the UofL game.
I want the greatest recruits as much as anyone, but I want them to come here on our terms. We should only want players who believe that playing at Louisville is greater and more important than themselves. Of course, to sell the idea that Louisville is special, Pitino & Co. need to begin addressing your points 1, 2 and 3 as well as several others.
by WindyCityCard on Mar 2, 2012 2:08 PM EST up reply actions
Why do we need a new slogan? We have Go Cards! I have a hard time believing recruits are seeing this lcc4 whatever crap and thinking to themselves how much they want to come here. I doubt most are even aware of it, unless it’s the butt of a joke.
Mangini apologist by default.
I’m speaking about his innate accuracy, not how well that innate accuracy is translating on the field.
Agreed. I could care less about a slogan -- I am just responding oft-repeated criticism that the idea of "Louisville First" is preventing us from recruiting top-flight players.
by WindyCityCard on Mar 2, 2012 2:55 PM EST up reply actions
what's an epithany?
Keep Calm and Cardinal On
It's a hot girl named Bethany with an epic booty. Right?
by cardchomp on Mar 1, 2012 9:08 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It's kind of like an epiphany, only different.
Exchanging the p with a t makes it much more towerful. See?
by Carolina Cardinal on Mar 1, 2012 9:13 PM EST up reply actions
Can't wait to see how towerful Gorgui is next year.
That works, I’m totally using that.
by Squidbones on Mar 1, 2012 9:18 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Carolina- You are absolutely right about the concept.
But, I suspect people involved (i.e., recruits and their families) know that this is coach-speak. Everybody (outside of UK) says its team-first. As fans, we don’t get to hear what goes on in recruits homes, so we have to do what we can with limited information.
by johnnyjoejohnson on Mar 2, 2012 9:18 AM EST up reply actions
If we become a one and done team I'd rather just watch the NBA.
There is a reason why I like college basketball better than the pro’s. The mindset of 1 and done will ruin college basketball.
-Dustin
The thing is, you don’t have to become a one and done team. That’s just some crap people want to throw at Calipari. Other teams are recruiting talented players who have professional aspirations and they mix them with 4 year players. We’re getting 4 year players only recently. I love all our players, but many 4 year players stay all four years for a reason.
It’s not about keeping up with the Calipari’s in the press, but if you want to play at the elite level, you have to have elite level players or at the very least a strong consistent “team.”
Mangini apologist by default.
I’m speaking about his innate accuracy, not how well that innate accuracy is translating on the field.
All things being said
This is a junior at UK
That is all.
"So it goes."
by FluffyFluffyDoubleChunk on Mar 1, 2012 8:53 PM EST reply actions
CLASSIC COACH SPEECH
All I heard was Kyle will start playing center and Coach Keatts has asked Blackshear to start playing MORE timid. So let’s go get it!
by redbirdgang on Mar 1, 2012 8:56 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Without seeing USF game yet
It’s not very heartening to see Pitino say they are making significant changes when it’s March effing 1st. If you are making significant changes with 1 game left in the regular season, you don’t have an identity, which is bad.
Hello,... my name is Chick,.... and I've been addicted to Cardinal Basketball since 1991
I’ve tried so-so-so hard to not even think about "the possibilities of next year" but it keeps getting harder with every loss to a good team.
I will reserve final judgment about Rick and the future of the program until the season ends.
There are three things that matter in a season for me……..
- What type of year we have (influenced mostly by #of wins, wins against good teams, and the UK game)
- What we do in the Big East tournament, and…………..
- What we do in the NCAA Tournament.
Right now the regular season has been a pretty big disappointment. Unlike last season where the regular season was awesome, the Big East Tournament was very good, and the NCAA tournament sucked.
The way I looked at it, 2 out of 3 wasn’t bad, and last year was a fun ride with more than acceptable results. Did the loss in the first round sting? Yes, but I’ll go to my grave saying that team could’ve done something special if Preston! hadn’t gotten hurt.
There are two of those three things left on the table, and one game of the regular season that’s a pretty big one. This season isn’t over, but the last 2/3rds are gonna go pretty quickly if these “changes” don’t yield results.
To that end,… I just have 4 little words…
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by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Mar 1, 2012 9:01 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Die Hard Cardinal fan for over 35 years
and I am also waiting for the end of the season before I make a judgement about this team and Pitino… will say that this has been one of the most trying seasons, especially since Pitino has been here.
There are three things that matter in a season for me……..
What type of year we have (influenced mostly by #of wins, wins against good teams, and the UK game)
What we do in the Big East tournament, and…………..
What we do in the NCAA Tournament.
Great way to look at things in my opinion. I also think this is how Rick is viewing things now (maybe always has). I think he was hoping that things would have worked out the way we were doing things this season and he’s now realizing it just isn’t going to happen and is going to plan c (the multitude of injuries leading to the implementation of plan b).
The regular season may be ending, but the season isn’t over yet. Go Cards!
Mangini apologist by default.
I’m speaking about his innate accuracy, not how well that innate accuracy is translating on the field.
We might have better luck if we just did this....
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by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Mar 1, 2012 9:06 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
I have sat here watching this...
for two or three minutes and I am still laughing. hard.
"Yes very good, I'll have a bloody mary, a steak sandwich, and a steak sandwich..."
by John Cocktoastin on Mar 1, 2012 10:40 PM EST up reply actions
I guess we'll see this weekend.
I’m open to the team trying whatever they can to improve the offense. If what he said about Wayne is true, then the subsequent loss of playing time by Chris, Russ, or Kevin is worth it.
team morale is good “because everyone knows how upset I am.”
by Squidbones on Mar 1, 2012 9:23 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
lol
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by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Mar 1, 2012 9:25 PM EST up reply actions
Call me blindly optimistic or delusional
But I say there’s no way this team goes out in the first (“second”) round this year
Significant changes this late in the season? We're gonna need a montage!
by Ellis from Compton on Mar 1, 2012 9:46 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
We need an interpreter.....
Yes an Epiphany has happened IF Blackshear does indeed start and play significant minutes.
The rest……. Bullet will start at PG; Blackshear at the 2; C Smith at 3; Behanan and Dieng round out the starters.
I expect to see more of Ware and Nunez and Zack Price.
You really just said to start Bullet?
We want our offense to be MORE explosive, not worse than it already is.
by RedHeadfortheRedBirds on Mar 2, 2012 3:01 AM EST up reply actions
Bullet is like a two sided coin
The bad side is no explosiveness. The good side is no bad decisions, no sloppy passing. He won’t make the big play but he makes very few mistakes. Steady as she goes matey.
And with as many turnovers as we have, eliminating some of those would be very helpful. But.............
that would put us more into a half court offense which we have shown is not our forte. If we had a decent half court game, I think this would be a good move. As we are now, it’s about a wash.
by Carolina Cardinal on Mar 2, 2012 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
That's exactly right - the positive of Bullet is fewer turnovers
The negative of Bullet is that he can’t create off the dribble, and defensively, he’s not going to help us turn over the opponent. But he manages the offense well, and he generally makes good decisions with the ball (including sharp entry passes against a zone).
I wouldn’t mind seeing a little more Bullet at certain points in certain games. I think we would be better served to enter the ball into Chane and Gorgui in the post and taking our chances with them, instead of passing the ball around the perimeter until we run a high pick-and-roll with 10 seconds left on the shot clock. And Bullet does a good job entering the ball into the post.
All that said, there is no magic bullet (yeah, I said that) for our offensive woes. The closest thing to it might be Wayne, but it is hard to say when he has played so sparingly the last few games.
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 2, 2012 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
Another value to Bullet would be the changeup
It would be like starting a 95 MPH flamethrower (with control issues) and then bringing in the get it over the plate pitcher with all kinds of great slow breaking stuff.
There’s value in that.
Screw it
Put Blackshear in and let him play mega minutes. Move KK to the 2. What do they really have to lose @ Cuse? Might shakes things up enough to win the damn game. You remember winning, right? Everything is so scripted and planned under CRP. How’s that working this year? Screw caution – take a chance. Do something unusual. Can’t hurt.
I applaud the effort in reassuring the fans
But, just sounded like typical Rick jargon.
And honestly, part of me wishes this team was headed to the NIT. Our freshmen would benefit more from it than they will getting bounced 1st weekend of the NCAA.
________________________________________________
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by LORD KAYOSS on Mar 1, 2012 11:27 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Really? Come on man
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by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Mar 2, 2012 12:51 AM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
This is the kind of comment that makes people like me call people like you an asshole.
If you want anonymous people on the internet to respect your anonymous moniker, you shouldn’t post stuff you clearly don’t believe.
by johnnyjoejohnson on Mar 2, 2012 9:20 AM EST up reply actions
It's called "saying what you feel"
I believed it when I posted it last night, and I believe it this morning, FYI. I think the young kids on this team would benefit more from a longer post-season against moderate competition rather than getting sent home during the first weekend of the big dance. If you don’t respect that or have difficulty accepting someone else can feel this way, that isn’t my problem.
But, if it’s any consolation, should we make the Sweet 16 I’ll be happy to admit I was wrong.
Lastly — your opinion of me is irrelevant, as are your silly insults. I come here to discuss my team. Not trying to win some stupid popularity contest or impress people like you, just so we’re clear. This isn’t high school.
________________________________________________
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If you've already given up on this team (which I think you did 5-6 years ago)
Then, it doesn’t matter if the team is successful or not. I’m not alone in thinking its ridiculous to prefer the NIT over a 4-6 seed in the tournament. 12 or 13 seed and maybe you have a point. Reasonable people can disaggree, but prefering the NIT over a decent shot to win 2-3 games in the tournament is simply not reasonable. Not to argue semantics, but “saying what you feel” rather than “saying what you think” is exactly what I’m criticizing you of. I don’t believe for a second you or anyone else would prefer to be in the NIT this year. It is not a reasonable position to take, point blank, period. I believe you’re so frustrated that you’d rather see your team fail than be wrong. That much is true.
I guess I forgot to use my sarcastic font. I thought the respect among anonymous monikers would be ridiculous enough, but I over-estimated you.
Glad you think what you do here is so much more important than what I do here. While I’m trying to crack jokes and make friends, you’ll be curing cancer, right?
by johnnyjoejohnson on Mar 2, 2012 12:21 PM EST up reply actions
I seem to recall Pitino saying something to similar effect when we were in the 2006 NIT
I may be wrong, but that is my rough recollection – that he talked about how advancing in the NIT and playing more games would be more useful for the freshmen than being bounced early in the NCAAs. I don’t think that is necessarily an unreasonable view, even if it’s not one that I share for this particular team.
That said, I never, ever want to play in the NIT. I always prefer to make the NCAAs, and realistically, this team does have a chance to advance. But I don’t think someone needs to be skewered for even suggesting this idea.
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 2, 2012 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
I disagree.
Pitino didn’t mean it when he said it. It was spin. Plus, the 2006 team would have snuck in as a 12-13 seed and lost the first game. This team will be a favorite in at least one game. The tournament is a crap shoot. Anything can happen. We could shoot 35% from 3 for a couple games instead of 25% and beat a couple good teams.
I don’t think its reasonable at all.
by johnnyjoejohnson on Mar 2, 2012 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
Depends on what you think this team's ceiling is
I want us to make the NCAAs, because I think we’ll have a realistic chance to advance, and I hate ever missing the NCAAs. But I don’t think his opinion was unreasonable – there are plenty of reasons to think this team won’t advance, and then I understand the argument.
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 2, 2012 5:09 PM EST up reply actions
Seriously?
Remember the Beef Bowl!
by HorsePig55 on Mar 2, 2012 4:18 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Still without a doubt think this team will get past the first weekend this year
It has been a very frustrating season so far yes. Are we the most complicated, dramatic and unpredictable team in the country absolutely. Have we gotten beaten and embarrassed by teams with less talent on the court yes. But do we have stretches in games where we also look as equally great in short spurts as we do bad? Yes. I can live with the reg season this year for 2 reasons. #1, If Blackshear were to have been healthy all year and would have made the strides this year that Behanan has we would be a Very Very good team. I love Kyle andCrisendously but they’re not the caliber players that the AAU klds coming in now are. Sorry but, Blackshear, Behanan, Nunez, Rozier, and Gill are not the same level players as what ve had with the exception of a few. I can’t Blame Rick for having played the hand he was dealt this year with the injuries. You have to have practice time together to be good, and great players practicing consistently together to be great. The recruiting has gotten better and better as of late. I’m patient. And realistic and I’m sure he is as giddy for Blackshear as we are..@#2 I can watch Bridewater highlights with a click moments after every loss, and Villen Highlights after every win.Go Cards
To the person way up top who said less Russ. No. We're going to see Russ playing the point when Siva is on the bench.
Russ will force defenses to actually guard our point guard on the perimeter b/c they know he’ll shoot. When Siva is playing PG, they know he’s not shooting and if he does shoot, it’s a stop on D.
If we're looking for points,
you can’t get any better than a Russ, KK, Blackshear, Behannan, Dieng lineup. That actually looks like a good lineup if Rick can get Russ to cut down on his mistakes (althought very unlikely). If Siva can somehow turn things around on his end, then we can make some noise in the tournament. Karma is going to come around at some point. If we can win the first game in the BET, I see us making the final…
Do remember, UConn lost 4 out of their last 5 games last year
before going on that streak for the title.
I didn't say it was going to happen
I only mention it so everyone can keep an open mind – anything can happen in the tournament. But thanks for the negativity!
You never know. Siva or Russ could get hot and average 20 Per G
Remember the Beef Bowl!
by HorsePig55 on Mar 2, 2012 4:20 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
So far, it seems like the year that never came together.
But, we have hung in with some of the best teams in the country, we have something in this team; if only it can come together in March we can witness a special season.
just remember
Pervis Ellison, Milt Wagner, Billy Thompson, Herbert Crook aren’t walking through that door. Is it me or does it seem Rick is completely clueless on what to do with this team. Were changing lineups in freakin March. Maybe it will work but will see Saturday against the CUSE!
The thing that is annoying about this...
…aside from the fact that he is doing it on March freaking 1st, is that we are going to try this out against ’Cuse, and their 2-3 zone that shut us down (even more than normal) the first time? I am all for changing things up, I think it is necessary to get out of the first round of the NCAAs, but I just wonder how much of a difference it could possibly make tomorrow.
Man, this really sucks. I know I shouldn’t have, but after the WVU game, I was so freaking excited about Blackshear. I knew it might have been a by-product of no scouting report, but I really thought he was going to be a game-changer for us.
You've got noting to lose up there. Why not try it out against them. If you win you're a genius, if you lose,... it's what everyone expected you to do and your seed isn't goign to drop anyway.
At least no more than it would if you have a bad BE tournament
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by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Mar 2, 2012 9:26 AM EST up reply actions
There's something to be said for having the balls to make changes this late in the season.
He’s tried a lot of different stuff and none of its worked. You gotta do something when the offense looks this bad.
I’d feel a lot worse if he said, “Our offense isn’t working, but its march, so you know, we’re going to keep doing what hasn’t been working.”
Sure, we’d rather have good offense, but at this point, there’s no way around it- our offense blows.
by johnnyjoejohnson on Mar 2, 2012 9:29 AM EST up reply actions
Agree, but still think it's a bit pathetic to be doing it after 30 games of a 31 game regular season, and against the #1 team in the league..
Maybe Coach could have noticed that our offense has been anemic and tried some other combinations a little sooner perhaps? And didn’t he say often during the season that there was nothing wrong with our offense?
I’m no Pitino hater but it’s crap like this that greatly distresses me. It’s not accurate and it’s not smart.
by Carolina Cardinal on Mar 2, 2012 11:12 AM EST up reply actions
He did, because he doesn't worry about offense
I think he knew it sucked, but thought it would naturally improve over the course of the season like it always does.
FTR, I’m very dissapointed in Pitino’s lack of efficacy in getting this offense going. I did a fanpost in early Jan talking about how he’s going to get the offense going (among other things). I believed it then, and I was wrong.
by johnnyjoejohnson on Mar 2, 2012 12:28 PM EST up reply actions
Agree...but we have had a significant number of wide-open looks created for our best shooters (Chris and Kyle) via said offense
They just apparently forgot how to shoot for a couple games
Keep Calm and Cardinal On
Totally agree
This is probably another reason why he said there is nothing wrong with the offense. He assumed Chris and Kyle would start shooting like they usually do.
At some point, he probably realized we couldn’t rely on that and had to change it up significantly.
by johnnyjoejohnson on Mar 2, 2012 2:51 PM EST up reply actions
Agree, I am not saying we shouldn't try to change things up against them.
I am just questioning how much of a difference it could possibly make against a team like Syracuse. I love Gorgs, but he ain’t David Padgett in the high post exploiting the only soft spot in their zone.
by CardinalFlyer on Mar 2, 2012 9:46 AM EST up reply actions
The big problem I see is missing wide open looks.
We need to significantly change that and we’ll see some double digit victories. It’s also the mental lapses on both ends of the floor that kill us. I really don’t see significant changes to be made; ’twas a bad game.
by Get_In_My_BELLY_ on Mar 2, 2012 9:40 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Our shooting is terrible.
Remember the Beef Bowl!
by HorsePig55 on Mar 2, 2012 4:21 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Why don't we have Behannan stay down near the baseline and slide over from side-to-side when we're on offense
a la Ellis Myles in 2005? That worked so much and it’s a different set than ‘pick-and’roll, ‘pick-and-roll’…
I like that along with MUCH more ball movement and player movement to move that defense around and create openings
Main problem with what we do now is everybody not only knows what we are doing, but they also know where. That makes it very easy to defend and even get help. Ever notice how often Siva runs into multiple defenders at the rim? It’s because they know what he is doing and where he is going. And clearly, opponents have practically eliminated that from our offense.
by Carolina Cardinal on Mar 2, 2012 11:05 AM EST up reply actions
Agreed
I’m not a basketball person so I assume that they have a plan with the offense.
To me it just looks like a bunch of guys standing around waiting for Siva to do something. I feel like there is no movement off the ball but I don’t know why.
It's one thing to make changes so late in the season,
but another to acknowledge that what you’ve been doing isn’t working. The problem is, with Pitino you never know if he’s being serious or just talking to fill the air with his words and wisdom. He says one thing; doesn’t something else and then blames the confusion of those watching all this on “the media.”
We know this much: Scoring 51 points at this time of the year isn’t worth a damn unless the other team in the cost scored only 50. Perhaps the “changes,” if there are any, will produce some miracles. Let’s hope. In the meantime, I’m not holding my breath that this latest coach-speak moment has anything to do with reality.
theoldman
Back in October, this is the lineup we anticipated by this point in the season.
Go back and read all the posts and comments: Siva, Blackshear, Kuric, Behanan, and Dieng.
So, if this is the lineup we see on the court together, is it really a “change” or is it our expectations coming to fruition?
Stout Out!
To reply to myself...
Tony Iomi from Black Sabbath lost two fingertips on his fret hand, and went on to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
So think, Rick Pitino, loses fingers, Tony Iomi, Black Sabbath, Blackshear….
Breaking the mayan code beyatch.
by WhiskeyRider on Mar 2, 2012 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
Winning @ Cuse
That would certainly remove a lot of the bad taste of this last stretch of games. But what a tall order. They are playing some really good ball.
Can't wait for the return of the one really obnoxious Cuse troll
You know he is coming back. There is no avoiding it.
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 2, 2012 12:08 PM EST up reply actions
Don't see what the problem is with Pitino trying to mix things up.
Better late than never. And it’s not like he’s had any other option up until recently. If Wayne wasn’t playing like Wayne in practice then I understand why Pitino hasn’t just thrown him out there.
I wouldn't be surprised if we beat Syracuse
It wouldn’t change anything about how I feel about the team though.
Hopefully Rick changes something because these last few games have been miserable to watch – looks like sloppy Big Ten basketball. If we’re going to keep turning the ball over so much (unforced at that) we have to up the number of possessions.
I just think this press conference is just more “talk”. I don’t see how the identity of what we’ve seen from this team through 95% of the season is going to change suddenly. If they can somehow find a way to average 65-70 points a game going forward I like their chances to beat anyone.
CRaP Alert!
Remember 6 weeks ago when we all knew the offense was broken but Rick assured us that everything was fine? Now, finally, on March 1 he’s figuring out what the fans knew weeks ago. He makes me crazy!
You can’t spell CRaP without CRP!
Agreed!
Rick needs a good pshychiatrist 1st. His reality show coach drama drives me nuts Making moves on offense now with the season damn near over. What are the odds against Syracuse that in there 2-3 zone we never flash Kyle, Chris or anyone with a jumper to the middle of there zone. What really pisses me off about Rick is he thinks were a stupid fan base and know nothing about the game. I would think that this city along with this entire state knows 2 things better than any other place in the country. Basketball and horses.
Coach is contradicting himself constantly this year...
and I can personally attest that the press conferences have been very emotional and confrontational at times.
In my three years of covering these pressers, I’ve seldom seen anything like this, except the famous Sypher press conference meltdown—which was the worst
I sense a 58 yr old man, knowing he has few chances left to score big, having whiffed twice in the first round in consecutive years, having high season expectations this year which are now on the verge of being dashed…and grasping for straws…
I just have not seen or heard this jumble of emotions and contradictory speak to this level before…and it is disturbing to this long time Card fan
It truly is…
Agree completely.
It borders on being completely irrational which is not only disturbing but scary.
by Carolina Cardinal on Mar 2, 2012 11:41 AM EST up reply actions
You can see how he's caught in two minds, though.
He knows our best chance of avoiding failure is to keep riding Chris, Kyle, Gorgui, and Peyton for the rest of the season.
But he also knows that the only chance we have of making any kind of deep run is getting Wayne going. But until he sees enough from Wayne that he feels confident that he can pull his weight consistently, there’s no point re-focusing the offense to feature him.
I think he knows that putting it on Wayne is a big gamble, and he didn’t want to do it unless it was absolutely necessary, but as the USF game showed, something different needs to happen to improve our rebounding and ability to scrap and stay in physical games.
by bartenpa on Mar 2, 2012 12:02 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
This 100%
It amazes me how many head coaches we have here on CC, that think they could do any better if they were given the same circumstances RP had this season.
Some how all the fans seem to know that this kid coming straight out of high school, recovering from injuries in both shoulders, is the missing piece that’s going to save this team. Guess what people: he’s not, and it’s not Ricks fault. Give him a season to practice before you expect him to part the Ohio River.
No one claims Wayne is the missing piece, but he is a piece that played for 1 minute in a game we lost at home. Now obviously no one here knows why, but it’s weird seeing Wayne play 1 minute, while angel and others got more. If Wayne is healthy enough to play 1 minute you would think he would be the one getting time on the court and not angel.
Mangini apologist by default.
I’m speaking about his innate accuracy, not how well that innate accuracy is translating on the field.
If anything Rick enjoys talking to the press too much. Not that the media is out to get him or his hurting him, but because he talks too much. He’s talking about things that can be quite fluid and he wants to be too specific or definite. Then he has to come back when things don’t work out the way he thought they would and instead of admitting that and moving forward and he continues to try and show he was right originally and is right now. It’s like trying to cover a lie with more lies, eventually what you say is not going to make any sense.
Mangini apologist by default.
I’m speaking about his innate accuracy, not how well that innate accuracy is translating on the field.
I said it before and I'll say it again
When he talks for over 5 minutes his mouth is a fast break and his brain is a four corner offense.
by cbcard on Mar 2, 2012 5:13 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Some Louisville fans won't be happy until we hire Calipari
The main complaints (poor tournament performance and injuries this season) are equally (if not more so) due to bad luck than bad coaching. It’s disheartening to see how many fans’ view of the team or coach are dependent on whether the last game was a W or a L.
We lost to the best defense in the BE shooting 34%, well duh. I’m not sure why this is unfathomable. Pitino can’t make guys hit shots.
Well, I guess we could look at this a few ways.
The complaints about our tournament performance in my mind, as long as they are backed up with why someone feels that way are just as valid as you saying everything negative that happens to us is bad luck.
In 10 years of post season if you only go past the first weekend 3 times, I think it starts to trend more toward performance than luck. You can certainly lay luck out there as the reason for losing in the first round last year and everyone here would be OK with it.
South Florida may be the best defense in the Big East but they are not a great team. They are 2-7 against the RPI top 50 and one of those wins is against us. They are a fringe tournament team and nothing more. We had no business losing to them at home in late February and people upset by this are justified in feeling that way.
Some Louisville fans won’t be happy until we hire Calipari
This is what’s called a “straw man” logical fallacy. It involves you taking reasonable opinions of others and misrepresenting them to make them easier to belittle or dismiss. No one on here has suggested hiring a guy like Calipari. For the most part everyone on here likes Rick, even if we aren’t satisfied with how his tenure has gone. I truthfully would rather Rick do better than hiring another coach to do better. He has a lot of resources here and it is unfair to paint him as the victim of unjustified expectations.
I see too often his HOF career used as evidence of his credibility but dismissed as an indicator of future performance. Where’s the logic in that? Most people will see what they really want to see, and it tends to be to the extreme one way or another. I think a quote by Bertrand Russell sums up our perceptions nicely,
“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.”
Our situation is somewhere in the middle and I think our fan base has to start acknowledging that. So far I mainly only see people on either extreme with neither having the ability to acknowledge tenets of the others arguments and concerns.
For me it becomes a question of what we want this program to be, and how we want to get there. I know that as a fan with what we have I expect more than what we have been achieving, and more consistent success at that. I am open to how we get there, but I definitely don’t think we are where we need to be.
by James Sutherland on Mar 2, 2012 12:28 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Ok, Ok the Calipari comment was hyberbloe. Geez people :P
I just think a lot of our displeasure with RP comes from UK’s success. We were better than them for the first part of the decade, and I don’t recall anyone complaining. Now UK “has returned” and we all have it shoved down our throats every single day. Calpari is recruiting better than anyone ever has in the history of college basketball (in my memory at least) and now all of a sudden Rick is a “terrible recruiter”.
Pitino has made it past the first round 5 times in the last 10 years (‘03,’05,‘07,’08,‘09). And despite the melodrama of the fans, I’d bet anything we don’t go out in the first round this year. We’ve only missed the tourney twice since he’s been here, once being his first year on the job, the other after our final 4 team left in ‘06. We’ve been in the top 25 annually. Two elite 8’s and a final 4. That’s not a bad record by any stretch
I’ve seen plenty of negativity since our first loss. We’re the fucking star-less bellied sneeches. Our fans won’t be happy until UK fans concede that our program is good as theirs, and that won’t happen any time soon.
Food for thought: What would our record be in the SEC right now?
I’m not saying RP is a God among coaches. I want to win a championship and I don’t give shit what the coach’s name is when we do. But I’m tired of hearing “Fire Pitino” because that is not a solution. A solution would be replacing him with someone better, and when I look around the room I don’t see a suitable replacement.
I still maintain USF is underrated. They’re 3rd in the BE, their bad losses came at the beginning of the season without their starters, and their backs were against the wall to get in to the tourney.
Pitino has made it past the first round 5 times in the last 10 years (‘03,’05,‘07,’08,‘09).
in ’03 and ’07 we lost in the round of 32. If getting to the second round of the NCAA tournament is now the barometer of success for our program then God fucking save us.
We have only had 3 seasons that someone can reasonably call tournament success in the past 10 years, and i simply don’t buy your argument about the UK comparison. We did not drastically our perform them the first half of the decade, we went to 1 Final Four and they went to 2 Elite Eights. Keep in mind during that time period we did not make it out of the first weekend one time except for the Final Four run.
This is about our success relative to our expectations and the possibilities of our program. U of L is better than 12 tournament wins in 10 years. This is not about UK, this is about U of L.
Food for thought: What would our record be in the SEC right now?
Not good. We have lost to Providence, USF, and Cincinnati I don’t see how we would be world beaters in any league. The SEC is not an awful league and belittling it doesn’t change our performance. For someone who says our fans have an obsession with comparing us to UK, you spent half your response talking about Kentucky when I didn’t mention them at all in my initial post.
But I’m tired of hearing "Fire Pitino" because that is not a solution
I don’t hear that nearly as much as I hear people claiming they hear it.
by James Sutherland on Mar 2, 2012 1:45 PM EST up reply actions
Amazing how often any criticism of Pitino is interpreted (incorrectly) as "Fire Pitino"
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 2, 2012 2:01 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Exactly. Also amazing how disagreeing with someone about his performance
turns into a conversation of tangents instead of our performance.
by James Sutherland on Mar 2, 2012 2:10 PM EST up reply actions
The SEC is very much an awful league this year
And if you don’t think Louisville and Kentucky fans compare our programs non-stop, go back to living under your rock. Good God, as soon as I posted that Mike posted a comic comparing Cal/Rick.
And this is a Louisville only blog. Have you ever read espn, yahoo/rivals, courier-journal, or any non-segregated site’s comments?
Is there someone with a better track record that you’d rather have coaching this team? You can take a horse to water, and you can take a team to the NCAA tournament.
And I’m sure the “non-fire Pitino” criticism is equally useful and constructive~
Did you actually read 1 single thing that I wrote?
by James Sutherland on Mar 2, 2012 2:11 PM EST up reply actions
I get it man, I really do.
You like Pitino well enough, you want him to succeed, and you’re just disappointed that he’s not. I don’t disagree with you, I just think Pitino is still our best option.
My comments weren’t aimed at you specifically. Let’s be friends.
OK, I'm sorry I called you an idiot.
You summarized my points well, I get your defenses. It goes back to there being these two extremes on this site and not a lot in the middle. It makes reasonable people reactionary instead of allowing us to analyze things intelligently.
Hopefully we make a reasonable tournament run, and get some positive trajectory back into the program so that these conversations become obsolete. We all want the same thing here.
by James Sutherland on Mar 2, 2012 2:38 PM EST up reply actions
You guys are hilarious
I was LOLing for like a minute after the ’You’re a f*cking idiot, dude’ comment.
Crum's Last 7 years
This really doesn’t look all that different from what we’ve seen during Pitino’s tenure, and people constantly lament those last several Crum years…
BTW, congrats to Denny for being inducted into the MVC Hall of Fame yesterday…
’93 – Sweet 16
’94 – Sweet 16
’95 – 1st Round
’96 – Sweet 16
’97 – Elite 8
’98 –
’99 – 2nd Round
by STLCard on Mar 3, 2012 11:39 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
You don't get it...
99% of the people here have abandoned the thought of having an “elite” level team, given the amount of injuries the team has had throughout the season. People are upset because, even with the injuries, we are still vastly more talented than Cincy, USF, Providence and Morehead last year. I don’t blame CRP one bit for losing to UK, Syracuse and others who are legitimately better than us this year.
We’ve been bounced from the tourney two years in a row by teams we should be able to best using only our bench. Those types of losses are a coaching problem, not an injury problem.
And for the record,
I don’t want Calipari or anyone like him near the program.
Our $7 million Hall of Fame Coach
… figured out that Kyle Kuric is a shooting guard in only 3 1/2 years all by himself!
SMDH
haha - very true
Maybe CRP knew this all along, but he wanted to wait until this exact moment in time, so that when UL wins it all he comes across as a freaking genious who knew exactly how to turn this team around when it looked like the sky was falling… And everyone would say, this is his best coaching job to date (which everyone seems to say every year)
I’m pretty sure Rick has stated that’s where Kyle should be but to get him on the court we had to play him elsewhere. He wasn’t going to get much playing time sitting behind Preston at the 2 last year and it’s quite obvious we needed both on the court.
This year you have Kuric, Russ, and Chris who basically play the same position if Siva is in the game. Our best players are 2 4s, a 1, and 3 2s. Someone is going to have to play out of position if we want our best players on the court. Scheme wise, that’s not Rick’s fault, though you could probably blame his recruiting if you want, but then you would also have to acknowledge the season ending injuries we’ve had this year.
Mangini apologist by default.
I’m speaking about his innate accuracy, not how well that innate accuracy is translating on the field.
I'm not sure why anyone thinks CRP has any obligation to be open about his actual thoughts and strategies
He has to talk to the press constantly but that doesn’t mean he has to be completely honest about everything. In some cases he blatantly lies. See: All of his remarks about Wayne leading up to the WVU game. It’s all for entertainment and sometimes it’s for strategy. If he’s nothing else, he’s a good business man and strategist and knows what he’s doing on those fronts. Don’t judge him based on what he says, judge him on the outcome of the games.
No matter what he says, people are unhappy. “We need a change!” Ok… we’ll change up our lineup. “It’s a little late now, buddy!” Ok… we’ll keep the same lineup? “You gotta do something!” Ok… we’ll change the lineup? “Bah you don’t know wtf you are doing!”
by KCcards on Mar 2, 2012 1:15 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Don’t judge him based on what he says, judge him on the outcome of the games.
We’re losing. And I don’t think people care that much if he’s honest or not, they’re just tired of having to hear him talk.
Mangini apologist by default.
I’m speaking about his innate accuracy, not how well that innate accuracy is translating on the field.
And we're tired of all the BS after losing. All the rationalizations. All the I am still right even though we lost.
Remember when the football team was on the skids last year? In a press conference Coach Strong said that these losses were on him and on the coaching staff. That it was their job to get it fixed, and that they would do that. And while no one was happy about the teams performance, that was a coach who recognized the problem, acknowledged the problem, and committed to fixing it. And then did just that.
No more, "the operation was a success, but the patient died. Rick Pitino needs a great big scoop of Charlie Strong.
by Carolina Cardinal on Mar 2, 2012 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
I agree.
But I think I might take an unscientific survey or other coaches pressers and quotes around the country for comparison sakes. We pretty much only have access to Rick, and it might just be a basketball coach thing. Or maybe Coach Strong is just that special of a guy!
Mangini apologist by default.
I’m speaking about his innate accuracy, not how well that innate accuracy is translating on the field.
We're losing. Fine. Then judge him on that.
Tired of having to hear him talk? You’d rather a coach be completely silent to the fans then?
There is literally nothing that can be said by a coach that is losing that will make fans feel better. And people are equally as annoyed when a coach says nothing (see: Krags). The only reason Strong’s “It’s on us, we’ll fix it” worked is because they started winning and thus stopped losing. If he said that and the results remained the same then people would still be bitching. What is said doesn’t matter, only the results. Thus, I am repeating myself again.
Disagree.
What Coach Strong’s comment showed was that he recognized that the current performance was unacceptable (unlike Rick who stated repeatedly that the offense was fine).
And that Coach Strong accepted the blame and took full responsibility to right the ship. Again, unlike Pitino who seems to always throw the players under the bus. Remember the comment about how Russ just played awful the time he led the team in scoring, rebounds, steals, etc. It’s these kind of comments that make the clearest distinction between the two men to me.
And let’s not forget that Coach Strong did, in fact, turn things around. Even with mounting injuries and many inexperienced starters, he found a way to solve the problems and achieve results.
There is no doubt that winning will quiet a lot of criticism. But many feel that Risk does not seem to recognize the offensive problems, has not taken the responsibility for the problems, and has not put together any sort of reasonable plan to correct these issues. The some of his ridiculous comments are just icing on the cake.
I know the above must sound harsh and I am honestly not a Pitino hater. But I am a realist, and I believe the above statements are accurate. Even given the problems, I would feel 100% better if Rick would:
1. acknowledge that this year’s team has underperformed, even given the injuries.
2. tell us what they need to do to fix it
3. fix it
4. stop making contradictory and senseless comments
The most frustrating thing for me is that I think Rick is a very good coach. One who I believe should have the experience, wisdom and ability to do all of these things. I can’t understand why he doesn’t. That’s what gets me.
by Carolina Cardinal on Mar 3, 2012 12:19 PM EST up reply actions
You’d rather a coach be completely silent to the fans then?
That’s not what I said and it should be obvious to anyone who knows anything about Rick’s press conferences what I meant.
Also, the conversation is about the pressers not the play. If we don’t get the results that we desire for, yeah it’s disappointing, but there’s a big difference between standing behind your works and your actions and making excuses.
Mangini apologist by default.
I’m speaking about his innate accuracy, not how well that innate accuracy is translating on the field.
I'm telling you
He’s been waiting for this exact moment in time for almost 4 years to tell us that Kuric is going to the 2, just so he looks like a freaking genius when we go on a tear and win it all. This will be the greatest mind game ever played in the history of sports if it works out. Credit to Ricky P for taking such a big risk like that, knowing that we’d underperform in the tourney for 2 years before winning it all. I tip my hat to you Sir Pitino, you have been fooling us along you little scoundrel…
Yep, because Kyle has been terible as a forward~
The move has more to do with Wayne than Kyle. But I guess that’s harder to turn into something negative to post.
We need some new names on this site. Myself included.
I thought this was the same guy sarcastically replying to himself at first.
by KCcards on Mar 2, 2012 1:46 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Dude, do you have a sense for sarcasm?
I have never seen more hate amongst fans of the same team than I have on here.
Welcome to CardChron, I love you.
Welcome to CardChron, I love you. Welcome to CardChron, I love you. Welcome to CardChron, I love you.
I've been here for a couple months,
but not even on Yahoo, CJ, ESPN, or the Afternoon Underdogs facebook page do I see this kind of contempt amongst Card fans. I guess I need to start hating more and then I’ll be more like you Chronicloids (sp?)
Being critical of one another is one thing,
But the jabs Cards fans take at one another on this site makes me frown. :-( (and yes, I just made a frowny face)
He’s been waiting for this exact moment in time for almost 4 years to tell us that Kuric is going to the 2,
Kyle has only really received consistent playing the past 2 years, so you’re exaggerating quite a bit. Also Rick has repeatedly said he has played Kyle at the 4 because that’s the only place he can put him to keep him on the court.
Mangini apologist by default.
I’m speaking about his innate accuracy, not how well that innate accuracy is translating on the field.
Richards the genius of this staff
Remember Rick told us so. He flashed Kyle to the middle of a 2-3 late in agame and it worked. He gaveall the praise to Richard for it. While everyone in the YUM and the millions watching at home are saying the same thing all game long. Give me a break!
Frankpos said it best “coachis contradicting himself constantly this year” Rick says were recruiting guys that can shoot no#1 now its we need recruits that develop before the junior andseniors seasons. GEES! IMO he’s a great coach past his time. If you a player or a coach there is a time when things can’t go on and itstime to move on. I think that time is getting closer by the minute and with a 1st rd loss again for the 3rd consecitive yr that time is going to get even shorter. I hope i’m wrong and were in INDY in April but our track record is what it is.
Frankpos said it best "coachis contradicting himself constantly this year" Rick says were recruiting guys that can shoot no#1 now its we need recruits that develop before the junior andseniors seasons
That’s not really a contradiction it’s a reassessment. They also aren’t mutually exclusive.
Mangini apologist by default.
I’m speaking about his innate accuracy, not how well that innate accuracy is translating on the field.
Late Season Collapse
Where to start? Maybe Coach P can run them a lot more? Looked like their legs are shoot agains SF and several former players confirmed the team is tired. C. Smith and Kuric – tired legs kill jump shots. I’ve been told there was a very hard and long practice the day before the Providence game and another one the morning of the game. How about injuries? 8 or 9 this year that Coach P says is “bad luck.” This is four years in a row – remember Chichester playing due to the lack of bodies? Look around – Kentucky, Bellarmine, Indiana, Murray, Western, Cincinnati – any other schools have that many players injured every year? I know, let’s change the line up and have a couple of really tough practices.
Yeah, Marra and Buckles injuring their knees mid-game and Wayne tearing his shoulder before he got here
Those were all Pitino’s fault. I’m starting to think he injures the players on purpose to lower our expectations, even if it means losing more games. ~
It’s called bad luck. Brought on by negative mojo. And it’s all YOUR fault.
Dick
Keep Calm and Cardinal On
Pitino always get the benefit of the doubt
Realizing I’m Johnny Raincloud, I’ve avoided saying anything here since January. I’m not going to produce some long winded rant, other than to say I’m always surprised at how willing most are to give Pitino the benefit of the doubt.
Maybe his changes will work, but here we are on the second day of March and Pitino feels to the need to do something drastic. That’s not a good sign. Maybe because Pitino is a great spinner some are willing to believe it, but we’re at the end of the regular season, not December.
Pitino strikes me as man who knows he’s run out out good options so now he’s throwing anything and everything against the wall seeing what might stick. The window, I believe, has closed on Pitino. I don’t think he’ll end his tenure at UL on a positive note.
Doesn't he always?
Remember the Beef Bowl!
by HorsePig55 on Mar 2, 2012 6:38 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I'm with Whacker77
When very gifted and hard working players fail to develop the blame falls on the coach. I look at Siva, as example, and see a kid that is consistently touted as a premier point guard but the truth is he will never make the NBA after 4 years with Rick. The fault does not lie with Siva… he will do whatever his coaches teach him to do.
Rick has developed some sort of system where talented offensive players actually get worse while they are hammered on how to play defense. I;m a huge fan of Rick’s commitment to Defense but his system is way out of balance,
Ultimately I’m sick of hearing Rick throw players under the bus. If he coached them correctlly they would play correctly.
I don't think it's fair to say that talented offensive players "actually get worse" under CRP
At least not if you’re suggesting that this is the general rule.
For example, Sosa struggled at times during his sophomore and junior seasons, but had the best offensive numbers of his career (including shooting percentages) his senior year. T-Will finally developed a reasonably consistent perimeter jumper (and credited CRP for the adjustment) during his senior year. Earl improved significantly offensively from freshman to junior year. Samardo improved his sophomore year, even if he never quite lived up to the lofty expectations. And someone like Kyle has obviously made great strides under CRP. Gaines flourished under Pitino in ways that he had not under Denny, and Garcia and Dean both got better as their careers went along.
But not all players improve offensively under CRP, and Peyton is a puzzle to me. At this point, although the turnovers are a little too high, shooting is his biggest problem. He looked confident shooting the three his freshman year, and even though he had limited attempts, he shot a great percentage. Last year his outside shooting regressed somewhat, but was still respectable. This year is an entirely different story — I know that the injury earlier in the year hurt him, but he has never looked fluid or confident shooting the ball this year. And his percentages this year reflect that; I never would have imagined that he could shoot this poorly for a season.
I suppose that if CRP is going to get credit for someone like T-Will, then people can also blame him for someone like Siva. There is at least consistency in that. But it isn’t accurate to say that talented offensive players generally get worse under CRP.
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 3, 2012 9:59 AM EST up reply actions
not understanding the need for change against Cuse
Correct me if I am wrong, but I would say the strategy we used a couple of weeks ago against the orange worked well. The change in lineup will not help us hit FTs or hit one open shot to win the game. If we loosen up that defense in any way, they will blow us out of the water today. Jesus Christ we should have won that game. Why change now when this win could move us up 1-2 seeds by itself? I am all for fixing problems, but the smart thing would be to go with what worked (or at least nearly) last time.
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