Sean Thread

[OSU-DNA]

Not sure how to right this ship. We all see the obvious, no penetration, hence many 3 point shots. When they go down everyone is pleased, when they miss, the obvious reason we do not get many 2nd chances.

Next year we have coming a point guard that leads the nation in scoring and in 3 point shots. Does not sound like we have a solution.

Play of the 5 is really required. IT looks more like a 4 and could slip out there but that means we need playing time now for Adams, because Proby is at best 6'6" and provides no upgrade to our current talent.

I think Holder needs to make a choice, either move on Sean at the end of the season, or following the season endorse Sean completely and announce he will remain head coach through his contract and would be evaluated for extension later.

Despite Sean being in charge of many things while Eddie was here, we are paying the dues for a man who is in his first tenure as a Head coach. Sean had showed the loyalty to Eddie's staff but that was another mistake.

Sean needs to hang on to his recently hired recruiter and replace Dickey and his other main assistant and get 2 guys who can recruit.

We can all get upset with the stupid plays of turning the ball over at the end of the game, or pick something that needs an uptick in coaching, but it appears that this is the way of the world anymore. If TT had lost you could have pointed to as many bone headed plays by their team and you know that Knight would be in their faces for mistakes and yet they did it anyway.

So, using Knight as a benchmark, I don't attribute our current situation to coaching or game planning. Rather, it is talent and Sean needs to make a dramatic swing in this area.

On the floor he can bring two - three guys who can go for anyone. IT, Anderson and Obi. IT and Anderson will be significantly better players,...next year. Obi shows he can plug many holes, for us he needs to start, but he could be the best 6th man in the Big-12.

My recommendations for Sean:
-Make a determination on Adams, if he is not your 5 starter, get an assistant who can bring an exceptionally strong 4 or 5 who can start immediately. This way you can have 4 guys in rotation for these spots. Adams, IT, Moses and Mr. X.
-If you can not get a penetrating point via your own recruiting, hire an assistant who can bring one.

[CaliforniaCowboy]

without going into detail, I think that you are off base on almost every point that you made, except that we need better play in the post.

I'm not sure why you think these guys won't get there, but I'll trust our coaches over your opinion any day.

Is it "talent" (whatever that is), or is it experience... and wouldn't we be better of if we had expereince on our talent... which is actually the big problem.

give it a rest already.


Your "solutions" sound like an arm-chair assessment of something that you don't have any experience with.

Either we will win, or we will lose. Either Sean will be here or he won't. Try sitting back and enjoying some basketball for a while. The kids are trying, Sean is trying... they'll get there wether you bail on them or not.

[mejake007]

I think the Sean Thread is unraveling.

[drbwh@yahoo.com]

i agree with the original posters opinion. as usual on all osu boards i disagree with cc. he is the biggest sunshine pumper in the history of osu sports.

[Verb]

Yes, but he is our sunshine pumper and we love him.

[Verb]

Oh, and welcome, Dr. B.

[MemphisPoke]

Totally unraveled. I agree with CC.

You can have all the talent in the world but until they have the experience to do the right thing at the right time they will be a .500 program.

I see Sean making tremendous progress as a head coach. Time out management, personnel rotation, etc. Much better than last year.

And yes, we could use a true center but more than that we need a penetrating point guard that is fast and can dish the ball because he keeps his head up. Eaton is just now getting to that point and he is a junior. This is something he should have learned as a freshman. And that is my only knock on this team. Being aware that when you drive into the tall timbers and they collapse on you....means someone will be open, is the first thing I teach my PG's. But in order to know who that open person is you have to have your head up and not be thinking shot first.

JMHO.

[OSU-DNA]

Since CC can present no details, let's examine the situation. We hoist 3 point shot after 3 point shot, at one time this year and it may be now we had more 3 point attempts than we had free throw attempts.

What are Sean's comments following most games,...'We took too many 3s and did not penetrate and did not get to the foul line.'

Where do expect to be next year without Dove? He is playing most of the minutes at the 4 and sometimes even the 5. Does IT have upside, clearly, but it appears his natural position is a 4. That leaves Adams and Moses as the 5, and frankly Moses is too small to play 5. We have been getting killed by the opposing bigs and this will only get worse with Dove gone. Proby is clearly not the answer. Solution talent, get a coach to bring a really strong 4 or 5 because with the early signing period for BB, it is too late to find some unattached stud. We will need to be able to spread fouls to stay in games and we do not have enough of these guys.

Harris is either on or off, when on it is lights out. When off, he is really off. He can not create his own shot.

Eaton is okay for a B-12 point, but can not play 40 minutes. He is does not have a quick shot and is our main penetration threat.

Anderson, is learning, has even played better D the last 2 games, but again does not create his own shot.

So you have either a coaching issue or a talent issue. My judgment based on the play of other teams, we are well prepared, generally have good game plans and therefore not a coaching issue.

This leaves talent, if we want to argue we do not have a talent issue then perhaps people are not following BB. It is not really a matter of how young a team is, in fact, you will see that most teams are as young or younger than us. Talent in BB plays quickly.

Our in coming talent pool is bringing another guard who is a perimeter shooter. This may improve our percentage of 3s but does not resolve the core issue of penetration and getting to the foul line. Our second commitment was not even starting for his JC last year, it would extremely hard to believe that with his stats in JC that he is an upgrade to our available talent.

I would like Sean to succeed, but he had better bring an upgrade of talent immediately and that is going to be very difficult to do if he stays with his current staff.

[CaliforniaCowboy]

Since CC can present no details, let's examine the situation.

It is not really a matter of how young a team is, in fact, you will see that most teams are as young or younger than us. Talent in BB plays quickly.
.

Easy there DNA... I did not SAY that I "could not" present details... I said my comments that follow were made with providing a lengthy discussion. Let's stick to what I actually said.


I would challenge you that MOST teams ARE as young or younger than us. It's not true. Especially not teams in our league, or teams on our schedule... (it doesn't matter much to me if Air Force is young or not, or any young team that may be winning, since they don't play our schedule).

Let's have it... show me those "most" teams from BCS conferences that are "as young or younger", that played our schedule and who have a better record... (Hint: the search shouldn't take you long, because the list is going to be really short).

[AnniePokely]

Nobody has to give it a rest. Sunshine pumpers or Negative Nellies can discuss this topic all day long...as grown ups. We won't let it get nasty, under any circumstance.

[CaliforniaCowboy]

I'm simply suggesting that repeating the same thing over and over and over does NOT add anything to the "discussion"...

It would be nice if they had something new to say after each game besides the same thing they say every game.

[panhandler62]

How about a small change of pace?

I am 45 (ish) and I was never a b-ball fan, ever. I'm 5' 3" tall and I can trip over feet I don't even have, so I never got interested in a game that was happening 4 feet over my head.

Fast forward to 2006 and my sweet bride has me standing up untill the first OSU basket falls.

Holy wow! I fell in love with the game. I love the chess match of trying to muscle your way in without fouling and I really enjoy seeing the players. Santana Moss is one of my favorite wide receivers of all time and I doubt I could pick him out of a lineup, but I am comfortable with the faces of the Coyboys. This familiarity breeds a strength of emotion that makes the games just a bit personal.

Now -- I am butt-ignorant about this game. I sit here watching guys I have a genuine affection for falling just short of the mark and I'm not sure why. I hardly even know the terminology and, frankly, I can't even name the positions. I know that Eaton is a guard. Uh.. yep, that would be what I know about that. lol

I know this -- I see other teams screen on offense to get players into the lane. I don't see the cowboys screen much.

I see other teams take the shots from outside, just like our guys do, but they have two tall muthas under the basket for the offensive rebound when they do it.

I see other teams that have a few players who can get penetration into the paint on their own. I'm not sure I remember seeing anyone but Eaton even taking a shot at getting some dribble penetration lately, and he isn't doing it much.

On the upside -- Harris, Dove and Eaton all play great defense. If we could get the ball inside and get the high percentage shots with a bit more regularity we would have won the last six.

Oh... by the way --- I'm not in love with the game extending fouls at the end. I grasp the concept, but it's like going empty goal in hockey; maybe it will help but 9 times of 10, it's a desperation move that gives up more points than it gains.

[Verb]

What a thoughtful and well-written post, Keith. (I'm right there with you in the understanding-of-the-game department, too.) I don't always understand it, but I do love it!

[JimBob]

Now -- I am butt-ignorant about this game.

Panhandler, that statement just made you the "board coach of the week"! :D

[CaliforniaCowboy]

Panhandler, that statement just made you the "board coach of the week"! :D

ha... if that is his qualification... then it sounds like he is MORE qualified to comment than most that post on the message boards...