Vandy Hosts Slipping Gators

 Basketball  No Responses »
Feb 272012
 

Most of you probably know of the shocking loss Florida took at the hands of the bottom feeding Bulldogs over the weekend. You could probably tell from the final score alone that the Gators were falling off a little bit, but the loss of Will Yeguete the game before is what really has brought out the worst in our conference foes. You may not be able to see it from the stats, but the hard-work and versatile defender that Florida lost in Yeguete causes major problems in the rotation (you will see why later in the post). While the Gators will certainly remain a huge threat due their confident outside shooters, this is certainly not the same team we lost to earlier in the season.

We all know about the perimeter guys. Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton still runs this backcourt and their volume of shots will always be a threat. Boynton has continued his much improved shooting throughout most of the year and is one of the big reasons why the Gators remain ranked in the polls. Bradley Beal is of course a threat in his own right. He has not fit that Eric Gordon mold that was given to him coming out of high school, but he has developed into a new weapon all by himself. His athleticism, defense, and rebounding abilities all appeared to be underestimated. What is surprising is that the phenomenal freshman has not shown that same outstanding jumpshot he was projected to have. I wonder how good he could be if he could just tie his game together with a more consistent jumper. He is very capable of hitting any shot, but his distance shooting is far from what I expected. He should have a nice game though, with around the same number of attempts from the field as the veteran backcourt players and probably a nice number of rebounds with the absence of Yeguete in the frontcourt.

Speaking of the frontcourt, that’s really what I wanted to talk about. You guys will know the starters Erik Murphy and Patric Young, but neither of presences match what a healthy Will Yeguete was capable of off the bench. Erik Murphy spends the majority of his time on the perimeter, attempting the threes he has gotten very comfortable with. He has went 0-6 in his last two outings though, so it is certainly capable of limit his production. Patric Young has the body and athleticism of an NBA player but he lacks the moves in post game and (more than anything) healthiness to be very productive on the court. He just has a tendency of over-shooting at times and it really kind of makes him look bad in front of professional scouts. With a frontcourt like that, you may be able to see why they need a player like Will Yeguete. His hard work on loose balls and rebounds were critical for his team considering they start a perimeter big man like Erick Murphy and an unhealthy player in Patric Young. Not to mention his defense really flowed well in the press.

Off the bench, guard Mike Rosario and Scottie Wilbekin should play pretty big minutes. Rosario is a pretty fearless scorer for the Gators (which is either good or bad depending on the situation). You probably remember him scoring ten points against us in the first half of our last game with Florida. He scores in a lot of different ways. Wilbekin is kind of the opposite, as he prefers to leave his mark on the game with his passing and defense. Casey Prather has a good chance of seeing some minutes too but he is far from becoming the replacement for Yeguete. His four foul, two turnover, and two point performance this past weekend just doesn’t sound that threatening. One of his fouls was in fact dunking in pregame, which resulted in a technical, which resulted in two Georgia free throws. Pretty funny if you ask me.

So you probably know what is key for us already. We must lock down on our perimeter defense. Jeff Taylor can probably handle anyone who gets hot, but everyone else will need to handle their man as well (almost every guy can shoot). We may also use a guard-heavy rotation to handle the loaded backcourt of the Gators. We will also, of course, need to beat the press. I will probably be ranting for days if we have another performance like we did in Gainesville. Also important will be attacking the paint early with Festus Ezeli. He should have his way with the unhealthy frontline of Florida. Then that should open up our shooters, and we all know how it goes from there.

I do expect a win tomorrow folks.

Go ‘Dores!

Vanderbilt @ Georgia Analysis

 Basketball  No Responses »
Feb 182012
 

Georgia has really struggled this season. While they have a few nice wins here and there, losses to teams like South Carolina this week really make the Bulldogs look terrible. Some talented guys are surely on the roster, but there is not enough scoring or pure skill going around to make Georgia a serious threat in the conference.

Offensively, a lot of their production comes from the perimeter. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Gerald Robinson, and Dustin Ware are the only players on their team averaging above eight points per game. Caldwell-Pope will probably be the most used man of the bunch, but the point guard Robinson is the most consistent and efficient scorer on the squad. Georgia uses a lot of screens both on the ball and off it to create separation. Caldwell-Pope is the most notorious for using this technique to score, as we has a very quick jumpshot and is probably the most confident shooter. Robinson can also shoot the three, but he prefers to incorporation some driving and kicking action to get the offense going. Ware will contribute to the scoring effort as well, but his game is far from efficient. Georgia certainly has a lot more flow to their game than the Rebels had earlier this weekend, but they are far from a great scoring team as they struggle to put up more than 60 on the scoreboard. Not a lot is going in on the post for them either, as many of their big men will settle for shots outside of the paint (or just a weak move overall). And even worse for their post game is that they are the worst offensive rebounding team in the conference. Georgia is not completely terrible on offense though, as they do minimize their turnovers quite well in most games.

Georgia is not the best on defense either. We will probably see both man-to-man and a matchup 2-3 zone from them tomorrow, but the scheme is not the problem for the Bulldogs. It surprisingly is not their post defense either, which I expected to be quite weak but is actually decent. It is their perimeter defense that kills them. Georgia just cannot seem to stop sagging off shooters when the offense uses an on-ball screen. I cannot really explain it. Mark Fox should be able to teach his team to play up on the shooters, but they continued to give open looks. We will absolutely silence the crowd with our threes if they want to keep that up this weekend. Anyways, their post defense was better than expect. No where near perfect, as they can get pushed around at times, but certainly better play than one would assume from watching their big men play offense. Georgia does not do a lot in the defensive rebounding, blocking, or stealing departments though so it is hard for them to be really efficient in turning their defense into offense. When they do get a steal though, they get down court very quick. Gerald Robinson is great in full court situations and could be dangerous if our turnover issues come up again.

Gerald Robinson has been solid running the point this season. He has a wide range of tactics in his offensive game and leads his team down the stretch of games. He is very fun to watch attacking the basket with his very athletic moves to finish around the rim and can be quite dangerous when he causes the defense to collapse. And as I mentioned earlier, he is fantastic in fastbreak situations. While three-point shooting has never been his best skill, he can easily knock down an open jumper. His assist numbers are not extraordinary for a senior guard, but the numbers are a bit skewed in my mind. Robinson is far from a ball hog and can hit an open teammate quite well. And that is why he leads the league in assist percentage.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the most offensively dangerous player on the team. Really, he is one of the best in the conference at scoring when he gets hot. His jumpshot is very quick and, as was mentioned earlier, he is running at a very high confidence level for any player (especially a freshman). KCP nearly dropped twenty on us in our last matchup, and it would not be surprising to see him get in the high marks again. Georgia needs him to contribute a bulk of the scoring effort, so they will look for the freshman stud quite a lot in the game. KCP is a very solid rebounder. It will be interesting to see how our defense matches up with him a second time around.

Dustin Ware is the third scorer for the Bulldogs. He is terribly inconsistent though. Ware can score in high numbers at times, but he falls into cold streaks so easily it is hard for me not to criticize him. And, regardless of if he is hitting them or not, he is going to shoot them. As I mentioned before, this team requires so much offense from their guards so much that they have to give them shots. Ware is absolutely great at the free throw line though, so we do not want him going there to get his buckets.

Marcus Thornton has been worked into the starting rotation since coming back from an injury. He has been shooting and getting into the offense a lot more recently, but his shots have not been falling to consistently. Thornton cannot hit mid-range shots with consistency and does not get too many opportunities in the paint. He is a fair player in his own right, but Nemanja Djurisic will get a lot of opportunities playing at this spot as well.

Donte Williams is the biggest starting player for the Bulldogs. His game mostly involves moves around the basket, but he is a decent player. He gets running down the court really well and can get an easy dunk when opposing big men are not hustling. He is not a great offensive player though, and he does not grab a lot of boards for his position. Williams is also an awful free throw shooter.

Now for the bench, where Georgia actually has a few decent players. Nemanja Djurisic joins KCP as a big time playing freshman for Georgia. He is far from having a polished game, and he had a terrible performance against us earlier this season, but he has a nice offensive skill set for the time being. I have seen everything from shooting a three to putting the ball on the floor and finishing at the basket from this big man from Montenegro. And we are not talking about Steve Tchiengang or Dai-Jon Parker threes, this guy real shoots them with confidence and consistency. I hope we are ready for his game, because he could sneak up on us if we think he will play as poorly as he did last time.

Other bench players include John Florveus, Vincent Williams, Sherrard Brantley. Florveus actually likes to use some post game at times, but he often has to settle for difficult chucks over the defender. He is not seem to be very strong in the paint and his footwork is far from great, so is not a huge threat. Williams is a fair player in a lot of aspects, but is not extraordinary in any area. Brantley struggles to have any solid production at all himself.

Georgia is not a good team. While this game may be on the road, there is just not enough here to make me think we have a good chance of losing. Regardless of if we struggle to win in Athens or not, the Bulldogs just shouldn’t have to overall talent to compete with us. We would have to be way off our game and really discounting our opponent to be seriously threatened in this one. Given our recent games, I do not see that happening.\

Vanderbilt wins this one pulling away in the second half. Jeffery Taylor and John Jenkins continue their high scoring ways and should have a good day from outside. We will probably go to Festus Ezeli a lot early. Lance Goulbourne should have a nice day rebounding. I know this post was not as in-depth as usual, but I am pretty busy today folks. Hope you enjoyed it anyways.

Go ‘Dores!

Vanderbilt @ Ole Miss Analysis

 Basketball  No Responses »
Feb 152012
 

Mississippi is a real interesting team. I realize that i say that a lot I do an analysis, but it is said because I really did not know as much as I thought about our opponents before doing these type of post. It has really made this conference even more interesting, and I feel like a much more knowledgeable fan than I was before. Anyways, this really is an interesting case. The Rebels are sitting at the middle of the conference, struggling to grab a big win (especially on the road) but are probably really looking forward to this game at their home court. And that makes this game a little more threatening than before, and our guys need to be ready for the test. I feel we are pretty superior to the Rebels after doing a little analysis, but the fact remains that we are going on the road to face a hungry squad. And that is never easy. Mississippi is also one of the biggest teams (in terms of size) in the nation, which puts some added pressure on Lance Goulbourne and Festus Ezeli. I think they we can handle it though. And this is why.

Ole Miss is a mess on the offensive end of the court. Seriously, it looks as if they have no sense of offensive flow and lack any type of gameplan at all. Never have I seen a team favor so many one-on-one situations, which is even more odd considering they really have no terrific offensive threat. Silly turnovers are commonplace and the only design they show at all is a little post-up game from time to time. Other than that, they seem to rely heavily on their players’ ability to create offensively. And they lack any dependable three-point shooters as well. Against our defense, this looks pretty good for us. Terrence Henry, the best one-on-one threat for his team, will more than likely be matched up with on of the best defenders in the league. Moreover, their occasional post game should be handled by Festus pretty well. And even if things were not going that way in the paint, a little zone defense from us should cover the court quite nicely given the poor outside shooting of Mississippi. Also favorable for us is the fact that the Rebels do not do a lot of things in the fastbreak. And finally, they cannot hit free throws to save their life. I was really a lot more worried about this game before I witnessed the Ole Miss offense.

My analysis did not show great defense either. However, this is something that could have been a fluke. I just think it is unreasonable to think so lowly of both their defense and offense while they are sitting at fifth in the conference. Still, my finger tips cannot help but report the things I saw. Mississippi used a lot of both man defense and zone, neither of which were really effective on a consistent basis. Ole Miss was just losing hot shooters like Rodney Hood and Jalen Steele open time and time again. Dee Bost caused the defense to collapse many times, and he would simply kick it out to his shooters. Or they would swing the ball around against the zone until they found a shooter. I could not believe that Ole Miss was just sitting their in their 2-3 zone while facing three players who could easily hit the three-point shot. No way they try that against us, because Mississippi State exposed it time and time again, and we have three starters who can hit threes even better that the Bulldogs players. So it will be up to one of our perimeter players to collapse the defense with a little driving and kicking. I did notice that Ole Miss had some good on-ball defenders but their repeated mistakes off the ball really killed them. Also, they seemed a little slow and unaware getting down the court when Mississippi State was running. Maybe we can expose that as well. Really though, my expectations are that they play better defense that what I witnessed while analyzing. It was not really a talent issue, but dumb mistakes just kept on being repeated. They will pay if that continues when John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor come to town.

My guess is Ole Miss cleans up some of these things, along with possibly some offensive flaws, in preparation for this big home game. Otherwise, we should not have much of a problem outscoring them. Still, they are an outstanding rebounding team. I am a little less worried than I would normally be just because our big guys look good against Kentucky over the weekend, and Lance Goulbourne had such a dominant game against them last season, but it will still be a huge part of the game. If we can somehow win there, then we could really be talking about a controlling game. Now for the player breakdowns.

Terrance Henry is the star for the Rebels in a lot of ways. He has a pretty diverse scoring arsenal and has confidence in basically every shot he takes. He has had two poor games in a row (which partially explains my analysis of the offense) but it is clear that the talent is there. Remember he did score double-digit points in the five games before his cold stretch. Henry can take players off the dribble in multiple ways, both with a step back jumpshot and a finishing move at the rim. He also does not mind taking a step up three-point shot, but he really does not hit it too well. It would be in the best interest of his team to persuade him away from taking that shot, but they need the offense and I doubt anyone is telling him not to shoot it. Henry is a really big guy playing the three spot, but he should have his hands full with Jeffery Taylor anytime he is matched up with our star player. He is like Taylor in a sense though, because he is a stellar defender that is almost always asked to guard the opposing star. So we should see him going head to head with JT for most of the game, which should be fun to watch.

Murphy Holloway is another fine player for the Rebels. He has great footwork when posting-up and sometimes defenders just get lost when trying to keep up with his moves. Holloway is not really a fantastic scorer in my eyes, but he preforms well with the opportunities he has on offense. What he really excels at is rebounding, and he averages a near double-double. I know I have said this already, but they are great rebounders as a team. Hopefully our guys in the paint can control the boards, because that is really how Ole Miss wins games and stays at fifth in the conference.

Reggie Buckner is the last big man for the Rebels. He, much like his teammate above, is a great rebounder. It would be those two that are going to grab a bulk of the boards. Buckner has a decent post game as well, and showed some solid up-and-under moves against the post defense of Mississippi State. Still, he does not have the footwork of his teammate in my eyes. Buckner is also a terrible free throw shooter, which is pretty common on this team. He also allows some awful defensive positioning from time to time. It is almost as if he is not paying attention, and just allow his opposition to get in front of him without him really taking much notice until after a score. I do not know if that is a consistent problem, but I certainly saw it my analysis. Festus will be trouble for the Rebels if that keeps up. He is certainly not bad at all facets of defense though, and is a tremendous blocker and can punish an over-confident offensive player when they drive to the basket.

Nick Williams has been a big scorer of late. He has only had one single-digit game in his last eight outings and has a very wide range of techniques to get his buckets. Williams is basically the only guy willing to take multiple three-point shots for his team right now, even if he does not hit them too well. He also attempts mid-range shots, floaters, or even layups to get his points in the box scorer. He certainly has the mentality of a scorer, and we have to keep an eye on him to make sure he does not get hot. He is also a fair rebounder, and contributes to the large rebounding stats his team puts up from time to time.

Jarvis Summers runs point for Ole Miss. He is one of the few players with good court vision on the team, and he is pretty efficient when attracting defenders and then throwing the lob to one of his big teammates. He can drive to the basket himself as well, but he does not finish well enough to be a big threat there. Same goes for his shooting, as he can knock down an open jumper easily but is just not a big creator for himself. He does not mind attempting a mid-range jumper or floater though when his team needs scoring though. Summers is a decent freshman point guard, but nothing too spectacular.

Jelan Kendrick will get a lot minutes off the bench. He is not really a pure point guard by any means, but he will probably see a good amount of time running the team due to his ball handling skills. He is a decent player but he shoots way too much for his own good (or the good of the team). Moreover, he cannot shoot a three or even a free throw with any consistency. He is pretty decent on-ball defender though and is the type of player that could have a double-digit game because he shoots a lot. He is a former McDonald’s All-American and transfer from Memphis. He has a lot of skill, but just has not progressed as much as expected. Ladarius White, a freshman guard, will see some minutes too but probably not enough to make much noise. He really shoots way too much as well. And you wonder why I think their offense is so poor.

Ole Miss is a decent team that does few things pretty well. However, they are simply not complete enough to compete with us at this point in the season. We should be able to handle these guys and their unproductive offense, regardless of if they are good rebounders or not. No way I expect our guys to drop this one after playing so hard this past weekend. I think our team is now on a mission to close out the season strong. And please, my fellow fans, show some love for your team and do not be one of those haters (sorry for lack of better word) that I see in the forums. Come on, you guys are Open Dores readers. You’re better than that.

This one took way, way, way too long to write.  I probably made multiple mistakes because it is late and I am tired. Hope you enjoyed it anyways.

Go ‘Dores!

Kentucky @ Vanderbilt Analysis

 Basketball  2 Responses »
Feb 092012
 

A long-awaited matchup is finally upon us. Kentucky is coming to Nashville as No. 1 in the nation. Vanderbilt has not been quite up to par with early expectations but we all know how much talent is on this team, and if there was ever a night to come around than this Saturday is the time. UK has struggled on the road at times this season, and it is time for the Commodores to prove their game in front of a national crowd. I hope you are as excited as I am.

Anthony Davis will sweep awards like no has ever swept them before this postseason. Oh, and he is going to be signing with Charlotte Bobcats (or some other trash team) for big bucks when they draft him with the top pick this offseason. And you are better off just believing the hype if you do not believe already. Davis has a story like no else, as he was just an average-sized high school guard just a couple of years ago before one huge growth spurt sent him on a path to becoming the star he is today. I cannot describe his ability to block shots because there is not a word for it. He is simply the greatest ever in that dimension for the game. He just denies every thing his oppositions throws at him regardless of it is a hook shot, a layup, or even a three. He also has great defensive instincts, and is quick to getting the Kentucky defense back to their assignments when switches are made. Worse of all though, is the physiological affect he has on the opposing offense. And that goes for everyone he is playing, as he seems to not allow any clean shots by any player if he is on the court. Just watch some Kentucky games. It seems like everyone goes cold against them, just because their defense is so intimidating. Davis is also the leading scorer and rebounder for Kentucky. He has great communication with all his teammates (most of which are outstanding passers) and that allows for many alley-oops a game. He just dunks, and dunks, and dunks, and dunks again. He does not mind posting up either, but he prefers to stay away from any exhausting aggressive and strong moves. He prefers to use his quick feet to get a shot off quicker than the usually slow opposing big man can defend. He does bring a lot of intensity and leaping ability to rebounding though. One thing you can do to Davis is sucker him into shots further away from the basket. He cannot hit them with any consistency and if you got him to miss enough, maybe you could lower his confidence. Other than that, not much is wrong with this guy. You may get him out of position, but he is just so physically gifted that he almost always gets back in time to shut down any offense. Yet he does it with getting in foul trouble. Such a talented player.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is one of the most intense, hard-working players my eyes have ever witnessed. He plays basketball like every coach in America wants his players to play. His will to win sets this Kentucky team apart from the other freshman-heavy squads we have seen recently. He also posses outstanding rebound abilities at the three spot. Moreover, he does not waste time by handing the ball to Marquis Teague when gets his hand on the ball. He would rather get his teammates going down the court, where he has great finishing ability and even better court vision to find an open teammate or lob it up to one of many great leapers he plays with. His instincts are unheard of for a freshman. MKG has an outstanding first step when attack the basket and quickly makes the best decision for his team. And that is what Kidd-Gilchrist is all about. He wants to be the victor and he thrives on getting the loose ball no one else was even going to go after. He never stands around and his high-energy is contagious to his teammates. Kentucky fights for all those extra possessions that make them winners, so we have to be ready to battle it out this weekend. MKG has been known to chew his out teammates out when they are not doing their work. He is also doing his though. On both ends of the court, he is one heck of a player.

Marquis Teague is yet another five-star freshman for the Wildcats. He took a lot of heat earlier in the year but has cleaned up his game a lot recently. He is a good passer and can penetrate a defense quite well. He is not the best finisher, but he can cause the defense to collapse once he beats his man off the dribble, which of course leads to a kick out or the always-efficient pass to Anthony Davis. He does not have the pure takeover ability that blessed Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, John Wall, or even Brandon Knight before him but he is still very gifted as a college freshman. His three-point shot is not spectacular, but he does a fair job of knocking down the deep ball if he gets open. And with this very talented Kentucky team comes their great court vision, so they are very good when it comes to finding an open man. Still, there are question marks surround this particular freshman. When things are going well in Lexington, he seems to function with very sound decisions. However, when he leaves his home court, he has been known to make some terrible mistakes. Just look at his performance in Knoxville, where he struggled to make the even simple passes in the half court. A majority of his teammates have terrific ball handling skills for their position, and that kind of hides the flaws in Teague’s game. I would look for him to be a big variable in the outcome of the game this weekend. Hopefully he continues to make those mental errors on the road.

Terrence Jones is probably the biggest offensive threat that Kentucky presents. His skills set is loaded and he has a variety of ways to attack the opposing defense. However, the fact that he is fourth on his team in points is a little ridiculous. He forces things at times and his jump shot just has not improved as much as I expected it to. He is not the factor that he should be a this point, regardless of if he had a finger injury or not. I will stick to the word I used in the first sentence of this paragraph though. Jones is a threat. He has the capability of going off any night. Something I have noticed though is that if he misses early, he seems to fall out of favor with the Kentucky offense. I do not think they like him forcing things and they like to go to the route of him finishing alley-oops and running a fastbreak than attacking off the dribble. He is the third best rebounder on his team, but that is not an insult considering he plays with Davis and MKG. He also contributes to the outstanding defense of Kentucky with his blocking ability, and he is pretty versatile on all ends of the court. I hope, hope, hope that we catch him on a cold night. When he is knocking them down, they are nearly impossible to beat.

Doron Lamb is starting next to Teague in the backcourt. Much like Jones, he is a sophomore that can light up the scoring column. Actually, he is just behind Davis as the leading scorer on the team and he has not even started every game. His three-point shot is excellent, and he loves the shot from the corner. We must clamp down on this guy, as he is going to get more shots than anyone else on the team. Kentucky loves to look for him to put the dagger in their oppositions and close the game. We cannot give them that opportunity. As with all players that lead their team in shots, he has been known to force things when he misses a few. And that is what we need. Jones and Lamb have a lot of dimensions to their scoring, unlike superstars MKG and Davis that do most of their work around the basket. I think winning will require Kentucky to get one dimensional like that.

Kentucky does not have a lot of depth but they do have some great bench players. Darius Miller plays more consistent minutes off the bench than basically any player in the league, and has one of the most interesting offensive skills set out of any player in the conference as well. Miller can hurt you both with a three-point shot and a post move. His complex game usually provides a good amount of buckets off the bench and his size can create some matchup issues (as if there were not already enough). Kyle Wiltjer is another five-star freshman but he is not held to quite the same level as Davis, MKG, and Teague. I just think it is crazy how this guy would be the highest rated prospect we have ever had but is hardly a role player for Kentucky. Wiltjer does do a lot of things pretty well, and can hit shots outside and inside. He normally provides some offense off the bench, but not too much. Eloy Vargas is a serviceable guy in the paint, who will give a breather to Anthony Davis at some point in the game. He does not too much though, but simply handles business in the post while the superstar get a quick break.

Here is how I look at things. I just think that Antony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are just going to get their stuff and we cannot really do anything about it. We need to make sure they do not get much help though. Other guys have struggled somewhat on the road this season, and we need to take advantage of that and take away other options. John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor must avoid the long arms of Davis at all cost. Give Kentucky a couple of pump fakes and then take a jump shot. Going inside will not be much of an option if Davis is on the court unless Jeffery Taylor really wants to expend all his energy somehow avoiding the guy for one possession. Not worth it if you ask me. Kentucky does not make many mistakes on defense, we have got to get them in the air (they love blocking shots) and beat them with our superior outside shooting (mid-range shots also but even that will be tough). Brad Tinsley must be a factor. He has to get in the scoring column and hold his own on defense. Actually, that goes for everyone. All of the Wildcats have a huge skill set, so we need to clamp down on everyone. We will have to give energy and effort for a full basketball game. Kentucky hustles more than anyone in the nation and we need to change our careless ways this weekend if we want to have a chance. We need emotion to win this game. Memorial needs to erupt when we get on the fastbreak and fans need to scream their lungs out if we force Calipari to take a timeout. Our guys feed off that energy. And lastly, we need Kentucky to mess up more than us. Our talent cannot beat them, we need some help from the mistakes of our opposition. It is time for some Memorial Magic folks. It is time to show yet another top-ranked team that we do not lay down when the big boys come to town.

Go ‘Dores!

LSU @ Vanderbilt Analysis

 Basketball  No Responses »
Feb 072012
 

LSU was a fun team to analyze. The Tigers have a lot of new faces, and it will be interesting to see how these guys develop in future years. Trent Johnson has his team headed in the right direction, and I am looking forward to the game tomorrow.

Justin Hamilton is a very interesting player. Much like Arnett Moultrie, he is playing his first season in this conference since transferring his sophomore year and has already made a name for himself. Hamilton gets a lot more touches than most big men in the conference and has a lot of moves in his arsenal to put to use with his touches. While he strongly prefers and usually knocks down the long two-point shot, he has an underrated but very clean hook shot. His confidence is running at a high level and he has gained a lot of trust from his teammates. Hamilton is also a very talented passer and uses his good vision to hit his fellow players when opposing defenses collapse on him in the post. Also good is that he hits his free throws unlike a lot of the big guys in the this league. Hamilton really offers an interesting game and is quite talented at a lot things from shooting, rebounding, and passing. I have seen him make an error or two on defense, such as letting opposing big men establish very dangerous position, but no problems are too common. Oddly, while he can easily hit a very long two-point shot, he really does not stretch his game behind the three-point line like we saw Erik Murphy do last week. Also unlike Murphy, he rolls off of picks as opposed to popping. I am curious why his range really just stops right before the three-point line. Surely he could add a little longer shot to his already big arsenal.

Anthony Hickey caught my eye while watching some LSU games as well. He showed a variety of moves on offense, everything from driving to shooting to running the offense. I would not call his passing abilities or even court vision excellent, but he is a sufficient point guard and makes a stellar pass every now and then. Hickey is not really great with his three-point shot either, but he has confidence and hits his shots often enough to keep me from being critical of him. He shows a lot of effort and has a decent game to show for it. His freshman mistakes do show sometimes though. He tries to do too much at times and really gets caught forcing passes in the post. His on-ball defense is pretty solid though and his abilities to steal the ball are some of the best in the league. He should be a solid player in the conference for a while. Interestingly enough, he was a two-star prospect coming out of high school.

Johnny O’Bryant is another high-energy player in the starting lineup for the Tigers. Moreover, he is a freshman just like Hickey. O’Bryant was a highly regarded All-American coming out of high school though and has a lot of potential to become a great player. He gives so much effort on the court, and has played through a hand injury for a while now. He is strong around the basket, preferring more aggressive and strong post moves unlike his teammate Hamilton. O’Bryant also has some range though, and the first shot I saw him hit was a pretty long two-point bucket. He has a lot of confidence, and even attempts a three at times if he is feeling hot. I would recommend we try to sucker him into that shot though, as he has not shown to be able to hit it at all. He is a good rebounder, and has a decent offensive game when he is playing to his strengths. I really like what he brings to the team, but I would be lying if I said he had really developed his skills at this point. Give it a year and he should be a pretty good player.

Andre Stringer and Ralston Turner are the only two starters from our game last season that will be starting tomorrow. And their role this season is much of the same, as they are mostly scorers. You will probably think they take a few too many shots for their own good in the game, but you have to remember that LSU really needs them to put up something in the scoring column or else they lose big. I do not think either one of them is really a good player, but their high usage could cause them to get hot if we slack on defense. Stringer especially takes a lot of shots, and is quite unique considering his small size and the fact he plays off the ball. I would certainly attack the defense of Turner though, as he basically got joked on by a variety of guys in the games I watched. And either one of these guys could be subject to not starting, because a lot of lineups have been tried recently. My best guess is that these two start around Anthony Hickey though.

Now for the bench players. You all probably remember Storm Warren, who had a career-high night against us last season. Well he is one of the most improved players in the league this season. And while I doubt he drops twenty tomorrow, you will definitely see his impact on the game. He usually gets few dunks and maybe a few mid-range attempts a game and looks pretty comfortable all over the court. He is a very high-energy guy and plays the game like it should be played, hard and without complaining. Storm Warren has always been happy in his role, regardless of if it meant starting or coming off the bench for a freshman. I like him for that.

Chris Bass is really the next guy off the bench who gets consistent minutes. He does not score much at all, but he fills up the stat column pretty well across the board, and he will probably be asked to do a little more in this game due to depth issues. Eddie Ludwig will be another guy coming off the bench. His minutes have been quite inconsistent lately, but he did have a solid game against us in the SEC tourney last season and we will need to keep and eye on him. Malcolm White will be yet another forward coming off the bench, and he is also coming off a one-game suspension. John Issac, a reserve guard for the Tigers, will probably not be in the game due to some academic issues. I am uncertain of that through, and we probably will not know for sure until tomorrow. If he does not go, it will be interesting to see who picks up the slack.

I really feel pretty comfortable about this one to be honest. I expect the offense to flow very well. Tinsley will more than likely make a few errors against the quick hands of Anthony Hickey, but our talent really kind of tips the scale in this one. LSU is also slow getting back on defense, so expect a few highlight plays in transition for us. Jeffery Taylor should have a pretty decent game. And while our defense has gotten exposed recently, the Tigers just do not have the firepower to survive a full basketball game against us. Hamilton will probably get his buckets, but not much else really scares me. Stringer threw up miss after miss against us last season, and I would not be surprised to see that again. I hate to disrespect a much-improved LSU team like this, but facts are facts. We have not hit rock bottom enough to drop this game in Memorial. LSU has not won a road game since playing North Texas in December, and that will not change tomorrow. The Tigers have improved and actually became competitive, but that does not mean they are at our level yet.

‘Go ‘Dores

Vanderbilt @ Florida Analysis

 Basketball  6 Responses »
Feb 042012
 

Florida is the best team we have played all season. And to make matters worst, they are a great shooting team and undefeated at home this season. So yeah folks, this game is definitely going to take a big upset to win. The Gators have a dynamic offense full of scorers that are just ready to make their mark on the game. We may need to use creative lineups with Kyle Fuller or Dai-Jon Parker to have the defense able to cover the many talented guards on the court. As for the Gator defense, their press is not too scary as they are not very aggressive with it this season. What they can do though is go after a loose ball, which means we have to limit our own mistakes. Florida is a great team and this is going to be a tough game in Gainesville.

We can start with  analyzing Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton. And just because we have played them many times now, does not mean you know these two this season. Walker has actually taken a back seat this season, despite still being just as dynamic he was before. He is simply playing in a loaded backcourt, and it is actually Boynton who leads the team in scoring. Boynton has been playing smart basketball all year long, and is absolutely killing his old career-high shooting percentages with his marks this season. He is hitting a killer 44% with the deep ball, and that is coming while he is shooting nearly eight shots from three-point territory a game. Given the troubles we have had with scoring guards lately, both of these guys scare me a whole lot. They love to soot the ball off of a screen up top, and we need to be ready for that before they torch us. Also look out for Walker to distribute the ball more than we are used to, as he is having his best season passing the ball. Oh, and the funny thing about Kenny Boynton is the free throw line is the only place he cannot find his stroke at.

Bradley Beal may be the guard we need to worry about most though. He is not shooting quite as well as his teammate Boynton, but he makes his impact on the game felt through a variety of ways. Such as having as many doubles-doubles as our own Lance Goulbourne. The 6’3″ freshman is a solid rebounder and a terrific offensive player all over the court. He was a high school All-American and has abilities that surpass even some of the Kentucky freshman. And he fits right into the system as he loves to shoot off of a screen. Beal has started from day one of his college career, and should be ready for this big game at home. I am curious as to how we will go about defending these three terrific perimeter players.

Erick Murphy and Will Yeguete make up the starting frontcourt for the Gators. Although neither of them are really the best frontcourt player on the roster, they are certainly serviceable players in their own right. Erick Murphy is the guy normally setting those many screens up top we have talked about already, and loves to stand around the three point line in that area of the court as well. He has absolutely no hesitation when taking that three and has gotten very comfortable with it as well. He shoots 45% from beyond the arch, and will probably take around four shots from there today. With he and the three starting guards all capable of shooting the deep ball, this makes Florida a very tough team to defend. Will Yeguete is not offensive minded at all, but he is a very hard worker and has a tendency to get those 50-50 balls. I have seen the occasional post up by him as well, but I would not expect to see it today though with our defense. I would also not worry if he goes to the free throw line, as he is quite a bad free throw shooter.

Florida does not have a lot of bodies coming off the bench, but they are all very solid players. Mike Rosario is in his first season at Florida since transferring from Rutgers. His numbers are not quite as impressive as when he was a Scarlet Knight, but he is quite productive with his minutes. Rosario is always looking to score in a verity of ways, and he is actually quite a tough player. Scottie Wilbekin is not nearly as productive with his minutes, but he is a fair ball handler and passer and should see a decent amount of time off the bench. Patrick Young is really the guy you have to look out for. He is basically the full package with his massive build and his energy, and is an enforcer in the paint by all definitions. He is not fully healthy though, and has to take his minutes off the bench for now. Still, you have to look out for him in the frontcourt when he steps out there. All of his shots are near the basket and he leads the SEC in shooting percentage because of it. However, he is an absolutely terrible free throw shooter (it feels like we have been saying that all day).

As I said in the beginning, this one is going to be tough. We need our guys going after every loose ball there is, because we will get crushed if we just sit back like we did against Arkansas. We will also need to swing the ball around a lot, as Florida can be prone to helping a little too much on defense and giving up the open jump shot. And they also gave up a few drives against South Carolina to keep the Gamecocks in to the game, so we need to try to expose that as well. Still, nothing is going to come too easy and we will need to play smart and hustle to even have a chance in this one. We may need to throw a variety of lineups at the Gators at well, and try to turn this game into a chess match of sorts.

Go ‘Dores!

Stellar Recruiting Class

 Football  No Responses »
Feb 012012
 

Vanderbilt football has been so blessed by getting a good coach, a good record, and good recruiting that some of our fans are actually looking a little spoiled while they are upset over missing out on a few guys. Now that is a problem that is a problem I am happy to have. Seriously though, when this class is put in perspective, it is crazy how much of an improvement it is over anything we have ever had before. All off these young guys that signed today would have been a feature recruit in any class before them. And they are just one part of the much improved program we have here.

I am excited if you cannot notice. And this list is not just a bunch of names, they are pieces of a team. We have basically built the most impressive offensive line in school history in only two years of work. Moreover, we reloaded at linebacker and defensive line with this class more so than we have ever reloaded at a single position with a single class. Not to mention the general playmakers that are all over the place now. I also love how the majority of these guys have been known by our fan base for a while now, because they bought into James Franklin so quickly and committed a while back. It shows how proud these guys are to be a part of the huge changes going on at our school. Good stuff.

I guess that is enough rambling excitement for the day. I was going to do my own analysis, but so much stuff has already been published that my words are basically useless. If you’re looking for the official count of the recruiting class, click here. If you are looking for a more blog-style report by a fellow fan, I would highly recommend checking out this post over at Moral Victory.