That was the worst OSU basketball I have ever watched. WVU couldn't shoot, and still destroyed us. No one in gray looked good (a couple looked less sucky than the rest), and all of our guys were making mental mistakes with consistency.
I have seen a lot of silly ideas proposed, and I'm not sure there are actual fixes for the current roster, but let's consider some options.
Some fans are calling for sitting the seniors and playing the freshmen. IMO, that is a terrible idea. We did well enough in non-conference play to make the NCAA tournament with a 9-9 Big 12 record (maybe even 8-10). Until that is not a possibility, MB has to keep working toward that goal. Obviously, we have started out poorly in our first 2 games, but the conference is weaker at the bottom than it has been in a long time, and this team can clearly play better. We saw that the 3 seniors (sans Laurent) and 2 Sophomores could play functional basketball last season. Surely no one believes that we were better with CuJo and DD, than we are with the current reserves. To me, that suggests that the current group can get much better and play at a level good enough to make the NCAA tournament.
So, what's the problem? I, honestly can't figure it out. Did MB forget how to coach over the course of the last year? Are the players tuning him out for some reason? Are the newcomers causing chemistry issues? Can they possibly be more of a team cancer than Weathers and his fellow BB gun buddies? Something is obviously wrong. None of the 5 returners are playing as well as last year, and no one on the roster is playing as well as they were prior to Ice getting mono.
Most notable (to me) is the regression of Yor. Last season, he had bad games due to foul trouble. last night, fouls were not an issue, and he looked completely out of sorts on both ends of the floor. For whatever reason, MB didn't want to play Kalib last night, but Yor was so awful, that he had to put KB in (and Kalib looked like the far superior player).
I don't know where I am going with this post, as I don't have any logical theories that explain what is happening with this team, and I can't even see a realistic path to fixing the problems. I'm still going to watch, though. If only due to morbid curiosity. This train wreck is either going to go further off the rails, or get headed back in the right direction.
I have seen a lot of silly ideas proposed, and I'm not sure there are actual fixes for the current roster, but let's consider some options.
Some fans are calling for sitting the seniors and playing the freshmen. IMO, that is a terrible idea. We did well enough in non-conference play to make the NCAA tournament with a 9-9 Big 12 record (maybe even 8-10). Until that is not a possibility, MB has to keep working toward that goal. Obviously, we have started out poorly in our first 2 games, but the conference is weaker at the bottom than it has been in a long time, and this team can clearly play better. We saw that the 3 seniors (sans Laurent) and 2 Sophomores could play functional basketball last season. Surely no one believes that we were better with CuJo and DD, than we are with the current reserves. To me, that suggests that the current group can get much better and play at a level good enough to make the NCAA tournament.
So, what's the problem? I, honestly can't figure it out. Did MB forget how to coach over the course of the last year? Are the players tuning him out for some reason? Are the newcomers causing chemistry issues? Can they possibly be more of a team cancer than Weathers and his fellow BB gun buddies? Something is obviously wrong. None of the 5 returners are playing as well as last year, and no one on the roster is playing as well as they were prior to Ice getting mono.
Most notable (to me) is the regression of Yor. Last season, he had bad games due to foul trouble. last night, fouls were not an issue, and he looked completely out of sorts on both ends of the floor. For whatever reason, MB didn't want to play Kalib last night, but Yor was so awful, that he had to put KB in (and Kalib looked like the far superior player).
I don't know where I am going with this post, as I don't have any logical theories that explain what is happening with this team, and I can't even see a realistic path to fixing the problems. I'm still going to watch, though. If only due to morbid curiosity. This train wreck is either going to go further off the rails, or get headed back in the right direction.
