UNI at CUj

[Jays26]

Coach can talk about how much the seniors care all he wants, they are clearly coasting home. Doug McD appears to have finally hit the freshman wall. He does not have the spring in his step the last few games nor has he fought for position with the same tenacity as he has most of the year. I don't see how these guys beat UNI in St. Louis, because they won't shoot 50% in St. Louis (57% from 3). I fully expect CU to come in with something like 5-23 from three, 15 TOs and a 6-10 point loss. The only way they win Friday is for Echinique and Young to find a way to stay out of foul trouble and put up about 20 points apiece. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the seniors already have Sunday travel plans for somewhere warm for Spring break.

On to next year!

Doug 29 min 5-8 from the field and 2-2 from three. 13 pts I was at the game and thought he played pretty well.

Team shot 14 threes...how the heck would you see them start chucking up 3's like earlier in the season.

Sorry dude....just don't see what you are trying to sell. Although I will somewhat agree that this senior class needs to ride off into the sunset.

[OkoboJay]

While I doubt they go over 50% from three again, there's no way they shoot under 50% from the FT line either. If CU is going to win the rematch in St. Louis they'll do it by making Kwadzo a non-factor like they did today.

[cu8493]

Because CU averages shooting more than 20 threes per game in away games. Because when CU has a hard time getting the ball inside, they tend to settle for shooting three pointers, and that tendancy is more pronounced when they are away from home. Because I suspect that UNI will spend the next five days working on defending the post and denying the inside pass, and would not be at all surprised to see them pack it in a zone and force CU to beat them from the outside. I will not be stunned to see CU have to force up some kind of shot in the last few seconds of the shot clock a handful of times on Friday.

I was at the game yesteday also. I didn't say Doug didn't shoot well, but he is not going to the boards as hard the last few games and is not getting those effort rebounds and put backs that he has gotten all year. He doesn't seem to have the level of energy battling for position underneath as he did early in the season. In no way do I mean to imply that Doug dogged it or isn't giving everything he has. He remains the best player on the floor for CU. He still makes some great effort plays, but the frequency of those kinds of plays has dropped off some. Akron game aside, it appears to me that the Doug in the last three or four MVC games isn't the same Doug who was playing in January. In the last five MVC games he is averaging 5 rebounds (almost 3 below his season average to that point), is averaging about 1 offensive board (including 1 in the last 3 MVC games - about 1.5 offensive boards below his season average to that point), and has made 5 of 12 free throws (42%, which is 35% below his sesaon average to that point). Perhaps the five days with no game up to Friday will be enough to recover some of that spring. Again, no knock on Doug. The human body can only give so much, even for a college-age athlete. I just appears to me that he has hit the wall a little bit.

Having watched this senior class over the last couple of years, it is pretty apparent that they just don't have that "it" which makes them a real threat in the MVC. AY, Doug and Echinique just aren't enough by themselves to overcome a good team. Maniget and Jones are starting to become more consistent players and could on any night be the extra piece the other three need to get over the hump. We shall see. As they say, that's why they lace em up and play the game.