Shockers dominate #25 Utah

[glm38]

I guess the 3 together are adequate?

Adequate? The 3 together held a lottery pick to 10 ppg below his season average. WSU's 3 backup post players (with Grady out with an injury), held one of the best post players in the nation to a minimal performance.

WSU's "adequate" post presence was 5/8 from the field for 10 points. Utah's lottery pick got 11 points. He was 4/5, but the fact that he only got 5 shots might say a little something about the D that WSU's "adequate" post players played against him.

I'll stand by adequate from a "season thus far" standpoint". I wasn't commenting on just this one game?? I've watched a number of Shocker games and most games those 3 have looked lost including Morris who has a ton of physical talent.

But even regarding this game the Shox three post defenders hardly shut Utah's post down? Not by themselves. It was WSU's swarming help defense that did that. The few times he was allowed to operate one on one it looked like he scored fairly easily. And the 3 headed post grabbed a grand total of 4 boards.

I like the Shockers team a lot. At every position but the post. And I seriously doubt that 3 headed post strikes any fear into any of WSU's opponents including those in the Valley. But IMHO the Shockers have more than enough everywhere else to win the Valley.

[shockem]

The post position has taken some time to evolve for the Shox, but I like the way it's developing. When we started the season it was Grady (who is not a true post) playing the 5 because he provided the best offensive option. Shaq was having mental issues and was in the doghouse several games and Nurger was redshirting.

Fast forward to the present and Shaq has turned it around, Nurger has pulled off the redshirt and Wamukota is providing solid minutes. None of the 3 are a guy you build a team around, but neither was our posts from the undefeated season. We has Coleby, Lufile and Carter equally sharing the postion. These 3 guys, Nurger/Wamukota/Shaq, all provide something different and it seems they are happy in this shared role. It seems to be working and together they make a pretty good post player.

[Shockerfan13]

The strength of this team has been, and will be the 3 perimeter positions (including the wing obviously). Has been that way for a few years. The post will get much better if/when we get our STARTING center back.

I am not worried at all.

The key will be if Grady will be as effective as he could be . Gonna be tough mentally to get back to playing physical with a injury like that. Regardless we will be much better with him available in the post.

[Rollbird5]

I guess the 3 together are adequate?

Adequate? The 3 together held a lottery pick to 10 ppg below his season average. WSU's 3 backup post players (with Grady out with an injury), held one of the best post players in the nation to a minimal performance.

WSU's "adequate" post presence was 5/8 from the field for 10 points. Utah's lottery pick got 11 points. He was 4/5, but the fact that he only got 5 shots might say a little something about the D that WSU's "adequate" post players played against him.

But even regarding this game the Shox three post defenders hardly shut Utah's post down? Not by themselves. It was WSU's swarming help defense that did that. The few times he was allowed to operate one on one it looked like he scored fairly easily. And the 3 headed post grabbed a grand total of 4 boards.

This. Van Vleet, Baker, and Brown as well as others who came in disrupted the offense so much that Utah was starting the offense further back than they wanted to and they could barely make passes to the wing without almost turning it over. When Poetl touched the ball Fred or closest guard wouldn't give him much room to operate w/o a double team coming if he put the ball on the floor. The posts did an adequate job covering him but I give more credit to the 3 guards causing havoc all over the floor.

[Cdizzle]

All 3 posts in this game did a great job of doing their defensive work early in the shot clock. Very often they had pushed Poetl out 15ft from the basket. Which left him close to the guards so they could dig. It was an effective gameplan, correctly executed.

Definitely none of them strike fear into an opponent, but they did manage 10 points and did a great job boxing out allowing the guards to rebound. If the Shox can get 10-15 points from the 5 position every game, given what we have at the other spots, they are unlikely to lose many.

[Wufan]

Love the three guard positions right now! VanVleet, Baker, and Brown have been getting it done these last three games. McDuffie has added to the mix (looks like he will be special) and if Frankamp can get his shot going we are golden. Landry Shamet back in February?

[Wufan]

WSU starting backcourt last three games average:

VanVleet - 27 min, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 TOs, 2 steals
Baker - 35 min, 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 TO, 2 steals, 1 block
Brown - 25 min, 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 TO, 1 steal, 1 block

Off the bench:

McDuffie - 16 min, 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 TO, 1 steal

Very balanced.

[Aargh]

The latest Shocker lineup while still working around injuries, has Wessel (6'5") at PF - the position he played last year - and Zach Brown (6'6" So) and Markis McDuffie (6'8" Fr) at SF.

Here's their production against a Top-25 team

Brown - 23 min., 5/7 FG,1/1 3FG, 3/4 FT, 14 points

McDuffie - 17 min., 4/6 FG, 4/5 3FG, 1/1 FT, 13 points

That's 27 points from the SF position on 9/13 from the field, and 5/6 from 3.

They didn't have any blocks or steals, which are the only defensive stats, but when a team averaging 82 points a game is held to 50, it would seem they defended effectively.

[Ricardo del Rio]

I like the Shox's chances at finishing in the upper half of the Valley this year.

Nice win but let's not get too crazy!

Then would you go along with maybe 7th or 8th place in the Valley? Would that be too crazy?

[Rollbird5]

I like the Shox's chances at finishing in the upper half of the Valley this year.

Nice win but let's not get too crazy!

Then would you go along with maybe 7th or 8th place in the Valley? Would that be too crazy?

It was sarcasm. As long as FVV is healthy the Shox will win the Valley by 3 or 4 games