2026-27 roster needs

[brooklyn brownstone]

the back cuts - have we had more than a handful work all year? Any against decent teams? Seems like the high post offense that follows the weave is now just always a hand off dribble or pass to the wing/corner, screen for him and then he's back at the top with the ball and it's a reset. We don't seem to create mismatches from running this and we don't roll hard to the hoop as in a traditional p & r.

If I had to guess, I'd say UR has had more turnovers on poor back cut passes than actual back cut layups all year.

With that element eliminated by even decent defenses, what is the offense? As pointed out, it seemed like only playing through the low post actually worked last night.

I liked the way the team played the first batch of games, up tempo and looking to run. I don't feel like that is what the plan in anymore. Even Lappas on the broadcast said it last night - UR only wants to selectively push tempo. I don't understand why. They should watch the Belmont game tape again.

 

[*23*]

Made that point about Walz early in the year. Back cut never open, and he would force it causing the turnover quite a bit.

Seems like when it works once a half BB or different announcer glorifies the Princeton Offense. But it seems year after year it is not giving us an advantage or getting open.

As to the tempo and early open shots, it seems like as soon as we got to conference play it was scrapped. I have my doubts that anything that worked earlier in the season may have been smoke and mirrors based on the competition.

 

[MrTbone]

Johnston has been a pretty big disappointment. I thought he would be a regular 15 point scorer for us, but he is so up and down. He can't create his own shots against athletic players, he doesn't have a PG handle and tries to get to rack but that usually ends in a missed lay-up or blocked shot. I love the energy he brings and his effort brings though.

Will is definitely an enigma. But I don’t dread having him in the game because he can get on a heater which a lot of the bench doesn’t necessarily do.

 

[MrTbone]

the back cuts - have we had more than a handful work all year? Any against decent teams? Seems like the high post offense that follows the weave is now just always a hand off dribble or pass to the wing/corner, screen for him and then he's back at the top with the ball and it's a reset. We don't seem to create mismatches from running this and we don't roll hard to the hoop as in a traditional p & r.

If I had to guess, I'd say UR has had more turnovers on poor back cut passes than actual back cut layups all year.

With that element eliminated by even decent defenses, what is the offense? As pointed out, it seemed like only playing through the low post actually worked last night.

I liked the way the team played the first batch of games, up tempo and looking to run. I don't feel like that is what the plan in anymore. Even Lappas on the broadcast said it last night - UR only wants to selectively push tempo. I don't understand why. They should watch the Belmont game tape again.

We are good for maybe two back cut baskets a game. 4pts. Big whoop. And yes, more TOs than assists doing so.

Shoot the 3 or go strong and draw a foul.

 

[RichmondNative]

We are good for maybe two back cut baskets a game. 4pts. Big whoop. And yes, more TOs than assists doing so.

Shoot the 3 or go strong and draw a foul.

The problem is what is successful in practice doesn’t cut it during the A10 games. It is painfully obvious when you see no zip on the pass. “What you do in practice is what you do in the games” holds true.

 

[sman]

1st three A10 games we were averaging 86 ppg and that included a pretty good GW team.
since then we can't crack 70.

it's not turnovers. we only had 7 vs VCU. we were turning the ball over more in the weak OOC games.
FG attempts have stays pretty consistent at mid to upper 50's per game.
3 point attempt are pretty consistent though way down against VCU.
but EFG% was 60% those 1st 3 A10 games, and now we're struggling to hit 50%.
we've had a few awful games from 2 point range, shooting under 40%. that's either bad midrange stuff or guys just not finishing inside.
and FT attempts are down. we only had 14 the past 2 games. so as we've noticed, seems we're settling for more midrange stuff than attacking the rim ... and fading away instead of attacking.

defensively, while it feels like teams shoot the lights out against us only GW and VCU have shot well from 3 in conference. we've held everyone else to 33% or lower, including 4 teams under 29%.
but we're not forcing turnovers.
we have back to back games with double digit offensive rebounds, but we're still losing the rebounding battle most nights.

 

[vt4700]

Way too many midrange shots and way too few 3 pointers. 3 of the last 4 games we have shot 20 or fewer 3s. 20 3s a game is about 290th in the country. Only 2 teams in the country average less than the 15 3s we took against VCU.

In those 3 games, we made 7, 6, and 5 3s. 7 made 3s is good for about 255th in the country. 5 made 3s is good for about 355th. Only 11 teams in the country average less than 5 made 3s a game.

While we were going a combined 18-55 from 3 those 3 games, our opponents were going 34-87. I think everyone on here knows how much I love the 3 and how incredibly important I think it is. U think I am frustrated? U damn right I am frustrated.

 

[sman]

agreed need more 3's. the threat of a drive or an inside game helps to open that up. we're not a threat from 2.

we're 2nd in the A10 in 3P% in conference games at 41.1%, but 10th in 3PA. we're 4th in 3 pointers made.
but we're awful from 2 ... dead last at 46.2%. despite taking the 3rd most 2PA. teams are extending on us, knowing we can't score inside the arc.

 

[97spiderfan]

We are good for maybe two back cut baskets a game. 4pts. Big whoop. And yes, more TOs than assists doing so.

Shoot the 3 or go strong and draw a foul.

I feel like that is all its ever been, but yet it is such a focus of our offense. We misuse Walz watching waste away 20 feet from the hoop with his back to it, for the occassional successful back door cut, which more often than not results in a turnover. Yet, every game it is the exact same.

 

[vt4700]

Considering we are 8-20 against A-10 teams the past 2 seasons at a time when the A-10 is not that good of a conference, I would say our roster needs everything. Shooters, rebounders, defenders, size, athleticism. Unless those things aren't important. We are fine if not.

 

[brooklyn brownstone]

We had 4 of the top 12 three point shooters in the A10 by percentage coming into league play. Why aren't we bombing away from 3 each game?

And yes, teams are extending on us. Yet we still get no backdoor layups. Either we're too predictable (likely) or not good enough (possibly) to execute properly. But you know what pushing tempo and pace does? It puts pressure on a defense, causes them to scramble, and might open a few more open shots in transition.

I don't generally feel like our halfcourt offense - Moonball, the weave, whatever you want to call it - puts a defense under a ton of pressure for the vast majority of possessions. Empty passing has long been an issue cited by many as a critique, and IMO it still is true.

 

[brooklyn brownstone]

As a footnote, I agree on all the issues with the mid range shots and the fadeaways - they are the shots defenses want us to take. We won't get to the line and likely won't make those shots at a high percentage either. That's a defensive win that we offer to them far too often.

 

[sman]

yeah, I agree we should push the ball much more like we were in the OOC. AA and Tyne are both good ball handlers and fast. push the ball ahead, get to the rim if possible, get deep regardless and then hit trailers. we're a pretty good shooting team that could use some more clean looks.

 

[vt4700]

We play all these guys, but still don't press or push the tempo. Madness.

 

[Kneepad McKinney]

agreed need more 3's. the threat of a drive or an inside game helps to open that up. we're not a threat from 2.

we're 2nd in the A10 in 3P% in conference games at 41.1%, but 10th in 3PA. we're 4th in 3 pointers made.
but we're awful from 2 ... dead last at 46.2%. despite taking the 3rd most 2PA. teams are extending on us, knowing we can't score inside the arc.

You mean you can design a defense to push teams off of wide open three pointers? Tell me more...

 

[RichmondNative]

yeah, I agree we should push the ball much more like we were in the OOC. AA and Tyne are both good ball handlers and fast. push the ball ahead, get to the rim if possible, get deep regardless and then hit trailers. we're a pretty good shooting team that could use some more clean looks.

The baffling thing is why “change the approach” in the OOC and then NOT do any of those things in conference? The plan is obviously to have no plan.

UR is using the YMCA basketball philosophy. Everybody plays and everyone gets a trophy. I can’t believe someone is paying Mooney and now the players significant money for a team that basically “shows up to play”.