Two areas in which to improve

[Piqua Flyer '66]

......and our good Flyers will be even better!!
1. Return to last seasons personal foul numbers. We had to reduce fouls last year in order to survive with a short bench. Get back to that non-foul mentality. Especially stop the dumb (reaching in, hand checks, etc) fouls
2. Stand still on high post picks. You set the pick. IT IS YOUR TEAM MATES JOBS TO SET HIS MAN UP, OFF THE DRIBBLE, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR PICK. If he can't do it - STAND STILL - you don't have to pick up a foul because your team mate can't do his job.
True Team - keep up the good work.

[Gazoo]

Steve just has to stop with the mentality that it's his job to block everything within 5 feet of the basket. Sometimes, the other team has the advantage. Sometimes they have position. Sometimes they score. Run to the other end of the court and move on.

Frankly, Steve is being selfish with blocked shots right now. Just make them adjust their shots (some will go in), and only stuff the stat sheet with blocked shots when you've got a really good angle / position. If you don't have position, you probably played bad D up to that point so get better. Put your team first by staying on the court and playing smart.

We're a top 15 team when Steve plays well. When he plays with foul trouble we're outside the top 25 IMO.

[steve]

Originally Posted by Piqua Flyer '66 ......and our good Flyers will be even better!! 1. Return to last seasons personal foul numbers. We had to reduce fouls last year in order to survive with a short bench. Get back to that non-foul mentality. Especially stop the dumb (reaching in, hand checks, etc) fouls 2. Stand still on high post picks. You set the pick. IT IS YOUR TEAM MATES JOBS TO SET HIS MAN UP, OFF THE DRIBBLE, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR PICK. If he can't do it - STAND STILL - you don't have to pick up a foul because your team mate can't do his job. True Team - keep up the good work.

In regards to #1,last year will never ever ever happen again by any team nor should it...AM told his guys NOT to foul a year ago for obvious reasons, thus, a big reason why they were non-existent on the offensive boards and were able to get back on D to defend in the half-court..You simply cannot go into this year wanting to do what happen last year realistically..

This team needs to be aggressive defensively but they also have to STOP being spectators on defense and hope/want/expect SM to clean up everything within the paint....

I've never ever seen a worse defensive effort by a team this entire year in allowing almost any opponent to get into the paint and/or to the rim with as much ease as many times as they have allowed......

[Sea Bass]

the illegal screens are not always the fault of screener on the high ball screens. The ballhandler needs to wait until the screener is set before making the move. A number of the illegal screens have been caused by the ballhandler not waiting for the screener to stop.

[Piqua Flyer '66]

Steve
This year
Last year
Next year
DUMB FOUL HABITS ARE ALWAYS BAD.

[steve]

Originally Posted by Piqua Flyer '66 Steve This year Last year Next year DUMB FOUL HABITS ARE ALWAYS BAD.

lol.You're not interpreting.You want this team to not have one guy foul out of a game or even close to fouling out. You obviously want nobody to hit the offensive boards because that's what it was a year ago.You want them to be like last year.....You are sacrificing way too much to play like that and play on egg shells...This team has 11-12 players now........

Committing the type of fouls this present team commits is what is ugly because plenty of them are dumb/lazy fouls (you did get that part correct)......There's a difference in how fouls are distributed and the type of fouls produced.. Give me fouls all day long on hitting boards and going strong to the hoop because that aggressiveness will work for them in getting the calls far more than sticking their legs out as opponents run by, giving opponents baseline without moving the body,hand-checking, bumping guys on their way to the hoop, and not establishing position on the boards..

[Avid Flyer]

I agree, we have two areas to improve, offense and defense . We've got warmups and benchs down pat.

Gotta love where we are with our struggles and at 11 2 sitting at 25.

Archie will work out the wrinkles in time for a deep run.

[San Diego Flyer]

Let's not overthink this. We make the same dumb fouls that I feel surely have been repeatedly addressed in practice. Middle school stuff.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by San Diego Flyer Let's not overthink this. We make the same dumb fouls that I feel surely have been repeatedly addressed in practice. Middle school stuff.

Agree. Seems that we are getting beat off the ball more earlier this year, and our bigs are picking up fouls as a result.

[224]

I think we need to improve/just be more consistent on FT and 3PT% as a team. I know it will come.

Pollard was our leading FT shooter against DUQ. He was 7/8. Great for him, but what does that say about everyone else? Just need some consistency. If we are going to shoot 66% I'd rather our guys go 4/6 each game instead of 1/6 one game, 6/6 next, 5/6, etc.

	Duquesne DUQUESNE Duquesne University is a private, coeducational university, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania located on 48 secluded acres, on a bluff above downtown. Founded in 1878 as a Catholic college by the Order of the Holy Spirit. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world. Duquesne offers 10 schools of study and 100 degree programs to 6,000 undergraduates and 3,800 graduate students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Dukes.

[Flyer'95]

It seems like the guys could use a week's worth of practicing defense with their hands tied behind their backs. They need to defend by moving their feet. Stop the hand nonsense. The way the games are being called, we should learn by now. As was said above about steve. An altered shot can be just as effective as a blocked shot, especially if the attempt at a block is a foul. Just be satisfied getting those hands straight up.

On offense, the picks are sloppy. Yes, part of that is the timing. But we're also sloppy on what happens after the pick. Even after a good pick. We are rarely looking at the player rolling to the basket. And half the time, it seems like our big men are rolling the wrong way. They aren't rolling while sealing their man. So it makes them less open and makes it easier for the defender to get their hands in the passing lanes. All of it adds up to a BG look and feel for our offense. Guys just going through the motions, and none of the motions seem to be any meaningful attempts to score or cut to the basket. I'm hoping with a little bit of time at home they can sharpen a lot of this up.

[Gazoo]

Originally Posted by Flyer'95 And half the time, it seems like our big men are rolling the wrong way. They aren't rolling while sealing their man. So it makes them less open and makes it easier for the defender to get their hands in the passing lanes.

I think this is a necessity of the new rules. If you seal your man and roll, you almost by definition have to do it in 1 motion or the defender can get around you to cut off the lane to the basket. BUT, if you do it in 1 motion, it looks an awful lot like a moving screen in today's world of "points of emphasis". I think the rules have effectively made the pick and roll obsolete.

Think about it, if you knew the guy setting the pick had to stay stationary for a full beat before he felt like he could safely move his feet to seal you off, you would almost always have the chance to avoid the seal off (as long as you knew the pick was coming).

[Figgie123]

Originally Posted by 224 Pollard was our leading FT shooter against DUQ. He was 7/8.

I think you are referring to the Arkansas game. Pollard didn't shoot any free throws against Duquesne.

	Duquesne DUQUESNE Duquesne University is a private, coeducational university, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania located on 48 secluded acres, on a bluff above downtown. Founded in 1878 as a Catholic college by the Order of the Holy Spirit. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world. Duquesne offers 10 schools of study and 100 degree programs to 6,000 undergraduates and 3,800 graduate students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Dukes.

[FLYER5]

I suspect it's kind of like the discipline of martial arts, playing defense without fouling.
I agree with the premise of last year's ability to do both is because they had no luxury of fouls to give. Necessity>luxury

I also think it's an indicator of how sloppy and careless the team is playing, presently, despite its winning.

It is my opinion that the veterans on the team should pick up where they left off and not have to start over. I'm talking about Pollard.

He is a stalwart that has not performed to his previous level. His play for some time last season was considered the best on the team. We need his heart and spirit because he has been a team leader by example.

But we need his aggressive game inside to draw the fouls he gets when he penetrates. We need that desperately imo. It is our equalizer. Steve will not have the presence to coax fouls inside as a frosh because he isnt the threat to score.

A big reason why we won last year is because even though we didn't get in foul trouble ourselves, we often sent the opposition to the bench with our aggressive lane driving. Pollard and Pierre in particular.

That kind of aggressiveness is sure sweet to watch, and I embrace it as part of the Flyers brand. I think that aspect has to improve but it has to be under control. Discipline.

[San Diego Flyer]

Originally Posted by Jeff Agree. Seems that we are getting beat off the ball more earlier this year, and our bigs are picking up fouls as a result.

Or we foul when we stick an arm out when the driver has all but beaten us in the lane and he is leaning into us as well. Which seems to be totally favoring the offense now.

[ruechalgrin]

My three things:
(1) cut down on turnovers;
(2) rebound better offensively like 2013-2014; and
(3) hit foul shots.

Do these three things and UD would be +5/6 points a game.

[Flyer 86]

Originally Posted by ruechalgrin My three things: (1) cut down on turnovers; (2) rebound better offensively like 2013-2014; and (3) hit foul shots. Do these three things and UD would be +5/6 points a game.

Starting to change the turnover percent rue. so that's positive.

I know some guys are hitting better FT percents of late. Specifically Cooke and Pollard.

I'd add - shoot better from 3.
Defend better from 3.

[TerryK_67]

All of our offensive woes start with the inability to hit a high percentage of the open look 3s that we get. Teams now routinely clog the middle and dare us to shoot the open 3. Consequently we say Kendal is in a funk, and big Steve needs better foot work. Just hit those kick out 3s and the interior will open up. Same holds for the guards getting to the rim.
Now that we are “in conference”, guess what the old line coaches like Martelli, Mooney, & G, are gonna do? The middle will be so packed that sardines will feel cramped.
Gotta start hitting the open kick out 3s…… and IHMO, the key is Babby D. He needs to get his confidence back!
GO FLYERS