This team...

[CrimsonNBlue]

I’ve been quick to criticize Bill in the past for playing for January. Well, playing five out would have won games in January. We needed Dave to develop to be able to compete in March. Good on ya, Bill.

Since about xmas, I've thought the 5 out thing was needed to be the 2nd group. Starting lineup is and was how it should be, slow starts and all.

But, I just don't get granting Mitch's Make-A-Wish for this season. Would be so much better to have a confident 5 out group and a confident Enaruna right now.

[TDub]

Enaruna needs to do something worthy of being on the floor. Mitch hustles his ass off and gets charges and boards. Even if his talent level is limited. Enaruna usually throws the ball away or makes a bonehead play within 10-15seconds of action. I get confidence thing but the kid has to produce something....anything to push out the only other option.

[Mjl]

Enaruna needs to do something worthy of being on the floor. Mitch hustles his ass off and gets charges and boards. Even if his talent level is limited. Enaruna usually throws the ball away or makes a bonehead play within 10-15seconds of action. I get confidence thing but the kid has to produce something....anything to push out the only other option.

Offensive boards, sure, when he doesn't foul 70 feet from the basket. His lack of defensive rebounding is part of what makes him so unplayable though.

[Deleted User 89]

Enaruna needs to do something worthy of being on the floor. Mitch hustles his ass off and gets charges and boards. Even if his talent level is limited. Enaruna usually throws the ball away or makes a bonehead play within 10-15seconds of action. I get confidence thing but the kid has to produce something....anything to push out the only other option.

^^^^^

[MICHHAWK]

Enaruna over Lightfoot is laughable.

[pdub]

I don't think it's laughable but I don't see ( and I want to ) Enaruna doing the little things Mitch does - i.e. blocks and charges - and Mitch is shooting an alright % from the field - better than Tristan.

I agree that some form of small ball might be better when DMac is resting though - but I think that includes Bryce instead of Tristan and Wilson plays the '5' and mix in Harris in place of Garrett ( but don't have them on the court at the same time ).

[ousdahl]

I wonder how far along Enaruna would be if he was given the same long leash sophomore Mitch got.

[MICHHAWK]

It's March. Lightfoot can help us today. Enaruna can't.

[ousdahl]

That doesn’t answer my question, but if you’re more worried about help today, I wonder what the metrics with Mitch in look like compared to other lineups.

[MICHHAWK]

I'll leave the metrics to you. The Lightfoot baylor game metric tells me he was crucial to our efforts. Crucial.

As Lightfoot was bearing down I did not one time think to myself "TE should be in instead."

[ousdahl]

And in the first half of Texas, when that small ball lineup was playing the best offense of the season, did you think man Mitch should be in instead?

[Deleted User 89]

I wonder how far along Enaruna would be if he was given the same long leash sophomore Mitch got.

you don’t think Enaruna has had plenty of opportunity?

[ousdahl]

But let’s not get too caught up.

I suppose part of the problem with Tristan was Self never even seemed to decide how he wanted to use him either way. Is he a 5? A forward? A wing? What’s he supposed to do?

And with as much talk as small ball got this season, we really never saw much of it, even though the little we did see seemed productive.

But instead of trying to get that lineup dialed in, or instead of even just going with it when nothing else was working, we got not only minutes but obvious game planned post touches for Mitch.

[MICHHAWK]

And in the first half of Texas, when that small ball lineup was playing the best offense of the season, did you think man Mitch should be in instead?

No I did not.

But that is not the topic. The topic was/is TE over ML. At least that is what I was commenting on.

[pdub]

I thought he'd play a role like Jalen.
Jalen has just been too good.

[Deleted User 89]

But instead of trying to get that lineup dialed in, or instead of even just going with it when nothing else was working, we got not only minutes but obvious game planned post touches for Mitch.

i disagree with this

it isn’t touches for Mitch, it’s post touches to free up the perimeter

you’ve got to do the same thing playing small ball

nobody in their right mind would think it a good idea to run our offense through Mitch, but that doesn’t mean that he should never get touches

[ousdahl]

Yeah Jalen has been too good.

Particularly when he’s the big on offense, it seems like he’s immediately beating his guy off the dribble.

I want more of that, and less of throwing it to double teamed Mitch on the block

[Deleted User 89]

I thought he'd play a role like Jalen.
Jalen has just been too good.

was just about to say the same thing

i haven’t looked, but what are TE’s rebounding stats like? as long as he is, he should be killing it on the boards in the minutes he plays...i just don’t think that’s the case

[ousdahl]

But instead of trying to get that lineup dialed in, or instead of even just going with it when nothing else was working, we got not only minutes but obvious game planned post touches for Mitch.

i disagree with this

it isn’t touches for Mitch, it’s post touches to free up the perimeter

you’ve got to do the same thing playing small ball

nobody in their right mind would think it a good idea to run our offense through Mitch, but that doesn’t mean that he should never get touches

I dunno.

Too much of the time, when the ball got into the post, it didn’t get back out.

Contrast that with small ball when there’s 5 people on the perimeter, and all that room to drive in the paint.

[ousdahl]

But a lot of running it through Mitch was cuz everybody else was playing like pussies in January