Again, yes, I know.
But now we have a permanent home.
And what better day to check it out than when I'm all pissed off by that terrible TCU game?
BRUINSBOLD.COM
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Baylor Adds Standout QB to 2008 Recruiting Class
The class might not have numbers, but the Baylor coaching staff has three very good players committed to play for Baylor starting in 2008. The latest is Nick Florence, a 6'2" QB from South Garland.
Nick threw for nearly 3,000 yards (57% completion) last year with 23 TDs against 14 INTs, and showed his speed on the ground, rushing for over 400 yards and 6 TDs.
There are plenty of clips of him on the internet. I'd suggest you go check him out.
Welcome to Baylor, Nick!
Nick threw for nearly 3,000 yards (57% completion) last year with 23 TDs against 14 INTs, and showed his speed on the ground, rushing for over 400 yards and 6 TDs.
There are plenty of clips of him on the internet. I'd suggest you go check him out.
Welcome to Baylor, Nick!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Women's Season Comes to a Close, But the Drama is Just Beginning
It's hard to compete with home court advantage, and an opposing coach that has cancer. Baylor did their best to counter with a home burning to the ground and KMs HS coach with cancer, but Coach Yow out-coached KM late in the game when she "struggled" to stand right in front of a ref, eeking out that last bit of pity which proved enough to carry NCSU through the end of the year.
But really, we lost that game. It didn't come down to the refs or the home court. We turned the ball over too much and we missed too many easy shots. The hallmarks of a young team.
But will Mulkey be here to see them grow up? That's the question that formed in the minds of every Baylor fan as the clock ticked down. Was that the last time we'll see KM on the Baylor side of the court? The last chance to don the "Got Mulk" shirts?
The tension might be thicker now than it was during the tournament. Here's one Baylor fan hoping that the administration does what it takes to keep Mulkey in Waco.
But really, we lost that game. It didn't come down to the refs or the home court. We turned the ball over too much and we missed too many easy shots. The hallmarks of a young team.
But will Mulkey be here to see them grow up? That's the question that formed in the minds of every Baylor fan as the clock ticked down. Was that the last time we'll see KM on the Baylor side of the court? The last chance to don the "Got Mulk" shirts?
The tension might be thicker now than it was during the tournament. Here's one Baylor fan hoping that the administration does what it takes to keep Mulkey in Waco.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Tourney Coverage
Without the ability to adequately cover the tourney, I've opted instead to pretend it isn't going on.
If you are interested in some excellent Tournament Coverage, head on over to the BearMeat Blog. Not only are they up-to-date, but they have an excellent sense of humor and they are Green and Gold through and through, which is a plus if you like sniping shots taken at Aggies, Longhorns and others.
If you are interested in some excellent Tournament Coverage, head on over to the BearMeat Blog. Not only are they up-to-date, but they have an excellent sense of humor and they are Green and Gold through and through, which is a plus if you like sniping shots taken at Aggies, Longhorns and others.
Called Out... I'm ashamed
Thank you, BearMeat.
Despite my fatigue, you have guilted me back into blogging.
Let's revisit our now finished basketball season:
High Point: Beating Missouri in the Big XII Conference Tournament -
This was the game that showed legitimate improvement over last year, something that we needed after a very disappointing year (record-wise). Not only did we set the Big XII record for shooting percentage in the tournament, but we beat the #6 seed by 14 point. We attacked, we pressed, and we showed how explosive we could be.
Low Point: Losing to Iowa State -
Not only did we lose, but we dropped this game to a team that was on a 5-game losing streak in conference and we looked really bad doing it. Aaron Bruce, Henry Dugat, Mark Shepherd, and Tweety Carter combined to go 1 for 20 from the field for 4 points. That's 5% shooting from players contributing 90 of 200 total minutes in the game. Oh, and they also combined for 13 of the teams 20 fouls.
Most Improved Player: Kevin Rogers
Kevin nearly doubled his points and rebounds production over last year, was the teams leading scorer and improved throughout the year. He showed that, in spurts, he could be a very good rebounder and scorer. He needs to continue to improve his consistency as he matures, but he did show us a glimpse of the promise that he has.
Team MVP: Curtis Jerrells
I might be basing too much of this off the conference tourney, but the kid was amazing and showed what he could do. Early on it looked like Jerrells was having some trouble adjusting to the new rotation, but as he became more comfortable, he ratcheted up his performance. Despite averaging 1 point per game less than last year, Jerrells improved his rebounds, assists and reduced his turnovers per game.
Biggest Reasons to Look Forward to Next Year:
There are a lot of reasons to get excited, but I'll talk about three:
Next year, we'll be a team full of upper-classmen and guys that have been through a full season of games. That means that 10 of the 12 players on our roster will be back, including 7 of our top 8 scorers(including the top 5), 6 of our top 7 rebounders(including the top 4), and our top 5 assist leaders. The guys we do lose (Fields and Bush), were both injured much of the year, and they only averaged 33.2 mpg (out of 200) combined. There is no doubt that as our current roster matures, we will become a much more dangerous team.
2. We get healthy
Curtis Jerrells is the only BU player to play in every game. Rogers, Bruce, Thiam, Diene, Fields, Shepherd, Bush all suffered some sort of injury that caused them to miss games. Thiam and Bush suffered season-ending injuries (Thiam after seeing the court for only 28 minutes). Fields missed significant time early, and never really recovered from his injuries which kept him from being the player he could have been. Not many teams experience the injury trouble the 2006-2007 Bears did, and it's unlikely that we'll see a repeat of it next year.
3. We add another great recruiting class
Our highest rated recruit ever is on his way in and it would be hard to find a player that fit the bill for our team more. Dunn is a 6'5" SG/SF that can slash to the hoop, hit the 3 and will give us a great deal more versatility on the court in our multi-guard set. Fred Ellis will add some bulk under the hoop, and with the recent commitment of 6'8" PF Simpson, we will add some maturity (he's a JUCO) and some more dependable hands in the paint. Expect him to be a 6'8" more athletic Tim Bush-type player. I doubt we'll run many plays for him, but he'll get his points on the effort plays.
We are still trying to pick up Mamadou Diarra, a 6'10" 235lb PF, who has an advanced offensive game and could help us immediately. Baylor is in a battle with USC for his services, and we'll have to wait and see what he decides, but he could be a key part of the puzzle if he decides to head to Waco.
Bottom Line:
Was the season a disappointment? It's hard to admit it, but yeah it was. The 4-12 conference record was the same record we had last year with no non-conference, and the only reason it wasn't a total nightmare is that (with a few exceptions) we played very competitive basketball. 12 of our 16 losses came by 10 points or less. Half of those came by 5 points or less. We had a bad stretch in the second half of January, dropping 4 straight by an average of 12.5 points per game, including a 26-point romp by OU, and our last 6 losses came by an average of 6 points.
And despite the disappointment, there is a lot to look forward to next year. We should really expect a .500 season in conference play and a postseason tournament berth, either the NIT or NCAA.
Despite my fatigue, you have guilted me back into blogging.
Let's revisit our now finished basketball season:
High Point: Beating Missouri in the Big XII Conference Tournament -
This was the game that showed legitimate improvement over last year, something that we needed after a very disappointing year (record-wise). Not only did we set the Big XII record for shooting percentage in the tournament, but we beat the #6 seed by 14 point. We attacked, we pressed, and we showed how explosive we could be.
Low Point: Losing to Iowa State -
Not only did we lose, but we dropped this game to a team that was on a 5-game losing streak in conference and we looked really bad doing it. Aaron Bruce, Henry Dugat, Mark Shepherd, and Tweety Carter combined to go 1 for 20 from the field for 4 points. That's 5% shooting from players contributing 90 of 200 total minutes in the game. Oh, and they also combined for 13 of the teams 20 fouls.
Most Improved Player: Kevin Rogers
Kevin nearly doubled his points and rebounds production over last year, was the teams leading scorer and improved throughout the year. He showed that, in spurts, he could be a very good rebounder and scorer. He needs to continue to improve his consistency as he matures, but he did show us a glimpse of the promise that he has.
Team MVP: Curtis Jerrells
I might be basing too much of this off the conference tourney, but the kid was amazing and showed what he could do. Early on it looked like Jerrells was having some trouble adjusting to the new rotation, but as he became more comfortable, he ratcheted up his performance. Despite averaging 1 point per game less than last year, Jerrells improved his rebounds, assists and reduced his turnovers per game.
Biggest Reasons to Look Forward to Next Year:
There are a lot of reasons to get excited, but I'll talk about three:
- We return all our contributors from this year
- We get healthy
- We add another great recruiting class
Next year, we'll be a team full of upper-classmen and guys that have been through a full season of games. That means that 10 of the 12 players on our roster will be back, including 7 of our top 8 scorers(including the top 5), 6 of our top 7 rebounders(including the top 4), and our top 5 assist leaders. The guys we do lose (Fields and Bush), were both injured much of the year, and they only averaged 33.2 mpg (out of 200) combined. There is no doubt that as our current roster matures, we will become a much more dangerous team.
2. We get healthy
Curtis Jerrells is the only BU player to play in every game. Rogers, Bruce, Thiam, Diene, Fields, Shepherd, Bush all suffered some sort of injury that caused them to miss games. Thiam and Bush suffered season-ending injuries (Thiam after seeing the court for only 28 minutes). Fields missed significant time early, and never really recovered from his injuries which kept him from being the player he could have been. Not many teams experience the injury trouble the 2006-2007 Bears did, and it's unlikely that we'll see a repeat of it next year.
3. We add another great recruiting class
Our highest rated recruit ever is on his way in and it would be hard to find a player that fit the bill for our team more. Dunn is a 6'5" SG/SF that can slash to the hoop, hit the 3 and will give us a great deal more versatility on the court in our multi-guard set. Fred Ellis will add some bulk under the hoop, and with the recent commitment of 6'8" PF Simpson, we will add some maturity (he's a JUCO) and some more dependable hands in the paint. Expect him to be a 6'8" more athletic Tim Bush-type player. I doubt we'll run many plays for him, but he'll get his points on the effort plays.
We are still trying to pick up Mamadou Diarra, a 6'10" 235lb PF, who has an advanced offensive game and could help us immediately. Baylor is in a battle with USC for his services, and we'll have to wait and see what he decides, but he could be a key part of the puzzle if he decides to head to Waco.
Bottom Line:
Was the season a disappointment? It's hard to admit it, but yeah it was. The 4-12 conference record was the same record we had last year with no non-conference, and the only reason it wasn't a total nightmare is that (with a few exceptions) we played very competitive basketball. 12 of our 16 losses came by 10 points or less. Half of those came by 5 points or less. We had a bad stretch in the second half of January, dropping 4 straight by an average of 12.5 points per game, including a 26-point romp by OU, and our last 6 losses came by an average of 6 points.
And despite the disappointment, there is a lot to look forward to next year. We should really expect a .500 season in conference play and a postseason tournament berth, either the NIT or NCAA.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Baylor About to Enter Important Stretch Run
The three big sports at Baylor are entering a very important time in each of their seasons. Football is closing in on Signing Day fast, men's basketball have to pick up some wins with some winnable games up next, and the girls need to keep winning, including the game against NU to solidify their shot at 1st or 2nd in the conference.
Football has had some late struggles, losing some nice recruits in the last few weeks and the coaches need to make a strong push to keep this class together AND to add some important pieces to the class. This class can be the one that takes Baylor a big step forward, or it can be a class that takes Baylor a baby step forward.
The guys have four games coming up that are all winnable. Colorado and Iowa State are a combined 3-10 in conference play. The Iowa State game is on the road, but we beat them last year by 18 points and should have a very good chance to beat them this year. Following those games we have a rematch against OU in Waco and a road trip to Missouri. OU played their heads off in Norman and I don't think they can replicate that performance again. Missouri is tough, especially in Columbia and even more with their pressure defense, but if our guards continue to improve and gel, there's no reason to think we shouldn't be able to handle that pressure enough to get some good transition scores.
This four game stretch will make or break our season.
The women have two big games coming up on the road. Going to Lincoln to face Nebraska is going to be one of the toughest games of the year, and heading out to Lubbock is always tough and the Lady Raiders are really starting to put their team together. Neither game is one Baylor fans should feel comfortable about, but they are both still definitely winnable, and Baylor should probably be favored in both. If Baylor can knock off Nebraska, we should lock up 2nd place, and possibly set up a showdown matchup against OU in Norman for first place.
So, Baylor fans, warm up your prayer benches!
Football has had some late struggles, losing some nice recruits in the last few weeks and the coaches need to make a strong push to keep this class together AND to add some important pieces to the class. This class can be the one that takes Baylor a big step forward, or it can be a class that takes Baylor a baby step forward.
The guys have four games coming up that are all winnable. Colorado and Iowa State are a combined 3-10 in conference play. The Iowa State game is on the road, but we beat them last year by 18 points and should have a very good chance to beat them this year. Following those games we have a rematch against OU in Waco and a road trip to Missouri. OU played their heads off in Norman and I don't think they can replicate that performance again. Missouri is tough, especially in Columbia and even more with their pressure defense, but if our guards continue to improve and gel, there's no reason to think we shouldn't be able to handle that pressure enough to get some good transition scores.
This four game stretch will make or break our season.
The women have two big games coming up on the road. Going to Lincoln to face Nebraska is going to be one of the toughest games of the year, and heading out to Lubbock is always tough and the Lady Raiders are really starting to put their team together. Neither game is one Baylor fans should feel comfortable about, but they are both still definitely winnable, and Baylor should probably be favored in both. If Baylor can knock off Nebraska, we should lock up 2nd place, and possibly set up a showdown matchup against OU in Norman for first place.
So, Baylor fans, warm up your prayer benches!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Baylor Falters Late to Texas
What a game that was. Aaron Bruce and Kevin Rogers definitely came to play and the rest of the team also played a very solid game.
This was probably our best all-aroud game of the year, and it came against one of the most talented teams we'll face this season.
What did this game come down to? I'd say that of all the statistics, the most telling is this one:
Free Throw Attempts:
Baylor - 10
Texas - 33
Huh.
Yes, Baylor did intentionally foul Texas late in the game, but that was 4 fouls. So that's still basically a 3-1 advantage towards Texas. And it's not because Baylor was shooting a ton of 3s. In fact, both Baylor and Texas shot the same number of 3s (26). Baylor hit 9 and Texas hit 10. In fact, Texas took a much higher percentage of their FG attempts from behind the arc than Baylor did. And Baylor had a TON more points in the paint (40-16). Baylor also led in 2nd chance points (16-14) and fast break points (22-6).
Baylor had ONE free throw attempt in the first half, while taking 20 2-pt FGs. Baylor took 9 attempts in the second half. Baylor only missed 2 FTs in the game.
Texas had 8 FT attempts in the first half (and trailed by 6 points), but after (I'm sure) Barnes had a little chat with the refs, Texas was sent to the line TWENTY-FIVE times in the second half. That's more than 2.5 times Baylor's opportunities. Baylor and Texas took exactly the same number of 2-pt FG attempts in the second half.
Now, getting away from the FT argument, AJ Abrams made some terrific shots tonight, and Durant showed why he's one of the best (if not THE best) players in college basketball this year. They both had great games tonight, and were the reason that Texas was able to stay in the game at all.
I'm still not impressed by Augustin, and I think the rest of Texas' players are good players, but not really all that special. Bottom line, unless Texas finds another player of Durant's caliber for next year (and there aren't any players like that) they are going to take a step backward next year.
I think we have a great chance to beat Texas when they come to Waco, and I will definitely be there to see it.
This was probably our best all-aroud game of the year, and it came against one of the most talented teams we'll face this season.
What did this game come down to? I'd say that of all the statistics, the most telling is this one:
Free Throw Attempts:
Baylor - 10
Texas - 33
Huh.
Yes, Baylor did intentionally foul Texas late in the game, but that was 4 fouls. So that's still basically a 3-1 advantage towards Texas. And it's not because Baylor was shooting a ton of 3s. In fact, both Baylor and Texas shot the same number of 3s (26). Baylor hit 9 and Texas hit 10. In fact, Texas took a much higher percentage of their FG attempts from behind the arc than Baylor did. And Baylor had a TON more points in the paint (40-16). Baylor also led in 2nd chance points (16-14) and fast break points (22-6).
Baylor had ONE free throw attempt in the first half, while taking 20 2-pt FGs. Baylor took 9 attempts in the second half. Baylor only missed 2 FTs in the game.
Texas had 8 FT attempts in the first half (and trailed by 6 points), but after (I'm sure) Barnes had a little chat with the refs, Texas was sent to the line TWENTY-FIVE times in the second half. That's more than 2.5 times Baylor's opportunities. Baylor and Texas took exactly the same number of 2-pt FG attempts in the second half.
Now, getting away from the FT argument, AJ Abrams made some terrific shots tonight, and Durant showed why he's one of the best (if not THE best) players in college basketball this year. They both had great games tonight, and were the reason that Texas was able to stay in the game at all.
I'm still not impressed by Augustin, and I think the rest of Texas' players are good players, but not really all that special. Bottom line, unless Texas finds another player of Durant's caliber for next year (and there aren't any players like that) they are going to take a step backward next year.
I think we have a great chance to beat Texas when they come to Waco, and I will definitely be there to see it.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Things should start to return to normal
I have had a crazy last couple of months.
Job search, holidays, etc have kept me busy. And Baylor athletics haven't exactly been inspiring me. It's probably a good thing that I wasn't posting daily updates, as this thing could have spiraled out of control fast.
But let's take a look at what's going on with the different sports.
FOOTBALL:
Signing day is fast approaching and the class is wavering between coming together and falling apart. I think this class will certainly be one of the best classes in recent history, but the loss of Lonnie Edwards stings. I really can't believe the guy would go play for an OL coach that hasn't coached the position since New Hampshire and had a poor stop at La Tech as the HC.
Now Baylor hasn't put a lineman into the NFL in a while, but if Morriss just started coaching the position last year and Jason Smith looks like he is well on his way to the league, and he was fresh off the TE position. I don't think there's any question that Morriss is far more trustworthy when it comes to developing lineman than Bicknell. Let's hope that Morriss can get this across to Lonnie and get him back in the fold. It'd be a mistake to waste all that talent out there in West Texas where nobody cares about you.
The rest of the class looks very promising, though. Rex McDougald and Leon Freeman are already on campus and that's good news for the DLine. John David Weed and Machen are already on campus and that should give us immediate help at QB. I would expect Weed to win the starting job this spring, though Machen has talent and has produced at the D1 level.
There are some serious athletes coming in like Stacy Williams, Larry Rosebud, Romie Blaylock and many more. These guys are going to have no problem stepping into their roles, and probably will do so early.
I'll have a full write-up about the signing class on Signing Day, but there is a lot going on with recruiting right now and it seems like the staff is working very hard on closing out the class right.
MEN'S BASKETBALL:
Well, huh. Been pretty disappointing lately, honestly.
The last two games haven't been pretty at all, and there aren't many valid excuses.
The good news is that this is still a young team, they are still getting better and finding their roles and I think we still have a good shot at 6 wins this year.
Demond Carter is showing that he was very much underrated coming into Baylor, especially as a handler and distributor of the ball. He's sporting a better than 2-1 A/TO average and is scoring 9.4 points per game.
Kevin Rogers is still the surprise of the season, averaging 12.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, and better than a block per game. If he was a bit more consistent with his scoring, then this team could really take off.
There is no question that the team has been disappointing so far this year, but I think that they will start to come together as the year goes on and we could still be looking at an NIT berth, if they can come together quickly. We need at least 7 wins in conference and a win in the Big XII tournament to get to the NIT, though. I'm not sure if that is doable, but we'll see.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL:
I was one of the people that thought this was going to be a big down year for the girls. I thought losing Sophia Young was huge and that we were going to be so young that it was going to be difficult to keep up what has become our normal performance. With Bernice Mosby stepping up though, that hasn't been the case at all. With only 3 losses on the season and back into second place in the conference, it looks like the girls are ready to make a lot more noise this year.
The most interesting game of the year will be at Oklahoma in the last regular season game. I think it might be too much to hope that OU might lose two games by then so that it could be a battle for 1st place, but winning that game could go a long way to giving our young girls the confidence to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
Another Sweet 16 appearance would be a HUGE accomplishment for this young team. Remember that this team was picked 4th in the Big XII and didn't receive any first place votes. A&M and Texas were picked ahead of Baylor in the polls.
There is still a lot of room for improvement, but with talent like Darrett and Wilson coming on strong in just their freshman year, I think this team has a ton of potential and it will be great to see how it develops over the rest of this season and in the next few years.
Job search, holidays, etc have kept me busy. And Baylor athletics haven't exactly been inspiring me. It's probably a good thing that I wasn't posting daily updates, as this thing could have spiraled out of control fast.
But let's take a look at what's going on with the different sports.
FOOTBALL:
Signing day is fast approaching and the class is wavering between coming together and falling apart. I think this class will certainly be one of the best classes in recent history, but the loss of Lonnie Edwards stings. I really can't believe the guy would go play for an OL coach that hasn't coached the position since New Hampshire and had a poor stop at La Tech as the HC.
Now Baylor hasn't put a lineman into the NFL in a while, but if Morriss just started coaching the position last year and Jason Smith looks like he is well on his way to the league, and he was fresh off the TE position. I don't think there's any question that Morriss is far more trustworthy when it comes to developing lineman than Bicknell. Let's hope that Morriss can get this across to Lonnie and get him back in the fold. It'd be a mistake to waste all that talent out there in West Texas where nobody cares about you.
The rest of the class looks very promising, though. Rex McDougald and Leon Freeman are already on campus and that's good news for the DLine. John David Weed and Machen are already on campus and that should give us immediate help at QB. I would expect Weed to win the starting job this spring, though Machen has talent and has produced at the D1 level.
There are some serious athletes coming in like Stacy Williams, Larry Rosebud, Romie Blaylock and many more. These guys are going to have no problem stepping into their roles, and probably will do so early.
I'll have a full write-up about the signing class on Signing Day, but there is a lot going on with recruiting right now and it seems like the staff is working very hard on closing out the class right.
MEN'S BASKETBALL:
Well, huh. Been pretty disappointing lately, honestly.
The last two games haven't been pretty at all, and there aren't many valid excuses.
The good news is that this is still a young team, they are still getting better and finding their roles and I think we still have a good shot at 6 wins this year.
Demond Carter is showing that he was very much underrated coming into Baylor, especially as a handler and distributor of the ball. He's sporting a better than 2-1 A/TO average and is scoring 9.4 points per game.
Kevin Rogers is still the surprise of the season, averaging 12.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, and better than a block per game. If he was a bit more consistent with his scoring, then this team could really take off.
There is no question that the team has been disappointing so far this year, but I think that they will start to come together as the year goes on and we could still be looking at an NIT berth, if they can come together quickly. We need at least 7 wins in conference and a win in the Big XII tournament to get to the NIT, though. I'm not sure if that is doable, but we'll see.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL:
I was one of the people that thought this was going to be a big down year for the girls. I thought losing Sophia Young was huge and that we were going to be so young that it was going to be difficult to keep up what has become our normal performance. With Bernice Mosby stepping up though, that hasn't been the case at all. With only 3 losses on the season and back into second place in the conference, it looks like the girls are ready to make a lot more noise this year.
The most interesting game of the year will be at Oklahoma in the last regular season game. I think it might be too much to hope that OU might lose two games by then so that it could be a battle for 1st place, but winning that game could go a long way to giving our young girls the confidence to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
Another Sweet 16 appearance would be a HUGE accomplishment for this young team. Remember that this team was picked 4th in the Big XII and didn't receive any first place votes. A&M and Texas were picked ahead of Baylor in the polls.
There is still a lot of room for improvement, but with talent like Darrett and Wilson coming on strong in just their freshman year, I think this team has a ton of potential and it will be great to see how it develops over the rest of this season and in the next few years.
Monday, December 18, 2006
6-3... On the way up, or on the way down?
Well, that was a rough game. Syracuse pretty much let us have it, didn't they? Man.
Looking back at the last 9 games, we can certainly come to some more solid thoughts:
1) We are seriously struggling from behind the arc.
I know, we have three players shooting better than 40% and five better than 30%, but when we go up against good competition or when we are in a tough situation, it seems like we can't hit the wide open shots we are getting. It might be mental, but this is a serious area of concern, especially since it seems our entire offense is built around the 3-ball.
2) We are not dedicated to being fierce rebounders.
I know we have the athletes, it just doesn't look like we have the motivation. We don't have the players that have the attitude where they are going to get that ball. Or at the very least, the players that DO have that attitude are 6' tall.
Diene, Rogers, and Lomers seem very hesitant and even simply not interested in getting the tough rebounds. And it's showing up when they play teams of their approximate talent level. Having TWO 7' centers SHOULD give us a little bit of an edge in rebounding, or at least balance out the effect of having a three guard set.
Diene is averaging 6.8 rebounds per game, Rogers is averaging 7.0, and Lomers is averaging 2.9. That's 16.7 per game combined. I think we should be expecting Lomers and Diene alone to be combining for AT LEAST that many rebounds. Our guards are averaging less than 5 rebounds per game fewer than our posts... There's something wrong with that.
3) Our post players don't really get a chance
I understand that we are a 3-guard set and that we are putting a premium on our quickness. But we have GOT to put our post players to use. Rogers looks like he's getting better each game on the offensive end, but after he gets hot, the guards will go 4 or 5 possessions in a row where they swing the ball around the arc for 20 seconds and then jack up a three.
And here's the key, I don't really care if it's wide open or not. I know we have good shooters, but we have to force our opponents to at least make an effort at defending the paint. Think of how many wide open three pointers we'd have the chance to take if the defense had two guys glued to the paint? Think of how effective it would be if Rogers was averaging 16-18 ppg and was a FOCUS of the defense?
4) We don't believe in penetration on offense
Jerrells is getting better at this, but we swing the ball around so much, and never take it inside. Getting Fields back will make a big difference in this, but with all the talent we have at guard, we should be able to break people down more often. Watching Kelley on South Carolina ripping through our defense for layups made me shake my head and wonder, "Why can't we do that!? Shoot, why don't we even TRY to do that!?"
I have jumped off the ship or the bandwagon. I still believe that as this team matures (maybe not this year), they are going to be very good. And yes, there are bright silver linings. Rogers IS better than he was last year, so is Dou. Dugat has shown flashes of being incredible and Tweety is gaining confidence.
But this team needs Aaron Bruce to return to freshman form, it needs Curtis Jerrells to return to freshman form, and it needs the coaching staff to force them to be more aggressive. There's a lot of work left to be done and only four non-conference games left to go.
Looking back at the last 9 games, we can certainly come to some more solid thoughts:
1) We are seriously struggling from behind the arc.
I know, we have three players shooting better than 40% and five better than 30%, but when we go up against good competition or when we are in a tough situation, it seems like we can't hit the wide open shots we are getting. It might be mental, but this is a serious area of concern, especially since it seems our entire offense is built around the 3-ball.
2) We are not dedicated to being fierce rebounders.
I know we have the athletes, it just doesn't look like we have the motivation. We don't have the players that have the attitude where they are going to get that ball. Or at the very least, the players that DO have that attitude are 6' tall.
Diene, Rogers, and Lomers seem very hesitant and even simply not interested in getting the tough rebounds. And it's showing up when they play teams of their approximate talent level. Having TWO 7' centers SHOULD give us a little bit of an edge in rebounding, or at least balance out the effect of having a three guard set.
Diene is averaging 6.8 rebounds per game, Rogers is averaging 7.0, and Lomers is averaging 2.9. That's 16.7 per game combined. I think we should be expecting Lomers and Diene alone to be combining for AT LEAST that many rebounds. Our guards are averaging less than 5 rebounds per game fewer than our posts... There's something wrong with that.
3) Our post players don't really get a chance
I understand that we are a 3-guard set and that we are putting a premium on our quickness. But we have GOT to put our post players to use. Rogers looks like he's getting better each game on the offensive end, but after he gets hot, the guards will go 4 or 5 possessions in a row where they swing the ball around the arc for 20 seconds and then jack up a three.
And here's the key, I don't really care if it's wide open or not. I know we have good shooters, but we have to force our opponents to at least make an effort at defending the paint. Think of how many wide open three pointers we'd have the chance to take if the defense had two guys glued to the paint? Think of how effective it would be if Rogers was averaging 16-18 ppg and was a FOCUS of the defense?
4) We don't believe in penetration on offense
Jerrells is getting better at this, but we swing the ball around so much, and never take it inside. Getting Fields back will make a big difference in this, but with all the talent we have at guard, we should be able to break people down more often. Watching Kelley on South Carolina ripping through our defense for layups made me shake my head and wonder, "Why can't we do that!? Shoot, why don't we even TRY to do that!?"
I have jumped off the ship or the bandwagon. I still believe that as this team matures (maybe not this year), they are going to be very good. And yes, there are bright silver linings. Rogers IS better than he was last year, so is Dou. Dugat has shown flashes of being incredible and Tweety is gaining confidence.
But this team needs Aaron Bruce to return to freshman form, it needs Curtis Jerrells to return to freshman form, and it needs the coaching staff to force them to be more aggressive. There's a lot of work left to be done and only four non-conference games left to go.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
The Long Absence is Over
Man, it's been a while.
I'm sorry for the long absence, but I've had a lot of things going on in my personal life lately which has brought me away from my writing here.
So, what's been happening? Mainly, basketball. I've washed my hands of the football season.
Let's talk about what Scott Drew has been doing this year. I won't go game by game, but I'll try to do that from now on. For now, I'll just touch on the individual players and the team as a whole.
Aaron Bruce -
Man, this guy was in a sick shooting slump, but he looked like he busted out of that in a big way against Alcorn State, hitting 6 of 9 three pointers and generally looking like his old confident self. Even with the huge shooting slump, Bruce was able to contribute with tougher defense and leads the team in assists. We'll hope his shooting is back to stay, but even when it's not, Bruce is a great asset to have on the floor.
Curtis Jerrells -
This is another guy that hasn't exactly been lighting it up after a very good freshman year, but he was warming up last night scoring 16 points and he also made it a point to feed Bruce, and racked up 6 assists in the game. I am hoping that Jerrells can get back to driving to the hole more, a role that we don't seem to be filling often enough. Jerrells is great around the basket and it'd be nice to see him driving it.
Henry Dugat -
It really looks like he's coming into his own this year. Averaging 16 points per game, Dugat has kept the team alive with his scoring, especially in the Colorado State game. This guy is such a fantastic athlete that when it truly all comes together, he's going to be even better, but I think we are starting to see what Dugat is capable of, and that's quite a bit.
Demond "Tweety" Carter -
I have to admit that I am a bit surprised with how well Tweety has been playing. He's shown himself to be more of a pure point guard than I thought we would see this early in the year. I didn't think there was any way he'd have enough playing time to earn Baylor a third straight Freshman All-American honor, but with the way he's playing, I might be wrong. I don't know if he'll have the scoring opportunities to make All-American, but he's already had a good impact on the team and I think there's more to come from this young player.
Kevin Rogers -
The third leading scorer on the team, Rogers has shown flashes of being very good, but has also shown the tendency to disappear for stretches. He's averaging 12 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game, but he has a lot more in him. If he was a little more active around the basket, he'd be able to get a few more put back baskets and a few more offensive rebounds. Rogers is shooting a very, very good percentage on his shots at nearly 62% of his field goals. I hope that we see the guards getting Rogers the ball and Rogers doing more with it when he gets it as we finish out this relatively easy streak of the non-conference leading up to the South Carolina game. Rogers has the potential to have a HUGE impact on the end result of this season.
Tim Bush -
Tim has shown true senior leadership. A guy that many, including myself, had relegated to very few minutes and little impact has shown that he is going to do what it takes to help this team win. He's battling down low for rebounds and baskets, he's hitting over 63% of his 3-pointers, and averaging 8.8 points per game. A true "glue" guy, Bush's willingness to come off the bench and play hard, I think we can look to this guy to help us win games, maybe more than we thought.
Mamadou Diene -
Diene is having a pretty standard year for him: 5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. He's still recovering from a badly sprained ankle, and I think we'll see all of those numbers increase, but he's still doing a good job of staying active and doing his best to work hard. He's averaging only 22 minutes, which I think is a good amount for him, and as he more fully recovers from his injury, I think we'll see him playing a few more minutes and being a lot more productive.
Josh Lomers -
What a solid player for a true freshman. Averaging 7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, Lomers is proving to be a very good substitute for Diene as he brings a little bit more offense and a more thorough knowledge of the game of basketball. He's still got to improve his endurance (he's got asthma), he's got to improve his strength even more, but this kid is going to be very good in a year or two. He's not the athlete that Dou is (there are very few 7 footers that are), but his understanding of the game is evident and helps him a great deal.
Injuries -
Pat Fields and Penny Thiam have both suffered injuries. Thiam is done for the year with a torn ACL, but showed a great deal of athleticism and a great need for some added strength. The redshirt year should help him a lot in being able to make a difference and contribute. Fields should be back soon and he's going to add a new dimension to the team. Fields is the best at driving the ball to the hoop and drawing contact/fouls. And he does a good job of converting those fouls into points. Getting Fields back will do nothing but make this team better. I can't wait to get him back.
Overall -
We are better than I thought we would be based on one main thing: Bruce and Jerrells hadn't really shown up until last night, but we were 3-1 and played a good Gonzaga team on the road in Spokane very competitively. With Bruce and Jerrells looking like they are getting back to form, I think the team has the chance to take off.
There are plenty of areas we need to improve in. Interior offense HAS to get better. Diene and Lomers have combined for 12 points per game, and that needs to be at LEAST 15+ for this team to seriously think about postseason play. I'd like to see it north of 18 points per game, unless Rogers is going to pick up some of that slack by averaging around 14-16 points per game.
We also need to improve our defense. It hasn't been awful, but it could be a lot better. I'm not sure if it's the young players not playing with a lot of confidence, but whatever it is, we need to firm it up and get the right mindset.
All in all, I think we are looking at a NIT team, with an outside chance of the NCAA, and a decent chance that the team stays home, barring improvement. If I had to put money on it, I'd say we finished in the NIT, but it'll be easier to say as we get into conference play.
Baylor plays Grambling tomorrow night. Be sure to tune in and check out a game that should be an easy win for the Bears.
I'm sorry for the long absence, but I've had a lot of things going on in my personal life lately which has brought me away from my writing here.
So, what's been happening? Mainly, basketball. I've washed my hands of the football season.
Let's talk about what Scott Drew has been doing this year. I won't go game by game, but I'll try to do that from now on. For now, I'll just touch on the individual players and the team as a whole.
Aaron Bruce -
Man, this guy was in a sick shooting slump, but he looked like he busted out of that in a big way against Alcorn State, hitting 6 of 9 three pointers and generally looking like his old confident self. Even with the huge shooting slump, Bruce was able to contribute with tougher defense and leads the team in assists. We'll hope his shooting is back to stay, but even when it's not, Bruce is a great asset to have on the floor.
Curtis Jerrells -
This is another guy that hasn't exactly been lighting it up after a very good freshman year, but he was warming up last night scoring 16 points and he also made it a point to feed Bruce, and racked up 6 assists in the game. I am hoping that Jerrells can get back to driving to the hole more, a role that we don't seem to be filling often enough. Jerrells is great around the basket and it'd be nice to see him driving it.
Henry Dugat -
It really looks like he's coming into his own this year. Averaging 16 points per game, Dugat has kept the team alive with his scoring, especially in the Colorado State game. This guy is such a fantastic athlete that when it truly all comes together, he's going to be even better, but I think we are starting to see what Dugat is capable of, and that's quite a bit.
Demond "Tweety" Carter -
I have to admit that I am a bit surprised with how well Tweety has been playing. He's shown himself to be more of a pure point guard than I thought we would see this early in the year. I didn't think there was any way he'd have enough playing time to earn Baylor a third straight Freshman All-American honor, but with the way he's playing, I might be wrong. I don't know if he'll have the scoring opportunities to make All-American, but he's already had a good impact on the team and I think there's more to come from this young player.
Kevin Rogers -
The third leading scorer on the team, Rogers has shown flashes of being very good, but has also shown the tendency to disappear for stretches. He's averaging 12 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game, but he has a lot more in him. If he was a little more active around the basket, he'd be able to get a few more put back baskets and a few more offensive rebounds. Rogers is shooting a very, very good percentage on his shots at nearly 62% of his field goals. I hope that we see the guards getting Rogers the ball and Rogers doing more with it when he gets it as we finish out this relatively easy streak of the non-conference leading up to the South Carolina game. Rogers has the potential to have a HUGE impact on the end result of this season.
Tim Bush -
Tim has shown true senior leadership. A guy that many, including myself, had relegated to very few minutes and little impact has shown that he is going to do what it takes to help this team win. He's battling down low for rebounds and baskets, he's hitting over 63% of his 3-pointers, and averaging 8.8 points per game. A true "glue" guy, Bush's willingness to come off the bench and play hard, I think we can look to this guy to help us win games, maybe more than we thought.
Mamadou Diene -
Diene is having a pretty standard year for him: 5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. He's still recovering from a badly sprained ankle, and I think we'll see all of those numbers increase, but he's still doing a good job of staying active and doing his best to work hard. He's averaging only 22 minutes, which I think is a good amount for him, and as he more fully recovers from his injury, I think we'll see him playing a few more minutes and being a lot more productive.
Josh Lomers -
What a solid player for a true freshman. Averaging 7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, Lomers is proving to be a very good substitute for Diene as he brings a little bit more offense and a more thorough knowledge of the game of basketball. He's still got to improve his endurance (he's got asthma), he's got to improve his strength even more, but this kid is going to be very good in a year or two. He's not the athlete that Dou is (there are very few 7 footers that are), but his understanding of the game is evident and helps him a great deal.
Injuries -
Pat Fields and Penny Thiam have both suffered injuries. Thiam is done for the year with a torn ACL, but showed a great deal of athleticism and a great need for some added strength. The redshirt year should help him a lot in being able to make a difference and contribute. Fields should be back soon and he's going to add a new dimension to the team. Fields is the best at driving the ball to the hoop and drawing contact/fouls. And he does a good job of converting those fouls into points. Getting Fields back will do nothing but make this team better. I can't wait to get him back.
Overall -
We are better than I thought we would be based on one main thing: Bruce and Jerrells hadn't really shown up until last night, but we were 3-1 and played a good Gonzaga team on the road in Spokane very competitively. With Bruce and Jerrells looking like they are getting back to form, I think the team has the chance to take off.
There are plenty of areas we need to improve in. Interior offense HAS to get better. Diene and Lomers have combined for 12 points per game, and that needs to be at LEAST 15+ for this team to seriously think about postseason play. I'd like to see it north of 18 points per game, unless Rogers is going to pick up some of that slack by averaging around 14-16 points per game.
We also need to improve our defense. It hasn't been awful, but it could be a lot better. I'm not sure if it's the young players not playing with a lot of confidence, but whatever it is, we need to firm it up and get the right mindset.
All in all, I think we are looking at a NIT team, with an outside chance of the NCAA, and a decent chance that the team stays home, barring improvement. If I had to put money on it, I'd say we finished in the NIT, but it'll be easier to say as we get into conference play.
Baylor plays Grambling tomorrow night. Be sure to tune in and check out a game that should be an easy win for the Bears.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Defense! Defense! Defense Hold That Line!
The title is to show how queer Baylor can be and how far we must come to be taken seriously in the college football world. Speaking of defense, let's talk about what we saw this season and peek at what we might see in 2007.
D-Line
Well, let's just say that we're lucky that no offense employed the "wet paper bag" blocking scheme or else we never would have gotten any pass rush or sacks this season. In short, we are small and slow on the line. Our tackles got blown off the ball and our ends were never around the quarterback. On the bright side, Lamb got to play alot and McDonald will be back next season. I think his injury on his first play caused us to go deeper into our "talent" pool than we would have liked. Not that him being in there would have made a huge difference but I think we'd be better to have him out there. We are in desperate need of either a freshman DT that can play right away or a JUCO to come in. We actually need a couple of them.
Linebackers
An unexpected bright spot. Moore, Jones, and JoPaw showed up much more than I thought they would coming into the season. They were hampered somewhat by not having a decent line in front of them but the tackle numbers speak for themselves. My only gripe is that we are slow at this position. Opposing running backs made the corner too many times in my opinion. Quarterbacks were also able to step up in the pocket and run for the first down and then slide just before the linebackers were able to close.
Secondary
Huge dissapointment. I know, I know, not getting pressure on the QB makes the secondary's job difficult. I totally agree. However, I don't even want to think about how many times a quarterback dropped back and hit his first read (before even a reasonable pass rush would have bothered him) for a first down. My favorite was on 3rd and 5 and our corners line up 9 yards off the ball. The recievers run to the line, make the catch, first down. There was also some players who wanted people to believe that they were solid and could play with the best. They were shown to have been out of their league. They didn't tackle well, virtually no interceptions after conference play started, and got gouged against any competent pass schemes.
Overall
The defense either underperformed or expectations were way too high for this group. Many starters were lost from 2005 and I believe those starter's leadership was missed more than the talent. I partially covered the pass rush problem already but to be honest, we've never really had a good line. In the recent pass, we've been at least somewhat effective with the blitz. I don't recall ever really bringing people this season. With as many new starting QB's our opponets lined up this year I would have thought that we would have gone after them more. Maybe we did but never got there. This contributes to my theory that we are very short on speed in this defense. The whole point of running a 4-2-5 is to get more speed on the field and it doesn't look like we have it. I'm not familar with who was redshirted this year and who's coming in next season but we absolutely MUST get bigger up front and faster on the outside or else it will be more of the same next season.
D-Line
Well, let's just say that we're lucky that no offense employed the "wet paper bag" blocking scheme or else we never would have gotten any pass rush or sacks this season. In short, we are small and slow on the line. Our tackles got blown off the ball and our ends were never around the quarterback. On the bright side, Lamb got to play alot and McDonald will be back next season. I think his injury on his first play caused us to go deeper into our "talent" pool than we would have liked. Not that him being in there would have made a huge difference but I think we'd be better to have him out there. We are in desperate need of either a freshman DT that can play right away or a JUCO to come in. We actually need a couple of them.
Linebackers
An unexpected bright spot. Moore, Jones, and JoPaw showed up much more than I thought they would coming into the season. They were hampered somewhat by not having a decent line in front of them but the tackle numbers speak for themselves. My only gripe is that we are slow at this position. Opposing running backs made the corner too many times in my opinion. Quarterbacks were also able to step up in the pocket and run for the first down and then slide just before the linebackers were able to close.
Secondary
Huge dissapointment. I know, I know, not getting pressure on the QB makes the secondary's job difficult. I totally agree. However, I don't even want to think about how many times a quarterback dropped back and hit his first read (before even a reasonable pass rush would have bothered him) for a first down. My favorite was on 3rd and 5 and our corners line up 9 yards off the ball. The recievers run to the line, make the catch, first down. There was also some players who wanted people to believe that they were solid and could play with the best. They were shown to have been out of their league. They didn't tackle well, virtually no interceptions after conference play started, and got gouged against any competent pass schemes.
Overall
The defense either underperformed or expectations were way too high for this group. Many starters were lost from 2005 and I believe those starter's leadership was missed more than the talent. I partially covered the pass rush problem already but to be honest, we've never really had a good line. In the recent pass, we've been at least somewhat effective with the blitz. I don't recall ever really bringing people this season. With as many new starting QB's our opponets lined up this year I would have thought that we would have gone after them more. Maybe we did but never got there. This contributes to my theory that we are very short on speed in this defense. The whole point of running a 4-2-5 is to get more speed on the field and it doesn't look like we have it. I'm not familar with who was redshirted this year and who's coming in next season but we absolutely MUST get bigger up front and faster on the outside or else it will be more of the same next season.
Monday, November 20, 2006
About Baylorfans
I was in Waco on Saturday to asses the damage from what I was led to believe was a nuclear device going off at Floyd Casey Stadium. It must have been North Korean because it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. What I saw was a team starting a Redshirt QB making his 3rd start get beat by the #16 team in the country. This is going to be pretty random but I'm going to discuss some different areas and positions on the team this year and going forward.
Quarterback
No one could stand Bell less than me. Like I mentioned in my last post, he did improve greatly over the course of the season. As bad as Syzmanski did the past 3 games (and it was awful), this is an offense that our record breaking 5th year senior didn't look competent in until the 5th game. Blake wasn't going to look like Joe Montana in his 5th game but I suspect he would start to improve with more time. I've heard that Beatty is looking good and we've already permanent ink penned GJ Kinne to the savior, err quarterback next season. Assuming GJ starts, one thing we have next year that we didn't have this year is a quarterback that has played in the system against good teams. Many Baylorfans have criticized the overall recruiting but the lack of someone who could take snaps coming off the bench and not lose the game absolutely killed our season.
Running Backs
Did we have running backs this year? The offense switch was an absolute disaster for Paul Mosley. For whatever reason, his number was called on plays that had the running back taking the ball standing still on a draw or moving east-west. I would bet that on plays where Paul got the ball with some momentum between the tackles or even some counter plays he averaged 2 yards better. Brandon Whitaker was a real disapointment this year. This offense should have made him a star. He looked very slow and showed no elusive abiltiy. The best running back I saw was Jacoby Jones. To be fair it was very limited action but he showed the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and actually make someone miss before getting up the field.
Receivers
To be fair, it's almost impossible to judge this years group because of the offense change. After we run this system for another couple of years we'll see how this current group really stacks compared to future teams running this offense. Early in the season our receivers had an epedimic of the drops. This probably cost us either the WSU or the Army game. The beauty of this offense is that great route runners and guys who can make reads excell more than just the best athletes. Running routes was also a problem if you read any coaches conference call transcripts. The loss of Parks, who created a matchup problem for everyone we played, really hurt. He was always there with a first down catch in the middle. I think the talent level goes down with the loss of Shelton and Zeigler but I think the overall group gets better because of improved routes and read recognition next season.
Oline
A mixed bag, but for the most part not very good. To be fair once again, we had two guys starting who were a tight end and a defensive tackle last year and our center was playing on a broken foot for most of the season. The false starts that killed drives the first four games were limited somewhat the rest of the season. Run blocking needs to be a priorty this offseason. Lack of dephth was incredibly evident throughout the season. If the current recruits are as advertised (I'm no expert nor pretend to be), I would guess that one or possibly two of them either crack the starting lineup or are in the rotation. At this point I think even having a rotation will show that we have more depth than last year at this position.
I'll talk about the Defense next time I get a chance. Remember, the schedule is much more condusive to our goals next year and in a new system, the biggest production jump is usually the second year.
Quarterback
No one could stand Bell less than me. Like I mentioned in my last post, he did improve greatly over the course of the season. As bad as Syzmanski did the past 3 games (and it was awful), this is an offense that our record breaking 5th year senior didn't look competent in until the 5th game. Blake wasn't going to look like Joe Montana in his 5th game but I suspect he would start to improve with more time. I've heard that Beatty is looking good and we've already permanent ink penned GJ Kinne to the savior, err quarterback next season. Assuming GJ starts, one thing we have next year that we didn't have this year is a quarterback that has played in the system against good teams. Many Baylorfans have criticized the overall recruiting but the lack of someone who could take snaps coming off the bench and not lose the game absolutely killed our season.
Running Backs
Did we have running backs this year? The offense switch was an absolute disaster for Paul Mosley. For whatever reason, his number was called on plays that had the running back taking the ball standing still on a draw or moving east-west. I would bet that on plays where Paul got the ball with some momentum between the tackles or even some counter plays he averaged 2 yards better. Brandon Whitaker was a real disapointment this year. This offense should have made him a star. He looked very slow and showed no elusive abiltiy. The best running back I saw was Jacoby Jones. To be fair it was very limited action but he showed the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and actually make someone miss before getting up the field.
Receivers
To be fair, it's almost impossible to judge this years group because of the offense change. After we run this system for another couple of years we'll see how this current group really stacks compared to future teams running this offense. Early in the season our receivers had an epedimic of the drops. This probably cost us either the WSU or the Army game. The beauty of this offense is that great route runners and guys who can make reads excell more than just the best athletes. Running routes was also a problem if you read any coaches conference call transcripts. The loss of Parks, who created a matchup problem for everyone we played, really hurt. He was always there with a first down catch in the middle. I think the talent level goes down with the loss of Shelton and Zeigler but I think the overall group gets better because of improved routes and read recognition next season.
Oline
A mixed bag, but for the most part not very good. To be fair once again, we had two guys starting who were a tight end and a defensive tackle last year and our center was playing on a broken foot for most of the season. The false starts that killed drives the first four games were limited somewhat the rest of the season. Run blocking needs to be a priorty this offseason. Lack of dephth was incredibly evident throughout the season. If the current recruits are as advertised (I'm no expert nor pretend to be), I would guess that one or possibly two of them either crack the starting lineup or are in the rotation. At this point I think even having a rotation will show that we have more depth than last year at this position.
I'll talk about the Defense next time I get a chance. Remember, the schedule is much more condusive to our goals next year and in a new system, the biggest production jump is usually the second year.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
The Real Baylor Team Just Stood Up
As JudgeChamber mentioned before, I was on my honeymoon last week. In an attempt to update my fantasy team and watch a little football on Saturday, I purchased for a hefty fee, a massage for my wife. Kauai, I guess, is in the Pac-10 market so I was stuck watching that conference's games and I saw the Baylor score on the crawl at the bottom of the screen. 42 point loss? At the airport the next day, I called my Dad and he said it wasn't even that close.
After reading all the accounts I can only conclude one thing: This team has no leadership and has no heart. If you recall, I questioned the existince of a backbone as well earlier this season. The Bears had fooled me into thinking they had one for a while. What happens on Saturday may show if the team has another vital organ (male).
Over the course of the season, what started as inconsistency has turned into very consistent: playing without heart, intensity, and smarts. I lay most of this at the feet of the seniors. They talked a good game about how things were different and how they would be the ones that took Baylor to a bowl. Well, if they believed themselves half of what they were saying then Saturday wouldn't have happened. We may have still lost but we would have been in the game. If they believed half of what they said we win 2 out of 3 with TCU, WSU, Army and are now fighting for a better bowl. I said weeks ago that the Army game especially would bite us. Nothing to play for with one game to go, just like last year.
If you're that good, stop WSU on the last drive. If you're that good, don't let Army of all teams push you around. If you're that good, show up to a must win game in conference play. Some people blame the coaching. They are partially to blame but the guys should have showed up just because of what the game meant, not because of how they were prepared during the week. Mickey Mouse could have been coaching all week and the guys should have played better despite him.
Morriss' main flaw in this game happend before the season started. I was never a Shawn Bell fan (although I will give him credit for getting better each week this season) but we had nobody we could really count on if he went down (which he obviously did). A JUCO should have been brought in for an insurance policy this season.
The world has ended on Baylorfans even though technically this is the best we've ever done in Big 12 conference play. To bring everyone back to earth let's review some good things that have happened even in the last month. 1) Playing a meaningful game in November. We did last year as well. If you remember, it took 2 years to make the jump from 3 wins to 5 wins. Hopefully this is our last year at this plateau (winning some games, losing close ones). 2) We will have a known quantity at QB next season. Not saying Sysmanski will be the starter, but at least we now have an idea of what he's capable of. I would also expect him to be light years better just from being in the system another spring and having actual game experience. So even if the latest OLAS, Kinne, is the starter, we have someone who won't freak out about having to go in.
On top of this, it is my understanding that our current group of recruits is the best Baylor has had in many years. I hope they are good enough to start as freshmen or at least contribute heavily. We need guys playing who know how to win, haven't been infected with losing at Baylor and won't know they are supposed to lose.
Finally, I hope I'm wrong about the guys I've just ripped but that's just how I see it. I hope to anything they find a way to win on Saturday (assuming Morriss even plays the upperclassmen). If they do win, it would fulfil a a theory I've had about this team. They only play well when there's no pressure. They sure did it last year in the final game. This group of seniors has played with and beaten a good caliber team who was playing well at the time) 3 times (CU, ISU, TAMU). Everyone else they've beaten was either sorry, Division II, or really down. Even the great comeback to KU was mired a little by the way the Jayhawks had made a habbit of giving up leads. We only played better when the game was seemingly lost. When we started coming back, KU folded for us. When was the last time we played a bowl caliber team back and forth and won or beat them outright? Most of our conference wins have been a case of the other teams collapsing.
I don't want to set Saturday up that if they lose then I'm right about having no heart, if they win I'm right about them playing well when there's no pressure. I'm not hedging my bet and you won't see me giving you an "I told you so" next week. I'll just look at the season as a whole and tell it like I saw it. Until then, see you Saturday.
After reading all the accounts I can only conclude one thing: This team has no leadership and has no heart. If you recall, I questioned the existince of a backbone as well earlier this season. The Bears had fooled me into thinking they had one for a while. What happens on Saturday may show if the team has another vital organ (male).
Over the course of the season, what started as inconsistency has turned into very consistent: playing without heart, intensity, and smarts. I lay most of this at the feet of the seniors. They talked a good game about how things were different and how they would be the ones that took Baylor to a bowl. Well, if they believed themselves half of what they were saying then Saturday wouldn't have happened. We may have still lost but we would have been in the game. If they believed half of what they said we win 2 out of 3 with TCU, WSU, Army and are now fighting for a better bowl. I said weeks ago that the Army game especially would bite us. Nothing to play for with one game to go, just like last year.
If you're that good, stop WSU on the last drive. If you're that good, don't let Army of all teams push you around. If you're that good, show up to a must win game in conference play. Some people blame the coaching. They are partially to blame but the guys should have showed up just because of what the game meant, not because of how they were prepared during the week. Mickey Mouse could have been coaching all week and the guys should have played better despite him.
Morriss' main flaw in this game happend before the season started. I was never a Shawn Bell fan (although I will give him credit for getting better each week this season) but we had nobody we could really count on if he went down (which he obviously did). A JUCO should have been brought in for an insurance policy this season.
The world has ended on Baylorfans even though technically this is the best we've ever done in Big 12 conference play. To bring everyone back to earth let's review some good things that have happened even in the last month. 1) Playing a meaningful game in November. We did last year as well. If you remember, it took 2 years to make the jump from 3 wins to 5 wins. Hopefully this is our last year at this plateau (winning some games, losing close ones). 2) We will have a known quantity at QB next season. Not saying Sysmanski will be the starter, but at least we now have an idea of what he's capable of. I would also expect him to be light years better just from being in the system another spring and having actual game experience. So even if the latest OLAS, Kinne, is the starter, we have someone who won't freak out about having to go in.
On top of this, it is my understanding that our current group of recruits is the best Baylor has had in many years. I hope they are good enough to start as freshmen or at least contribute heavily. We need guys playing who know how to win, haven't been infected with losing at Baylor and won't know they are supposed to lose.
Finally, I hope I'm wrong about the guys I've just ripped but that's just how I see it. I hope to anything they find a way to win on Saturday (assuming Morriss even plays the upperclassmen). If they do win, it would fulfil a a theory I've had about this team. They only play well when there's no pressure. They sure did it last year in the final game. This group of seniors has played with and beaten a good caliber team who was playing well at the time) 3 times (CU, ISU, TAMU). Everyone else they've beaten was either sorry, Division II, or really down. Even the great comeback to KU was mired a little by the way the Jayhawks had made a habbit of giving up leads. We only played better when the game was seemingly lost. When we started coming back, KU folded for us. When was the last time we played a bowl caliber team back and forth and won or beat them outright? Most of our conference wins have been a case of the other teams collapsing.
I don't want to set Saturday up that if they lose then I'm right about having no heart, if they win I'm right about them playing well when there's no pressure. I'm not hedging my bet and you won't see me giving you an "I told you so" next week. I'll just look at the season as a whole and tell it like I saw it. Until then, see you Saturday.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
TheDixieFitz
TDF will be out this week as he got married on Saturday. Congratulations to him, as he married FAR, FAR, FAR above his head. And I'm not joking in the least. FAR. FAR FAR FAR.
Basketball season is five days away and I haven't finished my non-conference preview. I'll have to get cracking, so get ready for a run of updates the likes of which have never been seen.
Basketball season is five days away and I haven't finished my non-conference preview. I'll have to get cracking, so get ready for a run of updates the likes of which have never been seen.
It's been a long 10 days
Well, in the last 10 days, a lot of air has been sucked out of the Baylor football program.
Lost a close game to A&M, lost Shawn Bell for the year, threw Blake into the fire, lost a blow out game to Texas Tech.
Tough 10 days.
I am still getting over a bad case of the flu, so I really don't have the strength to get into the heavy details of the games, but the bottom line is that we played well enough to win the A&M game, aside from three or four key plays that we literally let fall through our fingers. Blake played very well in the Tech game, especially considering it was his first real action, but the game as a whole was pretty pathetic.
Defense, now YOU owe the OFFENSE an apology.
We've got two games left this year, and the next one against OSU we're already 16 point dogs. I think that might be a little much, but we certainly haven't earned any respect in the last 4 games, especially on defense.
Maybe the football team is ready for basketball season? Another game like the one we had against Tech and I know I will be.
Lost a close game to A&M, lost Shawn Bell for the year, threw Blake into the fire, lost a blow out game to Texas Tech.
Tough 10 days.
I am still getting over a bad case of the flu, so I really don't have the strength to get into the heavy details of the games, but the bottom line is that we played well enough to win the A&M game, aside from three or four key plays that we literally let fall through our fingers. Blake played very well in the Tech game, especially considering it was his first real action, but the game as a whole was pretty pathetic.
Defense, now YOU owe the OFFENSE an apology.
We've got two games left this year, and the next one against OSU we're already 16 point dogs. I think that might be a little much, but we certainly haven't earned any respect in the last 4 games, especially on defense.
Maybe the football team is ready for basketball season? Another game like the one we had against Tech and I know I will be.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Sorry for the delay
I got back in country on Monday and on the way back it seems I picked up the flu. I'll do my best to get some stuff up this week.
Friday, October 27, 2006
My Aggie Manifesto
This game on Saturday is huge. In other news, the sun will be setting in the West this evening. Saturday is much more than beating a division rival (oops!, I mean opponet that we play every year, compete to get recruits with, and located less than 100 miles away), it is a needed step to our overall goal of getting to a bowl game. Technically, I know, we don't necessarily need to win this one to get to 6. I'm just saying that Baylor hasn't put together a complete game yet this year and would you rather need one chance in three or two with only one more game at home (agasinst a ranked opponet)? I thought so.
Many Baylor fans have some kind of deep seeded hatred of all things Aggie. I guess I get more satisfaction out of beating them than I do the other teams we've beaten in the recent past but when I see people posting about wanting to shoot an aggie if he were in a fox hole with them, that's just stupid. Are they arrogant? Yes. Are they delusional? Yes. But if you think we're way ahead on football IQ, fan class, and even football tradition (more on this in a second), you are mistaken. I have many aggie friends. One will be in my wedding in 8 days (Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God). In 2004, I saw a "classy" Baylor fan berate a 9 year old wearing an Aggie jersey. You stay classy man. This was also the same guy who sits in front of me and calls for holding every time Baylor doesn't get a sack or gives up more than an 5 yard run. Aggies have their own idiots, I'm just saying be aware that we have plenty too.
Let's talk about those Fighting Texas Aggie faithful. The first thing out of most of thier mouths is something to the effect of 18-0-1. Yep, we were dominated for almost 20 years. Congratulations. Now, if you would, explain how something that happened in 1989 is going to have any bearing on Saturday. Is Bucky Richardson going to come out of the tunnel (Aggie fans don't answer that)? Teams completely turn over their roster every 4-5 years and starters (usually uperclassmen) every 2-3 years. So unless you show me a player on A&M's roster that has been there for more than 2 years and hasn't lost to the lowly Baylor Bears, the series doesn't matter. It's like that board next to the roulette table that shows what the last 15 spins have resulted in. Casinos put that there because they know idiots will bet according to this. The reality is that on every spin, every slot on the wheel has an equal chance of being a winner. You don't get points for past records, facilities, fan-base, or recruiting rankings. You still have to get the ball across the goal line and kick it between the pipes. Aggie football tradition is better than Baylor's. No doubt. But please don't pretend that it is a "storied" program. Baylor hasn't been to a bowl game in almost 12 years but in that same time frame aggie has won a whopping 2 bowl games in 7 tries. I know, I know they also have a national championship. Congratulations on winning one in the leather helmet era. Know who else won during that era? TCU, another national powerhouse and recognized as "storied." So please, you have been slightly better than average except for 2 seasons in the past decade. Being a national powerhouse is about conference championships and winning bowl games, and national championships in an era post-the advent of color tv.
This leads me into the actual game. I've seen A&M twice on TV (Mizzou and OSU). Raise your hand if you think the key to the game is stopping the aggie running attack. Looks like all of you. I like to think that I can be original so let me give it a shot. As much as I think we'll be able to pass it on that defense, I wasn't that impressed with the way they tried to stop OSU's running attack. The only difference between us and OSU is that they utilize the QB as a runner and we don't. I think if we get 80 yards (including 20 yards worth of sacks that Shawn is always good for) on the ground, the defense will have no shot.
On defense, yes we have to stop the run. I think this is a tall order and a more realistic goal would be to take away an aspect of the run. On options, take out the pitch man and make McGee turn it up and then hammer him. If they get in a short yardage situation, Lane is going to get his yards so don't even worry about it. Aggie ran the draw and the iso very well against the Cowboys with Lewis and Goodson. These guys are the ones that make the offense dangerous, not Lane. Stuff these two, and Lane isn't even in the game.
Shawn is going to have to have a big game again obviously. I'll never be confused with being a Bell apologist but it comforts me a little that he has beaten aggie before. We'll see I guess. I'm not confident either way. They have better players, we have a better staff. I really like the way Bradley has schemed for aggie the past two years. We've really taken away the option lately and if we do that on Saturday, that will take out a big part of their offense. We will have to play a complete game this time. They aren't Kansas. It will take the best game we've played so far.
Many Baylor fans have some kind of deep seeded hatred of all things Aggie. I guess I get more satisfaction out of beating them than I do the other teams we've beaten in the recent past but when I see people posting about wanting to shoot an aggie if he were in a fox hole with them, that's just stupid. Are they arrogant? Yes. Are they delusional? Yes. But if you think we're way ahead on football IQ, fan class, and even football tradition (more on this in a second), you are mistaken. I have many aggie friends. One will be in my wedding in 8 days (Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God). In 2004, I saw a "classy" Baylor fan berate a 9 year old wearing an Aggie jersey. You stay classy man. This was also the same guy who sits in front of me and calls for holding every time Baylor doesn't get a sack or gives up more than an 5 yard run. Aggies have their own idiots, I'm just saying be aware that we have plenty too.
Let's talk about those Fighting Texas Aggie faithful. The first thing out of most of thier mouths is something to the effect of 18-0-1. Yep, we were dominated for almost 20 years. Congratulations. Now, if you would, explain how something that happened in 1989 is going to have any bearing on Saturday. Is Bucky Richardson going to come out of the tunnel (Aggie fans don't answer that)? Teams completely turn over their roster every 4-5 years and starters (usually uperclassmen) every 2-3 years. So unless you show me a player on A&M's roster that has been there for more than 2 years and hasn't lost to the lowly Baylor Bears, the series doesn't matter. It's like that board next to the roulette table that shows what the last 15 spins have resulted in. Casinos put that there because they know idiots will bet according to this. The reality is that on every spin, every slot on the wheel has an equal chance of being a winner. You don't get points for past records, facilities, fan-base, or recruiting rankings. You still have to get the ball across the goal line and kick it between the pipes. Aggie football tradition is better than Baylor's. No doubt. But please don't pretend that it is a "storied" program. Baylor hasn't been to a bowl game in almost 12 years but in that same time frame aggie has won a whopping 2 bowl games in 7 tries. I know, I know they also have a national championship. Congratulations on winning one in the leather helmet era. Know who else won during that era? TCU, another national powerhouse and recognized as "storied." So please, you have been slightly better than average except for 2 seasons in the past decade. Being a national powerhouse is about conference championships and winning bowl games, and national championships in an era post-the advent of color tv.
This leads me into the actual game. I've seen A&M twice on TV (Mizzou and OSU). Raise your hand if you think the key to the game is stopping the aggie running attack. Looks like all of you. I like to think that I can be original so let me give it a shot. As much as I think we'll be able to pass it on that defense, I wasn't that impressed with the way they tried to stop OSU's running attack. The only difference between us and OSU is that they utilize the QB as a runner and we don't. I think if we get 80 yards (including 20 yards worth of sacks that Shawn is always good for) on the ground, the defense will have no shot.
On defense, yes we have to stop the run. I think this is a tall order and a more realistic goal would be to take away an aspect of the run. On options, take out the pitch man and make McGee turn it up and then hammer him. If they get in a short yardage situation, Lane is going to get his yards so don't even worry about it. Aggie ran the draw and the iso very well against the Cowboys with Lewis and Goodson. These guys are the ones that make the offense dangerous, not Lane. Stuff these two, and Lane isn't even in the game.
Shawn is going to have to have a big game again obviously. I'll never be confused with being a Bell apologist but it comforts me a little that he has beaten aggie before. We'll see I guess. I'm not confident either way. They have better players, we have a better staff. I really like the way Bradley has schemed for aggie the past two years. We've really taken away the option lately and if we do that on Saturday, that will take out a big part of their offense. We will have to play a complete game this time. They aren't Kansas. It will take the best game we've played so far.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Genius From the BearMeat Blog
It will take you about 3 seconds to see that BearMeat is an extremely different blog than Baylor Sports Unlimited, but man their latest post (first in a series of three) is just genius.
You definitely want to check this out!
You definitely want to check this out!
Looking to Texas A&M
This game might be the most difficult to figure out. I guess that's what happens when strength goes against weakness for both teams. Baylor's passing attack against A&Ms porous secondary. Texas A&Ms excellent rushing attack against a Baylor defense that has been struggling mightily against the run in the last 3 games.
It's hard to figure which one is going to overcome the other. Will Baylor come out strong enough to get ahead by 14-17 points by the third quarter to force A&M to throw the ball more? Will A&M wear down our defense with their three-headed monster and tough offensive line? It's a tough call.
And actually I think the answer comes down to something totally unrelated to either of those things: Baylor's offensive line vs. A&Ms defensive line.
If Baylor's OL can keep A&M off of Bells back and give him time to operate, like he had in the fourth quarter last weekend, then I think Baylor will be able to move the ball down the field in a hurry and score some points. But if they are able to get some pressure on Bell and sack him, or hurry his throws and force an INT or two, then we are going to get into trouble.
A&Ms rushing attack burns so much clock that we are going to have to maximize our drives and turn them into points. If we have a three and out, we might not get the ball back for another 6 minutes or so. The good news is that our receivers and running backs, not to mention OL will be rested. The bad news is that our defensive front 6 will not be.
I'll be back later with a more detailed preview. I leave this Thursday for England, so I won't have as much stuff this week as other weeks. I'll try to get some stuff done on the plane over there, and I'll be watching on CSTV so I'll catch the game.
It's hard to figure which one is going to overcome the other. Will Baylor come out strong enough to get ahead by 14-17 points by the third quarter to force A&M to throw the ball more? Will A&M wear down our defense with their three-headed monster and tough offensive line? It's a tough call.
And actually I think the answer comes down to something totally unrelated to either of those things: Baylor's offensive line vs. A&Ms defensive line.
If Baylor's OL can keep A&M off of Bells back and give him time to operate, like he had in the fourth quarter last weekend, then I think Baylor will be able to move the ball down the field in a hurry and score some points. But if they are able to get some pressure on Bell and sack him, or hurry his throws and force an INT or two, then we are going to get into trouble.
A&Ms rushing attack burns so much clock that we are going to have to maximize our drives and turn them into points. If we have a three and out, we might not get the ball back for another 6 minutes or so. The good news is that our receivers and running backs, not to mention OL will be rested. The bad news is that our defensive front 6 will not be.
I'll be back later with a more detailed preview. I leave this Thursday for England, so I won't have as much stuff this week as other weeks. I'll try to get some stuff done on the plane over there, and I'll be watching on CSTV so I'll catch the game.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
