Comments

Thanks again for the post, Dan.  Thanks also for quoting Ari Stewart. 

It is great to know that at least one of the players understands what needs to be done from a mental standpoint (that’s especially the case with Ari Stewart, because he can really be special if he puts the game together mentally).  That tells me that Coach Bzdelik has done a good job of explaining what he wants on the offensive end.  It is an important first step in the right direction to be sure.  The next step is to drill those expectations into the players’ minds to the point where they translate into the players’ natural instinct.  Basketball is such a fluid game that players don’t have time to think about how to properly execute.  They just have to do it. 

With so much of their development at the AAU level (where such nuances of the game are often lost), today’s players have a significant adjustment to make if they want to excel in the ACC.  Last year’s offense relied completely on Ish Smith running around and making plays, so no one this year’s squad really has experience with the type of offense that Coach Bzdelik wants.  It’s going to take awhile.  But if it starts to click, this can still be a fun team to watch (and it can be a competitive team in the future).

DC on 11/15/2010 (4:14 pm)

Ironic that you mention the game in Huntington. I was there with my father, who was an alumnus of Marshall. I am a native of Huntington.  It was indeed a very long night for the Deacs—the bad memory I have was how poorly we guarded the three point shooter. The only good memory was my father complimenting me on how “polite” I was to all of his friends after the game. At least something good came from the game.

steve h on 11/15/2010 (2:48 pm)