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MBB Game 11: App State @ LJVM - Wednesday 7 pm - ACCN

Those 1.3 seconds may have represented a sort of fork in the road for this season as we enter league play.

Miss that shot and we’re in a bit of ignominious shock, being the first Wake team to lose to App in twenty some years. Combined with our other losses that include overtime and losing leads, confidence could really start to plummet.

Hit that shot and everybody is gleefully tackling Carr on the court, a huge bonding moment for a team still trying to find its identity.

For 18-22 year olds, those few inches between swish and brick probably have massive psychological impact.
 
This roster is very banged up and also just not very talented right now. The best way I can describe it is it feels like we're watching guys that would be bench options on good ACC teams be starters and watching guys that wouldn't play on good teams be our bench options. Bobi shouldn't be near the floor yet, I'm sorry. He'll be good for us down the road, he just needs a significant amount of reps and development. But on this team, he has to be a bench option. Carr seems like a solid reserve 4/5 option that would have good games depending on matchups, but for this team he's a starter and key player. Marsh is a bruiser that would spell a starting 5 and play bigger minutes with certain matchup, but not start on most teams.

What I want to see this year is development. I don't want Bobi afraid to take offensive initiative in February. I don't want Marsh incapable of hitting free throws in February. I want to see Ituka healthy and playing under control in February. I want to see Keller be comfortable taking the pick and pop 3 and be stronger around the basket and on the boards by February. This development is more important than any individual game this year, because this is a core we are trying to build around for the next 2+ years.
 
Strickland33 said:
NJDeac'22 - we gotta balance these vibes man

what's the last piece of art that moved you?

what's the funniest thing you have seen or read in the past year?
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Lol. I think my vibes are fine. I think we have a decent core of young talent in this basketball program, we're just missing an already developed 4 and 5 this year. We're literally just missing Jake and Dallas and with them would be a top 25 team with young guys developing in the shadows. With them gone I think we're just seeing some talent play before it's ready, and we're also dealing with nagging injuries to a backcourt that will have to be this team's strength to win. I think this team will have some very positive highlights just not sure the talent level (and more the level of experienced talent) is where it needs to be to finish in the top 6 or so of the ACC which would be necessary to go dancing.
 
All I know is if we beat Rutgers, we will be 9-2 OOC, which is acceptable for this year's slate.
 
atldeac23 said:
Bobi had a drive early in the game where he was blocked by someone 6 inches shorter than him and then he kind of gave up. He barely gets off the floor when he jumps most times. But yes, I would like to see him be more aggressive because trying is at least better than what he currently does (nothing).
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Go back and look at that play (if you care) because after getting beat and giving up on the play he got back on defense, stayed with the play, and got the steal that lead to a bucket. Thought it was a great learning experience to show him.
 
deaconson said:
Go back and look at that play (if you care) because after getting beat and giving up on the play he got back on defense, stayed with the play, and got the steal that lead to a bucket. Thought it was a great learning experience to show him.
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That's a good point, I had forgot about that play. In general though, he's really struggled on defense.
 
Finally got a chance to watch the game. Obviously, good game for Carr and a great shot at the end. People knocking him for not getting more boards need to realize that he doesn't have as many opportunities for boards as they might suspect. He's a stretch 4 and he's often guarding a man out on the perimeter. On offense, he's often standing at the 3 point line leaving space for a dribble drive or for Marsh. It's not like he's camped down low and just not getting boards.

The ball movement overall was much better for the team as a whole.

Bobi's booby at the end of the game where he lost track of his man who canned the 3 to put them up 1 was big. But don't lose sight of the fact that Bobi had just blocked a guy in the same possession. Bobi otherwise had a really good game. He's going to be hella good and if he starts making 3's, we're going to be hopeful we can keep him for 2 years. Just incredible feel and fluidity at 6'10.

Ituka looked a lot better. We're going to need him.

Marsh is just getting better every game.

Our best lineup at this point is probably Appleby, Cam, Monsanto, Carr, and Marsh. However, the caveat being if Monsanto actually uses his brain. I'm a massive Monsanto critic and thought it was great that Forbes broke out the bench stick on him. But I also recognize he's long and talented. If Monsanto gets with the program, he's a phenomenal 3. But Bobi's coming at that 3/4 spot.
 
It's getting late early for Monsanto. Seasons damn near halfway gone soon and he hasnt gotten it together. As much as I want him to.
 
The need to diagram the play may have been greater because Appleby was out and (at least some) roles on the play were most likely changed from what had been practiced.
 
NJDeac’22 said:
This roster is very banged up and also just not very talented right now. The best way I can describe it is it feels like we're watching guys that would be bench options on good ACC teams be starters and watching guys that wouldn't play on good teams be our bench options. Bobi shouldn't be near the floor yet, I'm sorry. He'll be good for us down the road, he just needs a significant amount of reps and development. But on this team, he has to be a bench option. Carr seems like a solid reserve 4/5 option that would have good games depending on matchups, but for this team he's a starter and key player. Marsh is a bruiser that would spell a starting 5 and play bigger minutes with certain matchup, but not start on most teams.

What I want to see this year is development. I don't want Bobi afraid to take offensive initiative in February. I don't want Marsh incapable of hitting free throws in February. I want to see Ituka healthy and playing under control in February. I want to see Keller be comfortable taking the pick and pop 3 and be stronger around the basket and on the boards by February. This development is more important than any individual game this year, because this is a core we are trying to build around for the next 2+ years.
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This is where I am. This team just isn’t good. Below average talent and young with upperclassmen that either can’t shoot or can’t stop shooting. But the future doesn’t have to be totally dark. Play the guys who want to improve and are willing to play with others. Develop the young guys and continue to recruit Bobi/Keller et al to stay. You do that with appropriate playing time and working on them relentlessly to improve their skill set. Those with bubble dreams - I just don’t understand what you’ve seen that I haven’t. We show flashes. But flashes are just that. Plethora of reasons we blew LMU, Clemson and LSU (and App). And it ain’t “Monsanto needs to play”. This is likely to be a very rough stretch ahead.
 
The good news is that if we go 8-12 in conference like KP has us, then we go 16-15 in the regular season, which would be great if it's our new floor.

Give the young guys a year in the weight room and then add in another PG/Combo guard from the portal for next year and we should be a 20+ win team with a decent OOC SOS.

I think that's promising.
 
Not sure if 16-15 gets us in the NIT. Probably need 18-19 wins.
 
TripleDeac21 said:
It’s not about trust. Monsanto obviously screwed up royally or is not cutting it in practice, off the court, in the classroom, or whatever. Listen to Forbes’ postgame presser from last night. At the very end he addresses this. And you’re right. Monsanto and Forbes are no strangers to one another. Even more reason why Monsanto should know better. Credit to Forbes for standing his ground. I mean he is the HC after all.
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I'm not going to credit a coach for refusing to play a healthy (physically at least, I don't want to speculate about mental health) player he's coached for 3 years. You either learn that a guy is "uncoachable" and cut ties after a season or 2, or you play him. You don't sit him entire games mid-season to make a point. Now if this was a disciplinary issue related to unacceptable behavior off the court, then that's a different scenario, but that's not seemingly what's being presented.
 
atldeac23 said:
Not sure if 16-15 gets us in the NIT. Probably need 18-19 wins.
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Nah. Not this year with this schedule. 16-15 probably does the job as long as we win a theoretical first round ACC game, 17 regular wins is a lock. Even with the ACC seen as down because of some teams (BC, FSU, Louisville) being truly horrendous, we only play those teams once each, and play Duke, UNC, State, Notre Dame all twice. Add in games against Wisconsin (a win that will just get better and better), Rutgers, LSU (still can't believe we lost that game, such a throw away), and even Utah Valley and it's just such an improved schedule over last year.
 
WGAF about the NIT, not our goal. Don't care one bit about making that. NCAA or bust. And if we can't make it thats fine but to worry about the NIT is not something Im going to spend energy on.
 
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