Suggestions, ideas, comments

[PlayerRep]

kemp just lit up portland state for one rebound and three fouls. he's on the brink of a monster breakout game. player rep will let us know when it happens. until then, he'll claim it already has.

Kemp had the 7th most minutes in the PSU game.

Kemp already had his break out game a week ago. Sac St, UM's only conference win. 10 points on 5-8 shooting. 7 rebounds. 3 steals. 1 block. 24 minutes.

Note that several posters, above, say Kemp should be starting.

While you normally seem to know something about basketball, you must not be paying attention on this one.

One game does not make a break out. I have been filled with high hopes for Kemp all year. But those hopes are waining. Until I see him being able to shoot 12 to 15 foot shots facing the basket (and make them), which he has not done at all, defend the interior which he has not done a good job of all year with a one-game exception, and rebound the ball more aggressively I am reserving judgment on him. Size is not his issue. Athletic talent in not his issue. Position is, moving his feet is, understanding the game is and if anyone watches Barden and Huskisson this week they will see what Kemp is missing. They will also see what the coaches keep telling him he must do. While there is hope this season is starting to go by quickly and it I feel that it is going to be a long journey for him to travel.

Personally I think he may be too nice of a kid and need a little "meanness" inserted in his body. Where is the Butte mentality when we need it?

By the way PR just because citay doesn't agree with you does not make him wrong. In my opinion I think he has this nailed. Time will tell!!

Citay said Kemp had not had a "breakout game". That's one game. He's had a breakout game.

Kemp is a far better rebounder than the other two posts. Kemp leads the team in offensive rebounds. He makes some mistakes, but with his athleticism and jumping ability, he defends as well as the other posts most of the time. He's a better scorer than the other posts, and can score with his back to the basket or facing the basket. I'm guessing he's not an outside shooter. I don't think I've seen him take a shot away from the basket all season.

Do you go to the games? If you agree with Citay, then you are not paying attention either.

 

[PlayerRep]

I think we can all agree Kemp has under-whelmed so far.



Honestly, I think this team really misses Mathias Ward. We all knew he was a solid player, but I think we may likely have underestimated the huge impact he had on the team. Perhaps he was the glue that held it all together.

He was tough as nails, could board it, could dish it, could score it from inside, medium range and out (very rare these days), and he was obviously extremely intelligent with a high BB IQ. I have a feeling he was a quiet leader and a presence on the floor that this year's team desperately needs.

I don't agree that Kemp has "under-welmed", so we don't all agree. How would you rate Hutch and Martin? Are you impressed with their play?

 

[EverettGriz]

I think we can all agree Kemp has under-whelmed so far.



Honestly, I think this team really misses Mathias Ward. We all knew he was a solid player, but I think we may likely have underestimated the huge impact he had on the team. Perhaps he was the glue that held it all together.

He was tough as nails, could board it, could dish it, could score it from inside, medium range and out (very rare these days), and he was obviously extremely intelligent with a high BB IQ. I have a feeling he was a quiet leader and a presence on the floor that this year's team desperately needs.

I don't agree that Kemp has "under-welmed", so we don't all agree. How would you rate Hutch and Martin? Are you impressed with their play?

99.9996% of us agree. 100% of sane, knowledgeable fans agree.

Hutch and Martin have underwhelmed.

How would you rate the price of tea in China, since we're now evidently discussing issues unrelated to Kemp's play?

 

[Grizzly Oredigger]

...handz up on defense...
...translatez to the offensive end...
...make yourself big/make yourself present...
...basketball iz hard/keep your fricking handz up...

... ...

Ahhhhhh the fundamentals...who needs those?

 

[statler & waldorf]

Jamar is the only bright spot this year, otherwise PFTTTTTTTTT! The Griz needed to recruit out of state for this??? Keep the tuition money for in-state kids if this is the level of performance one can expect. Looks like a couple years of bad recruiting has come home to roost.

 

[AllWeatherFan]

Mario Dunn will go down as one of the best guards in Griz history. Bank on it.

 

[Potomac Griz]

Jamar is the only bright spot this year, otherwise PFTTTTTTTTT! The Griz needed to recruit out of state for this??? Keep the tuition money for in-state kids if this is the level of performance one can expect. Looks like a couple years of bad recruiting has come home to roost.

I'd say Gregory, DeShields and Dunn have been bright spots as well. Our problems are in the post right now and with defensive mistakes. Gfeller has also shown some potential but is going through a bit of a shooting slump right now.

If we recruit primarily in state we will not see another NCAA tournament again. Hell, we probably wouldn't see another Big Sky tournament again.

The top talent in the state would continue to go elsewhere. We're a low mid major right now in an awful conference. If we were a low mid major that was one of the worst teams in the NCAAs do you think that top Montana talent would all of a sudden start signing with the Griz? Nope!

We'd end up with a bunch of players who would be better fits in D2 or NAIA...and yet we'd be attempting to compete at the D1 level. That wouldn't work too well.

 

[statler & waldorf]

Good points, Potomac. The Griz don't seem to have two cents worth of motivation, and whatever is being done to correct the problem ISN'T WORKING(at least up to the ND game). Paying out of state players to come to Missoula and play like they have is a waste of Montana taxpayer money.

 

[Zirg]

We've been in the NCAA tourney 2 straight years with only 1? real native-Montanan contribution. Don't even try to start with that crap the second things go south. You gotta get the talent wherever it is, and Montana is a barren wasteland in the D-1 basketball landscape. Tinkle would be all over a legit player in Montana (besides his son) if there was any here. It will be beyond ironic when Tres is "the one that got away" on him.

 

[Savage74]

Until Weisner can show some more consistency his minutes need to be cut back. He played 29 mins the other night and scored 5 points on 2-6 shooting, didn't get to the line at all, pulled down 1 reb which is 1 more than a dead guy and had 1 TO 1BLK 1 STL. However, I have no solution on who to replace him with since Kemp in 15 mins of PT grabbed 0 rebs (which ties a dead guy) and scored 3 pts. The scoring not a big deal, but a post who can't get 2-3 rebs in at least 15 mins of PT is not good. A very frustrating situation and it is probably a good thing for Tinkle that his hair turned white a long time ago.

 

[UMGriz75]

Good points, Potomac. The Griz don't seem to have two cents worth of motivation, and whatever is being done to correct the problem ISN'T WORKING(at least up to the ND game).

It's difficult to see what the problem really is. Maybe last year, with a natural leader like Matthias Ward, that everyone looked up to (!), there was a steady hand at the tiller. Will Cherry, too. Motivation? I can't look at Jordan Gregory's performances and not think that is one highly motivated kid; but, something is clearly not firing on all cylinders with this team.

Two games, they have come out motivated, played like a "team" and the outcomes weren't in doubt. Other games, spurts of real talent and fire; and then ... plop.

Kareem is not a natural leader. He's stoic. You can see it in his game play. He'll rack up points. He will always rack up points. That's what he does. But there's not a lot of fire for his teammates there. Gregory is a natural leader, but emotional. I can see him burning out with this team and getting frustrated. DeShields wants to play. Weisner plays with intensity, but when he goes cold, he goes cold. Kemp? Lopez? Gfeller? Bradshaw? Dunn?

The most consistently improved is Hutch. It's not huge, but every game he does one or two baskets better, and one or two rebounds more. Two or three more years and ....

In the last game, Andy missed three turnaround jumpers that should be his stock-in-trade. And there was nothing between his hand, the ball, and the basket. Just missed them. He's doing better on defense, but not playing enough time to improve much at anything.

There's something that seems to happen pre-game that really weighs on these guys. You can see it when they come out; whether it will be a good game for them or not. They can play basketball. I don't think that's the problem. It's something else.

 

[GrizLA]

You have hit the nail on the head. The fire doesn't seem to be there as in earlier games and most of last year. Some of these kids have great talent and have shown it in a couple of games and in off season rounds. Could it be that they are over coached? Often they look at the bench for certain directions rather than play on. Wayne never stops teaching and coaching but, maybe I am off base, here, sometimes, you just have to trust they got the message and know what the coach wants. I am not sure if that is the problem with this year's Griz team, but there is something, as you said. They seem tentative and afraid to make mistakes, and Hutch might not have the confidence he should. He is highly capable of a good game and saved a few wins last season. It is like he is surprised when the ball comes to him and he is not ready. Such things can snowball on a team already not quite what was expected. Of course, the lack of a true big guy would solve some issues...alas.

 

[first11]

As posted in prior inputs, the over coaching seems to be the norm. Long gone are the days of coaches actually sitting for most of game. Wayne, like his peers, spends a lot of tme on the court and it does appear that players interact with him looking for direction and game flow suffers.

We have some very good athletes but as a unit appear to lack that team chemistry critical to consistent play.

The season is not lost but urgency rises, wins at ISU and Weber would be huge.

 

[zengriz]

...need to pound Utah...
...like the proverbial...
...red headed step child...

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