couldn't help thinking about paul harvey as i watched the griz-hornet game last night. what are we not seeing with this team?
bumpy flight down? two-day sleepover in the lobby of the denver airport? time change? flu bug got this team down?
the team walked in during the second half of the sac state-northern arizona women's game (first game of a doubleheader) and they looked like zombies. for the first 25 minutes of the game, they played like zombies. sac state out-hustled, out-sped, out-quicked, out-jumped, out-played us. they contested every pass, every three-point shot, and pressured the ball the minute we crossed half-court. we walked the ball up, put no pressure on their guards, turned the ball over and over and over (many times on careless, lazy passes) and missed free throw after free throw, while thoroughly quieting a nice turnout of griz fans. we got off to a 5-0 lead, but after that, sac state ran the lead up to 17 points, and we never got closer--until our kids finally woke up about half way through the second half.
then: the talent became evident. bryan ellis put on a one-man press, seriously disrupting sac state's offense. jordan hasquet came alive, throwing down a monster jam off a base-line drive. austin swift knifed to the basket on a beautiful athletic move, then drained a three. the touted shooter ryan staudacher showed his stuff, draining a three and nearly hitting another. kyle sharp banked in a three. suddenly it was sac state that looked harried, disorganized, a bit panicked. but for a couple of threes that rimmed out, we might have tied this game up--a remarkable 17-point rally in the second half.
but where was the team until then? do they think they can play one half per game and still compete in the big sky? a year ago, you could feel the energy from our team from the opening tip. criswell hustled always. you never knew when krysko was going to go off--at a ref, or an erring playing. last year, we won a tight game. this year, we stuggled to even MAKE it a tight game.
the great teams play 40 minutes, night in and night out. they seldom take five minutes off, let along three-fourths of the game. their coaches--bobby knight, jud heathcote, roy williams, coach k--wouldn't stand for it. last night, the griz took off 25 minutes.
this team has a lot of talent. but they have to start playing hard. they've got to hustle from the opening tip, got to play better perimiter defense (which again is a matter of hustle), got to pressue the ball more, have to play quicker or sharper, or the nice two-year tradition we've got going is going to be history, and we'll be back in the middle of the pack of a mediocre conference.
bumpy flight down? two-day sleepover in the lobby of the denver airport? time change? flu bug got this team down?
the team walked in during the second half of the sac state-northern arizona women's game (first game of a doubleheader) and they looked like zombies. for the first 25 minutes of the game, they played like zombies. sac state out-hustled, out-sped, out-quicked, out-jumped, out-played us. they contested every pass, every three-point shot, and pressured the ball the minute we crossed half-court. we walked the ball up, put no pressure on their guards, turned the ball over and over and over (many times on careless, lazy passes) and missed free throw after free throw, while thoroughly quieting a nice turnout of griz fans. we got off to a 5-0 lead, but after that, sac state ran the lead up to 17 points, and we never got closer--until our kids finally woke up about half way through the second half.
then: the talent became evident. bryan ellis put on a one-man press, seriously disrupting sac state's offense. jordan hasquet came alive, throwing down a monster jam off a base-line drive. austin swift knifed to the basket on a beautiful athletic move, then drained a three. the touted shooter ryan staudacher showed his stuff, draining a three and nearly hitting another. kyle sharp banked in a three. suddenly it was sac state that looked harried, disorganized, a bit panicked. but for a couple of threes that rimmed out, we might have tied this game up--a remarkable 17-point rally in the second half.
but where was the team until then? do they think they can play one half per game and still compete in the big sky? a year ago, you could feel the energy from our team from the opening tip. criswell hustled always. you never knew when krysko was going to go off--at a ref, or an erring playing. last year, we won a tight game. this year, we stuggled to even MAKE it a tight game.
the great teams play 40 minutes, night in and night out. they seldom take five minutes off, let along three-fourths of the game. their coaches--bobby knight, jud heathcote, roy williams, coach k--wouldn't stand for it. last night, the griz took off 25 minutes.
this team has a lot of talent. but they have to start playing hard. they've got to hustle from the opening tip, got to play better perimiter defense (which again is a matter of hustle), got to pressue the ball more, have to play quicker or sharper, or the nice two-year tradition we've got going is going to be history, and we'll be back in the middle of the pack of a mediocre conference.
