Freemantle

[markchal]

Any insight into what's happening to his game? He was DOMINANT in the non-con, but seems like a completely different player in league play. I know it's a step up in competition, but I figured he would've been able to revert back to form against Butler's stiffs.

I think he's the key to this team getting to where we want to be. As great as our guard play has been, having a solid inside scoring presence is sorely needed. Maybe this team is missing Stanley more than I expected.

[xavierj]

Any insight into what's happening to his game? He was DOMINANT in the non-con, but seems like a completely different player in league play. I know it's a step up in competition, but I figured he would've been able to revert back to form against Butler's stiffs.

I think he's the key to this team getting to where we want to be. As great as our guard play has been, having a solid inside scoring presence is sorely needed. Maybe this team is missing Stanley more than I expected.

Not strong enough right now. It’s really that simple. Can’t establish position and when he backs a guy down they don’t go anywhere. He also always gets knocked off the block. I think the scouting report just says to be physical with him. I don’t see him being very efficient scoring the ball the rest of the way. He may need to take more 10-15 foot jumpers and less 3’s. He will need to spend all of his time in the weight room after the season.

[xu82]

He’s still young, and these are crazy times. Confidence is a huge factor and I hope he can regain that soon. It seems his finesse game struggles with power, And maybe his foul troubles caused him to doubt on the court.

Crazy season, so I won’t judge anyone too harshly when you are missing weeks at a time.

[xu82]

Not strong enough right now. It’s really that simple. Can’t establish position and when he backs a guy down they don’t go anywhere. He also always gets knocked off the block. I think the scouting report just says to be physical with him. I don’t see him being very efficient scoring the ball the rest of the way. He may need to take more 10-15 foot jumpers and less 3’s. He will need to spend all of his time in the weight room after the season.

I totally agree the weight room is going to be huge for him. He needs to be big and strong to battle inside, not just tall.

[xuwillie]

Dude should never get 36 minutes in big east play.

[Xville]

Yeah he needs to hit the weight room big time. Said that a few games ago. He gets pushed around a ton.

[XUGRAD80]

Dude should never get 36 minutes in big east play.

.......and who else should get those minutes? It's not like there are a ton of options. Griffin is limited in what he can do offensively, Miles evidently isn't near ready physically either, and Carter is already playing more than some people want him to. Right now, Freemantle is the best all-round person on the roster to fill the forward/center slot he is playing.

[Cincypunk.org]

.......and who else should get those minutes? It's not like there are a ton of options. Griffin is limited in what he can do offensively, Miles evidently isn't near ready physically either, and Carter is already playing more than some people want him to. Right now, Freemantle is the best all-round person on the roster to fill the forward/center slot he is playing.

To me Griffin seems extremely productive in the limited minutes he is seeing this year. Averaging 5 pts, 5 boards, and 1 block in 12 minutes per game while shooting 60%.

I would like to see more of him.

[XUGRAD80]

To me Griffin seems extremely productive in the limited minutes he is seeing this year. Averaging 5 pts, 5 boards, and 1 block in 12 minutes per game while shooting 60%.

I would like to see more of him.

Are you saying that you think he can be more productive than Fremantle? Or are you just saying that he could give Free more rest?

[whopper]

He needs more rest and Griffin can probably dig out an offensive rebound or two to make up for the offense. Zach in looking for the ball is not an offensive rebound threat (Karl Malone was a bad offensive rebounder as he was always looking to post, Rodman great as he did not want the ball). Zach needs more rest and Carter (who is my doppleganger 40 yrs younger and 5 inches taller) has lost confidence to pull the trigger on shots. For ex, 2 years ago in games that Welage started or played a lot he had 19 against Auburn!(natl final) and St Johns(in must win game) and other double figure games in close games. I love Carter but could not imagine hime doing that(and Welage was somewhat maligned). Carter gets some offensive rebound but more digging out long misses not putbacks.. There is no way Griffin(given his productivity) should play less than 15 min a game(for both Zach and Jason)

[bleedXblue]

How does Steele make a specific comment about Miles and how well he was practicing and not get him a few minutes last night? Especially when Free didn't play well. Makes really zero sense to me. He gets KyKy 3 minutes? He may as well just tell those guys to transfer right now. They aren't playing behind DAVID West and Tu Holloway.

[markchal]

When the game tightened, I don't think that's when you go to Tandy. He's not a factor defensively and offensively does his own thing, and rarely in flow with the offense. Also thought Kunkel was outstanding, and definitely earned his time. I did think we'd see a lot of Tandy, but if he can't get in against Butler with no Jones, I can't see him getting any real PT when Jones is back.

[AviatorX]

This is high-major D1 basketball. Why should Tandy or Miles be getting any minutes right now? You coach to win games now, especially in this weird shortened season where there are no cupcakes left.

[XUGRAD80]

How does Steele make a specific comment about Miles and how well he was practicing and not get him a few minutes last night? Especially when Free didn't play well. Makes really zero sense to me. He gets KyKy 3 minutes? He may as well just tell those guys to transfer right now. They aren't playing behind DAVID West and Tu Holloway.

Miles isn’t going anywhere. Keep in mind that this is in effect Mile’s FRESHMAN year. He’s got 3 more years left and nobody ahead of him after Griffin and Carter leave. In fact, X will be even thinner experience wise on the front line next year, than they are this year. Miles has an excellent chance of getting a lot of minutes next year, and could possibly even be a starter, and he’s still very young in age.

Can’t say the same things about Tandy. Even though he has 3 years eligibility left after this year, he is certainly behind several other young players on the depth chart. From what I’ve seen out of him this last 2 months, and from what we’ve seen from the true freshman players, I have no problem with how he’s being used and no worries if he does choose to leave. X is going to be in excellent shape guard/wing wise for the next 3 years, with or without Tandy.

[xavierj]

This is high-major D1 basketball. Why should Tandy or Miles be getting any minutes right now? You coach to win games now, especially in this weird shortened season where there are no cupcakes left.

Because maybe Tandy will make you better down the road. Last night Tandy was fine on defense when he was in. When they got up 20 he should have been in, but instead we had Odom go one on one and miss three layups, Free takes two threes and misses both and Nate pulls up from 30 feet out and about breaks the basket when Butler has a man down. Tandy is supposedly the best shooter in the team and is athletic, giving him three minutes is stupid. Travis is not handling him well at all. He is just a guy that will take a bad shot sometimes and you have to let him play through it. You still beat butler even if he plays 15 to 20 minutes and maybe he figures out how to play his role within the system, but you cannot do that in three minutes and last night provided an opportunity to get him more time. We lose him and next year you will have one PG who teams will just sit off of and beg him to shoot. It won’t be pretty. Xavier will need Tandy to knock down shots next year because Paul and Nate will be gone.

[bleedXblue]

This is high-major D1 basketball. Why should Tandy or Miles be getting any minutes right now? You coach to win games now, especially in this weird shortened season where there are no cupcakes left.

We were up 20 and had comfortable leads throughout the first half and early 2nd half. At what point and against who do you start developing guys and rewarding them for playing their asses off in practice? Again, I didn't say play either one of them significant or substantial minutes. But get them some time.

[bleedXblue]

Because maybe Tandy will make you better down the road. Last night Tandy was fine on defense when he was in. When they got up 20 he should have been in, but instead we had Odom go one on one and miss three layups, Free takes two threes and misses both and Nate pulls up from 30 feet out and about breaks the basket when Butler has a man down. Tandy is supposedly the best shooter in the team and is athletic, giving him three minutes is stupid. Travis is not handling him well at all. He is just a guy that will take a bad shot sometimes and you have to let him play through it. You still beat butler even if he plays 15 to 20 minutes and maybe he figures out how to play his role within the system, but you cannot do that in three minutes and last night provided an opportunity to get him more time. We lose him and next year you will have one PG who teams will just sit off of and beg him to shoot. It won’t be pretty. Xavier will need Tandy to knock down shots next year because Paul and Nate will be gone.

exactly

[Xuperman]

And in other news, Zach Freemantle is struggling to score for some reason.

[Xavier]

It’s just a huge turnaround. The guy was on a different level to start the season. Solid post game, draining 3s, nailing 15 footers. He was the leader of this team. Now he just sort of runs to pick and pop. Frustrating because he can bring so much more.

Also I agree with other posters, if you won’t try to develop some guys up 20 against a bottom team in the big East, when will you? Obviously tough because the guys he kept in did give up a monster run which I guess points to the “no lead is safe” argument. But bring Tandy in, wouldn’t have been worse than the guys that let butler back in it.

[xavierj]

It’s just a huge turnaround. The guy was on a different level to start the season. Solid post game, draining 3s, nailing 15 footers. He was the leader of this team. Now he just sort of runs to pick and pop. Frustrating because he can bring so much more.

Also I agree with other posters, if you won’t try to develop some guys up 20 against a bottom team in the big East, when will you? Obviously tough because the guys he kept in did give up a monster run which I guess points to the “no lead is safe” argument. But bring Tandy in, wouldn’t have been worse than the guys that let butler back in it.

Yeah if the first half with Tandy, Wicher, Odom, Johnson and Free on the floor that group stretched the lead from 8 to 14. Should have gone to that lineup again in the 2nd half for a bit. The run in 2nd half happened because of bad shots and a few guys got tired. Steele did not manage a large part of the 2nd half very well, but thankfully the last three or four minutes the team got back on track a bit.

[bleedXblue]

Yeah if the first half with Tandy, Wicher, Odom, Johnson and Free on the floor that group stretched the lead from 8 to 14. Should have gone to that lineup again in the 2nd half for a bit. The run in 2nd half happened because of bad shots and a few guys got tired. Steele did not manage a large part of the 2nd half very well, but thankfully the last three or four minutes the team got back on track a bit.

Butler started taking the ball to the basket and inside the paint on about 10 straight possessions to get back into the game and scored on about 80% of them. Made a lot of sense b/c they don't have many good shooters. What didn't make sense was not making a defensive adjustment whatsoever. We went zone for one possession and stopped them. Thankfully we shot the ball well and answered their run when we had to.

[xavierj]

Butler started taking the ball to the basket and inside the paint on about 10 straight possessions to get back into the game and scored on about 80% of them. Made a lot of sense b/c they don't have many good shooters. What didn't make sense was not making a defensive adjustment whatsoever. We went zone for one possession and stopped them. Thankfully we shot the ball well and answered their run when we had to.

I get all that but the bigger problem was Xavier not scoring. They let up a 13-0 run. Odom missed three good looks driving to the basket and Free took two dumb threes. I mean you make the run 13-6, instead of 13-0 and the lead never gets below 13 and you cruise. That sequence was not handled well. Yes they should have changed the defense, but also run some good sets to get the right guys taking shots. Butler was daring Odom to shoot and wanted Free taking threes. Hopefully the coaches learned something during that sequence.