GDT Vandy at Mizzou

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When the game started & we let Vandy have an open 3 & a dunk while we turned it over twice, I was thinking (combined with the TX loss) that we were starting the late season swoon a littler earlier this year. Then we got it together & played really well for the next 28 minutes as we built a big lead. As it grew, I was looking at the clock & thinking "too much time". But when it was 21 points with 8+ minutes left people around me were smiling & feeling good; me too. Since it was an 8pm game & the second half had many reviews, etc. people even started to leave. Then most everything turned Vandy's way. Even as it got closer & closer, I thought, "no way!, right?" We hit our FT's & finally even after Vandy hit every shot we had a one pt lead & the ball with 1.6 seconds left. You could see Mitch thinking, "don't get someone trapped in the corner again, throw it long". If he throws it into the backcourt & it's touched the game is over. Only, don't throw it to mid-court & don't throw it to the other team! As the ball hit the rim everyone's eyes nearly popped out of our heads. A collective gasp & looks of bewilderment were all around me. Then we realized WE WON! Weird feeling, I think everyone was thinking how we nearly really Mizzou'd that one.

It was definitely a game of big runs. Missouri had a big one in the 1st half and a big one in the 2nd half, and Vandy had a big one at the end. Yeah, the Tigers had some bad TOs, but Vandy made some really good defensive plays to get them, and then they couldn't miss after missing most of the night. It happens. Arky blew a 15-point lead late at Bama and lost in 2 OT. Vandy is a very good team with an elite PG. Credit to them for the comeback. And to the Tigers for scoring just enough and making their FTs to hold them off.

[winonsports]

Marv, if you're going to give up on the team after two possessions, then you need to take Mizzou out of your name.

[LCA1951]

This was so awful even the Gates apologist took the night off

Did they lose? In sports Winning Matters and Sulking does not. The critics of any winning team are not fans but haters, the 0-18 crowd. Not pleased because they won says it All.

Idk, that win sure felt like a loss.

Wake up to reality

[rezero]

For those asking why Mizzou inbounded into the corner on the press so many times...you DO realize there's another team out there, right? The whole object of the press is to FORCE a pass into the corner. Every defender hedges his man toward the corner. It isn't stupidity on the part of the inbounding team. They have five seconds to get it in, and if they don't find somebody to pass to in the first two or three seconds, the ONLY way to get it in is to pass to the guy in the corner, which the defense is purposely leaving open. The key to beating it is for the player who gets the inbounds pass to make an instant decision to pass out of it before the double comes, or as Barrett did a couple times, take the pass and instantly dribble out, splitting the double team. Mizzou's problem beating it is that neither Barrett nor Robinson made quick decisions, they took the pass and looked everything over. If you look, you're too late. To beat it, you have to KNOW where the outlet pass needs to go, which means trusting your teammates to make themselves available for it.

And give Vandy credit. Tanner is a heck of a player. He almost single-handedly won that game.

Rvrarst if teams only did what the defense wanted them to do they would lose every game. I agree with your second point as you described it well. Barrett and Robinson had nobody else on the court moving to help them. You design plays to get the ball in bounds and up the court. Missouri seemed to only be coached on getting it in bounds and then hope for the best. If you pass into the corner, you need to have two options available for that player. I have seen plays where you have someone come up from half court and pick the guy covering the in bounds player, then he gets open. And if covered, the picking player rolls back towards half court. Another play is you get one of the guard picking the defensive player of the other guard, etc… There are a million possible plays. Mizzou had no plan once the get it inbounds as even after they coughed it up twice they still did the same thing again and again.

Glad we won, but should not even have been close.

[icon]

For those asking why Mizzou inbounded into the corner on the press so many times...you DO realize there's another team out there, right? The whole object of the press is to FORCE a pass into the corner. Every defender hedges his man toward the corner. It isn't stupidity on the part of the inbounding team. They have five seconds to get it in, and if they don't find somebody to pass to in the first two or three seconds, the ONLY way to get it in is to pass to the guy in the corner, which the defense is purposely leaving open. The key to beating it is for the player who gets the inbounds pass to make an instant decision to pass out of it before the double comes, or as Barrett did a couple times, take the pass and instantly dribble out, splitting the double team. Mizzou's problem beating it is that neither Barrett nor Robinson made quick decisions, they took the pass and looked everything over. If you look, you're too late. To beat it, you have to KNOW where the outlet pass needs to go, which means trusting your teammates to make themselves available for it.

And give Vandy credit. Tanner is a heck of a player. He almost single-handedly won that game.

Rvrarst if teams only did what the defense wanted them to do they would lose every game. I agree with your second point as you described it well. Barrett and Robinson had nobody else on the court moving to help them. You design plays to get the ball in bounds and up the court. Missouri seemed to only be coached on getting it in bounds and then hope for the best. If you pass into the corner, you need to have two options available for that player. I have seen plays where you have someone come up from half court and pick the guy covering the in bounds player, then he gets open. And if covered, the picking player rolls back towards half court. Another play is you get one of the guard picking the defensive player of the other guard, etc… There are a million possible plays. Mizzou had no plan once the get it inbounds as even after they coughed it up twice they still did the same thing again and again.

Glad we won, but should not even have been close.

Most of the TOs occurred after they initially broke the press. One bad pass after another. The Tigers didn't have much trouble with A&M's full court press the entire game as they committed only 7 TOs in that game. Of course, Vandy has more talent.

[Sophrosyne]

Happy to get one... hopefully some work done on breaking the press. We've struggled mightily against it this year.

Nice to see Ant rebound in the second half- we needed some positive contributions from him.

Mitchell with a terrible shooting night- made some great assists earlier, braindead passes late.

Burns offered positive minutes. He's not strong enough to fight and retain rebounds, but his height was a challenge for Vandy in the paint.

Phillips- boneheaded fouls just plague him. Reach in foul 1.5 minutes into the second half send him to the bench for 10 mins.

TO- ran the offense to a T for the majority of the game- he sometimes pushes his own offense a little too much, but for a guy starting his 7th game, hard to be disappointed in his play. Made some great assists last night, and steady at the line.

Pierce- got heated up and ended up with a good shooting night- He's a problem for most defenders when he's attacking the rim.

Stone- closest thing we have to instant offense. Dude just understands the game...we go away from him too often when we need a basket.

Just gets tougher from here. MIZ

Yeah, I agree with your points. Both our strengths and weaknesses were on full display. But, hey, we beat a good team. I would love 3 more wins as the conference play winds down. That would be great. 2 more conference wins gets us in, I hope.