I don’t think you need to run a set offense if you teach players enough variety to pass the ball around, particularly inside leading to easy shots, layups, or dunks. I think improvisation in effective passing can be learned with good practice drills, taught by a good coach.

I think if someone closely analyzed the shots taken by Creighton and by Cal, Creighton had much easier and essentially uncontested shots than Cal, as a percentage of all shots each team took. In my mind, that essentially was difference in the score. Same thing occurred in the Wisconsin game, but the game was such a rout the percentage of good, uncontested shots, didn’t make a difference. Again, I didn’t see the UNLV game. But I am going to the UCSB game. Looking forward to seeing some good passing in that game, leading to easy shots being taken.

What I do agree with is one of the Bigs has to live in the low block. If the Big does, the guards have to feed the post – which, imo, they don’t do enough of – to encourage the Big to stay down there, take shots and bang for O rebounds. If the Big doesn’t stay in the low block or the guards don’t feed the post, “Hello, bench.”

Like I said above, imo, the cobb, crabbe, kreklow, wallace and Big/Kravish combination esp during second half really had the ball moving/player movement. The combo had good spacing that resulted in some slick give and go’s and open looks.

Of course the season isn’t over. My problem is that I think we have really good talent, with the strongest being the non-bigs, but we haven’t played up to potential. I am frustrated watching the other teams exhibit more discipline and smarts in getting good clean looks at the basket, unlike Cal, which doesn’t get them because we free lance and go one on one too much. I respect Monty a lot, but I think he should see this and correct it. Big forwards who only play inside taking 3-pointers exhibits that he is not imposing enough discipline on the team to play smart basketball.

BTW, if Crabbe decides not to leave, Cal should be really strong with Bird coming in (and others). We only lose Thurman so will have to go small, but the guys we have in non-post positions will be really good and deep. I agree that Monty has done a much better job in recruiting recently, but we need to get more big forwards. Maybe they only really grow them a lot outside of the West. Seems like when we go to the NCAA’s we face a team much bigger than we are.

Let’s see if we can make the tourney this year and remember our recruiting class is finally decent for next year.

1. Soloman — I also was devastated to watch him try and make a 3-pointer. Now, because he made that shot, do we have to suffer through the inevitable 15 straight 3-pointer misses from him?

My discipline rule for Soloman — YOU WILL COME RIGHT OUT OF THE GAME IF YOU SHOOT ANY SHOT FROM OUTSIDE OF 5 FEET (Monty can substitute a different number, but I hope it is not more than 10). BTW, last year I said when Kamp graduated that we had nobody good with post moves I believe Soloman tried to learn some, but either you have that talent or you don’t. I don’t think he does. But I think he does other things well.

2. The entire team — unless there is a fast break, if a player brings the ball up over the center court line and shoots without first passing the ball to a teammate, he will be taken out of the game as soon as possible. Watching Cal play is like watching a pro game, where guys go one on one all of the time and take hard, acrobatic, shots with guys hanging all over them.

Cal’s talent is obviously nowhere near that of NBA players. They need to pass the ball, hopefully using good schemes taught to them by Monty in practice, so they can get good looks when they shoot, and this means not having an opponent have his hand in your face. There are no stats kept on this (though it would be interesting if there were), but I think the shooting percentage of most players goes way down when someone has a hand in their face compared to when there is not). Since this seems to happen to Cal much more than their opponents, Cal’s shooting percentage ends up much lower than it otherwise should be.

I think Crabbe is, by far, the worst offender in taking hard, acrobatic, shots with guys hanging all over them, followed by Cobbs. You didn’t see that happening with Creighton’s best player, McDermott. That guy was disciplined and put himself into position where he wasn’t forcing the ball up to the basket.

Getting the ball in the hands of a player who is in a position to take a high percentage shot is all about good coaching and I’m not seeing it from the way Cal is now playing. Maybe this is all a sign that Monty doesn’t really care anymore, as maybe he’s thinking of retirement.

I totally agree w you. Poise is the right word. When refs are killing you just buckle down and play through it. This team is whiny – turning to Monty during the game ‘but coach he’s grabbing me!”

Just too many start and stops in college hoops. Thirty some fouls + media timeouts + team timeouts = boring

I like A Crabbe a lot. He’s represented Cal well but I hope he learns something from watching McDermott. He can’t/shouldn’t post up like McD. But McD’s post moves totally set up his open 3′s. McD’s wicked fast low block spin move to the baseline reminds me of…???

Like Ernie said, AC can get open looks by screen, roll/curl in the lane. If he can develop a mid range game – along w his occasional drives to the hoop – then he has a real shot at the nba.

Cobb and Kreklow are aggressive defenders and I thought they got the same no calls as Creighton on aggressive but legal D. To repeat, last night’s banging is, at a minimum, standard come tourny time.

Solomon has been a huge disappointment so far – second only to B Smaith. I don’t see any improvement in his game. At least the Thurminator has that shake to the baseline, turn back hook.

Again, what the hell was Solomon doing out by the 3 pt arc? No wonder we we got 1 or 2 rebounds off the O glass. Kravish has to get more, way more, aggressive at both ends.

That said, I liked the combination of kreklow, crabbe, cobb, wallace and thurman/kravish/solomon. the ball was really moving. they scored and it was fun to watch.

This team really does have potential. they just gotta dump the whiny petulant bs and get TOUGH.

Go Bears! In Monty I trust!