Box Score

Lorenzo Brown shot well but committed seven turnovers.  Ryan Harrow and CJ Leslie were a combined 2-23 from the field.  Without a decent option in the low post, our fortunes are completely tied to those kids, and what that means on nights like this one is that we have no offense.  Scott Wood was excellent tonight but his impact is limited by his unwillingness to throw up dumb ass shots and his inability to create anything for himself or score inside the arc. 

There was a different feeling associated with this loss.  At one point during the second half, with the team well behind and standing around at the offensive end, I thought I heard the crowd booing, but then I thought people were yelling "mooooooove!" at the players.  Maybe I was projecting.  Not having the ability to go inside-out, both because Tracy isn't there and because the forwards who are have zero awareness or willingness to kick it out, is a serious handicap.  More than that, and beyond the obvious problems associated with relying on a trio of freshmen, though, it's a complete lack of structure that's killing this team.  Most of the time I have no idea what we're trying to do offensively.  Unless Scott Wood is running off a couple of screens, it doesn't look like there is any sort of plan in place. 

So we end up with CJ Leslie taking an 18-footer when he hasn't hit anything and isn't open.  We have Ryan Harrow trying impossible floaters, Javi Gonzalez pulling up for an ill-advised three.  Tracy's absence is an excuse that only goes so far.  His absence is not a surprise from a preparation standpoint, not anymore.  At this point there must be alternatives besides "get out in transition."  We it comes down to a halfcourt game, we have nothing.  Why does Richard Howell catch the ball at the top of the key three-quarters of the time when he's the only guy with a decent back-to-the-basket repertoire?  Why can't we put Ryan Harrow in a position to succeed?

Sidney Lowe did a lot of sweating tonight, and I can't imagine it was entirely due to the temperature inside the building.