We have a spacing issue

1. Can't play if pressed
2. Can't shoot If guarded
3. Can't create space to shoot

4. Can't close space to defend
5. Can't press to cause turnovers
6. Can't alter shots in paint by presence
7 Can't defend a three from 10 feet away

fredbear said:

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We have a spacing issue

1. Can't play if pressed
2. Can't shoot If guarded
3. Can't create space to shoot

4. Can't close space to defend
5. Can't press to cause turnovers
6. Can't alter shots in paint by presence
7 Can't defend a three from 10 feet away

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Sounds like there are both "talent" (whatever that really means) and "coaching" shortfalls with the team. I've always thought (and heard) that one cannot "coach" the ability and mental edge of outstanding one-on-one players. They just have "it", including the ability to score in tight play. That likely applies to in-your-shorts defense folks, but these usually have an edge in quickness or speed or anticipation, or a bit of it all. Can't really coach those, either. Gotta recruit those players and everyone can see these traits; competition is fierce of course.
The rest are teachable, the dominant hand to the magic hand of "coaching": motivation. I don't know the WBB problems but it seems to be a bit of everything, and it would also appear to be a lot which can be overcome.

Talent is such a subjective concept.

There are a number of items (that are not talent) which impact winning:
effort level
schemes
player fit to schemes
talent development
cohesion
communication
rest & recovery

IMHO talent (in the most encompassing view) breaks down into three buckets:

Athleticism
Skills
Measurables (which some folks see as only pseudo related to talent)

How people weight the three categories to value a player differs. Mulkey leans hard into athleticism and measurables. Collen leans heavily into skills and measurables. Ultimately being great in only two of the three areas can lead to bad results. Matchups are often dictated by limitations more than abilities.

This Baylor team mostly scores well on the athleticism component but scores poorly on athleticism in the most important position (especially in a ball screen dominant offense).
This team scores well in measurables at most positions. This team has serious skill limitations (especially for the O schemes we run.

Teams like TCU, WV and Tech have schemed well to limit the impact of their deficiencies. Baylor hasn't.
Maybe Baylor's deficiencies are more difficult to scheme around. Maybe we are simply doing a poor job in performing that task. Likely both.

Baylor (both men and women) cannot succeed without fixing the biggest problem……PG is the most important position on the court and no team can have real success if the PG has serious limitations in any of the three aspects. Skill to shoot and pass, athleticism to win the dribble and disrupt/defend, measurables for passing and defending.

Biggest problem…….we lack dribble winners, creators and dependable wing shooters. Those are all talent items. We have a solid supply of athleticism in secondary areas but are woefully deficient in key areas.

LTBear19 said:

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Baylorbearsupporter said:

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Not gonna lie, if this team wass playing for her i can see her bringing out that dog and passion out of them. So this would be a different team.

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I'll go ahead and say it.

Almost pains me to do so.

Yes, we'd likely be Big XII champs with Kim, and would also be a lock for the Sweet 16 (and possibly Elite 8).

Because unlike LSU's current team (which appears to be filled with a bunch of 'me' players), we have a very coachable group from top to bottom.

We just need someone who can push them harder and coach to their strengths. And it's a given that Kim would definitely place more of an emphasis on post play.

I caught a lot of grief from some on here, but I still stand by my belief that Nelms has been criminally underused this season.

Look, even if you feel KJ deserves the nod to start, there is no reason Nelms should not be the first off the bench. Instead, she's buried 3rd on the depth chart. And as a result, we don't have a 'command' presence in the paint in most games.

When shots aren't falling and the opposing team is just 'pick and rolling' you to death, solid post play can keep you in games and help steady the ship.

With Kim - Our defense as a whole would be 10x better, because unlike CNC, she wouldn't constantly leave shooters open all day long. At least not once it was clear they weren't missing (she learned her lesson in that Louisville debacle).

The one thing Mulkey preached more than anything was defense.

And she was right to do so.

Our defensive intensity would have been much higher, and either you would have gotten better at it or you would have ridden the bench.

I feel our ladies would have risen to the challenge, because once again, they are a very coachable group and you can tell that they'd want to do anything to win.

They just need the right push.

Unfortunately, I feel CNC isn't quite giving them that push.

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Is it that these days, pushing players is misunderstood as being mean to them? The same question is pertinent re BU football, btw.

LSU was behind substantially to Ole Miss last night at the end of the third quarter. Partially because Johnson, their best player and defender had gotten in early foul trouble and had to sit out. In the fourth quarter Mulkey tweaked her defense and LSU outscored Ole Miss 24 to 7. Ole Miss was 0-17 in the 4th quarter, scoring all their
Points on free throws. Defense won the game along with LSU's guards scoring with two of then combining for 44 points in the game. Kim knows what to do at crunch time.

DFW Bill said:

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LSU was behind substantially to Ole Miss last night at the end of the third quarter. Partially because Johnson, their best player and defender had gotten in early foul trouble and had to sit out. In the fourth quarter Mulkey tweaked her defense and LSU outscored Ole Miss 24 to 7. Ole Miss was 0-17 in the 4th quarter, scoring all their
Points on free throws. Defense won the game along with LSU's guards scoring with two of then combining for 44 points in the game. Kim knows what to do at crunch time.

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CKM challenges her players. Those who rise to the challenge, play. Those who don't, sit, regardless of their talent level.

That's kind of what happens in life.

What a concept!