This is the most fun I've had watching an Aggie basketball team since the acie law sweet 16 team

BigOil said:

---

And when someone goes all in on defensive rebounding, we will be toast. Our modus operandi isn't sustainable for a deep run in March. We could get on a heater, but that's a hope.

---

Again, I'm not going to claim to be a bastion of basketball knowledge… BUT

That said, the only way to go "all in" on defensive rebounding with the way Buzz's system works is for them to either play really loose in man or sag into a pack the paint zone. And you honestly can't do that at this level of basketball. Absolutely you may find a team that misses a ton of wide open 3s, but with high level SEC teams, you cannot play that game. We have 7 guys that if left wide the F open would make over 40% from 3 (Wade, Zoo, H, Wilcher, MO, Jace, and Solo).

I guarantee you each of those guys in practice hits around 50% (Wade and wilcher probably higher) facing air. I guarantee you Buzz would love a team to play us that way. It would allow our guys to be much fresher for defense and just knock down uncontested shots.

One last thing…

I've seen a lot of people love Andy on defense and rebounding but worry about his offensive capabilities.

I view Andy like a gigantic Great Dane puppy that doesn't know how big it is. Full of energy, good size, and loving to get down and dirty on the ground.

To that point, Andy doesn't know how huge of an impact he can be on the offensive side of the floor. Yes he dominates to O glass, but he also is insanely athletic, has a better than average set shot, and is great at getting defenders in the air on shot fakes (a thing I lived on as 6'4 guy playing center because i was the biggest guy, despite feeling I was a 3 or 4). If Buzz "unleashed" Andy fully, he could have some amazing offensive games, especially at the line.

I think he is fully unleashed by Buzz, he needs to unleash himself. But he's like 24, he is who he is.

The one that kills me on offense is Solo. Talk about an athletic freak, and yet he's averaging even fewer ppg than he did last season and he's shooting 44% (?!?!) from 2. That's absurd. People on the game threads act like Henry Coleman has the upper body strength of a wacky inflatable arm man but even he's shooting 58% from 2 and scoring 8 ppg.

It makes it next to impossible to have Garcia and Solo on the court together. No matter what they're giving you on defense and on the glass you can't have two guys on the court that the other team doesn't even have to guard.

Shooting: average to poor
Offensive rebounding: elite
Free throw shooting: poor
Free throw attempts: elite

Defense: elite
Defensive rebounding: average
Free throws allowed: very good

Very good analysis!

Yes we are under rated by own fanbase, but I'm not surprised. What we're building this season is special. Remember that it's still January and we're looking like an late Feb/early March team right now.

I really just came in here to say that Wade is due for a great game.

The other way we lose - refs let them play, no free throw attempts, and we lose a fifth of our offense.