zips vs bethune cookman

[Captain Kangaroo]

Sorry, but all of this makes me recall a couple of the most absurd thoughts I've heard on here so far this basketball season.

1) Brett doesn't have a good shooting percentage. We can do without him. We have Euton now.

2) Since this team is already pretty established, maybe Brett can come back and contribute as a "role player".

If the recent article isn't enough to convince everyone how much his teammates are glad to have him back, the way they reacted on the floor on Saturday should be more than enough. He immediately changed the complexion of of the game, and his teammates leaned on him immediately to make some things happen. As he gets back into the flow, I won't be surprised if we find that he'll not only be a major contributor, but very possibly still the best player on our roster.

This game played-out as it did because McNees couldn't throw it in the hoop if he he was sitting on Zeke's back, in the paint.

It is nice to have Brett back. Decent scorer, senior who's been on all the bus trips to the far-reaches of Michigan and Indiana, etc. No doubt he's a nice, "mid-season acquisition." But unless he drank some of Conyers' Patented Radioactive Senior Elixir, he is what he is.

[Hilltopper]

Sorry, but all of this makes me recall a couple of the most absurd thoughts I've heard on here so far this basketball season.

1) Brett doesn't have a good shooting percentage. We can do without him. We have Euton now.

2) Since this team is already pretty established, maybe Brett can come back and contribute as a "role player".

If the recent article isn't enough to convince everyone how much his teammates are glad to have him back, the way they reacted on the floor on Saturday should be more than enough. He immediately changed the complexion of of the game, and his teammates leaned on him immediately to make some things happen. As he gets back into the flow, I won't be surprised if we find that he'll not only be a major contributor, but very possibly still the best player on our roster.

This game played-out as it did because McNees couldn't throw it in the hoop if he he was sitting on Zeke's back, in the paint.

It is nice to have Brett back. Decent scorer, senior who's been on all the bus trips to the far-reaches of Michigan and Indiana, etc. No doubt he's a nice, "mid-season acquisition." But unless he drank some of Conyers' Patented Radioactive Senior Elixir, he is what he is.

+++++100

If Steve makes 2 or 3 of those bricks, the game is over at the end of regulation. I'm more worried about Steves transition to SG, it really helps if he makes a few shots.

[Quickzips]

Didn't get to see or hear Saturdays game as I had a wedding to attend Saturday afternoon, but I will chime in on the McKnight situation. I don't think it is necessarily that anyone has said Brett is a bad player or even that we are better off without him. But many of us, myself included, feel that Brett is often overated and that others expect him to be more than he is. He's been here for three years now. In that time he's never been able to average more than 21 minutes a night due to his cranky knees, his back issues, and his deficiencies on the defensive end. He's never shot better than 43% from the field, and his three point shooting has gotten worse every year, ending in a "why do we even let him take 3's anymore" 27% last season. Even in his sophmore year when he played the most minutes of his career and shot his highest percentage from the field only put up 11 points per game. Yet people talk about him like he is an offensive juggernaut, a MAC POTY candidate and a guy who can be relied upon to play heavy minutes every night. That simply isn't the Brett McKnight I've seen based on his body of work to this point. It isn't like Brett has seen his minutes curtailed and been jerked in and out of the lineup like a Conyers or a McClanahan. He's been given all the minutes that his body can handle (save for the times he's been suspended based on his own conduct), and any reasonable basketball fan looking at the production we've seen from him over the course of his time here would come to the conclusion that he is an average to slightly above average role-player. I am not saying this as an insult to Brett, it is simply meant to bring people a little dose of reality as to what can be expected from Brett over the course of the remainder of this season.

[skip-zip]

If Steve makes 2 or 3 of those bricks, the game is over at the end of regulation. I'm more worried about Steves transition to SG, it really helps if he makes a few shots.

Would anyone really had been any more happy if we had won by a couple of baskets? That was rough. We needed everything we had just to get that game into overtime, and we should have beaten those guys by 30 points.

But, Steve concerns me a bit too. One of the possibly unoticed problems with moving him over to the wing is who he's forced to guard on the defensive end too. I think he and Darryl were the guards at the end of regulation, and through overtime. We've seen that pattern for the 3rd season now. And I've always believed that Steve at the point with Darryl by his side puts the team in the best position to win at the present time. But, Steve's shooting problems are puzzling. The guy has almost ideal long-range mechanics. It's a mystery to me too.

[Dave in Green]

McNees' career shooting percentages are interesting to note: 35% for both field goals and 3-pointers, and 69% for free throws. The 3-point percentage is decent but not great. The field goal and free throw percentages are not good for a starting guard.

By comparison, Roberts' career shooting percentages are 41.9% field goals, 41.3% 3-pointers and 86.6% free throws. Roberts is obviously a better pure shooter than McNees.

But percentages aren't everything. It's also important when you hit your shots, and McNees has a good history -- especially at tournament time -- of hitting important shots that make a difference.

In the past it's been suggested that McNees should not shoot exclusively from long range, but also develop a drive to the bucket. Unfortunately, he hasn't shown much ability to finish. When he does drive, it looks as if he's just flipping the ball in the general vicinity of the rim and hoping Zeke or someone else will tip it in.

Since McNees shoots the same percentage on 2- and 3-pointers, his effective percentage on 3-pointers is 50% better. His shooting history suggests that he should stay focused on shooting 3s, and especially when the game is on the line.

[xu9697]

Steve needs to set-up closer to the line. Games I have seen (CSU and Minnesota), he seems to be consistently setting up 2-4 feet behind the line. That is really lowering the % chance of a make.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Steve needs to set-up closer to the line. Games I have seen (CSU and Minnesota), he seems to be consistently setting up 2-4 feet behind the line. That is really lowering the % chance of a make.

I agree. It is easy to hit those shots in practice...but not in the flow of a game.

He's always been a streaky shooter. We just need to ride this streak out until he turns it around.

Can I predict he'll make at least 5 threes when we play Miami Fl? Who's giving me odds?

[MDZip]

Steve needs to set-up closer to the line. Games I have seen (CSU and Minnesota), he seems to be consistently setting up 2-4 feet behind the line. That is really lowering the % chance of a make.

I agree. It is easy to hit those shots in practice...but not in the flow of a game.

He's always been a streaky shooter. We just need to ride this streak out until he turns it around.

Can I predict he'll make at least 5 threes when we play Miami Fl? Who's giving me odds?

No way, something seems to happen when he sees the word "Miami" on the front of a shirt.

[GoZips]

For thirty minutes I was aghast. The TEAM looked and played terribly. They sucked. They

were an embarrassment. As one poster noted, eventually Bethune came down to earth and the

Zips finally started to play like Akron.

I think the game turned on Brett McKnight entering the game. Brett became a catalyst. Spirits

improved and the kids stepped up their game. I don't care if Brett can't shoot from Exchange Street.

His presence installed a new dimension that none of us have seen since Jeremiah Wood. At times

Brett made me think I was watching Jeremiah with his down low muscle, scoring, rebounding

and general intimidation. I give Brett two solid thumbs up for his performance.

Was greatly surprised by how in shape Brett was. He hung tough. And, I thought that his defense

was pretty darn good. But, I was gauging his play against the rest of the team using their almost

patented "hands-in-pocket" defense. Or, literally no defense. The one exception to that mediocre

defense was Steve McNees who was the only player using the long accepted defensive stance.

Steve seems to be gradually accepting that his role is the shooting guard. Steve needs to get better

at the two just as Alex Abreu needs to continue to improve at the point. Any one stick around

after the game long enough to see Steve, still in uniform, working with his coach/father working

on shooting? That, my friends, is commitment.

I really liked Steve's knock down three in the overtime. It put the last nail in BCU's coffin.

Steve, keep doing what you are doing. Shoot the ball and drive to the basket. You played a good game.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Steve, keep doing what you are doing. Shoot the ball and drive to the basket. You played a good game.

1-12

If that's "good," what's "great?" 4-16?

[Quickzips]

Steve, keep doing what you are doing. Shoot the ball and drive to the basket. You played a good game.

1-12

If that's "good," what's "great?" 4-16?

No use arguing with some of these guys Cap'n. The way they see it Steve is the "Shooting" Guard and therefore he should lead the team in shots. You simply can't let facts about how many of his shots come from behind the arch or how he is an extremely streaky shooter get in the way of blindly breaking down shot attempts based on what position a player plays.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Steve, keep doing what you are doing. Shoot the ball and drive to the basket. You played a good game.

1-12

If that's "good," what's "great?" 4-16?

No use arguing with some of these guys Cap'n. The way they see it Steve is the "Shooting" Guard and therefore he should lead the team in shots. You simply can't let facts about how many of his shots come from behind the arch or how he is an extremely streaky shooter get in the way of blindly breaking down shot attempts based on what position a player plays.

Can we now say 1-11 was a "good" football season?

[Z.I.P.]

Steve, keep doing what you are doing. Shoot the ball and drive to the basket. You played a good game.

1-12

If that's "good," what's "great?" 4-16?

No use arguing with some of these guys Cap'n. The way they see it Steve is the "Shooting" Guard and therefore he should lead the team in shots. You simply can't let facts about how many of his shots come from behind the arch or how he is an extremely streaky shooter get in the way of blindly breaking down shot attempts based on what position a player plays.

Can we now say 1-11 was a "good" football season?

Cap'n, PLEASE don't start calling him the "I-Guard"!

[skip-zip]

Steve, keep doing what you are doing. Shoot the ball and drive to the basket. You played a good game.

1-12

If that's "good," what's "great?" 4-16?

No use arguing with some of these guys Cap'n. The way they see it Steve is the "Shooting" Guard and therefore he should lead the team in shots. You simply can't let facts about how many of his shots come from behind the arch or how he is an extremely streaky shooter get in the way of blindly breaking down shot attempts based on what position a player plays.

Can we now say 1-11 was a "good" football season?

After that celebration on the field last month, you could be left with the impression that some people felt that way.

[Zipmeister]

It does give new meaning to the chant, "We're # 1."