In Reply to: Coming into this season there were quite a number of questions. posted by ej on December 14, 2025 at 11:42:10
Thanks as always, ej.
I think there are two aspects to this team.
The first focuses on what we have - attributes - the players themselves and what they can - and cannot - do. To me this establishes both a floor and a ceiling. There are simply things some of the players can and cannot do. For instance, Tyler is not quick laterally and that isn't going to change. Xavier isn't a big bodied post stopper - and, while he can certainly improve, it's a whole different mindset he has to learn and master which is going to take a good deal of time - as in, not likely this season - and he just isn't going to become Bona in the middle.
The first is about learning and mastering a system - making the most of what we do have and making what we can't less intrusive.
One of Dent's problems as Mick Cronin pointed out last night is getting into a prime passing position and finding no teammate in proper position to take a feed out in order to convert.
I have seen comments about teaching Dent not to drive into trouble on the baseline. But Cronin's attitude is that such drives change and deform the defense and create openings that are there for his teammates to convert. Only they aren't recognizing the patterns and getting into - or remaining in - the spaces to receive a pass and get an open look. Cronin talked about such things after the game. He didn't mention Tyler moving into the key at times which closes off lanes that were open when Dent or Clark began to drive. He did talk about positioning to rebound - something we're pretty pathetic at at this point.
The latter category are thing we can improve. But I really don't expect it to click before at least mid-February.
One other thing seems apparent and I don't know what the answer might be. We have a couple guys who seem to appear and disappear again like quantum particles that flick in and out of existence.
Clark will have a terrific first half and then he disappears completely in the second half. Some of that no doubt is due to defensive adjustments to cut him off from what made him so successful in the first half. But Clark sometimes just seems a different player from one half to another. And Eric Dailey Jr disappears for entire games. Two quite recently. If he is to be a team leader, even if just at the offensive end, that really has to stop happening. Bilodeau was terrific last night at least on offense but we really can't top a top level opponent with Dailey failing to contribute.