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Queta had issues getting into foul trouble last year. Bean is starting to have the same issue. He obviously needs to be aggressive as that is what makes him so unique, but he has got to watch it a little more especially early in the game. Even with the foul trouble he still got a double/double.

Aggie84025 wrote: ↑

December 16th, 2019, 8:44 am

Queta had issues getting into foul trouble last year. Bean is starting to have the same issue. He obviously needs to be aggressive as that is what makes him so unique, but he has got to watch it a little more especially early in the game. Even with the foul trouble he still got a double/double.

I was pretty sure he didn't get a double double. He fell short of 10 points. Did he double in something else?

BTW, Miller is shooting 31 percent from 3 point land, 38 percent overall. With only 2.7 rebounds per game, a believe a starting line up of Bean, Anderson, Queta, Merrill and Porter is in our future, with Brito the first guy off the bench. Miller is a one trick pony who's "trick" isn't playing right now.

agster wrote: ↑

December 16th, 2019, 7:06 am

Bean's foul trouble was the difference. Against Fresno he plays all 45 minutes. This game he played around 20. He stays in the game we win.

Can I get on a soap box for a minute. Taking players out for long periods of time to protect them from fouling out grinds my teeth a bit.

Bean finished with 21 minutes and 4 fouls. How many more minutes would Bean have been able to play had coach put him in and let him play until fouling out? 1 more minute? 5 more minutes? 10 more minutes? Would it have made a difference?

Of course we won't know how much more time he could have played OR if it would have made a difference. But we do know we weren't able to get maximum Bean time and that we lost by 4 points. In such situations, I'd rather he foul out. At least then I'm not left wondering if he had played until fouling out if it would have made a four-point difference.

The only thought on that is when a player has 4 fouls, they back off and may not be as effective ?


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AggiesForever wrote: ↑

December 16th, 2019, 9:16 am

BTW, Miller is shooting 31 percent from 3 point land, 38 percent overall. With only 2.7 rebounds per game, a believe a starting line up of Bean, Anderson, Queta, Merrill and Porter is in our future, with Brito the first guy off the bench. Miller is a one trick pony who's "trick" isn't playing right now.

I'm surprised his percentage is that high. He is 100% on FT's, though. He's only shot 4, but, you know, there's that.

AggiesForever wrote: ↑

December 16th, 2019, 9:16 am

BTW, Miller is shooting 31 percent from 3 point land, 38 percent overall. With only 2.7 rebounds per game, a believe a starting line up of Bean, Anderson, Queta, Merrill and Porter is in our future, with Brito the first guy off the bench. Miller is a one trick pony who's "trick" isn't playing right now.

Since the LSU game ( I didn't count the St. Katherine's game) Miller is 4-19 21% from 3 and averaging 6pts a game.

Britto is 5-24 20% and putting up 8pts per in those 5 games. Granted Britto brings rebounding, defense, and ballhandling to the table.

Based on those shooting woes I would say that both Anderson and Bairstow deserve a bit more run. You saw coach tighten his bench vs. BYU with Bairstow not even getting in the game.

If this team is to make a run in March then Miller and or Britto need to find their shot.

brian5562 wrote: ↑

December 16th, 2019, 1:59 pm

AggiesForever wrote: ↑

December 16th, 2019, 9:16 am

BTW, Miller is shooting 31 percent from 3 point land, 38 percent overall. With only 2.7 rebounds per game, a believe a starting line up of Bean, Anderson, Queta, Merrill and Porter is in our future, with Brito the first guy off the bench. Miller is a one trick pony who's "trick" isn't playing right now.

Since the LSU game ( I didn't count the St. Katherine's game) Miller is 4-19 21% from 3 and averaging 6pts a game.

Britto is 5-24 20% and putting up 8pts per in those 5 games. Granted Britto brings rebounding, defense, and ballhandling to the table.

Based on those shooting woes I would say that both Anderson and Bairstow deserve a bit more run. You saw coach tighten his bench vs. BYU with Bairstow not even getting in the game.

If this team is to make a run in March then Miller and or Britto need to find their shot.

Brito's first three-point attempt was a brick off the backboard. Miller's first three-point attempt was an airball. Neither one of those shots drew iron. Merrill did not make a three-pointer in that game. Those three combined to shoot 1-11 from three. Guys just aren't making shots. There were plenty of open looks in that game.

ProvoAggie wrote:

agster wrote: ↑

December 16th, 2019, 7:06 am

Bean's foul trouble was the difference. Against Fresno he plays all 45 minutes. This game he played around 20. He stays in the game we win.

I was annoyed that he didn't start the 2nd half.

I think he showed Smith he can handle playing with fouls, going the entire second half that he played until the last minute getting his fourth. I'm hoping Coach Smith trusts him a little bit more in foul trouble. I think he should have started the second half.

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brownjeans wrote: ↑

December 16th, 2019, 11:00 am

maximum Bean time

Using iiiiittttt

bigblue wrote:

ProvoAggie wrote:

agster wrote: ↑

December 16th, 2019, 7:06 am

Bean's foul trouble was the difference. Against Fresno he plays all 45 minutes. This game he played around 20. He stays in the game we win.

I was annoyed that he didn't start the 2nd half.

I think he showed Smith he can handle playing with fouls, going the entire second half that he played until the last minute getting his fourth. I'm hoping Coach Smith trusts him a little bit more in foul trouble. I think he should have started the second half.

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Coach did trust him to play with could trouble and Bean picked up his third foul in the first half. Smith would have to be the biggest idiot on the planet to play him more in that half and managed his minutes just fine. The calls against Bean were horse crap. The charge when he jumped straight up and the moving screen were a soft as Charmin.

Sam was off, just like the Washington game? What more can the guy do? He gets no help on the perimeter from anyone while good teams double and beat the hell out of him because no one else is a threat. Someone has got to find their shot and quick. If they can’t shoot then we’re screwed because none of them can drive. Have we ever seen Miller drive? Porter? Brito?

Brito brings a lot more to the table than Miller, but he’s got no confidence right now. Where is the beast that threw down the facial and put back dunks earlier in the year? That offense looked like Tim Duryea’s garbage where he’d have Merrill stand at the top of the three point line and try to take entire teams on. That’s not Sam’s game at all and when they double team him he is not going to be effective at creating his shot.

I’m not sure Bairstow is ready for a bigger load yet, but I don’t think there is much Smith can do given the performances on the court. Smith made some great moves defensively to throw BYU of their game, we just couldn’t make a bucket to save our lives.


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dyedblue wrote:

bigblue wrote:

ProvoAggie wrote:

agster wrote: ↑

December 16th, 2019, 7:06 am

Bean's foul trouble was the difference. Against Fresno he plays all 45 minutes. This game he played around 20. He stays in the game we win.

I was annoyed that he didn't start the 2nd half.

I think he showed Smith he can handle playing with fouls, going the entire second half that he played until the last minute getting his fourth. I'm hoping Coach Smith trusts him a little bit more in foul trouble. I think he should have started the second half.

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Coach did trust him to play with could trouble and Bean picked up his third foul in the first half. Smith would have to be the biggest idiot on the planet to play him more in that half and managed his minutes just fine. The calls against Bean were horse crap. The charge when he jumped straight up and the moving screen were a soft as Charmin.

Sam was off, just like the Washington game? What more can the guy do? He gets no help on the perimeter from anyone while good teams double and beat the hell out of him because no one else is a threat. Someone has got to find their shot and quick. If they can’t shoot then we’re screwed because none of them can drive. Have we ever seen Miller drive? Porter? Brito?

Brito brings a lot more to the table than Miller, but he’s got no confidence right now. Where is the beast that threw down the facial and put back dunks earlier in the year? That offense looked like Tim Duryea’s garbage where he’d have Merrill stand at the top of the three point line and try to take entire teams on. That’s not Sam’s game at all and when they double team him he is not going to be effective at creating his shot.

I’m not sure Bairstow is ready for a bigger load yet, but I don’t think there is much Smith can do given the performances on the court. Smith made some great moves defensively to throw BYU of their game, we just couldn’t make a bucket to save our lives.


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Well I disagree, I think Bean should have started the 2nd half.

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We have struggled for several weeks to make shots.

dyedblue wrote: ↑

December 17th, 2019, 3:38 am

Smith would have to be the biggest idiot on the planet to play him more in that half and managed his minutes just fine.

I have a great team and about three of my players are special. I'm playing a close game. I voluntarily sit one of my best players, not because he's tired, but because I'm afraid I won't be able to play him all the minutes I want to play him. I play him LESS because I'm afraid I won't be able to play him?

There's a myth in sports logic that says the end of a game is the most important time if the game. Every minute of the game is critical. You have to maximize the output of every possession. A missed free throw in the first five minutes is a killer if you lose the game by 1 point. We didn't maximize every possession vs BYU with Bean playing only 21 minutes and ending with 4 fouls. That means Bean spent some potential playing time on the bench.

I don't love the practice of protecting players from fouling out. Let them foul out - at least then you know you got everything you could get out of them.

brian5562 wrote: ↑

December 16th, 2019, 1:59 pm

Since the LSU game ( I didn't count the St. Katherine's game) Miller is 4-19 21% from 3 and averaging 6pts a game.

Britto is 5-24 20% and putting up 8pts per in those 5 games. Granted Britto brings rebounding, defense, and ballhandling to the table.

Based on those shooting woes I would say that both Anderson and Bairstow deserve a bit more run. You saw coach tighten his bench vs. BYU with Bairstow not even getting in the game.

If this team is to make a run in March then Miller and or Britto need to find their shot.

Great post. Anderson needs to start at the 3 spot because you can't afford to not start Queta and Bean. And you can't afford to give more minutes to Miller than to Anderson.

brownjeans wrote: ↑

December 18th, 2019, 11:33 am

dyedblue wrote: ↑

December 17th, 2019, 3:38 am

Smith would have to be the biggest idiot on the planet to play him more in that half and managed his minutes just fine.

I have a great team and about three of my players are special. I'm playing a close game. I voluntarily sit one of my best players, not because he's tired, but because I'm afraid I won't be able to play him all the minutes I want to play him. I play him LESS because I'm afraid I won't be able to play him?

There's a myth in sports logic that says the end of a game is the most important time if the game. Every minute of the game is critical. You have to maximize the output of every possession. A missed free throw in the first five minutes is a killer if you lose the game by 1 point. We didn't maximize every possession vs BYU with Bean playing only 21 minutes and ending with 4 fouls. That means Bean spent some potential playing time on the bench.

I don't love the practice of protecting players from fouling out. Let them foul out - at least then you know you got everything you could get out of them.

But doesn't the logic go beyond that? Not that I disagree; I love Bean and think it'd be great if he got in as many minutes as possible. However, where would this discussion be if Bean had fouled out and we went into overtime? Not to say hold onto Bean "just in case" given how few games end up in overtime. But don't you try to minimize unnecessary potential incidents to maintain your biggest guns for when the game is at its most dire?

Imagine the angst and ire of the board toward coaching decisions if we'd gone to overtime but Bean had fouled out. People would be frothing at the mouth.

Real Life Aggie wrote: ↑

December 18th, 2019, 4:11 pm

But doesn't the logic go beyond that? Not that I disagree; I love Bean and think it'd be great if he got in as many minutes as possible. However, where would this discussion be if Bean had fouled out and we went into overtime? Not to say hold onto Bean "just in case" given how few games end up in overtime. But don't you try to minimize unnecessary potential incidents to maintain your biggest guns for when the game is at its most dire?

Imagine the angst and ire of the board toward coaching decisions if we'd gone to overtime but Bean had fouled out. People would be frothing at the mouth.

Two things: First, the idea that one part of a game means more than another is an illusion. It's a recentcy bias. Every moment matters toward the result. Second, are we coaching to win games or to avoid fan angst and ire? Winning is the best tonic for angst and you'll win more games if you get maximum output from your best players instead of voluntarily sitting them because of fouls.

Should we have played Merrill and Queta less vs South Florida to keep them from fouling out? I promise that if they had played less we would have lost that game.

brownjeans wrote: ↑

December 18th, 2019, 9:50 pm

Real Life Aggie wrote: ↑

December 18th, 2019, 4:11 pm

brownjeans wrote: ↑

December 18th, 2019, 11:33 am

dyedblue wrote: ↑

December 17th, 2019, 3:38 am

Smith would have to be the biggest idiot on the planet to play him more in that half and managed his minutes just fine.

I have a great team and about three of my players are special. I'm playing a close game. I voluntarily sit one of my best players, not because he's tired, but because I'm afraid I won't be able to play him all the minutes I want to play him. I play him LESS because I'm afraid I won't be able to play him?

There's a myth in sports logic that says the end of a game is the most important time if the game. Every minute of the game is critical. You have to maximize the output of every possession. A missed free throw in the first five minutes is a killer if you lose the game by 1 point. We didn't maximize every possession vs BYU with Bean playing only 21 minutes and ending with 4 fouls. That means Bean spent some potential playing time on the bench.

I don't love the practice of protecting players from fouling out. Let them foul out - at least then you know you got everything you could get out of them.

But doesn't the logic go beyond that? Not that I disagree; I love Bean and think it'd be great if he got in as many minutes as possible. However, where would this discussion be if Bean had fouled out and we went into overtime? Not to say hold onto Bean "just in case" given how few games end up in overtime. But don't you try to minimize unnecessary potential incidents to maintain your biggest guns for when the game is at its most dire?

Imagine the angst and ire of the board toward coaching decisions if we'd gone to overtime but Bean had fouled out. People would be frothing at the mouth.

Should we have played Merrill and Queta less vs South Florida to keep them from fouling out? I promise that if they had played less we would have lost that game.

I'm not a D1 coach, like most of this board apparently is. I don't intend to second guess their decisions, because I just don't know well enough.

Mine was not a blanket statement. As I stated, I don't disagree that it would have been preferable to have Bean foul out. But just because I want it, that doesn't mean it's correct.

I want nothing but max minutes from Bean, Queta, and Merrill. We got that with Queta and Merrill.

Real Life Aggie wrote: ↑

December 18th, 2019, 4:11 pm

Imagine the angst and ire of the board toward coaching decisions if we'd gone to overtime but Bean had fouled out. People would be frothing at the mouth.

People would be frothing at the mouth? Overstate things much? I agree with brownjeans. There have been a dozen statistical analyses conducted in the past decade demonstrating that benching players in foul trouble is NOT the optimal strategy. It is the risk-averse conventional wisdom, but is the wrong approach. The only people who would be "frothing at the mouth" do not understand basketball.

ChicAggie wrote: ↑

December 19th, 2019, 6:45 am

Real Life Aggie wrote: ↑

December 18th, 2019, 4:11 pm

Imagine the angst and ire of the board toward coaching decisions if we'd gone to overtime but Bean had fouled out. People would be frothing at the mouth.

People would be frothing at the mouth? Overstate things much? I agree with brownjeans. There have been a dozen statistical analyses conducted in the past decade demonstrating that benching players in foul trouble is NOT the optimal strategy. It is the risk-averse conventional wisdom, but is the wrong approach. The only people who would be "frothing at the mouth" do not understand basketball.

You are much more optimistic about the sorts of things people write in chat and on the boards than I am.

Real Life Aggie wrote: ↑

December 19th, 2019, 7:33 am

ChicAggie wrote: ↑

December 19th, 2019, 6:45 am

The only people who would be "frothing at the mouth" do not understand basketball.

You are much more optimistic about the sorts of things people write in chat and on the boards than I am.

Two things: There is a middle ground between "optimism" and believing people will be "frothing at the mouth." Nor do I believe NO ONE would be frothing at the mouth; I just believe the mouth-frothers in this hypothetical instance do not understand basketball.

The NBA has conditioned everyone to only care about the last 5 minutes of a game. Those high paid prima donas play All-Star games for most of the night then kick it in for the last five minutes.