Very odd indeed. I've never had the SoCon Monster Game of the Week be a Mocs game. But it was this week. However I always write previews of Mocs games, so how can I make this game seem more special?Well, CougarSurf over at King Kresse came up with an idea. He came up with a list of five questions for me and I came up a with a list of five questions for him, and then we answered the questions. Brilliant idea!
He's said it before himself, so I'll repeat it. The Cougars are leaving for the CAA, and they are probably the better basketball conference. However, they have nothing on the SoCon blogs! Big time thanks to CougarSurf for coming up with the idea, and for sharing his thoughts with me.
So let's get this thing started.
First, here's the link to King Kresse' post with my answers in it.
Now, let's get to the questions I asked him:
1) How healthy is Trent Wiedeman? How much
should we expect him to play?
From what I understand Trent is playing without pain during games but he still has some soreness afterward. Coach capped his minutes at 12 for his first game back (he played 11) and only had Trent out there for 7 minutes against Samford. While the physical signs seem to check out it looks like Trent still needs to get adjusted to game speed and physicality. He's a little out of sync right now.
2) The
Cougars have been very inconsistent this year. What do you think are the main
contributors to that?
The Cougars have been shooting themselves in the foot on offense. Turnovers and missed free throws have been a constant thorn in the side of the team. When things are humming and the guys are holding on to the ball, the offense and the basket really open up. When the opposite is the case the Cougars miss out on a lot of opportunities to put enough points on the board to beat even mediocre teams. There's also that huge disparity in road vs home game performance. More on that later.
3) Adejhi Baru was one of the highest rated recruits to come to the SoCon in a long time. Last year, he was OK. This year he's really picked up his game. Many Mocs fans haven't seen him since last year. How has his game changed?
In a word: refinement. Despite his glaring physical advantages, Adjehi had a big adjustment going from Single A high school ball to starting on a Division 1 team. Last year his game was his physical advantages. He was often too timid or too flustered when he got the ball that his offense was relegated to lobs, offensive rebounds and the like. Now he is confident and decisive with his actions. The best example of his evolution is his go-to move, a hook shot over the left shoulder. It's technically sound and he uses his length to get the shot over just about any defender.
4) Doug Wojcik is trying to change the offensive and defensive systems for the Cougars. How is it different from Bobby Cremins system that we have grown accustomed to seeing?
Cremins was not an X's and O's kind of guy. He made sure the guys were mentally focused and then "let players make plays". Wojcik is much more structured. The offense is based around pounding the ball inside, drawing some extra defenders and opening up space for the playmakers on the perimeter (Lawrence and Stitt). Defensively this year there's is a lot more double-teaming the ball handler and forcing contested shots. Another thing that has become evident with Coach Wojcik's staff has been the halftime adjustments- something we haven't really seen the last few years. Even in our losses the Cougars usually look better the second half.
5) How does a team that beats Baylor on the road also lose to Anderson at home and Samford at home, and nearly blow one against Furman? Why does this Cougars team seem to be playing better on the road than at home do you think?
The inconsistency of the Cougars really seems to be predicated off of whether or not they're playing at home. Not the way you would expect either. The head coach, the players, the fans... no one can really put their finger on what exactly it is about TD Arena that causes the Cougars to perform so much worse. They're a perfect 5-0 on the road this season and are averaging more points, better shooting percentages and less turnovers away from Charleston. Not only that but we just look much looser in games against Baylor, Elon and Vermont then we do against Anderson, Samford and Furman. Maybe it's playing to the level of competition. Maybe it's that most of our road games have been played during holiday breaks and the guys don't have to worry about anything other than the task at hand. Whatever it is, it's off-putting to the fans and is taking away from our home court advantage.
The Cougars have been shooting themselves in the foot on offense. Turnovers and missed free throws have been a constant thorn in the side of the team. When things are humming and the guys are holding on to the ball, the offense and the basket really open up. When the opposite is the case the Cougars miss out on a lot of opportunities to put enough points on the board to beat even mediocre teams. There's also that huge disparity in road vs home game performance. More on that later.
3) Adejhi Baru was one of the highest rated recruits to come to the SoCon in a long time. Last year, he was OK. This year he's really picked up his game. Many Mocs fans haven't seen him since last year. How has his game changed?
In a word: refinement. Despite his glaring physical advantages, Adjehi had a big adjustment going from Single A high school ball to starting on a Division 1 team. Last year his game was his physical advantages. He was often too timid or too flustered when he got the ball that his offense was relegated to lobs, offensive rebounds and the like. Now he is confident and decisive with his actions. The best example of his evolution is his go-to move, a hook shot over the left shoulder. It's technically sound and he uses his length to get the shot over just about any defender.
4) Doug Wojcik is trying to change the offensive and defensive systems for the Cougars. How is it different from Bobby Cremins system that we have grown accustomed to seeing?
Cremins was not an X's and O's kind of guy. He made sure the guys were mentally focused and then "let players make plays". Wojcik is much more structured. The offense is based around pounding the ball inside, drawing some extra defenders and opening up space for the playmakers on the perimeter (Lawrence and Stitt). Defensively this year there's is a lot more double-teaming the ball handler and forcing contested shots. Another thing that has become evident with Coach Wojcik's staff has been the halftime adjustments- something we haven't really seen the last few years. Even in our losses the Cougars usually look better the second half.
5) How does a team that beats Baylor on the road also lose to Anderson at home and Samford at home, and nearly blow one against Furman? Why does this Cougars team seem to be playing better on the road than at home do you think?
The inconsistency of the Cougars really seems to be predicated off of whether or not they're playing at home. Not the way you would expect either. The head coach, the players, the fans... no one can really put their finger on what exactly it is about TD Arena that causes the Cougars to perform so much worse. They're a perfect 5-0 on the road this season and are averaging more points, better shooting percentages and less turnovers away from Charleston. Not only that but we just look much looser in games against Baylor, Elon and Vermont then we do against Anderson, Samford and Furman. Maybe it's playing to the level of competition. Maybe it's that most of our road games have been played during holiday breaks and the guys don't have to worry about anything other than the task at hand. Whatever it is, it's off-putting to the fans and is taking away from our home court advantage.
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