Colorado State Game Thread

[5PointsBank3]

It's hard not to overreact to that performance, but there should still be plenty to be optimistic about with this team. I think 3ontheway hit the nail on the head with this one:

Early returns..... not necessarily written in stone. Ashworth is getting used to a new system and the speed of things. It could look different in January."

Ashworth has been a step slow on defense. He's been hesitant to pull the trigger on offense, hasn't made the correct reads, and doesn't look confident with the ball in his hands. But I'm not ready to completely write him off yet. It looks like he is overthinking instead of just reacting/playing. Mac's system is sophisticated and it will take time and reps for him to intuitively know where he is supposed to be, especially at PG. Transfers like Marcus Foster and Mo Watson hit the ground running, but they also had a full year off to learn the system. Baylor, Bello, and AOC all took more time to look comfortable on both ends of the floor, with Ryan Hawkins being the lone exception. Some people are already calling for Ashworth's minutes to be cut, but I think the opposite is needed for this team to hit its ceiling - he needs as many game reps as possible to learn the system before we get to games that really matter.

As always, excellent analysis from Jacob, and I agree with this sentiment:

I come away thinking that game really was much more of everybody just having a bad day at the same time than some sign that this team is doomed to mediocrity.

Lets not forget Creighton was run out of MSG by Xavier at the end of last season and went on to play excellent basketball in the NCAA tournament games. That was also the second game on back-to-back days where our legs looked tired and we shot abysmally. Luckily, in the NCAA tournament, we will never have to play on back-to-back days.

I'm not trying to ignore this teams flaws because they do exist, but I still believe in this team and coaching staff. Outside of the game Thursday, hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Thankful for our Jays.

[go_jays]

Re-watched the game.

First, here's what I wrote, with comments from Mac and Kalk.

https://hurrdatsports.com/creighton-men ... ado-state/

As for the re-watch, I come away thinking that game really was much more of everybody just having a bad day at the same time than some sign that this team is doomed to mediocrity. More specifically, any time all three of Kalkbrenner, Alexander and Scheierman play poorly on both ends against someone with a pulse, Creighton is almost assuredly going to lose.

On defense, there were far too many miscommunications where one guy switched and the other didn't leaving a shooter wide open. There were also just straight up lapses where guys got caught flat-footed or ball-watching or whatever. Baylor and Trey were involved in most of those.

Colorado State is uniquely equipped to attack a drop defense because of Isaiah Stevens. I don't think Creighton will face a better point guard this season. He consistently made the right decision and picked them apart, either rising up for the mid-range jumper or sucking in Kalkbrenner and dropping it off last-second for an easy finish. TBH, I thought Kalkbrenner was off in his positioning and activity with that drop most of the time. He just wasn't as disruptive or impactful as he is capable of being.

That being said, Colorado State hadn't scored below 80 before that game, and they only scored 69 against Creighton. They got into a rhythm in the second half to prevent Creighton from clawing back into it, but the offense was the problem, full-stop.

And I don't know, man. There were some things they definitely need to do better and some tweaks I'd like to see, but I really do think they just missed a ton of good shots. There are so many possessions where they executed pretty well, made good decisions and got nothing out of it because they couldn't make anything from anywhere on the court.

Colorado State was really physical. Lot of hand checks and body bumps and slaps not called. They were also playing pretty aggressively, helping off to plug the gaps to prevent Creighton's guards from getting downhill cleanly and sending multiple bodies at Kalkbrenner on post touches or rolls to the rim (but not the same number each time). If Creighton shot anywhere near its average, it would have backfired. But they just couldn't throw it in the ocean.

On think Trey in particular needs to improve on is being more direct with his drives. Too often he rounds his drives out rather than attacking in a straight line and getting the defender on his hip for follows or direct paths to the rim. Creighton also needs to do a better job making solid contact on screens and getting downhill off them, though they set a lot of ghosts as well which is a different story.

Everybody's down on Ashworth now, but he wasn't anywhere near Creighton's biggest problem (and I don't think Creighton wins that game with Nembhard in his place based on the way he's been playing this season). I didn't think he got picked on defensively to the degree that some might have implied and he made some good plays on offense.

The truth is Trey is the primary playmaker on this team. Ashworth is the organizer and floor spacer at point guard; that's his role on this team and it's one I think he's capable of filling well. He's going to make teams pay for loading up too much on the other guys at points this season and win CU some games.

it was a shit-show on every level and every aspect of the game. When I read Trey's quote earlier in the week that CSU did a lot of interesting things and "it's gonna be fun". I was concerned. It was embarrassing. Mac and the entire team should be extremely pissed at their effort.

BTW... I totally agree with everything you've said here. But let's face it, it was completely avoidable and they'd better take something away from this game or we're gonna be a .500 team when all is said and done. And that something is you are gonna get everyone's best effort. And anything less than 100% effort puts a win in jeopardy. If you want to have a successful season, then you're not here to "have fun".

[Jaysker12]

I think what was most problematic to me, and Kalk's commentary aligns with this observation, is that our competitive spirit seemed to collapse after we started missing 3-pointers. Not just on defense but offense too. Baylor and Trey got sped up, Ashworth became very tentative. There was a lot of negative body language going on. All of those observations paint a picture of a team that lacks resilience, something last year's team had in spades. We responded very well to gut punches from 'Zona and Texas.

3-pointers are by nature a fickle thing; the best shooter in history's odds to make a 3 pointer in a competitive setting are slightly worse than correctly guessing the outcome of a coin flip. The way we responded to the first half drought was unacceptable.

edit: if 3-point shooting is the only category in which this team is elite, then they are not going to come close to their established goals.

[go_jays]

I think what was most problematic to me, and Kalk's commentary aligns with this observation, is that our competitive spirit seemed to collapse after we started missing 3-pointers. Not just on defense but offense too. Baylor and Trey got sped up, Ashworth became very tentative. There was a lot of negative body language going on. All of those observations paint a picture of a team that lacks resilience, something last year's team had in spades. We responded very well to gut punches from 'Zona and Texas.

3-pointers are by nature a fickle thing; the best shooter in history's odds to make a 3 pointer in a competitive setting are slightly worse than correctly guessing the outcome of a coin flip.

Bingo... and I have wondered whether this team was gonna have the "grit" it was gonna need. And it was dismissed by several. You need "grit" to overcome adversity. And adversity in sports can come from a lot of different directions... missing 3's, questionable officiating, poor accommodations on the road, messed up travel plans, your girlfriend just dumped you, your buddy took your girlfriend, Mom and Dad cut you off on the credit card usage, you're having trouble in a class.. it never ends. You gotta learn how to deal with it.

You are absolutely correct in that last year's team had it. This year's team needs to find it. It was almost like they shouldn't have to deal with missing 3's or your opponent trying to stop you (God forbid). What's wrong with them... don't they know you are ranked in the Top 10???????

Grow an 'effen pair!

[jays911]

Do you even remember last year. They have lost one neutral game against a good team with guys sick. The sky is not falling.

[go_jays]

Do you even remember last year. They have lost one neutral game against a good team with guys sick. The sky is not falling.

If you are addressing me... Of course it's not,. Who said it was? And yes, I even remember last year... and the year before, and the year before that, and the year before that... like... a really long time.

But they do have something major to address. And being sick isn't it.

[Chicagojayfan]

Do you even remember last year. They have lost one neutral game against a good team with guys sick. The sky is not falling.

If you are addressing me... Of course it's not,. Who said it was? And yes, I even remember last year... and the year before, and the year before that, and the year before that... like... a really long time.

But they do have something major to address. And being sick isn't it.

11/23/23-Colorado State, Kempom 27th: 71.6 Offensive Rating / 103.0 Defensive Rating- Neutral
12/4/22 - Nebraska, Kenpom on season 94th - Offensive Rating: 73.6 / Defensive Rating: 87.5 (at home!)
11/11/21 - Kennesaw State - Kenpom on Season 223(!), - Offensive Rating: 76.1 / Defensive Rating 65.7 (also at home)
3/13/21 - Georgetown - Kenpom 63rd, Offensive Rating; 70.6 / Defensive Rating 107.4 (tourney game, we ended up at 22nd that year on Kenpom even after winning the conference)
11//28/19 - SD State (at least they finished 6th in Kenpom) Offensive Rating 75.4 / Defensive Rating 120.3 (ouch, at least Neutral site)
1/4/20 - Butler Kenpom 25th: Offensive Rating 81.4 / 101.4, (25th isn't all that far from where Colorado State will end up, was at Hinkle, but we got stomped hard that game, and, again CU won the BE that year)

Yes, while we have to keep improving and trying to not have games like that, they have had games like that even with mature rosters the won that won the BE or that last year went to the Elite 8

And Nembhard is supposed to have been our savior in those type of games, but in that Nebraska game he was 3/13, 4 assists and 4 turnovers while Kaluma was 0/8, so that wasn't particularly the answer in another game of this kind either, unless adding 3/21 to our shooting night would have helped (and Colorado state is a BETTER team than Nebraska was last year, and we were at home last year)

And yet, despite all of those losses, Mac has somehow managed to take all of those teams and get them to improve

[go_jays]

Completely agree. Not saying it isn't doable. Mac is an outstanding coach in all aspects.. x's and o's, motivationally, game management, I'm assuming he understands periodization etc. Just that it's disappointing to see a reasonably veteran team... which they really are with Kalk, Trey, Baylor, Farabello and even though Ashworth is new... the guy is a senior and has played in a relatively decent conference and he certainly is familiar with CSU...play with such a wimpy attitude. At least that's what I saw.

I look at facial expressions, and when I can, look into their eyes when I want to take the mental temperature of one of my players... When I want to see what they are thinking. What I saw, when closeups were shown in that game, was a team that was feeling sorry for themselves... Not getting the respect they think they deserve. Well, you have to earn it... every time you take the stage.

Very disappointing, to me anyway. So in a way, I am venting. So I'll quit now.

[Jaybird]

Completely agree. Not saying it isn't doable. Mac is an outstanding coach in all aspects.. x's and o's, motivationally, game management, I'm assuming he understands periodization etc. Just that it's disappointing to see a reasonably veteran team... which they really are with Kalk, Trey, Baylor, Farabello and even though Ashworth is new... the guy is a senior and has played in a relatively decent conference and he certainly is familiar with CSU...play with such a wimpy attitude. At least that's what I saw.

I look at facial expressions, and when I can, look into their eyes when I want to take the mental temperature of one of my players... When I want to see what they are thinking. What I saw, when closeups were shown in that game, was a team that was feeling sorry for themselves... Not getting the respect they think they deserve. Well, you have to earn it... every time you take the stage.

Very disappointing, to me anyway. So in a way, I am venting. So I'll quit now.

What?!? You saw all that watching TV? You looked into their eyes from your sofa?? I know you're some long-time, steely-eyed coach and all that, but somebody who can figure out all that from his living room is some kind of Jays Whisperer and ought to be right there on the bench next to Mac helping him out.

[go_jays]

Geezus... you really are an idiot aren't you...

"I look at facial expressions, and when I can, look into their eyes when I want to take the mental temperature of one of my players..."