My take on USF basketball

[Jamie]

Two years ago, USF played at TCU and got beat in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated. And tonight, USF played at TCU and got beat in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated. Was there really a difference?

Well, yes... and no.

Here's a list of the things that USF didn't do well tonight. (I can't say they don't do these things well at all, since I've only seen one game all year.)

• Ball handling
  
• Passing - they're still feeding bounce passes into the post that get fumbled away
  
• Handling the press (absolutely horrible at first, but they did get better)
  
• Waiting for a good shot. They jacked up so many outside shots with 30 seconds left on the shot clock, I thought Altron Jackson was still on the team.
  
• Creating their own shots, not counting ill-advised deep 3's
  
• Free throws, of course
  
• Rebounding
  
• Keeping their composure - they fouled a lot of players who already had open layups
  

On the other hand, this was different than the 2003 game, which was embarrassing because USF had more talent and gave a pitiful effort. Tonight they gave the effort, but they have a pitiful amount of talent. They don't have enough players (only nine dressed), and they don't have nearly enough good players. TCU was faster, more skilled, and hustled better than USF did. Neil Dougherty started getting the scrubs in with 10 minutes left.

I liked the team's body language and the attention they paid to CRM, even when they got down by 26. Well, everyone except for Terrence Leather, who didn't even go up for rebounds in the second half, and was leaning back in his seat in the last four minutes while everyone else, even the trainer, was leaning forward watching the game carefully. He really half-assed it tonight.

I haven't posted much lately. I don't really have time for the blame games and this Star Wars BS so I've been mostly a lurker. Anyway, I know it's not completely fair to make a judgment on CRM after two years, that you have to wait for him to get his team in place and see what you have. But guess what? Next year it pretty much WILL BE HIS TEAM. I think the only player who will be left over from the last coach will be Diarra. If CRM wants to keep the clock from starting to tick on him, I think he needs to do two things:

1. Recruit his ass off this summer. An obvious one, but trying hard is not going to be good enough in the Big East when they didn't have enough talent for C-USA. They have to have a really good recruiting season to stay the same, and they'll have to light the world on fire to get better. They especially need a point guard and someone who can effectively play center.

2. Grow a set. CRM strikes me as one of those coaches who has his teams doing the little things right, but he won't take enough chances to be as successful as he could be. If you're a bad team, you can't beat good teams by taking care of yourself and waiting for the other team to start screwing up on their own. You have to gamble, you have to get some pressure, you have to play wide open. Maybe he doesn't have the bench for that right now. But there's not much difference losing by 15 and losing by 30, especially if going full tilt gives you a chance to actually win the game.

Actually, the thing that came to mind as I was driving home is that Lee Roy Selmon hired himself as a coach. CRM is a class act who does things the right way and won't do anything to besmirch the school or the program... but deep down you're wondering if he's capable of finishing the job. I think CRM is going to be a transition coach. He can make a bad team into an average team, and an average team into a good team. That doesn't mean he should get dumped like some people are pining for, because right now USF needs to become an average and then a good team. But at some point he will hit the Tony Dungy wall where his teams never get over the hump. But let's cross that bridge when we get there... or if we get there.

[RHBullsFan]

I am very bothered by the slow start we seem to be making in several of these games. Even going back to that debacle at home last season against Louisville when I was fearful we wouldn't break single digits by half, to last night's slow start. I love the half time adjustments we are making and we are proving to be very competitive in the 2nd halfs, BUT the game is 40 minutes long. Not sure of we need to watch more film to sure up the game plan, but we need to come out ready to play from the opening tip. Spotting teams huge leads isn't going to work next season, we will get murdered if we keep doing that.

[Jamie]

We would have gotten absolutely buried if TCU had come to play. Both teams were playing really bad for about 10 minutes and it kept us in the game. Then the Frogs started making shots, and USF kept missing them. Game over.

[dabull80]

Reason we are better in the second half is the other team is playing their bench 10 minutes into the second half.

[Velcro]

That was the case in the Cincy game and the TCU game... not in the other games.  We are generally better in the 2nd half because of good adjustments.  Unfortunately, at this point, we are way outmanned.

[The_Reaper]

My whole take on what has transpired is this.

1. Get the point across right away when recruited. There will be no tolerence for academic issues, no tolerance for outbursts, no tolorence for anything except basketball.

I thought that within the Sports Complex there is an academic area? If these students are having it rough, shouldn't the tutoring be helping in this area? Unless the student/athlete is sluffing off the study time, then there should be NO EXCUSE for disciplinary action due to academics. AND if it is an issue of them not showing, the staff should be on top of this right away and NEVER let it happen.

I guess I am just a little tired of seeing who and what are suspended on this team. It is a two year pattern that I do not want to see in the coming years. Either Shhheeeet or get off the pot. Sorry it just needs to be said.

[Markeymark]

McCullum needs some good adjustments to enhance his recruiting...

On the studying - this is not the first time Brigman did not play due to academics. I'm sure he will be thankful when he leaves that he got his degree.