This game was 100% about missing shots. Michigan’s D was sound outside of leaving Jones a couple times. Michigan’s offense generated looks. PSU just hit way more shots than Michigan.
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The problem with your theory is that they have to actually win games. You can say there aren’t any bad losses or whatever, but this is our second Q2 loss and 11-7 isn’t going to get it done.
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At this point we have to wonder how much they improve with Livers back though. He will be a big help, but this team does not look good right now and I’m not sure Livers is the type of talent that can carry the team through their woes. They were winning games earlier this year because everyone was playing well, not just Livers.
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Think earlier in the game. Like I said, we played an appalling first 3/4’s of this game. Even on defense, so many huge lapses. Just brutal lapses.
Since last year we’ve lost Matthews, Brazdeikis, Poole and (for now) Livers. That’s a lot of lost production. And we’ve added only Wagner. We were not a preseason top 25 team, and that was with everyone healthy. What I’m seeing is a team that doesn’t really look that talented.
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We are KenPom top 16 in games Livers played. Burden of proof is on your end to prove they’d be worse.
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I did not think it was that big of a statement. Simpson is incredibly ball dominant yet not a real threat to score night in and night out. To me that means there will be some limitations that come with it. A team that surrounds him that struggles to shoot will have even more of the same.
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Sad to say, (and of course Livers is out) but it feels PSU is more talented.
I mean we have half a season of data where they were a top 15 team with him. And I think we both know how much of an impact his absence has on every player around him.
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It’s not necessarily about Livers carrying the team, it’s about getting others back into their optimal role.
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Ddj was horrendous tonight
This is the first genuinely bad game we’ve played without Livers. The bad part about missing him is it gave us such a small margin for error. Like not being able to recover from a bad shooting night.
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This is not the same team since that first part of the season. You can assume Livers will just fix all of their woes (defense, shooting, lineups) and maybe he will, but you cannot watch this team right now and automatically think Livers makes this a top 15 team again.
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¡Queme los barcos!
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Yep. There is far more wrong with this team than Livers can cure.
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What lineup issue did we have today? And they played good defense for all but a couple possessions. Do I think he will fix shooting? Yes, in fact I do.
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I just don’t buy that everything we’re seeing gets fixed with Livers back. And is he even going to come back at full strength immediately? This team is deep in its own head. Z is frustrated to a point where he is honestly mentally f’d right now. Teske has been brutal during this stretch. The team’s confidence and - therefore - execution - are so low right now, I just don’t see Livers magically changing that. We’re behind the 8 ball whether we get him back or not and that’s a lot of pressure.
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It’s not a talent issue or coaching issue, the confidence is just shot. Unfortunately, as much as Zavier wants to, he can’t go full Walton Senior mode, he’s not that type of player. Livers being back helps Zavier, helps Johns come off bench, helps take a burden off Teske/Wagner/Eli, it’s a trickle down effect.
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One more positive observation about coaching: I don’t think I saw Nunez on the floor all night.
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Shooting is bad but it is hardly their only issue. The defense is bad, they play loose with the ball and they don’t get for the FT line.