MBB Game 31 @Charleston, March 2 (Sat), 2 PM

[Flying Dutchmen]

Charleston was hot from the perimeter, and dominated on the glass. They got up 17 more shots than us. Frustrating to watch.

Good strategy to get to the line in the second half, but we were already playing from too far down to make it matter. Love how Carlos attacked the hoop today. Carlos/Stone/TT have played great down the stretch for us, and I thought all three played well again today. Really we just got abused inside and that was the difference.

This game was for pride, and I thought both teams played this one like they would see each other again, but it really wasn't much of a contest, CoC controlled it the whole way.

With the double-bye, our path to the finals in the CAAT is quite good. We're flawed deeply inside and could lose a game on the glass with a cold shooting night, but hopefully last year's loss still motivates us.

[Wags]

It'll be interesting to see which may win out (and if that's a portent of things to come in D.C.) with Charleston's offense rolling (80.5 ppg), matching a season-high of 96 last night, against Hofstra's stingy defense, which has allowed just has allowed 58.9 ppg over its last seven wins.

Well, we got our answer, and it's exactly what I was afraid of. Something had to give and it was Hofstra's defense. Charleston rolled to the end of the regular season by getting their offense into high gear, and as much as Hofstra had been locking down defensively coming into this game, the Cougars easily solved that. They shot 49% overall, 43% (15/35) while scoring over 40 in each half.

That doesn't mean that in a tournament setting (when it tends to be more defensive-minded for all teams), playing for a third straight day, IF they both should get there, that Hofstra can't hold Charleston in check defensively (Charleston trailed at Hofstra 57-53 with under 6 1/2 left in the CAA opener), but that's what it will take. WIn two games and get there first - no easy task at all - and if they end up playing Charleston in the finals, they're going to somehow have to keep that high-powered offense in check. Last year, it was the same, Charleston's offense was rolling while winning its last seven regular season games before falling off some in the CAA tourney and eventually having to rally to win a 63-58 game over UNCW in the championship game (something like that would help Hofstra's chances if they meet).

This is also not good going into the tourney: If not for Robinson's two meaningless FTs to close the scoring, it would have been HU's third game this season - all within the last five - and second straight with no bench points.

UNCW did sweep Charleston this year. There's a chance they could knock Charleston off in the semis and perhaps open the door (of course, given the history, that could mean an OT win for UNCW over HU in the semis).

There is also a chance of an all-Long Island semifinal matchup if Stony Brook can beat Northeastern and Drexel and Hofstra wins its first game against Delaware (most likely), Elon, or Hampton. Two LI teams for a trip to the title game in front of a couple hundred LI fans in a mostly empty arena.

On the other hand, beware of that 3/6 game, which has not been good to Hofstra as the 3 seed in the past (upset by George Mason in 2007 when Greg Johnson went for a layup down 3 with Agudio at the 3-pt. line screaming for the ball, couldn't stop UNCW at all as they scored 93 pts in a loss in 2018, and Charleston two years ago, when they stormed out of the gate and put up 55 in the first half), and this would just fit... if it's Delaware, another 3/6 loss, only this time, to HU's biggest all-time rival in perhaps their last CAA tournament ever (although the Hens could play in one more of those next year). I don't see that though since Delaware has not been scaring anyone and isn't as good as Hofstra this year (but it would fit and beware that 3/6 game).

[EvanJ]

I'm not checking every conference, but I wonder if Charleston will be the only regular season champion to be in the bottom half of their conference in points per game allowed, field goal percentage, and opponents' field goal percentage. We have our own statistics that you don't expect from a good team, which is the fewest free throws attempted per game and second fewest free throws made per game of 362 teams. Only Army makes fewer, and they make under 60 percent, so they need free throw drills.

[Jojogunne]

Charleston was hot from the perimeter, and dominated on the glass. They got up 17 more shots than us. Frustrating to watch.

Good strategy to get to the line in the second half, but we were already playing from too far down to make it matter. Love how Carlos attacked the hoop today. Carlos/Stone/TT have played great down the stretch for us, and I thought all three played well again today. Really we just got abused inside and that was the difference.

This game was for pride, and I thought both teams played this one like they would see each other again, but it really wasn't much of a contest, CoC controlled it the whole way.

With the double-bye, our path to the finals in the CAAT is quite good. We're flawed deeply inside and could lose a game on the glass with a cold shooting night, but hopefully last year's loss still motivates us.

Amen. You could make a strong case for Ante Brzovi as CAA MVP. Take him away, and Charleston is much more beatable.

[Wags]

We have our own statistics that you don't expect from a good team, which is the fewest free throws attempted per game and second fewest free throws made per game of 362 teams. Only Army makes fewer, and they make under 60 percent, so they need free throw drills.

Hofstra though, ranks 58th in FT% this year and they are a program that is second nationally (to Villanova) in FT% over the past six seasons, including this one. There is no reason they should be next to last in the nation this season in FTM and FTA. They are 3rd this year in FT% yet last in FTA by a wide margin. They have only taken 382. The next lowest is 510. The most is 626. UNCW, which is 1st in FT% in the league is third in FTA, with 611. That makes sense, that's playing to a strength. Hofstra, not so much.

[Polito]

One thing I don't like is they've taught Carlos to never finish at the basket and constantly kick out. Sometimes he needs to finish the drive, that's point half the time even with a shooting team.

Makes zero sense to me to have guards that don't attack and get to the line. I love a good kickout for a big 3, but that's not every play like HU forces it to be. Attack the basket and draw some fouls so our good shooting guards can score some free points w/out burning clock.

[joeg1]

Carlos gets the ball bounced off his head when he drives to the basket. He is short and cannot jump. He will occasionally go baseline to baseline, then pull back. He really needs to have literally no one on him to shoot a layup. There have been times when teams play off him and he does drive, just to keep them honest. But other than that, it just doesn't work. He lacks the tools. Short guards can overcome this if they are explosive or really crafty, but he is neither. He does do everything else well, including rebounding.

[Wags]

Why does Carlos need to be the only one driving when that's limited without a kick-out for the reasons joeg points out? Thomas CAN drive but rarely does. He loves shooting jumpers though and if he drove and took at least 6-8 FTs a game instead of the 3 he attempts per game, that would open it up for him even more to shoot those jumpers. Plotnikov has a good shot fake on the perimeter to get defenders to commit before he blows by them for either layups, dunks, or drawing FTs, but we only see that every so often (mostly because despite his usual efficiency, they often seem to forget about him as an offensive option). Dubar and Fritz are capable of getting to the line in other ways, but don't get there consistently enough.

[Polito]

lolol very fair point joeg1 - and hilarious description. But I'm sorry, there are plenty of short guards that develop their game to navigate that "shortcoming" (here all week folks).

Learn to use the high floater, drive under the basket and use it as your defender, develop the quick stop and pop, I mean being short isn't an excuse to not drive and finish in some fashion.

But he hasn't had that part of his game developed AT ALL. In fact, because of how he's used and how he's encouraged to constantly kick out, he's actually therefore been encouraged to not develop that. And that's what I'm not a huge fan, despite loving his high assist numbers. I'd prefer more balance.

And to Wags point, there is ZERO excuse for the other guards on this roster that have plenty of height / size to not attack the basket more.

Only things I'd say Wags is we don't need Fritz at the line more. Dubar yes, Fritz, pass.

[Wags]

Only things I'd say Wags is we don't need Fritz at the line more. Dubar yes, Fritz, pass.

I don't know why he has declined every year at the line and has fallen off a cliff this year, but he used to be fairly reliable there at the beginning of his career:

2019-20: 75.6%
2020-21: 71.4%
2021-22: 70.3%
2022-23: 68.2%
2023-24: 56.5%

Even still, if Fritz isn't making FTs, it never hurts to draw fouls on other teams' bigs and to soften up the interior a bit and draw a little more attention there so HU's shooters can reap the benefits on the perimeter. But someone has to get the line. There's no reason why this team should be shooting SO many fewer FTs than the rest of the CAA and than most of the nation, although I don't think that's suddenly going to change this year in DC.

[triplec2195]

Talking about floaters and this is an arsenal for short guards that I love but I don't think that I've ever seen Carlos hit a floater. True not true??