but here's the thing, I think the Hogs have an uphill climb to win another game. We really struggled against arguably the worst team in the league tonight, following up a horrendous 3-game losing streak.
* At 13-14, 6-8 SEC, if I could choose just one more W, it would be LSU at home coming up on Super Tuesday ... LSU got hammered at Tennessee today, the Tigers are No. 81 in RPI and their bubble is razor thin ... a win at home next week just might burst their bubble ... would love to play spoiler, certainly don't like the way we have looked the last few weeks, but maybe we can dig deep, come out pumped and ready, and notch a big W.
* Great to see two seniors, Keaton Miles and Jabril Durham, ball out like they did tonight. Miles back in the starting lineup, and he was a factor at both ends from the get-go, finishing with a monster stat line = 2 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks, and 1 steal; and Jabril with a fast start offensively to finish with a career-high 17 points (5-of-10 FGs, including 3-of-6 from 3, plus 4-of-6 FTs) to go along with 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals.
* Hogs back to the solid board work tonight, winning that battle 44-36. Also good to see 18 assists, 7 blocks, and only 7 turnovers.
* Jimmy Whitt continues to flash his talent and ability, but I can't stand the way MA rotates him in with Manny and Beard. Honestly, Whitt should be gobbling up Manny's minutes, and I'd like to see him either starting at the 3, or coming in when we go 4-guard ... I'd like to see what opens up for him on the floor with Durham and one or both of our shooters. After averaging 10.0 points in a recent 3-game stretch, JW hung a donut against Auburn, but bounced back tonight with 7 points (1-of-2 FGs, including 1-of-1 from 3, and 4-of-4 FTs) and 2 rebounds.
* Adding a bit more to the paragraph above, we are not getting enough offense on the floor when we bring Beard, Whitt, Manny, Trey, and Kouassi into the game together. It allowed Mizzou to cut double-figure leads down to 2-possession leads in each half. This will not work well at all in these last 4 games, IMO.
* Hannahs with 22 points, but he actually filled the boxscore tonight = 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Good to see him bouncing back after really struggling for a couple of weeks.
* Moses with another double-double ... 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 block ... this is a guy we really need next season, and though he has draft potential now, I think he really needs another year at this level to refine his game at both ends. He's still remedial in some of the basics. Quick feet, explosive ups, and footwork is much improved, but his timing and understanding of his positioning around the basket is still not in sync.
* Trey Thompson continues to get better ... 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block ... really like his savvy on the offensive end, and he is tougher than I thought he'd be. He lacks athleticism, agility, and quick mobility, but he makes quick, proactive decisions that allow him to be steady and productive.
* Beard an Manny ... scratching my head ... both seem to have not have improved a lot from last year. Both are very inconsistent at both ends of the floor, and it's the little things they consistently flub up that ruin runs and flow. They really need to work hard this offseason to help this team next year like I think they can.
* At 13-14, 6-8 SEC, if I could choose just one more W, it would be LSU at home coming up on Super Tuesday ... LSU got hammered at Tennessee today, the Tigers are No. 81 in RPI and their bubble is razor thin ... a win at home next week just might burst their bubble ... would love to play spoiler, certainly don't like the way we have looked the last few weeks, but maybe we can dig deep, come out pumped and ready, and notch a big W.
* Great to see two seniors, Keaton Miles and Jabril Durham, ball out like they did tonight. Miles back in the starting lineup, and he was a factor at both ends from the get-go, finishing with a monster stat line = 2 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks, and 1 steal; and Jabril with a fast start offensively to finish with a career-high 17 points (5-of-10 FGs, including 3-of-6 from 3, plus 4-of-6 FTs) to go along with 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals.
* Hogs back to the solid board work tonight, winning that battle 44-36. Also good to see 18 assists, 7 blocks, and only 7 turnovers.
* Jimmy Whitt continues to flash his talent and ability, but I can't stand the way MA rotates him in with Manny and Beard. Honestly, Whitt should be gobbling up Manny's minutes, and I'd like to see him either starting at the 3, or coming in when we go 4-guard ... I'd like to see what opens up for him on the floor with Durham and one or both of our shooters. After averaging 10.0 points in a recent 3-game stretch, JW hung a donut against Auburn, but bounced back tonight with 7 points (1-of-2 FGs, including 1-of-1 from 3, and 4-of-4 FTs) and 2 rebounds.
* Adding a bit more to the paragraph above, we are not getting enough offense on the floor when we bring Beard, Whitt, Manny, Trey, and Kouassi into the game together. It allowed Mizzou to cut double-figure leads down to 2-possession leads in each half. This will not work well at all in these last 4 games, IMO.
* Hannahs with 22 points, but he actually filled the boxscore tonight = 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Good to see him bouncing back after really struggling for a couple of weeks.
* Moses with another double-double ... 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 block ... this is a guy we really need next season, and though he has draft potential now, I think he really needs another year at this level to refine his game at both ends. He's still remedial in some of the basics. Quick feet, explosive ups, and footwork is much improved, but his timing and understanding of his positioning around the basket is still not in sync.
* Trey Thompson continues to get better ... 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block ... really like his savvy on the offensive end, and he is tougher than I thought he'd be. He lacks athleticism, agility, and quick mobility, but he makes quick, proactive decisions that allow him to be steady and productive.
* Beard an Manny ... scratching my head ... both seem to have not have improved a lot from last year. Both are very inconsistent at both ends of the floor, and it's the little things they consistently flub up that ruin runs and flow. They really need to work hard this offseason to help this team next year like I think they can.
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