Wow, that was a painful season. I've been quiet on this board the past several month, so I apologize for the long post.
I'm still so confused on the coaching. This includes both recruiting and play calling.
I was concerned back in the off season with the lack of experienced players being picked up from the transfer portal. We lost 8 and only picked up one. Bowling Green had 7 transfer in while most other MAC schools had 1-3. UB needs to do a better job recruiting JUCO players which add experience quickly. That has been our success the past 5-7 years.
We were all told the GH3 was looking for the best players that fit into his style of play. And then, he only gets Graham from the portal (and he had eligibility issues). I wasn’t really impressed with Graham in his limited play. Did we leave scholarships on the table? Fulcher was also a transfer? Good driving to the basket when he did.
And then he picks up 5 Freshmen. Diovion Famakinde went AWOL before the season even started. At the start of the season GH3 didn’t appear to want to play his Freshman until he realized he didn’t have enough players. Sabol had the most minutes of the Freshman but his 3-point shooting was off most of the season (until the last game). Wilson was good on defense. Boldin and McVeigh were so so.
What happened to Kanye Jones? He went AWOL midway through the season.
This team just lacked experience. Smith just seemed uncommitted to playing. Never really went after any lose balls. He wore his emotions on his sleave and often got into foul trouble. Fulcher had some nice drives to the basket. Williamson showed glimmers of hope with the inside game. Will they return next year or think the grass is greener elsewhere? Adams and Chatman were only talents on the team.
Now, on to coaching. How could GH3 expect to have Adams to play point-forward the entire season as started out the season?
Rarely did I see this team do “organized plays”. The women every single possession looked at the coach to see the play. Nothing like that on this team. Always seemed like a “pickup game” plays. Similarly, I never understood UB’s side-line in-bound plays on offense. UB always seemed to move away from the in-bound player.
People complained the past several years that we had so many fast break points. Sure didn’t seem like we had so many this year. This year was a lot of “in-bound the ball, go down the court, try to break the defense”. This team needs to be faster in order to get the “easy” (and more exciting) baskets.
Sure would have liked to have seen more ball movement and better ball screen. Less turnovers as well but that probably comes with being a less experienced team.
In short, I just got the impression that this team wasn’t coached well.