*** OFFICIAL 2015 Colorado @ OSU Game Thread ***

[OUBuff]

It's the general habit of popping up only after losses that generally annoys some people. And we have some really knowledgeable posters on here who are among Tad's biggest supporters.. However, many of these same guys were also largely among the more pessimistic side of predicting in the preseason how things would play out. I'm worried about the ramifications of this season myself. It may very well turn out that we've lost momentum and won't recover it. But as horrible and frustrating as this season is (for so many reasons I won't even go into them all) we've simply got to give Tad the benefit of the doubt for the time being. We're 5 seasons in and we've had unprecedented success for 4 of those seasons and a colossal failure for 1. Next year now looms huge and it is a crossroads, but let's wait and see and hope some adjusting occurs.

Funny how "colossal failure" is brought on by the "unprecedented success" experienced in the first 4 years. Had Tad not set the expectation, the "colossal failure" would have just been "fleet average," nobody would really have cared. Remember, before Tad, and BZ, CU was a school that accepted what seemed like 10 years of medeocrity we called Ricardo.

I for one am willing to take a year of the old days for every 4 years of "unprecedented success." The only question is whether Tad can lead the program to another period of success or did we lose that momentum?

 

[PAHIBuff]

Bragging about predicting a disappointing and bad season. Sure love that type of "fan". A large group of posters in this forum seem to only show up during or after losses to talk about how terrible the team is. Why should that be encouraged?

It shouldn't be encouraged. To show up only after a loss is bush league and it's sniping. But it's been a very disappointing year, and I think that fans of all stripes are seeingmany of the same things on the court. I do believe that improvement will come around over the next two years.

 

[Daaah]

It's the general habit of popping up only after losses that generally annoys some people. And we have some really knowledgeable posters on here who are among Tad's biggest supporters.. However, many of these same guys were also largely among the more pessimistic side of predicting in the preseason how things would play out. I'm worried about the ramifications of this season myself. It may very well turn out that we've lost momentum and won't recover it. But as horrible and frustrating as this season is (for so many reasons I won't even go into them all) we've simply got to give Tad the benefit of the doubt for the time being. We're 5 seasons in and we've had unprecedented success for 4 of those seasons and a colossal failure for 1. Next year now looms huge and it is a crossroads, but let's wait and see and hope some adjusting occurs.

I think I can be counted as one of the folks around here that has been particularly critical of Tad this year. I've been following CU basketball for a while going back to the Jaquay Walls led teams, so I hope that buys me a little bit of leeway. As critical of Tad as I've been, I certainly do not think that he deserves to be fired or anything. The team has made huge strides under his direction and we need to see what happens following this disappointing season. Tad has earned some rope.

That said, I think this year has exposed some deficiencies in his coaching that need to be addressed. The problems that are blatantly obvious this year have lurked below the surface his entire time here. I understand that Tad preaches good defense and rebounding, but we need to be able run plays that get our best players in positions in which they are likely to succeed on offense too. We need to be able to run an actual offense that doesn't require an NBA guard to get it going. You're not always going to have a 1st team all Pac-12 guard and if you do, as we know all too well, there are injuries or foul trouble or sickness or whatever else that can keep that player out of important games. When we're at a crucial point in the game where a basket is sorely needed I think there has to be a system we can go to that isn't the old pass-the-ball-around-the-perimitter-and-fire-up-a-shot-as-the-shotclock-expires play that we've all become accustomed to. We need an offensive Xs and Os guy on the staff really badly or Tad needs to implement something himself.

 

[seattlebuff]

You've got a point (or two). But I think the 'bragging' could be more of a claim of vindication from someone who thought he had some insight (signs of pending problems) and was roundly criticized at the time. Of course the injuries to Scott & XJ hadn't yet happened, so it was a bit more difficult in December to forecast a mediocre Buff season.

Exactly. I was not bragging, whatsoever.. And I comment after wins, just recently expressed how I hoped the Stanford win was a turning point. I was just stating what I saw WAY back and was roundly criticized for. And I made the "we're not making the NIT" statement after the Utah game, but honestly I felt that from way before. Go back to last year, even BEFORE Spencer went down. The lack of outside shooting ability was a glaring weakness. Every team that is successful has a 2-3 shooters minimum on their roster. And when those same guards can't penetrate and dish or finish, you're screwed. That's where we are.

 

[wyobuff]

The problems that are blatantly obvious this year have lurked below the surface his entire time here.

This is not said nearly often enough. Every year tad has been here, there have been quite a few games where a 5+ minute scoring drought happens. Usually the defense covers it up, but that has not happened this year. Same with the 3 point defense - Omar Strong, that guy from Elon, brady ****ing heslip, and the list goes on and on.

 

[aghcsm]

This is not said nearly often enough. Every year tad has been here, there have been quite a few games where a 5+ minute scoring drought happens. Usually the defense covers it up, but that has not happened this year. Same with the 3 point defense - Omar Strong, that guy from Elon, brady ****ing heslip, and the list goes on and on.

Agreed, and the issue exposes a major deficiency on this year's team - the need for a guy (or couple of guys) who sees the urgency growing to get a bucket, and has the will and ability to take it upon himself to make sure it gets done. Ski would fill this role if he were more consistent. Or maybe Scott if he were healthy.

 

[CVilleBuff]

I think I can be counted as one of the folks around here that has been particularly critical of Tad this year. I've been following CU basketball for a while going back to the Jaquay Walls led teams, so I hope that buys me a little bit of leeway. As critical of Tad as I've been, I certainly do not think that he deserves to be fired or anything. The team has made huge strides under his direction and we need to see what happens following this disappointing season. Tad has earned some rope.

That said, I think this year has exposed some deficiencies in his coaching that need to be addressed. The problems that are blatantly obvious this year have lurked below the surface his entire time here. I understand that Tad preaches good defense and rebounding, but we need to be able run plays that get our best players in positions in which they are likely to succeed on offense too. We need to be able to run an actual offense that doesn't require an NBA guard to get it going. Your not always going to have a 1st team all Pac-12 guard and if you do, as we know all too well, there are injuries or foul trouble or sickness or whatever else that can keep that player out of important games. When we're at a crucial point in the game where a basket is sorely needed I think there has to be a system we can go to that isn't the old pass-the-ball-around-the-perimitter-and-fire-up-a-shot-as-the-shotclock-expires play that we've all become accustomed to. We need an offensive Xs and Os guy on the staff really badly or Tad needs to implement something himself.

I'm on the same page. Just doing the same thing again and again after it fails isn't good enough. After a season like this, you need an infusion of new ideas.

 

[BIGEZ321]

Exactly. I was not bragging, whatsoever.. And I comment after wins, just recently expressed how I hoped the Stanford win was a turning point. I was just stating what I saw WAY back and was roundly criticized for. And I made the "we're not making the NIT" statement after the Utah game, but honestly I felt that from way before. Go back to last year, even BEFORE Spencer went down. The lack of outside shooting ability was a glaring weakness. Every team that is successful has a 2-3 shooters minimum on their roster. And when those same guards can't penetrate and dish or finish, you're screwed. That's where we are.

I think Tad has tried to recruit shooters but for some reason they aren't panning out. Might be player development and coaching. Fletcher, Thomas and Talton we're supposed to turn into our "shooters". However, it seems they are afraid to pull the trigger and bent on running whatever offense they are running. Afraid to shoot and not shooting with confidence is by far the biggest problem with the team.

I just can't figure what Tad has these guys doing. Take for instance Fletcher, who is shooting 55% from 3pt land. WTH is this guy doing passing up 3 point shots!!!!! I don't care if a guy is in his face. He should have the green light to shoot the 3 if he has any space. Instead he passes it out or takes a wild drive and throws up a brick in traffic. If Fletcher put up more than 1.12 3 point shots a game he might be considered a threat, making defenses have to stay honest. Guess what, that helps opens up the paint for Scott, Gordon and XJ.

Jaron has an ugly stroke, but let him shoot when he's open. He's at 37% from downtown, better than XJ, Thomas and Talton.

Who keeps telling Scott, Thomas, and Gordon it's okay to pass the ball out when they are 5ft from the basket. I haven't seen a team with this much of a confidence problem, like ever.

Bottom line is we need threats around the perimeter where the defense knows our guys will fire if given any space. That's how you open the paint. Even if we're only going to shoot 30-35% from out there, I'll take it over passing the ball around aimlessly, shooting bad mid-range shots over defenders, watching Ski go one-on-one every other possession, and driving into traffic for wild shots.

Tad needs to open up the cage and let these guys ball, they seem constrained into an offense that clearly isn't working for them. I wish our team could start playing like they did in the Auburn game. They seemed free, full of energy, and played fast. They weren't thinking, just ballin'.