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Trap Games

HawaiiBUFF

HawaiiBUFF

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Club Member
Now that we are 5-1 (as many predicted), here comes the "trap games." I am really hoping we can beat Harvard and win both @AF & @CSU. If we can escape and be 8-1 after these next three then we are exceeding many peoples expectations. If we go 7-2, I would say we are living up to the expectations. Thoughts?
 
HawaiiBUFF said:
Now that we are 5-1 (as many predicted), here comes the "trap games." I am really hoping we can beat Harvard and win both @AF & @CSU. If we can escape and be 8-1 after these next three then we are exceeding many peoples expectations. If we go 7-2, I would say we are living up to the expectations. Thoughts?
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A loss in any of these next 3 games will have people freaking out. I'm not saying that's fair, because Harvard is a Big Dance team and Colorado State on the road is going to prove far more difficult than many want to admit. However, fans will be concerned and disappointed if a loss happens, that's just the reality of it. On paper, we're better than all 3 of these teams and should win them all. If you're talking in regards to preseason expectations, a lot of people on here were tossing out OOC records like 12-1 or 11-2 and set themselves up for disappointment.

I think we'll probably lose one, but we've got to set that goal for 8-1. Harvard is solid, but Air Force is downright atrocious and Colorado State is a far cry from last year. Road games are tough, but if this team wants to start proving they're capable of making a little noise in March this year, they go win these 3.
 
I don't know what to think about the team now other than the lack of effort is troubling.
 
tante said:
I don't know what to think about the team now other than the lack of effort is troubling.
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All I know is I've seen much worse Boyle teams at this point of the season go on to do great things later in the season. 2012 was probably the most furthest along at this point in the season, but they benefitted from the Europe trip. That team would ultimately be limited by its short bench; whereas, this team is very deep with a high ceiling.

The best thing I can take away from the last 5 games is we're winning comfortably against medioce/bad competition. I'm also encouraged by the fact that we've seen other players rise to the occasion when guys like XJ, Josh Scott, Spencer or Askia are off their game/injured.
 
Watching the game last night I mentioned to the wife that this team reminds me a lot of the Nolan Richardson teams at Arkansas in the old 60 minutes of hell with Moncrief, Walker & Delph....long & athletic. I can see what is developing in the rotations Boyle is working, having the "kids" on the floor in close games is a luxury that a lot of coaches don't have. The OOC is giving Boyle the opportunity to give them game experiences that can't be duplicated in practice, game situations is the only way the coach has to gage if they're retaining what they're learning. King for one is displaying more of a controlled game each time out, some of the kids are still under the impression that they're still in high school and they're the most talented on the court...not the case. They have to learn to play together as a team or they will not accomplish their potential as a collective. Ws...they're fine and dandy but the group as a whole has so much potential once they realize standing around waiting to get the ball as if your still in high school isn't going to make it in college. Really respect Boyle's coaching right now, some time later this season one of these kids is going to come through when needed most because of what Boyle is doing in these games.
 
Just to make it clear, harvard is a good basketball team, they have several guys that would get minutes or even start for CU, this should be a good game and by no means should be considered a guarenteed win or a trap game.
 
I have really been liking how much we are using the press, and fell that is has made a difference in the "comfortable" wins against lower tier teams.

Players will have off nights, make some poor choices, etc, that's just the nature of the game...but this team goes into sloth mode for minutes at a time, that's the one thing I want to see improve, and how we will avoid slipping up in any should-win situations. UCSB displayed great endurance last night and didn't seem to look tired against a team with far more talent at altitude. I would love to see that sustained energy from our Buffs.
 
I agree with JG, This harvard game should not be considered a trap game. Even without the center (I think) Who broke his foot about 3 weeks ago, they are still going to be a very good team, and will play us tough on the road. This is the first road game of their stretch (they are going to the alaska shootout) and they should be well rested and have the benefit of traveling from east to west.
We are going to need a strong showing from the home crowd (which should be fine since the broncos/pats are at 630) and they are going to need to play a complete game to come out on top here.

The game that I'm most worried about is CSU - even though they lost a lot of players and minutes, this is their super bowl, and they can basically rest easy if they knock us off in foco. Not all that concerned about AFA because they are god-awful, but am more worried about the MWC being a huge RPI drag this year, as opposed to the juice we got from playing quite a few of their teams last year.
 
So far, it appears that any team that plays zone defense against us is a "trap game". There simply is not enough cutting to the lane after a pass. Hopefully, we can get this wrinkled out, but history doesn't suggest that it will be an easy task for Boyle. The zone has hurt us going back to the end of last year.
 
Breaking the zone is really not that hard in theory. Drive and kick out. We have very little motion on offense so the kick out is hardly there.
 
Shldr2Shldr said:
Breaking the zone is really not that hard in theory. Drive and kick out. We have very little motion on offense so the kick out is hardly there.
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There was a play in the 1st half when Ski did exactly that and kicked the ball out to XJ... or where XJ should have been. But instead of popping out behind the arc for the spot up the offense is designed to take, XJ had a brainfart and followed Ski down the lane. Result was Ski throwing the ball out of bounds to no one.

XJ shook the cobwebs off and had a strong 2nd half. But that's the kind of stuff that was going on all night. There was a lot going on that was wrong besides just having a bad shooting night. The team wasn't focused.
 
My experience with watching this Buffs team has been one of frustration but also that night before Xmas feeling as a kid. This team is immensely talented, easily the most talented Buffs team since I have been following, having said that, they have the awful habit of playing down to their competition, and believing their own hype. They refuse to fight over the top of screens on the perimeter or close out on three point shooters, allowing teams with less talent and athleticism to hang in the game far too long. The team has the idea that they can just turn it on and off when they choose to, this lack of intensity and killer instinct worries me and could be their downfall in conference play. At the same time, if this team can find a way to give max effort the whole game and become a bit more cohesive on the offensive end (moving without the ball instead of standing around waiting for someone else to make a play) they will be scary good. I can simultaneously see them winning the Pac or coming in 6th, depending on how they approach the rest of the season.
 
I'd be very happy winning the next three, though I don't think we'll actually accomplish that. These are good teams we'll be playing.

And you can hardly label these as "trap games," for the reasons people have said above. A trap game involves crappy competition with the possibility they'll be overlooked. No one is going to overlook Harvard or @CSU.
 
jgisland said:
Just to make it clear, harvard is a good basketball team, they have several guys that would get minutes or even start for CU, this should be a good game and by no means should be considered a guarenteed win or a trap game.
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:nod:
 
CU being given a 66% chance of victory against Harvard (favored by 5), 77% chance of victory at Air Force (favored by 8.9), 49% chance of victory at Colorado State (Colorado State favored by 0.3%).

http://www.rpiforecast.com/teams/Colorado.html

It's still obviously early in the season and things have yet to really settle in yet. I'd lower the chances of beating Harvard a bit and raise the chances of beating CSU a bit.
 
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