We have already heard all of the positives from the ETSU game, but I want to look at the concerns I have after the 88-65 win Friday night. I know you are probably thinking it is hard to find a lot of negatives in a 23 point blowout win, but there are always ways to improve.
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[*][B]Free Throws.[/B] 9-23 is totally unacceptable from the free throw line. Terrence Jones led the deficiency from the line only shooting 3-10. Jones had an unbelievable game, but if he is going to play around the basket he is going to get fouled pretty routinely. In the SEC, games will be decided at the line, and the Cats need to improve dramatically after the ETSU game. I never thought I would be talking about free throws again after as well as they shot vs. Pikeville.
[*][B]Causing Turnovers.[/B] The Cats only caused 10 turnovers and I would expect at least 20 a game. The defense needs to create opportunities for this team to run and picking up the pressure on the other end is the key to that.
[*][B]Interior Defense.[/B] ETSU’s Isiah Brown dominated the paint with 25 points and 14 rebounds. The mixture of Jones, Harrellson, and Vargas will have to do a better job of keeping the opposing team’s post players from being so active. The SEC will have better post players than Brown, and if we can’t stop them from owning the paint, there could be some long night’s ahead of us in conference play.
[*][B]Eloy Vargas.[/B] Vargas has not shown anything for me to think he is going to help this team yet. I can only think of one word when I think of Eloy Vargas. Soft. He really needs to pick it up or Josh Harrellson will be taking the bulk of the minutes. As shallow as the bench is right now, Eloy is going to have to pick it up.
[*][B]Depth of the bench.[/B] Coach Cal is only playing 7 players consistently, with the least of the minutes going to Vargas (13 min. vs. ETSU). I would like to see Hood and Poole get more minutes just in case of foul trouble. You just never know when one of these 2 guys will have to play important minutes when SEC play comes around due to foul trouble.
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It was a great win vs. ETSU, and the Cats got the blowout I think they needed. There is a good chance they will not shoot the 3 like that every game, and when that happens something else will have to develop for them to find a way to win. Free throws and defense will come to the forefront if that happens. The Cats will have a week to work on these things before they travel to Portland and then Maui. Time to get better!! Go Cats!!
