I’ve been reading this board for several years now. There have been some good points here and there, but honestly a lot of what I read leaves me shaking my head. Sometimes it feels like a lot of the posts are based on surface level basketball knowledge rather than actually watching what’s happening on the floor.

At the end of the day, I would just like to see the offense run more sets for the shooters Sheldon, Burris, and Connors. When those guys are involved it stretches the floor and opens things up inside for Pav, Hadaway, and Javon.

Right now the ball sticks a little too much and the offense ends up being harder than it needs to be.

I’ve been reading this board for several years now. There have been some good points here and there, but honestly a lot of what I read leaves me shaking my head. Sometimes it feels like a lot of the posts are based on surface level basketball knowledge rather than actually watching what’s happening on the floor.

Just a few thoughts on this season from someone who has watched a lot of these games.

First, I do think this team could benefit from a little more discipline and accountability at times. I have no doubt the coaching staff cares deeply about the school, the program, and these players. You can see the passion on the sideline. At times though it feels like a lot of energy goes toward arguing calls. Working officials is part of the game, but usually the most effective conversations with refs are brief, specific, and at the right moment. Players often reflect the emotional tone of the bench, so finding that balance can go a long way.

Hadaway is a good example. He’s clearly a very emotional competitor, which is not a bad thing. But learning how to channel that emotion the right way is important. When he’s focused and locked in he brings a lot to the team.

Sheldon - The hate he gets on this board is ridiculous. I’ve read that he’s not a good shooter, not athletic, and shouldn’t even be playing. None of that really lines up with what I see. He’s actually a very good shooter when he’s under control. Putting him in spots where he can get those higher percentage looks would help both him and the team. He’s also more athletic than people give him credit for and brings a lot of energy. Sometimes that energy helps the team and sometimes it gets a little out of control, especially when he’s tired. Film study and experience usually help players figure that out.

Pav - He doesn’t pass the look test, but he fools people. He’s a phenomenal offensive player and has carried this team on more than one occasion. I would like to see him trust his teammates a little more at times and keep the ball moving. He also looks worn down from playing a lot of minutes. Defensively there is still room for growth, but offensively he has been a big piece for this team.

Javon - He’s had some really high highs and a few lows this season. When he’s just playing and not focused on refs or the other team, he can be really hard to stop. Like a lot of competitive players, learning when and how to use that emotion to your advantage is part of the growth process.

JJ - People get so focused on his speed and athleticism that they sometimes overlook the basketball IQ side of things. He’s clearly the fastest and most athletic player on the team, and that allows him to recover from some mistakes. But he does get beat on straight line drives and back cuts more than you’d like to see. Also notice why he sometimes gets open looks for dunks or threes. Teams often sag off him and use that defender to help on Pav and Javon.

Kiir - Off the charts athleticism but still very raw. He gets lost on both ends of the floor at times, which is pretty normal for young players with his skill set. It will be interesting to see how much he improves over the summer.

One of my biggest critiques of Boals is that there's not enough structure to his offense. A lot of motion principles, but it's extraordinarily rare that we run sets to create specific shots. That's a disservice to shooters like Conners/Burris/Sheldon and it shows in our efficiency numbers.

Disclaimer: Box Score +/- is in no way an end all be all stat. It punishes a guy like Pav who simply never comes off the floor and fails to account for who is on the floor for the other team.

All of this. There's been a lot of calls for more Kuany minutes and I get it, we all see the potential, but he gets lost on both ends regularly. He has all the tools to be a great basketball player. Great athlete, smooth shooting stroke, ability to finish around the rim, and phenomenal length. The reality? He has a box score +/- of -33 per 100 possessions, the worst of any rotational player in the Boals era. For reference, the next 2 on that list are Nolan Foster (2019/20) at -12.4 per 100 and the Wiz (2022/23) at -12.2 per 100.

It's a double edged sword where to develop more of that basketball IQ, he needs to play more, however, he has been a net negative because of how much he gets lost on the floor. I'm still a believer in the potential, but it's really hard to give someone play time that has been that much of a negative.

Also felt like an appropriate place to point out that the only player on the team this year with a positive +/- is Hadaway. Has he had a lot of frustrating moments recently? For sure, but the energy and effort he brings on both sides of the floor have been so important. The criticism is all fair, the tech arguing a flagrant in the Akron game was insane, but when he is on the floor the team is unarguably better than when he is on the bench.

The current teams +/- per 100 possessions:
+1 - Hadaway
-0.8 - Kelly
-2.2 - Simmons
-2.4 - Ajay Sheldon
-4.4 - Pav
-4.6 - Burris
-5.9 - Breath
-9 - Elliott
-11.7 - Conners
-33 - Kuany

Disclaimer: Box Score +/- is in no way an end all be all stat. It punishes a guy like Pav who simply never comes off the floor and fails to account for who is on the floor for the other team. I found the Kuany and Hadaway pieces to be relevant enough to call out.

Not an expert on box score +/- but always thought it has some flaws like the one you mentioned. Similarly, it also fails to account for who is on the floor from your own team, no?

Also felt like an appropriate place to point out that the only player on the team this year with a positive +/- is Hadaway. Has he had a lot of frustrating moments recently? For sure, but the energy and effort he brings on both sides of the floor have been so important. The criticism is all fair, the tech arguing a flagrant in the Akron game was insane, but when he is on the floor the team is unarguably better than when he is on the bench.

The current teams +/- per 100 possessions:
+1 - Hadaway
-0.8 - Kelly
-2.2 - Simmons
-2.4 - Ajay Sheldon
-4.4 - Pav
-4.6 - Burris
-5.9 - Breath
-9 - Elliott
-11.7 - Conners
-33 - Kuany

Disclaimer: Box Score +/- is in no way an end all be all stat. It punishes a guy like Pav who simply never comes off the floor and fails to account for who is on the floor for the other team. I found the Kuany and Hadaway pieces to be relevant enough to call out.

What is the source for the +/- data? There was only one website you could get that data years ago and it went belly up and I haven't seen it since. I wouldn't be surprised if wherever you are pulling from is not a complete dataset. I am as much of a Hadaway supporter as anyone here but I am having a hard time believing that much of a spread between Hadaway and Pavs, for example. Or that we have been that bad with Kuany on the court.