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Medical red shirt candidate? Dean’s not NBA material, so why not try for one?

http://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs/machine

Fun program I’ve been playing with for the last few weeks. It’s surprising how guessing wrong on one game shifts the entire playoff scenario.

I don’t think it gets all the tie breakers right either, but it gets you in the neighborhood.

http://www.nba.com/video/2017/12/06/0021700353-sac-cle-play5

@approxinfinity RE halftime adjustment – that’s a really good theory.

If you know that you’re the master of winning games where no team leads by more than 3 possessions, and that you also have a hard time keeping the players focused with a big lead, or dealing with large momentum swings, could you see keeping the score knotted for as long as possible as being your best chance of winning? Also, maybe Self believes that by keeping the score close the opposing coach is much less likely to adjust at halftime?

He’s conservative – managing fouls and such – in the first half.

Big Clyde52 said:

@ I just do not believe this team is as good as last years. We lost three terrific shooters, two of which were senior leaders. We have none of that kind of fire power now, except for Vick going off occasionally. DLawson is trying to fill the gap lately. Just my opinion.

I feel the urge to agree. However, I have to catch myself and try to consider how to make a fair assessment. Here are some things I think are influencing my evaluation:

1. Last year’s team had Silvio and Doke. They are still on this team, but neither is playing. If they play, the team would be better. If/when they do, both have a year more experience than last year.

2. I am using current data against the team that finished strong with a conference and regional final championship. It’s still just December. Trying to remember how the team was last year about this time. We were relying pretty heavily on Graham and Svi. Newman was a non-factor until conference, IIRC.

3. The vacancies were filled by less experienced players, but with ceilings as high or possibly higher. Dotson is not Graham, but seems to have found a groove already. His performance as a freshmen has been impressive, but no where near as potent offensively as Graham.

4. Vick is much more lethal than last year, shooting better than anyone I can recall since Terry Brown and Ron Kellogg. Not sure if he completely fill’s Svi’s shoes as a slasher, and certainly not as a defender, but there is room for improvement. Vick’s athleticism continues to amaze. That bodes well for some moment in the future when he decides to play lock-down defense.

5. DLawson is unlike anyone we had last year.

6. Garrett and Lightfoot are a year older and both seem improved.

This team is less experienced as a group, less consistent and not as strong defensively as the team last year. And it’s short-handed.

But the deficiencies are things that could be resolved through the season and, in almost every category, we could be better.

So we’re not yet better, but this team could be better than a final four team, and that’s encouraging to me.

Short version: glass is half full.

Crimsonorblue22 said:

@bskeet I’ve never been to a post season game.

Hmm… this could explain some things!

@JayHawkFanToo I really liked Self’s halftime talk about the initial half-court defense being really good, and that Nova only really hit their threes off of rebounds and kickouts. It’s very exciting to see us defend the 3 well. We do seem to be rotating a lot better.

@approxinfinity The two active coaches with the longest conference win streaks too.