pledger must get going...

**87sooner** · 01-22-2013 09:54 AM

if we are going to beat good teams like ku/baylor/kstate at home.......and even have a chance on the road against iowa st/osu/tech/.....we MUST have production from behind the arc..
3 pt shooting is the great equalizer....
it seems every game we play.....someone on the other team goes off from 3 and beats us or keeps it way too close...
but our 3 pt shooting has been mysteriously absent...
we beat kstate in manhattan last year because pledger went off for 30...
he only had 5 last nite against texas...
he needs to be getting 15 a nite minimum...
consistency is the name of the game from seniors/juniors....but for some reason....you almost forget he's out there...
cousins has been even worse from an offensive standpoint...or i would suggest pledger come off the bench...
at least cousins plays good defense....
we need pledger to have a great game saturday or it could be a blowout in lawrence...

**mavsfan31** · 01-22-2013 10:00 AM

Cousins needs to quit throwing up 3s. What is he, 20% at best?

**Boognish** · 01-22-2013 10:08 AM

We will lose in Lawrence. If we don't it will be the upset of the season.
But I don't think Pledger needs to get 15+ a game. I think he needs to get out of the way and stop trying to do anything but catch and shoot if he's open. We had no talent last year, and that's why Pledger went off for 30 against KSU, because he got all the shots out of necessity. Clark's role has shifted, and Pledger's has too.
After last night, I think we will be okay against BU, KSU at home. Not saying we'll beat them, but Hield and M'Baye look really good, and when Osby gets going that is a three headed monster. That is our offense now, not Pledger.
I agree he needs to get his shot going, but he needs to do it by letting those guys get theirs and sitting back and taking shots when they come.

You are arguing about Pledger only having 5 points last night but we won pretty comfortably over Texas. I'll take that.

**87sooner** · 01-22-2013 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Boognish

We will lose in Lawrence. If we don't it will be the upset of the season.
But I don't think Pledger needs to get 15+ a game. I think he needs to get out of the way and stop trying to do anything but catch and shoot if he's open. We had no talent last year, and that's why Pledger went off for 30 against KSU, because he got all the shots out of necessity. Clark's role has shifted, and Pledger's has too.
After last night, I think we will be okay against BU, KSU at home. Not saying we'll beat them, but Hield and M'Baye look really good, and when Osby gets going that is a three headed monster. That is our offense now, not Pledger.
I agree he needs to get his shot going, but he needs to do it by letting those guys get theirs and sitting back and taking shots when they come.

You are arguing about Pledger only having 5 points last night but we won pretty comfortably over Texas. I'll take that.

having no outside shooting will be a problem against better teams...
pledger/hornbeak/cousins were 3 of 11 last nite......and only 1 of 5 from three....
that won't win ANY games on the road against the better teams.....
if you don't have outside shots falling.....it will be harder for osby/mbaye to get their's inside...

**Boognish** · 01-22-2013 10:57 AM

Yeah I see what you're saying.
I don't know how Osby got inside so much last night... that was what killed Texas. And they weren't getting back on defense and Hield was running breaks and feeding M'Baye.
In the KSU game, Osby was forced to get the ball outside and he wasn't able to get anything going at the rim.
IMO the better teams will try to do that and force us to take jumpers and all our guards will have to shoot better. I just think Pledger is not our first option anymore due to our young guys being better. He needs to get his shot going but he needs to take it when it comes. I'm not worried about him not scoring if we win. I'm more worried about the fact that, like you said, none of our guards are shooting the ball very well from outside.

**sooner518** · 01-22-2013 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Boognish

Yeah I see what you're saying.
I don't know how Osby got inside so much last night... that was what killed Texas. And they weren't getting back on defense and Hield was running breaks and feeding M'Baye.
In the KSU game, Osby was forced to get the ball outside and he wasn't able to get anything going at the rim.
IMO the better teams will try to do that and force us to take jumpers and all our guards will have to shoot better. I just think Pledger is not our first option anymore due to our young guys being better. He needs to get his shot going but he needs to take it when it comes. I'm not worried about him not scoring if we win. I'm more worried about the fact that, like you said, none of our guards are shooting the ball very well from outside.

Texas tried to play Osby 1 on 1 which was a mistake. Most teams will send a guard at him when he catches the ball inside the 3 point line. Because he never got doubled last night, he never had to kick out to an open guard on the perimeter. Against a team that doubles more on interior guys, we will shoot more than five 3s in the whole game.

**87sooner** · 01-27-2013 07:16 AM

pledger was 2-4 from 3........scoring 10 total.....not what i would call "getting going"....

**Boognish** · 01-27-2013 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by 87sooner

pledger was 2-4 from 3........scoring 10 total.....not what i would call "getting going"....

I think it had more to do with KU shutting him down.
To beat OU, take away the paint and force Osby, M'Baye and Fitz outside, and take away Pledger's threes.
When you have size and depth inside, the first part is easy. When you have speed and athleticism outside, so is the second part.
That game was never in question yesterday. KU had multiple guys hit threes, drive and score, etc. and we have Pledger who is a shooter, Osby who is undersized big, a rookie PG who is not a great shooter and is green, and Hield who is about 12th on KU's roster if he is there.