Fox has a reputation as a "good defense, bad offense" coach. Turns out he's a "bad defense, worst offense" coach. This issue is important because it's not an athleticism problem. Given that these student-athletes are making it through Berkeley, it's not an intelligence problem. It's specifically a coaching problem, most damning because it's Fox's supposed strength.
There’s nothing wrong with this article, it’s a fine piece highlighting an issue that the team needs to address, and I learned quite a bit about mechanics.
That said, it’s like writing 500 words on how the tuba player on the Titanic was consistently flat.
Ok, you made me laugh. I am glad you maybe learned something at least.
And yes, sinking ship yada yada. I just wanted to get if off my chest while I still could how much this has bugged me all year long, about a defensive coach underperforming on a basic defensive task. UCLA gave me some good plays to work with.
good analysis, and win or lose, I like to talk basketball (the fire coach posts are boring and repetitive (regardless of my opinion)
I agree with your analysis and agree Lars missed the assignment, not Grant.
What's disappointing is the two errors you pointed out were both seniors.
Of course, players lose vision and focus so defensive assignments are missed all the time. Still, you've been watching for this over many games, so it is a chronic defensive failure.
What I noticed is in both cases, UCLA's top gun was left open for wide-open threes. If I'm coach, I say what ever you do, keep vision on Jaquez (maybe easier said than done as I consider him the conference POY, even above the AZ post because of his ability to just take over games)
I like to talk basketball, as well. The coaching discussion will happen when it happens. For now, I am trying to stick to on-the-court stuff.
I feel like I am picking on Kuany and Lars on these breakdowns, though it's not on them exclusively. Lars typically gets the big-man assignment who comes up to set the screen (just like he does on offense), and Kuany seems to be targeted more than other wing players. Maybe the scouting report on Cal shows that they are weak on rotations.
And yeah, it was fun to watch UCLA's offense. Jaquez should be POY. More consistent than Toubulis.
Jaquez's most outstanding trait to me is his ability to create angles from all three levels - he's not outstanding athletically and honestly, a slightly below average 3 point shooter. But he's just churning and churning and creatively offensively and is able to get to spots to find ways to get the ball in the basket or create opportunities for his teammates. Tubelis is a better shooter and rebounder - but less versatile and (i feel) can be guarded more than Jaquez can.
Can’t speak for others on this board, MS, though I do agree that while Cal and UT may share certain characteristics, it would be a stretch to call them similar schools as so much about them is different. Most on this board would probably agree that Cal is unlike any other school on the planet…it’s one of the things that makes Cal the fantastic institution that it is.
Also, it’s safe to say plenty of Cal fans want the team to hire a winner…Chris Beard absolutely is that. However, there were clearly facts about the incident that raised enough red flags for Texas to can CB, even after Randi Trew recanted her statements and refused to cooperate…given those circumstances, the Longhorns likely had a pretty good idea that charges would not be pursued, yet still cut ties. I do find it interesting that Texas quickly fired one of the best HC’s in the nation despite no criminal charges being filed, yet Mark Fox remains employed despite presiding over the worst basketball team in the country…priorities, I suppose.
Now, your bio states you’re a “realistic Cal
fan”…I sympathize. But you know as well as anyone that there’s zero chance Cal would take a flyer on a HC with that type of baggage…most schools would pass. Much like the Trevor Bauer suspension/release, the public perception of these personalities absolutely factors in and just makes them a hard sell to the community and fan base.
Respectfully, acknowledging that there’s simply zero chance Cal, and THIS Chancellor/AD team specifically, would hire a guy 4 months off a domestic violence arrest doesn’t make some of us woke, afraid to agree or fuckin’ nuts…it simply makes us realistic Cal fans. The overmatched Jim Knowlton is gonna have a hard enough time as is navigating this hire…Beard is a nonstarter, which is unfortunate as he’s a helluva coach.
That's definitely part of it. The non-pressure and wait-to-respond is at partially due to not having top-tier athletes and lacking depth. But I also think it's been the same thing all year long with no adjustments. I can find similar plays from November and December. Something about the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over......
Not just you. That's the point. No changes or adjustments ingame or inseason, except when forced to (like smallball for 16 minutes against ASU due to foul trouble on our bigs).
The 16 minutes v. ASU illustrates literally everything that is wrong with Mark Fox and why he should never coach college basketball players again…that small ball lineup that he was forced to use F-ing worked damn fine…it brought a spark. A better HC would’ve found a way to go back to something that worked, at least in some capacity. Stubborn Fox does the opposite, and immediately feeds the LEAST skilled offensive player on the team multiple times to start the next game. It’s baffling.
Talent masks poor coaching…good coaching can compensate for a lack of talent.
Cuonzo can’t coach offense for schitt, but could recruit and had 4 NBA players, so they were passable on O. Fox can’t coach offense for schitt, and can’t recruit…so you get what you have here.
Porter Moser’s Loyola of Chicago teams weren’t incredibly talented but won a ton because of coaching.
Which they have, respectfully my friend. Maybe not pro players, but Newell can ball, Alajiki can ball, Kuany can ball. Joel can facilitate…Wrenn Robinson is a passable backup PG. Roberson, Bowser, Anyanwu, Lars and Okafor can ALL run the floor. Sure, this team would never be Bubble, but they would absolutely have 12-14 wins with competent coaching.
Fox never put this team in a position to win, based on the skill sets of his players.
He’s got a team that goes a legit 9 deep, even with injuries, with no fewer than 7 long, athletic, and quick kids with solid motors…the story of the 2022-2023 Cal Men’s Basketball team is Mark Fox forcing a deep, athletic team that HE built to play a 1950’s Indiana High School basketball style…it’s a coaching problem, not a talent one.
Don't believe Beard can get an offer from any P5 school right now. There are only two auto-rejects in academia: 1) academic dishonesty; 2) appearance of impropriety against a protected class.
He'll have to do some penance (small market G5, TV analyst, or even an assistant in the Pros) for a few years and keep his nose clean.
Well written. Learned a great deal. Fox needs to be moved out. Thank you very much for your efforts.
Fox has a reputation as a "good defense, bad offense" coach. Turns out he's a "bad defense, worst offense" coach. This issue is important because it's not an athleticism problem. Given that these student-athletes are making it through Berkeley, it's not an intelligence problem. It's specifically a coaching problem, most damning because it's Fox's supposed strength.
There’s nothing wrong with this article, it’s a fine piece highlighting an issue that the team needs to address, and I learned quite a bit about mechanics.
That said, it’s like writing 500 words on how the tuba player on the Titanic was consistently flat.
Ok, you made me laugh. I am glad you maybe learned something at least.
And yes, sinking ship yada yada. I just wanted to get if off my chest while I still could how much this has bugged me all year long, about a defensive coach underperforming on a basic defensive task. UCLA gave me some good plays to work with.
good analysis, and win or lose, I like to talk basketball (the fire coach posts are boring and repetitive (regardless of my opinion)
I agree with your analysis and agree Lars missed the assignment, not Grant.
What's disappointing is the two errors you pointed out were both seniors.
Of course, players lose vision and focus so defensive assignments are missed all the time. Still, you've been watching for this over many games, so it is a chronic defensive failure.
What I noticed is in both cases, UCLA's top gun was left open for wide-open threes. If I'm coach, I say what ever you do, keep vision on Jaquez (maybe easier said than done as I consider him the conference POY, even above the AZ post because of his ability to just take over games)
Please keep the game breakdowns coming!
I like to talk basketball, as well. The coaching discussion will happen when it happens. For now, I am trying to stick to on-the-court stuff.
I feel like I am picking on Kuany and Lars on these breakdowns, though it's not on them exclusively. Lars typically gets the big-man assignment who comes up to set the screen (just like he does on offense), and Kuany seems to be targeted more than other wing players. Maybe the scouting report on Cal shows that they are weak on rotations.
And yeah, it was fun to watch UCLA's offense. Jaquez should be POY. More consistent than Toubulis.
Jaquez's most outstanding trait to me is his ability to create angles from all three levels - he's not outstanding athletically and honestly, a slightly below average 3 point shooter. But he's just churning and churning and creatively offensively and is able to get to spots to find ways to get the ball in the basket or create opportunities for his teammates. Tubelis is a better shooter and rebounder - but less versatile and (i feel) can be guarded more than Jaquez can.
Can’t speak for others on this board, MS, though I do agree that while Cal and UT may share certain characteristics, it would be a stretch to call them similar schools as so much about them is different. Most on this board would probably agree that Cal is unlike any other school on the planet…it’s one of the things that makes Cal the fantastic institution that it is.
Also, it’s safe to say plenty of Cal fans want the team to hire a winner…Chris Beard absolutely is that. However, there were clearly facts about the incident that raised enough red flags for Texas to can CB, even after Randi Trew recanted her statements and refused to cooperate…given those circumstances, the Longhorns likely had a pretty good idea that charges would not be pursued, yet still cut ties. I do find it interesting that Texas quickly fired one of the best HC’s in the nation despite no criminal charges being filed, yet Mark Fox remains employed despite presiding over the worst basketball team in the country…priorities, I suppose.
Now, your bio states you’re a “realistic Cal
fan”…I sympathize. But you know as well as anyone that there’s zero chance Cal would take a flyer on a HC with that type of baggage…most schools would pass. Much like the Trevor Bauer suspension/release, the public perception of these personalities absolutely factors in and just makes them a hard sell to the community and fan base.
Respectfully, acknowledging that there’s simply zero chance Cal, and THIS Chancellor/AD team specifically, would hire a guy 4 months off a domestic violence arrest doesn’t make some of us woke, afraid to agree or fuckin’ nuts…it simply makes us realistic Cal fans. The overmatched Jim Knowlton is gonna have a hard enough time as is navigating this hire…Beard is a nonstarter, which is unfortunate as he’s a helluva coach.
That's definitely part of it. The non-pressure and wait-to-respond is at partially due to not having top-tier athletes and lacking depth. But I also think it's been the same thing all year long with no adjustments. I can find similar plays from November and December. Something about the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over......
Is it just me or do Fox's teams never seem to improve during the season?
Not just you. That's the point. No changes or adjustments ingame or inseason, except when forced to (like smallball for 16 minutes against ASU due to foul trouble on our bigs).
The 16 minutes v. ASU illustrates literally everything that is wrong with Mark Fox and why he should never coach college basketball players again…that small ball lineup that he was forced to use F-ing worked damn fine…it brought a spark. A better HC would’ve found a way to go back to something that worked, at least in some capacity. Stubborn Fox does the opposite, and immediately feeds the LEAST skilled offensive player on the team multiple times to start the next game. It’s baffling.
Talent masks poor coaching…good coaching can compensate for a lack of talent.
Cuonzo can’t coach offense for schitt, but could recruit and had 4 NBA players, so they were passable on O. Fox can’t coach offense for schitt, and can’t recruit…so you get what you have here.
Porter Moser’s Loyola of Chicago teams weren’t incredibly talented but won a ton because of coaching.
Good coaching can compensate to a point...but there is only so much a coach can do without talent. You need at least a couple real ballers.
Which they have, respectfully my friend. Maybe not pro players, but Newell can ball, Alajiki can ball, Kuany can ball. Joel can facilitate…Wrenn Robinson is a passable backup PG. Roberson, Bowser, Anyanwu, Lars and Okafor can ALL run the floor. Sure, this team would never be Bubble, but they would absolutely have 12-14 wins with competent coaching.
Fox never put this team in a position to win, based on the skill sets of his players.
He’s got a team that goes a legit 9 deep, even with injuries, with no fewer than 7 long, athletic, and quick kids with solid motors…the story of the 2022-2023 Cal Men’s Basketball team is Mark Fox forcing a deep, athletic team that HE built to play a 1950’s Indiana High School basketball style…it’s a coaching problem, not a talent one.
Correct in that hiring Beard would imply you have no brain.
How about no.
Did Chris Beard write this?
Don't believe Beard can get an offer from any P5 school right now. There are only two auto-rejects in academia: 1) academic dishonesty; 2) appearance of impropriety against a protected class.
He'll have to do some penance (small market G5, TV analyst, or even an assistant in the Pros) for a few years and keep his nose clean.