The Key Our Team

[TomGMU]

Actually, the Patriots were 6-1 in games that Nolan played, all of which were garbage minutes after the outcome had already been decided. To imply that Cornelius had no more causative effect in the victories as did Nolan is nonsensical.

Don't bother, Pablos. He either gets it and is trying to play dumb, or he is too dumb to get it. Nobody is blaming Cornelius for our losses or crediting him for our wins. We're just showing how valuable he is to our team.

[aughttwo]

Cornelius just needs to clean up some of the cheap fouls he gives up being overly aggressive on the player bringing the ball up the court. If he could play smarter defense, he might not have to be quite as tentative on the offensive end of the court.

This is kind of a problem with the entire team actually, we give up way too many fouls by being just overzealous in our defensive sets. Being overzealous and selling out also allows the opposing teams to get too many easy buckets (Ali's 3-point dagger being the latest example).

[expendable smurf]

To imply that Cornelius had no more causative effect in the victories as did Nolan is nonsensical.

You're much nicer than I am.

[masonevolution]

You guys missed my point... bleh.

[Hugh Akston]

You guys missed my point... bleh.

and you made it so well too

[8684OT]

You guys are dismissing masonevolution too quickly.

Suppose the following is true:
A) Whenever MM or Pearson gets hot, defenses double cover them causing a loosening of the perimeter defense; B) Whenever the perimeter defense loosens Acorn scores 10 or more points; C) Whenever A&B happens Mason wins

In such a situation, whenever Acorn gets 10 or more we win. While certainly Acorn is important in this hypo, from a coaching perspective the "key" is not Acorn so much as getting MM or Pearson hot to cause the double coverage.

None of which is to say, I actually disagree with Tom's point. I think Acorn or Cam (or both) need to actually create the opportunities for the rest of the team to do well and win. But I rely more on my eyes than the stats to reach that conclusion.

[expendable smurf]

You guys are dismissing masonevolution too quickly.

Suppose the following is true:
A) Whenever MM or Pearson gets hot, defenses double cover them causing a loosening of the perimeter defense; B) Whenever the perimeter defense loosens Acorn scores 10 or more points; C) Whenever A&B happens Mason wins

Pearson was our leading scorer in the GSU game; Mo tied with Cam as leading scorer and Pearson scored in double digits in the DU game. Cornelius did nothing in either. We lost both. It seems to me that B is looking more important than A in these hypotheticals. Sure pinpointing particular players is partly oversimplification, but there is some very compelling evidence that Cornelius is instrumental in the success of the team.

But really, for the most part, no one is paying attention to masonevolution because the Cornelius to Nolan analogy was criminally retarded.

[Mason98]

8684 - You make a reasonable argument, however, I am having trouble remembering instances when Morrison or Pearson were consistently doubled.

I think the original point is a very good one and I'll add that I also thinks it applies to the defensive end. In the 3 conference games we've lost, we've struggled with the opposing team's PG -- that's not all on AC given different defenses and lineups, but he is the guy who is primarily guarding the other teams PG -- against NU, Allen torched us for 20 points and 2 assists in the first 24 minutes of that game. Against GSU, Dukes had 8 points and 7 assists in the 2nd half, including an assist on Ali's 3 and, right before that, hit 2 FTs after he beat Cornelius and picked up a blocking foul on Morrison. Against Drexel, Harris had 14 points and 5 assists. As Aughttwo hit on, he plays aggressively and has plenty of ability as a defender...I think he just needs to be a little smarter on defense - stop picking up pointless blocking/reaching fouls 40 feet from the hoop and don't overplay when its not necessary - Dukes is shooting 22% from 3 on the year, Harris is just over 30%, play off guys like that and dare them to make some outside shots.

[8684OT]

I have no clue why I'm defending masonevolution, since he seems uninterested in doing so himself; but for the sake of being complete, I offer the following:

But really, for the most part, no one is paying attention to masonevolution because the Cornelius to Nolan analogy was criminally retarded.

He was not making an analogy but a reductio ad absurdum argument (an argument in which a proposition is disproven by following its implications to a logical but absurd consequence). His point is you can find a great stat that whenever Nolan played more than 1 min, Mason won. That does not mean that Nolan's playing a minute caused the win.

The point, which is well taken, is you cant trust a stat that says "whenever X happens, Mason wins" to be the equivalent of "X causes Mason to win". Otherwise Mason could just put Nolan in for a few minutes every game and guarantee a win (assuming of course Nolan was still a patriot).

[masonhoopsfan]

I have no clue why I'm defending masonevolution, since he seems uninterested in doing so himself; but for the sake of being complete, I offer the following:



He was not making an analogy but a reductio ad absurdum argument (an argument in which a proposition is disproven by following its implications to a logical but absurd consequence). His point is you can find a great stat that whenever Nolan played more than 1 min, Mason won. That does not mean that Nolan's playing a minute caused the win.

The point, which is well taken, is you cant trust a stat that says "whenever X happens, Mason wins" to be the equivalent of "X causes Mason to win". Otherwise Mason could just put Nolan in for a few minutes every game and guarantee a win (assuming of course Nolan was still a patriot).

Whoa there Mr. Logic guy with all your fancy terms.