Game 4: Indiana State

 

Another game, another game ECU again dug itself a deep hole only to mount a comeback when the backups were in. Namely LaCount. Is it just a coincidence that outside of the Hampton game good stuff seems to happen when LaCount is on the court? Is it a coincidence that he's put out there when it goes south constantly to help try to dig the team out of a 16+ point holes. Break glass emergency time. It feels like the plan is hey LaCount here's the ball go save us cold off the bench, often times with mostly with back-ups.  Teams are wising up to that.  Maybe at some point you want to put him in with the other best players early and not get down and out, (perhaps an early lead). Put him in with better options so he doesn't have the same amount of pressure and can get in the flow and help take the pressure off Small. That's what happened the last 10 minutes of the game. Having him out there to draw the defense away I think helped Small today. He also had 5 points himself in the comeback.

 

When he and Small have played together it's gives ECU two dynamic ball handlers that can make stuff happen. I got to say it because he's playing minutes in the teens every game and I don't know how he's not one of the best players if he's put him out there in the direst moments or the end of this close game? It's like Dooley going to the obvious best lineup in crunch time, but starting Debaut and playing him a lot early. I thought LaCount's defense would be bad coming into the season, but I'd rather live with that and try to outscore teams than watch Walker. Walker was the 54th worst player in the nation by Torvik the last time he was in a rotation and not playing garbage time. He's more of known at this point, and LaCount has played better all year. 

Diboundje was one of the stars of the first half too and played 21 minutes in the game despite having 12 points on 6 shots from the floor.  It's 4 games in, Diboundje and LaCount are clearly 2 of the best 5 players on the team and that's what I think most people expected to be the case. It's not a shock, what is that they played 40 minutes combined between the two while having  25 points on 16 floor shots and both riding pine half the game.

Diboundje is the one that's supposed to know the system the best too. As pathetic as the assist-to-turnover ratio was tonight you needed LaCount out there if you want a better chance at assisting a basket or protecting the ball. Schwartz said Bayela barely practiced off his injury and he played just about as much as both (16 minutes) and has done nothing all year. Walker has more than both and has done nothing all year. 

Unfortunately, they don't have +/- for this game like they do the ECU home games and it was mostly when my flosports was out, but LaCount was in the game looking at the play-by-play basically the last 11 minutes of the game minus some defense offense possessions. Hey, that's fine when the clock is stopped. Most of that's when ECU was coming back He helps take pressure off Small and draws the defense himself.

Javon Small can't keep shooting these unsustainable percentages. He's certainly made a massive leap but no guard shoots like this. To get a 27-point game on 11 floor shots and lose the game is a waste of a game like that. Kasangany also looked good again today, started and only played 14 minutes. That was more weird rotation stuff. Good enough to start, play well, and actually scores efficiently and then disappears for Walker.  At this point, I'd rather see him more than Felton  too who pretty much is going to be bad multiples of the one game he goes off. How many multiples it seems is the only question.  Kasangany just looks and has played solid on both sides. Give me solid in the spot and let LaCount be the upside beside of him.

	ECU	ISU
Reb	36	26
FT	38	26
3's	7	7
3 %	31.8	25
FG%	42..3	43.3

You win in categories like that you should win the game.  Where they lost big was as a turnover machine lack of assisting anything.  LaCount should be better able to help that too, and coming in cold off the bench or with no other good players some of his minutes does him no favors.

 I like playing small but there is only one playable big on this team and he's 6-8, 210lbs is a problem moving forward to have basically no depth behind Johnson.  The previous 3 games I was impressed with the management of the game and coaching, but I thought the use of LaCount, Dibounje, and Kasangany cost ECU the game. He started 2 of them but then didn't play them like starters even as they played well.