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What the
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bengalcub
Active member
I have seen O'Brien fall on his sword a number of times this season. I have seen him admit that he has made mistakes and I have seen him admit that sometimes his own stubborn nature has gotten the best of him.
I like his admissions and I consider these things to be the growth and maturation that is needed for him to be successful at the D-1 level.
If any changes are made and I am not saying changes should be coming--those things will happen after the season.
I am very much for Coach O'Brien and his staff and I am very pleased with the direction the Bengal program is going.
I think it is sad when people ask for accountability and ownership from coaches--only to belittle them when they give it.
I like his admissions and I consider these things to be the growth and maturation that is needed for him to be successful at the D-1 level.
If any changes are made and I am not saying changes should be coming--those things will happen after the season.
I am very much for Coach O'Brien and his staff and I am very pleased with the direction the Bengal program is going.
I think it is sad when people ask for accountability and ownership from coaches--only to belittle them when they give it.
Bengal Roar
Active member
Below was from th journal today. The arguments in the past on this issue does hold water in my opinion. People were wondering why they looked so lost on offense. I think i even said they looked lost and were looking for approval from the coaches on offense to make a move or shoot the ball and the last few comments in this article does bring a bunch of things to reality in my opinion. I also know coaches/players are human and as long as they learn from mistakes it is all good with me. The main thing is i think they ALL are on the same page.
i da h o stat e m e n ’ s b as k e t b a l l
Bengals find offensive rhythm
Pointtotalsriseasmoreplayersbecomeinvolved
BY KELLIS ROBINETT
[email protected]
Before the start of February, it didn’t take a whole lot of points to beat the Idaho State men’s basketball team.
No matter who the opponent was or where the game was played, the Bengals’ offensive struggles were so severe that they had no chance of winning a shootout and always tried to keep the game in the 50s. Even then, it wasn’t always enough.
But after a 16-game dry spell in which Idaho State averaged just 61 points and hit the 70-point mark only once, the Bengals have found their offensive groove.
Since switching their primary offensive system that was last seen two years ago when David Schroeder and Akbar Abdul-Ahad were the Bengals’ go-to players before traveling to take on Northern Colorado, Idaho State is averaging 76 points per game and has hit the 70-point mark three straight times.
Joe O’Brien is hesitant to start calling his team the Runnin’ Bengals, but even he has been amazed by the rapid improvements it has made in point production.
After beating Portland State he went as far to say, “If I was a good coach, I would have switched to this offense in November.”
“I don’t see us scoring 100 points any time soon, but as long as we keep getting solid and consistent play like we have recently, I’m gonna be happy,” he said Wednesday. “I’m real impressed with the balance we’ve had our last several games. We’re scoring inside and making a few 3’s. I don’t know what else we could do offensively.”
Indeed, it seems like every Bengal who has received significant playing time recently has excelled on the offensive end.
Amorrow Morgan and Matt Stucki are still leading the team in points scored, but ever since freshman point guard Sherrod Baldwin has taken a more active role on offense and the art of passing has been stressed more than the act of shooting, their teammates are starting to catch-up.
In each of Idaho State’s last two games — wins over Portland State and Eastern Washington — Chron Tatum, Lucas Steijn and Donnie Carson have all recorded double-digit scoring performances.
More than anything, associate head coach and “offensive coordinator” Steve Swanson believes the recent play of Steijn and Carson has turned Idaho State around.
“Instead of having big bodies underneath the basket, we have open post looks, where we start away from the basket first,” he said. “That’s opened up positive things for Donnie Carson. He’s found more opportunities to drive without a lot of big bodies in his way. And we still post up Lucas Steijn, he’s really turned it on.”
For that reason, Stucki is glad Idaho State switched things up on offense.
“It makes everything else easier when you have that inside post presence,” he said. “Like everyone else on the team, (Steijn is) getting a new sense of confidence. We’re playing a lot more aggressive now.”
That shows in both the half-court offense and in the transition game.
Instead of getting the ball into the hands of Morgan and Stucki and waiting for them to create before running offense, everyone on the roster is looking to score.
Carson thinks that makes Idaho State much more difficult to prepare for.
“We’ve got a lot more options right now,” Carson said. “We’re not as predictable as we were. We’re not waiting around for coach to call a play. We just run down and get into our offense. It’s a lot easier to catch them off guard and score quickly.”
It’s more fun, too.
“It makes it a better game for people to watch,” Carson said. “Not everyone liked the way we were playing. It wasn’t pretty and everything went a lot slower. But our coaches have been trying to adjust for us. They’ve done a good job. Now we’re really rolling.”
i da h o stat e m e n ’ s b as k e t b a l l
Bengals find offensive rhythm
Pointtotalsriseasmoreplayersbecomeinvolved
BY KELLIS ROBINETT
[email protected]
Before the start of February, it didn’t take a whole lot of points to beat the Idaho State men’s basketball team.
No matter who the opponent was or where the game was played, the Bengals’ offensive struggles were so severe that they had no chance of winning a shootout and always tried to keep the game in the 50s. Even then, it wasn’t always enough.
But after a 16-game dry spell in which Idaho State averaged just 61 points and hit the 70-point mark only once, the Bengals have found their offensive groove.
Since switching their primary offensive system that was last seen two years ago when David Schroeder and Akbar Abdul-Ahad were the Bengals’ go-to players before traveling to take on Northern Colorado, Idaho State is averaging 76 points per game and has hit the 70-point mark three straight times.
Joe O’Brien is hesitant to start calling his team the Runnin’ Bengals, but even he has been amazed by the rapid improvements it has made in point production.
After beating Portland State he went as far to say, “If I was a good coach, I would have switched to this offense in November.”
“I don’t see us scoring 100 points any time soon, but as long as we keep getting solid and consistent play like we have recently, I’m gonna be happy,” he said Wednesday. “I’m real impressed with the balance we’ve had our last several games. We’re scoring inside and making a few 3’s. I don’t know what else we could do offensively.”
Indeed, it seems like every Bengal who has received significant playing time recently has excelled on the offensive end.
Amorrow Morgan and Matt Stucki are still leading the team in points scored, but ever since freshman point guard Sherrod Baldwin has taken a more active role on offense and the art of passing has been stressed more than the act of shooting, their teammates are starting to catch-up.
In each of Idaho State’s last two games — wins over Portland State and Eastern Washington — Chron Tatum, Lucas Steijn and Donnie Carson have all recorded double-digit scoring performances.
More than anything, associate head coach and “offensive coordinator” Steve Swanson believes the recent play of Steijn and Carson has turned Idaho State around.
“Instead of having big bodies underneath the basket, we have open post looks, where we start away from the basket first,” he said. “That’s opened up positive things for Donnie Carson. He’s found more opportunities to drive without a lot of big bodies in his way. And we still post up Lucas Steijn, he’s really turned it on.”
For that reason, Stucki is glad Idaho State switched things up on offense.
“It makes everything else easier when you have that inside post presence,” he said. “Like everyone else on the team, (Steijn is) getting a new sense of confidence. We’re playing a lot more aggressive now.”
That shows in both the half-court offense and in the transition game.
Instead of getting the ball into the hands of Morgan and Stucki and waiting for them to create before running offense, everyone on the roster is looking to score.
Carson thinks that makes Idaho State much more difficult to prepare for.
“We’ve got a lot more options right now,” Carson said. “We’re not as predictable as we were. We’re not waiting around for coach to call a play. We just run down and get into our offense. It’s a lot easier to catch them off guard and score quickly.”
It’s more fun, too.
“It makes it a better game for people to watch,” Carson said. “Not everyone liked the way we were playing. It wasn’t pretty and everything went a lot slower. But our coaches have been trying to adjust for us. They’ve done a good job. Now we’re really rolling.”
bengalcub
Active member
Tongue-in-cheek or not--I have heard O'Brien with my own ears take ownership a number of times this season. I have heard him admit that sometimes his ego leads him to believe he knows better than he does. I just plain admire that about him. He has also admitted that he needs to work on his temper a bit and that he is really, really trying to tone it down with officials. Seriously, I listen to all the pre and post game shows and a majority of the coaches shows--and I am feeling what he says.
The fact that the offense has changed into something that is producing more scoring and a more confident team--illustrates to me that O'Brien is willing to make changes. It is better late than never, but obviously it is too soon to say the offense is fixed.
The fact that the offense has changed into something that is producing more scoring and a more confident team--illustrates to me that O'Brien is willing to make changes. It is better late than never, but obviously it is too soon to say the offense is fixed.
isusuperfan
Active member
Coach O'Brien is one of the coolest coaches I know of. I dig the horn rims, don't ever get rid of those coach 
