JCT wrote:
I think there's a motivation problem, yes.
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We just weren't prepared to start the season, and we weren't prepared to play this level of competition by the time we got to conference play.
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We just played game 21 or 22, and we're just now getting our zone defense in shape, communicating better on defense, and defending the three through screens.
To me, a lot of the motivation problem fixes itself when you have players taking pride in defense, which is a team endeavor.
I wouldn't call it a motivation question as much as an experience question, and one of understanding the discipline it takes to win at a high level.
We have three guys on the court (Quinn, Schweiger, and Alston) with limited experience, and you see a lot of breakdowns with them on both ends. Last night was a lot better, but you still saw Quinn and Schweiger turn it over in OT because of bad decisions. Drew's talked about guys "freelancing" on offense, and those were great examples of it last night. You dribble into traffic for no reason, you're going to turn it over. Now, it's February, so it's time to start seeing them grow up more.
With Alston on defense, you can tell he's still out there just looking to make spectacular plays and forgetting that disciplined team defense is how you succeed.
So I think it has a lot more to do with commitment and execution than motivation.