Zam Fredrick's attitude and lack of focus?

[The Gamecock Outlaw]

I wasn't at the game Saturday and it didn't come through on TV but the guys on sports talk up here in the upstate this morning said Zam was spending more time jawing with the Clemson bench after making a shot than he was getting back on defense and that's why his man would get wide open so easily. Anyone else notice this?

[2000grad]

If that's the truth, and I hope it's not, we have streetballers instead of ball players. We need Payton type focus. What I mean by that is if anyone saw the Colts game yesterday, Manning threw a pick in the endzone. He then made the tackle himself. What got me the most was the replay where they showed a closeup of him after he threw the pick and his expression never changed. It was like he was thinking the next thing he needed to do. No expression change whatsoever...just pure focus.

[Forkcock]

Payton is a player. I didn't get to see that play but I'll look for it.

[cack]

unfortuantly this isn't a Zam Fredrick issue ... the team in general (for the last couple of years not) is not a very dissiplined team ... there have been loose balls rolling by Gamecocks for years now without anyone trying for the ball ... Tre Kelly although sloppy at times ... at least hustled his ass off ... Zam was more noticible because he was scoring so much ... he would score then get beat on defense or not block out a guy at the 3pt line and allow him to get the ball when it came straight back to him off the rim ... this team needs to get back to the basics ... they need to learn how to box out BIG TIME!!! it's a completely different game if we just box out ... may not have won ... but Clemson got TOO many 2nd and 3rd chance looks at the goal because we were out of possition

[bgallup]

All i saw was the whole defense not getting back. If not for Zam we would have been blown out in the first 5 minutes (not that we weren't beaten bad enough).

[Gamerooster]

It's tough to rebound well when you play terrible defense.

[hardcock2]

It's tough to do any of this when you don't have or get any coaching on it. A good staff can turn streetballers into a team, there's a prime example in Memphis with all of Calipari's teams.

[jellafever]

unfortuantly this isn't a Zam Fredrick issue ... the team in general (for the last couple of years not) is not a very dissiplined team ... there have been loose balls rolling by Gamecocks for years now without anyone trying for the ball ... Tre Kelly although sloppy at times ... at least hustled his ass off ... Zam was more noticible because he was scoring so much ... he would score then get beat on defense or not block out a guy at the 3pt line and allow him to get the ball when it came straight back to him off the rim ... this team needs to get back to the basics ... they need to learn how to box out BIG TIME!!! it's a completely different game if we just box out ... may not have won ... but Clemson got TOO many 2nd and 3rd chance looks at the goal because we were out of possition

You're exactly right, all we have are a bunch of talented street ballers playing for us. Also, you're right in saying that they aren't and haven't been disciplined for the past few years. We need 3 things for this team to be good.
1- learn to box out EVERYTIME a shot goes up.
2- learn how to actually run a play on offense. I have been to all the home games this year and watched the game against Clemson. If our guys don't have anything on the initial fast break then they look lost. Everyone just stands around and waits for Downey to do something. There's no movement and there's no screens.
3- A NEW COACH.

[cack]

You're exactly right, all we have are a bunch of talented street ballers playing for us. Also, you're right in saying that they aren't and haven't been disciplined for the past few years. We need 3 things for this team to be good.
1- learn to box out EVERYTIME a shot goes up.
2- learn how to actually run a play on offense. I have been to all the home games this year and watched the game against Clemson. If our guys don't have anything on the initial fast break then they look lost. Everyone just stands around and waits for Downey to do something. There's no movement and there's no screens.
3- A NEW COACH.

i'm not one to call for a new coach(s) ... i would just like for them to do the obvious stuff ... take the back to the basics and work on boxing out ... and teach them to hustle ... if they don't ... pull them ... we're not going to win a game with them being lazy ... so who cares if we lose with them on the bench ... i would NOT have a problem if we lost by 1 to the #1 team in the country and our whole starting lineup had 10+ points and finished the game on the bench because they were playing lazy ... i know everybody would be screaming for ANY coaches head if that happened ... but i would have no problem with it ... if you make misstakes ... that happens ... if you just don't do anything because you're lazy ... then sit the bench

[bgallup]

You're exactly right, all we have are a bunch of talented street ballers playing for us. Also, you're right in saying that they aren't and haven't been disciplined for the past few years. We need 3 things for this team to be good.
1- learn to box out EVERYTIME a shot goes up.
2- learn how to actually run a play on offense. I have been to all the home games this year and watched the game against Clemson. If our guys don't have anything on the initial fast break then they look lost. Everyone just stands around and waits for Downey to do something. There's no movement and there's no screens.
3- A NEW COACH.

Weve always had street ballers. Everyone of Odoms top players have been street ballers. The problem is they have no direction. You can turn these kids into winners with DISIPLINE! Right now we dont block out, we dont get back, we dont shoot free throws, we dont hustle, we dont pass the ball around, we dont take good shots. The list goes on and on. Odom coached 3 guys who made NBA teams and another one was Kelly for 4 years and the best he could do was play in the NIT.

Im so over Basketball at USC right now. We could win out the rest of the year and id still fill the same i think.

[The Yancey]

Frank's boys were street ballers. Worked out well for us I'd say.

[Forkcock]

The most fundamental aspect of basketball is learning how to put your body on a man and box out. For some reason, we don't know how. We don't even attempt to block out.

[jstrom]

Frank's boys were street ballers. Worked out well for us I'd say.

No they weren't. They were street BRAWLERS. We could use some of that now. When the refs let things get physical down low, our guys don't exhibit the strength and toughness to get physical back, and that's one of the two primary reasons we're not winning right now. The other is that it seems EVERY close game, during the final 6 or 7 minutes, both Downey and Fredrick lose all discipline and it's almost like they're trying to make a reputation for themselves as the "go to" guys. We take some of the worst shots possible, hoping they'll go in. Sometimes we go several minutes without even running a set. Frustrating, but I'm still a COCK!

[Crazy_Gamecock]

All i saw was the whole defense not getting back. If not for Zam we would have been blown out in the first 5 minutes (not that we weren't beaten bad enough).

Exactly. As was said, it's not a Zam issue, it's a team issue. what about all the times Downey went for a steal and looked completely foolish almost falling to the floor and allowing CU to have 5 on 4

[2000grad]

Well...it didn't help that Downey was guarding a guy that was about 7 inches taller than him.

[ILiveInTheRoost]

I wasn't at the game Saturday and it didn't come through on TV but the guys on sports talk up here in the upstate this morning said Zam was spending more time jawing with the Clemson bench after making a shot than he was getting back on defense and that's why his man would get wide open so easily. Anyone else notice this?



No.


"Guys on sports talk" are usually wrong.

[COCKROCK]

The problem is they have no direction. You can turn these kids into winners with DISIPLINE! Right now we dont block out, we dont get back, we dont shoot free throws, we dont hustle, we dont pass the ball around, we dont take good shots. The list goes on and on.

True on all of the above......

Now who's responsibility is it to teach these kids how to block out, shoot free throws, hustle, pass and take good shots?

The head coach - No one else is to blame.

These are the basic fundamentals of the game of basketball and there is no excuse for a coach at this level and our program deserves better.

[Cockhornleghorn]

Zam scored 28 points on Saturday; while his defense may not have been great, you can't say that someone scoring 28 points didn't come to play. The entire team needs to get more focused and play with a purpose. I hope to see tham put it all together against Providence on Thursday night.

[Singaporecock]

Zam scored 28 points on Saturday; while his defense may not have been great, you can't say that someone scoring 28 points didn't come to play. The entire team needs to get more focused and play with a purpose. I hope to see tham put it all together against Providence on Thursday night.
I can and will say he didnt come to play. If his men scored 28 points, then he could have done just as well scoring 5 points and defending his men and boxing out.
Relate this to football. How many of us were wondering why Culliver or some of the other wide receivers were not playing? They were not blocking well or doing other things...so Spurrier wouldnt play them much. I equate that to a bball player not playing defense...same basic concept...not willing to do the dirty work or the things that don't get as much publicity.

[superstar90]

I see it that our guys actually fall back into defense to quick. We never get long RB's because our shooters are falling back. Not sure if this is our coaching or if our guys think all the shots are going to go in. The only thing I saw was Zam try to force a couple of shots.

One guy on the team that I have been watching is Archie. He doesn't look to be happy. He seems like he just doesn't care. That's just what I see from his actions, but I could be completely wrong. Maybe that's just the way he carries himself.

[Section5Gamecock]

oh that light is just coming on why do you think he is not at GT anymore Grow Up ZAM and you will do just fine.

[rock23aj]

I wasn't at the game Saturday and it didn't come through on TV but the guys on sports talk up here in the upstate this morning said Zam was spending more time jawing with the Clemson bench after making a shot than he was getting back on defense and that's why his man would get wide open so easily. Anyone else notice this?


He did have a rough game on defense but his 28 points is what kept us even close

[cack]

we have good offensive players ... we have poor defensive players ... top to bottom ... period

now i'm not taking anything away from other guys that busts their ass on defense because we do have some that do ... but with 3 out of 5 are half assin it ... you're still going to get burnt ... so no need

[willy]

unfortuantly this isn't a Zam Fredrick issue ... the team in general (for the last couple of years not) is not a very dissiplined team ... there have been loose balls rolling by Gamecocks for years now without anyone trying for the ball ... Tre Kelly although sloppy at times ... at least hustled his ass off ... Zam was more noticible because he was scoring so much ... he would score then get beat on defense or not block out a guy at the 3pt line and allow him to get the ball when it came straight back to him off the rim ... this team needs to get back to the basics ... they need to learn how to box out BIG TIME!!! it's a completely different game if we just box out ... may not have won ... but Clemson got TOO many 2nd and 3rd chance looks at the goal because we were out of possition



And whose fault is that?

[roosterrizk1]

We are missing several things as a Team with Defense being one of them. I hate to say this but the same ol same ol just is NOT getting it done.

[rock23aj]

you guys realize 7 of the 13 players are true freshmen or transfers. We will get better as the season progresses and if you look at the sec it is down this year. Fla and kentucky are not good this year and Tennessee will be the team to beat

[superstar90]

And whose fault is that?

I'm assuming you are trying to say Odom, but my question is this. Is effort level all on the coach? SOS just finished his third season here and next to the last game his main problem with our team was the effort level. Now I'm sure you agree that SOS is the best possible coach we could have, and he still has problems with the effort of some players. If the best of the best has those problems, I'm pretty sure all the other coaches has this issue at times. I don't know the answers, but I'm pretty sure the lack of effort isn't why we haven't won all our games.

[Freehawk]

I didn't notice that, no

[willy]

We are missing several things as a Team with Defense being one of them. I hate to say this but the some ol same ol just is NOT getting it done.



You had better watch what you say or you will get banned.

[roosterrizk1]

you guys realize 7 of the 13 players are true freshmen or transfers

Yeh, if we would have recruited better we wouldn't be in the shape you are referring to either. These kids are the focus of the Team instead of learning under upperclassmen. This is a testament to Dave's lack of recruiting IMO.

[willy]

you guys realize 7 of the 13 players are true freshmen or transfers

Yeh, if we would have recruited better we wouldn't be in the shape you are referring to either. These kids are the focus of the Team instead of learning under upperclassmen. This is a testament to Dave's lack of recruiting IMO.


I am glad that someone else has noticed that. Dave does no recruiting what so ever, yet we keep him on. If I did my job that way I would be fired immediately, BUT NOT DAVE.

[Cockhornleghorn]

you guys realize 7 of the 13 players are true freshmen or transfers

Yeh, if we would have recruited better we wouldn't be in the shape you are referring to either. These kids are the focus of the Team instead of learning under upperclassmen. This is a testament to Dave's lack of recruiting IMO.

I agree with the fact that Dave is a mediocre (at best) recruiter, but I don't care for some posters calling out individual players. It isn't their fault that Dave only recruits once every 4 years (the Tre Kelley/Renaldo Balkman class and this years class).

[VAgmcock]

Zam is the least of our problems. He is the only person that can create his own shot, with the exception of downey, on our entire team. If you want to look at some of our problems, take a look at our press break, or lack thereof, or that we have absolutly no inside prescene what so ever

[jstrom]

you guys realize 7 of the 13 players are true freshmen or transfers. We will get better as the season progresses and if you look at the sec it is down this year. Fla and kentucky are not good this year and Tennessee will be the team to beat

A lot of people don't want to see that...only looking to blame somebody. It'll always be that way.

[The Gamecock Outlaw]

I work with a guy who has played against Downey and Fredrick and he said Fredrick does have a problem with jawing too much and not getting back on d.