There were many factors that contributed to the disappointing season, too many to list, and at the same time placing blame and rehashing the season we all already lived through once doesn't do much good. But heading into the 2011-12 season, the one thing that is important to take a look back at is the absence of guard Jarred DuBois, which was vastly overlooked (by myself included) this past season.
The emergence and stellar play of point guard Anthony Ireland last year caused many to forget who he was replacing in the lineup. Jarred DuBois, arguably the most consistent player on the Lions' roster, played just six games last season. Despite playing with a myriad of injuries, including an ankle injury serious enough to require surgery, DuBois' 10.2 points per game in those six contests was the fourth highest points per game average on the Lions last season.
DuBois can score (he had 39 points in a non-conference win his freshman season), but he gives the Lions much more than that. He gives them a lot of exactly what they were missing last season. DuBois can shoot, and not only can he shoot, but he can make shots in high-pressure situations. Last year, the Lions lost a number of games at the buzzer, needing just to score on their final possession to get the win. Every time, they were unable to. DuBois is that guy you want taking the final shot in a game, as we all saw in the Notre Dame game two years ago, and the Lions severely missed that last year (aside from Drew Viney, LMU had not one guy on that team I would want taking a shot to make or break a game).
In addition to clutch moments, DuBois also brings a steady hand and head to an LMU team that made its fair share of boneheaded mistakes last year. A number of players on the Lions' roster seemed to not quite know their place last season, and you could tell, as they played like they were unsure of their role (home game against San Francisco, just needing a bucket to win, Anthony Ireland received the ball in his hands and drove to the hoop. With ticks left on the clock, he froze, not knowing whether to shoot or pass, and ended up shoveling the ball to Ayodeji Egbeyemi in a bad situation). The reason I bring that up? DuBois seems to know exactly what type of player he is.
DuBois will not lead the Lions in scoring, although I would argue he potentially could. He will leave that for Viney, and possibly even Ireland if that is what the coaches drum up. However, if the Lions find themselves in any sort of scoring drought, DuBois will take it upon himself to take control of the offensive game and end it. Furthermore, his turnovers will be low, while his basketball IQ will remain high.
The question mark for me is going to be how he and Ireland play together. Both seem to be team-oriented guys, so I don't foresee any problems, it will just be interesting to see how their two styles of play mesh together. That's where offseason work is going to be of the utmost importance, so let's hope those two have spent some time in the gym developing some sort of chemistry.
DuBois absence cannot be used as an excuse for poor play last season, and I wouldn't want anyone to try and claim that with him the season would have turned out any differently. His absence last season, however, can be used as a reason to be more excited for this year. Seeing No. 0 back in a Lions jersey can only be a good thing.
DuBois is one of the hardest workers on the team. He also has the best attitude. Can he create his own shot though? Unlike Viney, I think Dubois' size limits him to a catch and shoot player. Despite this, I think you hit the point right that DuBois knows what he's doing. His basketball IQ is the highest on this team and he probably trusts the post players more than any other perimeter player on this team. I think him and Ireland will be perfectly fine together. Ireland is the second best shooter on the team behind Viney, but AI wil be more than willing to drive and dish to a cutting/spotting-up Dubois. Long time away from the season, but if he's healthy...having guard depth will help LMU a lot.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of what you said. Although, I do think DuBois has the ability to create a shot. I think one of his strongest offensive moves (aside from his clutch three-point shooting) is when he dribble/drives in the hole and then pulls up and takes the jumper from the elbow.
ReplyDeleteGreat article Julia- I saw JD playing some pick up the other day and it was great. We really missed his steady hand, stellar defense and positive leadership on and off the court last season. Him and AI will make a excellent back court of us.
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