Site Map | Archives

Home › Sports › LoboZone

The Linz: Lobos sink even after shuffling by Great One

The Great One
Friday, January 5, 2007

The Linz drove by The Pit on Thursday and saw a man hugging the building, crying hysterically and mumbling, "I'll never, ever leave you again . . ."

The Linz has his suspicions as to whom the man was, but since it was a private moment, The Linz isn't talking.

All The Great One will say is that Lobos men's basketball coach Ritchie "D-3" McKay (Yes, The Linz demoted McKay a class) needs some help to right his sinking ship.

The Great One thinks this is akin to being sent to the lower decks of the Titanic with a roll of masking tape and some bubble gum and being told to "fix that hole."

The Linz isn't sure there are any answers for this University of New Mexico team. And this is coming from The Linz, who knows pretty much everything.

But The Linz does have a few suggestions.

Start J.R. Giddens at the point and put Chad Toppert, Darren Prentice and Tony Danridge on the wings and let them launch.

Oh, wait, Giddens isn't a very good dribbler and really doesn't like to pass the ball much. Toppert, Prentice and Danridge would never see the rock. Never mind.

Let's move Prentice to the point and put Giddens, Toppert and Danridge on the wings. The Linz thinks Prentice is a pretty tough kid.

But maybe not that good of a ball handler.

OK, The Linz would put David Kanyinda on the point. He's stronger than Jamaal Smith. He's more athletic than Ryan Kersten.

Oh, wait, Kanyinda is a freshman. He isn't ready.

OK, let's move past the point guard position. It's a problem, a big problem, but the bigger problem is the UNM interior.

It's not very offensive.

In looking at Aaron Johnson, who is slow, can't jump very high, and isn't a good shooter or defender, The Linz can think of only one thing to do . . .

Move onto Daniel Faris, UNM's other post.

In looking at Faris, who is a bit too young, a bit over zealous on defense, and not aggressive enough on offense, The Linz can think of only one thing to do . . .

Move onto something else.

That brings The Linz back to Giddens and Danridge.

The Linz thinks maybe Danridge is the best offensive threat on this team because he takes the best shots.

The Linz thinks Danridge needs to be a focus on offense just as much as Giddens. Shoot, Tony. Drive, Tony. Learn to drive and dish. Learn to drive into contact and get to the foul line.

The Linz also would have a heart-to-heart with Giddens and tell him three things:

1. You don't get to take a 3-pointer until you have hit three stop-and-pop jumpers from 10-to-15 feet. This is your best shot. Your ticket to the NBA.

2. You don't get to take a 3-pointer until you have been to the foul line at least two times.

3. You don't get to take a 3-pointer off the dribble.

The Linz also would use Giddens a bit differently. The Linz would run him off more screens. The Linz would post him up on the baseline. The Linz would tell him to put a little more air under his shots and make them rainbows and not line drives.

The Linz also could tell McKay a thing or two, but D-3 simply does not listen to The Linz.

The Great One would have better luck with freakin' masking tape and bubble gum.

The Lindsey Line is a semi-humorous column that usually appears during the high school football season. But The Linz occasionally will make Trib readers suffer throughout the year. Like now. The Linz is written by Trib columnist Richard Stevens. If you want to respond to The Linz, you can e-mail The Great One at rstevens@abqtrib.com.