Soft is not the term I would use but rather sloppy.

I've only watched the last two losses and parts of other games--too many forced passes and not taking care of the ball.  

The Bobcats problem is putting the ball in the hole--absolutely lousy to not score +70 every time out.  Bobcats have only two areas that they can shoot.  In close or out far--BG hit shots around the elbow not Ohio--no mid-range shooter hitting open easy jumpers.

The defense had some breakdowns but for the most part looks solid, aggressive and helping. Rebounding is not a weakness.  Crashing the boards has led to put backs.  The press is tough, the opponent has to work to score.

Ricardo is a tough kid as is Nick and TJ and Walter.  You play with what you have.  Ohio doesn't have an athletic big, a type of in your face Phi Slamma Jamma who throws em down in a double team so must rely on bombs and speed.  

This game was lost in the moments after going up 6-0 and then having a run of unforced TO's without attempting a shot.

As for coaching, Groce appears to make the same mistake that every NCAA coach makes and that is sticks with the guys who rallied.  You see it all the time in OT, in regulation the five guys who tie it up are left out there to keep it going--and they are tired.  Bring in the fresh bodies who are jumping on the sidelines at the excitement the guys on the floor have created during the comeback.  Two games in a row there is a comeback but then not able to take the lead and create space.  The other team took the punch and regained composure.  Perhaps at that critical tie moment fresh legs would be the solution to put the hammer to em.

Groce in the press conference said repeatedly that Ohio is not playing "tough" like it did early in the year. I think that is pretty much saying they are soft. He said it's not a matter that the Bobcats aren't playing hard, just not tough enough.

Who cares if he's pissed. Does it help?

In his postgame interview with Russ, I think "soft" were four of the first five words out of Groce's mouth.

Soft is one way to put it on the players...

I just saw the headline about the oglesbee dunk on the alley oop and I say:  Why do we have our 6'8" guy jump out on a 5'6" point guard 28 feet from the basket and let his guy "roll" to the hoop for an alley oop?  Our primary defender did not get thru the pick and allowed the pass.  To further exacerbate the problem the rotation was slow and not only allowed the dunk but fouled.  Part of this is philosophy (on the Coach) and part is on the players (execution).  I still don't like all the standing around and inability to set up against the 2-3 BG zone.  Again, part strategy and part execution.  I think instead of glaring at the players, the coach needs to become a better game day coach AND the players do need to execute better.

Exactly what Ivo has been doing for years. I said it last year and I will keep saying it...... he does not execute the defense of that particular play consistently. . It is an execution problem that has never got cleaned up and I can probably pull out tapes that show it over and over and can recount countless arguments about this same error. It is wholly different than any other big who has played in this system. DWash, KVK, JT, JOn Smith, reggie etc have not got caught in this switch because they do not play it the same way.

Generally when he hedges the screen somehow he turns his shoulders and then it becomes a switch, the guard or wing never gets back to his man because Ivo bumps him off and Ivo stays with  the man while the other big has a mismatch or is uncovered. It has bugged me for some time but I have never figured out why it is still there after all this time.

I immediately reacted when the folks around me were lamenting the baseline bigs and said ...."that one was on IVo" and got folks defending him and saying he was no where near the play. Same as has been happening for years. Maybe I am wrong here but I keep seeing the same outcome with regard to this. If anyone happened to dvr the game slow it down and see how he treats the screen. Does he hedge and let the guard come through or does the guard not make it through and Ivo has to stay? There has to be some logic to it because it has happened for 3 years.

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Again, in his postgame interview, he talked about how the team hasn't defended "worth a darn" since Christmas, so it's very much on his radar.