(12-28-2013 06:03 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  We also won't be playing in Cameron Indoor if we make the tourney. That place is brutal.

This isn't the problem, we lost our composure. And when this happens it doesn't who you are playing or where. Lose your composure and there is a very good chance you'll lose the game.

Playing a true road game forces teams to lose their composure a lot. Hence the reason Duke hasn't lost an OOC home game in like 8 years. This was part of the problem, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

(12-28-2013 06:57 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  Playing a true road game forces teams to lose their composure a lot. Hence the reason Duke hasn't lost an OOC home game in like 8 years. This was part of the problem, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

And good teams have to understand and over come this whether you want to acknowledge it or not. We done this several times this season I didn't see this back in the 90s when we went to the NCAA's.

EMU will not win any games when so many of their key offensive players don't produce - Ward, Lee, Combs... A few of them seemed tight and could not get into the flow of the game.

(12-28-2013 07:52 PM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(12-28-2013 06:57 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  Playing a true road game forces teams to lose their composure a lot. Hence the reason Duke hasn't lost an OOC home game in like 8 years. This was part of the problem, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

And good teams have to understand and over come this whether you want to acknowledge it or not. We done this several times this season I didn't see this back in the 90s when we went to the NCAA's.

I think the last Duke OOC loss at Cameron was something like 100 games ago. Might have been over ten years ago.

UofM was a victim earlier this year. A number of B1G schools have suffered similar fates.

I agree 100% got to get Duke on a neutral court.

Neutral courts are what make the NCAA tourneyment so much fun. When a Duke and EMU play EMU becomes the fans' "home team".

I can't believe some of what I am reading in this thread.

Guys, relax. It was at Duke where non-conference opponents have lost 109 straight games, usually by huge margins.

This team would have lost by 40 or more points in the past.

I see a lot of good things for this team. They are going to be fine (no, more than fine) in MAC play.

(12-28-2013 11:44 PM)HuronDave Wrote:  I can't believe some of what I am reading in this thread.

Guys, relax. It was at Duke where non-conference opponents have lost 109 straight games, usually by huge margins.

This team would have lost by 40 or more points in the past.

I see a lot of good things for this team. They are going to be fine (no, more than fine) in MAC play.

Agree 100%.

These post mortems can be silly.

If we shot well, defended well, rebounded well, etc. we would have won.

If we had won it would have been an upset of biblical proportions.

No OOC team has won in Cameron since 2000.

(12-29-2013 01:34 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-28-2013 11:44 PM)HuronDave Wrote:  I can't believe some of what I am reading in this thread.

Guys, relax. It was at Duke where non-conference opponents have lost 109 straight games, usually by huge margins.

This team would have lost by 40 or more points in the past.

I see a lot of good things for this team. They are going to be fine (no, more than fine) in MAC play.

Agree 100%.

These post mortems can be silly.

If we shot well, defended well, rebounded well, etc. we would have won.

If we had won it would have been an upset of biblical proportions.

No OOC team has won in Cameron since 2000.

It isn't silly because if we had kept our cool and focus we would have won against UMass and Purdue and we would have played better against Duke maybe. The biggest problem with this team is focus and cool headednest.:coffee3:that MAC is our to win or to lose.

My takeaways:

Talley has had two very good games in a row.

Ajayi looks like he has been playing hoops for two years.

Sims might be ready to do his second half of the season spurt.

And no Jalen Ross yesterday. Why? Was he dressed.

Ward hasn't played well in some big games.

P.S. I don't worry about shooters. They are like hitters: 0 - 4, 2 - 4, 1 - 4, 2 - 5, 0 - 3, etc. baseball hitters are all over the place day to day...

Check out todays Detroit News line :re EMU routed or words to that effect

Ross - hurt, academics or transferred at mid season

With Talley playing the way he is, Ross could perhaps seen the writing on the wall

If he is gone, another scollie becomes available - need to fill 4-5 spots recruiting but from where will these players come from?

(12-29-2013 10:14 AM)Dennis D. Rachwal Wrote:  Check out todays Detroit News line :re EMU routed or words to that effect

Ross - hurt, academics or transferred at mid season

With Talley playing the way he is, Ross could perhaps seen the writing on the wall

If he is gone, another scollie becomes available - need to fill 4-5 spots recruiting but from where will these players come from?

That is good and bad hate see a player leave but it does open up a scholarship for next year. We will be mighty thin next year with 6 seniors leaving after this season. We need help in the front court big time.

(12-29-2013 01:34 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(12-28-2013 11:44 PM)HuronDave Wrote:  I can't believe some of what I am reading in this thread.

Guys, relax. It was at Duke where non-conference opponents have lost 109 straight games, usually by huge margins.

This team would have lost by 40 or more points in the past.

I see a lot of good things for this team. They are going to be fine (no, more than fine) in MAC play.

Agree 100%.

These post mortems can be silly.

If we shot well, defended well, rebounded well, etc. we would have won.

If we had won it would have been an upset of biblical proportions.

No OOC team has won in Cameron since 2000.

Steve,

I never thought we would win this game. Let me be clear about that. However, I am concerned about the sloppy play, poor shot selection, poor free throw shooting and lack of composure that was evident yesterday. Sure, it was Duke and they were the No. 9 team in the country yesterday. It was a hostile arena. I get all of that. The Eagles still have to play smart and with composure - especially against a team like Duke.

I'm not ready to bury these guys and I am pretty sure they will mature as the season progresses but, then again, I thought they already had a lot of experience together as a team. This isn't the end of the season by any stretch of the imagination. Heck, MAC play hasn't even started. I do hope that they (Murphy) recognize that they still have work to do to be a very good basketball team.

Rob

(12-29-2013 11:32 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(12-29-2013 10:14 AM)Dennis D. Rachwal Wrote:  Check out todays Detroit News line :re EMU routed or words to that effect

Ross - hurt, academics or transferred at mid season

With Talley playing the way he is, Ross could perhaps seen the writing on the wall

If he is gone, another scollie becomes available - need to fill 4-5 spots recruiting but from where will these players come from?

That is good and bad hate see a player leave but it does open up a scholarship for next year. We will be mighty thin next year with 6 seniors leaving after this season. We need help in the front court big time.

You got it. We need a big man something fierce.

Six seniors on this team and the play was very sloppy and the team lacked composure in almost every facet of the game. I don't know. This (attitude) looks to me more like an expression of the coach's influence than anything else. Beyond that comment, I will refrain from pointing the finger at Murphy till the remainder of the season plays out.

(12-29-2013 10:14 AM)Dennis D. Rachwal Wrote:  Check out todays Detroit News line :re EMU routed or words to that effect

Ross - hurt, academics or transferred at mid season

With Talley playing the way he is, Ross could perhaps seen the writing on the wall

If he is gone, another scollie becomes available - need to fill 4-5 spots recruiting but from where will these players come from?

Actually, Ross was sick and didn't play.

How do you improve individually as a hoops player or team? You play a tougher opponent ie if you've a 14 year old in camp you play against the 16-17 bracket and likewise.

We should all be encouraged by Talley's play point guard last year was a very weak point. Hopefully Talley continues to improve.

If all these players went off at the same time, this team could win the MAC because this EMU team has some impressive athletic abilities. Developing them into a consistent effort -well lets hope they do so in conference play.

(12-29-2013 11:32 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(12-29-2013 10:14 AM)Dennis D. Rachwal Wrote:  Check out todays Detroit News line :re EMU routed or words to that effect

Ross - hurt, academics or transferred at mid season

With Talley playing the way he is, Ross could perhaps seen the writing on the wall

If he is gone, another scollie becomes available - need to fill 4-5 spots recruiting but from where will these players come from?

That is good and bad hate see a player leave but it does open up a scholarship for next year. We will be mighty thin next year with 6 seniors leaving after this season. We need help in the front court big time.

I hate unfounded speculation.

I asked a simple question. Why no Ross?

There is parsimonious - take the simplest explanation and work up from there.

First is illness or injury. There is a flu epidemic going around hitting esp the young.

If he was not ill or injury, then look at alternate explanations.

(12-29-2013 12:33 PM)emu79 Wrote:  How do you improve individually as a hoops player or team? You play a tougher opponent ie if you've a 14 year old in camp you play against the 16-17 bracket and likewise.

We should all be encouraged by Talley's play point guard last year was a very weak point. Hopefully Talley continues to improve.

If all these players went off at the same time, this team could win the MAC because this EMU team has some impressive athletic abilities. Developing them into a consistent effort -well lets hope they do so in conference play.

Agreed. I hope the tougher schedule does make the Eagles a better team. Murphy, though, has to emphasize playing with composure and not taking poor, ill-advised, shot. There were too many errant three point attempts made yesterday. I realize that was an effort to shrink the lead Duke had but in all too many cases Duke made the rebound and turned it into either a two or three point conversion.

I like the tougher schedule but that should also be the opportunity to teach the young men to keep the composure and there heads about them - to continue to play the way they've been coached.

(12-29-2013 07:40 PM)HuronRob Wrote:  

(12-29-2013 12:33 PM)emu79 Wrote:  How do you improve individually as a hoops player or team? You play a tougher opponent ie if you've a 14 year old in camp you play against the 16-17 bracket and likewise.

We should all be encouraged by Talley's play point guard last year was a very weak point. Hopefully Talley continues to improve.

If all these players went off at the same time, this team could win the MAC because this EMU team has some impressive athletic abilities. Developing them into a consistent effort -well lets hope they do so in conference play.

Agreed. I hope the tougher schedule does make the Eagles a better team. Murphy, though, has to emphasize playing with composure and not taking poor, ill-advised, shot. There were too many errant three point attempts made yesterday. I realize that was an effort to shrink the lead Duke had but in all too many cases Duke made the rebound and turned it into either a two or three point conversion.

I like the tougher schedule but that should also be the opportunity to teach the young men to keep the composure and there heads about them - to continue to play the way they've been coached.

We'll see what it does for Oakland. They are playing a brutal schedule.

As I've said before, Eastern needs a spot up pure shooter. We have a bunch of athletic, slashers but no Travis Bader type spot up shooters. Do you think we could use ONE scholarship on a guy who can just sit back by the 3 point line and just fire away? THAT guy would make this team really, really good.

(12-30-2013 12:33 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  As I've said before, Eastern needs a spot up pure shooter. We have a bunch of athletic, slashers but no Travis Bader type spot up shooters. Do you think we could use ONE scholarship on a guy who can just sit back by the 3 point line and just fire away? THAT guy would make this team really, really good.

They have one, he just can't play until next year.