Date: January 23rd, 2014

Time: 7:00 PM

Opponent: North Florida(11-9, 5-2 ASUN)

Place: MSHA Athletic Center

Television: None

Webcast: ASun.tv (Free)

Radio online: ETSUBucs.com (Free)

UNF 2013-2014 Schedule

UNF 2013-2014 Roster

It is supposed to be in the low teens when this game lets out. I also I have a meeting in Sevierville Friday morning at 9am.
I am still debating if I am going to go to this game.

Option 1.
Go to game.
Freeze butt off walking across campus to game, freeze even more after game.
Watch the game and hope we show up.
Get up extra early Friday and face a cold morning for a drive
to Sevierville and be tired from lack of sleep and in a bad mood if
team plays like crap making me wish I hadn't bothered.

Option 2.
Go to Sevierville stay at hotel where meeting is happening.
Go to dinner with some old friends who will also be attending.
watch game on computer.
Get up later, stay inside nice and warm, go to meeting and
either be happy that we won or relieved I didn't waste my
time and stay in Johnson City and go to the game.

Hmmm I am really having a hard time seeing the upside of Option 1.

As for the game, If we play how have played so far in conference we lose,
if we play like we have in a handful of home games we win comfortably.

I am certainly not going to be going to this game. Between the weather, the free webcast, and the sorry play of the team lately, forget it.

(01-21-2014 06:58 PM)RodShaw2 Wrote:  It is supposed to be in the low teens when this game lets out.

That may prove to be very prophetic in terms of scoring.

KGG, Jalen Riley, Petey and Lukas have all struggled in conference. Rashawn, by contrast, has actually improved, with scoring up 1.5 points per game to 16.3 in conference games and 3 point percentage at .488 in conference, which brings his yearly total up to .443. The .443 is good for 23rd in D1 - http://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men...vidual/143 His steals are also up, from 0.7 to 1.5 per game in conference play.

KGG had been having a solid season preconference, improving his points per game from 5 last year to 12.0 on .438 from 3 (tied for 38th in D1 at the time), boosted his rebounds to 4.9 per game and improving his ballhandling and assists to turnover ratio accordingly. If other ETSU players (like Lester, Hunter and Lukas) had improved at the same rate, the Bucs would have been rocking. But since conference play has started, KGG has gone 1-13 from 3, and .345 from the field generally, and seen his points drop by 3 per game and his assists drop by about 1 per game (although, to be fair, turnovers have dropped, too). Jalen’s shooting percentage from the field is down to .269 in conference play and his points per game are down from 12.2 to 7.8 in conference games. Petey has dropped an assist per game and his scoring has plummeted from 4.3 to 1.8, and he has lost minutes to Devin Harris. Lukas Poderis has dropped from 2.5 ppg to 0.3 in conference, and from 3.2 rebounds to 1.3, and is gradually fading away before our eyes. We badly need energy and production from him.

Hunter Harris and A.J. have remained fairly steady, with Lester also remaining about the same. Devin Harris, given playing time the last 3 games, is showing a little spark. But steady at this level isn’t good enough. The Bucs need improvement.

Some folks might say that the problem is offense – which is true enough as far as it goes. But our offensive problems are related to a lack of steals, turnovers and transition baskets. When we get our pressure defense rolling, it generates offense for us. In 3 conference games against Kennesaw, UNK and Lipscomb, we were 2-1, losing one game by 2 points. In those 3 games we got 9, 9 and 13 steals (avg. 10.3), which helped generate an average of 75 points per game. In the other 3 conference games (Mercer, Stetson and FGCU) we are 0-3. We got 6, 6 and 4 steals for an average of 5.3 steals per game. Which helped generate an average of 61 points per game. More pressure defense equals steals, turnovers and transition baskets.

There is no reason that the Bucs can’t do at least as well against ASun competition as they did against out of conference foes. I hope that the return home brings more fire and confidence than we’ve seen in the last two games.

In contrast to the Bucs, many of whom have struggled in conference, almost all of the young UNF squad have seen improvement in conference play: (Dallas Moore plus 3 points, Travis Wallace plus 4, Beau Beech plus 2, Jalen Nesbitt plus 2, Charles McRoy plus 3, Chris Davenport plus 0.5 and plus 0.5 rebounds). Only 2 players, freshman Romelo Banks and JUCO Jr. Devin Wilson, have seen a drop, of about 3 points and 1.5 respectively, and those guys only play about 10 minutes apiece. Bae Bae Daniels has stayed the same. The teams’ scoring margin has improved from negative (-4.4) to +6.3 in conference, and rebounding has improved from +1.0 to +6.3.

But the apparent progress is skewed by a schedule that has them playing 5 conference games at home so far, and only 2 on the road. At home they are 4-1, losing only to FGCU by 2 (and beating Mercer by 6). On the road they are 1-1, winning by 2 at Lipscomb, and losing by 6 at UNK.

Even so, the record against common opponents would suggest that they should probably be favored.

Front Court: 6’6” 230 Sr. Travis Wallace (16.0 ppg, 9.4 rpg in 29.6 min. in conference), 6’6” 210 Sr. Charles McRoy (10.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg in 25.7 min. in conference); 6’8” 210 Fr. Chris Davenport (6.9 ppg and 5.9 rpg in 21.9 min in conference) and 6’7” 200 So. Bae Bae Daniels (6.0 ppg and 4.7 rpg in 18.6 min. in conference). 6’11” 235 Fr. Project Romelo Banks gets only about 9.6 minutes in conference, with 1.9 ppg and 2.0 rpg. He will likely be a real force in future years. They have an advantage in length, but, except for Travis Wallace, we may be more physical. Rebounding margin is +6.3 in conference, compared to -1.0 for the Bucs.

Back Court: 6’1” 175 Fr. Dallas Moore may be the top frosh in the league, averaging 15.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 2.4 assists and 1 t.o. in 28.3 min. in conference. He shoots .486 from 3 in conference. 6’8” 210 So. Beau Beech gets 11.9 ppg on .407 from 3 with 5.0 rpg in 29.1 min.. 6’6” 200 JUCO Jr. Jalen Nesbitt (9.4 ppg on .563 but with only 9 makes from 3 in conference, 3.3 rpg, 24.3 min.) 5’11” 175 JUCO Jr. Devin Wilson gets only 12.1 min. and 1.3 ppg. They make half again as many turnovers as their opponents (14 to 9.6) and may be susceptible to pressure defense. Which the Bucs sometimes play well, and sometimes don’t.

How the Bucs do depends on which version of the team shows up. Physical play inside and pressure defense on the perimeter are probably our best bet. They have hung close with the best teams in the conference. To beat them, we'd best be ready to play a tough game down the stretch.

For the sake of this team's psyche, we need this win. The team looked liked they didn't belong on the floor with FGCU, and was demoralized in the aftermath. FGCU is a good team, but it's not as though they're Kansas or Kentucky. We were fodder for dunk city. I wonder how the team will respond with being humiliated?

Several guys' recent downturn is a major concern. Is there something internal going on? Has the disproportionate playing time started to take its toll? We showed a great deal of promise in enough games to make me think these performances were more than an aberration.

I think you've hit the bullseye, swvabucsfan, with respect to your assessment of our offensive struggles: We scored at ease this year when we scored in transition, off steals, deflections, and overall pressure. We looked like a viable contender in those games.

Go Bucs.

Pressure defense, transition scoring. And very importantly taking it to the basket and getting fouled and hitting a bunch of free throws. Settling for long jump shots has been a prescription for losing. Let's get back to the way the Bucs CAN play and the way we know they can win.

(01-22-2014 06:57 PM)Bucfaithful Wrote:  For the sake of this team's psyche, we need this win. The team looked liked they didn't belong on the floor with FGCU, and was demoralized in the aftermath. FGCU is a good team, but it's not as though they're Kansas or Kentucky. We were fodder for dunk city. I wonder how the team will respond with being humiliated?

Several guys' recent downturn is a major concern. Is there something internal going on? Has the disproportionate playing time started to take its toll? We showed a great deal of promise in enough games to make me think these performances were more than an aberration.

I think you've hit the bullseye, swvabucsfan, with respect to your assessment of our offensive struggles: We scored at ease this year when we scored in transition, off steals, deflections, and overall pressure. We looked like a viable contender in those games.

Go Bucs.

This happens when an athletic team has penetrating guards and the back line of the zone ends up having to help up and stare at the ball handler. They can just toss it up and let their guys go get it.

Wow we're playing man-to-man....Hunter off to a good start.

Great offensive first half, bad defensive first half, especially on the perimeter (Beau Beech 5-5 from 3's). We're pushing the tempo, which is good to see, but we have got to get some stops. Great outstanding first half from Hunter.

RILEY!

Not really sure who these officials are, but I'm fairly positive these clowns ought to be officiating the Upward basketball league.

OUTSTANDING GAME.

Offensively they're all over it. Had there not been some ridiculously bad calls against Rembert and H. Harris this thing would be out of hand.
UNF looks gassed.

How fun is this! Lots of guys sharing, making shots. Beau Beech is a punk.

(01-23-2014 08:27 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  Not really sure who these officials are, but I'm fairly positive these clowns ought to be officiating the Upward basketball league.

Dougie Sirmons-esque.

That block was awful. Riley was eating a hot dog by the time the UNF player got to him. Awful. Offensively though you don't need a half court set offense when you work the ball around like that. Moving without the ball in their hands and all that.

I have noticed through the year that as good as Rembert is at shooting outside, he is very poor at the rim. On these transition plays, Rembert either misses a layup, missed a dunk, or gets it stolen more often than not.

I don't get why they don't just keep playing and not trying to squat on a three possession lead with this much time left.
Does Bartow not grasp that this isn't 1987?