We just do not have enough shooters. Rob Murphy not ready for the big time yet. On offense, we dribble way too much and resorted back to old habits jacking up poor shots. We have a ways to go and hopefully we play better in second half

Hour drive it

I knew you'd show up.

(12-17-2014 10:02 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  I knew you'd show up.

And start a new thread... Ugh.

Alex agrees..... If we want the team to see its potential, Murphy has to do a better job manufacturing shots for his team. Our offense was very inefficient against MSU. Too much dribbling.... http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball...ant-get-an

No one disagrees our offense hasn't been good over the last three games...but these were games against teams that went to the Elite 8 last year with loads of talent. We haven't been able to get out in transition, our best player is in a mystifying funk where he can barely make lay-ups, let alone three pointers, and we are a bit too heavily reliant on Ray Lee and Mike Talley to create offense for themselves. Yet we are 1-2 through a stretch where everyone expected 0-3. We won't see anyone as good as Dayton the rest of the year, let alone Michigan and Michigan State (although Dayton just kicked their only two big guys off the team...wish we would've played them this weekend instead of when we did).

As a former player, an avid EMU fan, we must start attacking the paint on offense. We have the advantage inside vs all MAC schools with Mike Samuels. Today vs MVC we should be able to score in the paint. Also we need to stop running this three man weave where we dribble too much, hand the ball off and then allow 1 on 5 when the shot clock is winding down. I would like to see some off the ball screens, drive the paint, and post our guys up in the paint. Against MSU we had an advantage in the paint but we made no adjustments on getting the ball in the paint. I would love to see Samuels, Lekan, okoloji and even Ward post in the paint. When Ward is struggling, let's post him up and get him an easy look. Ward will have the match up advantage most of the time down low especially in the MAC. Go EMU!!

(12-20-2014 02:09 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  As a former player, an avid EMU fan, we must start attacking the paint on offense. We have the advantage inside vs all MAC schools with Mike Samuels. Today vs MVC we should be able to score in the paint. Also we need to stop running this three man weave where we dribble too much, hand the ball off and then allow 1 on 5 when the shot clock is winding down. I would like to see some off the ball screens, drive the paint, and post our guys up in the paint. Against MSU we had an advantage in the paint but we made no adjustments on getting the ball in the paint. I would love to see Samuels, Lekan, okoloji and even Ward post in the paint. When Ward is struggling, let's post him up and get him an easy look. Ward will have the match up advantage most of the time down low especially in the MAC. Go EMU!!

We had an advantage in the paint against MSU? I stopped reading there. Costello and Schilling are both VERY good interior defenders.

(12-20-2014 02:21 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(12-20-2014 02:09 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  As a former player, an avid EMU fan, we must start attacking the paint on offense. We have the advantage inside vs all MAC schools with Mike Samuels. Today vs MVC we should be able to score in the paint. Also we need to stop running this three man weave where we dribble too much, hand the ball off and then allow 1 on 5 when the shot clock is winding down. I would like to see some off the ball screens, drive the paint, and post our guys up in the paint. Against MSU we had an advantage in the paint but we made no adjustments on getting the ball in the paint. I would love to see Samuels, Lekan, okoloji and even Ward post in the paint. When Ward is struggling, let's post him up and get him an easy look. Ward will have the match up advantage most of the time down low especially in the MAC. Go EMU!!

We had an advantage in the paint against MSU? I stopped reading there. Costello and Schilling are both VERY good interior defenders.

I disagree, if we spread the ball out and exploit the paint by posting up the MSU 6'9" guys (Costello or Schilling) could not match Samuels power down low. The problem is we do not post up down low and instead we drive the ball to the paint, clogging it up and making it difficult to score against decent teams like MSU. Today we have the advantage in the low post but we probably won't exploit it. If Ben Braun were coaching, he would exploit the post and dump it inside. Hopefully Murphy improves as a coach and doesn't keep running a one dimensional offense (3 man weave).

Just because Samuels is taller than those two (by two inches), doesn't mean its an advantage. Samuels is a big guy, but hasn't shown to have the best offensive game. Good rebounder, but not someone to run the offense through, especially when Costello and Schilling are plus defenders.

Murphy has actually run a better offense this year than in years past, with a lot more ball movement. I'm guessing the State game (or even the Michigan game) was the first game you've watched this year. Our bigger issue is missing shots. We've missed more 3's and layups in the last three games than I care to count. I'm not saying Murphy is running the Princeton offense or anything, but it's been better than his first two years.

(12-20-2014 02:36 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  Just because Samuels is taller than those two (by two inches), doesn't mean its an advantage. Samuels is a big guy, but hasn't shown to have the best offensive game. Good rebounder, but not someone to run the offense through, especially when Costello and Schilling are plus defenders.

Murphy has actually run a better offense this year than in years past, with a lot more ball movement. I'm guessing the State game (or even the Michigan game) was the first game you've watched this year. Our bigger issue is missing shots. We've missed more 3's and layups in the last three games than I care to count. I'm not saying Murphy is running the Princeton offense or anything, but it's been better than his first two years.

Eaglesam, I completely agree with you in that our offense is better than the two previous years - no argument; however, we need to run some low post as well to mix it up and keep the defenders off balance. Schilling switched off to guard Okoloji and there is no way Costello guards Samuel or our improved Lekan down low. Costello not strong enough. The reason why our 3 pointers are getting more difficult to hit is for two reasons: 1) better coaching, 2) better defenders. Since we do not have a low post presence the opposing defense can switch on perimeter and only need to keep you in front of them. The defenders do not have to react so much because the ball is not going inside outside. 2) When the defender has more talent, we need to run off the ball screens for our shooters to get them open looks. Unfortunately, I saw some offensive regression where we resorted back to three man weave and then jack up a shot going 1 on 5. That is an elementary offense but it has worked against inferior competition.

Listen some of you think I am too critical but I am looking for the team ti keep improving. I give Murphy all the credit for bringing this talent into EMU and we are poised to win another 20 games. I would take Murphy over Barnes, Boone, and Ramsey any day of the week!!! Go EMU!

Finally I have been ti every home game this year and have attended 80% of EMUs home games since 1986.

Luckyone, taking Murphy over Barnes, Boone, and Ramsey "any day of the week," is...let's just say, faint praise.

Praise is praise....I am not a fan of the zone because I do not think it works against really good teams and I do not like our offense. However Coach Murphy has recruited a lot of talent into EMU so he gets all of the credit. I also give him credit for 20 wins . I think he is a good coach but not a great coach yet. As soon as EMU basketball experiences a little success, some EMU posters start commenting that Murphy is probably gone after this season. I don't think he is ready. Besides look at Hawkins at WMU who has been there for 10 years, been to the dance, and is enjoying a great career making a whole lot of money and at this point doesn't think the grass is greener outside of WMU. So let's enjoy Murphy's run this year and let's see how the season goes. For sure coach Murphy has made us relevant in the MAC conference. Go EMU!!

Hate the zone all you want, but through 11 games, only two teams (Dayton and Oakland) have shot better than 40% against us. It works, proof is in the pudding. I don't know who you consider a "really good" team, but typically no defense really works, per se, against the elite teams.

I don't know how long Murph will be here (could be a year, could be 5 more years, who knows), but I'm just trying to enjoy the here and now. This is probably the best team we've had since the Boykins days, and we are in good position to surpass, barring major disappointment, our win total from last year. Looking around the MAC, I don't see one team that I can definitively say is better than us. Buffalo looks really good, and I don't underestimate Toledo, WMU, Akron, and Ohio, but I like our chances at a top 4 seed this year. We have to close out games better than we did last year, and we need our best players to be more consistent, but I've really liked what I've seen so far. Can't wait for MAC play.

Oh yeah, and the 6'6 freshman PG that everyone was hyping in the preseason still hasn't played yet. Even more excited to see what he can do.

(12-20-2014 10:22 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  Oh yeah, and the 6'6 freshman PG that everyone was hyping in the preseason still hasn't played yet. Even more excited to see what he can do.

Is Bond going to be like JaQuan Hart or Penny Hardaway?

Jaquan Hart was a bit before my time, so I'm not sure. But Murphy had him penciled in as the starting PG before he broke his hand. He could be overhyped, but you don't see 6'6 point guards every day, especially in the MAC. Not to mention even more length at the top of the zone. I keep thinking of a lineup with Bond-Price-Ward-Okoloji-Ajayi and how much length that group would have. Like shooting over trees.

Luckeyone, gave you some kudos in another thread. But you are dead wrong here. No one said Murphy is gone based on EMU record to date. They are saying EMU is one of the primary contenders in the MAC based on their record so far. If contender comes to fruition and EMU makes the NIT or NCAA baased on regular season or tourney MAC championship... then Murphy is gone. So just to clarify the scenario we were speaking of.

Also, I can understand critiquing the offense, but Murphy's zone is what has turned around this program. Obviously, it was not offense. So I am very astonished that you and some others nitpick about the zone so much.

Sam, I think you are underestimating the MAC this year. Some of the computer rankings have them on par with the MVC and even the American Athletic conference (albeit, and off year for the latter).

I know you don't respect the CMU 6-1 record, but it is good and they beat Northwestern. Bowling Green also has a decent record and played Dayton better than EMU did. I would throw this into the list.

EMU is looking good. But the MAC is solid this year.

(12-20-2014 11:00 PM)rayEMU Wrote:  Sam, I think you are underestimating the MAC this year. Some of the computer rankings have them on par with the MVC and even the American Athletic conference (albeit, and off year for the latter).

I know you don't respect the CMU 6-1 record, but it is good and they beat Northwestern. Bowling Green also has a decent record and played Dayton better than EMU did. I would throw this into the list.

EMU is looking good. But the MAC is solid this year.

Ray, I'm not underestimating the MAC at all. With CMU, BGSU, and Kent State all looking improved, there are far fewer cupcakes in the conference this season. Only teams that look poor so far are Miami, Ball State, and to an extent NIU. I just see that, so far, we've won all of the games we were supposed to, including two that we weren't supposed to, with no bad losses. Not many other MAC teams can say that, not to mention that we look like we've improved from last season.

I'm not saying that it's a shoo-in, or that it will be easy, but we look like at least one of the four best teams in the conference right now. It's up to our boys to go out there and prove it.

(12-20-2014 10:48 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  Jaquan Hart was a bit before my time, so I'm not sure. But Murphy had him penciled in as the starting PG before he broke his hand. He could be overhyped, but you don't see 6'6 point guards every day, especially in the MAC. Not to mention even more length at the top of the zone. I keep thinking of a lineup with Bond-Price-Ward-Okoloji-Ajayi and how much length that group would have. Like shooting over trees.

JaQuan Hart before your time? Dang you are young. He was highly recruited out of high school, signed with Ohio State and transferred to EMU. He was 6-6 170, never lived up to the hype but he was still pretty good (8.9 ppg, 3.1 boards, 2.6 assts) in 46 career games. I would take JaQuan Hart-type play from Bond but if he becomes a star, I have no problem with that. I too am intrigued at what a 6'6" PG can do in this league. Very excited with what Mr. Bond could bring to the table.