(02-16-2015 08:07 PM)BucinBama Wrote:  Hope I am wrong, but things don't look promising for the 2nd half.

ETSU was on fire from 3 and TN Tech was on fire with a majority of their shots from 2. It is much more likely Tech can continue their hot shooting in the 2nd half. Rebounding has been terrible. Losing Harris hurts most in his ability to rebound.

Both Williams and Bates being scared to shoot cost us an easy basket at the end of the first half.

Yes let a 12 point lead melt to a 6 by half time. Bucs have to turn that momentum around or Tech will take full advantage.

Desonta B. is playing at a high level -- his confidence continuous to grow.

Missing 3s and Tech hitting 2s- lead down to 2 already.

And the lead blown. Imagine that.

Glad Tech went away from the 2 big guys late in the second half. That definitely helped the Bucs pull it out. Getting to the free throw line helped also. Riley, Rembert, Wilson, and Merriweather all had good scoring games.

FUN night at Freedom Hall! Guys played hard. Any experience we get for Desonta is a positive. And bittersweet to say goodbye to our Seniors.

I have not felt at ease in any game this entire season. Oh well, we got the 'W' in a collective team effort. Jalen, AJ, and Rashawn led the way and Alex and Petey contributed in their respective ways.

I'd love for us to win 2 of our final 3.

I think its probably 1 out of 3.

1 out of 3 gets a bye. The Bucs really need to light up fast and reestablish by beating Chattanooga and Mercer. Low odds there, but it's basketball. Banks and Bates need to stop fouling out. Tonight's win is momentum in the right direction, nonetheless. Feel good win.

(02-16-2015 11:32 PM)shampoo Wrote:  1 out of 3 gets a bye. The Bucs really need to light up fast and reestablish by beating Chattanooga and Mercer. Low odds there, but it's basketball. Banks and Bates need to stop fouling out. Tonight's win is momentum in the right direction, nonetheless. Feel good win.

Agreed. Bates should already know how to defend, considering his experience. Banks is learning, think he will eventually be a nice contributor in all facets of the post.

I'm enjoying watching Banks and Bradford as they both start to get more comfortable and confident. Both are still making some mistakes that I can see being nerves and/or inexperience, but they are both making some big plays now.

Last night I also saw Coach Slay getting a LOT more animated from the bench than usual. I think the changes we've all seen Bartow attempt making this year, are in large part to Coach Slay's influence. Granted Bartow goes back to his usual bag of basics all too often still, but we've all seen the few glimmers of hope that are uncharacteristically Bartow. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, especially a stubborn one.

Banks' rebounding has no parallel on the eligible roster. With those long arms he snatches rebounds that look guaranteed to the other team. Bates is good about taking up space, but he draws too many fouls getting position and fighting for rebounds.

It was said at the beginning of the season, and I'll say it again now, it comes down to whether or not the Bucs can field two solid post players. The Bucs may upset a team but won't advance through the whole tournament on 5 guards.

Trambarger asked Bartow if he would consider using Banks at 4 and Bates at 5 more. Bartow said that lineup takes too much away from our offense.

The only thing Desonta needs is more playing time and for Murry to stop his dang short leash approach to players. Players play tight and unnaturally when they think the hook is coming after every mistake. Murry has made head cases out of many good players by making them look over their shoulders instead of just playing ball.

Desonta and AJ come from the same rural West Tennessee quality and style of basketball. They came in more mature and athletic than most.

(02-17-2015 11:29 AM)Equus innominata Wrote:  The only thing Desonta needs is more playing time and for Murry to stop his dang short leash approach to players. Players play tight and unnaturally when they think the hook is coming after every mistake. Murry has made head cases out of many good players by making them look over their shoulders instead of just playing ball.

Desonta and AJ come from the same rural West Tennessee quality and style of basketball. They came in more mature and athletic than most.

Spot-on.

(02-17-2015 11:19 AM)abuc90 Wrote:  Trambarger asked Bartow if he would consider using Banks at 4 and Bates at 5 more. Bartow said that lineup takes too much away from our offense.

Translation: We have no team offense to get our bigs buckets, we jack threes with no one in position to rebound, and I don't actually care even about defense and rebounding like I promised would be the focus this year.

Why should I even bother pointing out the incompetence? Check this out coach. Some of those close games we lost by 2-3 points this year to lesser competition might have been wins if defense and rebounding was ever your focus. We lost those games because offense sucked. We are in 4th place at best because offense without a system could not carry an undersized team. You have NO focus, own up to it.

mubar's comments in the J C Press today just confirms what many on this board and thousands of fans have been saying for years.

"We put a lot of emphasis on not losing on Senior Night. We put a lot of emphasis on trying to compete harder. COACH HARDER, play harder, trying to win it for the seniors."

So, mubar what do you do for the other games, not put emphasis on competing harder, not coaching harder, not playing harder, not trying to win for the team?

Maybe if mubar had put the same emphasis for each game as he did for Senior Night, the team would not have lost to five of the six bottom teams in the SoCon. All of which have losing records. Maybe the team would have beat UTC after having a fourteen point lead late in the second half.

mubar continues to bring up how many close games the team has won and how hard it is to win. Maybe if he coached harder the team would have beaten those bottom teams, maybe there would not be as many close games and ETSU would be contending for a championship.

Get rid of mubar and get a coach that wants to win every game.

(02-17-2015 03:17 PM)bucgal Wrote:  Get rid of mubar and get a coach that wants to win every game.

Which is why coach Ezell has such a bright future. She wants to win not only every game, but every possession. Every trip up the court has an expectation of excellence.

But alas, we are stuck with Bartow.

So this team will probably end up with 17 wins, 18 if they win one in the SoCon tournament. Is that enough to realistically justify his return?

Coach Ezell will most likely be snapped up by a bigger school.