Interesting how much (free) media we got for our loss Saturday. (although not the type we wanted).

Beside ESPN's coverage, CBS Sports, front page of today's Detroit News sports section...

I have no idea how the team will respond to Saturday's loss...

BTW, I saw after the game, that Nobles had an ice bag on one of his knees... Nasty fall.

(01-25-2016 09:32 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Interesting how much (free) media we got for our loss Saturday. (although not the type we wanted).

Beside ESPN's coverage, CBS Sports, front page of today's Detroit News sports section...

I have no idea how the team will respond to Saturday's loss...

BTW, I saw after the game, that Nobles had an ice bag on one of his knees... Nasty fall.

Nobles also tweeted that he felt like he got hit by a truck. My initial guess, after watching the play, was a concussion. Hopefully it isn't anything serious. He would've been helpful in the latter parts of the BSU game.

overall the effort has been there but not the results

Should be interesting if he makes the trip.
he didn't look good with an ice bag on his knee.
Sounds like multiple problems.

It was number 5 on ESPNs play of week.

(01-25-2016 10:23 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(01-25-2016 09:32 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Interesting how much (free) media we got for our loss Saturday. (although not the type we wanted).

Beside ESPN's coverage, CBS Sports, front page of today's Detroit News sports section...

I have no idea how the team will respond to Saturday's loss...

BTW, I saw after the game, that Nobles had an ice bag on one of his knees... Nasty fall.

Nobles also tweeted that he felt like he got hit by a truck. My initial guess, after watching the play, was a concussion. Hopefully it isn't anything serious. He would've been helpful in the latter parts of the BSU game.

He is going through concussion protocol and has a bruised shoulder. Not gonna play the 1st game this week.

Another L, we will battle for the last spot in the West with WMU for the rest of the season, too bad. I think Ray Lee is poisonous to this team. I also think our defense stinks and Thompson is one of the major reasons for it. I do see great hope for the next season though, we need to pick up a reliable back up center so Thompson can play hard on both ends of the floor and another SG to score a little. We also need Murph to go back to his defensive roots.

When you lose games to the likes of Northern Illinois and especially Ball State (at home), you are in a really bad situation because beating Akron and Kent on the road are almost impossible.

I see this as a loss. Not playing Lee and leaving yourself vulnerable to the worst officiating of the year and losing to a bad team (Ball State) is the price you pay. I just cannot see a scenario where we can get the win tonight. That is why you cannot squander sure wins at home!

If we can get solid pass first play from our PG's and Raven Lee bounces back strong, along with Thompson bolstering his POY campaign, then it will be a productive trip.

(01-26-2016 08:07 AM)realistEagle Wrote:  Another L, we will battle for the last spot in the West with WMU for the rest of the season, too bad. I think Ray Lee is poisonous to this team. I also think our defense stinks and Thompson is one of the major reasons for it. I do see great hope for the next season though, we need to pick up a reliable back up center so Thompson can play hard on both ends of the floor and another SG to score a little. We also need Murph to go back to his defensive roots.

I sadly agree with all of this. I love Thompson, but he gets picked apart inside, and it's usually when he's in foul trouble. Next year we add a couple big guys that'll bolster depth. I think this team has the makings of a defensive squad that Murphy likes. Nobles is already a good defensive player (that redshirt year helped) and Blake Brown could be a decent piece if he adds some muscle. Bond and Price are pretty good on the wings. Basically, it comes down to the fact that we are giving up too many interior passes, which collapsed the zone. It's on the guards to front the high man and the center to front the low man. So far, Thompson has been inconsistent with that. He'll learn though.

In regards to tonight, we are gonna have our hands full with Jimmy Hall. If we can neutralize him somewhat, then we have a pretty good chance. Outside of Pollard, they don't have much shooting and their guards are a bit turnover prone. But we absolutely need Raven's head screwed on straight to pull off the upset.

(01-26-2016 08:36 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  When you lose games to the likes of Northern Illinois and especially Ball State (at home), you are in a really bad situation because beating Akron and Kent on the road are almost impossible.

I see this as a loss. Not playing Lee and leaving yourself vulnerable to the worst officiating of the year and losing to a bad team (Ball State) is the price you pay. I just cannot see a scenario where we can get the win tonight. That is why you cannot squander sure wins at home!

If we can get solid pass first play from our PG's and Raven Lee bounces back strong, along with Thompson bolstering his POY campaign, then it will be a productive trip.

You play Lee when he earns it and you bench him when the effort isn't there. Its called coaching.

(01-26-2016 08:52 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 08:07 AM)realistEagle Wrote:  Another L, we will battle for the last spot in the West with WMU for the rest of the season, too bad. I think Ray Lee is poisonous to this team. I also think our defense stinks and Thompson is one of the major reasons for it. I do see great hope for the next season though, we need to pick up a reliable back up center so Thompson can play hard on both ends of the floor and another SG to score a little. We also need Murph to go back to his defensive roots.

I sadly agree with all of this. I love Thompson, but he gets picked apart inside, and it's usually when he's in foul trouble. Next year we add a couple big guys that'll bolster depth. I think this team has the makings of a defensive squad that Murphy likes. Nobles is already a good defensive player (that redshirt year helped) and Blake Brown could be a decent piece if he adds some muscle. Bond and Price are pretty good on the wings. Basically, it comes down to the fact that we are giving up too many interior passes, which collapsed the zone. It's on the guards to front the high man and the center to front the low man. So far, Thompson has been inconsistent with that. He'll learn though.

I'll add our guards inconsistent shooting especially the 3 point shot, if our defense is so poor how do you account for all the steals?

(01-26-2016 09:19 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 08:52 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 08:07 AM)realistEagle Wrote:  Another L, we will battle for the last spot in the West with WMU for the rest of the season, too bad. I think Ray Lee is poisonous to this team. I also think our defense stinks and Thompson is one of the major reasons for it. I do see great hope for the next season though, we need to pick up a reliable back up center so Thompson can play hard on both ends of the floor and another SG to score a little. We also need Murph to go back to his defensive roots.

I sadly agree with all of this. I love Thompson, but he gets picked apart inside, and it's usually when he's in foul trouble. Next year we add a couple big guys that'll bolster depth. I think this team has the makings of a defensive squad that Murphy likes. Nobles is already a good defensive player (that redshirt year helped) and Blake Brown could be a decent piece if he adds some muscle. Bond and Price are pretty good on the wings. Basically, it comes down to the fact that we are giving up too many interior passes, which collapsed the zone. It's on the guards to front the high man and the center to front the low man. So far, Thompson has been inconsistent with that. He'll learn though.

I'll add our guards inconsistent shooting especially the 3 point shot, if our defense is so poor how do you account for all the steals?

steals not equal to defense.

our forwards really jump the passing lanes and get a lot of steals but also get burned a lot on the trey.

I see it as a statistic which is a partially a function of the system. Bond gets a lot of steals also because of his quicks.

We see that in sports all the time.

I agree on three point shooting. That is a case where the statistics do not lie.

(01-26-2016 09:19 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 08:52 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 08:07 AM)realistEagle Wrote:  Another L, we will battle for the last spot in the West with WMU for the rest of the season, too bad. I think Ray Lee is poisonous to this team. I also think our defense stinks and Thompson is one of the major reasons for it. I do see great hope for the next season though, we need to pick up a reliable back up center so Thompson can play hard on both ends of the floor and another SG to score a little. We also need Murph to go back to his defensive roots.

I sadly agree with all of this. I love Thompson, but he gets picked apart inside, and it's usually when he's in foul trouble. Next year we add a couple big guys that'll bolster depth. I think this team has the makings of a defensive squad that Murphy likes. Nobles is already a good defensive player (that redshirt year helped) and Blake Brown could be a decent piece if he adds some muscle. Bond and Price are pretty good on the wings. Basically, it comes down to the fact that we are giving up too many interior passes, which collapsed the zone. It's on the guards to front the high man and the center to front the low man. So far, Thompson has been inconsistent with that. He'll learn though.

I'll add our guards inconsistent shooting especially the 3 point shot, if our defense is so poor how do you account for all the steals?

During the last game the announcers pointed out a fun stat, during Murphy's first 4 years we had defenses in top 3, this year we are on the bottom of the list. This is mostly why we are seeing so many L's that usually would have been W's.

(01-26-2016 09:16 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 08:36 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  When you lose games to the likes of Northern Illinois and especially Ball State (at home), you are in a really bad situation because beating Akron and Kent on the road are almost impossible.

I see this as a loss. Not playing Lee and leaving yourself vulnerable to the worst officiating of the year and losing to a bad team (Ball State) is the price you pay. I just cannot see a scenario where we can get the win tonight. That is why you cannot squander sure wins at home!

If we can get solid pass first play from our PG's and Raven Lee bounces back strong, along with Thompson bolstering his POY campaign, then it will be a productive trip.

You play Lee when he earns it and you bench him when the effort isn't there. Its called coaching.

And it's called losing when the guys you call on to replace your second best player are not very good.

(01-26-2016 10:57 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 09:16 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 08:36 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  When you lose games to the likes of Northern Illinois and especially Ball State (at home), you are in a really bad situation because beating Akron and Kent on the road are almost impossible.

I see this as a loss. Not playing Lee and leaving yourself vulnerable to the worst officiating of the year and losing to a bad team (Ball State) is the price you pay. I just cannot see a scenario where we can get the win tonight. That is why you cannot squander sure wins at home!

If we can get solid pass first play from our PG's and Raven Lee bounces back strong, along with Thompson bolstering his POY campaign, then it will be a productive trip.

You play Lee when he earns it and you bench him when the effort isn't there. Its called coaching.

And it's called losing when the guys you call on to replace your second best player are not very good.

I think Toney and Mangum are decent guards at least they hustle, don't pout and aren't head cases.

(01-26-2016 10:57 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 09:16 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 08:36 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  When you lose games to the likes of Northern Illinois and especially Ball State (at home), you are in a really bad situation because beating Akron and Kent on the road are almost impossible.

I see this as a loss. Not playing Lee and leaving yourself vulnerable to the worst officiating of the year and losing to a bad team (Ball State) is the price you pay. I just cannot see a scenario where we can get the win tonight. That is why you cannot squander sure wins at home!

If we can get solid pass first play from our PG's and Raven Lee bounces back strong, along with Thompson bolstering his POY campaign, then it will be a productive trip.

You play Lee when he earns it and you bench him when the effort isn't there. Its called coaching.

And it's called losing when the guys you call on to replace your second best player are not very good.

Yet were more effective than Lee was. Sorry, the game isn't long enough to leave someone in there in hopes that they play better. If Lee was having a bad shooting day, but playing well on defense and creating for others, he never would've came out of the game. But when he looks completely lost on both ends, you have to do something. It's not just a Murphy thing; I watched SVG do the same with Drummond last night. Baynes finished the game because he was playing harder on both ends. But I'm sure you'll say one of the best basketball minds in the NBA has no clue what he's doing.

(01-26-2016 11:02 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 10:57 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 09:16 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 08:36 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  When you lose games to the likes of Northern Illinois and especially Ball State (at home), you are in a really bad situation because beating Akron and Kent on the road are almost impossible.

I see this as a loss. Not playing Lee and leaving yourself vulnerable to the worst officiating of the year and losing to a bad team (Ball State) is the price you pay. I just cannot see a scenario where we can get the win tonight. That is why you cannot squander sure wins at home!

If we can get solid pass first play from our PG's and Raven Lee bounces back strong, along with Thompson bolstering his POY campaign, then it will be a productive trip.

You play Lee when he earns it and you bench him when the effort isn't there. Its called coaching.

And it's called losing when the guys you call on to replace your second best player are not very good.

I think Toney and Mangum are decent guards at least they hustle, don't pout and aren't head cases.

Sometimes Mangum is decent sometimes he is atrocious. He has really bad hands, I've never seen a guard have so much trouble catching the ball! and he looks to shoot first instead of distributing. I like Toney much better.

(01-26-2016 09:16 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-26-2016 08:36 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  When you lose games to the likes of Northern Illinois and especially Ball State (at home), you are in a really bad situation because beating Akron and Kent on the road are almost impossible.

I see this as a loss. Not playing Lee and leaving yourself vulnerable to the worst officiating of the year and losing to a bad team (Ball State) is the price you pay. I just cannot see a scenario where we can get the win tonight. That is why you cannot squander sure wins at home!

If we can get solid pass first play from our PG's and Raven Lee bounces back strong, along with Thompson bolstering his POY campaign, then it will be a productive trip.

You play Lee when he earns it and you bench him when the effort isn't there. Its called coaching.

Yes, and so far coaching is not working!