(02-26-2016 12:02 PM)KPJ Wrote:  

(02-26-2016 09:56 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  I noticed that the BSU fans seem to think that the ref-gate game at the convo was not truly influenced by refs. They claim the should've got the ball on a held ball tie-up with about 5 secs left. Amazing how loyalty to your team can cause blindness.

Why is this even a discussion (amongst them)?
When the conferences suspends the refs and bans them from the postseason, judgment has come down.

Agree!!!

Clearly, the conference can't overturn an outcome (anything short of a biblical screw up), but what they did speaks volumes...

(02-26-2016 12:13 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2016 12:02 PM)KPJ Wrote:  

(02-26-2016 09:56 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  I noticed that the BSU fans seem to think that the ref-gate game at the convo was not truly influenced by refs. They claim the should've got the ball on a held ball tie-up with about 5 secs left. Amazing how loyalty to your team can cause blindness.

Why is this even a discussion (amongst them)?
When the conferences suspends the refs and bans them from the postseason, judgment has come down.

Agree!!!

Clearly, the conference can't overturn an outcome (anything short of a biblical screw up), but what they did speaks volumes...

Just to be fair (and I'm not trying to nit-pick), but the statement on the refs suspension just said there were several errors and in response to those errors the refs will be suspended. They never specified what combination of missed fouls, jump balls, and/or travel calls were grounds for the discipline.

That said, they had a lot to choose from.

(02-25-2016 02:22 PM)RamyEMU Wrote:  

(02-25-2016 01:24 PM)Eagle66 Wrote:  

(02-25-2016 11:47 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  

(02-25-2016 08:51 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  I'll correct you one one detail. The byes go to the top 4 seeds regardless of division. The west champ doe not automatically get a bye. I believe the top 4 right now are Kent, Buffalo, OU, and Akron.

The BSU debacle from last month really hurts EMU in this discussion.

I think you have that detail slighty off. In the past, the 2 division leaders were given the 1 and 2 seeds. No longer, it is done by overall conference record. You are right to this extent. HOWEVER, there is a clause that guarantees the division leader to receive no lower than the 4th seed. This is my understanding of rules in recent past. Not sure what it is this year.

In any case, yes the Ball St stolen game could come back to haunt us.

Everything I read said it is straight seeding from 1 thru 12 this year. I haven't seen anything about seeding guarantees for winning the division.

I could be wrong. Thought I read that somewhere at some point. Probably a moot point for EMU's case. But someone in the west might be in the position this to a test.

I found something from a WMU Athletics interview saying when the double and triple byes were in place, no division champ would be lower than 4, but cant find anything on the official MAC site, or anything since they went back to the single bye format.

But you're right, i think it will be a moot point.

(02-26-2016 12:23 PM)Eagle66 Wrote:  

(02-26-2016 12:13 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2016 12:02 PM)KPJ Wrote:  

(02-26-2016 09:56 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  I noticed that the BSU fans seem to think that the ref-gate game at the convo was not truly influenced by refs. They claim the should've got the ball on a held ball tie-up with about 5 secs left. Amazing how loyalty to your team can cause blindness.

Why is this even a discussion (amongst them)?
When the conferences suspends the refs and bans them from the postseason, judgment has come down.

Agree!!!

Clearly, the conference can't overturn an outcome (anything short of a biblical screw up), but what they did speaks volumes...

Just to be fair (and I'm not trying to nit-pick), but the statement on the refs suspension just said there were several errors and in response to those errors the refs will be suspended. They never specified what combination of missed fouls, jump balls, and/or travel calls were grounds for the discipline.

That said, they had a lot to choose from.

That's true, but as I posted on the main board, the first error would have been not calling a foul when Nazione has the ball.

Had that foul been called, Naz would have had 2 foul shoots (with EMU leading by 2) and the chance of the game going BSU's way - very slim.

The odds of BSU winning would have been much lower than hitting a 20 footer with 1 second to go.

Even though there were seemingly a series of errors, the first call (calling the foul) would have prevented the others from happening.

I, like everyone else, want us to win these final games and get some help from others to get the highest seed possible. More than that I want us to be playing our best ball in those three games. We need to be hitting our stride in order to make a push for a tournament title. I think the WMU and Toledo games were a great first step toward playing our best ball of the year. This is going to come from contributions from everyone. Our best games came this year not just when JT4 or Lee went off but when we had 4-6 scorers in double figures and had a balanced and efficient scoring attack.

Let's hope that can happen! Cheers to strong regular season finish and a NCAA tournament bid!!!

(02-26-2016 05:13 PM)EAGLE KING Wrote:  I, like everyone else, want us to win these final games and get some help from others to get the highest seed possible. More than that I want us to be playing our best ball in those three games. We need to be hitting our stride in order to make a push for a tournament title. I think the WMU and Toledo games were a great first step toward playing our best ball of the year. This is going to come from contributions from everyone. Our best games came this year not just when JT4 or Lee went off but when we had 4-6 scorers in double figures and had a balanced and efficient scoring attack.

Let's hope that can happen! Cheers to strong regular season finish and a NCAA tournament bid!!!

Couldn't agree more.

We might have the best team 1 - 6 in the league. The balance on this team is actually very good.

Timmy Bond hasn't gotten as much love this year as last, but he can be a human highlight reel with his dunks, successful and unsuccessful, but now it seems to be his 'Air (Jordan) Bond' effort to block opponent dunks...

Got to admit I love watching him line up a possible block on those breakaways...

Any doubt how well balanced the middle of the MAC is!! Log jam from Buffalo to Kent State. (borrowed from the main MAC board)

Pomeroy power rankings thru 2/25 with changes since Saturday:

96 Akron +19
117 Toledo -2
126 Ohio +4
141 Buffalo -4
144 Ball State +3
147 Eastern Michigan -1
150 Central Michigan -5
165 Northern Illinois +6
168 Kent State +6
190 Western Michigan +5
216 Bowling Green -2
261 Miami -22

Akron is not leading pack by that much in those computer rankings. Nor in their conference record.[/u]

(02-26-2016 10:09 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2016 09:56 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  I noticed that the BSU fans seem to think that the ref-gate game at the convo was not truly influenced by refs. They claim the should've got the ball on a held ball tie-up with about 5 secs left. Amazing how loyalty to your team can cause blindness.

Not to mention the BSU player had his arms around Naz while fighting for the tie up. Even if they called a jump ball, which would have been awful, it would've at least been a call. They would've had time on the clock, but there is virtually no chance that their best shooter would've got a wide open look like he did. The players expected a whistle (as did everyone), so they froze. We were robbed of a justifiable ending, at the very least. Basically every unbiased fan saw it that way.

Let the BSU fans think that. It is what it is. We shot terribly in that game, Thompson and Bond both fouled out early in the first OT, we played the entire 2nd OT with Blake Brown and Ethan Alvano on the floor, and they STILL needed the refs help to beat us. I don't know why I'm so confident about this upcoming game, and it could come back to bite me in the ass. They're a good team, but I just think we are better than they are. We shall find out.

I don't think it will come back to haunt you. 2 years in a row, they have handed EMU losses that really screwed their seasons. Last year they were god awful, but got that win over our guys on our court to start the conference season on a really bad note. They are better this year, but that was another hard to take home loss in the middle of a five game losing streak. When EMU could really use a win and given the way it played out. Both games were especially souring. I think EMU owes them some kind of vengeance.

I hope we beat Ball State by 50. I hope Thompson demolishes Franco House with a one-hand jam, Lee drops 47 on them, and Mangum hits 4 from half-court.

I hope Murphy challenges Whitford to a post-game one on one and posterizes him.

(02-26-2016 10:31 PM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  I hope Murphy challenges Whitford to a post-game one on one and posterizes him.

Murph would find Mike Brown on the bench for a sit-down 3.

(02-26-2016 11:11 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2016 10:31 PM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  I hope Murphy challenges Whitford to a post-game one on one and posterizes him.

Murph would find Mike Brown on the bench for a sit-down 3.

Never gets old.
https://twitter.com/EMUAthletics/status/...2194428928