We play at UofM in early November as part of the 2k 8-team bball pre-season tourney.

"Verbal commits" has a tweet that Ethan Alvano has left the program. Good kid, but was not getting playing time.

'79 reported that Stone had removed references to EMU from his Twitter account. He was off the team some time so this is 'catching up' to what had previously happened. I refrained from commenting as I know both father and son. I knew the father from his days at EMU. I met the son at the River Rouge / Muskegon game Jan. 2015.

Quite frankly late March is when coaches get fired or move on to new jobs, players leave teams because of PT or whatever...

I believe we have three scholarships to give and Steele is the only announced verbal.

Not surprised by Alvano leaving...I honestly don't think any of us are. Kid has some talent, but could not get enough PT. He'll probably go to a smaller D1 school in California and shine for his remaining two years of eligibility.

This makes us even more desperate for another guard. Really hoping we use a schollie (at least one) on a 4-year guard, I don't care which slot it is. We literally don't have any underclassmen next season besides Perry, unless you count Bond as a guard.

This is the Tweet.

"Compton Magic ‏@Compton_Magic 1h1 hour ago Temescal Valley, CA
Ethan Alvano has gotten his release from Eastern Michigan @EthanAlvano #PG with 2 years of Eligibility "

(03-23-2016 04:11 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  Not surprised by Alvano leaving...I honestly don't think any of us are. Kid has some talent, but could not get enough PT. He'll probably go to a smaller D1 school in California and shine for his remaining two years of eligibility.

This makes us even more desperate for another guard. Really hoping we use a schollie (at least one) on a 4-year guard, I don't care which slot it is. We literally don't have any underclassmen next season besides Perry, unless you count Bond as a guard.

I agree.

We have plenty of bigs but need a lot of back court help with the two scholarships (Steele has a front court scholarship and will join the three sitouts).

Just the craziness in me: One graduate eligible or JUCO guard AND one high school guard.

Murphy is not one to go out and sign a class mostly h.s. kids. He seems to 'mix and match' a lot. Kind of like one JUCO, one transfer, one or two high school, etc.

The 2015 class had a couple h.s. kids, Thompson and Stone; a transfer, Madray; and a few JUCOs.

And here is Verbalcommits.com running list of D-I transfers. They are starting to roll in...

http://www.verbalcommits.com/transfers/2016

Coach Murphy Tweeted back to me a question I raised:

The four teams which don't go to NYC will play each other. I'm not sure how many games or arrangements...

So it appears we know say 4 OOC games: UofM and one of: (Pitt, Marquette, or SMU) and then I'd guess two games...

This tourney REALLY helps with scheduling. We owe N. Florida a return game; Omaha owes us a return game.

So that would be SIX OOC games set and we are still in March.

(03-23-2016 04:14 PM)emu steve Wrote:  This is the Tweet.

"Compton Magic ‏@Compton_Magic 1h1 hour ago Temescal Valley, CA
Ethan Alvano has gotten his release from Eastern Michigan @EthanAlvano #PG with 2 years of Eligibility "

Sad that a guy who was once starting over one "Mike Talley" just a year ago saw his minutes and development diminished to nothing but garbage time. I think that we can agree that Toney and Mangum are more polished guards and deserved his playing time. However I wish that Murphy could have kept him in the rotation for his development as well as keeping him with the program. Would have been nice to have an experienced senior guard for when the JUCOs left in 2 years.

(03-23-2016 05:39 PM)EAGLE KING Wrote:  

(03-23-2016 04:14 PM)emu steve Wrote:  This is the Tweet.

"Compton Magic ‏@Compton_Magic 1h1 hour ago Temescal Valley, CA
Ethan Alvano has gotten his release from Eastern Michigan @EthanAlvano #PG with 2 years of Eligibility "

Sad that a guy who was once starting over one "Mike Talley" just a year ago saw his minutes and development diminished to nothing but garbage time. I think that we can agree that Toney and Mangum are more polished guards and deserved his playing time. However I wish that Murphy could have kept him in the rotation for his development as well as keeping him with the program. Would have been nice to have an experienced senior guard for when the JUCOs left in 2 years.

EA had trouble putting the ball in the hoop the two years he was here.

He struggled badly as a frosh...

(03-23-2016 05:44 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(03-23-2016 05:39 PM)EAGLE KING Wrote:  

(03-23-2016 04:14 PM)emu steve Wrote:  This is the Tweet.

"Compton Magic ‏@Compton_Magic 1h1 hour ago Temescal Valley, CA
Ethan Alvano has gotten his release from Eastern Michigan @EthanAlvano #PG with 2 years of Eligibility "

Sad that a guy who was once starting over one "Mike Talley" just a year ago saw his minutes and development diminished to nothing but garbage time. I think that we can agree that Toney and Mangum are more polished guards and deserved his playing time. However I wish that Murphy could have kept him in the rotation for his development as well as keeping him with the program. Would have been nice to have an experienced senior guard for when the JUCOs left in 2 years.

EA had trouble putting the ball in the hoop the two years he was here.

He struggled badly as a frosh...

I don't think that was what he was expected to do score early on. He had big time scorers like Karrington and Lee who he needed to get the ball to, while limiting turnovers. I agree that after seeing his numbers from HS more was desired on the offensive end but I think as most college players, the offense is the last part of their game to develop when you come in as a true Freshmen.

I see four potential frosh guard prospects right here in mi hs
Turner brown towns and burton I'd be happy if we signed any 2 of these four

I also be delighted if we signed Cochrane out of Owens cc for one of the two spots

(03-23-2016 07:11 PM)emu79 Wrote:  I see four potential frosh guard prospects right here in mi hs
Turner brown towns and burton I'd be happy if we signed any 2 of these four

I also be delighted if we signed Cochrane out of Owens cc for one of the two spots

I read a 'report' on Turner which Steve Bell posted last summer (from the UofM camp, I think). Sounds like Turner is a SG. I would love to have him behind Mangum and Lee.

We DESPERATELY need a PG, hopefully experienced. I'd be happy with a JUCO. We lost two PGs, Stone and EA.

The PG needs to play 15 minutes per game next year. Towns probably is a good prospect but I wonder if he can contribute from Day One.

If Toney gets into foul trouble or hurt, we are devoid of a TRUE PG.

I don't see Cochrane unless Price decides not to come back for his 5th year. Is Cochrane a SF????

for MAC hoop junkies, the BSU/Columbia game is being webcast:

http://www.watchcollegeinsider.com/watch/?Live=67

Ohio is hosting a game in CBI. No TV or webcast, to the best of my knowledge.

(03-23-2016 07:24 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(03-23-2016 07:11 PM)emu79 Wrote:  I see four potential frosh guard prospects right here in mi hs
Turner brown towns and burton I'd be happy if we signed any 2 of these four

I also be delighted if we signed Cochrane out of Owens cc for one of the two spots

I read a 'report' on Turner which Steve Bell posted last summer (from the UofM camp, I think). Sounds like Turner is a SG. I would love to have him behind Mangum and Lee.

We DESPERATELY need a PG, hopefully experienced. I'd be happy with a JUCO. We lost two PGs, Stone and EA.

The PG needs to play 15 minutes per game next year. Towns probably is a good prospect but I wonder if he can contribute from Day One.

If Toney gets into foul trouble or hurt, we are devoid of a TRUE PG.

I don't see Cochrane unless Price decides not to come back for his 5th year. Is Cochrane a SF????

Brown or Cochrane give you the flexibility of big shooting guard/scoring small forward since both are 6'5.

This article (on MSU) doesn't neatly fit any thread:

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/.../82187762/

Coach, don't schedule MSU. They will be flat out loaded,

Two, they could have two more scholarship players than scholarships IF things break one way (Davis comes back and they get #1 recruit, Jackson).

Three, a player or two could transfer due to the numbers issue (and PT, too).

Coach, don't listen to posters on scheduling: Do not schedule good 'no name' teams from non-power conferences, like M. Tenn State, Stephen F. Austin, S. Dakota State, Yale, etc. Sometimes it takes fans until March to realize there are good teams in most conferences (there are only a few really bad conferences) and they can bite you in Nov and Dec.

Here is the 2015 2K tourney info.

http://www.gazellegroup.com/main/wwp/schedule-2/

The 4 big boy teams play their bracket. The other 4 teams play their bracket.

So EMU will play at UofM and at team X (could be Pitt, Marquette or SMU).

We then 'advance' to the sub-regional bracket and play an opening round game and finals or consolation game at a neutral site.

The arrangement is kind of tacky and unfair to schools like EMU. What happens if we beat UofM? Don't we deserve the big boys round? This kiond of reminds me of the GOP debates early on where there was two debates, 'the main event' and the 'undercard.'

We get FOUR games out of it. Two ROAD games against the big boys and two games at a neutral site vs. schools like IUPUI, Gardner-Webb and Howard... I had wished that the games among EMU, IUPUI, Gardner-Webb and Howard could be one home and one away. Nope.

(03-24-2016 10:41 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Here is the 2015 2K tourney info.

http://www.gazellegroup.com/main/wwp/schedule-2/

The 4 big boy teams play their bracket. The other 4 teams play their bracket.

So EMU will play at UofM and at team X (could be Pitt, Marquette or SMU).

We then 'advance' to the sub-regional bracket and play an opening round game and finals or consolation game at a neutral site.

The arrangement is kind of tacky and unfair to schools like EMU. What happens if we beat UofM? Don't we deserve the big boys round? This kiond of reminds me of the GOP debates early on where there was two debates, 'the main event' and the 'undercard.'

We get FOUR games out of it. Two ROAD games against the big boys and two games at a neutral site vs. schools like IUPUI, Gardner-Webb and Howard... I had wished that the games among EMU, IUPUI, Gardner-Webb and Howard could be one home and one away. Nope.

I might add, related to our scheduling thread and MLive article.

The 'big boys' get two home games and two neutral games. (NO away games).

The "others' get two road games and two neutral games. (NO home games).

Reminds me of the ole saying: "Money talks, and bulls*it walks".

#WhereIsTheFairness Big boys get a huge advantage, but what else is new????? (I was born at night but not last night).

Wonder if EA might end up at a school like Cal State Northridge. Cal State Northridge is in the L.A. area as is EA's home town.

Ajayi played there this year and Victoria Sun is there as Director of Basketball Ops.

If I were EA, I'd make a call there...

The times I've met him, he comes across as a really nice young man. There is always room for players like him on teams.

Just need to find the right level or system for himself.

(03-25-2016 09:18 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Wonder if EA might end up at a school like Cal State Northridge. Cal State Northridge is in the L.A. area as is EA's home town.

Ajayi played there this year and Victoria Sun is there as Director of Basketball Ops.

If I were EA, I'd make a call there...

The times I've met him, he comes across as a really nice young man. There is always room for players like him on teams.

Just need to find the right level or system for himself.

lets not forget ea dad passed so he's a long way from mom and family so getting closer to home seems to a good move yes he struck me as a very nice man and I wish him success wherever he lands

2-3 Zone seems to still be working for the #10 seed Syracuse Orangemen. It's tough to game plan for on 1 day notice. Man if we could just get in next year you never know.

(03-27-2016 02:19 PM)EAGLE KING Wrote:  2-3 Zone seems to still be working for the #10 seed Syracuse Orangemen. It's tough to game plan for on 1 day notice. Man if we could just get in next year you never know.

Good points!!

RE: the zone.

OOC teams have trouble with it like they would the wishbone in football. HOWEVER, in the MAC the opponents have had a number of games over years to learn how to play against it.

This is why we are more dangerous to an OOC opponent than to a MAC opponent.

Like UofM and Purdue didn't break 50 against us... (if memory serves me right).

Talking of UofM.

It would be worth the price of admission to watch heralded UofM post recruit Austin Davis vs. JT4. :)

Can JT4 school, the phenom... ?