OK, see there's a gametracker feed. Thanks.

(11-05-2016 08:45 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  75-67 Rice, 7:33 remains.

free throws sound like they continue to be a problem and the early defense was NOT stellar

Owls up 14

Yes on the FTs, but the defense has been OK. OLLU is athletic and aggressive. They've earned their points.

(11-05-2016 09:03 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  Yes on the FTs, but the defense has been OK. OLLU is athletic and aggressive. They've earned their points.

They are a really good NAIA team

96-86 final

If we win a game like this by less than 30-40, it should be because the scrubs did poorly in the last few min. That isn't the case here. So still work to do.

(11-05-2016 09:10 PM)billstudabaker Wrote:  If we win a game like this by less than 30-40, it should be because the scrubs did poorly in the last few min. That isn't the case here. So still work to do.

With so much more depth, the "work to do" may be figuring the best combinations.

(11-05-2016 09:13 PM)owlatheart Wrote:  

(11-05-2016 09:10 PM)billstudabaker Wrote:  If we win a game like this by less than 30-40, it should be because the scrubs did poorly in the last few min. That isn't the case here. So still work to do.

With so much more depth, the "work to do" may be figuring the best combinations.

Also, well over half the team (if you include Lott and Jackson) is new and it will take some time in competitive game situations (as opposed to simply practice) to get in sync-- both offensively and, especially, defensively.

(11-05-2016 09:13 PM)owlatheart Wrote:  

(11-05-2016 09:10 PM)billstudabaker Wrote:  If we win a game like this by less than 30-40, it should be because the scrubs did poorly in the last few min. That isn't the case here. So still work to do.

With so much more depth, the "work to do" may be figuring the best combinations.

Those of us who can't watch games are going to depend on those who do. I'm eager to hear views.

Sounds like a loaded question with the depth we may have, but . . .

Who were our leading scorers?

Based on game tracker, Koulechov had 23 and Evans had 21.

Egor: 23 points, 8 rebounds
Evans: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Jackson: 15 points, 5 assists
Ako: 10 points, 3 rebounds
Cashaw: 8 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Chad: 7 points, 7 rebounds
Robert: 5 points
Bishop: 3 points
Tim: 2 points
Austin: 0 points, 5 rebounds
Drone: 2 points
Quez: DNP
Corey: DNP

Rough start by the team - we got down way early but fought back to basically tie it at the half and then we were in control the whole second half. As someone else said, we have a lot of new faces so it's going to take some time to figure out the best combinations. And Quez and Douglas were a bit banged up and neither played (but they're fine I believe).

Man though do we have some depth! And the Marcus combination of Evans and Jackson might just be the best 1-2 guard combo we've ever had at Rice (although I'm not sure why Evans didn't start - that was a bit curious). The two freshman guards (Lott and Adams) were a bit shaky at first maybe due to opening game jitters but they both showed some nice moments later. They did play a bit out of control at times. I thought Martin was the most impressive newcomer of the bigs (alhough he's not as big as Meyer, Harrison and Douglas).

I thought it was a good first effort after the slow start. My biggest concern is I just don't know if Drone is the right fit for this team. We might be better off playing Quez or some of the new guys so we can play up-tempo. This is going to be a super fun team to watch and is a godsend to take our minds off football (and by the way, I only went to the one game tonight - I definitely picked the right game to be at!).

Rice started out slow but ended in a flurry. My head is spinning: up and down the court like mad men :).
Evans is unbelievable the effort and determination he plays with. I am worried he could get injured how he play with reckless abandonment. Andrew Drone is somewhat a disappointment. He is trying his best but you can tell he is out of his league with the talent he is playing with.. He will will be needed for some minutes.
Also , Marquez Letcher-Ellis, one of our top re-bounders, did not play. I hope a minor issue. OLLU has some good shooters who hurt us early but they lack size. It be interesting how they do in the future.

Oh yes don't forget about WBB. They play the same way as the men do.

Last night's game was too fast for Andrew and Meyer. That is why we went small. Not too many teams will play as fast as OLOTL. They were a great team to play in an exhibition. Very difficult to defense and enough playmakers and shooters to give folks trouble. They will have a big season in the NAIA. After the game Rhoades said he was pleased and wasn't overly concerned with the slow start as we had open shots. He mentioned he picked this team as our exhibition opponent because he thought they would test us.

I like Adams as the second point guard. Lott has too much defensive responsibilities to ask him the run the point too. Martin was a real pleasant surprise. Egor's defense has really improved. Jackson looked good shaking off the rust. Cashaw had some nice moments on both ends of the floor. We have to shoot FT's better we got to the line 31 times and left too many points on the floor.

Quez has a minor hamstring and Douglas a small back problem. Rhoades said if it had been a regular season game both would have played.

For perspective, Ga Tech beat Shorter (who?) 95-87 on Saturday.

Some postgame videos are up.

Marcus Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD7vC3LpT14

Coach Rhoades
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeUxdgGUSls

(11-06-2016 09:39 PM)billstudabaker Wrote:  For perspective, Ga Tech beat Shorter (who?) 95-87 on Saturday.

VCU lost to Division II Queens of Charlotte, NC. Queens is #6 in the pre-season Division II rankings, though, if that makes a VCU fan feel any better. (It shouldn't.)

Money lede:

Quote:No one saw an exhibition loss to a Division II team coming, but VCU coach Will Wade said he could see a wake-up call coming for the Rams based on issues in practice.

“It’s been in all areas pretty much,” he said. “We’re not doing what we need to do.”

source: http://www.richmond.com/sports/college/s...33cac.html

If your coach is talking like that - watch out!

In 2009, Syracuse lost an exhibition to D2 Le Moyne. It was pretty shocking at the time, but Jim Boeheim didn't panic. Syracuse still made the tournament and went out in the Sweet Sixteen to Butler, the eventual national runner-up.

Of course, that's Syracuse. Still, we have a lot of new players, and Rhoades is no doubt trying some things out. I am certain we'll be OK. The team should have done better overall last season, but it was a big ask to recover quickly from the major injuries that happened right out of the gate.

What gives me faith in Rhoades is the fight and resilience the team has shown under him: started slowly in '15-'16, but then won at the The Pit; got crushed by Charlotte, but then recovered to unexpectedly take down Old Dominion on the road. These are very positive signs, and the team has some real depth for the first time in ages. I am very excited about this season.