Dukes open as 3 pt underdogs.

Elon has lost 5 straight. All by 15 or more and by an average margin of 20.2 ppg.

A Dukes win means we will open the CAAT against Drexel in the 8-9 game (Sat, 4pm). Elon would be the 10-seed and open in Game 2 of the Keener Invite against Delaware.

A Dukes loss means we will be the 10-seed and face Elon again Saturday in Game 2.

I like the Dukes to continue Elon's recent misery. The underdog in Dukes games continues to be a strong play.

Just me perhaps but I'd love to see HCLR start 4 freshmen + Mosley.

This is a throwaway game. Rowe will be best served to show a little savvy and play vanilla man defense all game and let the offense run on autopilot. If he has anything up his sleeve he should save it for the tourney. #10 would get a rematch with Elon and avoid CoC in the quarterfinals on 18 hours rest. Finishing #9 gets a game with a Drexel team that has beat some top 100 RPI teams this year and then the quick turnaround against CoC. If the Dukes are going to pull a March Miracle they need a lot of things to line up in their favor. In this case, I think #10 is better than #9.

Recalling the first Elon game, the Dukes served up some of their own medicine by coming back from a 10pt deficit in the last 2 minutes. It was one of the few highlights from a crappy season.

Elon 75
JMU 70

This is Elon's last game in their current gym. JMU gets a better bracket with a loss. I think you guys will be best served avoiding injuries and resting key guys as much as possible

(02-26-2018 07:53 AM)solohawks Wrote:  This is Elon's last game in their current gym. JMU gets a better bracket with a loss. I think you guys will be best served avoiding injuries and resting key guys as much as possible

Disagree that we get a better bracket with a loss. We went 1-1 vs Drexel. We took Charleston down to the wire both times we played them, while NE handled us pretty well both times. We blew games at the end against W&M (the loss in W'burg was one for the books in terms of collapses) and we swept Towson.

Not to mention, when you are playing a bunch of freshmen in particular and are sitting at 9-21, you'll take all the wins and any resemblance of momentum heading into North Charleston you can get. The Dukes and Coach Rowe won't be laying down for this one.

(02-26-2018 07:53 AM)solohawks Wrote:  This is Elon's last game in their current gym. JMU gets a better bracket with a loss. I think you guys will be best served avoiding injuries and resting key guys as much as possible

For this reason, Dukes will crush

play the game to win. i dont see how getting another loss is a positive outcome. this teams to learn to win and every opportunity to get one helps.

I will be a big Elon fan tonight. I would rather face Delaware than JMU. I would also think you would rather Elon/NU than Drexel/CofC. Either case is likely 1 win and done at best, so I would think you would rather the easier game to win one (Elon) than playing a more difficult game (Drexel) to try and achieve that victory. However, I seriously doubt JMU tanks on purpose for seeding.

Rowe already held back last game. McLean didn’t play at all and Phillips didn’t play after the first four minutes. It makes no sense now to pull out all stops for one win. Rowe needs to be thinking big picture which has everything to do with the tournament.
There is no such thing as having a one game winning streak which builds momentum heading into the tourney.

Let’s see Alex Schulz get some burn. Maybe he can launch threes yo.
He has played one game this year. Give him some love.

no game is a throw away when you are as bad as we are. Play to win

Elon by 10 plus

(02-26-2018 11:26 AM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Rowe already held back last game. McLean didn’t play at all and Phillips didn’t play after the first four minutes. It makes no sense now to pull out all stops for one win. Rowe needs to be thinking big picture which has everything to do with the tournament.
There is no such thing as having a one game winning streak which builds momentum heading into the tourney.

Let’s see Alex Schulz get some burn. Maybe he can launch threes yo.
He has played one game this year. Give him some love.

So, you'd rather us go into the tournament on a 3-game losing streak? I agree winning 1 game won't build a ton of momentum and why I intentionally used the words "some resemblance" (of momentum) - as opposed to losing 3 in a row heading in. JMU certainly isn't good enough - along with about 300+ other D1 teams - to just turn things on and off expecting wins.

Also, for the second time, I don't know where these folks are coming up with us losing somehow helps us in the CAAT as far as bracketing goes. NE and Hofstra ate our lunch in 3 of the 4 meetings with them. Charleston went down to the wire both times. We match up better with Charleston. I don't care if they are playing near home. We were down to them last year in the quarters at the same arena by 2 pts with just under 2 minutes left and with a less-talented JMU team.

Elon or Drexel? Doesn't matter. We went down to the wire with Drexel both times this season, winning one by 2 and losing one by 2. We want to lose tonight and then face the same Elon team Saturday because we have a better shot at beating them but then must beat NE and likely Hofstra to get to the championship? Makes no sense.

I'm looking at our seed from a different angle. To me, I believe we have performed much better against CoC than we have in 3 of the 4 games against Northeastern & Hofstra. Whatever result that would get us in the 8 vs 9 matchup would avoid those two teams.

(02-26-2018 11:49 AM)olddawg Wrote:  I'm looking at our seed from a different angle. To me, I believe we have performed much better against CoC than we have in 3 of the 4 games against Northeastern & Hofstra. Whatever result that would get us in the 8 vs 9 matchup would avoid those two teams.

You got it!

(02-26-2018 11:48 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(02-26-2018 11:26 AM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Rowe already held back last game. McLean didn’t play at all and Phillips didn’t play after the first four minutes. It makes no sense now to pull out all stops for one win. Rowe needs to be thinking big picture which has everything to do with the tournament.
There is no such thing as having a one game winning streak which builds momentum heading into the tourney.

Let’s see Alex Schulz get some burn. Maybe he can launch threes yo.
He has played one game this year. Give him some love.

So, you'd rather us go into the tournament on a 3-game losing streak? I agree winning 1 game won't build a ton of momentum and why I intentionally used the words "some resemblance" (of momentum) - as opposed to losing 3 in a row heading in. JMU certainly isn't good enough - along with about 300+ other D1 teams - to just turn things on and off expecting wins.

Also, for the second time, I don't know where these folks are coming up with us losing somehow helps us in the CAAT as far as bracketing goes. NE and Hofstra ate our lunch in 3 of the 4 meetings with them. Charleston went down to the wire both times. We match up better with Charleston. I don't care if they are playing near home. We were down to them last year in the quarters at the same arena by 2 pts with just under 2 minutes left and with a less-talented JMU team.

Elon or Drexel? Doesn't matter. We went down to the wire with Drexel both times this season, winning one by 2 and losing one by 2. We want to lose tonight and then face the same Elon team Saturday because we have a better shot at beating them but then must beat NE and likely Hofstra to get to the championship? Makes no sense.

It doesn't matter who you play, to win the championship you are going to have to win, so take whatever you get and go out there and win! Fully capable of winning!

(02-26-2018 11:26 AM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Rowe needs to be thinking big picture which has everything to do with the tournament.

Big picture is sticking to your guns & keeping someone on the bench if they won't buy-in to the effort demanded by the coach. You get soft, then you have the same issues the next year because players saw they can get away with it.

(02-26-2018 11:38 AM)nyduke Wrote:  no game is a throw away when you are as bad as we are. Play to win

Elon by 10 plus

Post of the day. I appreciate the humor in hard times.
Suggest the Dukes play all out to win and then predict them getting mopped by a struggling Elon team.

I predict Dukes blow 10pt lead in the final 4 minutes of the game and lose to Elon by 1pt.

Looking back, Elon was 4-2 when they entered the Convo back on a January 18th Thursday night...and, coming off a home win over Charleston (who eventually went on to secure the #1 seed in the conference tournament). JMU started their misery that night with an 11-pt overtime win.

Though, as usual this season, the game was very close at the end of regulation, it represents the only double digit margin victory over a D1 team by the Dukes this entire season.

Since that night, Elon has continued on to lose 8 of their next 10. A team went from a 4-2 start to a possible 6-10 bottom seed in the CAAT if the Good Guys can extend Elon's misery tonight.

Go Dukes!

(Elon is now favored by 3.5 pts and the O/U = 142)

(02-26-2018 02:34 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Looking back, Elon was 4-2 when they entered the Convo back on a January 18th Thursday night...and, coming off a home win over Charleston (who eventually went on to secure the #1 seed in the conference tournament). JMU started their misery that night with an 11-pt overtime win.

Though, as usual this season, the game was very close at the end of regulation, it represents the only double digit margin victory over a D1 team by the Dukes this entire season.

Since that night, Elon has continued on to lose 8 of their next 10. A team went from a 4-2 start to a possible 6-10 bottom seed in the CAAT if the Good Guys can extend Elon's misery tonight.

Go Dukes!

(Elon is now favored by 3.5 pts and the O/U = 142)

The tournament is wide open - anybody's championship, should be fun to watch Go Dukes!

Same starting lineup. Will be interesting to see if Phillips is very active early in this game. I hope so.

Hot start for both teams offensively. Wow! Where was this Mosley at Delaware? Welcome back, Stuck!