(03-06-2020 10:45 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 10:15 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 09:59 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  Hate to be negative but I sure hope that Monty's contract is not extended.

Seriously? We all know Sean has already given an extension, it simply won't be announced either any time soon or ever officially. Hell, even the minutes from the Nov. 20, 2019 Athletic Board meeting are still NOT available and it's now March 2020; which based on previous years, means the February 2020 meeting has also been held.

FOIA?

I went through all the minutes available, and the procedure they follow is the minutes of a meeting have to be approved at the following meeting (sop for most boards), so the November minutes were not approved until the Feb. (next) meeting. I think from there it goes to the University Council. In the meantime, things like BYU-to-SeatGeek game move, etc., got done. Imo, there isn't a deep dark conspiracy to hide the minutes.

Just got home. What a sh** show. How a team can come out that flat at home with so much to play for is mind boggling.

(03-06-2020 11:07 PM)DiehardHuskie Wrote:  Just got home. What a sh** show. How a team can come out that flat at home with so much to play for is mind boggling.

Same here. Our boys couldn't throw it in the ocean tonight. As noted elsewhere, BSU did a great job of denying German access to the hoop. Really hard game to watch.

Ball State is the best defensive team in the conference and it showed tonight

(03-06-2020 11:07 PM)DiehardHuskie Wrote:  Just got home. What a sh** show. How a team can come out that flat at home with so much to play for is mind boggling.

Could that have been part of the problem, maybe not enough to play for? They already secured a bye and apparently no one values a MAC West title. The big problem with the 4 seed is it has now painted them into an impossible part of the bracket.

(03-06-2020 11:20 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Ball State is the best defensive team in the conference and it showed tonight

Agree. Their rotation on defense was outstanding.

True story. I was at the game. I ordered a piece of cheese pizza for my son around 6:50, 10 minutes before game time. The cashier takes my money and goes back to get the pizza, comes back and says it will be 5 minutes until pizza is done. I ask if its just cheese because I'll take sausage or pepperoni and he says it's all pizza that we are waiting on. He then offers something else so I check with my wife and kid and they say a hot dog is fine. True story 5 minutes before game time he comes back and says they don't have any hot dogs! What the hell is wrong with NIU? I mean they just don't get it. Concessions is a money maker. How can you not have pizza and hot dogs readily available right before game time. Right before game time and half time are peak times for concessions. Embarrassing.

As far as the game. As disappointed as I was in the entire game and outcome Ball State was just flat out more talented. Sure they probably shot better than they have all year but they were just better. 10-23 from 3 point land, 21-24 from the charity stripe, game over. Their bigs were smooth and as stated they shot very well. German had 17 but didn't play well, just wasn't able to finish much tonight and didn't get many calls when he drove to the hoop. Hankerson had a good game. I didn't understand the extended minutes for Nathan Scott, he's just very ineffective and tentative. Mateen hasn't played well since having to start at WMU. I like Daow, he plays hard, can score and deserves more minutes. Keenan Cole showed some promise for the future, missed some shots but also showed some soft touch for a bigger guy. I'm not sure what position he is, looks like a tall guard but they had him playing more down low, he will definitely need to bulk up if thats the case.

(03-06-2020 10:12 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 10:07 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 09:41 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  NIU looks like a team that has never played a big game and in nine years under Montgomery they never have. Ball State stinks on the road so getting blown at home is embarrassing. Fun season but the NIU basketball program is still pretty mediocre.

And if they’re mediocre WITH the all time NIU scorer what will they be without him?

Exactly. Ball State had four total road wins on the season coming in to the game. Literally the biggest game ever under Montgomery and they get steamrolled at home.

If NIU raises a banner as co-champ for this season I will never go to another game.

Then you're as pathetic as the crowd was tonight.

(03-06-2020 11:56 PM)OswegoHuskie Wrote:  True story. I was at the game. I ordered a piece of cheese pizza for my son around 6:50, 10 minutes before game time. The cashier takes my money and goes back to get the pizza, comes back and says it will be 5 minutes until pizza is done. I ask if its just cheese because I'll take sausage or pepperoni and he says it's all pizza that we are waiting on. He then offers something else so I check with my wife and kid and they say a hot dog is fine. True story 5 minutes before game time he comes back and says they don't have any hot dogs! What the hell is wrong with NIU? I mean they just don't get it. Concessions is a money maker. How can you not have pizza and hot dogs readily available right before game time. Right before game time and half time are peak times for concessions. Embarrassing.

As far as the game. As disappointed as I was in the entire game and outcome Ball State was just flat out more talented. Sure they probably shot better than they have all year but they were just better. 10-23 from 3 point land, 21-24 from the charity stripe, game over. Their bigs were smooth and as stated they shot very well. German had 17 but didn't play well, just wasn't able to finish much tonight and didn't get many calls when he drove to the hoop. Hankerson had a good game. I didn't understand the extended minutes for Nathan Scott, he's just very ineffective and tentative. Mateen hasn't played well since having to start at WMU. I like Daow, he plays hard, can score and deserves more minutes. Keenan Cole showed some promise for the future, missed some shots but also showed some soft touch for a bigger guy. I'm not sure what position he is, looks like a tall guard but they had him playing more down low, he will definitely need to bulk up if thats the case.

I want to agree with you on most of your game observations. Well, probably all of them. Cole looked good.

As for the crowd, I was really disappointed. Tonight, there was a decent sized crowd in the building. NIU had the 2nd level open, and I supposed they kind of needed it. I'm sure if we all sat elbow to elbow, we might have gotten everyone in the bottom level, but oh well.

With that said, tonight was the last home game and regular season game for the schools leading scorer and when he came out of the game for the final time, barely anyone in the crowd noticed. I kept watching the bench knowing it was coming and when I saw two guards go to the table, I knew he was coming out after that first free throw. Hell, he did too and had already made his way to mid-court waiting for the shot. As soon as the horn sounded, I stood up expecting a large ovation.....which basically never came. I'd guess around 10 to 15% of people there stood up and clapped. Absolutely pathetic. James got a better applause when he fouled out mid-way through the 2nd half than German got at the end of the game.

Absolutely pathetic. Honestly, I was embarrassed for him. Four year player. All-time leading scorer. Only Huskies to score over 2,000 points in a career. And he gets a smattering of applause when he leaves the home court for the final time.

As he left the court after the final horn, a few fans shook his hand at the tunnel. A little girl talked to him and he nodded his head and then followed her about 20 feet away from the tunnel to where her little brother was standing. He was probably about 6 or 7 years old. German put his hand around his shoulder and the girl took their picture.

He nodded and smiled to both of them and then walked back to the tunnel and disappeared.

It just amazes me that the leading scorer in school history just played his final game in the arena and that was it. Just any other game.

Hell, the couple next to me left at halftime. The guy even announced he was going to do it about 7 minutes in to the game because at the time they were losing by 10 points.

Oh....and there were about 6 students in the Dog Pound.

I've also never, in my entire life, seen a player get a pass in the corner and take catch and shoot three pointer and get called for a charge with out ever dribbling the ball one time.

I've never seen that.

Probably will never see it again.

But I suppose it was that kind of night.

(03-06-2020 10:12 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 10:07 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 09:41 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  NIU looks like a team that has never played a big game and in nine years under Montgomery they never have. Ball State stinks on the road so getting blown at home is embarrassing. Fun season but the NIU basketball program is still pretty mediocre.

And if they’re mediocre WITH the all time NIU scorer what will they be without him?

Exactly. Ball State had four total road wins on the season coming in to the game. Literally the biggest game ever under Montgomery and they get steamrolled at home.

If NIU raises a banner as co-champ for this season I will never go to another game.

Raise it high and proud, NIU is a co-champion. And honestly it does not matter if it offends you or not, NIU is still a co-champion. Are they in the top 6 in the conference in terms of power rankings, probably not, did they earn enough wins this year to be named co-champion, yes

(03-07-2020 12:12 AM)Big Red Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 11:56 PM)OswegoHuskie Wrote:  True story. I was at the game. I ordered a piece of cheese pizza for my son around 6:50, 10 minutes before game time. The cashier takes my money and goes back to get the pizza, comes back and says it will be 5 minutes until pizza is done. I ask if its just cheese because I'll take sausage or pepperoni and he says it's all pizza that we are waiting on. He then offers something else so I check with my wife and kid and they say a hot dog is fine. True story 5 minutes before game time he comes back and says they don't have any hot dogs! What the hell is wrong with NIU? I mean they just don't get it. Concessions is a money maker. How can you not have pizza and hot dogs readily available right before game time. Right before game time and half time are peak times for concessions. Embarrassing.

As far as the game. As disappointed as I was in the entire game and outcome Ball State was just flat out more talented. Sure they probably shot better than they have all year but they were just better. 10-23 from 3 point land, 21-24 from the charity stripe, game over. Their bigs were smooth and as stated they shot very well. German had 17 but didn't play well, just wasn't able to finish much tonight and didn't get many calls when he drove to the hoop. Hankerson had a good game. I didn't understand the extended minutes for Nathan Scott, he's just very ineffective and tentative. Mateen hasn't played well since having to start at WMU. I like Daow, he plays hard, can score and deserves more minutes. Keenan Cole showed some promise for the future, missed some shots but also showed some soft touch for a bigger guy. I'm not sure what position he is, looks like a tall guard but they had him playing more down low, he will definitely need to bulk up if thats the case.

I want to agree with you on most of your game observations. Well, probably all of them. Cole looked good.

As for the crowd, I was really disappointed. Tonight, there was a decent sized crowd in the building. NIU had the 2nd level open, and I supposed they kind of needed it. I'm sure if we all sat elbow to elbow, we might have gotten everyone in the bottom level, but oh well.

With that said, tonight was the last home game and regular season game for the schools leading scorer and when he came out of the game for the final time, barely anyone in the crowd noticed. I kept watching the bench knowing it was coming and when I saw two guards go to the table, I knew he was coming out after that first free throw. Hell, he did too and had already made his way to mid-court waiting for the shot. As soon as the horn sounded, I stood up expecting a large ovation.....which basically never came. I'd guess around 10 to 15% of people there stood up and clapped. Absolutely pathetic. James got a better applause when he fouled out mid-way through the 2nd half than German got at the end of the game.

Absolutely pathetic. Honestly, I was embarrassed for him. Four year player. All-time leading scorer. Only Huskies to score over 2,000 points in a career. And he gets a smattering of applause when he leaves the home court for the final time.

As he left the court after the final horn, a few fans shook his hand at the tunnel. A little girl talked to him and he nodded his head and then followed her about 20 feet away from the tunnel to where her little brother was standing. He was probably about 6 or 7 years old. German put his hand around his shoulder and the girl took their picture.

He nodded and smiled to both of them and then walked back to the tunnel and disappeared.

I just amazes me that the leading scorer in school history just played is final game in the arena and that was it. Just any other game.

Hell, the couple next to me left at half time. The guy even announced he was going to do it about 7 minutes in to the game because at the time they were losing by 10 points.

Oh....and there were about 6 students in the Dog Pound.

I've also never, in my entire life, seen a player get a pass in the corner and take catch and shoot three pointer and get called for a charge with out ever dribbling the ball one time.

I've never seen that.

Probably will never see it again.

But I suppose it was that kind of night.

Not to make excuses for the crowd but I thought the timing was kind of odd. He sat German with around 8 minutes left and put him back in with around 5 and then took him out with 4:00 to go. I stood and clapped thinking maybe this was the curtain call but I wasn't 100% sure. Even though it was a blow out and he probably wanted to get the other guys in I was expecting German to get the ovation with around 1:00 minute left so I thought maybe he would come back out at the very end. The game was just bad and messed everything up. I suppose had Montgomery waited til the 1:00 mark as I thought he might there would be less fans in the building to acknowledge him so that may be why he did it when he did. Pretty sad though as you stated.

It was awkward timing and not sure people realized he was done for the game. It was also awkward and just a lack of how to do things when they went right from senior day presentation into national anthem not giving Ball St team a chance to fully return to the court. The pep band director clearly saw them hurrying to their spot but started anyway complete bush leave by NIU

How is it that NIU could not provide its own broadcast crew for this game on ESPN+, those were BSU guys weren't they? Completely embarrassing.

(03-07-2020 12:23 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 10:12 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 10:07 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 09:41 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  NIU looks like a team that has never played a big game and in nine years under Montgomery they never have. Ball State stinks on the road so getting blown at home is embarrassing. Fun season but the NIU basketball program is still pretty mediocre.

And if they’re mediocre WITH the all time NIU scorer what will they be without him?

Exactly. Ball State had four total road wins on the season coming in to the game. Literally the biggest game ever under Montgomery and they get steamrolled at home.

If NIU raises a banner as co-champ for this season I will never go to another game.

Raise it high and proud, NIU is a co-champion. And honestly it does not matter if it offends you or not, NIU is still a co-champion. Are they in the top 6 in the conference in terms of power rankings, probably not, did they earn enough wins this year to be named co-champion, yes

Beautiful MD. I second this.

(03-07-2020 12:23 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 10:12 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 10:07 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 09:41 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  NIU looks like a team that has never played a big game and in nine years under Montgomery they never have. Ball State stinks on the road so getting blown at home is embarrassing. Fun season but the NIU basketball program is still pretty mediocre.

And if they’re mediocre WITH the all time NIU scorer what will they be without him?

Exactly. Ball State had four total road wins on the season coming in to the game. Literally the biggest game ever under Montgomery and they get steamrolled at home.

If NIU raises a banner as co-champ for this season I will never go to another game.

Raise it high and proud, NIU is a co-champion. And honestly it does not matter if it offends you or not, NIU is still a co-champion. Are they in the top 6 in the conference in terms of power rankings, probably not, did they earn enough wins this year to be named co-champion, yes

I agree MD—-put it up there. Two things:

Per the MAC website, after tiebreaker procedures “teams will still be consider co-divisional champions.”

Now that we’ve won something some have the audacity to start to pigeon hole “how” we won. Tie or no tie, it is what is it.....don’t decry it, please.

(03-06-2020 11:56 PM)OswegoHuskie Wrote:  True story. I was at the game. I ordered a piece of cheese pizza for my son around 6:50, 10 minutes before game time. The cashier takes my money and goes back to get the pizza, comes back and says it will be 5 minutes until pizza is done. I ask if its just cheese because I'll take sausage or pepperoni and he says it's all pizza that we are waiting on. He then offers something else so I check with my wife and kid and they say a hot dog is fine. True story 5 minutes before game time he comes back and says they don't have any hot dogs! What the hell is wrong with NIU? I mean they just don't get it. Concessions is a money maker. How can you not have pizza and hot dogs readily available right before game time. Right before game time and half time are peak times for concessions. Embarrassing.

As far as the game. As disappointed as I was in the entire game and outcome Ball State was just flat out more talented. Sure they probably shot better than they have all year but they were just better. 10-23 from 3 point land, 21-24 from the charity stripe, game over. Their bigs were smooth and as stated they shot very well. German had 17 but didn't play well, just wasn't able to finish much tonight and didn't get many calls when he drove to the hoop. Hankerson had a good game. I didn't understand the extended minutes for Nathan Scott, he's just very ineffective and tentative. Mateen hasn't played well since having to start at WMU. I like Daow, he plays hard, can score and deserves more minutes. Keenan Cole showed some promise for the future, missed some shots but also showed some soft touch for a bigger guy. I'm not sure what position he is, looks like a tall guard but they had him playing more down low, he will definitely need to bulk up if thats the case.

I feel bad for you and everyone else who wants to eat something at any of our sporting events. If I were the AD I would be monitoring this and chewing someone’s head off. Either STF has no clue what’s going on (because there’s plenty of food in the Nelson suite) or he simply doesn’t give a crap. Doesn’t get much sadder than this.

(03-06-2020 11:56 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 10:12 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 10:07 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 09:41 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  NIU looks like a team that has never played a big game and in nine years under Montgomery they never have. Ball State stinks on the road so getting blown at home is embarrassing. Fun season but the NIU basketball program is still pretty mediocre.

And if they’re mediocre WITH the all time NIU scorer what will they be without him?

Exactly. Ball State had four total road wins on the season coming in to the game. Literally the biggest game ever under Montgomery and they get steamrolled at home.

If NIU raises a banner as co-champ for this season I will never go to another game.

Then you're as pathetic as the crowd was tonight.

WF game were you at? The crowd was ready willing and able to rock as demonstrated when we closed to 4 points down in the 2nd half. What was pathetic was the performance of NIU basketball. I was ready to go home with 10 minutes left in the game. What a waste of my time.

Whatever happened to Rod Henry-Hayes by the way? Is he still on the team?

I agree on Geno. It was odd for Monty to pull him at the 4:30 mark. That's not when people are expecting to give a curtain call.

The concession thing is absolutely mind boggling. Guess they were saving the food supply for the MAC wrestling tournament this weekend.

Place was ready to rock last night. Too bad the team laid a giant turd.

Official attendance was 1,749, almost 20% of capacity. As for concessions running out, everything is done under the watchful eyes of the bean counters. There is no "extra" or flexibility in anything. Other than Nelson Clubbers, the mainstream fans are not part of the equation. Money -- cutting cost or raising income -- is the main driver. That includes the Victor E. Pub and what it offers. Even the move of the BYU game to SeatGeek was done for potential revenue on a cost-benefit basis. Read the Shaw Media/Daily Chronicle writeup by Eddie Carifio on 2-14 (requires subscription). According to that story, Northern breaks even with about 3,000 ticket sales. After that, with shares of concessions and parking, it's $ in the bank.