Yes, ugly, but the one positive was Dawes finally having a breakout game, and looking for his shot in the 2nd half-- 16 points, 8 rebounds.

(12-02-2023 08:28 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Yes, ugly, but the one positive was Dawes finally having a breakout game, and looking for his shot in the 2nd half-- 16 points, 8 rebounds.

+1

(12-02-2023 06:51 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  Two really bad teams. Combined 12/32 from the FREE THROW line.

By the end of the game, this had improved to 17/39.

HCU was .333
Rice was much better at .500

Pera sat Dawes early and really lit into him after he was playing tentatively on the court on both offense and defense. whatever he said made a difference. The final 28 minutes he was a changed player, recognizing the opportunities on the offensive end and really attacking the basket, with the exception of one tentative 2-ft. shot at the hoop that he missed early in the 2nd half. This was his best game of the year.

HCU attacked the paint effectively in the first half and built a big lead but in the 2nd half the Owls defended the paint much better and it made the difference in the game. There were a ton of blocks by the Owls down low.

I can’t remember an Owl team that shot the ball so poorly as they did in this game. At one point they were 1-6 at the free throw line. It was ugly.

I am afraid that this team will lose to the Cougars next week by 30. The Cougars are averaging 15 offensive rebounds a game and the Owls do not rebound well. I only hope that it is a good opportunity for Dawes to gauge how much he has to improve to make an impact at this level, and it will be interesting to see how Mason matches up against the UH guards. With Sheffield, Seldon and now Shelby hurt, we are going to find out quickly how deep this roster is with quality contributors.

I wasn’t at the game so don’t feel comfortable commenting on it. But I’m sure people will have plenty of things to complain about after the Houston game. I wouldn’t waste too much space on this ugly win.

The one thing I will say is the AAC is not lighting the world on fire in NC play. You’ve got FAU at 1 level, and then I guess Memphis at the next level. But there seems to be a big drop off after that. Most of the teams we play twice in conference have not looked good either. There is still time for Rice to get on track. Getting Sheffield back will surely help.

I don't see that the Houston game will be a measuring stick in any sense. I agree that the other remaining non-conference games will provide a more reliable barometer as to how the team will do in conference.

Pomeroy:

15. Florida Atlantic
40. Memphis
76. North Texas
86. S.M.U.
90. Tulane
97. Wichita State
134. Charlotte
142. U.A.B.
161. Temple
194. South Florida
200. East Carolina
210. Tulsa
226. RICE
305. U.T.S.A.

I think one of Pera’s biggest problems is that he recruits for the most talented individuals rather than for players who can come together for an effective team. Elw has pointed this out frequently.

From the little I've seen, I've been very impressed with Seldon -- we really need him and Sheffield back.
I was also very glad to see Dawes get untracked, but he's not ready for what UH is going to give us.

Willis Wilson was at the game.

Apparently ESPN+ interviewed him during the game.

(12-04-2023 12:33 PM)peanutgallery Wrote:  Willis Wilson was at the game.

Apparently ESPN+ interviewed him during the game.

Yes he was and they did.

Willis has been at a couple of games this year...living in Pearland and enjoying life after coaching.