FWIW Kenpom rankings of the higher ranked CIT teams:
#69 ETSU 24-9
#126 Texas State 24-9
#128 Drake 24-9
#142 Kent State 22-10
#158 Charleston Southern 17-15
#159 Florida Atlantic 17-15
#162 Marshall 19-14
#166 UT Rio Grande Valley 19-16
#180 NJIT 21-12
#181 Seattle 18-14
#187 Presbyterian 18-15
#194 IUPUI 19-16
#202 FIU 19-13
#206 Green Bay 17-16
#214 Texas Southern 21-13
Goodness, that's a lot of high numbers. Well maybe we can win it, then Furman or UNCG win the NIT, and Wofford gets to at least the Elite 8. That would be the cap to a banner SoCon year.
Top 4 seeds get a bye if they win their first round game, I'm assuming we are one of the top 4. I know this isn't as exciting as the NCAA or NIT but I think we have a great chance of winning this and it would be kind of cool if we get a matchup with Marshall at some point.
(03-18-2019 08:40 AM)Bucster Wrote: [ -> ]Top 4 seeds get a bye if they win their first round game, I'm assuming we are one of the top 4. I know this isn't as exciting as the NCAA or NIT but I think we have a great chance of winning this and it would be kind of cool if we get a matchup with Marshall at some point.
By the numbers it looks like we may be the overall number 1 seed.
Coach Forbes was on the radio this morning :
-When asked about the upcoming game with Green Bay, Coach said that he hadn't had time to look at film yet. Mostly he knew that they played fast and shot a lot of 3's, scoring in the 80's. He mentioned their best player, Sandy Cohen, who averaged 17 pts a game. He said that he would probably be talking to some coaches he knew in the Horizon league to find out what he could about Green Bay.
-When asked if the Bucs were disappointed in playing in the CIT, he said that he didn't believe so, that the players seemed anxious to play some more. He said that last year the seniors on the team expressed a desire not to play in the CIT or CBI and so they didn't.
-When asked about Good and his surgery, Forbes said that it would be either this week or next week; he wasn't sure.
-When asked about practice since the tournament, he said that the team had been on spring break and only began practice again last Thursday. Practice hasn't been as intense as normal since they only found out Sunday night that they would actually be playing.
-Hosting the CIT costs $25,000. Coach hopes they can make that up with attendance. As they are the highest ranked team in the tournament, if they win Wednesday, ETSU has the option of playing home games as long as they win and they wish to pay the fee. The speculation is that Marshall would be the next opponent at FH, if ETSU wishes to keep paying the fee. All games in the tournament are home games including the championship.
-When asked about the perceived snub of the SOCON by the NCAA, Forbes expressed the opinion that there are clearly other factors at play if Belmont out of the 20th ranked OVC got an at large bid over UNCG or Furman out of the 10th ranked SOCON. An earlier guest in the radio show, I can't remember his name, said that it was because Rick BYRD has 800 wins. The NCAA touts new ranking systems as leveling the field and it is name recognition and ingrained prejudice that plays a much larger factor in at large bids. Forbes said that Furman was more deserving of a bid than UNCG as [/b]UNCG couldn't match Furman's early season wins.
Green Bay is 17-16 overall, 10-8 (tied for 4th with Illinois Chicago) in the Horizon League. Rated #206 by Kenpom, #202 in Offense and #221 in Defense.
6-6 200 Senior Guard Sandy Cohen, a Marquette transfer, made 1st team All-Horizon league. He led the league in steals at 1.9, was 5th in scoring with 17.2, 4th in assists with 4.6 and 7th in rebounding with 6.4. Cohen is the only Senior in the rotation. He'll be a matchup problem, with power conference size and athleticism. Bo will need to be ready and avoid foul trouble.
This team will push the tempo hard and try to create chaos: They are 33rd in D1 in steals (7.8). 36th in turnover margin with +2.7. Everybody will put up shots.
They are a high scoring team with 80.4 ppg, 27th in D1. They score more from 2 (19th D1) than from 3 (152nd in D1 in 3’s per game on .339, 210th).
Rebounding is weak (-3.7, 315th in D1). Front court is under sized with nobody over 220 and only 3 guys in the rotation over 6-6 (6-7 205 Trevian Bell with 13.7 minutes, 6-8 220 Manny Patterson with 14.2 minutes and 3.9 rebounds; and 6-9 220 Cody Schwartz with 15.5 minutes who mostly plays on the perimeter shooting 3’s with 1.3 per game on .339). Main inside threat is 6-6 190 Shanquan Hemphill with 27.7 minutes, 11.5 ppg and 5.3 rebounds. But they have good size at guard with 4 guys 6-5 to 6-9.
This should be a fun high scoring game. But the Bucs will have to shake off the disappointment from the SoCon tournament and get ready to play a serious game. This is the kind of team that will try to sucker you into a sloppy playground fest. Green Bay is coming in with nothing to lose
Guard:
#1 6-6 200 Sr. Sandy Cohen, 33.7 minutes, 17.2 ppg on .331 from 3 with 1.5 makes, 6.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.9 steals, 2.8 turnovers
#11 6-2 195 Jr. JayQuan McCloud 6-2 195, 27.4 minutes, 13.5 ppg on .382 from 3 with 2.0 makes, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 turnovers
#21 6-5 200 Jr. Kameron Hankerson, 23.1 minutes, 8.8 ppg on .348 from 3 with 1.2 makes, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.3 turnovers
#2 6-2 195 So. PJ Pipes, 20.8 minutes, 6.0 ppg on .333 from 3 with 1.0 makes, 2.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 turnovers
#33 6-9 220 Jr. Cody Schwartz, 15.5 minutes, 5.6 ppg on .339 from 3 with 1.3 makes, 2.8 rebounds
#13 6-7 205 So. Trevian Bell, 13.7 minutes, 5.0 ppg on . 321 from 3 with 0.5 makes, 2.4 rebounds
Front Court:
#10 6-6 190 Jr. ShanQuan Hemphill, 27.7 minutes, 11.5 ppg, no 3’s, .451 FT%, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.8 turnovers
#15 6-8 220 So. Manny Patterson, 14.2 minutes, 4.9 ppg, no 3’s, .596 FT%, 3.9 rebounds
#12 6-6 220 Jr. Josh McNair, 15.7 minutes, 5.2 ppg, no 3’s, .550 FT%, 3.2 rebounds
At $25,000 cost, ETSU should be able to make a profit for this game. And with a field this weak, we really should be hosting each game that we play in.
Does anyone know whether our parking passes for the season will be good for this game?
(03-18-2019 10:00 AM)etsubuc Wrote: [ -> ]Does anyone know whether our parking passes for the season will be good for this game?
$5 paid as you enter the parking lot. I'm guessing it's first come, first served, with no set aside lots.
(03-18-2019 08:40 AM)Bucster Wrote: [ -> ]Top 4 seeds get a bye if they win their first round game, I'm assuming we are one of the top 4. I know this isn't as exciting as the NCAA or NIT but I think we have a great chance of winning this and it would be kind of cool if we get a matchup with Marshall at some point.
They have amended this to the top 3 seeds get a bye in the second round. With 26 teams, it's the only way the math works.
(03-18-2019 09:05 AM)BigIslandBuc Wrote: [ -> ]Coach Forbes was on the radio this morning :
-When asked if the Bucs were disappointed in playing in the CIT, he said that he didn't believe so, that the players seemed anxious to play some more. He said that last year the seniors on the team expressed a desire not to play in the CIT or CBI and so they didn't.
Thanks for these recaps. My guess is, interest from fans will be middling at first, but will increase each time the Bucs win.
Just had to post this quote from the GB board since it's been a topic of conversation here all year. "
They recruited Carlos Curtis and then barely played him. Down the stretch even in blowouts they barely played him. A win for GB could be a reminder to him to head home to WI"
That said with Good being injured I wonder if Curtis will make an appearance, that is if he has recovered from Mono.
Yawn. Sorry, but this is just a yawn-fest, IMO.
Obviously we would rather be in a more prestigious tournament, but this also has some silver linings. With a young team, we will most likely be the last Socon team playing...meaning more practice for us. Second, will give the team experience in competing for a championship in a tournament atmosphere
Must we assume ETSU was one of the first out of the NIT? Seems that way.
Of local interest: Local cardiologist and Ballad Chief Medical Officer Dr Jerry Blackwell played at UW-Green Bay and is member of the Phoenix Hall of Fame.
(03-18-2019 04:04 PM)ETSUfan1 Wrote: [ -> ]Must we assume ETSU was one of the first out of the NIT? Seems that way.
I believe so. I think we were just a few more made free throws during the regular season from getting that NIT bid.
Ya, probably would have won more games with less turnovers, less missed layups, less missed 3pt shots, better defense, better coaching and no injuries to Bo, Tisdale and Good. If, if , if, if..............
(03-18-2019 05:33 PM)Buc76 Wrote: [ -> ]Ya, probably would have won more games with less turnovers, less missed layups, less missed 3pt shots, better defense, better coaching and no injuries to Bo, Tisdale and Good. If, if , if, if..............
Yes but that ONE game against Wofford where we missed half our free throws is what I think probably was the difference in our not getting into the NIT. Just one game but was still very important.
One game does not make a season. If Magee doesn't go 6 for 7 from three pt land in the seminfinals, Bucs probaby win. If Bo didn't get three fouls in first five minutes against Uncg, Bucs probably win.
If the SoCon wasn't one of the toughest mid major conferences, with four really good teams, the Bucs probably win the conference.
The missed free throw, turnover etc, in the first half, is just as important as the last second, game winning missed free throw, missed layup, etc. It just the fans and media totally focus on the end of game mistakes and never consider the rest of the game.