CSNbbs

Quote:TUE 11/09
@Illinois State Redbirds 8PM

CURRENT D1 RECORD: 0-0
CURRENT PLACE IN CAA STANDINGS 1st, 0-0

CURRENT CAA TOURNAMENT SEED - 1

VIDEO STREAM
ESPN 3

AUDIO FEED
95.9 FM The Breeze & WKXB 99.9 FM HD2
http://v6.player.abacast.net/6995

OPPONENT INFO
Missouri Valley Conference
https://goredbirds.com/sports/mens-basketball

OPPONENT PRESEASON CONFERENCE PREDICTION
10 out of 10

OPPONENT CURRENT D1 RECORD
0-0

OPPONENTS AUDIO FEED
TUNE IN RADIO App
Bloomington-Normal, Ill. - WJBC 1230 AM
Pontiac, Ill. - WJBC Nash Icon 93.7 FM

LIVE STATS
http://UNCWstats.com

Let's talk basketball

Our first opponent is a solid name but is predicted to have a rough year with a preseason ranking of 10th in the 10 team Missouri Valley conference. Last year Illinois State finished in the MVC basement with a 4-14 conference record. They also did not have any players selected for the MVC preseason team. They return two of their three double-digit scorers and have eight players returning who started at least one game last season.

Leading the returners for Illinois State is Antonio Reeves and Josiah Strong. Last season Reeves averaged 12.4 points per game and added 82 rebounds and 36 assists while starting 24 of 25 games during the year. Strong averaged 11.5 points per game, while making 37 percent of his long-range shots and dished out 59 assists, second-most among returners.

I would like to think this is a very winnable game

https://goredbirds.com/news/2021/10/20/m...-poll.aspx

(10-20-2021 09:50 AM)solohawks Wrote: [ -> ]I would like to think this is a very winnable game

For that reason, I would expect the exhibition to showcase a pretty limited array of sets. No one really knows what to expect from us this year, and I suspect Coach isn't going to give our first opponent much of a look before playing us.

How's everyone feeling about this game?

This team seems to be able to score, but letting a D2 school have a FG percentage of .446 is a little worrying

(11-05-2021 06:39 AM)solohawks Wrote: [ -> ]How's everyone feeling about this game?

This team seems to be able to score, but letting a D2 school have a FG percentage of .446 is a little worrying

Here's a write-up (with some video) on Illinois State's exhibition win:

https://pantagraph.com/sports/college/il...user-share

On their message board it sounds like they shot a lot of threes. Lot's of new guys on their team as well.

(11-05-2021 06:39 AM)solohawks Wrote: [ -> ]How's everyone feeling about this game?

This team seems to be able to score, but letting a D2 school have a FG percentage of .446 is a little worrying

Inside presence was a concern before the season and it's even more glaring now. We should have been able to dominate a D2 school inside. I suspect we will win some games when we shoot well and won't when we don't. We passed the ball very well, but shot a lot of threes

I understand we played a D2 school. But they matched us in size. As a matter of fact they had more bigs. Before we went deep in the bench we had a 35-17 advantage on the boards. We took a lot of 3 pointers. And, while I would like to see more work down low, we may have to accept this style. We do have better ball handlers this year.
Now, I was concerned with defensive pressure in the first half. FMU started out shooting 80% from 3. It was a relief to see our guys turn on the switch in the second half and play lockdown D.
You can only get so much out of an exhibition. As the rotation number is dropped down to basically 9 or 10 players, I hope to see the intensity pick up.

(11-05-2021 08:32 AM)SEA33HAWK Wrote: [ -> ]I understand we played a D2 school. But they matched us in size. As a matter of fact they had more bigs.

That......... is concerning. But it was good to see given that we held a substantial board advantage. Guessing in the end last night we just "out athleted" them which is usually what happens in those games. Very interested for Tuesday to play a team that appears to play similar style.

(11-05-2021 08:32 AM)SEA33HAWK Wrote: [ -> ]I understand we played a D2 school. But they matched us in size. As a matter of fact they had more bigs. Before we went deep in the bench we had a 35-17 advantage on the boards. We took a lot of 3 pointers. And, while I would like to see more work down low, we may have to accept this style. We do have better ball handlers this year.
Now, I was concerned with defensive pressure in the first half. FMU started out shooting 80% from 3. It was a relief to see our guys turn on the switch in the second half and play lockdown D.
You can only get so much out of an exhibition. As the rotation number is dropped down to basically 9 or 10 players, I hope to see the intensity pick up.

We brought in two transfers and one freshman to shore up interior defense, rebounding and scoring. One of those three is going to have to really step up over the next few games or we will have a glaring problem. It almost has to be Kelly since Baker weighs the same as me at 6'2" and he's 6'7". He's really a four and doesn't really seem to know how to operate in the paint. Otherwise we may have to give McGriff a shot and see what he can do.

82, first off... love the passion my man, that is awesome! Nothing good comes without energy and a spark and having fans that are passionate helps the players because they know that we are behind them and the tradition that UNCW has had on several occasions. We are all wanting the same thing and they can feel the energy that we have as a fan base.

Well....You're bring up the elephant in our room here on this board regarding post play. Who will be a constant down low and give us rim protection and boards? I agree that it is very important, if not vital, to many aspects of our attack because getting the board starts everything. Post guys will have to wall up and make each shot difficult in the paint period. That has to happen regardless of ball pressure.

Judging from the other night, it may be the same starting lineup to start things off so Baker will likely start at the 5 position. And, Fornes may start at least initially as AO is coming off of turf toe.

To me, they have to fly around fast and rotate quickly and have much better ball pressure like the 2nd half to deter paint entries. Baker and Kelly will get good minutes and can be viable bigs for UNCW provided they do work early to make guys shoot over them. You have to honor that 15 footer sometimes as a 5 so guys have to be smart and active on a close out. And, we have to be careful about selling out on switches too so that complete mismatches are seldom. Looking forward a bit, I did like what I saw from the freshman big and even Samb in his limited minutes. If their activity level remains high and we aren't defending the hole, they could see some time.

It's an interesting style of ball that we play and I like it. You have to understand your opponent so that you don't sell out the floor if you're not at least slowing someone down. Mixing the press is key so that a team has to burn some clock and is pushed back.

The other night, we went against a coach that was fully aware and ready for the pressure so that was a good thing to go against. They did a good job against us but we adjusted well albeit that they got into foul trouble so much and were worn down-Mike and Shykeim really stepped up defensively which was key plus Thomas and White worked hard too to disrupt things too in the 2nd half. The adjustments were good and that is what I really liked about us. We will really never be out of games it seems even if down because we can score. Having Sims on our team is such an advantage because he is an absolute beast to deal with if you need somebody at the end of the clock. If he doesn't get hurt, we are never out of the game because there is nobody that can guard him.

Not sure but I suspect that the Redbirds will run too. A track meet is okay if we can get some stops. If they earn it, I'm good. I feel that if we can defend somewhat well, we should have a good shot at a road win.

(11-05-2021 11:28 PM)billthebighawksfan Wrote: [ -> ]82, first off... love the passion my man, that is awesome! Nothing good comes without energy and a spark and having fans that are passionate helps the players because they know that we are behind them and the tradition that UNCW has had on several occasions. We are all wanting the same thing and they can feel the energy that we have as a fan base.

Well....You're bring up the elephant in our room here on this board regarding post play. Who will be a constant down low and give us rim protection and boards? I agree that it is very important, if not vital, to many aspects of our attack because getting the board starts everything. Post guys will have to wall up and make each shot difficult in the paint period. That has to happen regardless of ball pressure.

Judging from the other night, it may be the same starting lineup to start things off so Baker will likely start at the 5 position. And, Fornes may start at least initially as AO is coming off of turf toe.

To me, they have to fly around fast and rotate quickly and have much better ball pressure like the 2nd half to deter paint entries. Baker and Kelly will get good minutes and can be viable bigs for UNCW provided they do work early to make guys shoot over them. You have to honor that 15 footer sometimes as a 5 so guys have to be smart and active on a close out. And, we have to be careful about selling out on switches too so that complete mismatches are seldom. Looking forward a bit, I did like what I saw from the freshman big and even Samb in his limited minutes. If their activity level remains high and we aren't defending the hole, they could see some time.

It's an interesting style of ball that we play and I like it. You have to understand your opponent so that you don't sell out the floor if you're not at least slowing someone down. Mixing the press is key so that a team has to burn some clock and is pushed back.

The other night, we went against a coach that was fully aware and ready for the pressure so that was a good thing to go against. They did a good job against us but we adjusted well albeit that they got into foul trouble so much and were worn down-Mike and Shykeim really stepped up defensively which was key plus Thomas and White worked hard too to disrupt things too in the 2nd half. The adjustments were good and that is what I really liked about us. We will really never be out of games it seems even if down because we can score. Having Sims on our team is such an advantage because he is an absolute beast to deal with if you need somebody at the end of the clock. If he doesn't get hurt, we are never out of the game because there is nobody that can guard him.

Not sure but I suspect that the Redbirds will run too. A track meet is okay if we can get some stops. If they earn it, I'm good. I feel that if we can defend somewhat well, we should have a good shot at a road win.

For the record, it’s not the “elephant in the room” I’ve been beating that drum for a long time much to the chagrin of a few in here. Hoping we figure it out, as we do certainly have more size than last year but we need the bigger guys to play big


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(11-06-2021 10:26 PM)Seahawkhoops Wrote: [ -> ]

(11-05-2021 11:28 PM)billthebighawksfan Wrote: [ -> ]82, first off... love the passion my man, that is awesome! Nothing good comes without energy and a spark and having fans that are passionate helps the players because they know that we are behind them and the tradition that UNCW has had on several occasions. We are all wanting the same thing and they can feel the energy that we have as a fan base.

Well....You're bring up the elephant in our room here on this board regarding post play. Who will be a constant down low and give us rim protection and boards? I agree that it is very important, if not vital, to many aspects of our attack because getting the board starts everything. Post guys will have to wall up and make each shot difficult in the paint period. That has to happen regardless of ball pressure.

Judging from the other night, it may be the same starting lineup to start things off so Baker will likely start at the 5 position. And, Fornes may start at least initially as AO is coming off of turf toe.

To me, they have to fly around fast and rotate quickly and have much better ball pressure like the 2nd half to deter paint entries. Baker and Kelly will get good minutes and can be viable bigs for UNCW provided they do work early to make guys shoot over them. You have to honor that 15 footer sometimes as a 5 so guys have to be smart and active on a close out. And, we have to be careful about selling out on switches too so that complete mismatches are seldom. Looking forward a bit, I did like what I saw from the freshman big and even Samb in his limited minutes. If their activity level remains high and we aren't defending the hole, they could see some time.

It's an interesting style of ball that we play and I like it. You have to understand your opponent so that you don't sell out the floor if you're not at least slowing someone down. Mixing the press is key so that a team has to burn some clock and is pushed back.

The other night, we went against a coach that was fully aware and ready for the pressure so that was a good thing to go against. They did a good job against us but we adjusted well albeit that they got into foul trouble so much and were worn down-Mike and Shykeim really stepped up defensively which was key plus Thomas and White worked hard too to disrupt things too in the 2nd half. The adjustments were good and that is what I really liked about us. We will really never be out of games it seems even if down because we can score. Having Sims on our team is such an advantage because he is an absolute beast to deal with if you need somebody at the end of the clock. If he doesn't get hurt, we are never out of the game because there is nobody that can guard him.

Not sure but I suspect that the Redbirds will run too. A track meet is okay if we can get some stops. If they earn it, I'm good. I feel that if we can defend somewhat well, we should have a good shot at a road win.

For the record, it’s not the “elephant in the room” I’ve been beating that drum for a long time much to the chagrin of a few in here. Hoping we figure it out, as we do certainly have more size than last year but we need the bigger guys to play big


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Why do you pretend you're the only one who understands we need a good big man? Everyone knows it, but you fail to understand that Siddle is not going to play two post players together, so he is only going to keep a few big men on the roster. He also needs big men who can get up and down the court with his style of play, and those guys are not going to be 6'10", 250 lbs. They're going to be longer and leaner. And as with most big men at the midmajor level, they're going to be a crap shoot. Baker and Kelly both have potential to be that guy, but at first look they have a ways to go. OOC games will hopefully give them a chance to work out the Siddle system and produce.

(11-07-2021 06:21 AM)82hawk Wrote: [ -> ]

(11-06-2021 10:26 PM)Seahawkhoops Wrote: [ -> ]

(11-05-2021 11:28 PM)billthebighawksfan Wrote: [ -> ]82, first off... love the passion my man, that is awesome! Nothing good comes without energy and a spark and having fans that are passionate helps the players because they know that we are behind them and the tradition that UNCW has had on several occasions. We are all wanting the same thing and they can feel the energy that we have as a fan base.

Well....You're bring up the elephant in our room here on this board regarding post play. Who will be a constant down low and give us rim protection and boards? I agree that it is very important, if not vital, to many aspects of our attack because getting the board starts everything. Post guys will have to wall up and make each shot difficult in the paint period. That has to happen regardless of ball pressure.

Judging from the other night, it may be the same starting lineup to start things off so Baker will likely start at the 5 position. And, Fornes may start at least initially as AO is coming off of turf toe.

To me, they have to fly around fast and rotate quickly and have much better ball pressure like the 2nd half to deter paint entries. Baker and Kelly will get good minutes and can be viable bigs for UNCW provided they do work early to make guys shoot over them. You have to honor that 15 footer sometimes as a 5 so guys have to be smart and active on a close out. And, we have to be careful about selling out on switches too so that complete mismatches are seldom. Looking forward a bit, I did like what I saw from the freshman big and even Samb in his limited minutes. If their activity level remains high and we aren't defending the hole, they could see some time.

It's an interesting style of ball that we play and I like it. You have to understand your opponent so that you don't sell out the floor if you're not at least slowing someone down. Mixing the press is key so that a team has to burn some clock and is pushed back.

The other night, we went against a coach that was fully aware and ready for the pressure so that was a good thing to go against. They did a good job against us but we adjusted well albeit that they got into foul trouble so much and were worn down-Mike and Shykeim really stepped up defensively which was key plus Thomas and White worked hard too to disrupt things too in the 2nd half. The adjustments were good and that is what I really liked about us. We will really never be out of games it seems even if down because we can score. Having Sims on our team is such an advantage because he is an absolute beast to deal with if you need somebody at the end of the clock. If he doesn't get hurt, we are never out of the game because there is nobody that can guard him.

Not sure but I suspect that the Redbirds will run too. A track meet is okay if we can get some stops. If they earn it, I'm good. I feel that if we can defend somewhat well, we should have a good shot at a road win.

For the record, it’s not the “elephant in the room” I’ve been beating that drum for a long time much to the chagrin of a few in here. Hoping we figure it out, as we do certainly have more size than last year but we need the bigger guys to play big


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Why do you pretend you're the only one who understands we need a good big man? Everyone knows it, but you fail to understand that Siddle is not going to play two post players together, so he is only going to keep a few big men on the roster. He also needs big men who can get up and down the court with his style of play, and those guys are not going to be 6'10", 250 lbs. They're going to be longer and leaner. And as with most big men at the midmajor level, they're going to be a crap shoot. Baker and Kelly both have potential to be that guy, but at first look they have a ways to go. OOC games will hopefully give them a chance to work out the Siddle system and produce.

You are singing a completely different tune now


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82, I don’t fail to understand anything about this my friend. I understand the situation quite well actually.

(11-07-2021 09:05 AM)billthebighawksfan Wrote: [ -> ]82, I don’t fail to understand anything about this my friend. I understand the situation quite well actually.

Comment wasn't directed at you.

I don't know what their abilities are (it looks like they attempted a lot of threes in their exibition game), but if I was Illinois State I would really try to take it inside against us. One on one, our post guys didn't yet demonstrate great stopping ability. The high-energy pressing/swarming/deflecting defense in the 2nd half is what undermined Francis Marion's inside game.

I really like our chances in the game. But until we see otherwise I would expect to see teams make take it to the paint until we demonstrate a better consistent ability to stop it.

Three Man Weave picks Illinois State to finish 8th in the 10-team Missouri Valley this year.

https://www.three-man-weave.com/3mw/miss...22-preview

8. Illinois State

Key Returners: Josiah Strong, Antonio Reeves, Emon Washington, Howard Fleming, Harouna Sissoko
Key Losses: DJ Horne
Key Newcomers: Mark Freeman (Tennessee State), Kendall Lewis (Appalachian State), Liam McChesney (Utah State), Ryan Schmitt (JUCO)

Lineup:



Outlook: Oh, how the mighty have fallen…

After bringing up the rear last season, the Redbirds are now 17-39 over the last two seasons – only Evansville has fewer conference wins during that span, who leapfrogged Illinois State in the standings last year.

There’s plenty of finger pointing to go around but the cumulative lack of experience didn’t do Dan Muller any favors (ISU ranked 329th in KenPom’s experience metric last season). Muller didn’t shy away from voicing his frustration with such an unseasoned group, precisely why he nabbed experienced newcomers via the portal this offseason:

"I love freshmen, but not having any (first-year scholarship freshmen) is obvious,” Muller told the Pantagraph. “You put something in and guys kind of know what to do. [This year], we have three newcomers who have two years Division I experience and who know how to jump to the ball and know how to guard ball screens. Even if our technique is different, they pick it up quickly because they've been taught. Experience does help your talent equal production."

Muller circled the center position as top priority for offseason transfer targets. Dusan Mahorcic departs, a pleasant surprise last season who emerged as the Redbirds’ meal ticket inside, but Muller restocked the cupboard this summer. Liam McChesney and Ryan Schmitt are the two most imposing bigs – the former hails from Utah State’s forward factory while the latter dominated the D-II JUCO landscape. Neither is a proven commodity, though, so look for Abdou Ndiaye and Sy Chatman to gobble up a hearty share of the frontcourt minutes. ISU is fortunate to get both back in the fold. Ndiaye initially put his name in the portal but chose to return to Normal. Chatman opted out a few games into the season but stayed true to his commitment to return for the 2022 campaign.

Another fortuitous roster development was Antonio Reeves’ forgoing his pro prospects and boomeranging back to ISU. Reeves tested the NBA waters this summer but ultimately chose to stick around for another season. The former Simeon product out of Chicago has always been a tantalizing prospect, but he officially got our attention in late January when the Redbirds, miraculously, lasted 15 rounds with Drake. No one expected ISU to compete in that game, but Reeves essentially went 1-v-5 against the Bulldogs, tallying 27 of ISU’s 76 points. In that duel, there was a stretch Reeves scored 14 straight points, pushing the undefeated Bulldogs to the brink of their first loss:

Along with Reeves, the Redbirds will be highly leveraged on their four top producers: Reeves, Josiah Strong, Mark Freeman and Kendall Lewis. Freeman and Lewis were terrific at their prior destinations, compiling a resume that qualifies them as potential starters in the Valley. Specifically, their defense is what lured Muller to seek their services on the transfer wire:

"We've brought in some high-level defenders, in particular Kendall Lewis and Mark Freeman,” Muller told the Peoria Star Journal. In this league, you don't win unless you guard. I have very high hopes for this team defensively. It's no secret our defense hasn't been good the last couple years, and we have to get where we were a couple years ago. That's my goal."

Last year’s uncharacteristically poor defensive unit did nothing to offset the offensive shortcomings, as Muller was forced to rely on a 2-3 matchup zone (per Synergy, the Redbirds played zone on over half of their defensive possessions). When executed effectively, there’s an element of unfamiliarity that can bewilder opponents, since the zone doesn’t take a conventional 2-3 or 3-2 shape. But, the advanced numbers reveal ISU was still more effective in man-to-man. Per a recent interview with the Pantagraph, Muller is making a wise decision to reinstall man to man as his primary base defensive coverage.

Last year’s growing pains, particularly for the underclassmen, should start to yield returns in 2022. Emon Washington could be the best kept secret of this bunch, a rangy smooth wing who does serious damage around the restricted area. Howard Fleming’s injury baggage is worrisome but the flashy 6’5 playmaker forged his way into the starting lineup down the stretch last year. Harouna Sissoko, on the other hand, will have to scrap and claw to regain his place in the pecking order after forfeiting his starting job, while Alston Andrews offers additional size in the middle.

Bottom Line: Dissatisfied with the talent pipeline in house, Muller didn’t hesitate to hire external help this summer. Freeman and Lewis could emerge as ISU’s best players, but the incumbents have a pinch of firepower as well, namely Strong and Reeves. Above all, the personnel upgrades and stylistic adjustments point to a defensive turnaround in 2022, which has been Muller’s calling card for years. That alone should nudge ISU out of the basement but this league is simply too deep to realistically bet on a monumental turnaround.

ISU indeed sounds a lot like us. They were a very young team last year that desperately needed help inside and struggled mightily on defense, forcing them to go away from what they wanted to do schematically.

One key difference: They have at least one player (Antonio Reeves) with NBA aspirations. Being picked to finish 8th in spite of this shows how deep the MVC is.

If you look at the stats from their exhibition, they started guys at 6'8" 230 lbs. and 6'8" 210lbs. They also only put up 85 points in an exhibition game against a D II squad. Not a slow pace, but against a DII squad that's not a pace like we played.

IS put up 30 three point attempts of their 69 total while UNCW put up 25 of 56 attempts from three. UNCW took 40 ft attempts and made 33(82.5%), while IS made 12-18 ft's(66.7%). That is a huge discrepancy at the FT line. Just from the stats it looks like UNCW guards drove to the basket a whole lot more.

If Siddle puts a lineup on the court like last week, we're going to see the classic big guard vs. PF mismatch at the four that a four guard offense thrives on. Let's see who blinks in this contest. Is UNCW forced to go big at the four and five spots, or is IS forced to go smaller at the four to deal with a big guard in that spot?

IS wants to bring size on the court, having played a 6'11" 225 lb. guy for 12 minutes, 6'10" 200 lb. guy 16 minutes, and two 6'8" guys started and played over 20 minutes.

Looks like a game where UNCW is going to have to play our run/defend/win style to take this one. If the pace is slowed, we will be in trouble.

(11-07-2021 01:48 PM)82hawk Wrote: [ -> ]Looks like a game where UNCW is going to have to play our run/defend/win style to take this one. If the pace is slowed, we will be in trouble.

Hopefully we don't allow them to slow the pace, we can't give other teams a blueprint to beat us this early in the season.

Reeves went off in the exhibition and has a track record of taking over games. This Redbird team has talent so it will be difficult. Hawks will need to play together and well to have a shot. Hopefully the Hawks can stay within 5 boards in this tilt. Paint points is another one to watch as well as fast break points.

Interesting that they played quite a bit of zone last year but analytics suggested that they were more effective in man. Man defense is expected to be the primary defense versus UNCW. That could change because you never know.