1. Western deserved to win
2. WMU shoots 47% on threes
3. Not enough from Brown and Drummond
4. NIT game likely on the road since UT will host the women's NCAA regional
5. Didn't create enough turnovers

1. Who gives a **** about the nit. It's not what you play for

Pathetic defense. Time to focus on that instead of score em up.

And now the b****ing begins.

Starts with discipline. Uniform- same shoes. No more street ball an omg some defense from somebody besides Lauf and Pearson. You know offense and defense.

Bad D, no offensive rebounding...not a recipe for winning. It's a shame that 27 wins lands this team in the NIT...but, it's probably where they belong.

(03-15-2014 07:54 PM)bcunn3128 Wrote:  

(03-15-2014 07:40 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  1. Western deserved to win
2. WMU shoots 47% on threes
3. Not enough from Brown and Drummond
4. NIT game likely on the road since UT will host the women's NCAA regional
5. Didn't create enough turnovers

1. Absolutely. They were the better team. Everyone on the floor contributed for them. Wouldn't be surprised to see them win a game or even two in the NCAA if they get seeded fairly.
2. Our perimeter D has been slow and ineffective almost every game. Can't give up 90 points in a championship game.
3. Drummond & Weatherspoon had a disappointing two games. Next season we won't be able to afford for both of them to disappear in games.
4. Which Rocket team will show up for the NIT? Someone will win that tournament--is Toledo mentally tough enough at this point? I'm not sure our football team really wanted to play a bowl game by the end of the football season; do our basketball Rockets still want to compete? As for a home game-cant they put a floor in the Huntington Center? Walleye can't win, so...
5. Again, you need active D to create tempo & turnovers, so you are correct.

Still, a great season. Was nice to at least play in a championship game again. Disappointing because this could have been the year. I would love to see us make a run in the NIT. On a positive note, the 20 point loss and no NCAA bid may well take Coach K off of some lists.

Would of been nice to defeat Kansas.
Team was still playing well back then

Broncos hot.

Rockets not.

That simple.

Defense in general and especially perimiter D was our achilies heel all season and it caught up to us. Even with ok D they still rained 3's on us and when they were getting 3 and we were getting 2, we couldn't close that 5-8 pt gap. We can hit jumpers and 3's but don't have a dagger in your heart sharpshooter like Kellog at OU or #5 for WMU tonight. They did exactly what I would do and that is go right at Booth with Whittington until he fouled out. Every team in the league knows we have one big guy, smart ball on their part. Drummond and Spoon disappeared and there is the ball game. WMU deserved to win, played amazing transition defense and didn't let us get any clean transition baskets. The Broncos played like champions, congrats.

I'm as disappointed as anyone but holy cow folks, we won 27 games. Would have been nice to win all of them but Kansas would beat us 100 times if we played them 100. Western would probably win 60. We are the only MAC team, I think, to beat every MAC team. We pretty much proved we belonged in the Championship game. Yeah, we weren't ready and laid a huge egg but it was a fun ride. Congrats to Coach K and the team.

(03-15-2014 09:24 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  I'm as disappointed as anyone but holy cow folks, we won 27 games. Would have been nice to win all of them but Kansas would beat us 100 times if we played them 100. Western would probably win 60. We are the only MAC team, I think, to beat every MAC team. We pretty much proved we belonged in the Championship game. Yeah, we weren't ready and laid a huge egg but it was a fun ride. Congrats to Coach K and the team.

Bingo.

(03-15-2014 07:43 PM)adunifon Wrote:  1. Who gives a **** about the nit. It's not what you play for

Pathetic defense. Time to focus on that instead of score em up.

It is now

It seemed like this team peaked early in the season. Also, the team was probably never as good as some of us imagined, given a number of very close wins. Of course the season was a huge success with all the wins, but it's been a long wait between NCAA appearances, so it's pretty disappointing to miss out with a team that had such a good chance.

one usher told me that on his schedule that ut gave him they had march 18 as *tentative home nit game*

Despite the loss, this program is in good hands with TK and they are on an upward trajectory. The next step is to get to the Big Dance and I am confident that they will do that in the near future. The players and coaches accomplished so much this season:

- 27 wins (and counting)
- regular season co-championship
- undefeated record at home
- MAC title game appearance

There is so much to be proud of and great things are ahead for the Toledo Rockets!

(03-15-2014 10:34 PM)RocketBBallFan Wrote:  Despite the loss, this program is in good hands with TK and they are on an upward trajectory. The next step is to get to the Big Dance and I am confident that they will do that in the near future. The players and coaches accomplished so much this season:

- 27 wins (and counting)
- regular season co-championship
- undefeated record at home
- MAC title game appearance

There is so much to be proud of and great things are ahead for the Toledo Rockets!

Next season should be even better! "Only" losing RP and Matt Smith. Freshman should all get better. Dre Applewhite eligible in 2nd half.

(03-15-2014 10:37 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(03-15-2014 10:34 PM)RocketBBallFan Wrote:  Despite the loss, this program is in good hands with TK and they are on an upward trajectory. The next step is to get to the Big Dance and I am confident that they will do that in the near future. The players and coaches accomplished so much this season:

- 27 wins (and counting)
- regular season co-championship
- undefeated record at home
- MAC title game appearance

There is so much to be proud of and great things are ahead for the Toledo Rockets!

Next season should be even better! "Only" losing RP and Matt Smith. Freshman should all get better. Dre Applewhite eligible in 2nd half.

PLUS, and I wouldn't downplay this in light of what we saw tonight, we get Lemons, maybe our best on ball defender, back. Aparacio is an unknown quantity but he could help our perimeter game.

(03-15-2014 10:37 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(03-15-2014 10:34 PM)RocketBBallFan Wrote:  Despite the loss, this program is in good hands with TK and they are on an upward trajectory. The next step is to get to the Big Dance and I am confident that they will do that in the near future. The players and coaches accomplished so much this season:

- 27 wins (and counting)
- regular season co-championship
- undefeated record at home
- MAC title game appearance

There is so much to be proud of and great things are ahead for the Toledo Rockets!

Next season should be even better! "Only" losing RP and Matt Smith. Freshman should all get better. Dre Applewhite eligible in 2nd half.

We've accomplished a lot so far this year. Getting excited for next year already, but first things first, lets win some NIT games.

Was pretty excited to see so many Rocket fans in Cleveland this weekend. Go Rockets

(03-15-2014 10:23 PM)T4C8 Wrote:  one usher told me that on his schedule that ut gave him they had march 18 as *tentative home nit game*

NIT starts on the March 18th----Savage hosts women's NCAA on March 22nd and 24th and I assume each of the four teams will have practice sessions scheduled prior to these games in order to familiarize themselves with the court. Still a first round home game on the 18th would at least seem be a possibility, although by no means a certainty.

Although the NIT is a step above those C?? tournaments that NOBODY cares about, it is still a very, very poor consolidation prize for not making the NCAA. Walk down the street and start asking people who won the NCAA tourney last year and you will get a lot more correct answers than if you ask who won the NIT last year. Ditto with asking them how many tourney games they watched from the NCAA and how many from the NIT.

(03-15-2014 10:37 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  Next season should be even better! "Only" losing RP and Matt Smith. Freshman should all get better. Dre Applewhite eligible in 2nd half.

I don't mean to hang a cloud on your silver lining but I am of the mind that it is always wise to give everything you do your very best shot today because although almost everybody takes tomorrow (and next year) for granted, the harsh reality is that NOBODY is ever promised a tomorrow.

Here is what we know:

1) The Rockets came into to tonight championship game for the first time since 2006 (and only the fourth time since they last won this game in 1980) with an excellent 27-5 record.

2) The Rockets lost the game primarily by getting absolutely killed on the boards (46-27) and by their inability to convert a key basket or get a key stop here and there when they most needed one to turn about the momentum in their favor (or hold the momentum on those few occasions tonight when it was it their favor).

3) Rian Pearson is one of only two Rocket seniors departing but lets not forget that he is also the only player on the team that IMO put together two solid nights in Cleveland.

4) The selection of Hawkins as COY looks a lot more reasonable tonight than it did last night

5) The Rockets will hang another banner in Savage but it won't say "NCAA". The Rockets are now starting their 35th year without a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Here is what we think we know:

1) In the absence of an NCAA appearance TK will most likely be around next year which is a good thing

2) UT should have a very talented team that will likely be expected to at least compete for a MAC title in the preseason chatter next year.

Here is what we don't know:

1) Will the Rockets be as injury free next year as they were this year? Injuries as part of the game and are more common than not, so they were lucky this year----as far as next year goes, who knows?

2) Will the Rockets make it back to the finals next year? Maybe, maybe not-----it took 8 years since their last appearance to get back to the championship game tonight but nobody knows when the next time will be because nothing is promised.

3) When will the Rockets finally make it back to the NCAA? Sometime after 2014 but nobody knows when (or even "if" with any certainty).