Any praise for us students?

This one felt like a loss the way we closed the game. Never felt so horrible after a win over CMU

As for praise for the students....I thought the students were good (not great). Unfortunately, I suspect we won't see them again this season. Really hope I'm wrong but that's what I think. We will see.

(01-21-2012 04:49 PM)Flashboski Wrote:  This one felt like a loss the way we closed the game. Never felt so horrible after a win over CMU

Felt the same way. The only good thing I can say is that this game was the exact same way last year, went to the wire, and then up their we blew them out.

(01-21-2012 03:24 PM)Mikerochip Wrote:  Gentlemen, relax. As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, CMU cannot win this game. "Coach" Z will see to that.

So, the day will end with your egos firmly intact, and Kalamazoo will ring with cries of, "O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

I thought EZ totally out coached Hawk. EZ has very little talent to work with outside of Jr. and Jackson, and he kept himself in the game. I mean seriously, guys like Saylor and Keel aren't even D-1 material. In spite of having a three stooges inside (Fro,Africa,Saylor) game he made Whitfield/Hutch/Stainbrook look human.

The scouting report on us is easy. Pack it in and let them beat you from the outside. The beauty of that plan is that Hawk will never deviate from his plan, which is to force inside, and he'll never put the personnel on the floor to exploit the wide open perimeter looks.

(01-21-2012 03:36 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  50 - 39 with 11:49 left at the timeout.

This is the timeout where we have a sizable lead, bring in 4 new guys, and basically relax and let teams get back in the game. Didn't happen vs. UT, but happened against EM & CMpews.

Seriously?

You play the game deciders until the game is decided.

Then you can get the other kids their letters and a little experience.

And you sure as heck don't make "line changes" in college basketball.

(01-21-2012 05:22 PM)Chipdip Wrote:  

(01-21-2012 03:36 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  50 - 39 with 11:49 left at the timeout.

This is the timeout where we have a sizable lead, bring in 4 new guys, and basically relax and let teams get back in the game. Didn't happen vs. UT, but happened against EM & CMpews.

The mass subs have started again. I don't like Hawks attitude in the post game, says we aren't thoroughbreds. I understand we aren't going to run teams out of the gym but we built that lead with several very good and aggressive fast breaks. Then the subs came in and we went back to walking it up and being passive on offense. PUSH the ball once in a while! Be aggressive on offense

Quote:I don't like Hawks attitude in the post game, says we aren't thoroughbreds.

Yes, we're more like a team of plow horses. Flen was a thoroughbred when he arrived, but is a total plow horse now. Ward at one time had a chance to be a real offensive machine, but has bought completely into the "lunch pale" mentality.

(01-21-2012 05:20 PM)Chipdip Wrote:  

(01-21-2012 03:24 PM)Mikerochip Wrote:  Gentlemen, relax. As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, CMU cannot win this game. "Coach" Z will see to that.

So, the day will end with your egos firmly intact, and Kalamazoo will ring with cries of, "O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

I thought EZ totally out coached Hawk. EZ has very little talent to work with outside of Jr. and Jackson, and he kept himself in the game. I mean seriously, guys like Saylor and Keel aren't even D-1 material. In spite of having a three stooges inside (Fro,Africa,Saylor) game he made Whitfield/Hutch/Stainbrook look human.

The scouting report on us is easy. Pack it in and let them beat you from the outside. The beauty of that plan is that Hawk will never deviate from his plan, which is to force inside, and he'll never put the personnel on the floor to exploit the wide open perimeter looks.


CD I agree with you, Dward's 3point % makes this good strategy against us. Also the number of shots we take means we have to hit a high % or take more FT's like today. CMU took at least 10 more shots than us. Oh well we did win, eh!

Quote:If you look at DWard's shooting% from three point land this is good strategy against us. A plus we did shoot better from the Free throw line. Looking at the stats CMU had like 10 more shots than us, we do put pressure on ourselves to hit a higher % or make sure like today we have more trips to the FT line. Oh well we did win, eh!

DWard is what he is. A solid defender and a front court guy in a guards body. He's not very athletic anymore, so they can't really move him to the 3, and with Whit back they can't really play him at the 4 (in spite of the fact he played his best basketball there).

So Hawk's left playing him at the 2G, and hoping he knocks down a shot once in awhile. D Ward just never quite panned out in my opinion. Injuries and so forth kept him from realizing his potential. I'd probably bring him off the bench at this point and hope it lights a fire under him, but at this stage of the game I'd go with "potential" i.e. Richie or Hordemann. If he can't find a deep threat soon, he's going to have to find 5 guys in practice who can play a zone, cause they're going to need to practice against what they'll see the remainder of the season.

I dont know why we pack it inside so much. As well saw today, there were a lot of turnovers when inside the 3-point line. If they pack it in, dont go in, make stainbrook a guy who attracts the defense to get outside looks.

Another thing I noticed from today is that we have two options for scoring: 3-point, scoring close to hoop. We need a player to be like mike williams who could pop out and sink a 15 footer. I saw so many 15 foot shots that were completely passed up to either give to a guy guarded at the 3 or a double teamed stainbrook.

btw, I wonder if Douglas saw this board, because he looked more quicker to pop from 3, which is good.

Quote:Gentlemen, relax. As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, CMU cannot win this game. "Coach" Z will see to that.

This surprised me.

WMU turned the ball over with 18 seconds left and up 3.

CMU had one time out left.

Ernie elected to use it with 15 seconds left to try and set up a game tying 3 point shot. He also let WMU set up their defense.

I would have pushed the ball hard with 18 seconds left and took the ball to the hole hoping to cut the lead to one (or maybe even tying the game if fouled) and then fouled quickly sending WMU to the line.....saving the time out.

Guess that's why he gets the big bucks.

Hell, he could have pushed the ball hard, gotten a shot, NOT FOULED because WMU would have more than likely turned it over

Chipdips comments concerning DWard to me are so appropriate, and I do feel sorry for the young man losing his confidence, and not getting near his former potential.

But like Clint Eastwood says "deserves got nothin to do with it." Winning has got everything to do with it, but will Hawk make the kind of bold change (and yes, sitting down a senior starter is a bold move) to change our pathetic offense?

How many people that follow this team for the last nine years believe that will happen? Not me.

Didn't he sit Flen for a while last year?

(01-22-2012 02:00 PM)Tommyboy Wrote:  Didn't he sit Flen for a while last year?

Not that I recall. I remember Flen playing the 4, then moving to the 5 when our donkey kong 6th man entered the game. Stain sat during the majority of Mac contests, especially in the second half.

Quote:Chipdips comments concerning DWard to me are so appropriate, and I do feel sorry for the young man losing his confidence, and not getting near his former potential.

I'm not sure he isn't "getting near his former potential".

He is shooting the ball this year like he did during his freshman and sophomore years.

He may have caught lightening in a bottle last year.