Nice win, congrats Owls.

(02-06-2014 10:56 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Easily our best overall effort (or at least our most poised) in 2 seasons. We never trailed in the game. North Texas isn't a world-beater, but they have a couple of decent wins and were above .500 entering the game.

I know the naysayers don't believe it but we have some decent young talent. Marcus Jackson has shown a lot of improvement since he came back from his injury too.

I wish they could get some support, both in the stands and on this board.

I agree on all counts. We didn't fold as so often happens, hitting just enough free throws down the stretch (and missing just enough to make it far more exciting than it should have been).
I think we need a change in leadership, but I will continue to watch every game I can and encourage others to do the same. These kids deserve better support than they're getting.

Agree with FBO that this was probably our best game. We dominated early inside but once UNT began to pressure the guards passes inside decreased. Finally got some penetration by the guards and that opened things up again for Obi. I still would like to see a bit of both Obi and Drone in the game at the same time.

Jackson had a nice game especially helpful when Washington turned his ankle. Fortunately Washington was able to come back.

Defensively we played pretty well but there were still too many stretches where we gave up buckets inside because of a failure to cut off the baseline or penetration into the lane.

I got in my car leaving the office roughly 730pm and turned on the radio. Rice was up 28-14 with about 7 min left in first half. UNT had 10 turnovers at that point.

I drove 15 miles and during that time, Rice did not score a single field goal, committed multiple turnovers, including shot clock violation, and shot an air ball that turned into a runout layup for UNT.

I am glad they were able to plug the dyke and hold on for a win.

We'd have a much better record and higher Sagarin rating if we could have excised teams ranked 250 and below from our schedule.

Braun's substitution patterns can be perplexing. We'll have some momentum but then we put in some guys and there's a big drop-off and we just hit a stretch where we can't do anything. Keith Washington turned an ankle in the 1st half and had to come out, and that's when we hit that dead spot last night. Washington and Jackson have had a few games where injuries have sat them down and that probably has cost us 1-3 wins as a team. But we weathered the storm last night and I thought we were fine on offense the entire second half. We still can't rebound much outside of Obi (he leads the conference in rebounding but we're last as a team in CUSA rebound margin).

I'm really pleased with Obi and Jackson's freshmen years. A couple other freshmen have shown flashes at times. Add that group to the sophomore guards Guercy and Washington, and then one more year of Gearhart and I do think we'll be .500 or better next year if everyone comes back. I don't know if that will happen, and I don't know if that group includes coaches or not. But I'd say the future for the men's basketball team is potentially a lot brighter than the women at this moment, which is surprising considering the turnover we've had in men's hoops.

(02-07-2014 08:16 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Braun's substitution patterns can be perplexing. We'll have some momentum but then we put in some guys and there's a big drop-off and we just hit a stretch where we can't do anything. Keith Washington turned an ankle in the 1st half and had to come out, and that's when we hit that dead spot last night. Washington and Jackson have had a few games where injuries have sat them down and that probably has cost us 1-3 wins as a team. But we weathered the storm last night and I thought we were fine on offense the entire second half. We still can't rebound much outside of Obi (he leads the conference in rebounding but we're last as a team in CUSA rebound margin).

I'm really pleased with Obi and Jackson's freshmen years. A couple other freshmen have shown flashes at times. Add that group to the sophomore guards Guercy and Washington, and then one more year of Gearhart and I do think we'll be .500 or better next year if everyone comes back. I don't know if that will happen, and I don't know if that group includes coaches or not. But I'd say the future for the men's basketball team is potentially a lot brighter than the women at this moment, which is surprising considering the turnover we've had in men's hoops.

If they stay, but even before the mass exodus that has been an issue with Braun, I agree but we still need a change.

You're probably right but I'd be worried that a change could influence some players to leave. It's definitely a tricky situation.

In any regard, we have 7 regular season games remaining and I'd say about 3-4 of those are winnable (Tulsa at home, at ECU and UAB at home). Possibly we can hang with ODU or Middle Tennessee on the road for awhile, but I'm guessing the two Louisiana Tech games will be losses.

The postseason format is odd. FIU is ineligible so 15 teams qualify for the tournament in El Paso. The top 4 get 2 byes, teams 5-9 get 1 bye, and teams 10-15 play each other in the first round. That probably leaves a group of teams (I'd say UAB, Florida Atlantic, UTSA, UNT, Marshall, Rice and ECU) trying to be the one team that gets a first round bye. Believe it or not, we still have a chance for a bye, but even if we don't, that first round game will be winnable and double digit wins for the season is still a realistic goal.

(02-07-2014 10:06 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  You're probably right but I'd be worried that a change could influence some players to leave. It's definitely a tricky situation.

Many players have left throughout Braun's tenure so you can't be sure we're not going to have another exodus.

Braun is 12-40 the last two years, an overall record WELL below 0.500, and you're worried about some of the players leaving? Even if the team is 0.500 next year and steadily improves for a couple of years, it will have taken Braun 10 years to finally get Rice into the NIT. Only at Rice. And Braun is making Bailiff-like money, thanks Greenspan!

Team seems to be slowly improving. They've done this each of the last three seasons...unfortunately, they've had to start from scratch the last two. Obi is very promising and Washington has taken a leap his sophomore year. Jackson is very talented but raw...if he really works hard, he can become a very good player. I'm not sure the team wouldn't be better with Washington as the starting pg and using Guercy as a sparkplug 6th man off the bench

(02-07-2014 10:06 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  You're probably right but I'd be worried that a change could influence some players to leave. It's definitely a tricky situation.

Your hypothesis that a coaching change will trigger players to leave is Kafkaesque.

Players have left by the carload throughout Braun's tenure, and now you seem to be implying (subtly but it's there) that player retention could be an argument for keeping Braun.

Unless something fundamental has changed about Rice besides Braun, I have to attribute retention issues to him.

Do the players dislike the new showers and locker rooms? I thought our old facilities were supposed to be s--t, but WTW never had player retention issues. In fact, he did a great job of getting hometown players to transfer IN after growing homesick or having fit issues at major programs elsewhere.

Obligatory disclaimer--this is NOT an argument that CDC was wrong to fire WTW. It is an argument that Braun should be gone. I think he should have been gone after last season. Then I think he should have been gone after the UT game. And the day he ultimately is let go will certainly be later than it should have been. (Yes, I am assuming away budget constraints, and yes I'm blaming him for Morcos).

Glad we got another win. Nice game for Obi. Go Owls! Keep the momentum going!

Congratulations for winning but North Texas is not much either. Look who they have beaten.


You're probably right but I'd be worried that a change could influence some players to leave. It's definitely a tricky situation.


[/quote]

Your hypothesis that a coaching change will trigger players to leave is Kafkaesque.

Players have left by the carload throughout Braun's tenure, and now you seem to be implying (subtly but it's there) that player retention could be an argument for keeping Braun.

Unless something fundamental has changed about Rice besides Braun, I have to attribute retention issues to him.

Do the players dislike the new showers and locker rooms? I thought our old facilities were supposed to be s--t, but WTW never had player retention issues. In fact, he did a great job of getting hometown players to transfer IN after growing homesick or having fit issues at major programs elsewhere.

Obligatory disclaimer--this is NOT an argument that CDC was wrong to fire WTW. It is an argument that Braun should be gone. I think he should have been gone after last season. Then I think he should have been gone after the UT game. And the day he ultimately is let go will certainly be later than it should have been. (Yes, I am assuming away budget constraints, and yes I'm blaming him for Morcos).
[/quote]

(02-07-2014 10:48 AM)MemOwl Wrote:  Obligatory disclaimer--this is NOT an argument that CDC was wrong to fire WTW. It is an argument that Braun should be gone. I think he should have been gone after last season. Then I think he should have been gone after the UT game. And the day he ultimately is let go will certainly be later than it should have been. (Yes, I am assuming away budget constraints, and yes I'm blaming him for Morcos).

He should have been gone before last season or if not then then after the st Thomas game

(02-07-2014 11:54 AM)texowl2 Wrote:  

(02-07-2014 10:48 AM)MemOwl Wrote:  Obligatory disclaimer--this is NOT an argument that CDC was wrong to fire WTW. It is an argument that Braun should be gone. I think he should have been gone after last season. Then I think he should have been gone after the UT game. And the day he ultimately is let go will certainly be later than it should have been. (Yes, I am assuming away budget constraints, and yes I'm blaming him for Morcos).

He should have been gone before last season or if not then then after the st Thomas game

At Rice an RPI of 292 means job security.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketba...tty-report

(And Rice lost to #335, HBU.)

(02-06-2014 10:56 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Easily our best overall effort (or at least our most poised) in 2 seasons. We never trailed in the game. North Texas isn't a world-beater, but they have a couple of decent wins and were above .500 entering the game.

In spite of UNT's poor record, I can't remember a time where Rice has beaten them. They've generally had a good basketball team, and even some of WW's teams that showed promise were beaten up in Denton. I don't know if my memory is selective, but it seems to me that this is the first time in at least 20 years that Rice has beaten UNT, covering perhaps four games?

(02-07-2014 10:06 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  You're probably right but I'd be worried that a change could influence some players to leave. It's definitely a tricky situation.

Retaining the coaching staff has not shown to be an incentive to having players stay. If having players leave off of a 5-6 win team is that much of an issue, then when would be the right time to make a change?

(02-07-2014 01:27 PM)WIowl Wrote:  (And Rice lost to #335, HBU.)

and 293 UTSA and 312 SeLa

Latest Pomeroy Ratings:

38. So. Miss. (19-3)
49. La. Tech (19-5)
------------------------------
92. UTEP (17-6)
117. Tulsa (10-12)
119. Middle Tenn. (16-7)
------------------------------
144. Charlotte (14-7)
155. UAB (14-8)
------------------------------
176. Old Dominion (11-12)
------------------------------
204. North Texas (11-11)
206. Fla. Atlantic (8-15)
------------------------------
241. E. Carolina (12-11)
249. Marshall (8-15)
255. Fla. Int'l (12-11)
------------------------------
279. Tulane (11-11)
------------------------------
305. Rice (7-15)
314. UTSA (7-14)

I'm hoping for So. Miss to run the table until the conference championship game, then to lose to another team. I think that should give C-USA 2 teams in the NCAA Tournament.

At the worst, C-USA should have 1 in the NCAA, 2 in the NIT (La. Tech, UTEP) and 3 in those garbage tournaments (Middle Tenn., Charlotte and UAB).

(02-07-2014 06:39 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  I'm hoping for So. Miss to run the table until the conference championship game, then to lose to another team. I think that should give C-USA 2 teams in the NCAA Tournament.

Maybe La Tech also has a chance of an at-large bid if they win out until the final. They are rated 11 spots better than USM in Sagarin currently. However, their RPI won't be helped by having to play Rice twice.

(02-07-2014 01:47 PM)I45owl Wrote:  

(02-06-2014 10:56 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Easily our best overall effort (or at least our most poised) in 2 seasons. We never trailed in the game. North Texas isn't a world-beater, but they have a couple of decent wins and were above .500 entering the game.

In spite of UNT's poor record, I can't remember a time where Rice has beaten them. They've generally had a good basketball team, and even some of WW's teams that showed promise were beaten up in Denton. I don't know if my memory is selective, but it seems to me that this is the first time in at least 20 years that Rice has beaten UNT, covering perhaps four games?

Just because this has been bothering me, Rice now has a 3-8 record versus UNT, winning in 1939 and 1995 (a two point win), and 2014 (5 pts), all in Houston. Rice has lost by two points in 1996, 2006, 2009, and three points in 2010.