For all of the EMU, Toledo, BG (women's) fans:

Saturday EMU hosts Toledo in a big game. Toledo is hot. EMU is the big sleeper team in the MAC this year (lost 3 heartbreaking games by a total of 10 points or else, look out, we'd be like Toledo. ).

EMU will induct Earl Boykins and Derrick Dial into the EMU HOF.

After the UT game, the EMU women will host BG.

This should be a fun, fun day for all.

EMU fans from all over are coming. The atmosphere should be great as fans from the 90s, remember our great teams. I'll try to find out if there are special promotions.

EMU will try to dismantle the Rockets after they played their tough game vs. Ohio.

Can Toledo be strong twice in four days????

BTW, unfortunately, I can't make it. I'm on the east coast and I'll be lucky to make it to the store today.

I'm planning on driving to CLE for the tourney. (hope all of the snow is gone in CLE...).

Iff KSU had won the games it lost, it would be undefeated.

(02-13-2014 07:30 AM)axeme Wrote:  Iff KSU had won the games it lost, it would be undefeated.

True, but I don't think anyone has said that Kent is one of the best offensive teams in the country (Toledo) or one of the best defensive teams in the country (EMU).

This game could be as good as Toledo/Ohio which was marque.

(02-13-2014 08:05 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 07:30 AM)axeme Wrote:  Iff KSU had won the games it lost, it would be undefeated.

True, but I don't think anyone has said that Kent is one of the best offensive teams in the country (Toledo) or one of the best defensive teams in the country (EMU).

This game could be as good as Toledo/Ohio which was marque.

But if we also get the privilige of taking away three losses you AREN'T like us because we'd be Number two in the nation thanks to our undefeated season and nearly unprecedented win at Kansas. Hoping to get up there for the game.

I find it interesting how EMU has blown a few big leads in MAC play when they play a halfcourt, grind 'em up style of play. Usually that's pretty effective for keeping a lead, especially since Murphy has tightened up his Boeheim-style zone pretty well. Should be a good game in Ypsi either way.

(02-13-2014 09:29 AM)Love and Honor Wrote:  I find it interesting how EMU has blown a few big leads in MAC play when they play a halfcourt, grind 'em up style of play. Usually that's pretty effective for keeping a lead, especially since Murphy has tightened up his Boeheim-style zone pretty well. Should be a good game in Ypsi either way.

What I think (my observations):

Teams which were not hitting their treys in the first half eventually start to hit them (most teams aren't going to be cold for 40 minutes).

Once teams start hitting, and start pressing us, we have had problems in the half court, partially because Riley is not a good offensive player which complicates our half court offense.

As some teams have seen, miss shots and let our lead guards, Talley and Lee, push the ball and take it to the basketball means a FG or FTs.

Saturday will be a premier offensive team (Toledo) vs. a premier defensive team (EMU).

Very much an underrated matchup.

(02-13-2014 08:05 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 07:30 AM)axeme Wrote:  Iff KSU had won the games it lost, it would be undefeated.

True, but I don't think anyone has said that Kent is one of the best offensive teams in the country (Toledo) or one of the best defensive teams in the country (EMU).

This game could be as good as Toledo/Ohio which was marque.

Toledo is tied for 7th in the country in offensive points per possession.

Buffalo, BG, and EMU are all tied in points allowed per possession and are outside the top 25.

EMU plays good defense, but it's not quite a parallel to UT's offense this year.

The real difference is that UT is scoring .08 pts more per possession than its opponents. EMU's offense is as bad as its defense is good: .94 points allowed per possession, .94 points scored per possession.

Stats are stats and are not necessarily predictive short term. But Toledo is having a helluva season. Nobody else in the MAC really is.

Or else we can simply use the MAC conference stats which tells a very definitive story for Saturday's match-up:

http://www.mac-sports.com/portals/20/MAC...NFONLY.HTM

Using the most basic analysis I probably learned in the 8th grade:

UT scores a lot and give up a lot.

EMU doesn't score a lot and doesn't give up a lot.

Classic match-up of best offense vs. best defense kind of like the Super Bowl.

BTW, maybe we should be talking about Buffalo which is outscoring their opponents greatly. Don't sleep on the Bulls.

I prefer whole samples to limited samples used to support a point. I do wish EMU good luck in pulling the upset, though.

(02-13-2014 09:29 AM)Love and Honor Wrote:  I find it interesting how EMU has blown a few big leads in MAC play when they play a halfcourt, grind 'em up style of play. Usually that's pretty effective for keeping a lead, especially since Murphy has tightened up his Boeheim-style zone pretty well. Should be a good game in Ypsi either way.

Have you seen Murphy's half court "offense"? It's pretty abysmal.

We generate lots of our points through fast breaks. If we aren't pushing the tempo and generating turnovers, we probably aren't scoring very much. We've blown 4 of our 5 losses (the first Akron game being the only exception) because we took our foot off the gas and that was just dumb because we don't run a good offense and the opponent capitalized.

It's frustrating as a fan because we are talented enough to hang with and beat anyone in this conference, but are done in by complete disorganization on one end of the court. It's bizarre.

(02-13-2014 10:16 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Or else we can simply use the MAC conference stats which tells a very definitive story for Saturday's match-up:

http://www.mac-sports.com/portals/20/MAC...NFONLY.HTM

Using the most basic analysis I probably learned in the 8th grade:

UT scores a lot and give up a lot.

EMU doesn't score a lot and doesn't give up a lot.

Classic match-up of best offense vs. best defense kind of like the Super Bowl.

BTW, maybe we should be talking about Buffalo which is outscoring their opponents greatly. Don't sleep on the Bulls.

Buffalo is the only team that really scares me. They seem to be getting better as the season goes on and it took a great play to beat them at our place. They could be the team to beat at the MACC.

(02-13-2014 10:41 AM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 10:16 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Or else we can simply use the MAC conference stats which tells a very definitive story for Saturday's match-up:

http://www.mac-sports.com/portals/20/MAC...NFONLY.HTM

Using the most basic analysis I probably learned in the 8th grade:

UT scores a lot and give up a lot.

EMU doesn't score a lot and doesn't give up a lot.

Classic match-up of best offense vs. best defense kind of like the Super Bowl.

BTW, maybe we should be talking about Buffalo which is outscoring their opponents greatly. Don't sleep on the Bulls.

Buffalo is the only team that really scares me. They seem to be getting better as the season goes on and it took a great play to beat them at our place. They could be the team to beat at the MACC.

KSU scares me. We've been the "team to beat" all season. That's why teams keep beating us. I'd like to be the team not to beat.

my bold prediction is that Toledo will bring 100+ fans to Ypsi. Wont be quite what the women's team brings, but a good showing

(02-13-2014 11:17 AM)T4C8 Wrote:  my bold prediction is that Toledo will bring 100+ fans to Ypsi. Wont be quite what the women's team brings, but a good showing

I'll be there +2.

(02-13-2014 11:15 AM)axeme Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 10:41 AM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 10:16 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Or else we can simply use the MAC conference stats which tells a very definitive story for Saturday's match-up:

http://www.mac-sports.com/portals/20/MAC...NFONLY.HTM

Using the most basic analysis I probably learned in the 8th grade:

UT scores a lot and give up a lot.

EMU doesn't score a lot and doesn't give up a lot.

Classic match-up of best offense vs. best defense kind of like the Super Bowl.

BTW, maybe we should be talking about Buffalo which is outscoring their opponents greatly. Don't sleep on the Bulls.

Buffalo is the only team that really scares me. They seem to be getting better as the season goes on and it took a great play to beat them at our place. They could be the team to beat at the MACC.

KSU scares me. We've been the "team to beat" all season. That's why teams keep beating us. I'd like to be the team not to beat.

Yeah, it's like deja vu from my college days seeing Kent in last. Recent history certainly hasn't been unkind to them-watching them play Toledo gave me the impression that there's some talent there.

(02-13-2014 11:17 AM)T4C8 Wrote:  my bold prediction is that Toledo will bring 100+ fans to Ypsi. Wont be quite what the women's team brings, but a good showing

+1 - and anyone who might need a ride (PM me)...

Would not surprise me to see a Rocket contingent close to what EMU usually brings for a game. If the lady Rockets were not playing a home game (same time) attendance would be better.

(02-13-2014 10:21 AM)axeme Wrote:  I prefer whole samples to limited samples used to support a point. I do wish EMU good luck in pulling the upset, though.

I'm not sure I follow you.

In the absence of a large number of identical match-ups: hypothetical examples: EMU @ BSU and UT @ BSU and WMU @ EMU and WMU @ UT or Ohio @ EMU and Ohio @ UT, etc. etc.

I would use the MAC conference data and ignore OOC data.

EMU's OOC schedule is essentially 'outliers': top 25 teams and non-D-I teams. Doesn't tell much about how good of a MAC teams EMU is.

Don't know how to compare data from that schedule with the OOC schedule UT played.

(02-13-2014 10:16 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Or else we can simply use the MAC conference stats which tells a very definitive story for Saturday's match-up:

http://www.mac-sports.com/portals/20/MAC...NFONLY.HTM

Using the most basic analysis I probably learned in the 8th grade:

UT scores a lot and give up a lot.

EMU doesn't score a lot and doesn't give up a lot.

Classic match-up of best offense vs. best defense kind of like the Super Bowl.

BTW, maybe we should be talking about Buffalo which is outscoring their opponents greatly. Don't sleep on the Bulls.

Oh no you didn't!

EMU's average loss in MAC games this year is 6. BG's is 5.86...including the last two on last second shots when they were tied/leading.

Now if you do take away their two worst losses, EMU's average loss drops to 3.33 while BG's drops to 4. Bottom line, close losses aren't any sort of anomaly in the MAC...the league is fairly even top to bottom this year.