(12-01-2016 08:51 PM)FlyHawk98 Wrote:  I didn't realize you wrote it. I appreciate you taking the time to do all of that.

I will also note that we have been without CJ Burks so far this season. Getting him back will be a HUGE help for us.

We also beat Ohio without Terrence Thompson and he is expected to be out for around another 2 weeks.

So we will not be full strength until going into conference play.

Marshall and North Texas are two teams who should be significantly better come conference play for various personnel reasons. You could even throw in UAB who's breaking in a shooting guard at point.

I personally think Terrence Thompson is the X factor for Marshall. He has the ability to be a solid rebounder and a legit mismatch in the paint. Taylor needs him to be good. Those two can't be effective with out each other playing at a high level.

(12-01-2016 02:03 PM)BlazerGold09 Wrote:  https://thedailydragon.com/2016/12/01/c-...0-days-in/

Thanks BlazerGold09. I have enjoyed your analysis of this years CUSA hoops.

I, like the other Marshall poster, respectfully disagree with your assessment that "Marshall is a question mark".

I think it's fairly certain what we are at this point.

Marshall is a fundamentally sound, high paced, guard oriented team. If you are an opponent who has the ability to take advantage of our lack of height, I.E. Ohio State, we'll struggle.

Otherwise, we are a very balanced attack, that with Elmore leading the helm, can dictate the pace of a game.

Chuck McGill, a Marshall beat writer pointed out:
Elmore is one of five players in Division I basketball averaging at least 21 points, five assists and four rebounds.[/i]

I do agree that these next 4 games will tell us a lot about our ball club though. We need to be able to go and pick up some road wins. Bottom line, this time last year we were 0-6 and now we are 5-1 with a couple of wins that don't look like much at the moment but I think will prove to be solid ones. Like North Carolina Central which has won 5 in a row including a win over Missouri after starting the year with losses to us and Ohio State. Also think Morehead will turn into a solid win as well. They are 2-4 right now but haven't lost a game by more than 13 points (at Pitt).. Both sets of Eagles will be tough outs in their leagues.

(12-02-2016 07:58 AM)Herd2believe Wrote:  Chuck McGill, a Marshall beat writer pointed out:
Elmore is one of five players in Division I basketball averaging at least 21 points, five assists and four rebounds.[/i]

He might flirt with the season ppg record which I think is in the 26 range done by for Houston Cougar Aubrey Coleman.

(12-01-2016 11:53 PM)rileylives Wrote:  

(12-01-2016 02:03 PM)BlazerGold09 Wrote:  https://thedailydragon.com/2016/12/01/c-...0-days-in/

Thanks BlazerGold09. I have enjoyed your analysis of this years CUSA hoops.

I, like the other Marshall poster, respectfully disagree with your assessment that "Marshall is a question mark".

I think it's fairly certain what we are at this point.

Marshall is a fundamentally sound, high paced, guard oriented team. If you are an opponent who has the ability to take advantage of our lack of height, I.E. Ohio State, we'll struggle.

Otherwise, we are a very balanced attack, that with Elmore leading the helm, can dictate the pace of a game.

The more we talk about it the more I'm leaning in your direction. They are what they are and that should be good enough to be a top team in C-USA.

(12-02-2016 07:58 AM)Herd2believe Wrote:  Chuck McGill, a Marshall beat writer pointed out:
Elmore is one of five players in Division I basketball averaging at least 21 points, five assists and four rebounds.[/i]

Evans is just a rebound per game short of that, and over a point ahead (22.6 PPG / 5.0 APG / 3.0 RPG)

(12-01-2016 03:58 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  

(12-01-2016 03:08 PM)BlazerGold09 Wrote:  

(12-01-2016 02:34 PM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  Nice write up BlazerGold09.

I must say that I had to chuckle when I read your #1 comment regarding the trio from Rice being all but guaranteed to put up 60 per game. My thinking was that I would be surprised if they achieved that amount in Norfolk later this month. Not saying it couldn't happen, just that I would not want to bet on them doing it.

I then had to chuckle again when I got down to your comments about Old Dominion and how you felt that you weren't sure any conference team would score 65 against them. That seemed to go against the comments regarding the Rice trio, at least in that particular match-up.

Personally I just long for the day that ODU can play as well on the offensive end as they do on the defensive end. Then we will have something to talk about.

Everything goes out the window offensively for any team when they play ODU. They are terrifyingly good on defense.

Which some ODU fans want to throw out in the name of better offense.........

ODUs defense is legit and it will be all year. That will keep them in the realm of conference championship, but it will come down to the development of the offense; particularly Caver and Talley. If they can become decent scores, the team will be in contention.

Like I wrote on the ODU Boards, ODU's defense will keep them in every game. ODU's offense will keep their opponent in every game.

(12-01-2016 09:37 PM)BlazerGold09 Wrote:  

(12-01-2016 08:51 PM)FlyHawk98 Wrote:  I didn't realize you wrote it. I appreciate you taking the time to do all of that.

I will also note that we have been without CJ Burks so far this season. Getting him back will be a HUGE help for us.

We also beat Ohio without Terrence Thompson and he is expected to be out for around another 2 weeks.

So we will not be full strength until going into conference play.

Marshall and North Texas are two teams who should be significantly better come conference play for various personnel reasons. You could even throw in UAB who's breaking in a shooting guard at point.

I personally think Terrence Thompson is the X factor for Marshall. He has the ability to be a solid rebounder and a legit mismatch in the paint. Taylor needs him to be good. Those two can't be effective with out each other playing at a high level.

unless north texas gets a new coach by conference time...don't expect anything but a loss from the team...

Marshall has won every game it should have so far by an avg win margin of 15.4. Marshall did get throttled by Ohio State where they couldn't make a shot to save their life. Also D'Antoni had suspended Ryan Taylor for his late double technical in the Jackson State game. I don't think Taylor's presence would have mattered much in that game. But come next year we will miss him a ton more than we miss James Kelly. I'm hoping Phil Bledsoe or Jannson Williams (who is RS right now) can step in and take his place. Bledsoe has shown a few flashes of what he will be able to do in the future in the 1st 6 games.

FAU hasn't lost to a school with a losing record yet but I don't see any improvement either. They are 2-4 with losses to:

Texas State 4-3 -- RPI 226
UT Martin 6-2 -- RPI 114
SIU Edwardsville 4-3 -- RPI 147
Hawaii 4-3 -- RPI 303

Their 2 wins are over:

Edward Waters College -- NAIA
USF 4-2 -- RPI 235

I had to look Edward Waters up, I had never heard of it. Its an NAIA in Jacksonville FL. Michael Curry may be a good coach, he may be even a better person. But to me I think he is in way over his head at FAU. He has just started his 3rd year but he is 19-48 (9-20, 8-24, 2-4).

I don't like to harp on this to much but because of facilities or lack there of I think it will be extremely difficult for anyone to win at FAU, FIU or UTSA. They might have a decent season ever so often but as for building a program there I don't see it until they upgrade facilities.

(12-01-2016 02:20 PM)mturn017 Wrote:  Good stuff as usual 09. I do disagree with one thing. I believe CUSA will be a two bid league. MT will only lose two games the rest of the season. The first to ODU in Murfreesboro and the second to ODU in the title game. That should be plenty sufficient to get them an at large bid.

MT will never go an entire regular season with only 3 total losses (much less an entire Regular season and Conf. tournament). Not that optimistic on total losses or getting two bids for CUSA to the Dance. But, would love to see CUSA get two and for MT to steamroll everybody on the way. MBB prognostication is incredibly difficult. You will have a better handle in about Mid January.

Biggest concern is that our conference RPI is currently ranked 21st over all and half of the conference (7) has an RPI ranked 250+

We have 3 teams ranked over 300 in RPI.

(12-02-2016 09:27 AM)BlazerGold09 Wrote:  The more we talk about it the more I'm leaning in your direction. They are what they are and that should be good enough to be a top team in C-USA.

The way D'Antoni chose to build the team around the squad he was handed instead of running 50-60% of the team off. I feel we are about a half year or so a head of where we would be had he run everyone off.

This was the roster in D'Antoni's 1st year:
Shawn Smith Sr (Herrion JR College recruit, didn't fit Dan's system at all though)
Stevie Browning Current redshirt Jr (Transfer from DII Fairmont State - D'Antoni Transfer)
Jay Johnson Jr (Herrion recruit that Dan didn't nix his commit, would transfer to Kentucky Wesleyan his SR year)
Chech Sane Sr (Decent JR College player but was a Herrion recruit that didn't fit Dan's syetem at all)
CJ Burks Fr (D'Antoni Recruit)
DeVince Boykins RS Jr (Herrion Recurit that should have never played DI ball, Transferred to GA Southern his SR year)
Aleksa Nikolic Fr (D'Antoni Recruit)
Justin Edmonds RS Jr (Herrion Recruit that Dan didn't nix, decent player until he tore his ACL)
James Kelly Current redshirt JR (Lost year of eligibility) (D'Antoni Transfer)
Ryan Taylor RS So (Herrion Recruit, one of a few Herrion recruits that worked out)
JP Kambola RS Sr (Herrion recruit that played very little the 4 years he was at Marshall)
Tamron Manning Jr (Herrion Recruit that should have never been on a DI team, transferred Kentucky Wesleyan)
Brett Bowling Fr (D'Antoni Recruit, transferred to WV Wesleyan this year for playing time)
Austin Loop RS So (Herrion Walk-On. one of the few that worked out for Herrion)

In all honesty Jay Johnson, Shawn Smith, Chech Sane, Tamron Manning, DeVince Boykins and JP Kambola either didn't fit Dan's system or should have never had a DI Scholarship. I'm suuprised he actuall won 11 games with these kids on the floor a majority of the time.

The way Marshall is built right now is to shot lights out with our guards. In a few years when Jannson Williams, Tanner Robinette and Iran Bennett are integrated into the game we will be able to get down low and bang and clang at times. Right now that's not happening.

DD getting hired so late in the process definitely didn't help him out.

(12-01-2016 02:34 PM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  Nice write up BlazerGold09.

I must say that I had to chuckle when I read your #1 comment regarding the trio from Rice being all but guaranteed to put up 60 per game. My thinking was that I would be surprised if they achieved that amount in Norfolk later this month. Not saying it couldn't happen, just that I would not want to bet on them doing it.

I then had to chuckle again when I got down to your comments about Old Dominion and how you felt that you weren't sure any conference team would score 65 against them. That seemed to go against the comments regarding the Rice trio, at least in that particular match-up.

Personally I just long for the day that ODU can play as well on the offensive end as they do on the defensive end. Then we will have something to talk about.

How about we go 3OT on New Years Eve so:
-you can hold us to just 62 in regulation
-our big 3 gets their ~20 points each before fouling out in 2nd or 3rd OT, and
-our newfound depth eventually wears down the home team to get the win :)
Rice 84, ODU 81 (3OT)

(12-03-2016 11:04 AM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(12-01-2016 02:34 PM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  Nice write up BlazerGold09.

I must say that I had to chuckle when I read your #1 comment regarding the trio from Rice being all but guaranteed to put up 60 per game. My thinking was that I would be surprised if they achieved that amount in Norfolk later this month. Not saying it couldn't happen, just that I would not want to bet on them doing it.

I then had to chuckle again when I got down to your comments about Old Dominion and how you felt that you weren't sure any conference team would score 65 against them. That seemed to go against the comments regarding the Rice trio, at least in that particular match-up.

Personally I just long for the day that ODU can play as well on the offensive end as they do on the defensive end. Then we will have something to talk about.

How about we go 3OT on New Years Eve so:
-you can hold us to just 62 in regulation
-our big 3 gets their ~20 points each before fouling out in 2nd or 3rd OT, and
-our newfound depth eventually wears down the home team to get the win :)
Rice 84, ODU 81 (3OT)

At the end of the 3rd overtime the score would more likely be -

ODU 74
Rice 70

If that were to happen then I could see those 3 players mentioned earlier for Rice each scoring their 20 points with the rest of team totaling 10. Whatever happens, unless I am out of town on vacation I will be there with my wife.

On a more serious note though, I am hopeful (and do believe) that coach Jones will have the team playing better offensively by the time they get to the game against Rice. If not then every game is likely to be a defensive dog fight this season as that is going to be their chance to win in every game. Fortunately for them, not very many teams play that defense first style and I believe that it comes as a shock to most teams that come up against it, at least for the first time each season (some teams are played more than once).