(01-19-2022 10:46 PM)RodShaw2 Wrote:  

(01-19-2022 10:40 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  

(01-19-2022 10:10 PM)RodShaw2 Wrote:  Hello... Hello... Anybody here? We won... Anybody?

( I know and see those who are posting, mine is directed at people, they know who)

THAT was an awesome game. Awesome finish. We finally figured out how to finish. This game was so so important psychologically going forward. We were down for 33 mins for the most part - and then hit the gas and got going. I really like our full court pressure and I think we should use it more. After tonight, we just might. If I’m poster I would point out the post and minute and date I said that… lol. I’m way too tired to look it up! And just joking around here, don’t get all nasty towards me.

I agree about Dez and his comments about Vonnie. Really impressive. If you think he’s some kind of a “Bartow clone,” that’s proof positive he’s not. I’ve never heard any coach of ours ever do that. He’s awesome and really cares about his players.

Problem is, as we establish what the team identity is, we keep losing parts and that is going to make it much harder to play the way we need to to be successful.

A Patterson style player is pretty much exactly what this team needs to complete a 9 man rotation. a big wing who can guard, who can knock down the shot and drive if needed.

(Yes I know a "Big") but yeah my point still stands.

Although I agree, this team just took on one of the longest teams in the SoCon and beat them on athleticism and pressure defense without Vonnie. This is exactly what we should do from now on. The Bucs also finally truly finished off a game. Although I wish we still had Adekhe and Patterson, we don’t, and we have to figure out how to win without them. This game was huge in figuring that out. Now don’t go lay an egg against Citadel, who isn’t good.

(01-19-2022 10:40 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  THAT was an awesome game. Awesome finish. We finally figured out how to finish. This game was so so important psychologically going forward. We were down for 33 mins for the most part - and then hit the gas and got going. I really like our full court pressure and I think we should use it more. After tonight, we just might. If I’m poster I would point out the post and minute and date I said that… lol. I’m way too tired to look it up! And just joking around here, don’t get all nasty towards me.

Not sure that reference to me(?) is a compliment for my perspicacity, or a dig. But whatever.....

But I think you're right about figuring out "how to win". In that last game at Sammie, we *almost* figured out how to lose again. I think somebody (heck, it may even have been Oliver?) said something about how we'd figured out how to win. I almost retorted "not really"; we *maybe* halfway did, but maybe more sorta barely avoided figuring out yet another way to lose again. But this time was different. We actually *did* seem to just push on thru any adversity, and seemed to not lose any confidence. Sure..........Sloan may have been 2/3 of that, but it was infectious. Everybody did their jobs. During the game, I was sensing the emergence of true "leadership". Earlier, it was sort of a shared responsibility, it seemed from afar, spread out among Adheke, LA Brewer, and Sloan, I guess. (And maybe some of Patterson as the veteran, to hear Oliver talk about it pre-season.) Has it now coalesced around Sloan - or was that just a flash in the Freedom Hall pan? That was all my thinking during the game. Then..............post-game, Oliver talks about leadership, and how it's developed, so I guess I was on target with the vibe I was seeing. This is something that was needed (duh) - and if Sloan can keep just penetrating, shooting, and dealing in a low-TO manner like he has been lately, then that's pretty darn capable leadership.

Back to the press you mention......................I'm sure neither you, nor likely anyone else, remembers, but I was ALWAYS a fan of DeChellis's 1-3-1 zone trap press, with Zakee out front, and (shockingly?) Timmy running the baseline (which, true enough, sometimes failed us). And sure........after Zakee and Fields graduated, it couldn't be quite the weapon it had been. But I repeatedly urged bartow to use that more - or whatever version he kept trying. He did some the first two years, but then just flat dropped it. But a press is a two-edged sword. Rick Byrd and Belmont exploited it (whatever version bartow was trying out) mercilessly. It's so much about coaching when up against it. If a coach knows how to teach his team to beat it successfully, again and again, then it becomes a liability to the team employing it. But for this game, it was ideal, as Mercer just seemed lost. I fully agree it could be used more - but remember, we are now THIN. Hard to press much with an 8- or 9-man active roster. (Is Cameron George even still on the team?) So.................yes, brilliant idea there, and thanks for the homage to my long-standing views on the matter.

''perspicacity''

(01-20-2022 05:40 AM)bucfan81 Wrote:  I was elated the way we came out in the second half with aggressiveness and energy. We finally were able to use Mercer's size advantage against them. Our players are lighter but are slightly quicker and it showed in the second half. This is the way we are going to have to play against most teams which have big men. Out run them. Great gutsy win by the Bucs and I think was a critical win. It will be hard to play that way now because of Vonnie leaving but I understand his reasons and I wish him all the best.

Great finish for the Bucs. Appreciate VP’s contributions over the yrs.

Nice to see ETSU recognize the football team and their accomplishments during halftime. Great reception for the team and for Coach Sanders.

Timely to schedule the recognition during the Mercer game, wouldn't you say?

Was there a reason there were no cheerleading/dance teams at the game last night? Is school still out?

(01-20-2022 02:39 PM)Flippmb Wrote:  Nice to see ETSU recognize the football team and their accomplishments during halftime. Great reception for the team and for Coach Sanders.

Timely to schedule the recognition during the Mercer game, wouldn't you say?

I would say the first home game with students back...with time to plan.

(01-20-2022 03:33 PM)RodShaw2 Wrote:  

(01-20-2022 02:39 PM)Flippmb Wrote:  Nice to see ETSU recognize the football team and their accomplishments during halftime. Great reception for the team and for Coach Sanders.

Timely to schedule the recognition during the Mercer game, wouldn't you say?

I would say the first home game with students back...with time to plan.

I was thinking more along the lines of ETSU beating Mercer 38-35 in the final game of the regular season, featuring a dramatic comeback by the Bucs, and a final-seconds missed field goal by Mercer, in a winner-take-all contest for the SoCon Championship.

Maybe I'm overthinking it and it was as simple as you say.

Either way, it certainly seemed appropriate.