(03-06-2022 10:48 PM)Basketball Jones Wrote:  If we do get to the Finals and it happens to be Kent St. as our opponent, I think the key number is 70 points. We have only lost 1 game the entire season when we reached 70 points and that was that game at Ball St when we scored 83 points but still lost by 10 to the hot shooting Cardinals. Kent’s formula against Toledo in their two victories was to slow down the pace, make it a half-court game and not let Toledo get out on the break where they have been deadly this season.

Easier said than done but we are going to have find a way to speed up the pace of the game and get Kent St out of there comfort zone. Kent St is only averaging 71ppg. so they do not want to make this into a track meet which would favor the Rockets. They imposed their will on Toledo the first two games. Toledo will have to do the same to Kent next Saturday night if they want to capture the Tournament Championship. Hopefully we'll will have that opportunity!

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Forget Kent! Let’s not forget that Central Michigan beat Kent State in their MAC conference opener. There’s a good probability Toledo and Kent won’t even face each other this week. We know for certain the Rockets will have to play the Chips on Thursday and that CMU can knock the Rockets off course if they are aiming for other orbits.

CMU’s record is deceptive. They have played a top caliber schedule including Missouri, DePaul, Gonzaga, Kentucky, and Xavier out of conference. In the MAC Central beat Kent St 72-69 in their season opener. They defeated Miami 83-69. They nearly defeated Akron 57-56. KSU 73-71 and UT 68-66. “They have proven that they can play with the best teams in this league.

Central Michigan boasts five players standing 6 foot 10 or taller, and they will try and use their height to their advantage.. If UT can get out on the fast break early and often, limit turnovers and dominate the boards on the defensive end, it should be a winning result. However, if turnovers and offensive rebounds and foul trouble plague the Rockets early, it could give the underdog Chips confidence and prove to be a difficult night for the Rockets.

Central has an excellent and maturing freshman point guard in Kevin Miller. He is 3rd in the MAC in assists, and a 3 pt threat. In Feb. he had 4 games where he scored more than 24 pts and had 5 or more assists. At this point in the season he is playing with composure under pressure and is a solid candidate for MAC FOY

Cameron Healy 6’3, is another 3 pt threat,. He scored 32 points against Kent going 7-15 from beyond the arc and 7-8 on free throws to lead the Chippewas in a physical, emotionally charged slugfest with Kent State

6’7 Ralph Bissainthe had a career best performance against Ball State last year, scoring 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He averages 10 PPG, while leading the team in rebounds (6.9), steals (1.6), and blocks (0.8). His ability to impact the game in a multitude of ways will have a big impact on this game.

Harrison Henderson 6’11 is a presence inside. In the last matchup against the Rockets he finished with 15 pts and 9 boards.

Like the Rockets Central doesn’t get much from their bench especially since losing Jermaine Jackson Jr (who quit the team to go pro in January) and Oscar Lopez for the season. With 6’11 Stafl Miroslav. They do have some size coming off the bench.

(03-07-2022 03:03 AM)Sleepy Wrote:  Forget Kent! Let’s not forget that Central Michigan beat Kent State in their MAC conference opener. There’s a good probability Toledo and Kent won’t even face each other this week. We know for certain the Rockets will have to play the Chips on Thursday and that CMU can knock the Rockets off course if they are aiming for other orbits.

CMU’s record is deceptive. They have played a top caliber schedule including Missouri, DePaul, Gonzaga, Kentucky, and Xavier out of conference. In the MAC Central beat Kent St 72-69 in their season opener. They defeated Miami 83-69. They nearly defeated Akron 57-56. KSU 73-71 and UT 68-66. “They have proven that they can play with the best teams in this league.

Central Michigan boasts five players standing 6 foot 10 or taller, and they will try and use their height to their advantage.. If UT can get out on the fast break early and often, limit turnovers and dominate the boards on the defensive end, it should be a winning result. However, if turnovers and offensive rebounds and foul trouble plague the Rockets early, it could give the underdog Chips confidence and prove to be a difficult night for the Rockets.

Central has an excellent and maturing freshman point guard in Kevin Miller. He is 3rd in the MAC in assists, and a 3 pt threat. In Feb. he had 4 games where he scored more than 24 pts and had 5 or more assists. At this point in the season he is playing with composure under pressure and is a solid candidate for MAC FOY

Cameron Healy 6’3, is another 3 pt threat,. He scored 32 points against Kent going 7-15 from beyond the arc and 7-8 on free throws to lead the Chippewas in a physical, emotionally charged slugfest with Kent State

6’7 Ralph Bissainthe had a career best performance against Ball State last year, scoring 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He averages 10 PPG, while leading the team in rebounds (6.9), steals (1.6), and blocks (0.8). His ability to impact the game in a multitude of ways will have a big impact on this game.

Harrison Henderson 6’11 is a presence inside. In the last matchup against the Rockets he finished with 15 pts and 9 boards.

Like the Rockets Central doesn’t get much from their bench especially since losing Jermaine Jackson Jr (who quit the team to go pro in January) and Oscar Lopez for the season. With 6’11 Stafl Miroslav. They do have some size coming off the bench.

Now we're even MORE stressed.

All great points. Do you have a theory or ideas how we went from a nearly 30 pt win at their court to a 2 pt win on ours, the game after Kent?

(03-07-2022 02:52 AM)pono Wrote:  

(03-06-2022 10:48 PM)Basketball Jones Wrote:  If we do get to the Finals and it happens to be Kent St. as our opponent, I think the key number is 70 points. We have only lost 1 game the entire season when we reached 70 points and that was that game at Ball St when we scored 83 points but still lost by 10 to the hot shooting Cardinals. Kent’s formula against Toledo in their two victories was to slow down the pace, make it a half-court game and not let Toledo get out on the break where they have been deadly this season.

Easier said than done but we are going to have find a way to speed up the pace of the game and get Kent St out of there comfort zone. Kent St is only averaging 71ppg. so they do not want to make this into a track meet which would favor the Rockets. They imposed their will on Toledo the first two games. Toledo will have to do the same to Kent next Saturday night if they want to capture the Tournament Championship. Hopefully we'll will have that opportunity!

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I learned my lesson (the hard way)!

Our up hill battle at the tourney

1. CMU is still playing hard and believe in their coach staff...we will probably win but it'll be close.

2. Akron plays 7 proven players and we play 6.. Saunders...Akron is tough and hardcore like the Rockets... this game will be close and goes either way..Their coach has been there done it...

3. Kent has 9 legit players that have played all year and have been developed for the tourney. Kent will not play bad in the home gym in the national spot lite...

4. I think rocket fans, at least casual fans think this is gonna be easy...I think this will be tough real tough

5. I'm on the ledge...

Sadly, they're going to have to win it all in Cleveland to make the Tourney. I think they are a SCARY team for a 4-13 or 5-12 matchup to have, and would definitely pick them as my upset special should they make it...but there are a lot of games between now and Selection Sunday.

(03-07-2022 09:47 AM)Kid Rocket Wrote:  Our up hill battle at the tourney

1. CMU is still playing hard and believe in their coach staff...we will probably win but it'll be close.

2. Akron plays 7 proven players and we play 6.. Saunders...Akron is tough and hardcore like the Rockets... this game will be close and goes either way..Their coach has been there done it...

3. Kent has 9 legit players that have played all year and have been developed for the tourney. Kent will not play bad in the home gym in the national spot lite...

4. I think rocket fans, at least casual fans think this is gonna be easy...I think this will be tough real tough

5. I'm on the ledge...

CMU is 7-22. Yes, we struggled against them a couple weeks ago and our offense against the zone has to be better, but if we can’t win this game then what are we even doing here? Defend the 3. Move the ball on offense. Jump on them early.

Akron/Buffalo should be a heck of a game, and the winner will have been through a battle. Akron is on a winning streak lately but hasn’t looked good in a couple of those games. They play good d, but they’ve got plenty of flaws. Will be a battle on the boards in this game. Buffalo wants to play a faster pace, Akron is more of a grind it out team.

Kent has an easy road. They’re on the charmin soft side of the bracket. Miami - soft. Ohio - soft and reeling. Ball State — meh.

Won’t be easy. Winning 3 in 3 days never is. What’s important is that if you get the chance to win one easy, you capitalize, get some rest and some stress free minutes.

I like our chances against Kent State if it plays out that way in a showdown with them Saturday night. Playing tough/physical D like they do gets much more difficult when you're playing back-to-back-to-back nights. Which also scares me equally for us and our legs with the lack of depth we have.

We'll beat Kent by 10 if we replay.

It looks like many are still quite aware of our "history" in this tournament.

It's been like Lucy and the football.

1) avoid injuries. not going to summarize it, but almost every UT team with a good shot at the MAC tourney in the past 30 years has had untimely key injuries/suspensions.

2) avoid a draining opening round game. i.e. going to overtime with Ball St. If CMU plays a zone against us as expected that will reduce some wear and tear, but could also keep the pace and score down and the game close. Hope the 4/5 game is a grinder and we get a less rested team in the semis (gotta get there first).

3) don't panic if we get behind. stay focused, play our basketball and respond well to deficits or opponent runs.

4) get to the rim. it can be tough to adjust to giant arenas and players tend to struggle with jumpers at first. get good shots and trust that as the tourney moves forward the 3s will start to fall.

5) who knows who will play who. there will probably be upsets. someone will probably go to OT and then have to come back and win or go home on tired legs the next day. one game at a time.

Well I sure hope this isn't a sign, but Furman University was a mere 4 seconds away from advancing to the NCAA tourney tonight but instead lost on a buzzer beater. FU, just like UT, also has a 42-year tourney drought. Just a gut-wrenching loss that we all can relate to. So close, yet so far away. Hope our Rockets don't follow that trend this year.

(03-07-2022 09:31 PM)inductchuck16 Wrote:  Well I sure hope this isn't a sign, but Furman University was a mere 4 seconds away from advancing to the NCAA tourney tonight but instead lost on a buzzer beater. FU, just like UT, also has a 42-year tourney drought. Just a gut-wrenching loss that we all can relate to. So close, yet so far away. Hope our Rockets don't follow that trend this year.

Saw that as well! You got to feel for those Furman Players who were 4 seconds and a half court shot with 3 people guarding the Chattanooga Player away from making The Big Dance after a 41 year hiatus. I told my Son if that happens to Toledo Saturday night, they might have to talk me down off the roof at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse!

(03-07-2022 09:45 PM)Basketball Jones Wrote:  

(03-07-2022 09:31 PM)inductchuck16 Wrote:  Well I sure hope this isn't a sign, but Furman University was a mere 4 seconds away from advancing to the NCAA tourney tonight but instead lost on a buzzer beater. FU, just like UT, also has a 42-year tourney drought. Just a gut-wrenching loss that we all can relate to. So close, yet so far away. Hope our Rockets don't follow that trend this year.

Saw that as well! You got to feel for those Furman Players who were 4 seconds and a half court shot with 3 people guarding the Chattanooga Player away from making The Big Dance after a 41 hiatus. I told my Son that if that happens to Toledo Saturday night, they might have to talk me down off the roof at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse!

I'm right with you. I won't be able to handle a loss like that.

(03-07-2022 03:04 PM)pono Wrote:  1) avoid injuries. not going to summarize it, but almost every UT team with a good shot at the MAC tourney in the past 30 years has had untimely key injuries/suspensions.

2) avoid a draining opening round game. i.e. going to overtime with Ball St. If CMU plays a zone against us as expected that will reduce some wear and tear, but could also keep the pace and score down and the game close. Hope the 4/5 game is a grinder and we get a less rested team in the semis (gotta get there first).

3) don't panic if we get behind. stay focused, play our basketball and respond well to deficits or opponent runs.

4) get to the rim. it can be tough to adjust to giant arenas and players tend to struggle with jumpers at first. get good shots and trust that as the tourney moves forward the 3s will start to fall.

5) who knows who will play who. there will probably be upsets. someone will probably go to OT and then have to come back and win or go home on tired legs the next day. one game at a time.

Your first two are most important. An injury to one of our starting five would end the tournament. It’s also important to get ahead of Central early, build the lead and allow guys 6 thru 9 to get some minutes.

(03-08-2022 01:24 AM)Rocket_Fanatic Wrote:  

(03-07-2022 03:04 PM)pono Wrote:  1) avoid injuries. not going to summarize it, but almost every UT team with a good shot at the MAC tourney in the past 30 years has had untimely key injuries/suspensions.

2) avoid a draining opening round game. i.e. going to overtime with Ball St. If CMU plays a zone against us as expected that will reduce some wear and tear, but could also keep the pace and score down and the game close. Hope the 4/5 game is a grinder and we get a less rested team in the semis (gotta get there first).

3) don't panic if we get behind. stay focused, play our basketball and respond well to deficits or opponent runs.

4) get to the rim. it can be tough to adjust to giant arenas and players tend to struggle with jumpers at first. get good shots and trust that as the tourney moves forward the 3s will start to fall.

5) who knows who will play who. there will probably be upsets. someone will probably go to OT and then have to come back and win or go home on tired legs the next day. one game at a time.

Your first two are most important. An injury to one of our starting five would end the tournament. It’s also important to get ahead of Central early, build the lead and allow guys 6 thru 9 to get some minutes.

Injuries happen. Doing something different to try and avoid them I don't think will lead to wins and probably more likely to lead to injury because the player is doing something out of the ordinary. The team need five players on full go.


Just play. It's worked so far, without any game missing injuries. If they do, that's when not to panic. Just adjust, next man up.

A lot of great posts and PASSION for the Rockets to get over the hump. I am confident in these kids. I know the 2 Kent games were important losses but these kids have much more maturity and composure than past UT teams. My gut feeling is that we will get to the finals. Our defense has been so much improved that I feel good about CMU and the semis. Kent roughed us up and we did not respond in the loss at home. But I sense that our gang very much wants another shot. Let's hope TK and staff have some ideas to throw Kent off their game.

Some one has mentioned that we need to respond and HOPE that the game is called as loose as the game in Toledo. I think that we have the mental toughness on the starters to play with Kent. Not an easy match up but certainly the making of a great finals. I hope that the Rocket faithful travel, especially against Kent. They will have a great following and I hope we do the same.

Not going to be able to make Saturday but I would love to be at the first round of the NCAA. It's been 40+ years since I was at our last NCAA game at WKU! Would love to be at our next!! GO ROCKETS!

The following Statistics back up the assertion that Toledo is going into the Tournament playing some of their best basketball of the season:

During their current 5-game winning streak, the Rockets are averaging 87.2 ppg to go along with a 52.2 FG% and 40.9 three-point FG%. Equally as important, on the defensive end, they have held their last 5 opponents to 64.2 ppg and a 36.9 FG%.

While we know recent statistics will not win them any games in Cleveland, they do indicate a high level that they are currently playing at which I think bodes well for the Rockets. The challenge for Toledo will be to duplicate that high level of play over 3 nights, and if they can do that, I like their chances!