(01-10-2024 05:25 AM)EMU 83 Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 09:48 PM)EMUGLORYDAYSthe90s Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 09:30 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  Back in the day, when EMU played basketball at a level that was highly respected in the Midwest, our fans used to start each game on their feet, clapping, yelling and cheering the team to play smothering defense that lasted until the opposing team scored. Often times, the raucous cheering would last several minutes while the EMU players fed off the crowd energy.This support gave the EMU team energy on dreary games played on Tuesdays where the crowd demanded a great start to every home game. Clearly a home court advantage!


Fast forward 25 years, season after season of enormous losses and uninspiring play, today I got the sense that EMU has no upward trajectory. It’s a collection of good players but missing key pieces to make it a consistently good team led by a coach who is just happy to be here but no drive to get the team to the top. This season undoubtedly will be another season where losses pile up while the fan base ponders what direction does EMU basketball go in the future???


Just a very embarrassing effort by coaches and players today!

Preach preach preach! Phenomenal post! Bowen field house was standing room only packed to the rafters! Boykins should be hired tomorrow! He truly understands the GLORY DAYS! Even if we go 16-15, 17-14! Tod K lost his entire team from last season, and they're 3-0 in the MAC! W Mich looks like a different team quick!

Oh those Bowen days! Those crowds were fueled by students, not a bunch of retirees who have bad knees! I counted 11 students in the student section. Thank goodness for the pep band who brought the only energy I saw all night.

This teams efforts deserve better crowds. Last year crowds were Emoni Bates fans. No Bates. No more crowds.

(01-10-2024 07:07 AM)emu79 Wrote:  CMU had a historical 3 point shooting night. Not probable they will shoot that well again. But going back to the Oakland U game teams have found that if they can limit Acuff in some way it greatly increases their chance of winning. See Kent St and CMU. Lovejoy fills part of that gap but maybe not enough.

This was my takeaway as well. We aren’t good enough to overcome another team’s hot shooting and our best player struggling from the floor. The first half went fine, but then it unraveled in the 2nd half. I don’t anticipate us playing that poorly all year, but there will be hiccups like that if Acuff isn’t hot. Simple as that.

Bounce back on Saturday. 2-2 to start MAC play would be solid.

This seems to be the year of trapping the ball handler. CMU handle the trap really well which lead to many easy baskets. We on the other hand didn't.

(01-10-2024 07:36 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  Bounce back on Saturday. 2-2 to start MAC play would be solid.

Well said!!

(01-10-2024 07:11 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-10-2024 05:25 AM)EMU 83 Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 09:48 PM)EMUGLORYDAYSthe90s Wrote:  

(01-09-2024 09:30 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  Back in the day, when EMU played basketball at a level that was highly respected in the Midwest, our fans used to start each game on their feet, clapping, yelling and cheering the team to play smothering defense that lasted until the opposing team scored. Often times, the raucous cheering would last several minutes while the EMU players fed off the crowd energy.This support gave the EMU team energy on dreary games played on Tuesdays where the crowd demanded a great start to every home game. Clearly a home court advantage!


Fast forward 25 years, season after season of enormous losses and uninspiring play, today I got the sense that EMU has no upward trajectory. It’s a collection of good players but missing key pieces to make it a consistently good team led by a coach who is just happy to be here but no drive to get the team to the top. This season undoubtedly will be another season where losses pile up while the fan base ponders what direction does EMU basketball go in the future???


Just a very embarrassing effort by coaches and players today!

Preach preach preach! Phenomenal post! Bowen field house was standing room only packed to the rafters! Boykins should be hired tomorrow! He truly understands the GLORY DAYS! Even if we go 16-15, 17-14! Tod K lost his entire team from last season, and they're 3-0 in the MAC! W Mich looks like a different team quick!

Oh those Bowen days! Those crowds were fueled by students, not a bunch of retirees who have bad knees! I counted 11 students in the student section. Thank goodness for the pep band who brought the only energy I saw all night.

This teams efforts deserve better crowds. Last year crowds were Emoni Bates fans. No Bates. No more crowds.

Unfortunately effort will not bring fans into the GGA but Wins would do wonders!

(01-10-2024 07:07 AM)emu79 Wrote:  CMU had a historical 3 point shooting night. Not probable they will shoot that well again. But going back to the Oakland U game teams have found that if they can limit Acuff in some way it greatly increases their chance of winning. See Kent St and CMU. Lovejoy fills part of that gap but maybe not enough.

The most distressing thing I saw in the game? Lovejoy went back into the locker room during the second half and came out with a massager he was using on his lower back area. Acuff clearly is the "straw that stirs our drink" but without Orlando playing 30 minutes a game our chances for Cleveland are indeed DOA.

Just FYI the George gervin center doors will not open until an hour before game time. No more standing in the lobby until the gate opens.

Nobody watching after that CMU game, huh?

Just started watching. Eastern down 51-48 at the 8 minute timeout of the second half… Let’s go EMU!!

Seems to be falling apart. Miami now up 7 and with the ball with 5 min left. Lovejoy fouled out already with only 2 points on only 1/8 shooting.

(01-13-2024 02:35 PM)RamyEMU Wrote:  Nobody watching after that CMU game, huh?

Just started watching. Eastern down 51-48 at the 8 minute timeout of the second half… Let’s go EMU!!

Brutal shooting for EMU. Lovejoy was off and the team is only 20% from behind the arc.

Whistle-happy refs don't help either. 33 fouls called so far.

Dear RamyEMU,
Thanks for the update. Let's hope Eastern can pull out a victory.

(01-13-2024 02:45 PM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  

(01-13-2024 02:35 PM)RamyEMU Wrote:  Nobody watching after that CMU game, huh?

Just started watching. Eastern down 51-48 at the 8 minute timeout of the second half… Let’s go EMU!!

Brutal shooting for EMU. Lovejoy was off and the team is only 20% from behind the arc.

Whistle-happy refs don't help either. 33 fouls called so far.

At least the fouls are somewhat even. Agree, shooting looks horrible all around for EMU… down by 15 with 3 minutes to go… this one is over, wondering if that CMU loss rattled them.

EMU loses with a final score of 71-54.

A tale of two completely different MAC seasons from week 1 to week 2…. Hoping these guys can recover in week 3.

Dear RamyEMU,
Thanks again for giving your thoughts with the final score. I've said it before, I am not a knowledgeable basketball fan. What I do think though, is that Eastern needs to find players that are consistent scorers. Not necessarily scoring forty points a game, but someone that can be consistent with fifteen to twenty-five points per game. We seem to have players that score what I have just said, in one game, but score five points in the next game.

(01-13-2024 03:13 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear RamyEMU,
Thanks again for giving your thoughts with the final score. I've said it before, I am not a knowledgeable basketball fan. What I do think though, is that Eastern needs to find players that are consistent scorers. Not necessarily scoring forty points a game, but someone that can be consistent with fifteen to twenty-five points per game. We seem to have players that score what I have just said, in one game, but score five points in the next game.

Ken, honestly, this team is not very talented. Stan Heath is a super class guy that knows basketball but is he going to recruit like Nate Oats at Buffalo, Greg Kampe at Oakland or Dick Vitale at UDM? NO! He is on the back nine of his career, we hired a "Herm Edwards" to coach our MBB team. I love Stan, but it is what it is.

https://utepminers.com/sports/mens-baske...ykins/2883
Jerry, He should be called tomorrow! W Mich is 4-0 in the MAC, Toledo lost their entire team, they're probably going to be 4-0 in the MAC, C Mich just embarrassed us! Heath is a great guy, but his career coaching record is 235-259!

(01-13-2024 07:20 PM)EMUGLORYDAYSthe90s Wrote:  https://utepminers.com/sports/mens-baske...ykins/2883
Jerry, He should be called tomorrow! W Mich is 4-0 in the MAC, Toledo lost their entire team, they're probably going to be 4-0 in the MAC, C Mich just embarrassed us! Heath is a great guy, but his career coaching record is 235-259!

I'm not vehemently disagreeing with you, BUT:

Do you have the financial resources to buy Stan's contract out? I don't.

Stan may be 235-239, but Earl is 0-0 as a head coach.

Do you really want another alum to head the program when another has failed? The pile of previous alums who failed at their alma maters is HUGE, Juwaun Howard, Patrick Ewing, Toledo Tom, Tim Lester, Chris Mullin, I could go on forever.

Finally. How much of you have seen of Earl around EMU since he left? Just sayin.  

(01-13-2024 06:13 PM)Jerry Weaver Wrote:  

(01-13-2024 03:13 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear RamyEMU,
Thanks again for giving your thoughts with the final score. I've said it before, I am not a knowledgeable basketball fan. What I do think though, is that Eastern needs to find players that are consistent scorers. Not necessarily scoring forty points a game, but someone that can be consistent with fifteen to twenty-five points per game. We seem to have players that score what I have just said, in one game, but score five points in the next game.

Ken, honestly, this team is not very talented. Stan Heath is a super class guy that knows basketball but is he going to recruit like Nate Oats at Buffalo, Greg Kampe at Oakland or Dick Vitale at UDM? NO! He is on the back nine of his career, we hired a "Herm Edwards" to coach our MBB team. I love Stan, but it is what it is.

Agree Jerry but us EMU fans should not have to suffer. If we do not finish 0.500 in the MAC, Stan should be let go. Last season Stan had better than average talent but he didn’t coach them up. I have not seen enough in game adjustments made by Stan to help this team. Unfortunately my preseason prediction of 5-7 MAC wins might be expecting too much from this team. We absolutely have ZERO low post scoring threats so teams can focus on the perimeter. It’s going to be a long season.

(01-13-2024 03:13 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear RamyEMU,
Thanks again for giving your thoughts with the final score. I've said it before, I am not a knowledgeable basketball fan. What I do think though, is that Eastern needs to find players that are consistent scorers. Not necessarily scoring forty points a game, but someone that can be consistent with fifteen to twenty-five points per game. We seem to have players that score what I have just said, in one game, but score five points in the next game.

Ken, EMU already has the closest thing to consistent scorers in the backcourt since the 90’s. TyCuff has not been shut down all year. And Lovejoy has only had one off game (yesterday) since returning from injury- if it happens again I will change my conclusion.

The third option Osojnik is where we start to see inconsistency- he alternates between lighting it up and disappearing, but he is only a freshman. Ellerbe is not as offensively prolific, but is somewhat reliable with what he contributes.

I think the real inconsistency mainly comes from the play of the frontcourt both as a group as well as on an individual basis. But not putting all the blame for them. Coaching could set up easier plays for them to get going. And at times our guards start doing the dribble around thing too much- renders the frontcourt and others a bit flat footed. The frontcourt misses opportunities for rebounds, and when they do rebound often squander easy put backs, and mishandle passes a lot. The latter of which is partly why the guards start resorting to depending on their drives rather then passing it off. It’s a vicious cycle.

Coach Heath did a great job of getting this team ready for team oriented basketball at the beginning of the season. It has become stale for multiple reasons. He needs to reinforce this and freshen it up with some additional plays. Hopefully the consistency will improve thereafter.

(01-13-2024 11:34 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(01-13-2024 06:13 PM)Jerry Weaver Wrote:  

(01-13-2024 03:13 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear RamyEMU,
Thanks again for giving your thoughts with the final score. I've said it before, I am not a knowledgeable basketball fan. What I do think though, is that Eastern needs to find players that are consistent scorers. Not necessarily scoring forty points a game, but someone that can be consistent with fifteen to twenty-five points per game. We seem to have players that score what I have just said, in one game, but score five points in the next game.

Ken, honestly, this team is not very talented. Stan Heath is a super class guy that knows basketball but is he going to recruit like Nate Oats at Buffalo, Greg Kampe at Oakland or Dick Vitale at UDM? NO! He is on the back nine of his career, we hired a "Herm Edwards" to coach our MBB team. I love Stan, but it is what it is.

Agree Jerry but us EMU fans should not have to suffer. If we do not finish 0.500 in the MAC, Stan should be let go. Last season Stan had better than average talent but he didn’t coach them up. I have not seen enough in game adjustments made by Stan to help this team. Unfortunately my preseason prediction of 5-7 MAC wins might be expecting too much from this team. We absolutely have ZERO low post scoring threats so teams can focus on the perimeter. It’s going to be a long season.

Lucky if I had $775K to spare, I would buy him out tomorrow. I don't and based on how we piddled around with Castro, I think he is our coach until March 2026.