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Post by realitycheck on Mar 7, 2019 15:43:57 GMT -6
I couldn't find the thread. Might have been on the old bsufans board, but basically the MAC not only had about 20 guys go into the NBA but somewhere between 8-12 were FIRST ROUND draft picks. Bonzi, Wally, Harper, Thunder Dan, Antonio Daniels, Chris Kaman, Brandon Hunter, Gary Trent, Dave Jamerson, Grant Long, not to mention guys like Snoopy Graham, nevertobe spokens, Trevor Hoffman...just so many uber talented guys. The MAC is nothing like this any more. Cmon.
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Post by cardfan on Mar 7, 2019 15:51:17 GMT -6
I vividly remember the battles we had with those teams. Every game was an intense survival of the Fittest and the talent was VERY obvious. It seemed like every possession was contested and great players made great plays. I mean the league had studs all over the place. Nowadays it’s a turnover and brickfest. I don’t watch games now and think “man that guy is really good.” We had athletes and ballers. Don’t mean to get all nostalgic but the quality (and the intensity level) just doesn’t compare.
And the coaching competency is not close.
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Post by CallingBS on Mar 7, 2019 16:06:25 GMT -6
The MAC this year is not the strongest in history, not as strong as the 1982-97 stretch where we regularly put 2 teams in the NCAA's 64 (not 68) team field, and regularly won tourney games - as in 6 different MAC schools won games in that stretch. However......this year the MAC is better than anytime in the last decade, maybe last 15 years. Regardless of the eye test perception, and posters on here who like to rag on MAC backetball, we're generally regarded by the conference rankings I've seen as the 9th best conference out of 32, & being much closer to 8th than 10th. We've for the first time in maybe forever had a team ranked in the Top 25 almost all year long. Our 2nd highest team is ranked around #55 per KenPom, and perhaps the biggest mark of improvement is that 10 MAC teams are ranked in the top 150. During the Billy Taylor years, we'd struggle to get more than 1 or 2 MAC teams in the top 150. The MAC was significantly better this year than in recent memory vs other mid-major midwestern conferences, i.e. Missouri Valley, Horizon, etc. To think we're rated higher than the Mountain West, and several notches higher than Atlantic-10, MVC, & Colonial is something few would've predicted a few years ago. Of course the double-edge sword of using the "newfound MAC strength" as an excuse for BSU's results is that it's easy to infer that 1) the rest of the conference has passed us by and have improved more than we have, & 2) we were only able to win 20 games previously when the MAC was weaker. Which may all be true but not exactly the spin a struggling coach should want to hang his hat on. This would've been the year that had we been 23-7 or better at this point, and like 15-3 or 14-4 in the MAC that we'd realistically have been the NCAA bubble/NIT conversations. After Buffalo, I just don't see it. I've seen over 30 seasons of MAC ball and too many players and teams to even count that are better than the best our league has to offer this year. Again, Buffalo being the exception this year. Everyone else is not overly impressive. I spun up a thread a few years ago about the pipeline of NBA talent from the MAC over a 20 year stretch. I'll see if I can find it again and re-post. Point is, it's not even close. ^Truth
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Post by CallingBS on Mar 7, 2019 16:07:22 GMT -6
I couldn't find the thread. Might have been on the old bsufans board, but basically the MAC not only had about 20 guys go into the NBA but somewhere between 8-12 were FIRST ROUND draft picks. Bonzi, Wally, Harper, Thunder Dan, Antonio Daniels, Chris Kaman, Brandon Hunter, Gary Trent, Dave Jamerson, Grant Long, not to mention guys like Snoopy Graham, nevertobe spokens, Trevor Hoffman...just so many uber talented guys. The MAC is nothing like this any more. Cmon. ^^Truth
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Post by CallingBS on Mar 7, 2019 16:08:14 GMT -6
I question the algorithms that are used to rate entire conferences against each other. MAC basketball is almost unwatchable compared to other games I watch on television. I think they put too much weight on a ranked team in the conference. Buffalo probably tips the MAC scale disproportionately in the conference rankings. I agree
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Post by Hoopsmith on Mar 7, 2019 16:11:30 GMT -6
I couldn't find the thread. Might have been on the old bsufans board, but basically the MAC not only had about 20 guys go into the NBA but somewhere between 8-12 were FIRST ROUND draft picks. Bonzi, Wally, Harper, Thunder Dan, Antonio Daniels, Chris Kaman, Brandon Hunter, Gary Trent, Dave Jamerson, Grant Long, not to mention guys like Snoopy Graham, nevertobe spokens, Trevor Hoffman...just so many uber talented guys. The MAC is nothing like this any more. Cmon. One you missed: Lorenzo Neely. That guy was unafraid, and used to kill us. And he led the Yips to the Sweet 16 a year later. Whatever happened to their coach? He had very, very good teams at EMU.
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Post by bsu0 on Mar 7, 2019 16:11:33 GMT -6
Sorry guys I meant Buffalo rather than the Rockets. I get so worked up over this b-ball crap I ''losin' my mind just a little''.
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Post by cardfan on Mar 7, 2019 16:17:37 GMT -6
I couldn't find the thread. Might have been on the old bsufans board, but basically the MAC not only had about 20 guys go into the NBA but somewhere between 8-12 were FIRST ROUND draft picks. Bonzi, Wally, Harper, Thunder Dan, Antonio Daniels, Chris Kaman, Brandon Hunter, Gary Trent, Dave Jamerson, Grant Long, not to mention guys like Snoopy Graham, nevertobe spokens, Trevor Hoffman...just so many uber talented guys. The MAC is nothing like this any more. Cmon. One you missed: Lorenzo Neely. That guy was unafraid, and used to kill us. And he led the Yips to the Sweet 16 a year later. Whatever happened to their coach? He had very, very good teams at EMU. Did Braun go to Cal? That sound right?
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Post by ruffledfeathers on Mar 7, 2019 16:21:09 GMT -6
The quality of play is down across the board. Last night's game between Arkansas and Vandy was a real doozy. Vandy had scored 24 in the first half, and at the ten minute mark of the second half had two more points, made possible by a AK goal tend. Watched the last half of Purdue and Minnesota after our game on Tuesday night. Carsen EdwardS was 6-20 with ten minutes to go. He ended the evening 7-31. Can't believe Painter left him in the game.
There are likely 60 more teams in Division1 now than when the MAC was really better. And there are more game played now in the regular season. It's all taken a toll on the quality of play
Go Cards!
RF
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Post by cardfan on Mar 7, 2019 16:23:39 GMT -6
The quality of play is down across the board. Last night's game between Arkansas and Vandy was a real doozy. Vandy had scored 24 in the first half, and at the ten minute mark of the second half had two more points, made possible by a AK goal tend. Watched the last half of Purdue and Minnesota after our game on Tuesday night. Carsen EdwardS was 6-20 with ten minutes to go. He ended the evening 7-31. Can't believe Painter left him in the game. There are likely 60 more teams in Division1 now than when the MAC was really better. And there are more game played now in the regular season. It's all taken a toll on the quality of play Go Cards! RF Yep.
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Post by thebsukid on Mar 7, 2019 18:15:03 GMT -6
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Post by cardfan on Mar 7, 2019 18:28:55 GMT -6
Grant Long— another guy who caused nightmares.
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Post by williamtsherman on Mar 7, 2019 18:32:16 GMT -6
I couldn't find the thread. Might have been on the old bsufans board, but basically the MAC not only had about 20 guys go into the NBA but somewhere between 8-12 were FIRST ROUND draft picks. Bonzi, Wally, Harper, Thunder Dan, Antonio Daniels, Chris Kaman, Brandon Hunter, Gary Trent, Dave Jamerson, Grant Long, not to mention guys like Snoopy Graham, nevertobe spokens, Trevor Hoffman...just so many uber talented guys. The MAC is nothing like this any more. Cmon. Thanks a lot. Thanks for mentioning the name "nevertobe spokens" and ruining my sleep for the next week.
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Post by cardfan on Mar 7, 2019 18:35:48 GMT -6
Effing nevertobe spokens.
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Post by realitycheck on Mar 7, 2019 18:59:24 GMT -6
Thurmond, Roundfield and the Ice Man were the only three I left off my list Kid because they played in an era long before my time. All the others I mentioned and a few more who I included were all studs. Hell I didn’t even include any of our all time greats other than Bonzi. Whitfords claim that this is the best the league has ever been is not just laughable but even he knows better. He coached at Miami and has been around our league for a long time. It’s pure spin and bullshit on his part.
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