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Post by 00hmh on Jul 12, 2019 12:50:43 GMT -6
Teams that finish 11th the previous year and lose their go-to scorer and most consistent inside presence don't typically follow with a ncaa tourney appearance.
I guess I agree with this. Except NO MAC TEAM in the MAC could be said to "typically follow with a NCAA appearance. " Whatever the year previous. Well maybe unless it had a very good team and returned most players. Nobody in the MAC fits that description this year.
That go to scorer and inside guy are going to be missed, but neither had as good year as we expected, which partly explains the disappointing season. And they lost some important supporting cast players most of the conference season, and had very little depth, were worn down and demoralized a bit as they ended the season. This year we add a lot of talent compared to the team that collapsed after some early success. It is not as bleak a picture as you paint.
Early on we were as good as anyone except UB, but then we crashed. Early the conference had a number of teams that were right there in a second group, including BSU. I believe most if not all those teams are going to be down, if only a little. We are extremely likely better than we were at the low point when we collapsed. Deeper and less likely to be worn down at the end.
Are we enough better to be in that group with a chance come tourney time? That is the question. That's why I will be at the games next season.
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Post by 00hmh on Jul 12, 2019 13:02:11 GMT -6
Hey, it is all about the MAC tourney.
Could easily see a middling team win in a wide open tourney, a team that really gels as the season goes on. More likely one that just gets unconsciously hot at the right time and has enough athleticism and depth for 3 games in 3 days.
Yep, it always comes down to Three Days in Cleveland.
I always enjoy your optimism, but I'm just not seeing it, given our past track record in the factors highlighted above that it would take to push us into the NCAAs. I noticed you acknowledged this downthread. Here's hoping we're both wrong!
The track record is against us. But what I see is a team with more talent overall than last.
Big IF is whether the coaches can put it together and find ways to change how we play.
We cannot play the same game where we count on Persons to have big games and the rest to play as a gritty supporting cast. Or that Trey can put together a really good game and make everything else work better.
We can't be a lot worse shooting from outside...We should not be forced to go inside because we can't hit the side of a barn. Should be more athletic and deeper on the bench, need to exploit it. We can increase the pace, can play better defense this year, score more in transition, more players can get their own shots.
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Post by williamtsherman on Jul 12, 2019 13:46:41 GMT -6
Teams that finish 11th the previous year and lose their go-to scorer and most consistent inside presence don't typically follow with a ncaa tourney appearance.
I guess I agree with this. Except NO MAC TEAM in the MAC could be said to "typically follow with a NCAA appearance. " Whatever the year previous. Well maybe unless it had a very good team and returned most players. Nobody in the MAC fits that description this year.
That go to scorer and inside guy are going to be missed, but neither had as good year as we expected, which partly explains the disappointing season. And they lost some important supporting cast players most of the conference season, and had very little depth, were worn down and demoralized a bit as they ended the season. This year we add a lot of talent compared to the team that collapsed after some early success. It is not as bleak a picture as you paint.
Early on we were as good as anyone except UB, but then we crashed. Early the conference had a number of teams that were right there in a second group, including BSU. I believe most if not all those teams are going to be down, if only a little. We are extremely likely better than we were at the low point when we collapsed. Deeper and less likely to be worn down at the end.
Are we enough better to be in that group with a chance come tourney time? That is the question. That's why I will be at the games next season.
I see you are still inclined to excuse the 11th place finish on relatively short-term injuries to a couple very mediocre bench players, who, by the way, did nothing to make the team any stronger when they returned for the 1-5 finish to the conference season. The team collapsed because BSU is a weak program with a coach who does not have what it takes to prevent collapses. If I felt like bothering, I'll bet I could find MAC teams last year that lost actual starters and/or quality players and still finished well above 11th. This sort of lame excuse would only occur to someone who is desperate to come up with any excuse for a coach whose disastrous extension they supported.
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Post by 00hmh on Jul 12, 2019 15:00:41 GMT -6
Early on we were as good as anyone except UB, but then we crashed. Early the conference had a number of teams that were right there in a second group, including BSU. I believe most if not all those teams are going to be down, if only a little. We are extremely likely better than we were at the low point when we collapsed. Deeper and less likely to be worn down at the end.
Are we enough better to be in that group with a chance come tourney time? That is the question. That's why I will be at the games next season.
I see you are still inclined to excuse the 11th place finish on relatively short-term injuries to a couple very mediocre bench players, who, by the way, did nothing to make the team any stronger when they returned for the 1-5 finish to the conference season.....This sort of lame excuse....
Fact is we were as good as anyone except UB, early on. Debate about what went wrong last year in a pretty competitive and strong MAC is really not the point now.
Fact is the MAC should be balanced if a bit weaker than last year.
Whatever the cause of the collapse last year, what I say above is true.
And the question is will THIS team be good enough or not.
Your statement above is wrong, it will not tale a complete collapse of the MAC to give us chances to win it in Cleveland. It will take improvement of our play, of course, but we have some strengths compared to last year and competition is different. Neither you nor I have seen this team, I won't write them off. It remains to be seen.
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Post by cardfan on Jul 12, 2019 15:23:19 GMT -6
Team might be great but coach doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. and collapses seem the norm for his program.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2019 15:53:31 GMT -6
I’m pretty sure our best chance of making the tournament “in the Whitford era” was last year and ......we didn’t even come close.
I vividly remember trudging across the parking lot after my 12 hour drive to Muncie to see the final home game......bbq pepperoni pizza staining my Ball State tee shirt after my visit to the nearby Pizza King for a $25 twelve inch pizza.....only to walk away disappointedly after squandering away the Northern Illinois game.
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Post by thebsukid on Jul 12, 2019 20:59:31 GMT -6
Some good points but I truly believe this years team will perform as the best team in the Whit era. I think this team is deep! It remains to be seen who will play Center but it would not surprise me to see us go small with 3 Forwards with Teague, Hazen, and Mallers! The guards will be Luke, KJ, Thompson, Ish, and Coleman. Thomas, Acree, and Gunn will battle for minutes too. We will see if Huggins or Hendricks can contribute! I expect one will breakthrough and get minutes behind Teague! With the 5 I expect to see on the floor the most we could play up tempo and have more capability in my view to score more!
I also like the Costa Rica trip experience; it gives the Freshmen extra time and the entire team nearly another 3 weeks to work together when you count practices and games!
This team will compete and in fairness last years team was competitive early against some pretty good competition.
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Post by sweep on Jul 13, 2019 5:18:03 GMT -6
t would not surprise me to see us go small with 3 Forwards with Teague, Hazen, and Mallers! And that's the front court you believe will beat Washington and their two possible lottery picks.
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Post by thebsukid on Jul 13, 2019 7:36:14 GMT -6
I said it would not surprise me to make it to the final?!!!!
That’s hardly a prediction we will 100% win, hello???
It’s more like saying we’ve got a shot at an upset against Freshman lottery picks?
Dick breath
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Post by sweep on Jul 13, 2019 7:49:46 GMT -6
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Post by thebsukid on Jul 13, 2019 11:03:01 GMT -6
Yes, really.
You sure can dish it out and name call which you virtually always start!!!
So f-o.
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Post by williamtsherman on Jul 13, 2019 11:26:24 GMT -6
Next we'll have a lengthy exchange over whose is the least well endowed.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2019 12:29:45 GMT -6
“Dick breath in a hamper full of dirty jockstraps”...... and they said we’d never graduate from college. 🤔
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Post by rmcalhoun on Jul 13, 2019 13:34:56 GMT -6
Next we'll have a lengthy exchange over whose is the least well endowed. longwood
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Post by thebsukid on Jul 13, 2019 14:32:19 GMT -6
Well he said a hamper full of dirty jock straps.. I'm fairly confident he didn't even pick up on " dick breath ".
Really, 2 lottery picks from Washington, wow?!
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