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Post by 00hmh on Feb 10, 2018 10:10:16 GMT -6
Intensity and focus are the key. When we come out ready to play we’re really good. When we don’t we lose by double digits. We don’t have the talent to be able to just show up and win so it’s imperative these guys find whatever it is within that’ll drive them to consistently play like they did last night. If they don’t we’ll stay in our win a couple get blown out a couple pattern. Without depth and with only one viable way to play, we are bound to run into trouble sometimes even when we have intensity, but when we do we will be a pain in the ass to most MAC teams. It's going to be very hard to come out very energetic every game. Hard to sustain for the whole game which will needed against a team like UB. Playing 30-35 minutes a game for our starters will wear them down. Physically and mentally.
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Post by 00hmh on Feb 10, 2018 10:16:59 GMT -6
Great start to both halves, went inside early and often, Moses and Teague were a wrecking crew tonight. Gunn is living up to his name and has been given the green light by Whitford to take all of the shitty, Ill-timed threes that Teague usually gets. He’s doing a great job of it too! “Yeah, I think Ball State signing me is a pretty big deal for them.” Sit down son and let the men play. I know there’s probably some bad blood between these two after losing on OT up there but Persons needs to stop yapping and doing his little hand gestures at the opposing bench. He’s gonna get teed up and it’s not necessary. That said Del la Rosa their seven-footer is an ass clown and shoulda been teed up too. Great win. BTW I hate 9:00 games on Friday. Teague shot-faked several times behind the arc and got his man to commit and then went by him for points... they believe he is going to shoot them! Those oh-fer games were a brilliant decoy and opponents bought it on film! Adonis de La Rosa is one of the all-time great MAC names and definitely should've been teed up for talking to our bench like he did. I thought his size and bulk would give Moses trouble, but Trey absolutely ate him up. Right now we are not fans of his outside shot. But long term he has develop that shot. When he does he becomes a MAC POY level player and a real difference maker. Just, please, Taj, take only the best shots in rhythm for now! And for now play 95% to your actual current strengths!
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Post by redfeather on Feb 10, 2018 10:22:13 GMT -6
Intensity and focus are the key. When we come out ready to play we’re really good. When we don’t we lose by double digits. We don’t have the talent to be able to just show up and win so it’s imperative these guys find whatever it is within that’ll drive them to consistently play like they did last night. If they don’t we’ll stay in our win a couple get blown out a couple pattern. Without depth and with only one viable way to play, we are bound to run into trouble sometimes even when we have intensity, but when we do we will be a pain in the ass to most MAC teams. It's going to be very hard to come out very energetic every game. Hard to sustain for the whole game which will needed against a team like UB. Playing 30-35 minutes a game for our starters will wear them down. Physically and mentally. It's really more about focus and by focus I mean mentally being ready to bring it EVERY game not just some games (i.e see Toledo, KS). That is what separates the really good teams from the mediocre teams. This is really where this team fails, they have decent talent to win games but most of the players, not everyone, have not been able to sustain the mental intensive to compete at that level game in and game out (i.e. See the Eastern game). If Whit could crack that nut I think we would be looking at a dominate MAC team this year. Unfortunately he hasn't been able to and not sure it will happen at this stage of the season but sure hope so!
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Post by bsu73 on Feb 10, 2018 10:30:43 GMT -6
Attendance listed at 4,105. Didn't look to be that good on TV.
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Post by 00hmh on Feb 10, 2018 10:51:18 GMT -6
Without depth and with only one viable way to play, we are bound to run into trouble sometimes even when we have intensity, but when we do we will be a pain in the ass to most MAC teams. It's going to be very hard to come out very energetic every game. Hard to sustain for the whole game which will needed against a team like UB. Playing 30-35 minutes a game for our starters will wear them down. Physically and mentally. It's really more about focus and by focus I mean mentally being ready to bring it EVERY game not just some games (i.e see Toledo, KS). That is what separates the really good teams from the mediocre teams. This is really where this team fails, they have decent talent to win games but most of the players, not everyone, have not been able to sustain the mental intensive to compete at that level game in and game out (i.e. See the Eastern game). If Whit could crack that nut I think we would be looking at a dominate MAC team this year. Unfortunately he hasn't been able to and not sure it will happen at this stage of the season but sure hope so! I am a great believer in the power of focus and discipline. Not making mistakes and preparation can make up for a lot of physical shortcomings. That would be a lot more true if we were not trying to beat people down low. That game is always about intensity, but the better teams we play will not only match us inside, but have better athletes to defend us than we can defend them. Intensity is huge then, but so is depth so we can sustain the effort throughout the game. We are at a disadvantage there against the good teams. We really need to find some shooting to make the most out of that focus, shooting means focus can produce open shots force teams to defend all over the floor. Beating good teams is not possible without having the most physical play we can, I agree, but we need something that gives the chance to overcome physical superiority when we face that.
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Post by cardfan on Feb 10, 2018 10:59:34 GMT -6
If college kids either on their own or through their coach can’t get excited to play a couple times a week then it’s hopeless. Whitford’s teams historically have been a flat bunch far too often. Sorry but he just doesn’t inspire. And if you listen to his comments in the locker room after wins they just aren’t rah rah or emotional at all. Very analytical and here’s why you won stuff delivered in an almost monotone manner. Seems to kill the joy. I imagine his pregame “speeches” are delivered the same way. They need to bottle whatever it was that got them excited to play and focused last night. I guess my main point is I’m not sure the coach understands what buttons to push on 18-22 year olds and I’m not sure how connected to them he is ON the court. We are really good when we have what we had last night. Need it every night. (Again, that’s only two times a week. Shouldn’t be that hard for college kids)
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Post by rmcalhoun on Feb 10, 2018 11:25:41 GMT -6
Attendance listed at 4,105. Didn't look to be that good on TV. no way there were 4100 there
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Post by 00hmh on Feb 10, 2018 11:37:51 GMT -6
If college kids either on their own or through their coach can’t get excited to play a couple times a week then it’s hopeless. .....We are really good when we have what we had last night. Need it every night. (Again, that’s only two times a week. Shouldn’t be that hard for college kids) Really great coaches do get more out of their players, but to say "it's easy" to do is just wrong. Motivating a group in any activity is important part of leadership, but leaders often have strengths and weaknesses and often use methods that don't work for every kid or every type of challenge. A Ray McCallum style or a Hunsaker style or a anyone else can be greatly different. Besides it's not just "getting excited" for games. That understates the problem of getting to what is needed. All kinds of issues. Exactly the right level of intensity and mental sharpness and composure under pressure is really hard to define anyway, and maybe different for each player who is wired a little different. External forces beyond a coaches control are factors. College athletes in all the sports can have a grueling schedule. College kids are just like anyone else, they have other things to think about, minor illness, family issues, academic problems. It is much harder than you make it out to be peaking every game. Sustaining excitement is an issue, focus and intensity for 40 minutes is almost impossible, but even getting it done for most of the game is hard to do. For this team which is doesn't have every ingredient we want to start with, we need more than some other teams would need, 4 or 5 kids working together on the floor nearly every game to be really focused and intense, and we just don't have the quality depth to make that always happen. Coaches earn their pay, this is NOT easy.
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Post by Hoopsmith on Feb 10, 2018 11:40:55 GMT -6
Attendance listed at 4,105. Didn't look to be that good on TV. no way there were 4100 there That count includes many of the season ticket-holders who didn't show because it was too late, they were in Florida, because, because... The ones who were there filled in the gaps pretty well. Great turnout of students and I hope we get the same next Saturday and for the ESPN2 rematch with Western.
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Post by cardfan on Feb 10, 2018 11:46:31 GMT -6
Sorry, I meant to say it’s almost impossible to get kids excited to play a game. What was I thinking? My bad.
Our best teams played hard no matter what. Even if they weren’t particularly sharp that night. It’s almost a rare occasion when Whitford’s teams truly play hard. When they do they either win or have a chance to win. When they don’t they get blown out by good teams and skate by bad teams rather than dominate for 40 mins.
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Post by david75bsu on Feb 10, 2018 12:05:30 GMT -6
I thought Thompson brought some good energy to the game. Good defender. Hitting two threes and two foul shouts was good. I hope he can become a good contributor, we need him.
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Post by rmcalhoun on Feb 10, 2018 12:27:32 GMT -6
Just an observation for those who were not there.. President Mearns was there walking through the common folks shaking hands.. Everyone seems love to him, he threw shirts to the students in the nest. Seems like an engaged good guy
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Post by cardfan on Feb 10, 2018 12:32:31 GMT -6
I thought Thompson brought some good energy to the game. Good defender. Hitting two threes and two foul shouts was good. I hope he can become a good contributor, we need him. Yeah he brings some juice. Gets after it.
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Post by proctorp on Feb 10, 2018 16:43:30 GMT -6
Not sure about the 4,100 number but it was a vocal crowd. We need that at every home game.
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Post by universityjim on Feb 10, 2018 18:07:13 GMT -6
It was a nice student crowd. It might have been 4K.
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