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Post by BSU Card Fan in AZ on Dec 5, 2015 18:34:34 GMT -6
Well, I wish everyone would just look back at the expectations the posters had for this team before the season started. We had some who seemed really pissed we didn't fire Whit before the season started to most who were just hoping we could be somewhat competitive again. Not many projected a team that would be a team that would be a force in the MAC. Some did.
Now we are winning some games and expectations are rising and we are super critical of shortcomings we all knew that were there all along. Good news is we are getting better.
I guess that's ok (to a point) because our expectations are rising for this group. I had a feeling this would be a decent group but didn't know what to expect.
Another great day to be a Cardinal. Let's get another next week.
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Post by bsu0 on Dec 5, 2015 18:44:19 GMT -6
''It ain't over till the Fat Lady sings'' Seems I remember seventeen in a row Kid.
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Post by BSU Card Fan in AZ on Dec 5, 2015 18:59:11 GMT -6
Tyler flat needs to play more. I think he will. He looked lost in earlier games. He looks like he is starting to get a better feel out there. Let's hope so.
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Post by cardfan on Dec 5, 2015 19:02:42 GMT -6
If he rounds into form that really gives us punch and a good athlete out there
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Post by proctorp on Dec 5, 2015 19:50:50 GMT -6
I am happy we are getting these W's and I do think we have some talent, but I just am not sold on the offensive sets we run. Granted we really do not have a point guard directing things, but we dribble way too much out front while too many people are just standing around. We have to be more efficient than taking bad % shots at the end of the shot clock. Screening and cutting are rare in our sets. We have capable perimeter shooters but they need some space. We are still making too many unforced turnovers. Think we had 9 at halftime.
I was encouraged today when I saw a set play after a timeout occur for an easy basket for House. I think our bigs can roll to the basket more for easy baskets IF they can get the ball. Hopefully the offense will get better in shot efficiency. Just think we are too easy to defend as it is.
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Post by thebsukid on Dec 5, 2015 21:11:23 GMT -6
BSU0....this team isn't losing 17 in a row!!
Whit keeps winning he may very well be MAC coach of the Year!!
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Post by rmcalhoun on Dec 5, 2015 22:35:33 GMT -6
Im sticking with holding back any real optimism until I see what we do in conference play. Indiana State should tell us more as they are closer to a MAC level team. I did like how we closed today and closing out games is a step we needed to make. Just have to keep getting better which I think we have done. This is a really bad non conference schedule but we were a really bad team. Maybe this schedule will allow us to take the baby steps needed
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Post by rmcalhoun on Dec 5, 2015 22:42:13 GMT -6
To be quite honest I don't expect us to be at the top of the MAC but if we can win some games that would show the improvement that I was wanting. In year 4 though we need to at least be in the discussion for title
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Post by bsubigboy on Dec 6, 2015 5:44:11 GMT -6
With another signature win under our belt, I truly think we will win the MAC conference tournament. tarheel...you've obviously drank the kool aid
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Post by bsu0 on Dec 6, 2015 6:43:05 GMT -6
Very funny bigboy!! On a side note bigboy, you are the person your dog thinks you are. Your dog is just a bad judge of character.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2015 7:55:28 GMT -6
With another signature win under our belt, I truly think we will win the MAC conference tournament. tarheel...you've obviously drank the kool aid How can you not be enthused? Whit has these guys hitting on almost all cylinders against the best the IU alphabet schools can throw at us.
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Post by 00hmh on Dec 6, 2015 9:00:21 GMT -6
To be quite honest I don't expect us to be at the top of the MAC but if we can win some games that would show the improvement that I was wanting. In year 4 though we need to at least be in the discussion for title +1
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Post by 00hmh on Dec 6, 2015 9:09:55 GMT -6
Im sticking with holding back any real optimism until I see what we do in conference play. Indiana State should tell us more as they are closer to a MAC level team. I did like how we closed today and closing out games is a step we needed to make. Just have to keep getting better which I think we have done. This is a really bad non conference schedule but we were a really bad team. Maybe this schedule will allow us to take the baby steps needed ISU by every measure is a midrange MAC level team. Playing them on the road is excellent preparation for the MAC. Except there will be no rabid home crowd. Of course for many MAC games that is true even with school in session. The Cards will be a 3-5 point underdog, and we would be a 3-5 point favorite playing them here. Our schedule with Pepperdine coming in and ISU on the road looks to me to be well designed to get us ready for MAC play. Win or lose in those games, they should generate good experience for staff and team. One win would be a good result this year in these two games. No great surprise to lose both, but a MAC champ would sweep the games. Playing well and winning is the goal, but these games don't count in the MAC standings, and I'd rather play this kind of team than go on the road for money to Bloomington and get killed. Teams like ISU, Pepperdine, New Orleans, IUPUI, Eastern Kentucky, Bradley are the kind of programs we should try to keep on the schedule in terms of preparation for the conference season. Add in one or two higher level teams at the most, and keep a few cupcake opponents and we have a good schedule. IU-K and that ilk should be on the schedule only out of necessity to fill dates, which I know can be a reality, but we'd prefer a scrimmage game as we arranged this year with a decent team rather than a practice labelled as a game.
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Post by williamtsherman on Dec 6, 2015 9:23:20 GMT -6
I was able to make the game yesterday and make a live evaluation for the first time.
Moses - I'll start with him because of all the recent chatter. My initial eyeball evaluation during warm-ups was a total failure. After intensively scrutinizing size relative to other players, body build, fluidity of movement, shot form, general demeanor, interactions with teammates and so on, I suddenly realized I was watching Bik Gill, not Moses. So my pregame evaluation is that Moses looks sort of like Gill...with the beard and all.
I don't know that the in-game evaluation was much more valuable. He didn't do a whole lot to either impress me or discourage me. I didn't see anything that would limit him, but neither did I see anything to make me project him into the pantheon of top-rank BSU front-liners. Something interesting about him is that he has as many offensive boards as defensive...which is unusual, and I think says something about him. Being significantly better at one or the other is a trait of players that usually persists over time.
Davis - This was the biggest revelation. I now understand why he plays so much - something I was questioning, as were others. Well, he is going to continue to play a lot and he is, in fact, a key player in his own strange way. His shooting is awful and was all last year, so I think that's what to expect going forward. He makes a lot of really awful, unforced, eye-rolling, head-scratching sort of turnovers. He doesn't do a good job of guarding quicker perimeter players, and that's something we really need from our point guard position because our other perimeter players don't do it very well either.
But he is athletic, energetic and tough. His energy and toughness help the overall team attitude. Even though he is not nearly the ball-handler you would want at point guard, he is good late in the game with a lead, when the opponent is pressuring and fouling. He immediately becomes our most important and most valuable player in that situation. In situations where we are trailing, I think he will not be nearly as good - that's when our lack of a true point will be a huge liability.
His stats are interesting. As I said, his shooting is terrible, and his assists are barely ahead of his turnovers (in fact they would be even except for the ridiculous IU-K exhibition game). But he rebounds and blocks a lot of shots for a guard due to his excellent athleticism. Strangely, he has very few steals, even though he is exactly the sort of player you would think would get a ton of steals. He has a total of one, all year. Nate Wells has three and gets nine times as many steals per minute. WTF?
I personally like Davis because of his energy and toughness. For me, those trump everything else when it comes to liking or not liking a player, although they don't blind me to the player's shortcomings. We are a team he can help because there are minutes available to a player like him due to our lack of a point guard. If we had a real point who played 30+ minutes, it might be different. If we had a point guard that was a competent point and played a lot but couldn't shoot either, then I don't think we could play Davis much. It would be too much of a liability to have two total non-shooters on the perimeter. However, on the other hand, if we had a point guard who played a lot and COULD shoot, then you could play Davis for the other things he brings.
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Post by BSU Card Fan in AZ on Dec 6, 2015 9:27:53 GMT -6
My preseason optimism was based in part on us having Teague. So I'm very happy so far with the results without him. I wish the Bradley game had not been the first one out of the gate. That and not having Weber made that a more difficult game than it should have been. Even with that, poor FT shooting did us in. So, not really disturbed with that loss as much as some are.
The MAC will be interesting. I see several close games and just hope we can close out our share. I don't look for us to contend for any title though. We will see.
Go Cards!
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