|
|
Post by chupacabra on Mar 9, 2023 20:28:33 GMT -6
Good coaching has always proven this out...It's not how you start a season, it's how you finish. Teams learn how to play the right way throughout the year with good coaching.
So let me get this straight...
They lose 4 of their last 5 games in a weak MAC conference season, including a 10 point loss to a team that had won a whopping 6 games at the time (WMU).
They lose by 20 in the first round of the MAC tournament in a game that was over by halftime.
They have 3 wins by one bucket to teams with a combined record of 33-61. So much for the close loss theory.
And some of you guys think we had a great season? What is the name of the parallel universe you reside in?
That is the kind of mentality that has forced us to witness 20+ years of shitty basketball.
Does Lewis deserve more time, maybe.
After this finish, I'm not so sure now.
Extension?...what a joke.
|
|
|
|
Post by villagepub on Mar 9, 2023 20:36:30 GMT -6
Interesting differences in relative fan bases at the same school. Football fans would have loved to shell out some extra cash to see a 6-6 team go to a bowl game. Basketball fans have no interest in seeing a 20-12 team play another game. No comparison. A bowl game will be on ESPN/ABC, CBS or Fox. The value of exposure makes it worth it. CBI, CIT etc are streamed or PPV. Not a good return. One of the reasons why college football TV contracts drive DI college football revenue. Basketball TV revenue does not. Sorry. |
|
|
|
Post by david75bsu on Mar 9, 2023 20:46:39 GMT -6
Nobody can ever accuse me of being a Whitford fanboy, but the plain fact is that he left Lewis too much talent to expect a fucking 20 point loss in the first round of the MAC tourney. That's just a fact. Yes Lewis inherited some talent. However, the equation changed at the end of the season when that talent was hampered by injuries. He also lost two starters from Whitless in Thomas and our famous NIU transfer now a Rocket! Boogie is back, but Lewis made him a better player, though he sometimes reverted to the old Boogie. This team was better across the board. However, more talent is still needed. Unless Hendricks and another player or two leave, there is not much chance to see marked improvement. Lewis will need a few more years. Toledo did not turn around over night! Their coach has now been their thirteen years! |
|
|
|
Post by JacksonStreetElite on Mar 9, 2023 20:53:34 GMT -6
Checked on the last second loss teams we played this season. 5th seed San Jose State (20-12) plays for the championship against #1 seed San Diego State(25-6) in the Mountain West Championship. The SJ Spartans beat #4 seed Nevada to advance. We lost to them in the Bahamas. As to the Dukes of Duquesne? They were a 6th seed in the Atlantic 10 Tourney and lost to 11th seed Lasalle. The Keith Drambrot Dukes finished 20-11. SJSU-SDSU is a semifinal game. |
|
|
|
Post by williamtsherman on Mar 9, 2023 21:07:34 GMT -6
Interesting differences in relative fan bases at the same school. Football fans would have loved to shell out some extra cash to see a 6-6 team go to a bowl game. Basketball fans have no interest in seeing a 20-12 team play another game. No comparison. A bowl game will be on ESPN/ABC, CBS or Fox. The value of exposure makes it worth it. CBI, CIT etc are streamed or PPV. Not a good return. One of the reasons why college football TV contracts drive DI college football revenue. Basketball TV revenue does not. Sorry. Not sure exactly how your logic applies to a conference where every program loses in the neighborhood of $10million for their respective schools every year and whose teams play in the most low-interest bowls imaginable...bowls which result in a further net revenue loss. Per mills's original point, it is to the credit of the basketball fanbase that they have no interest in a pathetic money-losing joke of a post season, and the football fanbase could learn something from that. |
|
|
|
Post by williamtsherman on Mar 9, 2023 21:09:49 GMT -6
Lewis certainly did not replicate the Whitford program in every way, but he DID nail the most important and characteristic part: stepping all over its own dick in the MAC tourney.
|
|
|
|
Post by redfeather on Mar 9, 2023 21:43:16 GMT -6
If you have any concerns about how Mike Lewis is leading this program and how he is emotionally anchored to our university and the guys that play for him you HAVE to watch his post-game presser! Man I hope we have Mike Lewis for a long, long time. This guy is the person to lead this program! You can watch it on You tube.
|
|
|
|
Post by realitycheck on Mar 9, 2023 21:51:18 GMT -6
It was a fun year and a season of renewed hope. The finish is a reflection of running your 🐎 into the ground. Our bench was and is not close to good enough. The starters we return are Sparks and Sellers. Bashir and Pearson are good frontcourt bench guys but not starters. Everyone else is expendable.
Lewis must hit the portal for help. We need at least two solid guards, a wing and another 4. Don’t count on anyone else currently on the roster or the incoming freshman from Valpo. He’s a beanpole. The portal is heaven and hell. We need some salvation to get to March with a chance to win it. But I believe Mike is the guy. Sellers must also grow a pair and become the Alpha guard. If he doesn’t we will not ascend.
|
|
|
|
Post by loganberrie on Mar 10, 2023 6:52:34 GMT -6
The Muncie Star Press reported the 20 point thrashing Ohio laid on Ball State was the worst Cardinals MAC tournament loss in 24 years and it could have been worse. At one point, the Cardinals trailed the Bobcats by 33 points. Coach Lewis reported that Boogie Coleman had only practiced one time in 3 weeks and it definitely showed. Not sure in retrospect it was a good thing throwing Coleman back into the starting lineup after one day of practice. Lewis is so competitive I can understand why he would want to get his team back into the gym practicing and playing more basketball before he closes the book on his first season at BSU. The team after a few days off should be reasonably healthy by the time the post season tournament begins.
|
|
|
|
Post by coastalcard on Mar 10, 2023 7:27:07 GMT -6
This, on the heels of a 3-game losing streak. Not a good way to end the season. It seems we have our strategery way out of whack. The men's basketball team seams to run out of gas and enthusiasm toward the end of each season. Let's start 2.5 weeks and 5 games later than anyone else and hit the finish line at the same time. |
|
|
|
Post by williamtsherman on Mar 10, 2023 8:19:46 GMT -6
If you have any concerns about how Mike Lewis is leading this program and how he is emotionally anchored to our university and the guys that play for him you HAVE to watch his post-game presser! Man I hope we have Mike Lewis for a long, long time. This guy is the person to lead this program! You can watch it on You tube. The emotional anchor is wonderful. I'm happy for you that you derive such satisfaction from that. My concerns, however, are more along the lines of putting forth a lackluster effort and getting our ass kicked in by a team that is not better than us in the most important game of the year. I guess I would somewhat prefer an emotionally adrift coach who wins MAC tourney games. In fact, I would prefer a can of cat food, a used Kleenex, or some child's invisible, imaginary friend that wins MAC tourney games over any of the coaches we've had over the last 23 years. |
|
|
|
Post by villagepub on Mar 10, 2023 8:21:58 GMT -6
This, on the heels of a 3-game losing streak. Not a good way to end the season. It seems we have our strategery way out of whack. The men's basketball team seams to run out of gas and enthusiasm toward the end of each season. Let's start 2.5 weeks and 5 games later than anyone else and hit the finish line at the same time. IMO it is still a conditioning issue. I think many of the team's injuries came from not maintaining their physical conditioning. Once you get injured, it's nearly impossible to both play games and get back into peak condition late in the season. I think starting with holiday break, a pre-season conditioning mentality needs to happen to prep for the MAC season. Once you get behind in conditioning, it is difficult to catch back up. The season wears on you. How do other programs handle it? |
|
|
|
Post by 00hmh on Mar 10, 2023 9:38:58 GMT -6
I seriously doubt we neglected conditioning.
Conditioning can stretch the minutes played but not that much if you play aggressive D and move on offense.
|
|
|
|
Post by 00hmh on Mar 10, 2023 10:02:32 GMT -6
Injuries were not caused by lack of conditioning, maybe aggravated by number of minutes played.
Plus. Injury and wear and tear require ramping down practice.
We have improved the weight program and have a good conditioning program.
|
|
|
|
Post by sdacardinal on Mar 10, 2023 11:17:26 GMT -6
Check the number of minutes played throughout the season by our starting five. I think we wore the tires out and the spare didn't have enough air in it or had a slow leak. We also picked up a couple of nails along the way. WE are headed in the right direction and have the right coach to do so. Just need some really good recruiting in the off season. The Ball State brand is beginning to change with what was done this year. This last game however was a complete step back to the days of bad basketball. Lewis authenticity to bring quality basketball back to BSU and his honest no bull shit approach to discussing his program should/will resonate well with recruits. NIL? big problem for us as is the portal we have to get to the point where a transfer to BSU is not necessarily a step down.
|
|
