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Post by williamtsherman on Jan 30, 2024 22:02:56 GMT -6
Well they haven't been to the NCAA tourney once in the last 10 months, so maybe they are letting their expectations slip.
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Post by JacksonStreetElite on Jan 31, 2024 6:53:45 GMT -6
Well they haven't been to the NCAA tourney once in the last 10 months, so maybe they are letting their expectations slip. Yeah, but no other MAC school has either, so that’s something we’re all dealing with. |
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Post by universityjim on Jan 31, 2024 7:34:37 GMT -6
MAC Results 1/30/2024
Bowling Green 81 at Ball State 72
Northern Illinois 77 at Central Michigan 84 (OT)
Buffalo 70 at Ohio 91
Akron 77 at Eastern Michigan 46
Miami 71 at Kent State 67
Western Michigan 63 at Toledo 88
Current Standings
1 Akron (8-1)
2 Toledo (8-1)
3 Central Michigan (7-2)
4 Bowling Green (6-3)
5 Western Michigan (5-4)
6 Miami (5-4)
7 Ohio (5-4)
8 Kent State (3-6)
9 Ball State (3-6)
10 Eastern Michigan (2-7)
11 Buffalo (1-7)
12 Northern Illinois (0-8)
KenPom Rankings of BSU and Opponents 1/31/2024
Akron (16-5) 90 LOSS
Toledo (14-7) 132 LOSS
Ohio (11-10) 165
Kent State (10-11) 187 LOSS
Bowling Green (15-6) 208 LOSS
Miami (11-10) 233 LOSS
Ball State (11-10) 259
Central Michigan (12-9) 269 LOSS
Northern Illinois (6-14) 288 WIN
Western Michigan (8-13) 289
Eastern Michigan (9-12) 340 WIN
Buffalo (2-18) 343 WIN
Indiana State (18-3) 38 LOSS
Minnesota (13-7) 84 LOSS
Evansville (12-9) 227 LOSS
Texas State (7-14) 249
Southern Illinois Edwardsville (12-9) 254 WIN
Little Rock (11-10) 274 LOSS
Old Dominion (5-16) 276 WIN
USC Upstate (6-14) 294 WIN
Bellarmine (5-17) 309 WIN
Arkansas Pine Bluff (9-11) 331 WIN
Detroit Mercy (0-22) 358 WIN
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Post by realitycheck on Jan 31, 2024 8:38:17 GMT -6
So, we cannot count on home court advantage this year and our only road wins are against the two teams worse than us. And apparently we can't take care of the ball and we play our starters 95% of the minutes. Sounds like we're going to Cleveland, baby!
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Post by williamtsherman on Jan 31, 2024 8:43:51 GMT -6
Will we be allowed in Cleveland? or?  |
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Post by zonebuster on Jan 31, 2024 8:47:20 GMT -6
So, we cannot count on home court advantage this year and our only road wins are against the two teams worse than us. And apparently we can't take care of the ball and we play our starters 95% of the minutes. Sounds like we're going to Cleveland, baby! The starters are playing too many minutes. It can be a factor in how we finish games. Obviously, our failure to play D and execute on offense are the biggest factors, but fatigue might factor in. My question is at what point do do you consider the season a bust & start playing more of the bench to see what you might have for 2024-25. We're hoping many elect to hit the portal and transfer. We know Coach sees them every day in practice & already have a handle on what they can and cannot do. But, Adams hasn't seen the court but for a few minutes. Brown has hardly played since he rejoined the team. I'd really like to see Brown play some extended minutes since he has length & appears to be very athletic. Once Middleton received some extended minutes, he has appeared more comfortable and contributed these past several games. |
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Post by williamtsherman on Jan 31, 2024 9:11:36 GMT -6
So, we cannot count on home court advantage this year and our only road wins are against the two teams worse than us. And apparently we can't take care of the ball and we play our starters 95% of the minutes. Sounds like we're going to Cleveland, baby! The starters are playing too many minutes. It can be a factor in how we finish games. Obviously, our failure to play D and execute on offense are the biggest factors, but fatigue might factor in. My question is at what point do do you consider the season a bust & start playing more of the bench to see what you might have for 2024-25. We're hoping many elect to hit the portal and transfer. We know Coach sees them every day in practice & already have a handle on what they can and cannot do. But, Adams hasn't seen the court but for a few minutes. Brown has hardly played since he rejoined the team. I'd really like to see Brown play some extended minutes since he has length & appears to be very athletic. Once Middleton received some extended minutes, he has appeared more comfortable and contributed these past several games. Although I joke about making or not making the MAC tourney, Lewis no doubt takes it much more seriously. It's the kind of result that could impact his continued employment at some point when it might be in question. It seems probable it will come down to the wire, and quite likely be determined by a tie breaker. In fact, at the current moment, we are tied for 8th place with Kent and would (I think) lose the tie-breaker by head-to-head result....meaning that if the season ended today we would not make it. So I don't think Lewis will ever be able to use this as a development year. Anyway, what we have right now for 2024-25 is another non-contending team. You don't have to play the end of the bench to see that. Lewis's performance in the portal this year will determine whether next season is good or bad. |
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Post by redbirdman on Jan 31, 2024 10:49:15 GMT -6
If we don't win at WMU Saturday I think we will have a hard time finishing 8th or above. I currently see us as the 7th best team.
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Post by Lurkin McGurkin on Jan 31, 2024 10:52:41 GMT -6
I currently see us as the 7th best team. We should hang a banner. |
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Post by cardfan on Jan 31, 2024 11:23:53 GMT -6
We're not beating WMU on the road. To put it bluntly, they have guards and we don't.
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Post by realitycheck on Jan 31, 2024 11:32:33 GMT -6
So, we cannot count on home court advantage this year and our only road wins are against the two teams worse than us. And apparently we can't take care of the ball and we play our starters 95% of the minutes. Sounds like we're going to Cleveland, baby! The starters are playing too many minutes. It can be a factor in how we finish games. Obviously, our failure to play D and execute on offense are the biggest factors, but fatigue might factor in. My question is at what point do do you consider the season a bust & start playing more of the bench to see what you might have for 2024-25. We're hoping many elect to hit the portal and transfer. We know Coach sees them every day in practice & already have a handle on what they can and cannot do. But, Adams hasn't seen the court but for a few minutes. Brown has hardly played since he rejoined the team. I'd really like to see Brown play some extended minutes since he has length & appears to be very athletic. Once Middleton received some extended minutes, he has appeared more comfortable and contributed these past several games. To be clear, my original post has a fair dose of sarcasm in case you may have missed that. It has been well documented that our starters playing 95% of the game IS a factor especially now that we're heading into February. We are gassed and it will only get worse. When Anderson turns it over like he has we at least have Middleton now but Hendricks has broken down physically and after that we have no one. Adams & Bell are busts. Zagorshak is not ready for any extended minutes. Brown has plenty of athleticism but doesn't play because he doesn't know know the playbook 20+ games into the season. There is no savior waiting on the bench and our ride or die are the starters plus Middleton and whatever Hendricks can give us. That's it, and it's probably not enough to get us in the top eight. I hope I'm wrong but don't think so. |
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Post by cardfan on Jan 31, 2024 11:44:34 GMT -6
The starters are playing too many minutes. It can be a factor in how we finish games. Obviously, our failure to play D and execute on offense are the biggest factors, but fatigue might factor in. My question is at what point do do you consider the season a bust & start playing more of the bench to see what you might have for 2024-25. We're hoping many elect to hit the portal and transfer. We know Coach sees them every day in practice & already have a handle on what they can and cannot do. But, Adams hasn't seen the court but for a few minutes. Brown has hardly played since he rejoined the team. I'd really like to see Brown play some extended minutes since he has length & appears to be very athletic. Once Middleton received some extended minutes, he has appeared more comfortable and contributed these past several games. To be clear, my original post has a fair dose of sarcasm in case you may have missed that. It has been well documented that our starters playing 95% of the game IS a factor especially now that we're heading into February. We are gassed and it will only get worse. When Anderson turns it over like he has we at least have Middleton now but Hendricks has broken down physically and after that we have no one. Adams & Bell are busts. Zagorshak is not ready for any extended minutes. Brown has plenty of athleticism but doesn't play because he doesn't know know the playbook 20+ games into the season. There is no savior waiting on the bench and our ride or die are the starters plus Middleton and whatever Hendricks can give us. That's it, and it's probably not enough to get us in the top eight. I hope I'm wrong but don't think so. You're not wrong. Lewis cannot trust anyone on the bench save Middleton to the point he can put them in. Brown is uber talented and yet will never become what he could, because, well, because. I can see him leaving and moving down a level. Bell and Adams will most likely move on (the bench communicating with their brains being the chief factor) I can see up to 5 guys leaving. Lewis isn't dumb, and he's super competitive. My money is on him hitting the portal MUCH harder than he did last year. His career kinda depends up on it. He's not going to be able to build a program with traditional high school recruits. That ship has sunk. |
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Post by 00hmh on Jan 31, 2024 12:13:16 GMT -6
The starters are playing too many minutes.... My question is at what point do do you consider the season a bust & start playing more of the bench to see what you might have for 2024-25. We're hoping many elect to hit the portal and transfer. We know Coach sees them every day in practice & already have a handle on what they can and cannot do. Although I joke about making or not making the MAC tourney, Lewis no doubt takes it much more seriously...So I don't think Lewis will ever be able to use this as a development year. Anyway, what we have right now for 2024-25 is another non-contending team. You don't have to play the end of the bench to see that. Lewis's performance in the portal this year will determine whether next season is good or bad. CBB is now dependent on the portal every year.
We have some recruits committed and doesn't seem much doubt we'll be in the portal for a couple more.
I'm more optimistic we might see a couple if these players who can't do much now be able to contribute next year. The starters returning also can improve.
The only bright spot in the portal roulette is that the better MAC teams will lose players and have more difficulty replacing stars who leave than we will improving over players leaving. I won't expect necessarily that anyone loses 4 players like we did this year, but a good team in the MAC is very likely to have heavy losses in this new age.
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Post by universityjim on Jan 31, 2024 12:17:59 GMT -6
My observation is that Middleton is improving quickly which we need desperately. Problem is Anderson appears to be going the opposite direction. To have a prayer at going to Cleveland we need them both and a somewhat healthy Hendriks.
Jones is getting better every game but freshman tend to hit a wall in late February. We depend on freshman too much. I think it's unlikely we make the top 8. If we do, Lewis has done a good job coaching this mess.
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Post by 00hmh on Jan 31, 2024 12:20:13 GMT -6
To be clear, my original post has a fair dose of sarcasm in case you may have missed that. It has been well documented that our starters playing 95% of the game IS a factor especially now that we're heading into February. We are gassed and it will only get worse. When Anderson turns it over like he has we at least have Middleton now but Hendricks has broken down physically and after that we have no one. Adams & Bell are busts. Zagorshak is not ready for any extended minutes. Brown has plenty of athleticism but doesn't play because he doesn't know know the playbook 20+ games into the season. There is no savior waiting on the bench and our ride or die are the starters plus Middleton and whatever Hendricks can give us. That's it, and it's probably not enough to get us in the top eight. I hope I'm wrong but don't think so. You're not wrong. Lewis cannot trust anyone on the bench save Middleton to the point he can put them in. Brown is uber talented and yet will never become what he could, because, well, because. I can see him leaving and moving down a level. Bell and Adams will most likely move on (the bench communicating with their brains being the chief factor) I can see up to 5 guys leaving. Lewis isn't dumb, and he's super competitive. My money is on him hitting the portal MUCH harder than he did last year. His career kinda depends up on it. He's not going to be able to build a program with traditional high school recruits. That ship has sunk. HS will still be part of success, but it is obvious you lose the best players almost every year and have to use the portal. It just doesn't seem likely anybody, at any MAC school consistently can replace really good players with players as good, and the portal will tend to take more than it gives most of the time. They'd be getting NIL somewhere else if they were stars leaving the MAC...
To improve we'll need to get a few HS players develop them and have our version of one and done on occasion. Jones, Middleton, Doughty for example could all give us improved years next year, be better than some portal additions.
Hitting a lottery and getting a real star out of the portal is going to be a wild card for any MAC team. Lewis will be in there looking for that like everybody else.
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