Bison137
Professor
Posts: 16147
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-13-17 09:55 PM - Post#236195
From another thread:
Berry was supposed to miss the Bison game, but now it is reported that he has been practicing and has been cleared to play - a week earlier than expected. That is not news I needed to hear.
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MrPhillie
Postdoc
Posts: 2757
Loc: NE PA
Reg: 07-14-08
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11-13-17 10:34 PM - Post#236224
In response to Bison137
Asked solely on the performance at Arkansas, this game will be very ugly early and all the way through. That said, i do not think that performance was indicative of all this team has to offer. I’m just looking to see a more consistently tough effort and better all around play. Whether that results in a win, a 10-point loss or a 30-point loss i don’t know...I just want to see a better all around game. More guys contributing to th cause would be nice.
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Paulie777
PhD Student
Posts: 1767
Reg: 11-11-07
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11-13-17 11:55 PM - Post#236245
In response to MrPhillie
Zach's playing well and Stephen Brown is a gamer so let's throw in the enthusiasm of Bruce Moore and the toughness and heart of Kimbal and make this a game. We're going to have a solid showing I believe. Nana's going to be telegraphed and eaten for lunch so lets get Paul Newman in there and see what happens. Teams seem to be scoring a lot on us our defense has more holes in it than the Amish Swiss cheese I get at the farmers market. We're probably going to lose but I'm excited to see some stellar individual plays from some of our guys. Nana doesn't fit in well here but I hope he proves me wrong. We're playing the national champs so its going to be out of our comfort zone but isn't that when Bucknellians shine the most? I'm looking forward to this one.
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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North Carolina Game
11-14-17 07:31 PM - Post#236324
In response to Paulie777
Zach's playing well and Stephen Brown is a gamer so let's throw in the enthusiasm of Bruce Moore and the toughness and heart of Kimbal and make this a game. We're going to have a solid showing I believe. Nana's going to be telegraphed and eaten for lunch so lets get Paul Newman in there and see what happens. Teams seem to be scoring a lot on us our defense has more holes in it than the Amish Swiss cheese I get at the farmers market. We're probably going to lose but I'm excited to see some stellar individual plays from some of our guys. Nana doesn't fit in well here but I hope he proves me wrong. We're playing the national champs so its going to be out of our comfort zone but isn't that when Bucknellians shine the most? I'm looking forward to this one.
Paulie, I don't understand your disdain for Nana. You've always been overly critical of him. So, you are suggesting Coach Davis bench our second leading scorer and leading rebounder* in favor of an untried freshman, who's played 3 minutes of college basketball and was a last minute recruit, against the defending national champions???
*Not to mention PL Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and pre-season Player of the Year?
Edited by jkrun80 on 11-14-17 07:33 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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Bison137
Professor
Posts: 16147
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-14-17 07:46 PM - Post#236327
In response to jkrun80
Nana on his worst day is far better than Newman on his best day. Newman is someone they are hoping to develop to see some time at center next year but not likely this year.
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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11-14-17 08:22 PM - Post#236331
In response to Bison137
I would rest Kimbal for this game and Maryland so he is, hopefully, 100% for games next week that we have a good chance to win. Toomer is producing more offense and Jones and Sotos are capable shooters. Our odds of winning these two are slim, with or without Kimbal.
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-14-17 08:26 PM - Post#236332
In response to jkrun80
I would rest Kimbal for this game and Maryland so he is, hopefully, 100% for games next week that we have a good chance to win. Toomer is producing more offense and Jones and Sotos are capable shooters. Our odds of winning these two are slim, with or without Kimbal.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-14-17 08:34 PM - Post#236333
In response to bison63
By way of optimism, I remind board readers of the time in this Senior classes Freshman(?)year, when the team was literally slaughtered by a highly ranked Michigan team. A few nigths later they march into Villanova and take an even higher ranked team right down to the wire.
Do have to say, I'd feel better if I could see some semblance of defense. Also, who is to replace the toughness that DJ McCleay brought to the court?
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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11-14-17 09:06 PM - Post#236336
In response to bison63
Also, who is to replace the toughness that DJ McCleay brought to the court?
I'd like to see Sestina be a more assertive on defense - provided he can do it without fouling. That was always DJ's downfall.
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BisonFan4
Junior
Posts: 211
Age: 45
Reg: 12-30-16
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11-15-17 11:13 AM - Post#236375
In response to jkrun80
I really want to see Sestina get some more quality time in there. Possibly experiment with Nana Zach & Nate on floor together
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Old Bison
Masters Student
Posts: 619
Age: 65
Reg: 07-09-17
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11-15-17 11:45 AM - Post#236380
In response to BisonFan4
A few nigths later they march into Villanova and take an even higher ranked team right down to the wire.
Haas shot the crap outta the ball
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Bison89
Professor
Posts: 5370
Loc: Philadelphia
Reg: 11-14-07
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11-15-17 11:58 AM - Post#236381
In response to Old Bison
I did not realize that Foulland is averaging only 3.5 rebounds per game. I have to say that is pathetic. Any thoughts on why other than tougher than normal competition?
On the other hand, Thomas is averaging 13.0 rebounds and 27.5 points per game. That is CRAZY!
UNC Game Notes:
http://www.bucknellbison.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_O...
| New season, new team, new dream . . . |
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Paulie777
PhD Student
Posts: 1767
Reg: 11-11-07
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Re: North Carolina Game
11-15-17 04:28 PM - Post#236430
In response to jkrun80
Paulie, I don't understand your disdain for Nana. You've always been overly critical of him. So, you are suggesting Coach Davis bench our second leading scorer and leading rebounder* in favor of an untried freshman, who's played 3 minutes of college basketball and was a last minute recruit, against the defending national champions???
*Not to mention PL Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and pre-season Player of the Year?
I do not have a disdain for Nana. I get frustrated when his close range hook shots roll off the side of the rim. And I wish he had a jump shot, but then again if he did he would be somewhere like Syracuse or Indiana.
I am in awe of Nana's quickness around the rim and his ability to finish his shot, most notably his dunks. And he does play great defense. In the other thread "Nana the human eclipse" I listed the awards he is up for and wished him well, and meant it.
I want to see Paul Newman play because Nana will take absolutely nothing from this game win or lose and Paul Newman could have a large and much needed learning curve in a game like this. Plus, no one will know on either team how he will perform and that randomness may come in our favor I think.
Nana is a great player and I just get frustrated when his shots roll away. Every time he gets the ball in his hands I root for him and wish him success.
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Bison137
Professor
Posts: 16147
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-15-17 04:39 PM - Post#236433
In response to Paulie777
Yes, everyone, including Nana, misses some shots - and sometimes it can get frustrating. But when Nana misses one, you might want to remind yourself that he has the 3rd best shooting pct in Bucknell history - behind only Patrick King and Chris McNaughton.
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MrPhillie
Postdoc
Posts: 2757
Loc: NE PA
Reg: 07-14-08
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11-15-17 05:06 PM - Post#236436
In response to Bison137
I agree that if Kimbal isn’t close to 100% then he should sit. Through two games he hasn’t helped and one could say he actually hurt the team. Plus, as was mentioned, we have a limited chance at winnning the next few games, even if Kimbal is back to his play against West Virginia.
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Old Bison
Masters Student
Posts: 619
Age: 65
Reg: 07-09-17
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11-15-17 06:19 PM - Post#236448
In response to MrPhillie
If Bucknell executes I fully expect they can upset UoM (even on their own court). The Jackson kids length is a problem but he is prone to shooting lapses like everyone else
If we can keep him out of the paint. I haven’t seen their freshman obviously so there’s a caveat but it’s a team which I think we can match up well with MTM. Whether that remains true w/o Kimbral or an impaired/ineffective facsimile of him may be asking too much. Sotos has by no means seemed out of his depth caring for the ball, nor does he seem shaky. He’s also been careful about not overextending his penetration and forcing situations that haven’t properly developed due to good defensive rotations by the other side. They’ll be fine.
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raymondbucknell
Junior
Posts: 295
Reg: 02-05-07
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11-15-17 08:06 PM - Post#236458
In response to Old Bison
Can’t figure out how to post it but we actually merited a “Best Bucknell†pin in Carolina blue. Our server at the bar gave me hers. Fun keepsake.
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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11-15-17 09:30 PM - Post#236491
In response to raymondbucknell
Would have fainted if Nana made that 3. That must be the first attempt of his career. Not embarrassing ourselves so far.
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-15-17 09:40 PM - Post#236494
In response to jkrun80
FT. Shooting has got to get better
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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11-15-17 09:43 PM - Post#236496
In response to bison63
FT. Shooting has got to get better
Agreed. No excuse, especially for Brown and Thomas.
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crd012
Junior
Posts: 262
Age: 35
Reg: 12-02-12
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11-15-17 09:43 PM - Post#236497
In response to bison63
The rebounding is a sad state of affairs. Even if we occasionally get stops (which we haven’t been doing in any of these games) we give up offensive rebounds so they do eventually score.
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MrPhillie
Postdoc
Posts: 2757
Loc: NE PA
Reg: 07-14-08
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North Carolina Game
11-15-17 09:46 PM - Post#236499
In response to crd012
Yep....rebounding and FT’s are just bad. Even with the athleticism difference, we are doing poorly. Nana hardly a factor on the boards against these power teams and Sestina has not been good by any measure. And FT’s? Just terrible.
And the Maple Leaf Marvel has made some buckets...(and my personal opinion is I do not like that nickname.)
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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11-15-17 09:53 PM - Post#236502
In response to MrPhillie
Held there own at the end of the half and forced two turnovers. Glad their trying to be aggressive, but UNC is just to big inside. I don't think the defense has been terrible and they still score 50 in the half.
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Bison89
Professor
Posts: 5370
Loc: Philadelphia
Reg: 11-14-07
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11-15-17 09:54 PM - Post#236503
In response to jkrun80
Rebounding and Free Throws would make this game even closer.
| New season, new team, new dream . . . |
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-15-17 09:56 PM - Post#236504
In response to MrPhillie
Opponent scores 50 in the first half....again. Defense in the Davis era is not defined the same as it was in the Flannery, or even the Paulson era. And if we are going to shoot fouls like this the PL may not be such a sure thing.
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nitlion
Masters Student
Posts: 413
Reg: 06-18-06
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11-15-17 10:02 PM - Post#236507
In response to jkrun80
Nana made a 3 pointer in the Penn scrimmage, expect one sometime in league play.
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crd012
Junior
Posts: 262
Age: 35
Reg: 12-02-12
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11-15-17 10:14 PM - Post#236511
In response to nitlion
I know that a lot of you were high on Sestina coming into this year, but I’m seeing absolutely nothing from him, to the point that it’s frustrating.
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-15-17 10:39 PM - Post#236520
In response to crd012
Oops, he must have heard you!
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-15-17 10:41 PM - Post#236521
In response to bison63
Another key FT missed by Zach wit 7 to go.
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-15-17 10:45 PM - Post#236523
In response to bison63
Zacks gone cold...as has whole team
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crd012
Junior
Posts: 262
Age: 35
Reg: 12-02-12
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11-15-17 10:45 PM - Post#236524
In response to bison63
Happy to eat crow with sestina if he plays like that
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Bison1999
Junior
Posts: 227
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-15-17 10:45 PM - Post#236525
In response to bison63
Guys are playing well but their legs're leaving 'em. Here's hoping for 1 more adrenaline rush.
Go Bison!
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MrPhillie
Postdoc
Posts: 2757
Loc: NE PA
Reg: 07-14-08
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11-15-17 10:55 PM - Post#236530
In response to Bison1999
Man...what would this game be with better rebounding and better FT shooting? Good effort by the guys but still down 10 under 4:00 to go.
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-15-17 11:06 PM - Post#236534
In response to bison63
That’s more like it! Not big on moral victories but I’ll count that as one.
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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11-15-17 11:06 PM - Post#236535
In response to MrPhillie
Can't complain about the effort. They really turned tightened up the defense in the 2nd half. This is the Bucknell team we've been waiting for. You knew things would gel at some point. (Except for the FT shooting.)
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Bison7882
Junior
Posts: 253
Reg: 11-24-13
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11-15-17 11:10 PM - Post#236536
In response to MrPhillie
BU played better tonight than the previous two games. Carolina is not a legit top 10 team at this point (and I'm a huge Tar Heel fan). I think the difficulty of this schedule is unrealistic. This team could win the PL but we're going to get hammered in the OOC. If Zach Thomas wants to be a play maker, then he's got to hit his FT's.
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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 11-15-17 11:12 PM - Post#236537
In response to jkrun80
Have to take that back about the FT shooting. They were 12-18, which is better than the first two games. Problem was missing the front end of 1 and 1's. Nana 9-15, 3-3. Glad we didn't start Newman.
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crd012
Junior
Posts: 262
Age: 35
Reg: 12-02-12
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11-15-17 11:13 PM - Post#236538
In response to jkrun80
The FT shooting isn’t as much of a concern for me as the rebounding. It was an issue against WVU too. If we can’t rebound better we won’t beat any of the majors. Foulland simply has to be more of a force on the boards. I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but I would imagine the second chance points for UNC was more than our margin of defeat.
The effort was definitely there and the game/atmosphere did not look intimidating to the team, which is what we were hoping for. But I still feel like they need a win against either VCU or Maryland to make this OOC schedule worth it.
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oldschoolbb54
Freshman
Posts: 44
Reg: 01-10-15
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11-15-17 11:15 PM - Post#236539
In response to jkrun80
Great effort!!!
Go Bison!!!
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MrPhillie
Postdoc
Posts: 2757
Loc: NE PA
Reg: 07-14-08
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11-15-17 11:42 PM - Post#236541
In response to oldschoolbb54
All in all a much better showing against UNC than Arkansas. Still, rebounding has to be better. Nana had a nice game but like his other games this year, has to be a factor on the glass. I get these other teams have size and athleticism, but Nana isn’t exactly small and weak. He’s a big, powerful guy and I’m sure even he would say he needs to have more than 3-4 boards a game. But I feel better after this game than I did after Arkansas.
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Old Bison
Masters Student
Posts: 619
Age: 65
Reg: 07-09-17
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11-16-17 09:18 AM - Post#236545
In response to MrPhillie
I said 2 hours before the game we would be fine. Didn’t even address the NC game because I wasn’t sure if KM was going to go. He seemed healthier. Sotos 1 TO in 16 minutes but I didn’t see it unless they gave him the backcourt violation he didn’t own. Cowan had 25 in good win against Butler and Ball St. got murdered by Oak. Wish we had some guys run 5 miles on the stadium track rather than effect the first half at Monmouth. 1-2 right now and everyone would have a new pair of glasses. Another tough road game Sat...the beat goes on. I suspect the guys will be VERY hungry 😡🤬🤯
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Old Bison
Masters Student
Posts: 619
Age: 65
Reg: 07-09-17
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11-16-17 09:27 AM - Post#236548
In response to Old Bison
Nate S had an isolation in the 2nd half with his back to the basket and didn’t properly feel his defender who was slightly out of position. If he rolled left for a dribble drive right “even the oversized #4†per Roy Williams could have ripped the rim down. He’ll feel that next time
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raymondbucknell
Junior
Posts: 295
Reg: 02-05-07
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11-16-17 10:22 AM - Post#236559
In response to Old Bison
Much better effort tonight. We jut got killed on the glass, especially a lot of UNC offensive boards. Hopefully, those last few made free throws from Zack will get him straightened out from the line. Fun atmosphere - a lot of parents in attendance taking in the experience of seeing their kids play at the Dean Dome. BRW, good to see you!
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Paulie777
PhD Student
Posts: 1767
Reg: 11-11-07
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11-16-17 10:30 AM - Post#236564
In response to raymondbucknell
I thought they played very well and were unfazed by the top 10 team and stayed tough. We can hang with any team in the country and could beat many top teams on any given night. This whole season is a gamble that will be a bust if we don't make the big dance but now we know we belong come march. Stop turnovers, make free throws, and be hungry for rebounds and we are good to go.
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Bison137
Professor
Posts: 16147
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-16-17 10:35 AM - Post#236568
In response to Old Bison
Sotos 1 TO in 16 minutes but I didn’t see it unless they gave him the backcourt violation he didn’t own. . . . Wish we had some guys run 5 miles on the stadium track rather than effect the first half at Monmouth. 1-2 right now and everyone would have a new pair of glasses.
1. Sotos now has 1 turnover in 48 minutes this year.
2. Agree on the running as punishment. Lost 12 minutes of Toomer, Moore, and Sotos - replaced by Jones, Meeks, and O'Reilly. Very likely decided the game.
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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11-16-17 12:05 PM - Post#236598
In response to Old Bison
... Wish we had some guys run 5 miles on the stadium track rather than effect the first half at Monmouth. 😡🤬🤯
That's a reward, not a punishment!
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Old Bison
Masters Student
Posts: 619
Age: 65
Reg: 07-09-17
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11-16-17 12:51 PM - Post#236614
In response to jkrun80
Ha!...not to basketball players...RUNNERS!
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Bison89
Professor
Posts: 5370
Loc: Philadelphia
Reg: 11-14-07
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11-16-17 12:58 PM - Post#236617
In response to jkrun80
Even though the UNC game was not a W, it was fun to watch. The free throw situation is still disturbing. Hopefully, we will see an improvement.
| New season, new team, new dream . . . |
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Bison89
Professor
Posts: 5370
Loc: Philadelphia
Reg: 11-14-07
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11-16-17 01:00 PM - Post#236619
In response to Bison89
BTW, the video quality on the Watch ESPN app on WiFi on my Galaxy S8+ was the best quality that I have ever seen. It was HD quality. Very impressive.
| New season, new team, new dream . . . |
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crd012
Junior
Posts: 262
Age: 35
Reg: 12-02-12
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11-16-17 01:40 PM - Post#236629
In response to Bison89
Yea well streaming it on my laptop was a different story. Constantly buffering. I thought it was my internet but when I checked on UNC’s forum there were a lot of people having the same issue.
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BeckyBison91
Freshman
Posts: 21
Age: 54
Reg: 05-03-11
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11-16-17 03:06 PM - Post#236656
In response to crd012
Yea well streaming it on my laptop was a different story. Constantly buffering. I thought it was my internet but when I checked on UNC’s forum there were a lot of people having the same issue.
Yes. I actually unplugged my internet during halftime to try to fix something that apparently wasn't my problem to fix. Streaming was awful. Glad to know it wasn't my internet.
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-16-17 04:53 PM - Post#236704
In response to BeckyBison91
Had the same problem. Picture would freeze for 5 seconds then play for 5 seconds. Very annoying.
Re: the FT shooting, missing is bad enough, but missing the front end of one and ones doubles the sin. Two of our supposedly better foul shooters (Zach twice and Brown once) missed the front ends which potentially cost us not three, but 6 points.
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HoleinOne
Masters Student
Posts: 596
Loc: Bluffton, SC
Reg: 02-15-09
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11-16-17 06:26 PM - Post#236739
In response to Bison137
Nana a typical Patriot League All Star. Against the top teams such as Arkansas, the superior strength of their bigs pushes him away from basket and away from his jump hook comfort zone. That being said, would welcome as many Nana's as we can get since against Patriot League competition he is bigger and quicker than 99% of competition.
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HoleinOne
Masters Student
Posts: 596
Loc: Bluffton, SC
Reg: 02-15-09
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11-16-17 06:27 PM - Post#236740
In response to jkrun80
Wonder if Zak's ankle still bad. Appears mechanical in all his shots.
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Doktore K
Masters Student
Posts: 473
Reg: 11-11-09
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11-17-17 12:10 AM - Post#236756
In response to HoleinOne
Attended the game LIVE and in person at the Dean Dome and saw quite a few orange shirts in the crowd. Felt very good leaving the arena for a bunch of reasons:
1. Based on the ARK game, I thought we might lose by 25 or 30 points vs. UNC. Not the case.
2. Defense got much better in the second half, and I liked the rotations better too. We went bigger with 3 forwards and just 2 guards and always had a scorer on the floor.
3. Nothing wrong with Zack's mechanics or his shot. He's averaging something like 24 points a game, right? On his foul shots, it looks to me that he is "cocking" the ball at the top of his release and not as smooth as his jumpers.
4. Liked our bigs in the second half and want to see Nate or Bruce Moore on the floor at ALL times, often with Nana. Need someone to ride shotgun for Nana and both guys can pick and pop when given the chance!
5. Sotos is a talented player and seemed poised going head to head against Joel Berry, a senior All-American guard. Looks like he can handle the rock and score when needed. (We will need his scoring next year and beyond.)
6. Last but not least: My cousin, a Cary, NC resident and HUGE UNC fan, texted me after the game and said that the Tarheel Nation was very impressed by the Bison and our second half comeback. 
Local, worn-out joke for y'all: CARY, according to my cousin who moved there 10 years ago, stands for Containment Area for Relocated Yankees!!
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HoleinOne
Masters Student
Posts: 596
Loc: Bluffton, SC
Reg: 02-15-09
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11-19-17 10:10 AM - Post#236913
In response to Old Bison
Not sure I see the value of 4 top D1 teams in a row, particularly when some such as Arkansas not in our recruiting zone. Would put Villanova as a natural game with value to expand Bison brand. Starting most years with losing record not a great recruiting tool.
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MrPhillie
Postdoc
Posts: 2757
Loc: NE PA
Reg: 07-14-08
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11-19-17 10:35 AM - Post#236922
In response to HoleinOne
My guess is that the coaching staff fully expected the team to be 2-2 at this point....and I would agree after watching this first week.
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Old Bison
Masters Student
Posts: 619
Age: 65
Reg: 07-09-17
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11-19-17 12:28 PM - Post#236940
In response to MrPhillie
HiO.. .don't mean to be argumentative but I have to say I totally disagree. Losing by 12 AT UNC with a 6 pt margin with 4 minutes left and by 2 AT UoM can only help bring in better kids. We could not attempt such an OOC sked next year as it would be foolhardy. Fernando was clearly the difference in the 2nd half and really presented us problems in trying to finish after penetration (I.e. Kimbral stepping on the baseline). We also had to reverse the ball out to the perimeter from the paint on a number of occasions because of his/their length. Really nice effort by all and tough to be up 15 and not get a result. Had looks down the stretch and settled exclusively for 3’s - some there, some rushed. Don’t understand putting Meeks and O’Reilly on the court at the same time (and 4-5 minutes into the game) as both are defensive liabilities at that level. Heuter went around the former for two layups with virtually no resistance in under a minute and then after a time out came back out lined up with Morsall. I don’t know if we switched to the matchup but he got WAY out of position on an ensuing steal attempt switched to Obi and Morsall got lose for an AND 1 dunk that Nate S bravely tried to defend. A lot of positives and SB was a pleasure to watch. Not sure why when lead is slipping from 15 to 2-3 in 6-7 minutes of PT we don’t mix in a 2-3 or something to attempt to switch tempo/momentum. I realize with Cowan/Huerter/Morsall that could turn into 2-3 3 balls quickly but I think you have to get tactical (even at the risk of being wrong) if you want to pull off an upset. I understand system coaches and the longer view thought process but in a situation like an Arkansas for instance I question its viability. Well done as it was a strong effort and down a starter as well. Home sweet home
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-19-17 02:14 PM - Post#236946
In response to MrPhillie
My guess is that the coaching staff fully expected the team to be 2-2 at this point....and I would agree after watching this first week.
I agree with the 1st part of that statement, and also feel that many of us were hoping for 2-2, expecting a Monmouth win (no excuse for that loss) and one win out of the 3 power conference games. Now that we know how MD played out, there is no excuse for that loss either. Undoubtedly we will win our share of the remaining ooc games and go on to win the league regular season title again. Hopefully we win the PL tourney, but that is a crapshoot and anything can happen. So far I have not seen anything that gives me any real hope that we can win in the dance. This team has not learned how to beat a power team, and has in fact gotten a lot of pr value out of last years win over a middle of the road SEC team (Vandy). As somebody posted elsewhere you need to win games that you have 15 point leads in. Vs MD we showed some panic and stopped taking care of the ball.
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Bison137
Professor
Posts: 16147
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-19-17 02:34 PM - Post#236948
In response to bison63
Agree with a lot of the above. However I think you aren't giving enough credit for the Vandy win. Vandy ranked #33 in the nation (Pomeroy), tied for 5th (out of 14) in the SEC, reached the semis of the SEC tournament, and had five wins over top 25 teams. They were likely as good as Arkansas and Maryland will be this year.
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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11-19-17 08:41 PM - Post#236960
In response to Bison137
I don't think the coaching staff had much choice with scheduling. Lower tier Power 5 schools don't want to play a top-notch mid-major. There's no point in scheduling patsies we know we can beat. You're left scheduling top 50 teams or other really good mid-majors. I really thought we'd be 2-2 and were only 2 baskets away. Looking forward to the rest of the season and a strong run through the PL.
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res
Masters Student
Posts: 839
Reg: 03-21-06
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11-20-17 11:15 AM - Post#236985
In response to jkrun80
We do have the consolation of being the best 0-4 team in the country and, in fact, the Bison are still rated at #82 in kenpom. The next highest rated winless team is 0-3 Princeton at #110. 0-2 Richmond is next at #186.
The Bison schedule at this moment is ranked the 13th hardest.
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Bison137
Professor
Posts: 16147
Reg: 01-23-06
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11-20-17 11:54 AM - Post#236990
In response to res
The Bison schedule at this moment is ranked the 13th hardest.
Although Pomeroy ranks the Bison schedule at #13, he would acknowledge it is actually the hardest. The 12 teams ahead of them all have played one or two D3 schools - who are not considered in the Pomeroy rankings. For example, the team with the "toughest" schedule, UNC-Greensboro has played Virginia, NC Wesleyan, and Ferrum. If you factor in that the two D3's are, at best, at the level of the worst D1's, then UNCW would actually rank below average in scheduling difficulty. The only one of the twelve ahead of Bucknell that has actually played a difficult schedule is Western Carolina, who has played Minnesota, Cinci, Clemson, and D3 Hiwassee. The first three are about as tough as the three P5 conference teams the Bison have played - but Hiwassee is obviously much weaker than Monmouth.
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