|
Post by sharkey on Dec 31, 2014 13:48:55 GMT -5
I don't think the MAAC is going to be the cake walk that some of you guys think it is. Conference play is tough everyone will be giving us their best and they know where we are weak. Remember we gave up 92 to Monmouth a team that was held to 46 by SFC. Our opponents average 89 PPG in our 5 losses. Our defense is poor. We play at a high tempo and our defense is based on the hope that our opponents will miss more shots than we do. In 8 out of 13 games its worked. I think it will work for the majority of the remaining games. Will it work in the post season? I don't know, maybe. It didn't last year in the final against the Jaspers or in the NIT against LaTech. I'm not offering coaching advise to Cluess, he's probably forgot more about hoops that I'll ever know. I do know he's pretty pissed off about leaving guys wide open, especially Davis who shoots a two handed push shot from his chest and has to be either wide open or come off a screen. Put a hand in his face and you will close him out most of the time. Are we the best team in the MAAC? Yeah I think so. Is that going to get us to the NCAA? I guess we will see in March. Right now all we are is the best of a bad bunch. I'm not being negative, it's just the way I see it. Bottom line is that we have to get better. I'll disagree. Most of the MAAC has trouble scoring 50, and the ones that can can't defend. Yeah, there are 2-3 teams that will be difficult, but everyone else absolutely sucks. Consider this: our next opponent, Siena, statistically has a weaker defense than we do. On top of that their offense is spotty at best. There is absolutely no reason we should lose, even up there. Agree with this completely. Iona will have the best four players on the court Sunday. My only concern is Iona has a habit of letting players break out of shooting slumps against them. Poole is shooting 26% on 3 point fgs this year and Oliver, after a very hot start, is shooting them at 25% the last 7 games. don't let them have incredible shooting nights and it should be a comfortable win
|
|
|
Post by GuyF on Dec 31, 2014 14:49:27 GMT -5
Most of the MAAC does have trouble scoring. However all but Monmouth have not faced the Gaels defense yet. Monmouth is averaging 61 a game against teams not named Iona. They put up 89 against us. Expand the sample to the last two games we think we could have won: GMU averages 67 / game (excluding Iona) - they scored 86 against Iona. UMASS is averaging 74. Against Iona - 87. So, over those three games playing Iona was worth an average of +20 points to the offense of the teams that beat us. And, yes, I do understand that is somewhat a function of our system. My viewpoint is that the system does not work when the defense is that weak. Iona dares teams to beat them at Iona's game. The teams walk into the games knowing what to expect. And then the game starts and the scoring comes easy to them. Sometimes TOO easy. As a result, they gain confidence and the games become dogfights. That is why I think the MAAC is unlikely to be a cakewalk. I hope I am wrong - and obviously the D can improve - but when your rank in D1 Scoring defense is number 338 out of 345 teams it seems optimistic to assume an easy conference schedule. Only 3 MAAC defenses out of 11 are in the top 150 in the country. We've played better defenses than we will see all season and were productive against them. As for O, after Iona, only Siena and Quinny are even in the top 185--that's the top 185--in the country. We will go 17-3 as I predicted. If we don't, it's on Cluess.
|
|
|
Post by gaelrugby on Dec 31, 2014 14:50:54 GMT -5
So how good is Iona? I think even a tarot card reader can read their dealt hand. They had a couple of nice o.o.c. wins, a few "L"'s that certainly will keep them out of an " At Large". They now need to win the conference for an "NIT" and take the tournament for a ticket to the Dance.
|
|
|
Post by iona1970 on Dec 31, 2014 15:19:21 GMT -5
Since Monmouth hasn't beat anyone with an rpi better than 300 except us, where does their offense/defense rank compared to other MAAC schools?
|
|
|
Post by GuyF on Dec 31, 2014 15:28:12 GMT -5
Since Monmouth hasn't beat anyone with an rpi better than 300 except us, where does their offense/defense rank compared to other MAAC schools? It's a road game. It happens. Monmouth also played West Virginia, Maryland and SMU tough, and lost to Rutgers on a fluke.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2014 15:35:44 GMT -5
Most of the MAAC does have trouble scoring. However all but Monmouth have not faced the Gaels defense yet. Monmouth is averaging 61 a game against teams not named Iona. They put up 89 against us. Expand the sample to the last two games we think we could have won: GMU averages 67 / game (excluding Iona) - they scored 86 against Iona. UMASS is averaging 74. Against Iona - 87. So, over those three games playing Iona was worth an average of +20 points to the offense of the teams that beat us. And, yes, I do understand that is somewhat a function of our system. My viewpoint is that the system does not work when the defense is that weak. Iona dares teams to beat them at Iona's game. The teams walk into the games knowing what to expect. And then the game starts and the scoring comes easy to them. Sometimes TOO easy. As a result, they gain confidence and the games become dogfights. That is why I think the MAAC is unlikely to be a cakewalk. I hope I am wrong - and obviously the D can improve - but when your rank in D1 Scoring defense is number 338 out of 345 teams it seems optimistic to assume an easy conference schedule. Only 3 MAAC defenses out of 11 are in the top 150 in the country. We've played better defenses than we will see all season and were productive against them. As for O, after Iona, only Siena and Quinny are even in the top 185--that's the top 185--in the country. We will go 17-3 as I predicted. If we don't, it's on Cluess.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2014 16:29:47 GMT -5
Remind me, I can only think of hanging on to games in the Maac tourney and pulling out a game last year at home against SPC. I know there have probably been a couple more but very few and far between. Would have to look them up, but one that comes to mind right away is St. Joe's a couple of years ago, At Denver when Randy hit that shot.
|
|
|
Post by gregcrow on Dec 31, 2014 16:42:21 GMT -5
Most of the MAAC does have trouble scoring. However all but Monmouth have not faced the Gaels defense yet. Monmouth is averaging 61 a game against teams not named Iona. They put up 89 against us. Expand the sample to the last two games we think we could have won: GMU averages 67 / game (excluding Iona) - they scored 86 against Iona. UMASS is averaging 74. Against Iona - 87. So, over those three games playing Iona was worth an average of +20 points to the offense of the teams that beat us. And, yes, I do understand that is somewhat a function of our system. My viewpoint is that the system does not work when the defense is that weak. Iona dares teams to beat them at Iona's game. The teams walk into the games knowing what to expect. And then the game starts and the scoring comes easy to them. Sometimes TOO easy. As a result, they gain confidence and the games become dogfights. That is why I think the MAAC is unlikely to be a cakewalk. I hope I am wrong - and obviously the D can improve - but when your rank in D1 Scoring defense is number 338 out of 345 teams it seems optimistic to assume an easy conference schedule. Only 3 MAAC defenses out of 11 are in the top 150 in the country. We've played better defenses than we will see all season and were productive against them. As for O, after Iona, only Siena and Quinny are even in the top 185--that's the top 185--in the country. We will go 17-3 as I predicted. If we don't, it's on Cluess. Glad you cleared that up - I thought you were saying top 185 in the world!
|
|
|
Post by ichoops on Dec 31, 2014 16:56:38 GMT -5
Davis is a 25% 3 PT shooter. Went 5-6 tonight. Some from pretty deep. IW was 1-8. He seems to struggle shooting 3's on the road. It was kind of an odd game. About 15 times I thought we had a stop only to lose the Ball. Tough game for IW. Can't believe we lost this one
|
|
|
Post by ichoops on Dec 31, 2014 17:56:00 GMT -5
Looks like it came down to just bad shooting. If you're not shooting well just hand the ball to Laury who is the most consistent percentage.
|
|
|
Post by iona1970 on Dec 31, 2014 19:53:55 GMT -5
Since Monmouth hasn't beat anyone with an rpi better than 300 except us, where does their offense/defense rank compared to other MAAC schools? It's a road game. It happens. Monmouth also played West Virginia, Maryland and SMU tough, and lost to Rutgers on a fluke. i was asking seriously how do they match up with other maac teams, to see who would be hard on the road
|
|
|
Post by ichoops on Dec 31, 2014 23:59:19 GMT -5
Cam screwed us up
|
|
|
Post by GuyF on Jan 1, 2015 3:09:09 GMT -5
It's a road game. It happens. Monmouth also played West Virginia, Maryland and SMU tough, and lost to Rutgers on a fluke. i was asking seriously how do they match up with other maac teams, to see who would be hard on the road It really is up to us. We are better than everyone.
|
|
|
Post by ic59 on Jan 1, 2015 7:19:41 GMT -5
He's not often right, but every now and then ichoops does nail it. When he said that we weren't shooting very well and thus we should have gone to Laurey more, imo was the correct strategy. Granted, DL had 17 FG attempts and made nine. But that was a game for 20+ shots for David, considering he shot better than 50%. We have two three point shooters (AJ and CC) who can also take it to the basket, but don't have any/many other stand still snipers besides IW. In the past Jenkins, Armand and Bowman filled that role. Ellis was that type of player, but he didn't work out. Bebis, down the road (probably a year away) is that type. I don't know how our three point shooting percentage compares to the past few years, but it doesn't seem as good.
|
|
|
Post by Joebird on Jan 1, 2015 9:47:30 GMT -5
He's not often right, but every now and then ichoops does nail it. When he said that we weren't shooting very well and thus we should have gone to Laurey more, imo was the correct strategy. Granted, DL had 17 FG attempts and made nine. But that was a game for 20+ shots for David, considering he shot better than 50%. We have two three point shooters (AJ and CC) who can also take it to the basket, but don't have any/many other stand still snipers besides IW. In the past Jenkins, Armand and Bowman filled that role. Ellis was that type of player, but he didn't work out. Bebis, down the road (probably a year away) is that type. I don't know how our three point shooting percentage compares to the past few years, but it doesn't seem as good. We are actually having our best 3 point % year so far, part of that is due to the amazing Deleware state performance. IW has been cold the past few games and that has hurt. I think Hines can become one of our snipers, he really has a nice stroke from 3 and should get many wide open looks.
|
|