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  • Originally posted by IUPalum View Post

    You win 6 games out of every 10... That blows in college basketball!!!
    Winning no games is much worse!!!

    Comment


    • FYI Stats from WL Glenville Game

      Observations from a dummy:

      1. Points per possession is an excellent 1.18, exceeded only by 1.38 against Frostburg. It would have been even higher if not for giving up some turnovers in second half due to some poor decisions against the press.
      2. We were sharing the ball in the wlu style, which makes this team lethal, for it affords our talented athletes much less difficult shots. Players were moving without the ball and not letting opponents to set up in the passing lanes, allowing for rapid passing. Sooner or later the opponent rotation is just a smidge late, and we got an open shot.
      We had an assist on 73% of the made FGs, surpassing the previous high of 68% against Frostburg.
      We averaged 31 assists per 100 possessions, surpassed only by 32 assists against Frostburg. Note Glenville State is much more talented, so it demonstrates that the WL style is effective against talented teams. In contrast, in our 3 losses, we only averaged about 12 assists per 100 possessions.
      3. I am impressed by how rapidly the freshmen are maturing and getting more comfortable with the play at this level and learning the WL style. Of course, they are still making mistakes, but look out come March.
      4. An area for improvement is avoiding charges. It seems like everyone wants to do the mano a mano, high wire act to the rim, when a jump stop at 8 feet for an easy shot would avoid the turnover, and might even be a higher percentage shot. It seems to be a lost art and the unnecessary charges are prevalent in all of basketball.
      5. Another area of improvement is "staying in the moment". There is no excuse for getting technical fouls, committing emotional silly fouls, or disrespecting an opponent after a dunk. It only counts two points. Go on to the next play and force a turnover.
      6. IMHO, some players are still too high in their defensive stance. A heuristic is that the defender's shoulders should always be lower than the opponent's. For the physics geeks out there, it is because you want your center of gravity and roll center to be lower, just like a sports car can change direction faster than a high riding SUV. The quicker the opponent, the lower you have to get, and/or give them more room.
      7. We still have some relapses where folks think they have handles like Jason Williams or Pistol Pete Maravich and make embarrassing turnovers. To quote the dry wit of Bob Huggins, "I tell my players, we know what you can't do on the court. Let's focus on the skills that you can do, for a change."
      Statistic West Liberty GLENVILLE STATE
      POINTS 117 85
      FGM 42 29
      FGA 79 78
      FGPCT 53.2% 37.2%
      3FGM 12 5
      3FGA 31 22
      3FGPCT 38.7% 22.7%
      FTM 21 22
      FTA 24 33
      FTPCT 87.5% 66.7%
      REBOUND OFFENSIVE 9 14
      REBOUND DEFENSIVE 39 27
      REBOUND TOTAL 48 41
      ASSISTS 31 15
      TURNOVERS 18 16
      BLOCKS 6 0
      STEALS 9 13
      Num Possessions 99 95
      Points per Possession 1.18 0.89
      Assists per 100 Possessions 31.31 15.79
      Assists to FG Made ratio 73.8% 51.7%
      Assist to Turnover Ratio 1.72 0.94
      Turnovers per 100 Possessions
      (< better)
      18.18 16.84
      WL Opponent Defensive Rebounds 27 39
      Offensive Rebound Efficiency % 25.0% 26.4%
      Last edited by Columbuseer; 02-03-2021, 12:26 PM.

      Comment


      • In case folks are questioning why it is bad for the ball to stick on offense,
        Bob Huggins explains it. The video is humorous.


        https://247sports.com/college/west-v...nse-160394578/


        Here is some text from the link also.

        But one thing remains true. Head coach Bob Huggins has issues with how often players choose not to pass the ball. Then and now, he's said the ball gets stuck at times and players dribble and look too much and miss players coming open for scoring opportunities. Then and now, he's said players don't share the ball enough and call their own number more than he'd like to see. None of that means players must pass or shouldn't create their own offense, and in the video above, Huggins explains what he wants to see. He begins by clarifying the stat he shared on Dec. 29. "We gave them a stat before the game: 260 passes or more, we've won every game. 220 passes or less, we've lost both games. We've got to get them to pass the ball better and more."

        Comment


        • Not over at the ARSC but WLU is crusing. 40-50 pt lead from half time through the second half. Continued the "typical" WLU game...extra passing to get the open 3 pointer...hitting the boards hard on misses...not a lot of dribble drive BUT enough to keep the opponent from selling out to defend the 3...pressure forcing TO's...trading 2s for 3s. Got a little sloppy down the final stretch but to be expected when you are playing with a 40 plus point lead.

          Interesting question barely touched on by the broadcast crew...which of the Toppers "seniors" return next year? With this season being a freebie for everyone because of Covid, do Dalton, Dyer and Moore return next season or do they leave for either Europe or for the "real world" of the 9-5 rat race?

          Comment


          • FYI Stats from WL Alderson-Broaddus Game

            Observations from a dummy:

            1. Points per possession is an elite 1.38, which is way above last season's average of 1.26.
            2. We were sharing the ball in the wlu style, which makes this team lethal, for it affords our talented athletes much less difficult shots. Players were moving even better without the ball. We had 32 assists, which is an assist on 70% of the made FGs. We averaged 38 assists per 100 possessions, which is elite. Players were driving the lane and when the defense collapsed, they would kick ball out for open 3 instead of attempting a contested shot. The interesting side effect is that the kick outs reduces the help defense, which consequently opens up opportunities for uncontested drives to the rim.
            3. Great improvement in avoiding charges. Turnovers were greatly reduced to 12 (excellent 14 Turnovers per 100 possessions), while forcing 24 turnovers.
            4. Great improvement in "staying in the moment", avoiding technical fouls, silly fouls, or disrespecting an opponent.
            5. Very few relapses where folks think they have handles like Jason Williams or Pistol Pete Maravich and make embarrassing turnovers.
            6. IMHO, some players are still too high in their defensive stance.
            Statistic West Liberty ALDERSON BROADDUS
            POINTS 117 78
            FGM 46 31
            FGA 79 56
            FGPCT 58.2% 55.4%
            3FGM 14 6
            3FGA 34 17
            3FGPCT 41.2% 35.3%
            FTM 11 10
            FTA 18 21
            FTPCT 61.1% 47.6%
            REBOUND OFFENSIVE 14 7
            REBOUND DEFENSIVE 24 19
            REBOUND TOTAL 38 26
            ASSISTS 32 17
            TURNOVERS 12 24
            BLOCKS 7 1
            STEALS 11 6
            Number of Possessions 85 82
            Points per Possession 1.38 0.95
            Assists per 100 Possessions 37.65 20.73
            Assists to FG Made ratio 69.6% 54.8%
            Assist to Turnover Ratio 2.67 0.71
            Turnovers per 100 Possessions
            (< better)
            14.12 29.27
            WL Opponent Defensive Rebounds 19 24
            Offensive Rebound Efficiency % 42.4% 22.6%

            Comment


            • Originally posted by boatcapt View Post

              Winning no games is much worse!!!
              IUP's situation is out of their control.

              West Liberty has full control and loses 3 in a row and on the verge to disaster while thinking they were going to win a national championship! hahahaha

              Comment


              • Originally posted by IUPalum View Post

                IUP's situation is out of their control.

                West Liberty has full control and loses 3 in a row and on the verge to disaster while thinking they were going to win a national championship! hahahaha
                IUP could have played this year, just like fellow PASSHE school Clarion is and fellow PSAC schools Gannon and Mercyhurst are. Soooo...the situation was NOT out of their control. They had full control over their situation and chose to punt the season.

                Comment




                • Last edited by Columbuseer; 02-04-2021, 11:09 AM.

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by IUPalum View Post

                    IUP's situation is out of their control.

                    West Liberty has full control and loses 3 in a row and on the verge to disaster while thinking they were going to win a national championship! hahahaha
                    It'd make a lot of sense to pay all that money for Covid testing to play weak opponents like Bluefield St, etc. They wouldn't get an ounce better. They'd be better off playing against their bench and walk ons.

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by IUPalum View Post

                      It'd make a lot of sense to pay all that money for Covid testing to play weak opponents like Bluefield St, etc. They wouldn't get an ounce better. They'd be better off playing against their bench and walk ons.
                      Originally posted by boatcapt View Post

                      IUP could have played this year, just like fellow PASSHE school Clarion is and fellow PSAC schools Gannon and Mercyhurst are. Soooo...the situation was NOT out of their control. They had full control over their situation and chose to punt the season.
                      I requoted my response to you since you forgot to. IUP could have joined fellow PSAC conference mates Clarion, Gannon and Mercyhurst and played home-and-home games against each other...That would have gotten them to each to 6 games...Add a home-and-home vs Bluefield, and Lincoln PA and you are at 10 games...Add in a two game sets vs Farris and Ashland (or similar) and you are at 14 games...Have an end of season "Pennsylvania DII Championship Tourney" with IUP, Clarion, Gannon, Mercyhurst and Lincoln and the two finalists get to 16 OR 17 games. Then stack up your W/L record and see if you make it into the NCAA Tourney and play from there.

                      It could have been easily done by IUP, but as you point out, they didn't want to pay the money to test. Soooooo...They made a financial decision NOT to play this year. So yes, the fact that they are 0-0 is indeed theirs.

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by Columbuseer View Post
                        He is...But with all the players getting a Mulligan eligibility wise, who exactly do you bench to get him (and the other new freshmen) in the game? We already have several touted players not playing and a couple freshmen who were heralded coming in getting very limited minutes. Who do we "encourage to leave" to get players like Dante minutes?

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by boatcapt View Post



                          I requoted my response to you since you forgot to. IUP could have joined fellow PSAC conference mates Clarion, Gannon and Mercyhurst and played home-and-home games against each other...That would have gotten them to each to 6 games...Add a home-and-home vs Bluefield, and Lincoln PA and you are at 10 games...Add in a two game sets vs Farris and Ashland (or similar) and you are at 14 games...Have an end of season "Pennsylvania DII Championship Tourney" with IUP, Clarion, Gannon, Mercyhurst and Lincoln and the two finalists get to 16 OR 17 games. Then stack up your W/L record and see if you make it into the NCAA Tourney and play from there.

                          It could have been easily done by IUP, but as you point out, they didn't want to pay the money to test. Soooooo...They made a financial decision NOT to play this year. So yes, the fact that they are 0-0 is indeed theirs.
                          Here is where you are wrong... Notice how Mercyhurst and Gannon are playing once! Someone doesn't want to risk losing because the schedule is so thin then wouldn't make the playoffs. So now imagine IUP throwing their hat in the the mix. Do you really think Gannon and/or Mercyhurst would want to risk their good record going against IUP? Highly doubtful. There has to be a reason IUP opted out once they were one of the votes to play! It's obvious that certain teams didn't want to play them independently! Clarion obviously doesn't care. They already knew they wouldn't make it so they are using the experience to get better and recruit! Gannon/Mercyhurst on the other hand... one of them doesn't want to play. I'm not 100% sure which BUT I have a hunch!

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by boatcapt View Post

                            He is...But with all the players getting a Mulligan eligibility wise, who exactly do you bench to get him (and the other new freshmen) in the game? We already have several touted players not playing and a couple freshmen who were heralded coming in getting very limited minutes. Who do we "encourage to leave" to get players like Dante minutes?
                            Nice problem to have and wlu is not alone in this regard. Best players play based on performance in scrimmages. I don't think anyone will be encouraged to leave on this basis. Not wlu culture. They may decide to leave for more minutes or to be a big fish in a little pond.. However minutes are a deceiving metric. 20 mins at wlu may actually be more possessions than 30+ minutes at other schools due to the pace of play. Like an immersion language course.

                            For any d2 teams, I would imagine options include, but are not limited to:
                            -redshirts - Dalton and will redshirted even though they could have played.
                            - go with 3 rotations and dial up the pressure even more. I see this being more likely to happen when game is out of reach in second half. Bad news for wlu opponents because pressure won't relent even in 3rd rotation. This could allow wlu to turn the game of basketball more toward an anaerobic game like hockey.

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by Columbuseer View Post

                              Nice problem to have and wlu is not alone in this regard. Best players play based on performance in scrimmages. I don't think anyone will be encouraged to leave on this basis. Not wlu culture. They may decide to leave for more minutes or to be a big fish in a little pond.. However minutes are a deceiving metric. 20 mins at wlu may actually be more possessions than 30+ minutes at other schools due to the pace of play. Like an immersion language course.

                              For any d2 teams, I would imagine options include, but are not limited to:
                              -redshirts - Dalton and will redshirted even though they could have played.
                              - go with 3 rotations and dial up the pressure even more. I see this being more likely to happen when game is out of reach in second half. Bad news for wlu opponents because pressure won't relent even in 3rd rotation. This could allow wlu to turn the game of basketball more toward an anaerobic game like hockey.
                              But let's be honest, folks. This is DII. As the DII commercials often point out, most of these players are going on to become professionals in an arena other than their sport. I would guess that a lot of folks choose to move on with their lives.

                              As an example, the WLU Twitter account recently had a video where they were highlighting successful recent grads. There was a nice video showing a young woman named Kat Donzella who graduated with her Criminal Justice degree and is now working a good job with the local police department. Kat was an All-Conference Catcher on the softball team and the team captain/leader (the softball team's Bolon, if you will). And athletically she is listed, I believe, as a Junior. With getting that extra year back, she potentially had two more years of softball to play (and the softball team is really ramping up for a nice run over the next few years as well). But, in the end, two more years of softball perhaps pales in comparison to spending the next two years working in her dream job, getting paid, and beginning her adult life. I have a feeling plenty of DII athletes will follow that same pattern. It's been fun, but time to hang it up and move on with real life.

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by IUPalum View Post

                                Here is where you are wrong... Notice how Mercyhurst and Gannon are playing once! Someone doesn't want to risk losing because the schedule is so thin then wouldn't make the playoffs. So now imagine IUP throwing their hat in the the mix. Do you really think Gannon and/or Mercyhurst would want to risk their good record going against IUP? Highly doubtful. There has to be a reason IUP opted out once they were one of the votes to play! It's obvious that certain teams didn't want to play them independently! Clarion obviously doesn't care. They already knew they wouldn't make it so they are using the experience to get better and recruit! Gannon/Mercyhurst on the other hand... one of them doesn't want to play. I'm not 100% sure which BUT I have a hunch!
                                Ahhhh...I see, it is every one elses fault that IUP is not playing! Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!

                                You aren't good for much, but at least you make me laugh every now and then!

                                Comment

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