West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

It is high risk/reward...the risk being that you torpedo your season in the first week! The only reward is that you might be a better team in 5 months...assuming you are playing in 5 months!

The 17-18 IUP team you reference wasn't ready for that opening weekend against Findlay and Ferris State. Cobo missed the entire fall camp and those games were his first action of the season. That was a a good team by March -- up until the Seton Hill debacle which saw Glover suspended and Dante break his wrist. If those events didn't happen in Greensburg that was a team headed for the Regional.

Joe played probably the toughest schedule I've ever seen last year. I actually believe they were wore out by the end and had regressed. Figure they went 30-3 and lost twice to one team. They beat every good team in the Region (minus WL as they didn't play).

I think it's a fine-line scheduling the non-conference. I like what Ben did. He took one marquee game, a couple 'semi-tough' games and a few cream puffs.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Imho it seems like high risk high reward scenario. I think SOS matters as a tie breaker to host. If u win conference regular season and tourney SOS might offset one or two close losses to allow a 25-3 team to host over a 27-1 team with weak SOS.

It is high risk/reward...the risk being that you torpedo your season in the first week! The only reward is that you might be a better team in 5 months...assuming you are playing in 5 months!

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Can we block Boat from seeing Ben's quotes about a tough non con schedule? That's gonna ruin his narrative this upcoming season about how it cost them the hosting rights....

For the record, it's the direction that WL was going last year with WC and Kutz on opening weekend...and it's continuing...Most of us on this board liked the tougher games... except for a select one or two...

Glad they are scheduling tougher.. I didn't study the teams that rec'd bids and determine if SOS tipped the scales for any teams, but may be it did...

What will ruin their chance at hosting will be if they lose all three or perhaps even two of three. As IUP learned in 17-18, impossible to overcome going 1-3 to start the season to even make the NCAA field, much less having a chance to host the regionals.

But at least IUP would have been prepared to play in the NCAA if they had made it because they played tough games to open the season! Unfortunately, those tough game losses to start the season basically ended their season before it began.

As I've said many times, losses mean MORE than SOS.[/QUOTE]

Imho it seems like high risk high reward scenario. I think SOS matters as a tie breaker to host. If u win conference regular season and tourney SOS might offset one or two close losses to allow a 25-3 team to host over a 27-1 team with weak SOS.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Can we block Boat from seeing Ben's quotes about a tough non con schedule? That's gonna ruin his narrative this upcoming season about how it cost them the hosting rights....

For the record, it's the direction that WL was going last year with WC and Kutz on opening weekend...and it's continuing...Most of us on this board liked the tougher games... except for a select one or two...

Glad they are scheduling tougher.. I didn't study the teams that rec'd bids and determine if SOS tipped the scales for any teams, but may be it did...

What will ruin their chance at hosting will be if they lose all three or perhaps even two of three. As IUP learned in 17-18, impossible to overcome going 1-3 to start the season to even make the NCAA field, much less having a chance to host the regionals.

But at least IUP would have been prepared to play in the NCAA if they had made it because they played tough games to open the season! Unfortunately, those tough game losses to start the season basically ended their season before it began.

As I've said many times, losses mean MORE than SOS.[/QUOTE]



I'd relax a bit.

Shaw was just 17-13 last year and that was with Amir Hinton. Saint Augustine's is the CIAA version of Edinboro (11-17 a year ago). Ohio Dominican was 17-11 a year ago and took some beatings against better teams.

Salem and Ohio Valley will be glorified scrimmages for WL.

The trip to Daemen will be tough but the rest of the non-conference schedule will be 25-35-point wins.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[QUOTE
"With that in mind, I'm really excited about our schedule. Having our first three games on the road against quality competition is perfect. The CIAA teams are always tough at home and Daemen has just about everybody back from last year's Top 25 team. That's a great early-season challenge."
Non-conference foes coming to the hilltop this season include Salem (W.Va.), Ohio Valley (W.Va.) and an Ohio Dominican team that returns two 1,000-point scorers and the leading rebounder in the nation.
Howlett believes playing a strong non-conference schedule not only helps prepare the Hilltoppers for the grind of the MEC season, it also helps West Liberty's post-season resume when the NCAA ranking committee reviews the team's body of work.
"Winning is hard," said Howlett, who is an eye-popping 57-9 in his two seasons at the WLU helm. "Our conference puts multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament every year so you have to be ready to play every night. You have to learn how to work through adversity as a group. You have to learn how to win."

Can we block Boat from seeing Ben's quotes about a tough non con schedule? That's gonna ruin his narrative this upcoming season about how it cost them the hosting rights....

For the record, it's the direction that WL was going last year with WC and Kutz on opening weekend...and it's continuing...Most of us on this board liked the tougher games... except for a select one or two...

Glad they are scheduling tougher.. I didn't study the teams that rec'd bids and determine if SOS tipped the scales for any teams, but may be it did...[/QUOTE]

What will ruin their chance at hosting will be if they lose all three or perhaps even two of three. As IUP learned in 17-18, impossible to overcome going 1-3 to start the season to even make the NCAA field, much less having a chance to host the regionals.

But at least IUP would have been prepared to play in the NCAA if they had made it because they played tough games to open the season! Unfortunately, those tough game losses to start the season basically ended their season before it began.

As I've said many times, losses mean MORE than SOS.

[IUP Extra Mile]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[QUOTE
"With that in mind, I'm really excited about our schedule. Having our first three games on the road against quality competition is perfect. The CIAA teams are always tough at home and Daemen has just about everybody back from last year's Top 25 team. That's a great early-season challenge."
Non-conference foes coming to the hilltop this season include Salem (W.Va.), Ohio Valley (W.Va.) and an Ohio Dominican team that returns two 1,000-point scorers and the leading rebounder in the nation.
Howlett believes playing a strong non-conference schedule not only helps prepare the Hilltoppers for the grind of the MEC season, it also helps West Liberty's post-season resume when the NCAA ranking committee reviews the team's body of work.
"Winning is hard," said Howlett, who is an eye-popping 57-9 in his two seasons at the WLU helm. "Our conference puts multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament every year so you have to be ready to play every night. You have to learn how to work through adversity as a group. You have to learn how to win."
[/QUOTE]

Can we block Boat from seeing Ben's quotes about a tough non con schedule? That's gonna ruin his narrative this upcoming season about how it cost them the hosting rights....

For the record, it's the direction that WL was going last year with WC and Kutz on opening weekend...and it's continuing...Most of us on this board liked the tougher games... except for a select one or two...

Glad they are scheduling tougher.. I didn't study the teams that rec'd bids and determine if SOS tipped the scales for any teams, but may be it did...

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Nearly everyone is back from NCAA tourney team - They average about 80 points a game and 38% of threes. They have a returning 6-9 2nd team All American. This will be a good test for WLU in competing against a team with a dominant big man and with 3 point shooters.

Don't know much about Shaw or St. Augustine, but I would expect them to have some great players and be difficult to guard in one-on-one dribble-drive situations, if Va State is indicative of the conference.

These 3 games will reinforce the coach's emphasis about the extraordinary effort required to win for the freshmen and transfers; If they don't quite buy in yet and are not ready to give 100%, they could lose some of these games.

I remember Daemen lost to Mercyhurst by two last year real early in the season. They played Slippery Rock for a few years prior.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Daemen must be anticipating a big team. They are playing Northwest Missouri State on opening weekend. They are also playing Syracuse and Buffalo in exhibition.

Nearly everyone is back from NCAA tourney team - They average about 80 points a game and 38% of threes. They have a returning 6-9 2nd team All American. This will be a good test for WLU in competing against a team with a dominant big man and with 3 point shooters.

Don't know much about Shaw or St. Augustine, but I would expect them to have some great players and be difficult to guard in one-on-one dribble-drive situations, if Va State is indicative of the conference.

These 3 games will reinforce the coach's emphasis about the extraordinary effort required to win for the freshmen and transfers; If they don't quite buy in yet and are not ready to give 100%, they could lose some of these games.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Daemen must be anticipating a big team. They are playing Northwest Missouri State on opening weekend. They are also playing Syracuse and Buffalo in exhibition.

[Columbuseer]

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

U should have no problem with them. Just guard their outside shooters. Even the bigs can shoot the three. Flohr is a guard who may not start but when he is beaten off the dribble he can trip or push opponent from behind. I am not a fan of that kind of play.

Their coach would win the mec drew Carey lookalike contest with his black glasses and haircut. LOL

They came up here 4-5 years ago. I remember it was like 57-42 or something. Real slow game.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Good info.

They get Joe inside the KCAC on a Saturday night. Not easy.

We love when the other team has a goon. We'll have him frazzled by opening tip.

U should have no problem with them. Just guard their outside shooters. Even the bigs can shoot the three. Flohr is a guard who may not start but when he is beaten off the dribble he can trip or push opponent from behind. I am not a fan of that kind of play.

Their coach would win the mec drew Carey lookalike contest with his black glasses and haircut. LOL

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

It is the all-international team of the MEC.
They lose Bronsted, one of their twin towers, but Petrovic is a good shooter.
They have Flohr, who primary skill seems to be trying to instigate something with WL players.
His biggest contribution to his team would be to get an opponent kicked out of the game along with himself.

Their problem is that they have no interest in getting offensive rebounds. Everyone just stands outside and watches their teammates. Really soft. They play zone and once they got tired, WL was getting layups off the pass to the foul line and then breaking to the basket.

They can be dangerous on a given night, depending on who they play. I was amazed that they beat both West Chester and Kutztown to start the year.

Good info.

They get Joe inside the KCAC on a Saturday night. Not easy.

We love when the other team has a goon. We'll have him frazzled by opening tip.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

What's the report on WVW? They play that real slow-down game, correct?

Looks like they have most everybody back this year.

It is the all-international team of the MEC.
They lose Bronsted, one of their twin towers, but Petrovic is a good shooter.
They have Flohr, who primary skill seems to be trying to instigate something with WL players.
His biggest contribution to his team would be to get an opponent kicked out of the game along with himself.

Their problem is that they have no interest in getting offensive rebounds. Everyone just stands outside and watches their teammates. Really soft. They play zone and once they got tired, WL was getting layups off the pass to the foul line and then breaking to the basket.

They can be dangerous on a given night, depending on who they play. I was amazed that they beat both West Chester and Kutztown to start the year.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

What's the report on WVW? They play that real slow-down game, correct?

Looks like they have most everybody back this year.