West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Chuck Norris]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

The pragmatic goal is to win conference tournament and host regional. Playing tough teams early with young team is risky. Injuries in Jan and feb can result in unexpected losses. Early losses to good teams, while better than late losses, reduce margin of error for making tourney simply due to number of losses much less hosting. Iup fans might weigh in based on last year.
Imho This year iup looks to be the team in the Atlantic and can play anyone early. West Chester has some chemistry issues imho.

[Columbuseer]

[IUP Extra Mile]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Maybe Ben learned that his team is resilient, plays hard, and beat PSAC East favorite today...Never would have found that if they played two tomato cans this weekend...

Nice Win Hilltoppers over West Chester...Saw the stats...didn't watch the game, so I wasn't able to follow the flow...But a good win, after a loss last night. And the Kutztown loss will pay dividends down the road...Got the team's attention, and provided that Kutz has a good to decent year...that will help schedule strength all year...

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

WLU had a formula and we deviated from it this year. And it cost us. Now we effectively jave to run the rest of the year with no room for a bad game. That is incredibly hard to do when you have two games vs Fairmont, NDC and Concord. The "goal" for WLU is not to win the conf...the goal is to host and win the Region...NOT to be able to say we played tough games in November. Hopefully Ben learned a valuable lesson...If it ain't broke DONT FIX IT!!!

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

The pragmatic goal is to win conference tournament and host regional. Playing tough teams early with young team is risky. Injuries in Jan and feb can result in unexpected losses. Early losses to good teams, while better than late losses, reduce margin of error for making tourney simply due to number of losses much less hosting. Iup fans might weigh in based on last year.
Imho This year iup looks to be the team in the Atlantic and can play anyone early. West Chester has some chemistry issues imho.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

This is what I was talking about. WLU traditionally uses the early season as extended practice. But this year we bowed to the pressure coming from quarters that don't have our best interests at heart and scheduled tough games. Now it is coming back to bite us. And what was the supposed reason for scheduling difficult games at the start of the season? To be "tougher" in the playoffs in FIVE months. No one has ever been able to show that playing a tough game or two in November has anything to do with success in March.

[IUP Extra Mile]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I did. For the Topper fans that bowed to outside pressure and wanted WLU to schedule tough games early, congratulations, you got your wish.

I'm a huge WL fan...but to direct your anger to the topper fans who wanted some non cupcake games early, is mis guided. I want them to play tough games bc if we think the hilltoppers are a special team (year in year out) they should be able to beat a couple of PSAC teams at home...that's not really alot to ask? We're not scheduling West VA here, they scheduled West Chester and Kutztown, by all accounts, teams they could / should beat, but didn't beat one... And now I know that this team has some warts, and probably lowers my expectations a little bit...but season isn't over...I could see them still making the regional...and bc they lost 1 or 2 to start the year, if that costs them the regional, than they weren't going to compete in it anyway...I have no problem playing good teams, esp when WL talks about all their history of rankings and wins and 3 pointers, and such...just so happens this year is not a banner team...at least after one game..

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Layton- was there tonight and agree with all you wrote...

Talent is down...I know it's one game, but think back to the Harris / Falk / Hester era teams...or even Seger / COckburn iteration...Monteroso and last year...Much better talent in year's past...I thought they played hard tonight...but they are young and not all that impressive...Not sure how good Kutz is / will be, but they played well...Thought reffing was super close in first half, led to TONS of FT for Kutz...but they played well....Is kutz good and WL down? That's my guess...

I thought Primmer was bad...Bring Marlon Moore in. I am not a fan of luke dyer...but he hustles and plays d...would prob prefer Yahel Hill in there over him...I think he has potential... And I agree--Meiny has turned himself into a tough matchup with his size, shooting and ability to drive "downhill"...

Never saw a player wear an eye patch in a game...that's a first for me...Bolon must have gotten poked in the eye? That had to contribute to his 2/11 from 3 shooting...but he plays hard... The way WL plays though, they need talent...not just hustle...Looks like Will Yoakum has some skill...but they're young...Looking back though, really, why the heck did everyone have them in the Top 10, other than they always are?? And to win the conference too? I'm not overreacting, it's one game, but I see a talent deficet...


And either West Chester or West LIb is gonna start 0-2....who had that?

I did. For the Topper fans that bowed to outside pressure and wanted WLU to schedule tough games early, congratulations, you got your wish.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

This is what I was talking about. WLU traditionally uses the early season as extended practice. But this year we bowed to the pressure coming from quarters that don't have our best interests at heart and scheduled tough games. Now it is coming back to bite us. And what was the supposed reason for scheduling difficult games at the start of the season? To be "tougher" in the playoffs in FIVE months. No one has ever been able to show that playing a tough game or two in November has anything to do with success in March.

[IUP Extra Mile]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Layton- was there tonight and agree with all you wrote...

Talent is down...I know it's one game, but think back to the Harris / Falk / Hester era teams...or even Seger / COckburn iteration...Monteroso and last year...Much better talent in year's past...I thought they played hard tonight...but they are young and not all that impressive...Not sure how good Kutz is / will be, but they played well...Thought reffing was super close in first half, led to TONS of FT for Kutz...but they played well....Is kutz good and WL down? That's my guess...

I thought Primmer was bad...Bring Marlon Moore in. I am not a fan of luke dyer...but he hustles and plays d...would prob prefer Yahel Hill in there over him...I think he has potential... And I agree--Meiny has turned himself into a tough matchup with his size, shooting and ability to drive "downhill"...

Never saw a player wear an eye patch in a game...that's a first for me...Bolon must have gotten poked in the eye? That had to contribute to his 2/11 from 3 shooting...but he plays hard... The way WL plays though, they need talent...not just hustle...Looks like Will Yoakum has some skill...but they're young...Looking back though, really, why the heck did everyone have them in the Top 10, other than they always are?? And to win the conference too? I'm not overreacting, it's one game, but I see a talent deficet...


And either West Chester or West LIb is gonna start 0-2....who had that?

[Layton]

[PSAC76]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

This cat comes around still, but I'm not going to constantly respond to how you continuously twist the things that I say; I left middle school several years ago, no need to go back to it. You are hung up on this for some reason, just because I've given my opinions on what will happen. I just recall saying that WL, FS, and WJ won't be what they once were, and that the MEC will be down this season. Pretty simple statement that you've referred to several times.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Hey...The poster didn't make a lot of sense to me either. He was talking about Howlet and the Fairmont coach having down years this COMING season because they were new and couldn't possible be as good as who they replaced. I reminded him a couple of times that Howlet had done quite well in his first year as a HC replacing Crutch and would probably continue to do so but he was adamant that Howlet would be down starting this coming season and with Howlet's decline, the MEC would follow (leading to further assentation of the PSAC). He was a PSAC poster as I recall. Don't think that cat comes around much anymore.

I don't remember that post but they all blend together after awhile.

Enjoy the season. You know it's basketball time when we get to argue !!

I think it's going to be a very strong region this year. Maybe not quite as strong as last year but overall pretty good.

I'm not going to lie ... Concord has me a little nervous. I watched the Fairmont/Concord MEC Tournament game last year. I saw Bolte go for 51 ... he's scary.

I personally have a lot of respect for Ben bringing in Kutztown and WCU. For whatever that's worth.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I'll take credit for Benedict Arnold. Lol. Like a Buckeye joining the Wolverines.

What new coaches are you referring to for this upcoming season? WJ? I think we all agree they will be way down.

Hey...The poster didn't make a lot of sense to me either. He was talking about Howlet and the Fairmont coach having down years this COMING season because they were new and couldn't possible be as good as who they replaced. I reminded him a couple of times that Howlet had done quite well in his first year as a HC replacing Crutch and would probably continue to do so but he was adamant that Howlet would be down starting this coming season and with Howlet's decline, the MEC would follow (leading to further assentation of the PSAC). He was a PSAC poster as I recall. Don't think that cat comes around much anymore.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

No. He said they would be down this coming year because of the "new" coaches. I also recall a poster predicting that WLU was destined to join the PSAC when the MEC imploded and that called a transfer from WJ to WLU "Benedict Arnold." Both of those are pretty negative toward WLU and they happened well after the ESU game last year.

I'll take credit for Benedict Arnold. Lol. Like a Buckeye joining the Wolverines.

What new coaches are you referring to for this upcoming season? WJ? I think we all agree they will be way down.