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  • Layton
    replied
    Good side but poor shooting numbers

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  • Layton
    replied
    Concord’s JJ Harper to WL

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  • boatcapt
    replied
    Originally posted by Scrub View Post

    You think he could actually play this style night in & night out? I have my doubts. Good D2 player for sure. But probably not for this system.
    6'7", 250 so he's probably not even on Ben's radar! Buuuttt...he can sure shoot the 3...soooo...maybe?

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  • Scrub
    replied
    Originally posted by Layton View Post
    Wheeling’s Marcus Johnson in the portal need to put the full court press on him
    You think he could actually play this style night in & night out? I have my doubts. Good D2 player for sure. But probably not for this system.

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  • Layton
    replied
    Wheeling’s Marcus Johnson in the portal need to put the full court press on him

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  • boatcapt
    replied
    Originally posted by Layton View Post
    Fergus to the portal
    Not a shock at all. His advanced stats aside, it was clear that he just wasn't getting it. His absence from the rotation late in the year spoke volumes about his future on the Hilltop. WLU typically has 15 on the roster recently. With now 8 returning players and 4 more inbound (12 total), that indicates recruiting is still open for up to 3 roster spots for next season.

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  • Scrub
    replied
    Originally posted by Layton View Post
    Fergus to the portal
    Least surprising development in team history.

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  • Layton
    replied
    Fergus to the portal

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  • boatcapt
    replied
    Originally posted by Layton View Post
    It’s looking like last years recruiting class was an all-time dud sans D’Augustino. Can’t happen again
    Depends on how you measure. Three HS recruits and two redshirted so too early to call it a bust. Transfers were a mixed bag. Korte was good. Shuler showed some positives late but his 3pt shooting was bad. Fergus was pretty bad. Kisner was redshirted which is really NOT what you expect/want form a transfer. If you consider the whole class, yea, pretty disappointing this year with the caviat that three of the seven didn't play.

    I would add that all six of the returners need to have BIG 2024-25 step-ups as probably three will be in our starting five and the other three will probably be the bulk of our second platon.

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  • Layton
    replied
    It’s looking like last years recruiting class was an all-time dud sans D’Augustino. Can’t happen again

    Leave a comment:


  • boatcapt
    replied
    Originally posted by Scrub View Post

    This was a tough year for sure. The IUP fans like to talk about their "Island of Misfit Toys" team a few years back. This kinda felt like our "Misfit Toys" team. They were an odd grouping of parts that didn't look particularly like a standard WLU squad. The 3-point shooting wasn't up to the usual standard. The free throw shooting wasn't up to the usual standard. So you're not wrong that it was a kinda odd (and, in certain ways, disappointing season).

    But let's also add some perspective. Here's what this team accomplished:

    -- Finished tied for first for the Conference Regular Season Championship. Co-champs.
    -- Finished runner-up in the Conference Tournament.
    -- Finished the season in the top-25 poll (after spending all but two weeks in that poll).
    -- Earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
    -- Won a game in the NCAA Tournament and therefore made it into the final 32 still standing.

    How many fan bases could look at that list of accomplishments and feel salty about their team? Only one or two I suspect (WLU fans, IUP fans, NWMSU fans, Nova fans, Northern State fans, and that's about it). This was a down year for WLU for sure. But let's not take for granted that for most teams in the country this would be their banner year.

    The developments I'm excited about: D'Augustino & Woodward really seemed to grow into the system as the season went on. I'm a big fan of Shuler's defensive ability as well. And Spadafora vastly improved his shooting, making him a bigger weapon as well. Still some things to build around for sure (assuming everyone sticks around).
    There are metrics of success that most DII team would be happy with and then there are metrics of success for WLU. Rightly or wrongly WLU measures a successful season by:

    Winning the conference regular season title outright. (Sorry, I don't consider it a co-title given that we lost to UC twice)
    Winning the conference tourney.
    Winning the Regional title.

    Anything less is considered a "down year" for WLU.

    As for next season, I've mentioned before that we are losing a lot of our top performers...six of our top seven scorers...six of our top seven rebounders...six of our top seven 3pt shooters...five or our top six assist getters...five of our top seven free throw makers...You get the idea, not that the cupboard is completely bare, but we are going to have to see a BIG improvement from the returning players AND front line performances from more than a couple of the of the first year (redshirts, true freshmen and transfer) players. As for my personal windmill, we have one returning Big (Woodward at 6-7), one redshirt (Kisner at 6-7) and an incoming freshman (Tinsley at 6-7). Going into the season with only one experienced Big is not ideal.

    Leave a comment:


  • Scrub
    replied
    Originally posted by boatcapt View Post
    2023-24 season is over...Seven loss team for the first time in a LONG time...no titles...second round looser...losing five of our top six players...had sever 3 point shooting problems and got beat like a drum inside.

    Ben has some serious work to do...Across the board we need our current roster played to take a step forward, we need all our first year players to play like veterans and we need to figure out a way to be more competitive inside against good teams.

    Advanced stats aside, by WLU standards, this 3023-24 earns a grade of D.
    This was a tough year for sure. The IUP fans like to talk about their "Island of Misfit Toys" team a few years back. This kinda felt like our "Misfit Toys" team. They were an odd grouping of parts that didn't look particularly like a standard WLU squad. The 3-point shooting wasn't up to the usual standard. The free throw shooting wasn't up to the usual standard. So you're not wrong that it was a kinda odd (and, in certain ways, disappointing season).

    But let's also add some perspective. Here's what this team accomplished:

    -- Finished tied for first for the Conference Regular Season Championship. Co-champs.
    -- Finished runner-up in the Conference Tournament.
    -- Finished the season in the top-25 poll (after spending all but two weeks in that poll).
    -- Earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
    -- Won a game in the NCAA Tournament and therefore made it into the final 32 still standing.

    How many fan bases could look at that list of accomplishments and feel salty about their team? Only one or two I suspect (WLU fans, IUP fans, NWMSU fans, Nova fans, Northern State fans, and that's about it). This was a down year for WLU for sure. But let's not take for granted that for most teams in the country this would be their banner year.

    The developments I'm excited about: D'Augustino & Woodward really seemed to grow into the system as the season went on. I'm a big fan of Shuler's defensive ability as well. And Spadafora vastly improved his shooting, making him a bigger weapon as well. Still some things to build around for sure (assuming everyone sticks around).

    Leave a comment:


  • boatcapt
    replied
    2023-24 season is over...Seven loss team for the first time in a LONG time...no titles...second round looser...losing five of our top six players...had sever 3 point shooting problems and got beat like a drum inside.

    Ben has some serious work to do...Across the board we need our current roster played to take a step forward, we need all our first year players to play like veterans and we need to figure out a way to be more competitive inside against good teams.

    Advanced stats aside, by WLU standards, this 3023-24 earns a grade of D.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPbigINDIANS
    replied
    Originally posted by Scrub View Post

    Right. The old adage is that it's very hard to prepare for on one day's notice. But obviously, Millersville has a week to prepare, so WLU has to get past that first one. After that all bets are off.

    We've already seen Howlett vs. Fee (sorta) in last year's National Championship game, but there's no telling what the heck will happen if that match-up occurs.
    I think we're going to find out Sunday.

    Leave a comment:


  • Scrub
    replied
    Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post

    Millersville hammered Gannon once and got hammered by Gannon once.

    I suppose one advantage they have is they just played the Jordan Fee version of the system (which is obviously very good). So, they shouldn't have a shock factor.

    Here's a nugget nobody has considered: If Millersville were to get past WL, they'd have to play Gannon (highly likely) the next day. Back to back days of playing that pressure. Good luck.
    Right. The old adage is that it's very hard to prepare for on one day's notice. But obviously, Millersville has a week to prepare, so WLU has to get past that first one. After that all bets are off.

    We've already seen Howlett vs. Fee (sorta) in last year's National Championship game, but there's no telling what the heck will happen if that match-up occurs.

    Leave a comment:

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