West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Scrub]

Hopefully the Hilltoppers aren't already looking toward Saturday's de facto "playoff game" Concord. Gotta take care of a pesky Glenville squad tonight on the road.

[boatcapt]

I get the Toppers didn't shoot particularly well. (and Rasile being out sick certainly didn't help in that regard). And you're right that that's a bit concerning. But I also really like what I saw from the D (and Fairmont definitely has some scorers in Dobbs, Jolinder, and others). Dobbs historically lights up the Toppers, so for him to be as quiet as he was is a good indicator about WLU's defense.

It's also a good sign that Sarson was back, but he was definitely rusty (and visibly frustrated with himself about that fact). It might take him a game or two to get back in shape.

And there's no doubt: the home match with Concord on Saturday is about as MUST-WIN as a regular season MEC game could be. Gotta have that one. If the Toppers can dial up the D like they did against Fairmont in the second half, I'm confident they can hang with anyone (shooting woes or not).

We've given ourselves just about zero wiggle room which is not how you want to go spend the last two weeks of the regular season and conf tourney. It would be one thing if we were hitting on all 8 cyl so to speak, but we aren't...not even close. The only game of the final four that we have at home is vs Concord. Glenville is a different team playing at home (8-4 at home vs 4-8 on the road) and Wheeling, while not very good would LOVE nothing more than to beat their rivals at their house. Add to that a not terrible NDC squad on the road. While I'm not predicting upsets in any of those games, three of the four are capable of pulling the upset if we don't pull our head out of our a$$ shooting wise.

When was the last time a Topper team finished the regular season with 5 or more losses? Answer, 2009 (15 years ago) and that team didn't go to the NCAA tourney. We are limping into the post season while most other good teams are running in.

[Scrub]

We gutted out a win against a good Fairmont squad which shouldn't be overlooked. But it was still not a good win. Our 3 point shooting woes continued with us going 7-33 (21%). We sizzled from the free throw line shooting 90% (20-22). Those 20 "free points" plus the "volume shooting" we got from 3 (we scored 4 more points from beyond the arc than Fairmont) earned us the clunky, sputtering W.

WLU has always been a squad that can gut out W's vs good teams on nights when we don't bring their A or even B game. But it is hard to sustain winning like that night after night in the NCAA Tourney when the quality of opponents goes up every night. You never know when a team will break out of a slump and catch fire but no matter how you parse it, with 4 games to play, that time is NOW for the Toppers. As a team the Toppers need to shoot 30%+ from 3 EVERY game with at least two of their top 4 shooters going .400+ every game.

Big game in the final 4 stretch is vs Concord Saturday. While we are one game ahead of Concord in conference play, we are one game behind in overall. A win is critical in locking down the #2 seed in the Conf Tourney (and thereby avoiding UC until a possible finals match-up) and maybe more importantly, giving us the season sweep and putting them behind-up in the NCAA Tourney selections.

Time for complaining is over...Time for bemoaning injuries is over...Time for each player to live up to the potential and past performance that brought them to the Hilltop and into the playing rotation on one of the best historical programs in the DII nation.

I get the Toppers didn't shoot particularly well. (and Rasile being out sick certainly didn't help in that regard). And you're right that that's a bit concerning. But I also really like what I saw from the D (and Fairmont definitely has some scorers in Dobbs, Jolinder, and others). Dobbs historically lights up the Toppers, so for him to be as quiet as he was is a good indicator about WLU's defense.

It's also a good sign that Sarson was back, but he was definitely rusty (and visibly frustrated with himself about that fact). It might take him a game or two to get back in shape.

And there's no doubt: the home match with Concord on Saturday is about as MUST-WIN as a regular season MEC game could be. Gotta have that one. If the Toppers can dial up the D like they did against Fairmont in the second half, I'm confident they can hang with anyone (shooting woes or not).

[boatcapt]

Nice win for the Toppers over a scrappy Fairmont bunch. Only giving up 22 points in the second half was a sign of lock-down defense. Fairmont came out of the first half with 38 points. They picked up 3 points early in the second half, but got stuck at 41 until the clock read about 10:00. For a team to go 10 minutes and only score 3 points is pretty impressive D. Good win.

And got a bit of breathing room from WVSU who got knocked off by NDC. WLU will take all the help it can get at this point. (Unfortunately Mansfield couldn't hold on for the big Regional upset against Millersville).

We gutted out a win against a good Fairmont squad which shouldn't be overlooked. But it was still not a good win. Our 3 point shooting woes continued with us going 7-33 (21%). We sizzled from the free throw line shooting 90% (20-22). Those 20 "free points" plus the "volume shooting" we got from 3 (we scored 4 more points from beyond the arc than Fairmont) earned us the clunky, sputtering W.

WLU has always been a squad that can gut out W's vs good teams on nights when we don't bring their A or even B game. But it is hard to sustain winning like that night after night in the NCAA Tourney when the quality of opponents goes up every night. You never know when a team will break out of a slump and catch fire but no matter how you parse it, with 4 games to play, that time is NOW for the Toppers. As a team the Toppers need to shoot 30%+ from 3 EVERY game with at least two of their top 4 shooters going .400+ every game.

Big game in the final 4 stretch is vs Concord Saturday. While we are one game ahead of Concord in conference play, we are one game behind in overall. A win is critical in locking down the #2 seed in the Conf Tourney (and thereby avoiding UC until a possible finals match-up) and maybe more importantly, giving us the season sweep and putting them behind-up in the NCAA Tourney selections.

Time for complaining is over...Time for bemoaning injuries is over...Time for each player to live up to the potential and past performance that brought them to the Hilltop and into the playing rotation on one of the best historical programs in the DII nation.

[Scrub]

Nice win for the Toppers over a scrappy Fairmont bunch. Only giving up 22 points in the second half was a sign of lock-down defense. Fairmont came out of the first half with 38 points. They picked up 3 points early in the second half, but got stuck at 41 until the clock read about 10:00. For a team to go 10 minutes and only score 3 points is pretty impressive D. Good win.

And got a bit of breathing room from WVSU who got knocked off by NDC. WLU will take all the help it can get at this point. (Unfortunately Mansfield couldn't hold on for the big Regional upset against Millersville).

[boatcapt]

The studies use the scientific method rather than anecdotal experience or pop psychology. They try to limit external factors, bias and use control groups. Some use double blind techniques to avoid introducing cues that could interject bias. Usually their goal is to focus on one factor.

One study wanted to see if cognitive performance in a fatigue situation varied according to experience in basketball. Can experienced players function better with lower O2 levels than less experienced players? Other studies wanted to determine the duration of activity before fatigue starts significantly affecting performance - that could be useful for substitution patterns.

Human athletic performance is big business due to pro sports, Olympics, etc.
Some of the studies were PhD level work. opensim is Stanford software that allows one to model human movement.

Based on what I have read, crutchfield was about 15 years ahead of the research.

Don't know about funding. Google is your friend, if interested.

Seems like much money wasted on something almost everyone (to include Crutch) already knew...You get tired, you don't perform as well. Except NOW we have the stamp of science on it which makes it official.

Someone should put in a grant proposal to study how much the government provides to researchers to prove what we already know anecdotally. I would imagine the number would be in the billions. But hey, got to give those tenured professors and graduate assistants something to do, right?

[Columbuseer]

The studies use the scientific method rather than anecdotal experience or pop psychology. They try to limit external factors, bias and use control groups. Some use double blind techniques to avoid introducing cues that could interject bias. Usually their goal is to focus on one factor.

One study wanted to see if cognitive performance in a fatigue situation varied according to experience in basketball. Can experienced players function better with lower O2 levels than less experienced players? Other studies wanted to determine the duration of activity before fatigue starts significantly affecting performance - that could be useful for substitution patterns.

Human athletic performance is big business due to pro sports, Olympics, etc.
Some of the studies were PhD level work. opensim is Stanford software that allows one to model human movement.

Based on what I have read, crutchfield was about 15 years ahead of the research.

Don't know about funding. Google is your friend, if interested.

[boatcapt]

I was thinking the same ... How much research is really required? That's common sense.

Wonder how much the grant was for to do that research project?

I'm working on a grant proposal to study weather a team actually wins more games if they "play better" after the HC tells a reporter "all we have to do the second half is play better." Think I could get a couple of hundred thousand for it!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Hahaha...It's amazing what we feel compelled to "research." All you need to do is go to a freshman football practice and watch the players "decision making" ability after running 10 gassers to figure out that players don't do what they are supposed to do when all they can think of is how to get another tenth of an ounce of O2 into their lungs!!!

I was thinking the same ... How much research is really required? That's common sense.

[boatcapt]

Great summary. #1and #2 are imperative. There is growing research on the effects of fatigue in basketball. Interestingly, fatigue decreases mental acuity and decision making. Fatigue makes elite players quite mediocre. Coaches often play starters too long against wlu before subbing. The effects of fatigue are cumulative.

Hahaha...It's amazing what we feel compelled to "research." All you need to do is go to a freshman football practice and watch the players "decision making" ability after running 10 gassers to figure out that players don't do what they are supposed to do when all they can think of is how to get another tenth of an ounce of O2 into their lungs!!!

[Columbuseer]

Many teams have tried to figure out a solution to the WLU Style, few have succeeded. The WLU Style is not a secret as there are hundreds of game tapes from WLU, Nova and now Gannon and Coker. Certainly the WLU Style is no secret to PSAC teams as numerous teams play WLU every year in the regular season and in the NCAA tourney. Now this year, add Gannon to the mix.

There are two conferences that have ample experience playing against teams that play the WLU Style, the MEC and the Sunshine State. Crutch at Nova has a .840 winning percentage in the Sunshine State Conference over his six years there...Ben has a .889 in the MEC during his six years at the Topper helm. The "new blood" WLU Style HC's...Coach Fee at Gannon is .889 in PSAC play thus far in his first season while Coach Lamberti at Coker is .600 in his first season of play in the SAC.

So clearly "exposure" playing against a WLU Style team is not the secret sauce to beating one. If that were the case, MEC, Sunshine and even PSAC teams would have figured it out long ago.

Here are the secrets to beating a WLU Style team:

1. Supreme physical condition.
2. Deep bench (8 MINIMUM).
3. At least two gifted ball handlers that can break the press consistently.
4. At least three shooters that can drain threes.
5. Two "athletic" bigs that can run the floor.
6. Disciplined players top to bottom that will sacrifice their stats sheet for the teams W/L record.

Build a team that can do that, and you'll have an even chance of beating a WLU Style team. Of course, if you build a team like that, why not just run the WLU Style and win .80%+ of your games?

Great summary. #1and #2 are imperative. There is growing research on the effects of fatigue in basketball. Interestingly, fatigue decreases mental acuity and decision making. Fatigue makes elite players quite mediocre. Coaches often play starters too long against wlu before subbing. The effects of fatigue are cumulative.

[boatcapt]

The more exposure the gimmick gets, the more the solution will start to appear.

Many teams have tried to figure out a solution to the WLU Style, few have succeeded. The WLU Style is not a secret as there are hundreds of game tapes from WLU, Nova and now Gannon and Coker. Certainly the WLU Style is no secret to PSAC teams as numerous teams play WLU every year in the regular season and in the NCAA tourney. Now this year, add Gannon to the mix.

There are two conferences that have ample experience playing against teams that play the WLU Style, the MEC and the Sunshine State. Crutch at Nova has a .840 winning percentage in the Sunshine State Conference over his six years there...Ben has a .889 in the MEC during his six years at the Topper helm. The "new blood" WLU Style HC's...Coach Fee at Gannon is .889 in PSAC play thus far in his first season while Coach Lamberti at Coker is .600 in his first season of play in the SAC.

So clearly "exposure" playing against a WLU Style team is not the secret sauce to beating one. If that were the case, MEC, Sunshine and even PSAC teams would have figured it out long ago.

Here are the secrets to beating a WLU Style team:

1. Supreme physical condition.
2. Deep bench (8 MINIMUM).
3. At least two gifted ball handlers that can break the press consistently.
4. At least three shooters that can drain threes.
5. Two "athletic" bigs that can run the floor.
6. Disciplined players top to bottom that will sacrifice their stats sheet for the teams W/L record.

Build a team that can do that, and you'll have an even chance of beating a WLU Style team. Of course, if you build a team like that, why not just run the WLU Style and win .80%+ of your games?

[IUPalum]

I agree. Teams should not copy this gimmick. They should stay with tradition and their proven successful styles.

Ok Ben!

[Columbuseer]

The more exposure the gimmick gets, the more the solution will start to appear.

I agree. Teams should not copy this gimmick. They should stay with tradition and their proven successful styles.

[Columbuseer]

Oh there's no question: if the Toppers put up another stinker like last night on Saturday, Fairmont will run them out of their own building. Gotta get this figured out. I refuse to believe Sarson is SO instrumental that they can't win without him. But, man, they've looked pretty bad since he went down. They just looked downright sluggish at times last night. And sluggish is a bad adjective for a team running a system devised to create chaos for the opponent. "Sluggish chaos" is a pretty ineffective strategy.

They did force 17 turnovers and held frostburg to 0.90 points per possession, despite frostburg getting red hot from three in 1st 10 mins of second half ( went from 11% in 1st half to 42% from three in 2nd half).

wlu was not taking bad shots. They just were not dropping in 2nd half (11% from three).

I liked that wlu changed their strategy. Frostburg was a step slow from fatigue, but wlu was missing open looks.
So wlu went to their half court game and started getting easy shots inside with great interior passing. Their 2 pt fg % was 60% for the game.

Also, in the last 6 mins or so, wlu decided to take off the trap and make frostburg work for shots in the half court rather than jack up threes in transition.

wlu has good half court defense. It cooled frostburg shooting and made them use clock to even get a shot.

Excellent strategy by wlu to find a way to win on horrendous shooting night.

Variation in 3 pt shooting from half to half is huge for many teams. Against wvwu wlu shot 63% from three in 1st half
and 31% in 2nd half.