This year is such a crap shoot. Could depend on how the NCAA decides to seed the 8 regions. If they keep the regions as set, WLU is the odds on favorite to advance from the Atlantic to the Elite 8. They certainly wouldn't be a shoe in as both Fairmont and UC will have a little to say about it! IF the NCAA decides to do away with the regions, it will really be a crap shoot...It is not just what WLU's seeding is but also who else is seeded in their bracket.
Just my opinion here, but there needs to be a minimum of DII games that a school has to play AND a "recency" requirement to be "tournament eligible" this season. Maybe 10 games minimum with at least three within the month before the tournament start date. Don't have somthing like that and you could have teams that played a very small number of games and haven't played in three months being in the tourney...Well rested, healed and well practiced heading into the tourney.
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IUP would beat a high % of D1 teams. I can see where few D1 teams want to play them.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
Listened to Bruce Webber post game press conference. they won big 12 in 2019 and elite 8, I think. Basically said his players don't listen to coaches, which IMHO is common in D1 (Huggins has said same type of comment). KSU had 10 turnovers and one assist at half. Not rotating, getting hands up on defense, etc. - basic stuff you learn in grade school. Curse of AAU and elite D1 players.
Elite one on one players, but not much else.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXTHYmi2BNQ
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Originally posted by Columbuseer View Post
That game reminded me of a couple weeks ago when St. Francis beat Pitt. Pitt's players admitted they took the game lightly -- and, once they realized they were in trouble ... it was too late. If Pitt would play Saint Francis again tomorrow, they'd probably win by 15-20 points. But, they don't get that chance. Shame on KSU. KSU is also a pretty garbage P5 basketball program.
It's exactly why many won't play those games. Le Moyne beat Syracuse about 5-6 years ago. IUP had Kentucky on the ropes with 4 minutes left in the game. It happens every year. Joe Lombardi talks every year how he can't get a D1 game in Pennsylvania. Nobody will play them.
The course of a season, however, you wouldn't see the 'sneak up' effect.Leave a comment:
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Below are the highlights of Fort Hays State (FHSU) vs Kansas State. Of what team does Fort Hays' ball movement and shooting remind you? In basketball, you still have to play team defense and take good shots, regardless of your athletic ability. They exposed lack of D1 fundamentals.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
And 2 FHSU coaches were out sick
They were picked to finish 7th in the MIAA this year and were 14-14 last year.
FHSU won 81-68.
ROFL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgS7Cfk3KuI
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Gonzaga is WLU with D1 size (but by no means elite talent across the board like the blue bloods. Suggs is their highest rated recruit ever).
They don't press, but they are fundamentally sound in all phases, unselfish and spread the floor just like WLU
Comparable to WLU in so many of the key quality stats, and so much better than typical D1.
Look at their points per possession, which obviously determines if you win or lose.
Just like WLU, few of their players would win one-on-one playground games with their elite, blueblood opponent.
The point is that the keys to consistently winning are the same at D1 and D2.
Team West Liberty Gonzaga WVU Florida State #4 Year 2019 2019 2019 2019 Turnover PerPossession Pct 14.3% 15.5% 20.8% 19.1% AssistsPerGame 18.5 16.7 12.4 13.2 AssistsPerPossession 0.23 0.23 0.18 0.19 Assist to Turnover Ratio 1.62 1.49 0.86 1.00 PointsPer Possession 1.27 1.21 1.01 1.09 PossessionsPerGame 80.3 72.0 69.4 69.4 NumberOf Possessions 2490 2377 2151 2152 GP 31 33 31 31 FG Pct 50.5% 51.5% 42.2% 45.7% 3FG Pct 41.3% 38.6% 28.6% 35.1% FT Pct 76.7% 68.8% 64.2% 75.0% Offensive Rebounds 448 373 455 352 Defensive Rebounds 856 948 757 750 Rebound Total 1304 1321 1212 1102 Rebound Avg 42.1 40.0 39.1 35.5 Assist 574 550 383 409 TO 355 368 447 411 Blk 70 127 111 162 Stl 331 243 238 273 Pts 3174 2885 2179 2336 Points Avg 102 87.4 70.3 75.4 Leave a comment:
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It's a tough comparison. What would WL's stats be playing in the Big 12 (much, much worse)? What would WVU's stats be playing in the MEC (tremendously better)?
I agree with the lacking fundamentals and team play for most D1 teams (especially P5).
But, WVU plays tremendously better competition. The worst Big 12 team would win the PSAC or MEC every year. An IUP or WL may get a magic night against one of them but over a season they'd do pretty bad. The lower D1 conferences they'd be competitive (.500 maybe).
WVU has a really nice team this year. Their bigs are legit and would destroy most D2 teams. The Big 12 is a gauntlet ... Kansas, TCU, Baylor, Texas, Oklahoma, etc. Brutal slate.Leave a comment:
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Florida State was #4 in final poll.Originally posted by boatcapt View Post
WLU better than FSU in all categories except blocks.
FSU had better points per possession than WVU.
Based on limited data samples, top 5 d1 teams have this stat between 1.00 and 1.10.Team West Liberty WVU Florida State #4 Year 2019 2019 2019 Turnover PerPossession Pct 14.3% 20.8% 19.1% AssistsPerGame 18.5 12.4 13.2 AssistsPerPossession 0.23 0.18 0.19 Assist to Turnover Ratio 1.62 0.86 1.00 PointsPer Possession 1.27 1.01 1.09 PossessionsPerGame 80.3 69.4 69.4 NumberOf Possessions 2490 2151 2152 GP 31 31 31 FG Pct 50.5% 42.2% 45.7% 3FG Pct 41.3% 28.6% 35.1% FT Pct 76.7% 64.2% 75.0% Offensive Rebounds 448 455 352 Defensive Rebounds 856 757 750 Rebound Total 1304 1212 1102 Rebound Avg 42.1 39.1 35.5 Assist 574 383 409 TO 355 447 411 Blk 70 111 162 Stl 331 238 273 Pts 3174 2179 2336 Points Avg 102 70.3 75.4 Leave a comment:
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If these truly athletically gifted d1 teams (like wvu) would develop their fundamentals to a level comparable to WLU, they would be a fixture in the final four. But they would have to pass and rotate the ball 4 or more times to give a teammate an open on-balance shot that allows the bigs to crash the boards. And close out shooters on defense.
Huggins implores them to do so but they seem to not understand that this is how you win consistently.
Really painful to watch such talent go to waste.Leave a comment:
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Pretty clear that, at our level, WLU is fundamentally "better" than WVU. NOT saying that WLU would beat or even hang with WVU in a real game. Interesting comparison would be comparing WLU to the roughly #4 D1 team this year.Leave a comment:
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Just to continue my rant against the quality of D1 basketball team play with some stats comparing West Liberty and WVU.
I am NOT saying an elite D2 team can defeat a D1 team consistently.
I grant that D1 players are bigger, stronger and quicker. But if one just looks at the basketball IQ, purity of the game and the teamwork, much of D1 is mighty ugly. I find elite D2 basket ball much more enjoyable to watch.
(Gonzaga is one exception)
Granted the 3 point line is farther away, but WLU players typically some distance behind the 3 point line.
These are stats from 2019-2020 season. Both teams played 31 games.
WVU led in only two stats: Offensive rebounds and Blocked shots.
Key quality stats IMHO are points per possession, Assists Per Possession, and Turnovers Per Possession.
Team West Liberty WVU Year 2019 2019 Turnover PerPossession Pct 14.3% 20.8% AssistsPerGame 18.5 12.4 AssistsPerPossession 0.23 0.18 Assist to Turnover Ratio 1.62 0.86 PointsPer Possession 1.27 1.01 PossessionsPerGame 80.3 69.4 NumberOf Possessions 2490 2151 GP 31 31 FG Pct 50.5% 42.2% 3FG Pct 41.3% 28.6% FT Pct 76.7% 64.2% Offensive Rebounds 448 455 Defensive Rebounds 856 757 Rebound Total 1304 1212 Rebound Avg 42.1 39.1 Assist 574 383 TO 355 447 Blk 70 111 Stl 331 238 Pts 3174 2179 Points Avg 102 70.3 Leave a comment:
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FYI
article about top players in D2. Excerpt and link follows- only picked one student-athlete per team. Some of these players have some stiff competition from their own teammates, in which case, I've noted those also in consideration.
Dalton Bolon, West Liberty: West Liberty has averaged 102.8 points per game over the past three seasons, and Bolon has led the charge, scoring 1,757 points over that span. Ben Howlett's teams simply score points, and if Bolon is healthy, he's a surefire All-American. He's not a one-trick pony either, putting up 12 double-doubles last season.
Other Hilltoppers considered: Pat Robinson III, Will Yoakum
https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball...turns-hardwood
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Watched wvu games this week. Incredible size and strength and potential. Maybe it is the curse of being blessed with incredible talent, but I saw so many fundamental errors.
- bigs bringing ball down below their heads on a pass in backcourt against press and getting it stolen
- ball sticking in point guard hands. Few passes to rotate the ball
- players standing around on offense; little movement without ball
- defenders not blocking out allowing offensive rebounds by opponent with clear path for rebound and put back
- trouble defending a spread, positionless offense. Giving up open threes.
- many possessions with bad/difficult shots
Basketball IQ of wlu is so much higher. Wlu typically gets a good shot on every possession. If wlu got hot from three, who Knows? I can see why wvu would not want to play them early in season.
Last edited by Columbuseer; 11-28-2020, 05:17 PM.Leave a comment:
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"no sooner than first of January" according to Mec. Unless the knuckleheads in the relevant counties get serious about staying away from people ( yes thanksgiving and Christmas), I could see MEC cancelling the season.
I did a pivot table in Excel on Ohio data - 330k cases. Daily Cases started climbing in Oct. Then it really went nuts just after Nov3.
Running out of remdesivir and nurses getting sick at some hospitals.
13% tested positive at drive thru a week before thanksgiving. Dolts think a negative test week before traveling is a green light.
Wait and see approach is the cause of no schedules.Leave a comment:
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