West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Interesting stuff. Easy to agree with all most all of it. Until, of course, a 6'3" guard has to defend Dustin Sleva for 40 minutes. But, by and large, that will obviously work for 95 percent of the season. Mercyhurst wore WL out in that final game. I saw it in person. That said, WL stayed in that press way too long. It was useless in that game and just wore themselves out.

Mercyhurst did a great job against the pressure with only 8 turnovers. Impressive. I think the WL strategy was sound for they had to try to get some extra possessions for a young team that was playing an experienced team with a guy with an NBA body (Smith - what a specimen and matchup nightmare) and a good 3pt shooting team. For WL to win, they had to shoot well - They shot poorly (18% below average in FGs, 7% below average in 3FGs).

I have felt at the Regional level, every team has some matchup problems, and it comes down to points per possession, usually due to shooting and turnovers.
For the season, Mercyhurst averaged 1.15 pts per possesion while holding opponents to .95 points per possession.
Both are impressive stats.

WLU averaged 1.33 pts per possession, while holding opponents to 1.17.
In the regional game, Merchyhurst averaged 1.19 pts per possession (a little above their average), while WLU averaged 1.01 points per possession.
I would have to watch the game to see how much of the subpar scoring was due to Mercyhurst defense and also how many easy points Mercyhurst got off the press to help their scoring. But against great teams, the achilles heel for WLU has always been a poor shooting night.

It is really hard to find a strong big defender who can play a Sleva or Smith one on one and who has all of the other skills required of WLU players. Long term, incoming freshman Hazelbaker could be a strong defender who hit 38% of this threes (also 4.0+ student) who may be still growing at 6-7. Have to see how fast he develops and adjusts to the game.

Every system has its strengths and weaknesses and it sometimes comes down to who is "on their game" that night. But based on year-in and year-out performance, it is hard to argue to change the WLU system.

That said, I think WLU far exceeded expectations with their young team. Folks generally thought their strong year was going to be 2019-2020, not the 2018-2019 season. We will have to wait and see.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Thanks Boat! Very informative podcast - Crutch is really a deep thinker on the game. He answered the recommendation that some have posed that WLU needs a traditional low post player. He says that won't happen because it would require him to change his offense. In his system there is only one position, ideally. Depending on the situation, a tall guy could be a point guard while a guard could be posting up his player in the low post.

He does not pull guys for missing shots. He pulls guys for lack of effort.

He wants the players to be free to make decisions on the court. He says the players love the freedom that he gives them as well as the uptempo style.

He says the area for improvement of his players in his system is spacing on the court - He said if they could significantly improve in that area they would be really good.

He wants continuous mental and physical pressure on the opponent regardless of whether the opponent is on offense and defense. He said gaps get wider due to fatigue after about 10 minutes, even for strong defensive opponents.

Great insight into his coaching philosophy. Definitely worth a listen, even for non WLU fans.

Interesting stuff. Easy to agree with all most all of it. Until, of course, a 6'3" guard has to defend Dustin Sleva for 40 minutes. But, by and large, that will obviously work for 95 percent of the season. Mercyhurst wore WL out in that final game. I saw it in person. That said, WL stayed in that press way too long. It was useless in that game and just wore themselves out.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

"

In this day and age of cottled players, everyone is a winner and there are no losers as long as we really try mentality, a coach even saying he rates everything his players do through the lens of winners and losers, that he TRACKS it AND it's being put on display for all to see is simply amazing!

https://basketballimmersion.com/the-...m-crutchfield/

Thanks Boat! Very informative podcast - Crutch is really a deep thinker on the game. He answered the recommendation that some have posed that WLU needs a traditional low post player. He says that won't happen because it would require him to change his offense. In his system there is only one position, ideally. Depending on the situation, a tall guy could be a point guard while a guard could be posting up his player in the low post.

He does not pull guys for missing shots. He pulls guys for lack of effort.

He wants the players to be free to make decisions on the court. He says the players love the freedom that he gives them as well as the uptempo style.

He says the area for improvement of his players in his system is spacing on the court - He said if they could significantly improve in that area they would be really good.

He wants continuous mental and physical pressure on the opponent regardless of whether the opponent is on offense and defense. He said gaps get wider due to fatigue after about 10 minutes, even for strong defensive opponents.

Great insight into his coaching philosophy. Definitely worth a listen, even for non WLU fans.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

FYI
Frostburg has their entire basketball schedule online.
Suspect they got their out of conference games finalized before other MEC schools.

WLU goes to Frostburg on Sat Jan 18.
Frostburg comes to WLU on Wed Feb 19.

Frostburg is a hot mess in BB. Now that said, the same recruiting things that will probably make their FB team very good rather quickly are there for BB. As good as MD is for football recruiting, the HS BB environment in MD is equally good...if not better. My real question with Frostburg BB is do they have a coaching staff that is capable of iding and bringing in MD players that can elevate their program to a DII winner. My feeling is they don't.

[boatcapt]

"

In this day and age of cottled players, everyone is a winner and there are no losers as long as we really try mentality, a coach even saying he rates everything his players do through the lens of winners and losers, that he TRACKS it AND it's being put on display for all to see is simply amazing!

https://basketballimmersion.com/the-...m-crutchfield/

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

FYI
Frostburg has their entire basketball schedule online.
Suspect they got their out of conference games finalized before other MEC schools.

WLU goes to Frostburg on Sat Jan 18.
Frostburg comes to WLU on Wed Feb 19.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Boy...Don't show up of one day and new players start popping up! Unfortunately I can't get to the WLU website because my computer is using IE 11 and apparently SideArmSports (the web site developer) has declared them No Bueno. To access any Sidearm developed site you HAVE to use Chrome or Firefox or the dumpster fire that is Edge!

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

More videos on Shifflett

Jr year highlights
https://youtu.be/YEf29D3ZC2s

2019 Pitt Jam
https://youtu.be/4nvqoUsTs7Y

Thanks! He has great range. WLU also gets some smart players too, as I have seen outstanding GPAs and test scores for Hazelbaker, Shifflett and Butler (haven't seen data on other players). Their team GPA was 3.11 last semester!

If NCAA votes tomorrow to move back 3 point line (as most expect) from 20 ft 9 inches to 22 feet 1.75 inches, I wonder if it just might make West Liberty even more dangerous and have a bigger impact on its opponents? Many of our opponents have some fringe 3 point shooters, whose % may be negatively impacted. Whereas players such as Yoakum, Bolon, Boswell, Shifflett, Conley and Butler all seem to be comfortable in shooting frequently from NBA 3 range. It could spread the floor even more, which allows their numerous slashers open lanes to the basket to score or pass. If passed in D1 for 2019, it will be effective in 2020 for D2.

[TVCS2]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

More videos on Shifflett

Jr year highlights
https://youtu.be/YEf29D3ZC2s

2019 Pitt Jam
https://youtu.be/4nvqoUsTs7Y

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Way early Pure Speculation on platoon 1 and platoon 2 in 2019
Platoon 1
Bolon
Yoakum
Dyer
Moore
Boswell

Platoon 2
Alessandro
McKinney
Robinson
Butler
Shifflett



Very interested in seeing Alessandro to see if he can defend inside because he is strong offensively.
Situational play depending on development during year - hazelbaker and Conley

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

It's my understanding he(Hill) had several D1's interested, but none wanted him to sit a year. This is why he went to a JUCO.

I know he had 7 or so D1 offers coming out of high school. Why he picked West Liberty, he only knows.

He committed on 4/29/2018, which is really late in the D1 recruiting cycle, if he actually had "Committable" D1 offers.

Just some idle speculation:
1. There are committable offers and then there are non-commitable offers. Some D1 schools like to get in early with recruits long before their senior year with a non-comittable offer.
I think Yahel Hill has some of these in 2016-2017, when there was talk of him in the Mr. Basketball discussion for the following season 2017-2018.
2. His size and weight may have made him a second or third choice at his position for D1 low majors and he was caught in a numbers game. Unfortunately, that issue still exists.
3. If he does not get major minutes at Talahassee, most d1 schools would shy away from a incoming junior who is not a juco star and can't start on day 1 at D1. If they don't want him to redshirt as sophomore, they certainly are not nterested in a bench warmer as a junior.

4. He may have realized that he would have a fair chance to compete to start at WL. No seniority system there. WL does not hold his height and slight build against him and the style minmizes its negative impact.
5. He may have liked the high level of play (most players do if they can handle the running) at WL. They average 1.33 points per possession, which is better than any D1 school.
6. He was astute enough to realize that high end D2 is higher quality basketball than low majors and many mid majors. (Go to basketball general discussion forum for a list of D2 schools that beat high major D1 schools).


I thought he was in a great situation at WLU with potential to be a D2 All American sometime during his career and play in Europe.
I wish him the best.

[Wvguy]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

It's my understanding he(Hill) had several D1's interested, but none wanted him to sit a year. This is why he went to a JUCO.

I know he had 7 or so D1 offers coming out of high school. Why he picked West Liberty, he only knows.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

His one year audition at WL would at least find him a home in the Atlantic Region next season should he choose to come back. It's a very odd move altogether. Was the 'D1' jump confirmed to be the reason he left or was it something else (grades, etc.)?

I haven't taken the time to look but does Tallahassee have a track record of being a feeder system? Some of those elite JUCO's are legitimately D1 factories.

But, Boat, as your buddy Joe Lombardi says ... "I get calls from 5'10" point guards all day long"

Seems like WLU is becoming a "feeder" for IUP! First was "Everything West Liberty is is Because of ME Dyer" a few years ago, now it's "I'm a Can't Miss D1 Superstar Humphrey" and perhaps his replacement will be "I Should Have Been An All-American Hill!"

I'm sure Hill has Joe's number on speed dial!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Yea...Tallahassee CC seems to be a "player mill" were players who couldn't find ANYWHERE else to go "park" for a year. First chance they have they seem to head for greener pastures...typically at another JUCO if they have any eligibility left. I'd be willing to bet his "Academic Major" is listed as - "The easiest courses possible to maintain my eligibility."

His one year audition at WL would at least find him a home in the Atlantic Region next season should he choose to come back. It's a very odd move altogether. Was the 'D1' jump confirmed to be the reason he left or was it something else (grades, etc.)?

I haven't taken the time to look but does Tallahassee have a track record of being a feeder system? Some of those elite JUCO's are legitimately D1 factories.

But, Boat, as your buddy Joe Lombardi says ... "I get calls from 5'10" point guards all day long"

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Yea...Tallahassee CC seems to be a "player mill" were players who couldn't find ANYWHERE else to go "park" for a year. First chance they have they seem to head for greener pastures...typically at another JUCO if they have any eligibility left. I'd be willing to bet his "Academic Major" is listed as - "The easiest courses possible to maintain my eligibility."