West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Can we move on to talking about the games and not "schedule-gate" for WL?

Nice effort last night vs Salem...shot really well...and Salem had no chance, if you run and gun with no purpose vs them, you won't win..

Next two games will be very indicative of how WL stacks up early....Glenville St saturday...They have nice transfer from Marshall, Bledsoe, and was recruited by WL, I believe. And then they play at WVW, who has gotten off to surprise start with wins over WC and Kutz.

Any word on Bolton's eye? Any word on Evan French-is he injured?

I like how this team plays...but if they're hitting their 3's, it's tough to slow them down...

I don't know about Bolton's eye, but it is cool to have a pirate on the floor for us! Also doesn't seem to be hurting his free throwing so maybe Ben should get one for the rest of the team to use when they are shooting free throws!

I read an article about French and it said he should be cleared to play in two weeks. I think the article was from last week so...next week?? Didn't say what the injury was (sprained ankle...knee surgery??) or how long he was laid up so no way of telling if he will be in game shape when he does come back.

Surprises early: Red Shirt Freshman Will Yoakum - 3 starts and 3 solid games. Averaging 21 minutes and 13 PPG. Less surprising but still good to see, True Freshman Yahel Hill - 3 starts and 3 solid games. Averaging 22 minutes and 8 PPG.

More than I hoped: Brady Arnold. Not starting, yet, but boy is he having an impact. Didn't know if he would be just a "good news" story who got a few minutes to be able to say he was back or if he truly was back. He's back and appears to actually be better than before. Season is young and he may still wear down but if he continues playing like this, we will be in excellent shape at PG (weather he stays the primary back up or becomes the starter again).

Don't like: Bolon's 3 point shooting. OK, he's playing with one eye so that is probably effecting his accuracy a bit but he's got to recognize that and throttle back on the 3's! He's attempted 25 which is over double any other player on the team!! Drive to the hole or give the ball up Dalton because everything else you are doing is MONEY...just not the 3...not right now!!

Sneeky good: Marlon Moore all around game. Only averaging 11 minutes per game but 9 ppg and #2 on the team in rebounds. Not getting a lot of time, yet, but if he continues to play like he has, his minutes and production will go up.

A little concerning: Saben. Averaging 13 minutes but only 2 ppg on 2 for 9 shooting (.222). He's doing OK in rebounds and assists so maybe he's going to be our Mr All Around...Not great in any one area but solid across the board? He will need to shoot a much higher % to continue to see minutes.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

They had closed the lead from 32 to 24...what choice did we have??!!

Lol ... good answer. Haha.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

You guys going for style points last night draining two treys up 20 with a minute left?

They had closed the lead from 32 to 24...what choice did we have??!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Can we move on to talking about the games and not "schedule-gate" for WL?

Nice effort last night vs Salem...shot really well...and Salem had no chance, if you run and gun with no purpose vs them, you won't win..

Next two games will be very indicative of how WL stacks up early....Glenville St saturday...They have nice transfer from Marshall, Bledsoe, and was recruited by WL, I believe. And then they play at WVW, who has gotten off to surprise start with wins over WC and Kutz.

Any word on Bolton's eye? Any word on Evan French-is he injured?

I like how this team plays...but if they're hitting their 3's, it's tough to slow them down...

You guys going for style points last night draining two treys up 20 with a minute left?

[IUP Extra Mile]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Can we move on to talking about the games and not "schedule-gate" for WL?

Nice effort last night vs Salem...shot really well...and Salem had no chance, if you run and gun with no purpose vs them, you won't win..

Next two games will be very indicative of how WL stacks up early....Glenville St saturday...They have nice transfer from Marshall, Bledsoe, and was recruited by WL, I believe. And then they play at WVW, who has gotten off to surprise start with wins over WC and Kutz.

Any word on Bolton's eye? Any word on Evan French-is he injured?

I like how this team plays...but if they're hitting their 3's, it's tough to slow them down...

[IUP24]

We will see if that extra loss impacts their seeding more than the SOS boost helps them. I tend to think losses, no matter who they are to, hurt you more than they help.

But remember, SOS and W/L are not the only selection criteria that the selection committee is supposed to use. WLU now has an extra loss vs. an in region opponent (that is one of the criteria), they have a current PI of 18 (had they scheduled two tomato cans they would have a PI of no worse than 24), etc. You go right down the line and it is clear that a loss, even to a good team, hurts more than it helps.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Adapt or die.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We will see if that extra loss impacts their seeding more than the SOS boost helps them. I tend to think losses, no matter who they are to, hurt you more than they help.

But remember, SOS and W/L are not the only selection criteria that the selection committee is supposed to use. WLU now has an extra loss vs. an in region opponent (that is one of the criteria), they have a current PI of 18 (had they scheduled two tomato cans they would have a PI of no worse than 24), etc. You go right down the line and it is clear that a loss, even to a good team, hurts more than it helps.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Easy there. He's no NBA player. Not even close. Duquesne doesn't land many 'superstars', either. That said, Duquesne finally has a very good coach in Dambrodt. If it works out, he should have a very good career there.

You and I agree he is not nba. But many athletes are delusional. Dukes did get a 3 star guard in Maceo Austin who had interest from big 10 and Pitt so if dambrot turns it around u might see a higher recruiting result.

[Chuck Norris]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

High risk, high reward vs lower risk, high reward. WLU has always done things "differently" than other teams or the traditional ways of doing things AND they have been very successful at it. Now it appears, at least in scheduling, we are giving in to conventional wisdom and changing what we have been successful at. As happens in almost everything, a change in one area results in a change in other unanticipated areas. If we continue to schedule tough games to open the year, we are going to have to change how we approach the early season and the pre season camp. Also, you have to face the reality that there is a good chance you could have two more losses than you might typically have which will probably equal lower chances of hosting the Regional Tourney.

But weather it is a good idea or not, it seems like we have changed. We'll see starting this year weather that change produces good results and starting with the next recruiting class, we'll see if there are other unanticipated changes this focus on the early season causes.

[IUP24]

WLU "lapped the MEC field" last year by 3 games over WJ and 4 games over Fairmont.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

And still it was not enough to host the region! I think Coach Howlett has come to the realization that we have to play 2-3 tough OOC teams to be on a level playing field when it comes to hosting or getting a high seed in the regional. The fact that other MEC teams played and won against good PSAC teams will also help us, if we should defeat those MEC teams convincingly.

Also, we need experience playing different styles with strong teams who have traditional centers and power forwards, in order to get prepared to face a team like last year's Ferris State in the tourney, for example. Not many of those in the MEC.

Well, you saw Sleva first hand last year.

I see what you're saying. That's what was so obviously apparent watching Concord up here. They are built for a run-n-gun style. I think their biggest player was maybe 6'6" and they got creamed under the basket by IUP. IUP's whole game plan on them was to slow the game down and Concord really struggled with it. Bolte got his points but he was visibly frustrated. IUP's plan on him was to shut down the rest of his team. UPJ did the complete opposite and sold out on Bolte ... and then their No. 2 went for like 30-some. UPJ also didn't have the ability to control the pace.

Joe commented in the paper that you just have to hold Bolte to his average and shut the rest of the team down ... one guy can't beat you. That's exactly what they did.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I'm a little surprised that he started. I just hope that Duquesne develops his basketball IQ and complete game as much as WL would have done so that he can make a good living by playing in Europe. To star at WL, you have to develop to be complete in all facets, passing, shooting, rebounding, team defense, defense in open court, etc., which is important in Europe.

IMHO, at his height and measurables, his post college destination is Europe, not the NBA (unless he wants to play for peanuts in the G league to continue to chase the dream). In addition, since he was not a superstar recruit in D1 (compared to D2), he is always vulnerable to the risk of being supplanted by next year's superstar of the recruiting class at his position.

Europe appears to be much more unbiased in taking players solely on their complete game, not on whether they played D1 or D2. WL has Bonifant, Grossenbacher and Monterosa playing in Europe from recent classes.

Good luck to him and hope he stays injury free.

Easy there. He's no NBA player. Not even close. Duquesne doesn't land many 'superstars', either. That said, Duquesne finally has a very good coach in Dambrodt. If it works out, he should have a very good career there.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

WLU "lapped the MEC field" last year by 3 games over WJ and 4 games over Fairmont.

And still it was not enough to host the region! I think Coach Howlett has come to the realization that we have to play 2-3 tough OOC teams to be on a level playing field when it comes to hosting or getting a high seed in the regional. The fact that other MEC teams played and won against good PSAC teams will also help us, if we should defeat those MEC teams convincingly.

Also, we need experience playing different styles with strong teams who have traditional centers and power forwards, in order to get prepared to face a team like last year's Ferris State in the tourney, for example. Not many of those in the MEC.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I watched him. He can play.

I'm a little surprised that he started. I just hope that Duquesne develops his basketball IQ and complete game as much as WL would have done so that he can make a good living by playing in Europe. To star at WL, you have to develop to be complete in all facets, passing, shooting, rebounding, team defense, defense in open court, etc., which is important in Europe.

IMHO, at his height and measurables, his post college destination is Europe, not the NBA (unless he wants to play for peanuts in the G league to continue to chase the dream). In addition, since he was not a superstar recruit in D1 (compared to D2), he is always vulnerable to the risk of being supplanted by next year's superstar of the recruiting class at his position.

Europe appears to be much more unbiased in taking players solely on their complete game, not on whether they played D1 or D2. WL has Bonifant, Grossenbacher and Monterosa playing in Europe from recent classes.

Good luck to him and hope he stays injury free.

[IUP Extra Mile]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

While it was a lot like hosting, WLU did technically win the Regionals on the road at WJU three years ago. Think that was the year that Hurst beat WJU at WJU. I think the last time the Regional host has won was when WLU won in 2013. WLU's out of conference slate that year? Cedarville, Findlay, Point Park, PR-Mayaguez and PR-Bayamon.

Who WL played in non conference the year they won the regional doesn't really mean that's why they won the regional...you realize that, right?