Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

During the season last year, Tony and Jack both said on the air, Tomiwa was the best player in the PSAC. I do not think trying to keep the best player in the PSAC happy a "crazy" endeavor. Regardless of other mouths to feed.

Most of the stars in the Atlantic Region did the same thing as Tomiwa last year. They all left.

Short of tossing a bag of NIL money at him, I'm not sure what else they could have done.

The only silver lining to Ethan being 50 percent last year is the fact he's still here. Had he had a big season, he'd have likely been gone, too.

Armoni Foster did the same thing the year prior. Imagine having Armoni last year for his senior season. He could have kept Shawndale in order.

[IUP1423]

During the season last year, Tony and Jack both said on the air, Tomiwa was the best player in the PSAC. I do not think trying to keep the best player in the PSAC happy a "crazy" endeavor. Regardless of other mouths to feed.

[IUPalum]

Worst part about losing Tomiwa is we didn't have him for his two best years (junior and senior seasons). Last year is a long story and different topic.

The new guys you refer to ...

Clarke has been solid and could emerge as one of the top PGs in the PSAC (he may already be there).

Petteno sure seems like a swing and a miss. Putting him under the basket isn't helping him, either.

The only other 'new' guy playing is Lambert (who Joe lifted off redshirt in Game 5). He's been fine in his limited minutes. He is a walk-on, after all. Furton is adequate for the 3 mpg he gets.

The rest of the tracksuit army hasn't played.

The problem goes back to Waldo. His benching has created a conundrum. He was supposed to split the SF job with Brooks. Now, he's gone (basically) and Joe's shifted his shooting guard down low out of necessity. Waldo is benched, Petteno is too small and slow under there, and KJ is a disaster.

Perfect example: Joe was blowing Lock Haven out. Brooks goes to bench in foul trouble. That big lead vanished in the blink of an eye. IUP's whole approach had to be dramatically altered.

This team and roster is what it is. They can't trade for anybody or shop a waiver wire. Brooks is the key cog. When he's out of the game, IUP is basically playing 5 on 4. Petteno at least brings the threat of shooting and can play a little defense. The others at the SF position aren't contributing anything. Joe seems to have finally benched KJ, too.

Denzel was injured in camp and Joe then decided to redshirt him. All we know about Romero-Sanz is he's big.

This 6 to 6.5 man rotation will work most nights in the West this year but it will get IUP killed against Gannon and Cal.

Agreed on all accounts.

The idea that keeping Tomiwa happy based off last year is crazy. That team last year had a lot of mouths to feed. I would bet if Tomiwa would've stayed he would've been a huge part of the offense this year. Patience is virtue, especially from a sophomore! Tomiwa played heavy minutes the last two years, how could he not be happy? Makes zero sense unless he has this huge ego that he can't back up. My thought is Tomiwa wanted to try the next level.

The problem this year is the hole left because Waldo is behind o his development. Now the SF has a huge hole, it's Brooks or nobody!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

It was a very bad decision to not do everything possible to keep Tomiwa happy. I think more of the offense should have been run through him last year. A big loss for the program. The new guys have been awful other than Clark. Those evaluations of the other guys were awful. (Where are you Coach F?) Was a big miss this off-season. Kyle Polce would look good in a Hawks jersey this year. Could have been a really good team. Now we have......

Worst part about losing Tomiwa is we didn't have him for his two best years (junior and senior seasons). Last year is a long story and different topic.

The new guys you refer to ...

Clarke has been solid and could emerge as one of the top PGs in the PSAC (he may already be there).

Petteno sure seems like a swing and a miss. Putting him under the basket isn't helping him, either.

The only other 'new' guy playing is Lambert (who Joe lifted off redshirt in Game 5). He's been fine in his limited minutes. He is a walk-on, after all. Furton is adequate for the 3 mpg he gets.

The rest of the tracksuit army hasn't played.

The problem goes back to Waldo. His benching has created a conundrum. He was supposed to split the SF job with Brooks. Now, he's gone (basically) and Joe's shifted his shooting guard down low out of necessity. Waldo is benched, Petteno is too small and slow under there, and KJ is a disaster.

Perfect example: Joe was blowing Lock Haven out. Brooks goes to bench in foul trouble. That big lead vanished in the blink of an eye. IUP's whole approach had to be dramatically altered.

This team and roster is what it is. They can't trade for anybody or shop a waiver wire. Brooks is the key cog. When he's out of the game, IUP is basically playing 5 on 4. Petteno at least brings the threat of shooting and can play a little defense. The others at the SF position aren't contributing anything. Joe seems to have finally benched KJ, too.

Denzel was injured in camp and Joe then decided to redshirt him. All we know about Romero-Sanz is he's big.

This 6 to 6.5 man rotation will work most nights in the West this year but it will get IUP killed against Gannon and Cal.

[IUP1423]

It was a very bad decision to not do everything possible to keep Tomiwa happy. I think more of the offense should have been run through him last year. A big loss for the program. The new guys have been awful other than Clark. Those evaluations of the other guys were awful. (Where are you Coach F?) Was a big miss this off-season. Kyle Polce would look good in a Hawks jersey this year. Could have been a really good team. Now we have......

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Petteno hasn’t shown to be athletic enough to compete at a high level on the defensive end and he’s shooting .286, which is second worst on the team. Oh Kyle Polce where are you? I hated it when I saw that he left and I hate it even more now. He was a beast on defense and could knock down a big 3 at any time. I know there’s no use worrying about water under the bridge but if Kyle and Tomiwa are still here this is a completely different team that could truly compete for the PSAC. Maybe Bathea would have improved as well and contributed more. There’s what IUP lost and what IUP put in its place, and right now it looks like trading a Don Mattingly card for a Dale Berra.

If this is a rebuilding year, which it clearly is, why not play Waldo a little bit as long as you’re not crushing the kid’s confidence? There might be a good reason to redshirt Romero-Sanz but Waldo already did his track suit year. I guess I wish I understood what the plan is for 2024-25 and 25-26 is and maybe some of it would make sense.

Polce got in Joe's dog house last year and never got out. It's a shame. Last I looked he was shooting nearly 43 percent from deep this year. Ironic. Not to mention Kyle was very well-liked by his teammates and would have been a leader this year. Bethea hasn't played much at ESU, either. I would say the other guy they could use right now is Ousmane Diop but Joe wouldn't play him even if he was here.

I'll give Petteno credit for at least trying to play underneath. He sure didn't come here to be a 6'4" forward under the basket getting beat on by giants.

I don't think I'd call this a rebuilding year. I don't know what it is. It's not quite on the level of the island of misfit toys team but it's not too far off. I'm still sticking with 20-8 (but 18-10 is plausible).

[EyeoftheHawk]

Correct. The game won't slow down for him until he gets used to playing it. He probably needs about 20 pounds added to his frame to effectively play the SF position. If they have any future plans for him at this point I agree I'd at least give him 5-6 minutes per game.

Looking back, it's pretty clear he started the first two games out of necessity (with Brooks locked in Joe prison).

Joe is electing to use Petteno primarily as Damir's backup, with KJ in the third string SF role. Neither should ever play under the basket. Petteno is strong and physical enough, but brings next to no rebounding. KJ is just beat on under there and instantly targeted.

And, of course, this all again circles back to the massive guy taking a redshirt.

End of the day, Joe's two scholarship forwards (Waldo and Romero-Sanz) don't play and instead he's playing two guards under the basket. Sounds about normal in that locker room.

Petteno hasn’t shown to be athletic enough to compete at a high level on the defensive end and he’s shooting .286, which is second worst on the team. Oh Kyle Polce where are you? I hated it when I saw that he left and I hate it even more now. He was a beast on defense and could knock down a big 3 at any time. I know there’s no use worrying about water under the bridge but if Kyle and Tomiwa are still here this is a completely different team that could truly compete for the PSAC. Maybe Bathea would have improved as well and contributed more. There’s what IUP lost and what IUP put in its place, and right now it looks like trading a Don Mattingly card for a Dale Berra.

If this is a rebuilding year, which it clearly is, why not play Waldo a little bit as long as you’re not crushing the kid’s confidence? There might be a good reason to redshirt Romero-Sanz but Waldo already did his track suit year. I guess I wish I understood what the plan is for 2024-25 and 25-26 is and maybe some of it would make sense.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

It is hard to figure from an outsider's point of view why he wouldn't want those bigger guys in the lineup. They're not a big team when Porterfield sits.

Figuring out Joe's roster from year to year is a science in itself. You can't question (most of) the results during his tenure, but he sure seems to make life much harder on his team than it should be.

[Ship69]

Correct. The game won't slow down for him until he gets used to playing it. He probably needs about 20 pounds added to his frame to effectively play the SF position. If they have any future plans for him at this point I agree I'd at least give him 5-6 minutes per game.

Looking back, it's pretty clear he started the first two games out of necessity (with Brooks locked in Joe prison).

Joe is electing to use Petteno primarily as Damir's backup, with KJ in the third string SF role. Neither should ever play under the basket. Petteno is strong and physical enough, but brings next to no rebounding. KJ is just beat on under there and instantly targeted.

And, of course, this all again circles back to the massive guy taking a redshirt.

End of the day, Joe's two scholarship forwards (Waldo and Romero-Sanz) don't play and instead he's playing two guards under the basket. Sounds about normal in that locker room.

It is hard to figure from an outsider's point of view why he wouldn't want those bigger guys in the lineup. They're not a big team when Porterfield sits.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Something I’ve noticed about this team, even over the last few years, is when they miss they often miss badly. Ethan can make three in a row but then suddenly throw up a brick that defies comprehension. Dave Morris was good for that as well and to a lesser extent Armoni and Shawndale. Dallis, Ethan, and Stewart all had shots like that on Sunday. It’s a head scratcher.

Waldo may be one of those kids that looks great in practice with the guys he sees everyday, but he sure had that deer in the headlights look when he was on the floor. Until things start to slow down for him, it’s going to be tough sledding. If he doesn’t get game minutes it’s not going to help his progress. Even a couple minutes per half would help. Physically he’s obviously got some growing to do but I don’t think he was recruited here to pound the boards. Keith Palek from Cal is hardly a bruiser and he’s the type of player I think Joe wants Waldo to be.

Correct. The game won't slow down for him until he gets used to playing it. He probably needs about 20 pounds added to his frame to effectively play the SF position. If they have any future plans for him at this point I agree I'd at least give him 5-6 minutes per game.

Looking back, it's pretty clear he started the first two games out of necessity (with Brooks locked in Joe prison).

Joe is electing to use Petteno primarily as Damir's backup, with KJ in the third string SF role. Neither should ever play under the basket. Petteno is strong and physical enough, but brings next to no rebounding. KJ is just beat on under there and instantly targeted.

And, of course, this all again circles back to the massive guy taking a redshirt.

End of the day, Joe's two scholarship forwards (Waldo and Romero-Sanz) don't play and instead he's playing two guards under the basket. Sounds about normal in that locker room.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Ethan first few 3s looked like he had never shot a 3 before in his life... then his stroke got a little crisper ans started draining them

Something I’ve noticed about this team, even over the last few years, is when they miss they often miss badly. Ethan can make three in a row but then suddenly throw up a brick that defies comprehension. Dave Morris was good for that as well and to a lesser extent Armoni and Shawndale. Dallis, Ethan, and Stewart all had shots like that on Sunday. It’s a head scratcher.

Waldo may be one of those kids that looks great in practice with the guys he sees everyday, but he sure had that deer in the headlights look when he was on the floor. Until things start to slow down for him, it’s going to be tough sledding. If he doesn’t get game minutes it’s not going to help his progress. Even a couple minutes per half would help. Physically he’s obviously got some growing to do but I don’t think he was recruited here to pound the boards. Keith Palek from Cal is hardly a bruiser and he’s the type of player I think Joe wants Waldo to be.

[bballfan03]

1) I think today's rotation is probably the rotation the rest of the way barring injury.
2) Anyone that thinks Brooks should score more doesn't understand his role. His role is the crash the boards, defend hard and get put backs. The offense will never run through him.
3) Stewart will always be inconsistent. He is what he is, Hot/cold.
4) IUP has to figure out how to stop these long cold streaks. My god, the first 10 minutes they couldn't buy a bucket and that's been the norm this year.
5) Ethan's jumper looks very inconsistent off his hand. They need to work on that with him.
6) Dallis is that guard that can score from everywhere just like Armoni and past lead guards.

Ethan first few 3s looked like he had never shot a 3 before in his life... then his stroke got a little crisper ans started draining them

[IUPalum]

Regarding your comment about Waldo possibly being done for this season (a healthy scratch per se) ...

Think back to Game 1. The first play of the season they ran it to him for a (missed) corner trey. Later that game, it was Waldo who took the potential game-winning trey with seconds left (missed).

It is quite odd for one to go from getting the final shot on opening night to being totally removed from the rotation by Game 5.

Who knows what is happening behind the scenes but he's not going to get any better not playing in any games. I'd like to see him getting something.

Prime case of you can't get battle tested if you're not in the battle.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

This team is going as far as Ethan, Garvin and Dallis can carry them from a scoring standpoint. I thought/hoped that it would be a big four, and while I think Jaylen will have his nights occasionally, he hasn’t shown the consistency I was expecting. Damir’s presence makes the team much better, but an occasional 10 or 12 point night with a few putbacks is his offensive ceiling right now.

The bench is what it is. 10 points combined from those guys will be considered an explosion. Lambert and Sarp have both flashed potential but I can’t understand having them both in the rotation and leaving all the size on the bench. I’m honestly not sure Petteno is any better than KJ in the “big” off the bench role. Either guy in that role is utterly ridiculous.

Then again, Joe might not be done tweaking. We may not have heard the last of KJ and McNamara. I think Waldo is done, though.

It’s a strange year and a strange team.

Regarding your comment about Waldo possibly being done for this season (a healthy scratch per se) ...

Think back to Game 1. The first play of the season they ran it to him for a (missed) corner trey. Later that game, it was Waldo who took the potential game-winning trey with seconds left (missed).

It is quite odd for one to go from getting the final shot on opening night to being totally removed from the rotation by Game 5.

Who knows what is happening behind the scenes but he's not going to get any better not playing in any games. I'd like to see him getting something.

[IUPalum]

Garvin Clarke the swaggiest guard IUPer since Devante Chance? I like it.

I think you're forgetting Armoni Foster.