Iup basketball

[IUP24]

It’s almost as if the #1 ranking turned out to be a curse and thry went off kilter…

I guess we now go about obsessing who is the starting QB come August…

The #1 ranking has zero to do with anything, but you look around the country, and 7 of the 8 one seeds failed to advance to Evansville. Most didn’t reach last night. Two lost on Saturday, IUP should have been the third.

It’s a tough format at this level. For as great as the program has been, they reached the Elite 8 just once since 2015. It’s tougher at this level than at the D1 level where it’s an open seeded tournament. You’re often playing teams a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th time. And if not, they are typically teams you are familiar with from your region. There’s zero surprises.

At the D1 level, you can get away with not playing your best because the opponent is often foreign. And weaknesses you display may not be as easily exploited given that the opposition doesn’t know what you do all the time.

[Ship69]

I partly think this team just peaked early. They looked, at least from watching, like a very solid team offensively early on. I’m not sure where the change occurred, but by the numbers, their last really, really strong offensive game was the road game at Seton Hill. They fell apart after. No clue why. Their offense yesterday, primarily, was Jones trying to back guys down in the low post. That’s not a winning formula. It will beat Mansfield, but not good teams.

I expect Ethan to be back. If he was to leave, it would’ve been after last year when he was one of the best three point shooters at any level of college basketball. There was a point in the year where I had it on pretty good accord that a staffer at Alabama with Western PA connections was essentially told to “get Porterfield by any means necessary.” They had NIL money ready for him, and his camp and Alabama were supposedly in contact (what a ridiculous world we live in pertaining to college sports now). But that’s supposedly cooled off. I think it’s to IUP’s benefit that he wasn’t healthy all year.

You could tell at the PSAC tourney that he was slowed, even though he had a couple of good games there. Three games against tough, physical opponents in the regional had to weigh on him. Best thing for him right now would be just to rest that stress fracture and get healthy. IUP's guards have puzzled me. Obviously I'm not going to rag on Shawndale Jones with the year he had this season, but honestly I thought he'd be even better than he has been, given where he was when he got injured last season. Morris's shooting also seemed up and down this year. He was really deadly from distance at the end of last season.

[IUPNation]

It’s almost as if the #1 ranking turned out to be a curse and thry went off kilter…

I guess we now go about obsessing who is the starting QB come August…

[IUP24]

If Ethan and Tomiwa stay, next year could be a fun team. I expect Dallis to make a jump to star player status. They probably won’t look as talented on paper at the start of the year, but that could be a team that gets a lot better as the season goes along, which really didn’t happen this year especially offensively.

This team won a ton of games because they had 4 excellent D2 players that most of their opponents couldn’t match. But offensively, the whole was not as good as the sum of the parts. I know Ethan’s condition was a factor, but something else wasn’t right. It never really fully clicked. And then the shooting fell off a cliff in the second half, which will be one of the great mysteries of IUP basketball lore.

I partly think this team just peaked early. They looked, at least from watching, like a very solid team offensively early on. I’m not sure where the change occurred, but by the numbers, their last really, really strong offensive game was the road game at Seton Hill. They fell apart after. No clue why. Their offense yesterday, primarily, was Jones trying to back guys down in the low post. That’s not a winning formula. It will beat Mansfield, but not good teams.

I expect Ethan to be back. If he was to leave, it would’ve been after last year when he was one of the best three point shooters at any level of college basketball. There was a point in the year where I had it on pretty good accord that a staffer at Alabama with Western PA connections was essentially told to “get Porterfield by any means necessary.” They had NIL money ready for him, and his camp and Alabama were supposedly in contact (what a ridiculous world we live in pertaining to college sports now). But that’s supposedly cooled off. I think it’s to IUP’s benefit that he wasn’t healthy all year.

[Chuck Norris]

For some reason I went back and watched the first half of the game. I think IUP was running on fumes, physically and mentally, from the start. Even when the game went back and forth for much of the first half there was no energy, no spark. The way they responded to the press, the way they slowed the pace to such a degree that they essentially gave themselves no room for error, they looked spent. Tomiwa had to be hurting. He took several hard falls and collisions over the weekend and a couple more last night. He practically needed carried to the bench a couple times.

I sat in the third row of section 111 for the East Stroudsburg game in January. I don’t think I ever saw a more ferocious IUP team up that close than I did that day. They were everywhere. That team, even with their shooting woes, could’ve beaten West Liberty. Right now, if they played 10 times, I think West Lib would win by double digits every time.

[IUP Extra Mile]

I didn't watch any IUP or WL game this season, other than paying attn to scores and what not. I attended saturday's games at IUP and couldn't believe that IUP was #1 team in the country the way they played / looked vs WSSU. Didn't shoot well, not alot of urgency...Porterfield looked disinterested...I was expecting more...Assuming these last 3 games were aberrations and not how they accumulated 31 wins during season... they are tough as hell on D and have length / size, but shooting prowess was lacking...I know two 6'10' guys contributed to that from WSSU, but I was unimpressed...

[Ship69]

If Ethan and Tomiwa stay, next year could be a fun team. I expect Dallis to make a jump to star player status. They probably won’t look as talented on paper at the start of the year, but that could be a team that gets a lot better as the season goes along, which really didn’t happen this year especially offensively.

This team won a ton of games because they had 4 excellent D2 players that most of their opponents couldn’t match. But offensively, the whole was not as good as the sum of the parts. I know Ethan’s condition was a factor, but something else wasn’t right. It never really fully clicked. And then the shooting fell off a cliff in the second half, which will be one of the great mysteries of IUP basketball lore.

Great season for you guys, and IUP could be up there again next year if all your players return. I've been as baffled by their shooting downturn recently as anyone. You expect to have a game or two like that every once in a while, but they've really been slumping recently and it caught up to them last night. It's a testament to their defense that they got as far as they did.

West Liberty is clearly the best in the region this season and proved it on the court. Hope they go on to represent the region well at the NCAAs.

[Chuck Norris]

That’s probably the unfortunate changing of the guard so to speak. This IUP team probably looks different next year. And West Liberty is rolling again. Those guys are all back next year too. This was a lot like 2015 in many ways.

While IUP didn’t take ownership of the region for a couple of seasons, IUP’s win on their floor in 2015 was the death nail for that era of dominance within the region. Probably the same story here.

IUP had a remarkable 4 year run. The biggest regret I have is the 2020 cancelled tournament. I still think that was the best team of this run. And they never got the opportunity to do it.

If Ethan and Tomiwa stay, next year could be a fun team. I expect Dallis to make a jump to star player status. They probably won’t look as talented on paper at the start of the year, but that could be a team that gets a lot better as the season goes along, which really didn’t happen this year especially offensively.

This team won a ton of games because they had 4 excellent D2 players that most of their opponents couldn’t match. But offensively, the whole was not as good as the sum of the parts. I know Ethan’s condition was a factor, but something else wasn’t right. It never really fully clicked. And then the shooting fell off a cliff in the second half, which will be one of the great mysteries of IUP basketball lore.

[IUPNation]

Absolutely. Great season, Hawks. And as long as Redshirt Joe is patrolling those sidelines, I have no doubt you'll be back.

Special shout-out to Danny & Payton on the mic tonight. I know the student broadcasters took some heat on the board a few days ago, but I really thought those kids called a nice game. They were fair and excitable for both teams. It was an enjoyable broadcast.

You guys have a first-rate facility, first-rate media department, and a first-rate program--hats off for doing it the right way and being great hosts.

Very classy post. Thank you.

[Scrub]

Appreciate you always being classy. And man, is your team tough. I knew Butler was a great player but wow, I never expected him to dominate to that level. I hoped for, at the least, a game on par with most of the other battles between our teams, but unfortunately IUP’s warts showed and WL was just too much.

I admit, I'm a little surprised that Butler wasn't bothered by your horses inside. I've seem him have performances like that time and again against MEC "bigs," but to go and do it against legit PSAC bigs was impressive.

IUP got the pace where they wanted it (a game in the 70s), but just couldn't find enough shots to drop.

[IUP24]

Absolutely. Great season, Hawks. And as long as Redshirt Joe is patrolling those sidelines, I have no doubt you'll be back.

Special shout-out to Danny & Payton on the mic tonight. I know the student broadcasters took some heat on the board a few days ago, but I really thought those kids called a nice game. They were fair and excitable for both teams. It was an enjoyable broadcast.

You guys have a first-rate facility, first-rate media department, and a first-rate program--hats off for doing it the right way and being great hosts.

West Liberty was head and shoulders a better basketball team than IUP. And I don’t think that was just limited to this night.

West Liberty played essentially a perfect game at a pace they are not really comfortable playing. I thought IUP did a very good job defensively and limited possessions, but it’s hard to
beat anybody when they shoot over 50% on a big stage. And that was the story.

[IUP24]

Oh well. 32-2, a PSAC title and a Sweet 16 appearance is nothing to be embarrassed about. The ending sucked but Mama said there’d be days like this.

That’s probably the unfortunate changing of the guard so to speak. This IUP team probably looks different next year. And West Liberty is rolling again. Those guys are all back next year too. This was a lot like 2015 in many ways.

While IUP didn’t take ownership of the region for a couple of seasons, IUP’s win on their floor in 2015 was the death nail for that era of dominance within the region. Probably the same story here.

IUP had a remarkable 4 year run. The biggest regret I have is the 2020 cancelled tournament. I still think that was the best team of this run. And they never got the opportunity to do it.

[Chuck Norris]

Absolutely. Great season, Hawks. And as long as Redshirt Joe is patrolling those sidelines, I have no doubt you'll be back.

Special shout-out to Danny & Payton on the mic tonight. I know the student broadcasters took some heat on the board a few days ago, but I really thought those kids called a nice game. They were fair and excitable for both teams. It was an enjoyable broadcast.

You guys have a first-rate facility, first-rate media department, and a first-rate program--hats off for doing it the right way and being great hosts.

Appreciate you always being classy. And man, is your team tough. I knew Butler was a great player but wow, I never expected him to dominate to that level. I hoped for, at the least, a game on par with most of the other battles between our teams, but unfortunately IUP’s warts showed and WL was just too much.

[Scrub]

Oh well. 32-2, a PSAC title and a Sweet 16 appearance is nothing to be embarrassed about. The ending sucked but Mama said there’d be days like this.

Absolutely. Great season, Hawks. And as long as Redshirt Joe is patrolling those sidelines, I have no doubt you'll be back.

Special shout-out to Danny & Payton on the mic tonight. I know the student broadcasters took some heat on the board a few days ago, but I really thought those kids called a nice game. They were fair and excitable for both teams. It was an enjoyable broadcast.

You guys have a first-rate facility, first-rate media department, and a first-rate program--hats off for doing it the right way and being great hosts.

[Chuck Norris]

Oh well. 32-2, a PSAC title and a Sweet 16 appearance is nothing to be embarrassed about. The ending sucked but Mama said there’d be days like this.