Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Last night is the game that's going to haunt this IUP team.

No excuse in the world to lose that game - and Joe was firing them out faster than he could talk last night.

SRU was severely short-handed -- stars Maceo Austin and Jomo Goings weren't dressed. That's 33.5 ppg in tracksuits. Goings is also arguably their best defender.

IUP played a fairly decent first half (offensively) and held a 5-point lead at halftime. They had the big crowd fairly subdued.

Then, of course, all hell broke loose. Joe's defense (if you want to call it that) collapsed in the final 20 minutes. They had absolutely no answer for Ike Herster (again).

When IUP would get a stop or force a turnover, they'd simply give it right back.

Joe's lineup configurations continue to baffle. Sarp Furtun played 34 of the least-productive minutes (on both ends) that one could draw up. He finished with (3) points and was abused on the defensive end. SRU could drive the ball at will last night. Luke Triggs played just (5) minutes. Tyler Grove only got 21 minutes. Alfonso Pickens, clearly one of IUP's top defenders, got a measly (11) minutes.

Joe's team went a blistering 6-for-25 from outside. They were approaching 'can't hit the side of a barn' territory yet they kept firing. Instead of feeding Damir Brooks all night they just kept launching. Brooks was scoring or getting fouled every time he touched the ball. SRU didn't have much of an answer for him. Yet ...

It was a terribly coached game. Joe's defense was being shredded yet they rarely came out of it. Their offense wasn't working in the second half and they just kept running the same things. Lapse after lapse. Missed assignments. Step too late. It was bad.

We all know by now this team is going to have good nights and bad nights. Last night, in particular, was an awful night.

For starters, it's just not a typical IUP team. That's no secret. It could, however, be much better. Joe isn't playing his best lineups/combinations. This group still isn't clicking. After 18 games they are far too often out of position, late, early, missing layups, etc.

Ian Herring should just about never come off the floor. Sarp is playing WAY too much. If he's getting 34 minutes his production on both ends should be much, much better. Joe needs to let Triggs play. He's micro-managing the crap out of him. Pickens should be playing substantially more minutes.

This season is almost over. It's time to take the diapers off some of these kids and let them learn to swim.

Last night was the 'low point' of the season thus far -- and probably Joe's worst-coached game in a decade. I fully suspect a much better defensive effort/performance Saturday. Clarion is far from a pushover. If we see the same IUP team we saw last night, Clarion will blow them out.

[EyeoftheHawk]

In response to the earlier comment about the Gazette: It is a shame Sample Media ruined something my staff and I built. Sample doesn't care about its readers or its employees. I'll post my substack story shortly.

We could see the writing on the wall, Tony. I’m barely holding on as a subscriber at this point and I have to imagine a lot of other people feel the same. There have been/are a lot of good people who have worked at the Gazette and it has to be hard for them to take. When the paper was clicking on all cylinders it was outstanding. Sports coverage in particular was amazing and every local game was covered and the IUP coverage was among the best in the country for D2 sports.

[tonyc]

IUP-Slippery Rock game story: https://open.substack.com/pub/tonyco...meOnShare=true

[tonyc]

In response to the earlier comment about the Gazette: It is a shame Sample Media ruined something my staff and I built. Sample doesn't care about its readers or its employees. I'll post my substack story shortly.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Hard to watch

IUP defense is having a rough night

[TheBigCat2192]

I'm shocked his numbers are that low. Every game I've watched him (albeit not a whole lot) he shoots the ball pretty well. I'd guess he's had some real clunker nights. By 'PG skills' I was referring more to him handing the ball (which again he's been been very strong every game I've watched him).

One way or another, they are a much, much different team when he's on the floor.

He’s been an unfathomably bad 6-40 from deep so far this year which works out to 15%; some of that is probably bad luck but even last season he shot 29.1% from three which is roughly in line with his numbers at Duquesne. There’s a decent-sized body of 3P work to suggest that Maceo may be a shot taker from out there but not a shot maker.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

It’s true that Maceo is a good rebounder but:

1. He’s not a good outside shooter; he’s gone 25.2% from deep on 143 attempts at SRU and went 30.6% on 98 attempts during his career at Duquesne.
2. He might be a dribbler but he’s not an especially productive passer or careful with the ball; in his time at SRU he has an A:TO of 110:105 and when he was at Duquesne he had an A:TO of 54:50.

1/3 of your assertions are supported by evidence so you’re actually shooting better than him.

I'm shocked his numbers are that low. Every game I've watched him (albeit not a whole lot) he shoots the ball pretty well. I'd guess he's had some real clunker nights. By 'PG skills' I was referring more to him handing the ball (which again he's been been very strong every game I've watched him).

One way or another, they are a much, much different team when he's on the floor.

[TheBigCat2192]

2) Will SRU star Maceo Austin play? With him, SRU is very good. Without him, their record is quite different. Austin is an all-league level player. He's a matchup nightmare at 6'5" as he shoots well from outside, has PG ball skills and is also an excellent rebounder.

It’s true that Maceo is a good rebounder but:

1. He’s not a good outside shooter; he’s gone 25.2% from deep on 143 attempts at SRU and went 30.6% on 98 attempts during his career at Duquesne.
2. He might be a dribbler but he’s not an especially productive passer or careful with the ball; in his time at SRU he has an A:TO of 110:105 and when he was at Duquesne he had an A:TO of 54:50.

1/3 of your assertions are supported by evidence so you’re actually shooting better than him.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Gotta love the Indiana Gazette's 'gameday coverage' now being a cut/paste of the SID release. Good Lord.

It’s really a shame how bad it has gotten with the Gazette.

This game is hitting at an interesting time for IUP. They’re as confident as they’ve looked all season and that goes a long way. I think Joe’s best work so far this year was keeping the team from going off the deep end after Edinboro. They’ve responded with two big wins including one in dramatic fashion. I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost a close game tonight but also wouldn’t be surprised if they went up there and came out with a win. IUP has certainly gone up there with teams far superior than SRU and got beat, and that’s what has me leaning a little bit that direction. If IUP can get a win it would be pretty impressive and a nice springboard down the stretch.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Gotta love the Indiana Gazette's 'gameday coverage' now being a cut/paste of the SID release. Good Lord.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Well, Joe's young guys are going to experience Morrow Field House at full force tonight.

It's White Out Night at SRU. The students are there.

This will be IUP's first -- and likely only -- game all year in what I'd call a 'hostile' environment.

Joe's best teams would go in to White Out night and instantly shut the crowd up. His so-so teams would start slow and get that place rocking.

Joe's in the .500 neighborhood, career, up there. It's certainly been his house of horror.

He's dealing with the crowd, phantom scoreboard malfunctions (nearly every year during big IUP runs), trigger-happy clock operators, etc. Historically, the Rock really rises up and plays incredible in this game. Put it this way ... if it's close at the end, IUP isn't winning. He's not getting any calls in that building tonight.

There was a stretch of years Joe was filing league complaints after every visit to SRU. I think most of the shenanigans have been cleaned up under the new AD. They still do the petty crap. During player introductions they'll announce IUP's entire starting lineup in one breath.

The obvious questions tonight:

1) How will this very young team handle the environment? SRU averages about 150 a game all year. Some IUP visits have nearly sold the place out.

2) Will SRU star Maceo Austin play? With him, SRU is very good. Without him, their record is quite different. Austin is an all-league level player. He's a matchup nightmare at 6'5" as he shoots well from outside, has PG ball skills and is also an excellent rebounder.

3) IUP has really struggled, offensively, in the first 10 minutes of most games. If that happens tonight, they'll likely get blasted. Ironically, last year IUP started really well up there -- and then got completely crushed the next 30 minutes.

4) Ike Herster didin't do much (when it mattered) in SRU's loss in Indiana a year ago but he lit up IUP at SRU. Joe loves to let people bomb away. Herster can crush you if you allow it.


If Austin plays tonight, IUP is probably a 6-7 point underdog. If he doesn't play, it's probably pretty much a PICK 'EM.

Redshirt Joe needs to be Timeout Joe tonight. Getting him to call a TO and break momentum is an Act of God. It has to be an ego thing. Tonight, he needs to keep that place quiet.

[IUPHawks24]

Merraro is gonna be a good one.

[EyeoftheHawk]

What an ending

I just knew Seton Hill was going to make it a one possession game late. Credit to them for making several comebacks in that game. Saying all that, Merraro scored on IUP’s last two possessions including that buzzer beater to win it. That’s a nice night for the true freshman.

IUP has shown improvement over the last two games following the Edinboro blowout loss. That shows some character that they didn’t go the other direction. All things considered I thought they handled the zone pretty well and played with a lot of hustle. In the end, it was just enough.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

What an ending

[boatcapt]

Some interesting items from the recent UPJ visit.

* Joe talked after the game about their schedule being terrible -- too many home games over the breaks, small crowds, odd start times, etc.

Comments:

* Small 'break' crowds are nothing new, but this is an all-time low. Could there be a reason for this that he's not acknowledging?

- I said it over and over again last year ... his lineup decision last season turned off a ton of long-time fans. The proof is in the numbers. IUP home games usually bump from Jan. 20 until the end of the season. Last year was the complete opposite. So many people were disgusted by his decision that they simply quit coming. The attendance numbers tell the story. Damir Brooks' performance this year tells the story.

- His team is 8-8. Casual fans aren't coming. Joe used to always draw 1,200 or so over breaks. Now they are barely getting 400 (10% arena capacity).

- Start times ... valid. Awful. Playing league games at 3 p.m. on a work day is so stupid it's beyond discussion.

- IUP went away from Saturday night games -- instead playing at 3 p.m. While a certain segment of the crowd likes this, most hate it. People aren't taking vacation time to watch a D2 basketball game. Kids are still in school (just getting out). So, no parents. No kids. No extra money buying Joe's $11 popcorn, etc.


A real telling item happened at this weeks' UPJ game.

UPJ has a women's player from nearby Marion Center -- Lydia Miller. She was an extremely decorated high school scorer and led tiny MC to the state final last year. IUP didn't recruit her (at all). That's a different discussion. Anyway, a huge local crowd showed up for the women's game to watch her (she's starting at UPJ as a true freshman).

About 95% of that crowd left after the women's game. The local dance school performed at halftime of Joe's game. All those parents left after halftime.

So, in the second half, you got to see who was actually there to watch Joe's game. It was scary. The place was empty.

Students aren't back yet. I get it. Many fans are bandwagons. But, to have 'maybe' a couple hundred people there to watch IUP play UPJ on a Wednesday night? Good Lord.

All of that said, I do suspect a decent crowd tomorrow for Seton Hill's visit. In particular, it's a really big women's game. Seton Hill has a huge women's following and typically brings a nice crowd. They all leave after the women's game, however.

But, it's a Saturday in January. The weather should be fine. If Joe doesn't draw the locals tomorrow ...

Sad thing is this team is actually -- and in a very odd way -- pretty entertaining to watch. You have to accept this isn't a vintage Lombardi team (not even remotely close). For every good 2 minutes it plays, it plays 2 bad minutes. But, they are getting better (slowly). They also are somehow in almost every game. Even the wins they have a way of making dramatic (or, traumatic).

I have a hunch Joe's going to be back -- and back in a hurry -- next year. But, 'this year' is a big part of 'next year'. It's actually been (mostly) neat to watch these young kids grow. It's also entertaining to watch Joe. He hasn't coached this much in 15 years. He was getting kind of mellow the past few seasons. For better or worse, this team has woke him up.

To put this in comparison, Joe's good teams would beat this team -- right now -- by 35 points.

A couple weeks ago it was probably 45 points.

Baby steps.

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the coach have a considerable degree of control on when and who (OOC) his team plays??

Fans, particularly the occasional variety, come out when a team is winning. I think this is amplified for traditionally winning programs like IUP is. When you have back-to-back bad (by IUP historic standards) you are going to lose the bandwagon fans that can find plenty of excuses to stay home on cold January nights and also more hardcore fans who aren't going to come out to support a .500 team when they are used to Regional winners.