Iup basketball

[timbertopper]

Re: Iup basketball

They might stay put at #3. Rough week for the rest of the Top 10. I believe Nos. 3,4,5,6,8,9 and 10 all lost last week.

[hawks16]

Re: Iup basketball

You're forgetting the poor free throw shooting. That made a huge difference also.

Down five late, Malik missed the first two of three free throws. IUP had every opportunity down the stretch and Slippery Rock wasn't exactly putting the game away on the other end. When IUP made its run to get back in it in the second half, it was neat to hear an IUP chant break out -- pretty loudly -- at Morrow.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

I was waiting to watch the replay of the game before posting my comments. That said, here goes:

* It's even worse to watch the second time.

* Ian Grady was the best coach in Morrow yesterday. For one day anyway he took Joe to school. SRU was more focused, poised, excited and tuned in.

* The first, call it 23 minutes -- but, especially the first 12 minutes, was some of the worst defense IUP has ever played under Joe Lombardi. Slow. Lazy. Soft. Out of position. Lack of effort. Blown assignments. Tired. Soft. Sums it up pretty well.

* Much like at Mercyhurst, it took IUP far to long to adjust to a team launching three-pointers at them. Joe loves the theory that teams will cool off. And, SRU did. But, they put in some heavy damage.

* The absolute one thing you cannot do against Slippery Rock is let them set the pace. IUP failed miserably.

* SRU's game plan was obvious: strangle and agitate Dante Lombardi. Mission accomplished. Why he was still in the game at the end of the first half is anybody's guess. Probably, because there's nobody else to insert. Now, this is what, the fourth straight game the objective has been to suffocate him. That strategy isn't going away. It's on film now and it's well-known he can be agitated fairly easily. With the guard situation, do you now make the move and Armoni becomes the starting PG? It may be time. Move Dante to the SG role. His technical foul before the half was one of the more boneheaded plays I've seen in years -- and it came back to haunt them. Big time. A senior PG can't fall in to these traps. He's going to get hammered on the road. This isn't an opinion anymore. Any opposing coach worth anything would go right after him. Frazzle the crap out of him. Obviously when his head is in the gutter IUP is a much different (worse) team.

* Greg Bearer's injury is a big problem. Perhaps way bigger than originally thought by most. Now, the team is back to the end of last season. Three guards. The other two on the bench, Anthony White and Drew Dansecs, aren't allowed to touch the ball. That has to change. Personally, I think White is more ready of the two.

* IUP showed a lot of grit coming back. They got down as many as 16 in the second half and it appeared a few times SRU was going to run them out of the building. When IUP could finally set the pace, the game changed.

* The final 2 minutes was a comedy of errors for IUP. Three different times they had the chance to tie or take the lead. All three were disasters. No idea why timeouts weren't used. They can't be saved for next season. Malik missing 2 of 3 FTs was fitting for the day. Dante falling or tripping or slipping or who-really-cares falling and turning the ball over also fit the narrative well. Then there's the played call to Willem with a minute to go and down two points. Trifecta complete. Another great thing SRU did that wasn't mentioned on this thread is they went hack-a-shaq on Willem yesterday. It's hard to hide his FT percentage.

* IUP hit 4 of 20 shots from deep. That wasn't just shooting bad as some like to say. SRU did all they could to take away those shots.

* Willem on Micah Till was a bad match-up. Assuming the theory is Till could land Cobo in foul trouble. Who knows.

* Marko needs to play more. A lot more. He's good and brings a level of offense to the floor Willem cannot. I'd actually be interested in seeing a big lineup. It would preserve a guard for stretches and not run Malik, Dante and Armoni ragged. It would also cause a match-up problem for the opponent.

* I don't think SRU can win in the KCAC. It was their day yesterday and they still almost lost. IUP isn't going to play that bad again this year. Add the KCAC crowd to it and SRU will struggle.

* Fun fact: Till and Dom Keyes were JUCO teammates. IUP didn't recruit Till. Keyes has been around two years now and hasn't played a second for IUP.

* Another fun fact: IUP lost to an interim coach and a team with half its scholarship money. That one actually isn't very fun.

* Shame to waste Cobo's effort yesterday. I think that was the best game of his career (29 and 15).


That one has to be put to bed pretty quickly. It happens. We knew a loss was coming. Nobody goes undefeated. It just can't linger. A real tough road trip looms in 72 hours. Total opposite. Rock wanted to slow down. East Stroudsburg wants to speed up.

Maybe just once IUP can control the pace? Nah, ... what fun would that be.

Said my peace. On to the next one. No titles are won in mid-Jan. Regroup.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

The good news is hopefully the team got the worst game of its season out of its system.

The bad news is they have yet another really tough opponent waiting for them -- one that's had a week to prepare, too.

IUP travels to East Stroudsburg for a big game Wednesday night.

A year ago, the Warriors won in Indiana, 85-82, on their way to a Region title and Elite 8 appearance. As you'll recall, IUP committed 28 turnovers that night and shot just 27 percent from outside. A big rebounding advantage kept the Hawks close before falling short.

It was an incredibly odd game.

The Warriors currently sit with a record of 10-4 (7-1 PSAC). They have lost two of their past 3 games (defeats: 89-72 at Saint Rose, 76-70 at Shippensburg). Their last time out was a 83-65 win against Lock Haven. ESU is a perfect 5-0 at home this season.

As usual, they play a lot of guys. In all, 11 players play at least 8 minutes per game. They run a relentless press, which will cause IUP some problems with a now short bench.

General season stats for ESU:

3PT: 32%
FT: 70%
FG: 46%
PPG: 83 (give up 73)
Turnovers: Committed 231 and forced 309
Rebounds: 344 for and 357 against

Their scoring is actually up in the second half, likely as they wear teams out.

Losses: Saint Augustine's, Shaw, Saint Rose, Shippensburg
Best wins: Slippery Rock, Mercyhurst


Top players:

(Sr) Josh Williams (15.9 ppg, 10 rpg, 20 blocks)
(Sr) Nick Giordano (12.8 ppg, 31-91 treys)
(Sr) Jakwan Jones (12.8 ppg, 82 assists, 43 steals)
Ryan Smith (12.5 ppg, 7 rpg)

From there, they have a slew of guys averaging from 3 to 7.5 ppg. They are firing up about 23 treys a game - making about 7.5 per game. They aren't a great team at the line (70.3%) but neither is IUP.

Based on what we saw the IUP press did to discombobulate Slippery Rock, it's little wonder the Warriors caused them a lot of issues.

Total opposite style from this past Saturday. I actually think IUP is built more to play against ESU than SRU. ESU is going to force turnovers. It just can't be anywhere near the 28 it forced on IUP last year.

If IUP wants to keep the thought of hosting the Regional in their heads, well, this best be looked upon as a playoff game. ESU's top players have played in a lot of big games in their careers.

[Columbuseer]

Re: Iup basketball

It is really hard to NOT have at least one night where everyone is "off" in their game during the season.
It was West Liberty's turn against Tiffin - getting only .8 points per possession instead of their average of 1.26.
The difference was that Tiffin was a much weaker opponent than SRU, so we lucked out with a victory.

I will be surprised if you don't win out and host the region. You are clearly the strongest team in the region and could go deep in the tourney.

[hawks16]

Re: Iup basketball

3) Dante's shooting whoa's continue...Really. Way to show off that IUP degree

Shooting whoas. As in, "Whoa! Dante just air-balled that 30-footer, but good thing Cobo was there to catch it and put it up for an easy layup."

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

Shooting whoas. As in, "Whoa! Dante just air-balled that 30-footer, but good thing Cobo was there to catch it and put it up for an easy layup."

I didn't respond to that guy for a reason. Anyone with an education understands expression in writing. He can go to the football board and argue dumb stuff.

[IUP24]

I didn't respond to that guy for a reason. Anyone with an education understands expression in writing. He can go to the football board and argue dumb stuff.

100%




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[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

100%




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I've considered starting a blog similar to the Gannon basketball site for years. I just don't think we'd get much traffic. Maybe it would. This is a fairly unique thing at the D2 level where we are all on the same board. At the D1 level most programs have their own forums.

Most of the best actual football/basketball talk here is done through the PMs. The football side is just a lost cause for anything actually 'football' related. It's just become an Old West Saloon.

[hawks16]

Re: Iup basketball

Tune in to the USA Network tonight at 10 p.m. to catch former IUP player Tyler Sabino (https://iupathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2902) on the reality show "Temptation Island."

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Well, you loyal Flock of Joe supporters, a big game has arrived.

Big on many levels. For starters, this is the first 'bounce back' opportunity of the season. Adversity struck a few days ago. Some teams curl up, yap and moan. Others come back swinging. We'll learn a lot tonight.

Much like 13 of the past 15 games, this is just yet another 'big' game for IUP.

Although, the stakes are a bit different now. For starters, East Stroudsburg is a very good team. They are even better at home, where they've won 16 straight games.

Secondly, IUP has a struggling point guard about to face 40 minutes of high heat tonight.

Despite being mid-January, IUP has to start already thinking about the postseason. Nobody within the program is going to publicly say that, but that's just the reality. If they really want to host the PSAC Tournament and also the Regional ... fact is they can't lose many more games. At most, West Liberty may lose 1-2 more games prior to the Regional. West-wise, SRU likely isn't going to lose many more, either. IUP surely doesn't want to play that conference tournament in Morrow.

A huge road win tonight keeps them on pace for the No. 1 seed. A loss, however, really starts to complicate things. Beyond tonight, IUP should be favored in every game the rest of the regular season. Recall Mercyhurst and SRU play in Indiana in the second run through the West.

Greg Bearer being injured the day before Mercyhurst took its toll last week. Now, they've been through two games and more importantly some practices without him. They should look a lot less discombobulated tonight -- perhaps even have a little element of surprise.

Whichever guard Joe goes with to eat some minutes -- Anthony White or Drew Dansecs -- can't just be out there to be a statue. They did that last year and everybody knew it. They were playing 5 on 4 there at the end of the season. Dante, Malik and Armoni can't play 38 minutes each tonight against the press. They will be toast by the final 8 minutes.

I fully expect a pretty focused team tonight. I think they got a little embarrassed up at Slippery Rock despite a great comeback and a close loss.

East Stroudsburg likes to press and press and press. That's not always a bad thing. IUP has skilled, big guards and talented, athletic post players. A year ago IUP committed 28 turnovers against the Warriors -- and somehow was winning by 7 points with 4 minutes left -- before losing, 85-82. IUP has to use the post to its advantage tonight.

Saturday's result can't linger. If it does, they will lose tonight. ESU is no joke. Personally, I think IUP is geared more for ESU than SRU. This team likes to play fast. Getting Cobo in transition ... he could have a monster night. Same with Malik.

The turnover show has to end. This is a tough team to make it end. But, mainly the self-inflicted turnovers. I think IUP turns the ball over more uncontested than it does contested. That's pretty odd. One fantastic thing that both Mercyhurst and Slippery did against IUP was simply hit the reset button when a play broke down. They'd put the ball back up top and reboot. IUP has a very annoying trait of trying to make something out of nothing -- and routinely turning the ball over by running out of bounds, falling down uncontrollably, etc. They give up at least 5 possessions a game in that exact manner.

The sleepwalk routine in the first 12 minutes also has to vanish. They got away with at Mercyhurst. Not so much at SRU. Watch Dante throughout his career ... when he starts hot, they flourish. When he starts bad and gets flustered, well, they don't flourish.

Get past tonight. Whatever it takes. Things lighten up a bit from here ... for a little bit anyway. Marko is the secret weapon waiting to be cut loose. Same with Chucky. It might be time. Might as well call this the first playoff game of the year.

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

Well, you loyal Flock of Joe supporters, a big game has arrived.

Big on many levels. For starters, this is the first 'bounce back' opportunity of the season. Adversity struck a few days ago. Some teams curl up, yap and moan. Others come back swinging. We'll learn a lot tonight.

Much like 13 of the past 15 games, this is just yet another 'big' game for IUP.

Although, the stakes are a bit different now. For starters, East Stroudsburg is a very good team. They are even better at home, where they've won 16 straight games.

Secondly, IUP has a struggling point guard about to face 40 minutes of high heat tonight.

Despite being mid-January, IUP has to start already thinking about the postseason. Nobody within the program is going to publicly say that, but that's just the reality. If they really want to host the PSAC Tournament and also the Regional ... fact is they can't lose many more games. At most, West Liberty may lose 1-2 more games prior to the Regional. West-wise, SRU likely isn't going to lose many more, either. IUP surely doesn't want to play that conference tournament in Morrow.

A huge road win tonight keeps them on pace for the No. 1 seed. A loss, however, really starts to complicate things. Beyond tonight, IUP should be favored in every game the rest of the regular season. Recall Mercyhurst and SRU play in Indiana in the second run through the West.

Greg Bearer being injured the day before Mercyhurst took its toll last week. Now, they've been through two games and more importantly some practices without him. They should look a lot less discombobulated tonight -- perhaps even have a little element of surprise.

Whichever guard Joe goes with to eat some minutes -- Anthony White or Drew Dansecs -- can't just be out there to be a statue. They did that last year and everybody knew it. They were playing 5 on 4 there at the end of the season. Dante, Malik and Armoni can't play 38 minutes each tonight against the press. They will be toast by the final 8 minutes.

I fully expect a pretty focused team tonight. I think they got a little embarrassed up at Slippery Rock despite a great comeback and a close loss.

East Stroudsburg likes to press and press and press. That's not always a bad thing. IUP has skilled, big guards and talented, athletic post players. A year ago IUP committed 28 turnovers against the Warriors -- and somehow was winning by 7 points with 4 minutes left -- before losing, 85-82. IUP has to use the post to its advantage tonight.

Saturday's result can't linger. If it does, they will lose tonight. ESU is no joke. Personally, I think IUP is geared more for ESU than SRU. This team likes to play fast. Getting Cobo in transition ... he could have a monster night. Same with Malik.

The turnover show has to end. This is a tough team to make it end. But, mainly the self-inflicted turnovers. I think IUP turns the ball over more uncontested than it does contested. That's pretty odd. One fantastic thing that both Mercyhurst and Slippery did against IUP was simply hit the reset button when a play broke down. They'd put the ball back up top and reboot. IUP has a very annoying trait of trying to make something out of nothing -- and routinely turning the ball over by running out of bounds, falling down uncontrollably, etc. They give up at least 5 possessions a game in that exact manner.

The sleepwalk routine in the first 12 minutes also has to vanish. They got away with at Mercyhurst. Not so much at SRU. Watch Dante throughout his career ... when he starts hot, they flourish. When he starts bad and gets flustered, well, they don't flourish.

Get past tonight. Whatever it takes. Things lighten up a bit from here ... for a little bit anyway. Marko is the secret weapon waiting to be cut loose. Same with Chucky. It might be time. Might as well call this the first playoff game of the year.

Quit talking scared, this team will be fine! Yes, it's a big game but IUP has all the tools to take care of business. Defend hard and don't let them score then the press won't be a factor. I'm sure Joe has everything put in that is needed to beat the press then IUP can use their size to score in the half court!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Quit talking scared, this team will be fine! Yes, it's a big game but IUP has all the tools to take care of business. Defend hard and don't let them score then the press won't be a factor. I'm sure Joe has everything put in that is needed to beat the press then IUP can use their size to score in the half court!

LOL ... yeah, I'm am pretty nervous about this one.

* Dante is a mess the past four games and can't shoot
* We're down to three guards who are going to get run ragged tonight (much like they did at SRU)
* Turnovers galore lately and they're playing the best team in the league at forcing them
* ESU doesn't lose at home and has had a full week to prepare.
* I actually think they've just looked tired lately

I hope you're right. But, yeah, I'm nervous for sure.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Malik may have 10 TO by half

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Both teams gonna be fouled out by halftime. Man oh man. Whistle every 10 seconds.