Iup basketball

[IUP24]

1) I won't comment on GQ and his mini me.
2) Only explanation for KJ playing so much is that Joe wanted to lose that game to get his troops refocused. That is the only explanation. Every Hurst run involved KJ on the floor. Losing to Hurst today doesn't hurt the team in any way.
3) They have to get Ethan healthier than he is. He's only like 60% of himself.
4) I've been saying for weeks that they need to start shooting better. It was worse today. Can't remember the last Joe team to be below 30%
5) The team let their frustrations show late in the game. Have to stay focused.

I'm not a doctor, but I have bad news for anyone thinking, hoping, or believing that Porterfield can get better or healthier this season. Where specifically is the stress fracture? Stress fractures are extremely common injuries in basketball players and runners. I had one in 2014. It was a nagging injury. Pain was not too unbearable, but it didn't ever heal until I stopped running - for about six months.

A stress fracture has an extremely long recovery period, despite being an injury that is not necessarily deemed as "too serious" or "too painful." You legitimately have a broken bone. And the more you provide impact on the affected area, the more pain you feel. So Ethan isn't getting any better at all this season. He's only going to get worse. There's no "hold him out for a couple games and he'll be okay." He needs months of non-weight bearing and then walking around in a boot likely.

The scary thing is that the injury he has can just "go" at any moment. If you all remember Kevin Ware (the Louisville player who's leg snapped in half in the Elite Eight game a couple years ago), this is exactly the same injury that Porterfield has. Ware had a stress fracture he continued to play through.

Edit... If you all remember Willem Brandwjick... Ethan is the more superiorly talented version of him (and wayyyy more superiorly talented). Just was always something with Willem. He was always either injured, ill, homesick, etc. Always something with him. Ethan's a FANTASTIC player. But he's had a real run of bad luck as it pertains to his health and availability that is extremely similar.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Hardly anyone will remember an early February loss at Mercyhurst when the NCAA Tournament starts. Losses are also always dissected more than wins, especially after being undefeated for so long. I’m not one that believes in “good losses,” but it is at least a reminder to the team of what can happen if they don’t bring it every single game. To feel the sting of a loss as a player when you haven’t felt it in a while can be therapeutic in a way.

This was the one game left on IUP’s schedule I felt they had a chance to lose. Everything set up for Hurst, especially the five day layoff. That can’t be underestimated. If these teams played 10 times, IUP would win seven or maybe even eight of them. It’s likely they’ll meet again, but it won’t be up there and there won’t be five day layoffs. IUP will be the #1 seed in the PSAC and Regionals, and everything will be fine. If you count up the teams that went undefeated from wire to wire at any level of college basketball, it’s a pretty short list.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

1) I won't comment on GQ and his mini me.
2) Only explanation for KJ playing so much is that Joe wanted to lose that game to get his troops refocused. That is the only explanation. Every Hurst run involved KJ on the floor. Losing to Hurst today doesn't hurt the team in any way.
3) They have to get Ethan healthier than he is. He's only like 60% of himself.
4) I've been saying for weeks that they need to start shooting better. It was worse today. Can't remember the last Joe team to be below 30%
5) The team let their frustrations show late in the game. Have to stay focused.

No. No. No.

Joe only played Police 2 minutes and Brooks 4 minutes so he could have them fresh for Clarion this Saturday.

Six combined minutes for two of the best athletes on the team.

So, either they are in the dog house, or Joe really was saving them for Clarion. They both should be highly upset.

There is not another possible explanation. None.

Gary smashed him tonight.

[IUPalum]

1) I won't comment on GQ and his mini me.
2) Only explanation for KJ playing so much is that Joe wanted to lose that game to get his troops refocused. That is the only explanation. Every Hurst run involved KJ on the floor. Losing to Hurst today doesn't hurt the team in any way.
3) They have to get Ethan healthier than he is. He's only like 60% of himself.
4) I've been saying for weeks that they need to start shooting better. It was worse today. Can't remember the last Joe team to be below 30%
5) The team let their frustrations show late in the game. Have to stay focused.

[IUP24]

Tomiwa goes to the line with a chance to tie it, misses both. Hurst hits a 3. KJ misses the layup, Hurst converts off an offensive rebound. Dagger sequence. In that, gym against that team a seven point deficit with that much time left is pretty much ballgame.

Disappointing, but we all figured they’d probably lose one and this was the likely spot.

I remember thinking even before that sequence unfolded how important those two free throws were.

I struggle to say I “wanted” them to lose, but I’m always in favor of a humbling experience. When the loss came, I didn’t want it to be a heartbreaker. They were not the better team tonight. Losing gives them a good excuse to “go back to the lab,” refocus, and lock in for a stretch run. Losing the way they did shows them they actually can lose and are imperfect much like everyone else. That’s a good thing for them to know and understand.

Now they can play to win with their goals in front of them, rather than worrying about simply not losing.

[IUP24]

**** Mercyhurst.

Good program with a good coach. Nothing ever fluky about them. Deserving winners tonight.

[Chuck Norris]

That was a huge missed layup. Still had 8 to play at the time, but that’s a massive miss.

Tomiwa goes to the line with a chance to tie it, misses both. Hurst hits a 3. KJ misses the layup, Hurst converts off an offensive rebound. Dagger sequence. In that, gym against that team a seven point deficit with that much time left is pretty much ballgame.

Disappointing, but we all figured they’d probably lose one and this was the likely spot.

[IUPNation]

**** Mercyhurst.

[IUP24]

Why KJ instead of Polce? Or even Stewart?

They couldn’t get going the entire night. Think playing Saturday versus Mercyhurst having a bye made a difference. But credit to them, Ajayi and Planutis were great.

Agreed. Mercyhurst looked pretty fresh. You could tell IUP was at the end of a tough stretch. Still have another tough game on Wednesday.

They just couldn’t get going in any capacity. But that said, if they were to lose, I would rather it be like that. Wash it off and move on. There was no doubt who the deserving winner was tonight. Good opportunity for them to refocus now that they actually do have a loss on their schedule.

[IUPHawks24]

Not even getting in to Joe's rotations tonight


Great game by Mercyhurst. They earned it.

Why KJ instead of Polce? Or even Stewart?

They couldn’t get going the entire night. Think playing Saturday versus Mercyhurst having a bye made a difference. But credit to them, Ajayi and Planutis were great.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Not even getting in to Joe's rotations tonight


Great game by Mercyhurst. They earned it.

[IUP24]

I can't take KJ playing in this game

Why

Why

Why

That was a huge missed layup. Still had 8 to play at the time, but that’s a massive miss.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I can't take KJ playing in this game

Why

Why

Why

[IUPbigINDIANS]

IUP down two at half but won't be shooting in to the student section in the second ... Should be OK

[IUP24]

In case you missed it ...

Brooks turned in his freshman card today. He was front and center in the 33 tussle.

As John Kreese says ... No Mercy

He's arrived

Work in progress, sure, but, he's arrived.

I can't even imagine him in two years as a junior.

You may not have to.