Iup basketball

[EyeoftheHawk]

Not easy up there. It was packed and loud. IUP did have a big crowd, however.

Kromka is one step below God in that building. He gets every call. It's actually sickening.

UPJ is tough in the half court. Great game.

That won't be close in Indiana. IUP will win by double digits in the KCAC.

That trio of officials today is also the worst in the league -- for both teams.

Officiating was a disaster. That heavy bald white guy is always bad and the thin black guy thinks he’s part of the show. It’s nauseating. They were bad both ways.

Mercyhurst blasted Slippery Rock by 30 today. I expected that one to be a little more competitive.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I don’t know what it is, but they seem to ALWAYS struggle in this building.

Not easy up there. It was packed and loud. IUP did have a big crowd, however.

Kromka is one step below God in that building. He gets every call. It's actually sickening.

UPJ is tough in the half court. Great game.

That won't be close in Indiana. IUP will win by double digits in the KCAC.

That trio of officials today is also the worst in the league -- for both teams.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I guess now we know.

JAYLEN STEWART


THAT was a coming out party. Wow.

[Chuck Norris]

Jaylen Stewart certainly justifying his playing time. Wow.

[IUPalum]

I don’t know what it is, but they seem to ALWAYS struggle in this building.

Difference:

Shull having the game of his life and IUP is flat shooting. Enough of the street ball, PLEASE!!!

[IUP24]

I don’t know what it is, but they seem to ALWAYS struggle in this building.

[EyeoftheHawk]

I’d say any win down there is a good one, especially when UPJ has a quality team. That gives IUP some distance between other contenders in the West. I think IUP beats them by double digits at home much like last season.

And how about Stewart? Where did that performance come from? He was so good today they ran that play late in the game for him to get the three look. If he can even add 6-8 ppg that’s going to make IUP that much better. He also played some pretty solid defense.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I don’t know what it is about him, and UPJ, but that group just seems to get under my skin. That feeling was exacerbated after last year’s game down there and Rukavina’s little dance. I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re going to see a pretty inspired IUP team today.

Just remember if you aren't making the trip, you'll likely only see about half the game (if you're lucky). This is the worst live feed of the season. IUP had so many tune it that it crashes their broadcast every year.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Hahaha! I totally understand Ruk’s dance. That was their championship last year. He pretty much never beats his big brother IUP! IUP by 12 today.

He's beat IUP twice in the Joe era. Both times IUP had a major starter out.

He'll get his shot today.

If IUP plays defense today like it did in Erie, they will lose today.

But, I'd agree. They were looking to this game.

[IUPalum]

I don’t know what it is about him, and UPJ, but that group just seems to get under my skin. That feeling was exacerbated after last year’s game down there and Rukavina’s little dance. I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re going to see a pretty inspired IUP team today.

Hahaha! I totally understand Ruk’s dance. That was their championship last year. He pretty much never beats his big brother IUP! IUP by 12 today.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Wonder if Rukavina has his dancing shoes out?

I don’t know what it is about him, and UPJ, but that group just seems to get under my skin. That feeling was exacerbated after last year’s game down there and Rukavina’s little dance. I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re going to see a pretty inspired IUP team today.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

It was ugly for sure. With his ability to hit from mid range and get to the rim and finish/draw fouls, there’s no need for Shawndale to attempt 8 3s. He and David both put up several “Why shoot that?” deep balls. To be fair, David puts up a number of those every game and makes his fair share, but still there are better plays that could be made.

I agree wholeheartedly about Dallis. He’s a budding star. It almost seems like Joe is making him wait his turn. He’s still got the yellow light.

I expect they’ll be better Saturday. They need to be.

It will the Dallis Dillard show, guard-wise, the next two years.

Of course, Joe kept Morris on a tight leash his first year, too.

To me, spreading it around will just make life easier for David and Shawndale. Ethan and Tomiwa are both big-time scorers. Make life easier.

[Chuck Norris]

I posted my thoughts (list) immediately after the game. Thankfully, I didn't wait to see the box score (or they'd have been worse).

I'm fully aware not every game in a season will be pretty. They got through a sandwich game on the road injury free. That's the most important item.

However, that was one ugly game.

I just have to wonder how much better this team would be if the offense didn't focus so much on so few players.

Dallis Dillard is one of the best players -- both ends -- on the roster. His minutes are baffling. He played 25 last night and should have played 35.

Kyle Polce is a barrel of energy and a tremendous defender. He played 10 minutes last night. This has become a trend in case you haven't noticed.

KJ Rhodes and Jaylen Stewart combined for 23 minutes -- and COMBINED for (1) point and (1) rebound. More on that later.

Damir Brooks played (8) minutes.

I get Joe is perhaps backed in to a corner with this Jaylen Stewart item. He burned the redshirt (for a reason nobody still knows) so perhaps he's feeling obligated to play him. However, Jaheim Bethea has been exported to Siberia down on the deep bench. He yet again dressed but didn't play for the third consecutive game.

Yes, Bethea played at times like a true freshmen at PG. However, Stewart (it's obvious) has been afforded the same offensive freedom as KJ (i.e. none). And, Bethea is a better defender than Stewart. So, unless there's more to this story ... it makes zero sense. By the way, from what I'm told, there isn't more to this story. It's as simple as Stewart is playing over Bethea.

I get Diop is never going to have a role here. But, you can't tell me he can't play 5 productive minutes a night -- or, that IUP couldn't use an athletic, 6'10" player for 5 minutes a game. If anything, he disrupts things for the opposition.

As for Shanwdale's slump from outside, yes, it appears Joe is going to let him shoot his way out of it. He fired up 19 shots last night. Yes, he finished with 21 points but 10 came at the FT line. It was clear very early Dallis and Tomiwa had a hot hand, yet they got a combined 9 shots.

Defensively, aside from the first half against Concord, that was their worst performance of the season. It was masked some by playing a team, while fighting hard, which was also very sloppy. Several of Gannon's 21 turnovers were unforced.

One hand, you simply call this an off night in a game they didn't seem very interested to play (in between two big games). It happens during a 4-month season.

Other hand, I worry we are seeing some of these items night after night. IUP will have superior talent most games to cover these things up. But, that won't last forever. They are dang lucky Gannon couldn't punch back any harder last night.

IUP won that game at the FT line (24-28). Gannon was just 8-12 at the line.

It was ugly for sure. With his ability to hit from mid range and get to the rim and finish/draw fouls, there’s no need for Shawndale to attempt 8 3s. He and David both put up several “Why shoot that?” deep balls. To be fair, David puts up a number of those every game and makes his fair share, but still there are better plays that could be made.

I agree wholeheartedly about Dallis. He’s a budding star. It almost seems like Joe is making him wait his turn. He’s still got the yellow light.

I expect they’ll be better Saturday. They need to be.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Wonder if Rukavina has his dancing shoes out?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Good article in the Gazette today.

Headline: Unbeaten but uninspired Hawks top winless Knights


Joe quotes:

“I didn’t expect to come in here and win by 20,” IUP coach Joe Lombardi said, “but I thought there were stretches we could have put the hammer down.”


“We played the worst defense we’ve played in a long, long time,” Lombardi said. “We take a lot of pride in defense, and on the year teams are shooting 36 percent and that leads the country. To not do that, some of the credit goes to Gannon, but it goes to our lack of intensity.”


“They played with great energy and competed and weren’t going to crack,” Lombardi said. “But we have no excuses. We have to be ready every time out. (Gannon) has been in a lot of games, and it’s hard to believe they haven’t had more success. I like the way we kept our poise, but we gave them a little bit of hope.”

“(Zach) Kent is just coming back, and he’s as good as anybody in our league,” Lombardi said.