Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Worst rebounding team at IUP in 35 years.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Betting line in Indiana today is IUP +13.5


Big number.


If IUP has the same game-plan as last night, ... may lose by 30 today.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Backup clocks?

The shot clock went down at least 6-7 times (maybe more) in the first half. Some of the delays were several minutes each.

[bballfan03]

Joe's Postgame:

1) Pickens has earned more minutes.
2) Shepherd should have back up clocks but it didn't effect his coaching.
3) Joe said, "I need to learn how to coach this group of men. This isn't my teams from the past."

Backup clocks?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

This is exactly what I've been saying to you. He built an AAU run and gun squad. You might as well let the runners run!

I can promise you Damien Blair is licking his chops. He's been waiting to bash Joe for a long, long time.

IUP better be ready.

I was expecting a split this weekend. I wasn't expecting a loss tonight, however.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

This is exactly what I've been saying to you. He built an AAU run and gun squad. You might as well let the runners run!

Pickens, Kymani, Herring and Moore can fly. Grove and Damir run well, too.

They aren't half-court players.

When he finally caves, they will take off.

[IUPalum]

He has a roster than can run ... and he's making it play his beloved turtle ball.


Hey, he built this roster. He's gotta deal with it.

This is exactly what I've been saying to you. He built an AAU run and gun squad. You might as well let the runners run!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Joe's Postgame:

1) Pickens has earned more minutes.
2) Shepherd should have back up clocks but it didn't effect his coaching.
3) Joe said, "I need to learn how to coach this group of men. This isn't my teams from the past."

He has a roster than can run ... and he's making it play his beloved turtle ball.


Hey, he built this roster. He's gotta deal with it.

[IUPalum]

Joe's Postgame:

1) Pickens has earned more minutes.
2) Shepherd should have back up clocks but it didn't effect his coaching.
3) Joe said, "I need to learn how to coach this group of men. This isn't my teams from the past."

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Can't shoot

Can't rebound

Can't defend

Can't guard the deep shot to save their life

Can't stop fouling three-point shooters

Won't call timeouts



Pretty much sums up IUP's first half.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Worst half of IUP basketball since Joe's first year. Holy cow lol.

[IUPalum]

I'm no longer sports editor at the Indiana Gazette, but I am covering IUP basketball on substack, a self-publishing website. Check it out at tonycoccagna.substack.com. There's no obligation if you subscribe. You'll get an email each time I post something. Be sure to read my first post, "A New Beginning," to see what my plans are. Thanks.*

Nice work Tony! Greatly appreciated. I found you there previous to your post. The IUP community needs you!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Well, you're not wrong about that. But sophomores and juniors can also be transfers these days, and actually the ones that transferred out of Ship last year were mostly rising seniors who saw the writing on the wall. We're at a point at Ship where we're trying to build back from a bad season. Fite is a coach who likes to bring young kids in and develop them. We have a couple of promising freshmen and a soph who actually is a star scorer at this point, but the question becomes for Ship, as for many schools, whether they can hold on to the nucleus they have while adding what is needed to get back to top tier. It's probably a bigger problem with football, because 2-3 players can make a much bigger impact in basketball, but it's still a problem.

This isn't about this year at IUP. We all know that. This is, however, about potentially having another big run starting next year.

Joe's three freshmen are special. They aren't ready yet. Kymani is (the PG). Grove has his moments. Herring is up and down. And ... that's what true freshmen go through. Hell, two of them are starting. Unheard of at IUP.

Providing they all stay (I think they will all stay for at least one more year) ... along with Christian Moore (likely all-PSAC first team this year), Damir Brooks, Triggs, Pickens, Sarp ... the whole active roster returns next year -- with a year of playing together.


They can supplement with 1-2 transfers this off-season. Joe should be back in a hurry next year.

This season isn't a 'punt' by any means. They'll battle and win games. But, this is a learning year. They are going to lose several more games, too. They are a scary team to play, and, may be real scary in another month.

The future is bright. Joe knows it. He just has to get through this season.

[tonyc]

I'm no longer sports editor at the Indiana Gazette, but I am covering IUP basketball on substack, a self-publishing website. Check it out at tonycoccagna.substack.com. There's no obligation if you subscribe. You'll get an email each time I post something. Be sure to read my first post, "A New Beginning," to see what my plans are. Thanks.*

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Joe has two potentially big recruits playing right across Philadelphia Street. One is probably a pipe dream, however.

The three Webb brothers are now all at IHS. The oldest (Stanford) is a senior this year. He's a big, athletic guard and a very good outside shooter. He put on a show last night, scoring 33 points and lighting it up from deep.

The middle is Aaron. He's 6'7" (as a sophomore) and is already smashing down highlight dunks, etc. He's already a major star on the AAU scene.

I think Joe could get the current senior. By the time Aaron is a senior he's going to have major D1 schools on him (he probably already does). I'm not sure what position he'll project at ... he's basically playing all five for Indiana. He's athletic enough to play G or SF. He may even grow in to a PF.