Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

My official prediction:

If IUP plays team ball, the Hawks will win.

You can read between those lines.

[Ship69]

My official prediction:

If IUP plays team ball, the Hawks will win.

You can read between those lines.

IUP is the favorite in every PSAC game this season until someone proves otherwise.

[Chuck Norris]

I was in the KCAC for the first time in several years today, but I had a very excited 6 year old who had never been to a game before with me. So I can’t really provide in depth analysis, but I did think both teams look like they’ll be a handful come March. IUP putting up 80 points on Mercyhurst is quite impressive, even more so when you consider they missed a number of point blank bunnies. I’m sure the rematch in Erie will be a battle.

It was nice to finally get to see this core group in person. And my son absolutely loved being there so I imagine we’ll be back a couple more times at least.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I was in the KCAC for the first time in several years today, but I had a very excited 6 year old who had never been to a game before with me. So I can’t really provide in depth analysis, but I did think both teams look like they’ll be a handful come March. IUP putting up 80 points on Mercyhurst is quite impressive, even more so when you consider they missed a number of point blank bunnies. I’m sure the rematch in Erie will be a battle.

It was nice to finally get to see this core group in person. And my son absolutely loved being there so I imagine we’ll be back a couple more times at least.

DM next time. I'll get you whatever tickets you need. On the house.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Trip to Gannon tonight. I remember when this was the game of the year in the West and a fierce rivalry.

Crowds in the 'Mill (or, 'Mark) have naturally stunk this year. I suspect IUP will have a large contingent in the building tonight with all its Erie-area players.

Gannon's lineup is hard to read. They've have a revolving door of players in and out, and played basically all of December and (thus far) January very short-handed.

This is a 'take care of business' game (and not get caught looking ahead).

[IUPNation]

Trip to Gannon tonight. I remember when this was the game of the year in the West and a fierce rivalry.

Crowds in the 'Mill (or, 'Mark) have naturally stunk this year. I suspect IUP will have a large contingent in the building tonight with all its Erie-area players.

Gannon's lineup is hard to read. They've have a revolving door of players in and out, and played basically all of December and (thus far) January very short-handed.

This is a 'take care of business' game (and not get caught looking ahead).

...and some sort of payback for what LIT AF did to us.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The good news is IUP left Erie injury free and with a win. That was about the extent of the good news.

* IUP looked exactly how'd you expect in between Mercyhurst and UPJ -- hungover, looking ahead, ... whatever phrase you want to insert.

* First half minutes were astonishing. Where was Dillard?

* This Stewart and Bethea thing ... I don't know. I'm not seeing it. Stewart isn't shooting even when he's wide open so obviously he has a red light.

* Last 30 seconds of first half were a disaster and gave Gannon momentum and morale -- rather than sticking a fork in them

* The better Kyle Polce plays ... the less Kyle Polce plays

* KJ is playing over Brooks and Diop -- in the low post

* Shot selection was horrendous. IUP isn't a playground team and played playground basketball for 37 of 40 minutes

* Terrible fouls 38' from the basket

* It's pretty clear when Shawndale gets the ball he's shooting the ball. Numerous times he'd shoot and there wasn't a rebounder within 10' of the basket

* Gannon had way more intensity and played well

Put this one to bed and burn the tape. Take the win and move on.

[IUPalum]

* Shawndale is 3 for his last 23 three point attempts. That doesn’t cut it. Him shooting 25% is part of the reason why todays game was close.

* Dallis started, drained a three then right to the bench for an extended period. Baffling!!!

* Why the heck is KJ in during crunch time both halves?

* Diop? I guess we have no need for a long, athletic player.

* Polce guards the heck out of it. Needs more minutes.

* I’m still not understanding Stewart playing.

* imagine if Joe drew up a play for Tomiwa.

* Ethan heating up from 3??!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

* Shawndale is 3 for his last 23 three point attempts. That doesn’t cut it. Him shooting 25% is part of the reason why todays game was close.

* Dallis started, drained a three then right to the bench for an extended period. Baffling!!!

* Why the heck is KJ in during crunch time both halves?

* Diop? I guess we have no need for a long, athletic player.

* Polce guards the heck out of it. Needs more minutes.

* I’m still not understanding Stewart playing.

* imagine if Joe drew up a play for Tomiwa.

* Ethan heating up from 3??!

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.

[Ship69]

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.

College kids. You just can't predict what will go on from game to game. And then when coaches get on mystery rotations that adds to the drama. At Ship, the unusual makeup of the roster has led to a revolving door of guards after Recchia. Satchel Ball seems to be settling in at first off the bench. Gannon certainly is not a typical winless team and should break into the W column soon. The PSAC has two dominant teams in IUP and East Stroud (with Mercyhurst perhaps making it a top three with their defense of late). The rest of the league seems fairly well balanced. Mansfield over Lock Haven surprised me. I thought Ship would be lucky to get one at West Chester Wednesday night, but it ended up being one of their easier trips there in recent years. West Chester is almost always the most unpredictable team in the East. Came off a 15-point win against a decent Kutztown team and laid a real egg Wednesday.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

College kids. You just can't predict what will go on from game to game. And then when coaches get on mystery rotations that adds to the drama. At Ship, the unusual makeup of the roster has led to a revolving door of guards after Recchia. Satchel Ball seems to be settling in at first off the bench. Gannon certainly is not a typical winless team and should break into the W column soon. The PSAC has two dominant teams in IUP and East Stroud (with Mercyhurst perhaps making it a top three with their defense of late). The rest of the league seems fairly well balanced. Mansfield over Lock Haven surprised me. I thought Ship would be lucky to get one at West Chester Wednesday night, but it ended up being one of their easier trips there in recent years. West Chester is almost always the most unpredictable team in the East. Came off a 15-point win against a decent Kutztown team and laid a real egg Wednesday.

I remember when IUP played at Mansfield. They show some flashes and have a couple nice players. It's nice to see they finally put a full game together.

[Ship69]

I remember when IUP played at Mansfield. They show some flashes and have a couple nice players. It's nice to see they finally put a full game together.

Yeah, they come to Ship Saturday. Hope they don't catch the guys napping.

[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.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Wonder if Rukavina has his dancing shoes out?

[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.