Iup basketball

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: Iup basketball

Well, try and keep it a secret from most of the football posters. LOL. We like (somewhat) civility on this side.

Are you saying that I should not let Homer know about this forum?

But the basketball forum has by and large attracted a much more civil crowd over the years.

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[IUP24]

Agreed! I have basically quit posting on the football side because no sense is made over there. It's all trash talk and no football talk.

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

Well, try and keep it a secret from most of the football posters. LOL. We like (somewhat) civility on this side.

Agreed! I have basically quit posting on the football side because no sense is made over there. It's all trash talk and no football talk.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

And all this time I didn't realize there was a basketball forum right under my nose. Thanks IUP24 for helping me find more ways to spend time not doing the things I probably should be!

Well, try and keep it a secret from most of the football posters. LOL. We like (somewhat) civility on this side.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Re: Iup basketball

And all this time I didn't realize there was a basketball forum right under my nose. Thanks IUP24 for helping me find more ways to spend time not doing the things I probably should be!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

IUP made the No. 1 spot in the Performance indicators. You can see the updated version in the General Discussion thread. Scroll down.

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Iup basketball

If I recall correctly though, IUP wasn't the first team to make that transition. East Stroudsburg was playing up tempo long before IUP tried to. I can remember when I was in school during the 2011-2015 seasons, East Stroud played a fast game before IUP ever started to. For the most part, the PSAC East does play an up-tempo style. East Stroud can certainly run it. West Chester and Ship are kind of like a Joe team. Capable of running or playing physical.

I agree regarding coaching philosophies, but I think my point regarding the resources is that it's cheaper to fill a good team with guys who play the way that Gannon or Slipper Rock likes to play. Kevin Reynolds wasn't (guess we have to used past tense now?) ever expected to compete with West Liberty or Fairmont or IUP to win the region. I imagine he was expected to be "in the mix" to win the west most years and hopefully win a PSAC tournament occasionally. If you want to keep your job, throw philosophies out the window, right? Even if he came from an up-tempo (I don't know what his background is), filling a team with guys who can bang down low is easier to do with the limited allotment of scholarship dollars he had. If that gives you the best opportunity to meet the expectations of your employer, you do that. That's what I essentially meant when I brought up resources.

And I agree about the conference as a whole. In the West, you're right. Take out Gannon, Hurst, and SRU and everybody plays similar to IUP.

[IUP24]

Re: Iup basketball

If I recall correctly though, IUP wasn't the first team to make that transition. East Stroudsburg was playing up tempo long before IUP tried to. I can remember when I was in school during the 2011-2015 seasons, East Stroud played a fast game before IUP ever started to. For the most part, the PSAC East does play an up-tempo style. East Stroud can certainly run it. West Chester and Ship are kind of like a Joe team. Capable of running or playing physical.

I agree regarding coaching philosophies, but I think my point regarding the resources is that it's cheaper to fill a good team with guys who play the way that Gannon or Slipper Rock likes to play. Kevin Reynolds wasn't (guess we have to used past tense now?) ever expected to compete with West Liberty or Fairmont or IUP to win the region. I imagine he was expected to be "in the mix" to win the west most years and hopefully win a PSAC tournament occasionally. If you want to keep your job, throw philosophies out the window, right? Even if he came from an up-tempo (I don't know what his background is), filling a team with guys who can bang down low is easier to do with the limited allotment of scholarship dollars he had. If that gives you the best opportunity to meet the expectations of your employer, you do that. That's what I essentially meant when I brought up resources.

And I agree about the conference as a whole. In the West, you're right. Take out Gannon, Hurst, and SRU and everybody plays similar to IUP.

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Iup basketball

Success is in the eye's of each team. Often times IUP clouds our vision because they have a national brand at the D2 level and want to compete nationally. That's evident by how they schedule. While I tend to agree that the brand of ball you are discussing translates much better into March, it's more difficult for schools with lesser resources get those horses to play that style. Take a school like Slippery Rock. It's easier to fill a roster with a bunch of large bodies that are better equipped to bang, hack, and whack. It's hard to comprise a roster top to bottom with top level D2 athletes that can fly up and down the court and shoot the three well.

While every school wants to win it all, realistically, the best the schools that play that grind it out style can really hope for is to win the PSAC tournament and get to the dance. Everything beyond that is gravy. For teams like IUP, East Stroud, West Liberty, Fairmont, etc., not winning the region at the end of the year is a disappointment. The success is in the eye's of each team. West Liberty winning 30+ games, but losing in the 2nd round of the tournament is a disappointment. Many other schools think just getting to the 2nd round is an incredible year.

Joe has done a great job building a hybrid team of sorts. That transition took a while, but he arrived a few years ago. I remember that 2013 team with Josh Wiegand and some of those other guys. Great team, but not equipped to compete much outside of the PSAC.

[IUP24]

Re: Iup basketball

A good point. And now they have to adapt to PSAC West play which always seems to be vastly different from the quality teams of region play. It is kind of odd as one would think that divisional style of play would have simply evolved into what is best to be successful in the region and beyond. But it doesn't seem to be the case.

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Success is in the eye's of each team. Often times IUP clouds our vision because they have a national brand at the D2 level and want to compete nationally. That's evident by how they schedule. While I tend to agree that the brand of ball you are discussing translates much better into March, it's more difficult for schools with lesser resources get those horses to play that style. Take a school like Slippery Rock. It's easier to fill a roster with a bunch of large bodies that are better equipped to bang, hack, and whack. It's hard to comprise a roster top to bottom with top level D2 athletes that can fly up and down the court and shoot the three well.

While every school wants to win it all, realistically, the best the schools that play that grind it out style can really hope for is to win the PSAC tournament and get to the dance. Everything beyond that is gravy. For teams like IUP, East Stroud, West Liberty, Fairmont, etc., not winning the region at the end of the year is a disappointment. The success is in the eye's of each team. West Liberty winning 30+ games, but losing in the 2nd round of the tournament is a disappointment. Many other schools think just getting to the 2nd round is an incredible year.

Joe has done a great job building a hybrid team of sorts. That transition took a while, but he arrived a few years ago. I remember that 2013 team with Josh Wiegand and some of those other guys. Great team, but not equipped to compete much outside of the PSAC.

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Iup basketball

A good point. And now they have to adapt to PSAC West play which always seems to be vastly different from the quality teams of region play. It is kind of odd as one would think that divisional style of play would have simply evolved into what is best to be successful in the region and beyond. But it doesn't seem to be the case.

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[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

A good point. And now they have to adapt to PSAC West play which always seems to be vastly different from the quality teams of region play. It is kind of odd as one would think that divisional style of play would have simply evolved into what is best to be successful in the region and beyond. But it doesn't seem to be the case.

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It is the tricky part. This team is built for March ... not the upcoming slop fest in the West.

The West had a shaky start but many teams were devastated by injuries (or coaches being suspended). Time heals all wounds.

Mercyhurst and UPJ are legit NCAA contenders. SRU will be a major problem in January and February. It will be a dog fight. One has to think at some point Gannon will come back to life, too.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: Iup basketball

And then there's the huge difference in styles between WCU and Fairmont. To adapt to win in both is also pretty impressive.

A good point. And now they have to adapt to PSAC West play which always seems to be vastly different from the quality teams of region play. It is kind of odd as one would think that divisional style of play would have simply evolved into what is best to be successful in the region and beyond. But it doesn't seem to be the case.

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[ironmaniup]

Re: Iup basketball

I thought it was overly apparent IUP was reeling a bit from the Fairmont State game and also this stretch of tight games. WCU came out looking like the well-rested team they were (hadn't played in almost two weeks). WCU had a ton of emotion and intensity ... they just couldn't hit deep shots to save their life in the first half. They were tenacious on the boards. Very physical and they wanted it more.

With two exceptions (Westminster and The Sciences) IUP has been in, what, 9 emotional, tough games already. We saw the toll it took on them last night being the last game of the 'first half'. It's incredibly impressive they found a way to win that game. This long break couldn't have come at a better time.

And then there's the huge difference in styles between WCU and Fairmont. To adapt to win in both is also pretty impressive.

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

This is a perfect time for a break for IUP. They have been in nothing but grinds. Time to get the legs back under them. Using the 8th player off the bench is crucial the rest of the way. Chucky brings it on D but has to give more on offense.