Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Valid point. And, of course, there's risk with playing those games. Often times one extra loss could cost you a dance spot. IUP has never went the cream puff route in the non-conference and there are years it hurt them. Look at Brandon Norfleet's senior season. One more win and that team would have made it (should have anyway). But, they paid the price for taking that big early schedule before the team was ready for it. I think they started 6-5 before going on that 14 or 15 game streak. The way they mauled the West last year ... well, you certainly can't expect that every year.

Look at this year .. Ferris State, Findlay, Fairmont, Bowie State (none at home) in addition to West Chester and ESU in crossover ... that's a big-boy schedule. Some West teams are going to be better this year. I actually think Cal is the second best team in the West entering the season. Mercyhurst had its rebuild year. SRU has some talent back plus a big class signed. IUP is going to be awfully good but I'd expect the random loss somewhere in the conference slate. To have a shot at hosting the regional the margin for error is probably about 2 losses. Three max most years.

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Iup basketball

Regardless of the he-said, she-said, they should have made it happen and didn't. Two elite programs two hours apart ... it could of (and should have been) worked out.

I'd love to see West Liberty or Wheeling Jesuit come to the annual tip-off tournament instead of Urbana.

That said, ... payback time for Fairmont State this season.

I'm still torn as to whether I want to see IUP and West Lib meet in the regular season. I always loved that they only met when the stakes were as high as they could be. A game at some point in December, especially here in Indiana where most of the community has yet to realize the season has started and the KCAC will be maybe 40% full, doesn't have the same luster. Of course, with a post season meeting no longer being a foregone conclusion the last couple years, a regular season meeting does get more appealing.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Regardless of the he-said, she-said, they should have made it happen and didn't. Two elite programs two hours apart ... it could of (and should have been) worked out.

I'd love to see West Liberty or Wheeling Jesuit come to the annual tip-off tournament instead of Urbana.

That said, ... payback time for Fairmont State this season.

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Iup basketball

Sounds to me like Joe wanted to have his cake and eat it too. Play us twice at OUR house using OUR refs and we'll GIVE you one game at your place were you can use your refs. Sounds like Joe was setting up a situation were he knew Crutch would say no. That way he could claim that IUP was more than willing to play WLU but WLU was ducking them. Bet Joe was surprised when Crutch said OK to the 2 for 1 scheme Joe asked for. Only way for Joe to duck actually having to play WLU was to say Crutch's insistence on having MEC/WVIAC refs officiate all the games was just too much for IUP to bear.

The post never said Joe wanted PSAC refs at the games in Indiana, just that he didn't want MEC refs at all 3 games. I believe in non conference games the usual protocol is the refs come from the visiting team's conference but I could be wrong, that may just be a D1 thing. It also never said Crutchfield said yes to the 2 for 1, just that it wasn't necessarily a deal breaker.

[boatcapt]

Re: Iup basketball

You might be able to tell me more about this, but I actually heard that a big part of the reason was that Crutchfield turned down the IUP series was because he wanted to use MEC officials for all of the games, but Joe said no. That's what a friend of mine who worked in the athletic department told me. He said it wasn't so much the 2 for 1. Apparently that was going to be okay, but Crutch wanted his guys in stripes for all 3 and never Joe's.

How does that work in basketball anyways? I know in football the road team's conference supplies the officials. That's how it works in Division 1 football at least. No idea if it's the same at the D2 level or if it's the same in basketball. If that whole thing is true, he must have really feared potentially playing against big boys in the post who would likely be allowed to muscle up, get physical, and play ball all game.

I think Crutchfield was a great coach at West Liberty. I often times think he was the only coach in the region with an ego bigger than Joe's though.

Sounds to me like Joe wanted to have his cake and eat it too. Play us twice at OUR house using OUR refs and we'll GIVE you one game at your place were you can use your refs. Sounds like Joe was setting up a situation were he knew Crutch would say no. That way he could claim that IUP was more than willing to play WLU but WLU was ducking them. Bet Joe was surprised when Crutch said OK to the 2 for 1 scheme Joe asked for. Only way for Joe to duck actually having to play WLU was to say Crutch's insistence on having MEC/WVIAC refs officiate all the games was just too much for IUP to bear.

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Iup basketball

It's amazing to think back to that 2015 regional final. I'm not sure if I've ever watched a team in any sport at any level execute a game plan that well. I can recall posts from after that game. Even West Liberty posters. Everybody said, it wasn't that WL didn't play great, IUP was just greater.

The way they tactically stuck to that idea of taking a shot if it was there early and if not waiting until there was 10 on the shot clock to run the offense was incredible. Those guys on the court didn't even blink. Not once. I recall that IUP controlled most of the 2nd half until about the last 5 minutes when things got a little frantic. What I can't recall is if West Liberty ever actually took the lead during that stretch though. I remember CJ Hester hitting a three and that place just going bananas, but I think that was to tie it. Even then, when that place was getting ready to burst, those guys just weren't phased.

I still don't know if IUP was the better of those two teams based on talent when you compare the two on paper. However, that team was "built for the moment" as they like to say. Every player on that roster was the right guy for the role he played. It's a rare combination for that, and fun to reflect on.

I can only hope Dante can find that slow heartbeat in the big games that Devante had. He will need it for these next two years.


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It was the most well played college basketball game I've ever seen by both teams at any level. West Lib shot around 60% overall and from 3, had something like 5 or 6 turnovers and lost. I've watched the whole thing on YouTube several times since.

[IUPTrackMan]

Re: Iup basketball

Also on the women's front, the team will open things up with an exhibition at Pitt.

If Tom's ever going to have a team that could put a legitimate scare in to a big program like Pitt ... this is it.

Pitt's roster has been hurt by the transfer of Brenna Wise. They tend to have a lot of injuries too. I think your point is valid. This may be a year to play a tight game (under 10) like the IUP men's team did 2-3 years ago.

[IUP24]

Interesting. I can't recall who officiated the last time they played (in the Regional final). As you recall in that game it wasn't so much a physical game as IUP was actually able to slow them down and it seemed to really frustrate them to not be able to dictate their frantic pace. Even the year before in the Regionals when WL won like 99-98 or something in Double OT Joe did a real good job of slowing the pace. That game should have never went to OT but that's part of the game. Damn missed foul shot.

It's amazing to think back to that 2015 regional final. I'm not sure if I've ever watched a team in any sport at any level execute a game plan that well. I can recall posts from after that game. Even West Liberty posters. Everybody said, it wasn't that WL didn't play great, IUP was just greater.

The way they tactically stuck to that idea of taking a shot if it was there early and if not waiting until there was 10 on the shot clock to run the offense was incredible. Those guys on the court didn't even blink. Not once. I recall that IUP controlled most of the 2nd half until about the last 5 minutes when things got a little frantic. What I can't recall is if West Liberty ever actually took the lead during that stretch though. I remember CJ Hester hitting a three and that place just going bananas, but I think that was to tie it. Even then, when that place was getting ready to burst, those guys just weren't phased.

I still don't know if IUP was the better of those two teams based on talent when you compare the two on paper. However, that team was "built for the moment" as they like to say. Every player on that roster was the right guy for the role he played. It's a rare combination for that, and fun to reflect on.

I can only hope Dante can find that slow heartbeat in the big games that Devante had. He will need it for these next two years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[IUP24]

Interesting. I can't recall who officiated the last time they played (in the Regional final). As you recall in that game it wasn't so much a physical game as IUP was actually able to slow them down and it seemed to really frustrate them to not be able to dictate their frantic pace. Even the year before in the Regionals when WL won like 99-98 or something in Double OT Joe did a real good job of slowing the pace. That game should have never went to OT but that's part of the game. Damn missed foul shot.

Marcel missed the front end of a 1 and 1 with just under two minutes left in the game. I think they were up 5. He sinks both of those and they go 7... Boy... you have to think IUP has a really good chance of beating East Stroud two nights later.

I think Jeffers missed one or two late in the first overtime that would have iced it, but the Marcel miss in regulation still haunts me.


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[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Interesting. I can't recall who officiated the last time they played (in the Regional final). As you recall in that game it wasn't so much a physical game as IUP was actually able to slow them down and it seemed to really frustrate them to not be able to dictate their frantic pace. Even the year before in the Regionals when WL won like 99-98 or something in Double OT Joe did a real good job of slowing the pace. That game should have never went to OT but that's part of the game. Damn missed foul shot.

[IUP24]

Re: Iup basketball

Hard to say. I'd like to see them continue the series. Maybe WL would be more open to the series now. In Crutch's defense, if that story is true, I wouldn't have agreed to a 2-for-1, either. I think Joe can pull that stuff with the lesser programs but not with heavyweights. That said, Joe wouldn't have taken the opposite of that with Fairmont so I'm sure they'll be at the KCAC the following year to complete a 2-and-2.

For as close in proximity as many schools are I'd much rather watch these games than see WL host Cheyney, etc. IUP used to routinely play Wheeling Jesuit but that stopped many, many years ago. I'd have loved to see IUP vs. Wheeling Jesuit this year in the regular season. Or WL/Fairmont vs. Shippensburg. But, we probably will soon enough come March. There are some real loaded teams this year in SR1. IUP's been building up for these next two years for a couple years. I don't think expectations for the next two seasons could be any higher.

You might be able to tell me more about this, but I actually heard that a big part of the reason was that Crutchfield turned down the IUP series was because he wanted to use MEC officials for all of the games, but Joe said no. That's what a friend of mine who worked in the athletic department told me. He said it wasn't so much the 2 for 1. Apparently that was going to be okay, but Crutch wanted his guys in stripes for all 3 and never Joe's.

How does that work in basketball anyways? I know in football the road team's conference supplies the officials. That's how it works in Division 1 football at least. No idea if it's the same at the D2 level or if it's the same in basketball. If that whole thing is true, he must have really feared potentially playing against big boys in the post who would likely be allowed to muscle up, get physical, and play ball all game.

I think Crutchfield was a great coach at West Liberty. I often times think he was the only coach in the region with an ego bigger than Joe's though.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Hard to say. I'd like to see them continue the series. Maybe WL would be more open to the series now. In Crutch's defense, if that story is true, I wouldn't have agreed to a 2-for-1, either. I think Joe can pull that stuff with the lesser programs but not with heavyweights. That said, Joe wouldn't have taken the opposite of that with Fairmont so I'm sure they'll be at the KCAC the following year to complete a 2-and-2.

For as close in proximity as many schools are I'd much rather watch these games than see WL host Cheyney, etc. IUP used to routinely play Wheeling Jesuit but that stopped many, many years ago. I'd have loved to see IUP vs. Wheeling Jesuit this year in the regular season. Or WL/Fairmont vs. Shippensburg. But, we probably will soon enough come March. There are some real loaded teams this year in SR1. IUP's been building up for these next two years for a couple years. I don't think expectations for the next two seasons could be any higher.

[IUP24]

Re: Iup basketball

The Dec. 19 game against Fairmont State is confirmed to be in WV.

Fairmont initially posted the game as being in Indiana.

So here is my question... Was this the supposed 2 for 1 contract that IUP apparently wanted and WLU said no too? Is Fairmont coming to IUP then for the 2018 season?

[IUP24]

Re: Iup basketball

Gannon added a post player to the roster. Kofi Mills (6'8", 220 lbs) from Niagara CC (JUCO). He doesn't bring overly impressive stats with him (started about half the games there and averaged about 6 pts and 5 boards but does block shots).

Gannon took two major off-season losses with freshman PG Jimmy Berger and guard Ian Gardner leaving the program. Not sure what to expect in the Hammermill this season. Each off-season lately is becoming a mass exodus of its top players.

Admittedly haven't had my ear to the ground, but where did Gardner and Berger go? Both were nice players.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Gannon added a post player to the roster. Kofi Mills (6'8", 220 lbs) from Niagara CC (JUCO). He doesn't bring overly impressive stats with him (started about half the games there and averaged about 6 pts and 5 boards but does block shots).

Gannon took two major off-season losses with freshman PG Jimmy Berger and guard Ian Gardner leaving the program. Not sure what to expect in the Hammermill this season. Each off-season lately is becoming a mass exodus of its top players.