Iup basketball

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Iup basketball

Just a comment on the "don't play defense" thread regarding West Liberty. I think that high scoring per game is not necessarily a sign of bad defense.
WLU just actively looks for a good shot earlier in the shot clock than most teams. More possessions = more points (for both teams).
WLU presses to generate turnovers and tire the other team, which also translates into more possession and more points.
I have broken down WLU scoring in some games into 4 minute intervals. When they have their press going and the other team tires, some games they will score 15-18 points in one 4 minute interval.

This year's WLU team plays very good defense. Witness the MEC title game against Fairmont.
WL shot 21% from 3, 58% of free throws, and FSU turned them over 17 times. In other years, that would have been a loss against any team, not to mention the #1 team in the country.
They are recruiting much more athletic players than in the past, who can defend better in the open court and have the quickness to score inside as well as outside. For example, I think the true frosh Guillozet was the record setting Scorer in basketball and best QB in football at Greenville Ohio. Of course, Monterosa is a wholly different level of athlete - D1 Receiver at Purdue, 2300 pt scorer in St. Clairsville.




A lot of D1 teams and some D2 teams with overcontrolling coaches don't start looking for a good shot until 15 seconds left on the shot clock. Keeps the score down and it is Real easy to guard someone who is just patting the ball and not passing the ball or just doing a 2 man game for half the shot clock. In the 60s and 70s, many teams were averaging 80 points a game (before the stupidly outrageous coaching salaries started).

Anyhow, my 2 cents worth.

I think West Liberty has been a very solid defensive team the last several years. I think maybe some people who make the claim that they don't play defense still remember who they were when they first came on the national scene with their first Elite 8 team in 2011. That team was so good offensively and their press was absolutely devastating and yeah, once you got the ball past half court there was a real good chance you were gonna score. They treated half court D as kind of a necessary evil, something they had to do before they could get the ball back.

But they've evolved into a much better half court defensive team since out of necessity. A group of guys that can press like the 2011 team doesn't come around very often. Now they can win a 67-65 game while still obviously having the ability to put up a ton of points.

[Columbuseer]

Re: Iup basketball

Just a comment on the "don't play defense" thread regarding West Liberty. I think that high scoring per game is not necessarily a sign of bad defense.
WLU just actively looks for a good shot earlier in the shot clock than most teams. More possessions = more points (for both teams).
WLU presses to generate turnovers and tire the other team, which also translates into more possession and more points.
I have broken down WLU scoring in some games into 4 minute intervals. When they have their press going and the other team tires, some games they will score 15-18 points in one 4 minute interval.

This year's WLU team plays very good defense. Witness the MEC title game against Fairmont.
WL shot 21% from 3, 58% of free throws, and FSU turned them over 17 times. In other years, that would have been a loss against any team, not to mention the #1 team in the country.
They are recruiting much more athletic players than in the past, who can defend better in the open court and have the quickness to score inside as well as outside. For example, I think the true frosh Guillozet was the record setting Scorer in basketball and best QB in football at Greenville Ohio. Of course, Monterosa is a wholly different level of athlete - D1 Receiver at Purdue, 2300 pt scorer in St. Clairsville.




A lot of D1 teams and some D2 teams with overcontrolling coaches don't start looking for a good shot until 15 seconds left on the shot clock. Keeps the score down and it is Real easy to guard someone who is just patting the ball and not passing the ball or just doing a 2 man game for half the shot clock. In the 60s and 70s, many teams were averaging 80 points a game (before the stupidly outrageous coaching salaries started).

Anyhow, my 2 cents worth.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Cobo received a fan letter from an elementary student in Indiana. It told him he was his favorite player and asked if he could meet him some day.

Cobo showed up at the kids house with a signed 8x10 photo, took a photo together and spent some time with the young boy.

.... very impressive and a class move.

[CALUPA69]

Re: Iup basketball

St. Francis wins this game on ESPN2 ... they go to the Big Dance -- and probably play Kansas or some power. Funny to think they are only a half hour or so from IUP. That should be a yearly exhibition in basketball or even a regular season game. I'm surprised we've never got any transfers from there (that I can recall anyway).

I went to my first game up in Loretto this year. Those guys can play. I was impressed. They have some ballers this year.

St Francis has always had a decent program and was blessed with two amazing players if you go back about 50 + years ...Maurice Stokes and Norm Van Lier. Stokes played in the 50s and still holds the school rebound record and ranks second in scoring while playing only 3 yrs (freshmen couldn't play varsity then) and without 3pt shots. He was off to an amazing start in the NBA, when he suffered a major head injury in a game and never played again. Really sad. Van Lier's story had a happier ending as he was a really good pro with the Bulls, pre-MJ, and a nice career in broadcasting after that.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

St. Francis wins this game on ESPN2 ... they go to the Big Dance -- and probably play Kansas or some power. Funny to think they are only a half hour or so from IUP. That should be a yearly exhibition in basketball or even a regular season game. I'm surprised we've never got any transfers from there (that I can recall anyway).

I went to my first game up in Loretto this year. Those guys can play. I was impressed. They have some ballers this year.

[Golden89]

Re: Iup basketball

So, in order:

WJ/WL (12pm)
Ship/VUU
break
FSU/BS (6pm-ish)
IUP/Kutz

Anybody ever attended and did the full day?

I attended the full 2013 women's Atlantic Regional. It is a fantastic, draining day of basketball. (I wanted to attend the full day of the 2009 men's Atlantic regional, but I had an engagement in the afternoon I couldn't get out of). It's four elimination games all with good teams playing. No slouches.

I was also at the quarterfinal day of the 2014 women's Elite Eight. Even more fantastic and draining.

Wish I could be at Fairmont on Saturday, even if Gannon isn't playing.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Sleva isn't a senior this year. He's only a junior.

[IUP Extra Mile]

Re: Iup basketball

To add a little sabermetrics to the Seger vs Sleva Holy War: Comparison of Seger's Senior Year Stats vs Sleva's Junior Year Stats.

				MINUTES		TOTAL			3-PTS			F-THROWS			REBOUNDS										SCORING
##	Player	GP	GS	Tot	Avg	FG	FGA	Pct	3FG	FGA	Pct	FT	FTA	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Avg	PF	FO	A	TO	Blk	Stl	Pts	Avg
12	SLEVA, Dustin	28	28	910	32.5	219	405	.541	51	126	.405	132	164	.805	78	235	313	11.2	78	2	90	65	22	27	621	22.2
				MINUTES		TOTAL			3-PTS			F-THROWS			REBOUNDS										SCORING
##	Player	GP	GS	Tot	Avg	FG	FGA	Pct	3FG	FGA	Pct	FT	FTA	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Avg	PF	FO	A	TO	Blk	Stl	Pts	Avg
	Seger Bonifant	35	35	1155	33	312	535	.583	114	231	.494	152	182	.835	34	150	184	5.3	89	2	107	70	27	22	890	25.4

I assumed incorrectly, that Sleva was a senior. He's actually a junior, so that makes the comparison a bit stickier.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

So, in order:

WJ/WL (12pm)
Ship/VUU
break
FSU/BS (6pm-ish)
IUP/Kutz

Anybody ever attended and did the full day?

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Iup basketball

Anyone who's followed the Atlantic Regional for any length of time already knew this, but it's official on IUP's website. The game with Kutztown will be the nightcap on Saturday, tipping around 8:30 or 30 minutes after the Fairmont/Bowie game ends

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Getting back to the subject thread here ...


The biggest item in this Kutztown game is how Joe defends Ethan Ridgeway -- the Golden Bears' dynamic (ultra fast and elusive) 5'10" point guard.

In the first meeting (77-76 IUP win), Dante only played 16 minutes and sat almost the entire second half. Spain is best-suited to defend Ridgeway but I wonder if that's the plan? In simplified terms, the Kutztown offense is largely Ridgeway creating havoc driving to the hoop and then kicking it out or (if it's there) taking the shot/layup. His height keeps him very low to the ground and with his speed, he's very difficult and hard to guard. Spain did a very good job on him in the first game but that largely takes Dante (and his offense) off the floor.

That matchup, whomever covers Ridgeway, will determine who wins this game. Ridgeway would be an extremely difficult matchup for Dante. My 'coaching plan' would be Spain starts over Hutton in this case and keep Dante on the floor but Spain gets the defensive assignment.

[Penguins87]

Re: Iup basketball

I watched him from Game 1 of his career to the final one. I am not a fan. I am a writer. Been doing this a long time. He is the best I have seen. Not saying someone can't surpass him, but let's slow down a bit.

As far as another poster saying "careful what you wish for," if WLU and Ship play, the Toppers will be ready. It's not like they haven't played dominant big men before.

[ctrabs74]

Re: Iup basketball

My reference to defense was from yesterday's title game. My point of don't take my word for it, was Lincoln Memorial's coach saying in that story that he told his team before the game Bonifant was the best player he had ever seen at this level.

But since you mentioned it, anyone that was at that 103-102 game will attest the defense was incredible and guys made one tough shot after the next.

Bonifant would score in whatever league he played in. Which is why he is playing pro ball.

Bonifant weighs 220, by the way. And he bullied people in the post. So not sure what you watched.

I watched West Liberty from the Regional Quarterfinals all the way through the National Semifinals, so I'm certainly aware of Bonifant's incredible talents.

[IUP24]

My reference to defense was from yesterday's title game. My point of don't take my word for it, was Lincoln Memorial's coach saying in that story that he told his team before the game Bonifant was the best player he had ever seen at this level.

But since you mentioned it, anyone that was at that 103-102 game will attest the defense was incredible and guys made one tough shot after the next.

Bonifant would score in whatever league he played in. Which is why he is playing pro ball.

Bonifant weighs 220, by the way. And he bullied people in the post. So not sure what you watched.

Not sure what I watched? Apparently not the same skinny kid that you did..

Doesn't look like he gained any weight between college and pro ball...

http://www.hilltoppersports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2214

http://basketball.realgm.com/player/.../Summary/70755



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Seger also had 14 combined points over two games and 66 minutes against IUP so maybe that's why we don't all drool over him and put him alongside LeBron James. Granted he was a sophomore and junior in those games but he was shutdown in both meetings. WL won the first one in double OT and IUP won the second one.

So it's not implausible that Sleva is at his level if not above it. Sleva will be highly sought after in the pro ranks. He really should be playing high-level D1 right now. You guys at WL are going to get to experience him soon enough. Be careful what you wish for ... Sleva on Gross won't be pretty.