Iup basketball

Re: Iup basketball

We will see if the Rock is for real. Not yet a believer. Iup by 8

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

I think we're in luck ... Rock is showing a 'watch live' link. They've had good feeds in the past. I was planning to go, too, but after my ride home last night ... think I'll be watching the web feed.

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

Agreed in all aspects, IUP will speed them up I'm sure. I was going to make the trip today but the weather up here in Erie is atrocious so odds are I won't risk driving through this on 79. Guess I'll have the radio feed and go to the Prep/Strong Vincent or Gannon/Seton Hill game.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Big game tomorrow ... IUP (6-1, 11-2) at Slippery Rock (5-2, 9-4). Indiana has lost three of the last four trips to Morrow Field House.

Taking a closer look at Slippery Rock:

* The Rock signed 12 (yes, 12) new players for this season
* Current 6-game winning streak with victories over West Chester, Seton Hill and Mercyhurst
* Suffered early season blowout losses to Wheeling Jesuit, Kutztown and Shippensburg
* Very likely those games were too much for an 'un-gelled' team to handle in November
* Par for the course, this Rock team is getting better by the week (as Reynolds' teams always do)
* Out-rebounding opponents by more than 10 per game
* Big, physical team
* Two players averaging double figures ...
* Not a good shooting team through 13 games from the 3PT or the foul line
* This is typically SRU's 'big draw' of the year and the atmosphere is pretty tough. Being over break and given SRU is averaging about 250 per game ... I'd expect the crowd to have no factor.
* Rock not built to run. IUP must speed them up and turn this in to a scoring fest as SRU doesn't have the shooters to keep up. If SRU plays at a low-50s pace, IUP could be in trouble.

Stat comparisons:

CATEGORY	IUP	SRU
PPG	78.5	66.2
PPG ALLOWED	70.4	62.5
FG%	.463	.455
3PT%	.350	.288
OPPONENTS 3PT%	.335	.321
FT%	.766	.654
REBOUNDS PER GAME	35.2	40.8
OPPONENTS REBOUNDS PER GAME	33.4	29.0
ASSISTS PER GAME	17.5	13.0
TURNOVERS PER GAME	13.8	15.8
STEALS PER GAME	7.4	4.5
BLOCKS PER GAME	2.9	4.5

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Haha ... Rock vs. Mercy is the epitome of PSAC West basketball. In this day and age, to see a game's final score have both teams in the 40s is awfully rare. Incredible, actually.

[Golden89]

Re: Iup basketball

National polls are meaningless beauty contests ... regional polls are where NCAA bids and hosting privileges are awarded.

What a crazy night at the Hammermill. Despite Evan Phoenix leaving the game quite early with an injury (speculation is possible concussion) GU takes a 16-point lead at the half, and leads by as much as 17 with 13:50 to go. GU still leads by 13 when Matt Dogan fouls out with nine minutes to go. Without Dogan, the wheels come off, Robel Teckle catches fire, and Cal sends the game into overtime (despite a terrible and obvious lane violation with an opportunity to tie the game with a minute to AND despite Rashawn Brown tying the game with 11 seconds to go on an and-one. But Brown got hurt on the play and left the game. Reilly has his choice of the remaining four players on the floor to put at the line. Reilly chooses Jay Tucker, who happens to be 5/5 from the line on the night. But Tucker misses the foul shot. GU came up empty on its last possession, but won it in overtime.

Both teams are awful at closing. At one point, GU was 7/20 in the second half and OT, before Zay Jackson made a string of free throws when Cal was fouling at the end.

But at least we weren't at the Mercy / Rock slog-fest. The Rose Bowl was higher scoring.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Ship getting no love in those national polls ... for whatever their worth, anyway.

They should be Top 5 right now ... not 14th.

Must be the penalty for playing those two PSU branch games.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

IUP men win a nail-biter over UPJ, 77-72.

AJ Leahy hit two treys from the Alumni Bar. Goodness.

Gannon beats Cal in OT
Rock 49 Mercy 46 .... sounds right on for this game
SH hammered Boro

Mansfield over WCU in two OT
ESU and Ship both with blowout wins

IUP women by about 40 over UPJ. Rolling.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: Iup basketball

I was surprised by what they accomplished last year. By now it's pretty clear the women's program is in good shape. I'm still hoping Gannon makes a strong push for mazzante. Very similar life experience as strom at cal and decker at east stroudsburg. Both last years coaches of the year.

Kelly Mazzante would be a fantastic hire for a PSAC school. I'm simply puzzled why Bloom didn't put a full court press on for her last year. She's from near there and certainly a local basketball legend. Just the name value alone would have been BIG for recruiting and selling tickets.

Re: Iup basketball

I think the sub actually transferred from UPJ IIRC. She did well.

This team is very surprising thus far. Tom must have known more about what he was doing than we thought he did.

I was surprised by what they accomplished last year. By now it's pretty clear the women's program is in good shape. I'm still hoping Gannon makes a strong push for mazzante. Very similar life experience as strom at cal and decker at east stroudsburg. Both last years coaches of the year.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: Iup basketball

I think the sub actually transferred from UPJ IIRC. She did well.

This team is very surprising thus far. Tom must have known more about what he was doing than we thought he did.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

It sounds like that was it (just the Gannon game). Tell you what ... her sub rocked the house with 20-some points.

Tom's got a pretty loaded team. This 8 game winning streak ... just blowing people out.

Granted, things are about to get much, much harder schedule-wise.

UPJ is pretty bad this year ... it wouldn't shock me if she sits this one out just to be safe. Friday at SRU will be tougher than UPJ.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: Iup basketball

Did anybody hear how long Appleby is out for with the ankle?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Beleive me we know what you're talking about ... Daddy Ugbede was incredibly gifted on offense but he could never stay on the floor due to being a total hack on defense.

You're also correct, from non-Gannon eyes, that the team is close. I'd agree ... probably one more key player away.

The offensive boards crushed Gannon's hopes last night. It was a good game. Round 2 will be also.

Re: Iup basketball

Some classic John Reilly quotes in the Gazette today:

"We've been a terrible rebounding team all year," he said. "It looks like we're good, but we stink. For whatever reason, we don't want to play with any physicality ... I've always had great rebounding teams, but we don't want to hit anybody. That's what happens if you don't want to hit anybody, you get smashed on the glass. It's huge."


"They out-toughed us for 40 minutes," Reilly said. "That was the story of the game. They out-toughed us every play."


Reilly is always good for some great interviews ... far from typical coach speak babbling that is so common.

Seems to me the bench scoring was a bigger issue. Four points isn't going to win many games against quality opponents. More physical play will lead to more starters in early foul trouble and more losses. As soon as Phoenix got in early foul trouble i thought it was going to be hard to win. Gu starting five must close the last 10 minutes or so of games to win. Need another good recruiting class to beat top teams.