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  • Originally posted by Ship69 View Post

    I agree with your observations. I'd probably play a zone against Ship most of the time, but on the other hand Seton Hill played one Saturday, and they play a pretty good zone. Difference was that Ship was zipping the ball around, getting some open looks for their shots and getting Frank some openings. Sunday, they either seemed to just quickly throw up a three, or try to drive the middle with three IUP defenders converging, which does not work. Jaydon Smith probably is going to be one of the next big players at Ship, and I'm hoping he'll get more minutes as the season goes on. He gives them more size on defense and a decent amount of quickness. He has the game to draw some of the attention away from Frank. I thought Dickson tried to force things too much at times on Sunday, and he's had too much experience to be doing that. Conner can be effective on offense, but it hurts us defensively when he and Dickson are in at the same time. That gives us two short guards who get taken to the rack, which is all too similar to last season. Fite is apparently a Bob Knight disciple on defense. I don't thnk I've seen him play more than five minutes of zone in the last several years.

    It's going to take some adjustment. Frank's tremendous success has almost hurt them in a way — often it's just stand around and let him create some offense. But he's not going to get 25-30 every game. I noticed the same thing a couple of years back when the women's team had Arial Jones. When she graduated, the team plummeted.

    So I wasn't happy with Sunday, but overall I was encouraged by the weekend. If they get the right players on the court taking the right shots, I think they have the potential to steal some wins this year. I still can't believe they lost to Chestnut Hill.

    IUP has some nice young talent. That little freshman point guard has some slick moves. Bowie is a decent defender, and he was left flat-footed a couple of times. If you get Dillard and your other guys back, that's going to be a hard team to defend.














    The one thing this IUP team is - defensively - is lightning fast. It's by far Joe's quickest overall lineup he's had in a long time.

    Kymani Merraro (PG) isn't tall but he's built well and is incredibly quick. Christian Moore is also an extremely fast player. Tyler Grove would be a football coaches' dream at 6'8" with the way he runs. Brooks and Triggs move very well for bigs. Ian Herring is literally all over the place (for better or worse) with his 6'5" frame. Sarp is actually the 'calming' figure on the court as he's played in Joe's system. He's also a good defender and a big guard.

    That said, 3 of the 7 playing are true freshmen. They get out of position a lot on defense and lapses follow. Their speed, however, is creating a lot of havoc for opposing teams. They are getting more settled with each game. I think this can be a very strong defensive team by mid- to late-January.

    Pickens and Dillard will give a huge boost on both ends. Both are very strong, big and fast defenders. It will also cut the current rotations minutes down and keep everybody fresher. I have no doubt a lot of these lapses we are seeing are the result of guys being gassed (and we all know Joe doesn't call any timeouts).

    I unfortunately don't think we're going to see Bautista Rodriguez this year, so the post will remain fairly light, depth-wise. I would really like to see Joe get Callum MacNamara more minutes. I can absolutely guarantee a game is coming when either Triggs or Brooks will be in foul trouble. In the meantime, they need to get him as much game action as possible. He's a bruiser. There's no sugarcoating. He's the 'muscle' off the bench at 6'8" and 240 lbs. But, he needs to be ready. He's not going to be a scorer by any means, but he is a capable rebounder and defender. He's not easy to move around.

    The cavalry is on the way. They just need to get by a couple more games.

    Comment


    • IUP hosts a rare Thanksgiving Eve game tomorrow night. Fittingly, an opponent the Crimson Hawks rarely see is the guest of honor.

      IUP last played Lincoln back on Nov. 11, 2016. Due to a scheduling conflict (concert), the home opener was played at the Memorial Field House.

      The Crimson Hawks stormed out to a 48-32 halftime lead, and eventually ended up winning, 101-82.

      Joe's starting lineup that night was Dante Lombardi, Anthony Glover Jr., Devon Cottrell, Jacobo Diaz and Ayron Hutton. Top reserves were Blake Danielak, true freshman Malik Miller, and Brandon Spain.

      IUP went on to finish the season with a 28-4 record (which included two OT losses). The Crimson Hawks lost the PSAC title game to Shippensburg, in OT, 90-87. IUP had a furious comeback to push the game to the extra period, but ultimately fell short.

      A week later, the Crimson Hawks defeated Kutztown in Round 1 of the NCAAs before falling to host Fairmont State (who eventually lost in the National Title game). IUP lost to Fairmont State earlier in the season (91-81 in OT).

      It seems like a long, long time ago.

      I would love to see IUP play one game a year at the Field House. If the building is still standing, why not. It's a fun trip down memory lane. Personally, three of my five all-time favorite IUP games were played in that building.

      The last game played in front of a crowd across the street was a classic. Back on Dec. 8, 2018, No. 3 IUP defeated No. 11 Shippensburg, 88-77, in front of a loud and packed crowd. The game was neck and neck until the final 60 seconds when IUP pulled away, capped off by a thunderous breakaway dunk by Willem Brandwijk. The building was as loud in that moment as it was back in the IUP/Cal days.

      The last 'official' game played at the Field House came during the Covid year. IUP played (3) games that season. In the second game, IUP defeated Gannon, 67-56. For some reason, they played at the Field House. No fans were allowed.

      So, there's a little trivia for you. Of all the crazy nights over there, the last game had no audience.

      Comment


      • IUP won two games this past weekend. That's four straight wins. That's the good news. This team is actually pretty exciting to watch. You don't know what will happen next. Literally.

        The bad news? And, really strange news? The Crimson Hawks twice played in front of a near-empty KCAC.

        IUP's home opener Saturday drew an awful gate of just 412 people. Sunday was worse, as just 279 came to watch.

        These are normal numbers at most schools, but IUP has led the PSAC in attendance for an awfully long stretch. Consider just two years ago IUP averaged 2,126 per game (and that 'average' was brought down by the never-ending semester break).

        Past opening weekends have been so-so -- typically because the football team has a playoff game, etc. That wasn't the case this year. In fact, nothing was really going on in Indiana. IUP even got a huge break when the Friday night game was postponed (and the team no longer had to compete with the very popular holiday parade).

        Without question, certain things last year turned off many, many fans. But, for IUP to draw 412 and 279 on opening weekend? Holy smokes. Tomorrow night will understandably have a terrible gate. The students leave today for Thanksgiving break. Many people will be travelling or getting ready for Thursday.

        I used to say Joe would draw 1,200 townies even if he tipped off at 7 a.m.

        So, where has everybody gone? Maybe it was a fluke. The school does next to nothing to market the team. But, I'm not sure it was, in fact, a fluke.

        Comment


        • Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
          IUP won two games this past weekend. That's four straight wins. That's the good news. This team is actually pretty exciting to watch. You don't know what will happen next. Literally.

          The bad news? And, really strange news? The Crimson Hawks twice played in front of a near-empty KCAC.

          IUP's home opener Saturday drew an awful gate of just 412 people. Sunday was worse, as just 279 came to watch.

          These are normal numbers at most schools, but IUP has led the PSAC in attendance for an awfully long stretch. Consider just two years ago IUP averaged 2,126 per game (and that 'average' was brought down by the never-ending semester break).

          Past opening weekends have been so-so -- typically because the football team has a playoff game, etc. That wasn't the case this year. In fact, nothing was really going on in Indiana. IUP even got a huge break when the Friday night game was postponed (and the team no longer had to compete with the very popular holiday parade).

          Without question, certain things last year turned off many, many fans. But, for IUP to draw 412 and 279 on opening weekend? Holy smokes. Tomorrow night will understandably have a terrible gate. The students leave today for Thanksgiving break. Many people will be travelling or getting ready for Thursday.

          I used to say Joe would draw 1,200 townies even if he tipped off at 7 a.m.

          So, where has everybody gone? Maybe it was a fluke. The school does next to nothing to market the team. But, I'm not sure it was, in fact, a fluke.
          They had their worst season, by far, since the KCAC opened and there probably wasn’t much optimism for this year with all the new and young faces. I wouldn’t discount the Gazette coverage dropping to non existent either, especially for older folks. If they keep improving I would imagine the numbers pick up fairly quickly.

          Comment


          • Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post

            IUP's home opener Saturday drew an awful gate of just 412 people. Sunday was worse, as just 279 came to watch.
            I'm glad you mentioned that. I tuned in to the second half on Sunday and was shocked at all the empty seats that could be seen on the broadcast. I figured it might have been possible that everyone was sitting opposite the benches, but that seemed unlikely. It's a first-class facility and typically a first-class program, so it's hard to understand why people wouldn't come out.

            (By the way, the one impression I came away with after watching a half on Sunday was: dang, Brooks is a beast! You guys have every right to be PISSED about last year's debacle at the forward position. Kid is a load to handle.)

            Comment


            • Originally posted by Scrub View Post

              I'm glad you mentioned that. I tuned in to the second half on Sunday and was shocked at all the empty seats that could be seen on the broadcast. I figured it might have been possible that everyone was sitting opposite the benches, but that seemed unlikely. It's a first-class facility and typically a first-class program, so it's hard to understand why people wouldn't come out.

              (By the way, the one impression I came away with after watching a half on Sunday was: dang, Brooks is a beast! You guys have every right to be PISSED about last year's debacle at the forward position. Kid is a load to handle.)

              He wasn't ready last year.

              So we've been told.


              LOL. He must have had one heck of a summer.

              That whole mess cost IUP at least 3-4 wins last year. Maybe more.
              Last edited by IUPbigINDIANS; 11-26-2024, 01:35 PM.

              Comment


              • Originally posted by Scrub View Post

                I'm glad you mentioned that. I tuned in to the second half on Sunday and was shocked at all the empty seats that could be seen on the broadcast. I figured it might have been possible that everyone was sitting opposite the benches, but that seemed unlikely. It's a first-class facility and typically a first-class program, so it's hard to understand why people wouldn't come out.

                (By the way, the one impression I came away with after watching a half on Sunday was: dang, Brooks is a beast! You guys have every right to be PISSED about last year's debacle at the forward position. Kid is a load to handle.)

                This actually does happen rather frequently at the KCAC. Historically, I'd venture to guess about 70-75% of spectators actually sit on the side opposite the benches. If you're sitting low, the view is much better (you don't have the press table or benches in your way). Sitting higher it makes no difference but for whatever reason most sit on that side.

                Unlike during the Regional, there is no 'press row' on the opposite side during the regular season. So, Row 1 is literally about 36" from the court.

                It used to be the alcohol was only sold on the side away from the benches. Now it is sold on both sides. That said, the vast majority still hangs out on the other side.

                It's funny. Some nights the benches side looks completely dead on video and the side across is jam-packed. I don't know what it is but it's a thing. The video obviously shoots from the crowded side and shows the empty side.

                Comment


                • Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post


                  This actually does happen rather frequently at the KCAC. Historically, I'd venture to guess about 70-75% of spectators actually sit on the side opposite the benches. If you're sitting low, the view is much better (you don't have the press table or benches in your way). Sitting higher it makes no difference but for whatever reason most sit on that side.

                  Unlike during the Regional, there is no 'press row' on the opposite side during the regular season. So, Row 1 is literally about 36" from the court.

                  It used to be the alcohol was only sold on the side away from the benches. Now it is sold on both sides. That said, the vast majority still hangs out on the other side.

                  It's funny. Some nights the benches side looks completely dead on video and the side across is jam-packed. I don't know what it is but it's a thing. The video obviously shoots from the crowded side and shows the empty side.
                  Yep, I’m one of the ones almost always opposite the benches for the reasons you mention. I still haven’t won one of those darned Insomnia Cookie giveaways when they pick the row and section. They did at least call Section 112 this weekend, but it was the wrong row…again. :(

                  Comment


                  • WTF!!! Why is there no video for tonight or Monday's games??? This is horrendous!!!

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by IUPalum View Post
                      WTF!!! Why is there no video for tonight or Monday's games??? This is horrendous!!!
                      I would surely hope they are just late putting the link up on the site. Even if they don't have announcers, somebody can run the camera.

                      Kutztown had cheerleaders, announcers and a video last night. No excuse not to at least have a video feed. Most would prefer to just listen to the crowd noise anyway.

                      If you're going to schedule games on Thanksgiving Eve (at 7:30 p.m.) ... the show goes on. Business as usual.

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post

                        I would surely hope they are just late putting the link up on the site. Even if they don't have announcers, somebody can run the camera.

                        Kutztown had cheerleaders, announcers and a video last night. No excuse not to at least have a video feed. Most would prefer to just listen to the crowd noise anyway.

                        If you're going to schedule games on Thanksgiving Eve (at 7:30 p.m.) ... the show goes on. Business as usual.
                        Agreed, Jack and Tony can announce just like last weekend. This is insanity!!!

                        Comment


                        • Great news:

                          Alphonso Pickens could make his season debut tonight.

                          Good news:

                          Dallis Dillard has his final knee examination early next week. If all goes well he'll be given the green light to return.


                          Bad news:

                          The hammer dropped on Bautista Rodriguez. He will not be eligible to play this season.

                          What's it all mean?

                          If anything, they have some closure on the Rodriguez topic. That said, they could desperately use another depth player under the basket. I realize these guys don't grow on trees. That said, there's always some player out there - for whatever reason - looking for a home. I have a hunch they may add a mid-year post player. They don't need a 'starter' level player. Joe is well-connected. Perhaps they lure one of the Covid era players out of retirement who may have a semester of eligibility remaining (i.e. what they did with Bryce last year). Karst Hunter would fill that role immediately -- but that's probably wishful thinking.

                          Pickens was signed to be the starting PG. Issue there is Joe all the sudden has a budding star in true freshman PG Kymani Merraro. Pickens is much bigger at 6'2" and is a shutdown defender. So, there's some give and take between the two players. Regardless, Joe can figure out the minutes. It's a good problem to suddenly have.

                          The rotation will bump from 7 to 8 players, and up to 9 when Dallis returns. Dare I say 10 players when Denzel Kabasele soon returns? Joe's comfort zone seems to be about 6.5 players, so we'll see how that all works out. I assume Dallis will be worked back in very slowly -- perhaps as little as 10-12 mpg initially. Even that will be a huge boost.

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post


                            He wasn't ready last year.

                            So we've been told.


                            LOL. He must have had one heck of a summer.

                            That whole mess cost IUP at least 3-4 wins last year. Maybe more.
                            When IUP beat Ship early last season, I thought Brooks might have been the best player on the floor that game. Ship actually played what turned out to be one of its better games in that one, but they had no answer for Brook's physicality on the boards. I was shocked with how little playing time he got the rest of the season. Although Ship did better on the boards this year, Brooks again was a factor in IUP holding its own.

                            Comment


                            • Video link finally posted.

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by Ship69 View Post

                                When IUP beat Ship early last season, I thought Brooks might have been the best player on the floor that game. Ship actually played what turned out to be one of its better games in that one, but they had no answer for Brook's physicality on the boards. I was shocked with how little playing time he got the rest of the season. Although Ship did better on the boards this year, Brooks again was a factor in IUP holding its own.

                                It was so bad last year. I honestly think, in fact, it got so bad people quit attending the games. IUP's attendance started to tank down the stretch last year -- and February is when it usually explodes.

                                The whole arena and fan base knew Brooks should have been playing 32 mpg (or until he fouled out). Add to it they redshirted Romero-Sanz when they desperately needed a big body.

                                That whole situation stunk so bad it literally turned fans away. It also crippled Porterfield because teams were totally ignoring the SF position and doubling him all year.

                                Brooks isn't Cobo. He's never going to be. But, he brings an awful lot to the table. He's a beefed up (and taller) version of Tevin Hanner.

                                It even further trickled down when they had to move their prized SG down to play SF.

                                That was just a season to put in the vault and forget about it. It was the least enjoyable season of IUP basketball I've ever watched.

                                Comment

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