Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Hopefully IUP remembers last year's trip to Greensburg tonight. Something tells me Joe hasn't forgot about it.

That was the loss that ultimately cost IUP a trip to the NCAAs. Seton Hill was the hottest-shooting team I've ever seen that night in front what had to be the biggest/loudest crowd in its school history. The technical foul on the IUP bench in the final minute surely didn't help matters. Seton Hill put up 91 on IUP that night in regulation -- doesn't happen very often. Last year's game at the KCAC ... IUP slaughtered them.

The Griffins are a pretty strange group this year ... they lose to Cheyney one night and then beat up UPJ the next. Figure that out. Seton Hill has two dynamic post players in center Spencer Casson and Noah Davis. Manny Johsua, who had a big night in the upset win last year, also is underneath.

This is going to be a tough one tonight. Seton Hill's gym is about the size of Indiana high School. When it's packed it can be tough to play there.

Tom also got beat up there that same night ... the rare time IUP gets swept.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Men's game. Obviously no outcome on the game but strange to see. They're allowed to dunk in warm-ups now. I think that started last year. I was just curious if anybody was there and may have seen something, etc. It appears it was assessed to the team and not an individual player.

[ctrabs74]

Re: Iup basketball

Anybody know why IUP got a technical foul prior to the opening tip in the Clarion game? Why also did Clarion only get one shot?

Are we referring to the men's game or the women's game?

It could've been a scorebook issue or perhaps something like a player dunking during warmups. I know the rules changed a couple years ago where certain technical fouls are assessed one free throw instead of two.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Anybody know why IUP got a technical foul prior to the opening tip in the Clarion game? Why also did Clarion only get one shot?

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

These officials are atrocious in the IUP/Clarion mens game!

[timbertopper]

Re: Iup basketball

On paper today, anyway, not a real great slate of games. Edinboro hosting SRU is probably the best matchup.

Region-wise, West Liberty at Notre Dame is a big one. It's highly likely WL wins, but that will help Gannon and ESU.

Serious trap game for WLU coming off emotionally and physically draining 2OT win against arch rival Wheeling Jesuit less than 48 hours ago. Notre Dame's "triplets" have been hanging big numbers on a lot of folks and even though West Liberty won by 20+ in November, that was a long time ago. If the Hilltoppers struggle to make shots, as they have at times this year, Notre Dame's good enough to beat them.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

On paper today, anyway, not a real great slate of games. Edinboro hosting SRU is probably the best matchup.

IUP has struggled in its past two visits to Clarion but won both. No word yet on Akeem Williams' status.

Gannon at Mansfield could be a sleeper game today.

It looks like Mansfield's big post star is still out (the guy who torched Duquesne). They have good guards but will have little answer for GU underneath.

Region-wise, West Liberty at Notre Dame is a big one. It's highly likely WL wins, but that will help Gannon and ESU.

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Iup basketball

Less than 0%. The ceiling at RMU is winning the NEC, and being a 15-16 seed trying to pull a colossal upset or maybe beating a disinterested Kentucky team in a tournament no one cares about. Joe is nearing 60, a move like that makes no sense. For a younger guy like Chris Fite if he continues his current trajectory at Ship, makes a lot more sense.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

I'd put that at 0% odds.

In many ways I think IUP is the better job. Big fish in small PSAC pond. He's well-paid for Indiana standards and has an almost celebrity-type status in town. And, he can win big in Indiana. Joe's not old but by no means young anymore. Robert Morris will always be third-string in the Pittsburgh market behind Pitt and Duquesne. And, Joe already has a 4,000 seat arena. I know the NEC is technically D1 but that's the bush leagues of D1.

Anything is possible, I guess. But that move would shock me. If Duquesne came calling ... probably a different story.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: Iup basketball

He signed a one year extension yesterday, but what are the chances that if Andy Toole leaves RMU that Joe Lombardi heads that way? Yesterday they also unveiled their new arena.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

A few notes on the IUP at Clarion game tomorrow:

* 3 p.m. tip-off -- rare afternoon game for IUP
* Per Clarion web site there will be a video feed
* IUP leads the all-time series, 110-58.
* IUP has won 11 of the past 12 meetings
* Clarion enters on an 8-game losing streak -- its last win came Dec. 10 against Bloomsburg
* Clarion has been a very good first half team but an awful team after the intermission. The bench is thin. Team can't overcome foul trouble. Played strong 20-30 minutes against West Liberty and Kutztown.
* Historically a strong team in Tippin Gymnasium
* Clarion's been outrebounded, on average, 38-35, this season and is giving up about 82 ppg while scoring 73 ppg.
* Starting center Akeem Williams missed last game. No word on his status tomorrow
* IUP won last year's meeting in Tippin, 68-67, in front of a very large (loud) crowd (by Clarion standards).

[Golden89]

Re: Iup basketball

Joe is turning hair gray this year. My goodness. Every. Freaking. Night.
But ... they just win. Flair for the dramatic ... to the extreme.

You could pretty much say the same thing about Reilly's GU squad. Every game is a fight to the finish ... the five OT games in the past six is insane. And to win all five is off the charts!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

I noticed in the box score that Clarion's center, Akeem Williams, didn't play last night. Anybody know why ... injured? He'd started all 16 games prior to last night and played nearly 32 mpg.


Side notes: Seton Hill lost to Cheyney last night ... yikes. Slippery Rock's free throw shooting cost them the game last night against UPJ. Gannon won its FIFTH overtime game of the season last night. That's an incredibly weird statistic. Good, but strange.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: Iup basketball

A couple observations from last night:

* Fairly solid performance ... never trailed in the game
* Largest lead was 24 points with 7 minutes left
* Let Cal cut it to 5 points, however, midway in the second half before a blitz run that knocked out the Vulcans.
* Downside was they let Cal hang around way longer than they should have ... the 14 turnovers didn't help.
* Cal has a decent starting group but the bench is as bare of a PSAC bench as I've ever seen. That's what's killing them.
* IUP hit 11 of 23 treys and won the boards 33 to 20 while shooting 51.7% from the field
* Spain started over Dante but ultimately they played the same amount of time.
* Joe could have really laid a big number on them but took the classy approach. That 24 point lead with 7 minutes left likely could have reached 35-38 points had they kept playing. At the end they were letting the shot clock go and not taking a shot.
* Danielak started 0-5 but found a rythem and showed some aggressive play. It was nice to see.
* I'd love to have Cal's center (Tony Richardson) off the bench. They are by default playing him way too many minutes and he gets terribly winded as the game goes on and becomes ineffective, but on a team like IUP if he'd play in short stints he'd be a beast. He had a strong first half last night but just wore out.
* Glover went for 20 points ... just the quiet assassin.
* There was a lot of the normal stuff last night ... rushing things, wild passes, etc., but they were masked due to the opponent.

The trip to Clarion is next. It was a wild one up there in a blizzard last year with IUP escaping with a come-from-behind, 68-67, win. Clarion is struggling, losing 7-8 straight, and was blown out at home last night by Edinboro.

Edinboro, by the way, is the one team not to count out down the stretch. They should get in to the PSAC tournament and could be a real tough out. I know the record doesn't reflect it .. but that's a decent team that could be a real good team by then. Big 'if' but the talent is there. I thought they were one of the better teams I've seen in person this year. The record is baffling.

A lot of guys this year either slowly adjusting to being a new starter or entirely new to the team. I think they've had some guys just not performing. To me, the IUP game showed there's enough talent on that team to win a game with Mason underperforming.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

A couple observations from last night:

* Fairly solid performance ... never trailed in the game
* Largest lead was 24 points with 7 minutes left
* Let Cal cut it to 5 points, however, midway in the second half before a blitz run that knocked out the Vulcans.
* Downside was they let Cal hang around way longer than they should have ... the 14 turnovers didn't help.
* Cal has a decent starting group but the bench is as bare of a PSAC bench as I've ever seen. That's what's killing them.
* IUP hit 11 of 23 treys and won the boards 33 to 20 while shooting 51.7% from the field
* Spain started over Dante but ultimately they played the same amount of time.
* Joe could have really laid a big number on them but took the classy approach. That 24 point lead with 7 minutes left likely could have reached 35-38 points had they kept playing. At the end they were letting the shot clock go and not taking a shot.
* Danielak started 0-5 but found a rythem and showed some aggressive play. It was nice to see.
* I'd love to have Cal's center (Tony Richardson) off the bench. They are by default playing him way too many minutes and he gets terribly winded as the game goes on and becomes ineffective, but on a team like IUP if he'd play in short stints he'd be a beast. He had a strong first half last night but just wore out.
* Glover went for 20 points ... just the quiet assassin.
* There was a lot of the normal stuff last night ... rushing things, wild passes, etc., but they were masked due to the opponent.

The trip to Clarion is next. It was a wild one up there in a blizzard last year with IUP escaping with a come-from-behind, 68-67, win. Clarion is struggling, losing 7-8 straight, and was blown out at home last night by Edinboro.

Edinboro, by the way, is the one team not to count out down the stretch. They should get in to the PSAC tournament and could be a real tough out. I know the record doesn't reflect it .. but that's a decent team that could be a real good team by then. Big 'if' but the talent is there. I thought they were one of the better teams I've seen in person this year. The record is baffling.