Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Nice run by IUP to cut it to a one possession game after being down 17, only to give most of it back before going to the locker room down 12.

IUP is completely different based on which 5 are on the court. Apparently Joe still doesn't see it.

I'll leave it at that.

[Fightingscot82]

Joe getting hammered

I give you credit for watching this and not get hammered yourself.

[tonyc]

That was hard to watch, but Pitt-Johnstown played really well, although I might have been able to score against IUP's defense. I hope everyone is watching and turning down the sound and listening on the radio or internet. Radio/internet is always ahead of the stream so it's sort of like watching instant replay. Here's the game story: https://tonycoccagna.substack.com/p/...round?r=411ko9

[IUPbigINDIANS]

That was hard to watch, but Pitt-Johnstown played really well, although I might have been able to score against IUP's defense. I hope everyone is watching and turning down the sound and listening on the radio or internet. Radio/internet is always ahead of the stream so it's sort of like watching instant replay. Here's the game story: https://tonycoccagna.substack.com/p/...round?r=411ko9

“Ryan Smith might be the best offensive player in the league,” Lombardi said. “We didn’t find him early on and he got going and we got in a big hole.”


If you want to sum up this recent (dismal) stretch ... well, that about sums it up.

They didn't 'find' Ryan Smith?

It reminds me of when Lieutenant Dan Taylor asked Forest Gump if he'd found Jesus yet.

Gump answered, puzzled, "Well, I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for him."

[EyeoftheHawk]

Speaking of quotes, in Tony’s article Joe said:

“I’m not upset with the loss at all,” Lombardi said. “I know some things we could have done better, but every coach has that after every game. We just didn’t make shots, but I don’t want to blame it on shot-making. There are a lot of fundamentals we don’t have secured yet on both ends of the floor.”

I don’t know what to think of it. I can’t say I’ve ever been in any competition as a coach or player when I wasn’t upset with a loss whether it was checkers or football. I think you can find ways to accept a loss and draw positives from it, but to not be upset with it is curious. I used to listen to Joe’s post-game interviews closely and frankly, I learned a lot from them. I don’t recognize what I’ve been hearing.

[Fightingscot82]

Speaking of quotes, in Tony’s article Joe said:

“I’m not upset with the loss at all,” Lombardi said. “I know some things we could have done better, but every coach has that after every game. We just didn’t make shots, but I don’t want to blame it on shot-making. There are a lot of fundamentals we don’t have secured yet on both ends of the floor.”

I don’t know what to think of it. I can’t say I’ve ever been in any competition as a coach or player when I wasn’t upset with a loss whether it was checkers or football. I think you can find ways to accept a loss and draw positives from it, but to not be upset with it is curious. I used to listen to Joe’s post-game interviews closely and frankly, I learned a lot from them. I don’t recognize what I’ve been hearing.

Dude is crispy & fried. He doesn't care. I'm surprised he isn't just sitting in the chair staring at his phone during games. Maybe all the pacing gets him the steps he needs for the health insurance premium discount. If he didn't have the power he has, he'd be "retiring" at season's end.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Dude is crispy & fried. He doesn't care. I'm surprised he isn't just sitting in the chair staring at his phone during games. Maybe all the pacing gets him the steps he needs for the health insurance premium discount. If he didn't have the power he has, he'd be "retiring" at season's end.

Well, you're opening a can of worms.

All I can tell you is Joe is not retiring. Do I think he's 'checked out' of this season? Yes. However, he knows they are going to make a big push the next two years. He's A) not going out like this, and B) not walking away from what he'll have next November.

[Fightingscot82]

Well, you're opening a can of worms.

All I can tell you is Joe is not retiring. Do I think he's 'checked out' of this season? Yes. However, he knows they are going to make a big push the next two years. He's A) not going out like this, and B) not walking away from what he'll have next November.

We'll see. He's seemed disinterested for a few seasons.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

We're going to see what kind of character this team has tomorrow.

They aren't playing well. Edinboro hammered them last month.

However, IUP does play pretty well at home.

Joe is 9-2 in the KCAC. He's 2-10 away from it. That is a wild split.

There's no secret formula to this Scots' team. They launch. All game. Edinboro has the second-most 3-PT attempts in the league (674 in 23 games). That's just under 30 attempts per. They also make a whole lot of them -- hitting 36.5% on the season.

Like just about every team this season, they lit up IUP from the outside -- hitting a whopping 13 of 24 (54.2%).

It's real clear the nights they aren't hitting from deep -- they generally lose. The stats are clear as day.

Now, the conundrum, of course, is IUP is perhaps the worst team in the league at defending the 3-PT shot.

In the first meeting, Edinboro was getting clean looks with no IUP defenders within 6' to 8' of them.

Adding to the spice, IUP's defense in Johnstown was perhaps its worst ever under Joe Lombardi. Tony said he could have scored in that game against IUP. I think he'd have went for 12 points and 10 boards.

"Home" IUP and 'Road" IUP are very, very different teams. Joe's clearly a home dog tomorrow. I do, however, suspect Round 2 to be much closer. IUP is due for a good game. It's been awhile.

No sugar coating it ... they pretty much got b!tch-slapped in McComb. Let's see if they have a little fight in them.

[Ship69]

We're going to see what kind of character this team has tomorrow.

They aren't playing well. Edinboro hammered them last month.

However, IUP does play pretty well at home.

Joe is 9-2 in the KCAC. He's 2-10 away from it. That is a wild split.

There's no secret formula to this Scots' team. They launch. All game. Edinboro has the second-most 3-PT attempts in the league (674 in 23 games). That's just under 30 attempts per. They also make a whole lot of them -- hitting 36.5% on the season.

Like just about every team this season, they lit up IUP from the outside -- hitting a whopping 13 of 24 (54.2%).

It's real clear the nights they aren't hitting from deep -- they generally lose. The stats are clear as day.

Now, the conundrum, of course, is IUP is perhaps the worst team in the league at defending the 3-PT shot.

In the first meeting, Edinboro was getting clean looks with no IUP defenders within 6' to 8' of them.

Adding to the spice, IUP's defense in Johnstown was perhaps its worst ever under Joe Lombardi. Tony said he could have scored in that game against IUP. I think he'd have went for 12 points and 10 boards.

"Home" IUP and 'Road" IUP are very, very different teams. Joe's clearly a home dog tomorrow. I do, however, suspect Round 2 to be much closer. IUP is due for a good game. It's been awhile.

No sugar coating it ... they pretty much got b!tch-slapped in McComb. Let's see if they have a little fight in them.

So many teams live and die by the three-pointer now. That's why it was so weird to see Ship beat a West Chester team that made 15 three-pointers on Wednesday. That happened partially because the Rams had a better shooting percentage from the three-point line than they did on two-point shots. Another strange stat in that game is that Ship has a higher shooting percentage from the field than for free throws, missing 13 FTs. Free throws have been an adventure for the Raiders all year. As for IUP and UPJ, defense seems to vary wildly in the league from game to game this year. Funny thing is that Ship had its best free-throw game of the year against UPJ, making 15 of 16, and — UPJ made 17 of 18. They just didn't miss the night they played Ship. They are a team you have to guard.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

So many teams live and die by the three-pointer now. That's why it was so weird to see Ship beat a West Chester team that made 15 three-pointers on Wednesday. That happened partially because the Rams had a better shooting percentage from the three-point line than they did on two-point shots. Another strange stat in that game is that Ship has a higher shooting percentage from the field than for free throws, missing 13 FTs. Free throws have been an adventure for the Raiders all year. As for IUP and UPJ, defense seems to vary wildly in the league from game to game this year. Funny thing is that Ship had its best free-throw game of the year against UPJ, making 15 of 16, and — UPJ made 17 of 18. They just didn't miss the night they played Ship. They are a team you have to guard.

Joe wouldn't come out of this worthless press the other night. UPJ sliced and diced it.

I actually don't know why IUP just doesn't go to a basic zone the rest of the season. It's can't hurt. Joe's never had a team this bad defensively. That's usually the IUP bread and butter.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Underground lines today:

IUP Women -2.5

IUP Men +9.5

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Men's game, IUP gave a good fight. Edinboro is right now just older, bigger, better and deeper. Easy equation. A Round 3 could be entertaining. But, IUP may not get invited. Lot of work to do.


Women's game was nuts. IUP's comeback was pretty epic. Great atmosphere and crowd.

[tonyc]

Saturday's Edinboro-IUP game story: https://open.substack.com/pub/tonyco...meOnShare=true

[IUPbigINDIANS]

For those (few) still following along ...


Vegas certainly wouldn't have the odds in favor of Redshirt Joe making the PSAC Tournament.

at Seton Hill
Slippery Rock
California
at Clarion

The killer, obviously, is IUP has lost (3) recent games by (5) points or less. That likely sealed its fate ... but, you never know. The path, however, is tough.

The trip to Greensburg will be a huge challenge. IUP beat the Griffins in Indiana (on a walk-off trey). That will be a whole different environment down there -- and, IUP doesn't play well on the road.

At minimum, this team needs to win Saturday. Don't be the team to snap the streak (SRU hasn't won in Indiana since 1991). Make no mistake, SRU walloped IUP in Morrow. But, we've seen this movie many times.

The last two are toss-ups. I like IUP's chances in both. Joe barely lost to Danny in the Angelo Dome, and Danny won't get all those calls in the KCAC. By the time they make the Friday night trip to Clarion, that game will either mean everything or nothing (for both).

It goes without saying Wednesday's trip to the Yellow Shoebox is a playoff game for IUP. Win that one and see what happens.

IUP has four chances left to finally put a full game together. They can't have these constant lapses if they want to beat any of these four remaining teams. In particular, IUP's 3-PT defense continues to be horrendous. It's killing them. Game. After. Game.