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  • EyeoftheHawk
    replied
    Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
    Gotta love the Indiana Gazette's 'gameday coverage' now being a cut/paste of the SID release. Good Lord.
    It’s really a shame how bad it has gotten with the Gazette.

    This game is hitting at an interesting time for IUP. They’re as confident as they’ve looked all season and that goes a long way. I think Joe’s best work so far this year was keeping the team from going off the deep end after Edinboro. They’ve responded with two big wins including one in dramatic fashion. I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost a close game tonight but also wouldn’t be surprised if they went up there and came out with a win. IUP has certainly gone up there with teams far superior than SRU and got beat, and that’s what has me leaning a little bit that direction. If IUP can get a win it would be pretty impressive and a nice springboard down the stretch.

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  • IUPbigINDIANS
    replied
    Gotta love the Indiana Gazette's 'gameday coverage' now being a cut/paste of the SID release. Good Lord.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPbigINDIANS
    replied
    Well, Joe's young guys are going to experience Morrow Field House at full force tonight.

    It's White Out Night at SRU. The students are there.

    This will be IUP's first -- and likely only -- game all year in what I'd call a 'hostile' environment.

    Joe's best teams would go in to White Out night and instantly shut the crowd up. His so-so teams would start slow and get that place rocking.

    Joe's in the .500 neighborhood, career, up there. It's certainly been his house of horror.

    He's dealing with the crowd, phantom scoreboard malfunctions (nearly every year during big IUP runs), trigger-happy clock operators, etc. Historically, the Rock really rises up and plays incredible in this game. Put it this way ... if it's close at the end, IUP isn't winning. He's not getting any calls in that building tonight.

    There was a stretch of years Joe was filing league complaints after every visit to SRU. I think most of the shenanigans have been cleaned up under the new AD. They still do the petty crap. During player introductions they'll announce IUP's entire starting lineup in one breath.

    The obvious questions tonight:

    1) How will this very young team handle the environment? SRU averages about 150 a game all year. Some IUP visits have nearly sold the place out.

    2) Will SRU star Maceo Austin play? With him, SRU is very good. Without him, their record is quite different. Austin is an all-league level player. He's a matchup nightmare at 6'5" as he shoots well from outside, has PG ball skills and is also an excellent rebounder.

    3) IUP has really struggled, offensively, in the first 10 minutes of most games. If that happens tonight, they'll likely get blasted. Ironically, last year IUP started really well up there -- and then got completely crushed the next 30 minutes.

    4) Ike Herster didin't do much (when it mattered) in SRU's loss in Indiana a year ago but he lit up IUP at SRU. Joe loves to let people bomb away. Herster can crush you if you allow it.


    If Austin plays tonight, IUP is probably a 6-7 point underdog. If he doesn't play, it's probably pretty much a PICK 'EM.

    Redshirt Joe needs to be Timeout Joe tonight. Getting him to call a TO and break momentum is an Act of God. It has to be an ego thing. Tonight, he needs to keep that place quiet.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPHawks24
    replied
    Merraro is gonna be a good one.

    Leave a comment:


  • EyeoftheHawk
    replied
    Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
    What an ending
    I just knew Seton Hill was going to make it a one possession game late. Credit to them for making several comebacks in that game. Saying all that, Merraro scored on IUP’s last two possessions including that buzzer beater to win it. That’s a nice night for the true freshman.

    IUP has shown improvement over the last two games following the Edinboro blowout loss. That shows some character that they didn’t go the other direction. All things considered I thought they handled the zone pretty well and played with a lot of hustle. In the end, it was just enough.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPbigINDIANS
    replied
    What an ending

    Leave a comment:


  • boatcapt
    replied
    Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
    Some interesting items from the recent UPJ visit.

    * Joe talked after the game about their schedule being terrible -- too many home games over the breaks, small crowds, odd start times, etc.

    Comments:

    * Small 'break' crowds are nothing new, but this is an all-time low. Could there be a reason for this that he's not acknowledging?

    - I said it over and over again last year ... his lineup decision last season turned off a ton of long-time fans. The proof is in the numbers. IUP home games usually bump from Jan. 20 until the end of the season. Last year was the complete opposite. So many people were disgusted by his decision that they simply quit coming. The attendance numbers tell the story. Damir Brooks' performance this year tells the story.

    - His team is 8-8. Casual fans aren't coming. Joe used to always draw 1,200 or so over breaks. Now they are barely getting 400 (10% arena capacity).

    - Start times ... valid. Awful. Playing league games at 3 p.m. on a work day is so stupid it's beyond discussion.

    - IUP went away from Saturday night games -- instead playing at 3 p.m. While a certain segment of the crowd likes this, most hate it. People aren't taking vacation time to watch a D2 basketball game. Kids are still in school (just getting out). So, no parents. No kids. No extra money buying Joe's $11 popcorn, etc.


    A real telling item happened at this weeks' UPJ game.

    UPJ has a women's player from nearby Marion Center -- Lydia Miller. She was an extremely decorated high school scorer and led tiny MC to the state final last year. IUP didn't recruit her (at all). That's a different discussion. Anyway, a huge local crowd showed up for the women's game to watch her (she's starting at UPJ as a true freshman).

    About 95% of that crowd left after the women's game. The local dance school performed at halftime of Joe's game. All those parents left after halftime.

    So, in the second half, you got to see who was actually there to watch Joe's game. It was scary. The place was empty.

    Students aren't back yet. I get it. Many fans are bandwagons. But, to have 'maybe' a couple hundred people there to watch IUP play UPJ on a Wednesday night? Good Lord.

    All of that said, I do suspect a decent crowd tomorrow for Seton Hill's visit. In particular, it's a really big women's game. Seton Hill has a huge women's following and typically brings a nice crowd. They all leave after the women's game, however.

    But, it's a Saturday in January. The weather should be fine. If Joe doesn't draw the locals tomorrow ...

    Sad thing is this team is actually -- and in a very odd way -- pretty entertaining to watch. You have to accept this isn't a vintage Lombardi team (not even remotely close). For every good 2 minutes it plays, it plays 2 bad minutes. But, they are getting better (slowly). They also are somehow in almost every game. Even the wins they have a way of making dramatic (or, traumatic).

    I have a hunch Joe's going to be back -- and back in a hurry -- next year. But, 'this year' is a big part of 'next year'. It's actually been (mostly) neat to watch these young kids grow. It's also entertaining to watch Joe. He hasn't coached this much in 15 years. He was getting kind of mellow the past few seasons. For better or worse, this team has woke him up.

    To put this in comparison, Joe's good teams would beat this team -- right now -- by 35 points.

    A couple weeks ago it was probably 45 points.

    Baby steps.
    Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the coach have a considerable degree of control on when and who (OOC) his team plays??

    Fans, particularly the occasional variety, come out when a team is winning. I think this is amplified for traditionally winning programs like IUP is. When you have back-to-back bad (by IUP historic standards) you are going to lose the bandwagon fans that can find plenty of excuses to stay home on cold January nights and also more hardcore fans who aren't going to come out to support a .500 team when they are used to Regional winners.
    Last edited by boatcapt; 01-18-2025, 02:00 PM.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPbigINDIANS
    replied
    Some interesting items from the recent UPJ visit.

    * Joe talked after the game about their schedule being terrible -- too many home games over the breaks, small crowds, odd start times, etc.

    Comments:

    * Small 'break' crowds are nothing new, but this is an all-time low. Could there be a reason for this that he's not acknowledging?

    - I said it over and over again last year ... his lineup decision last season turned off a ton of long-time fans. The proof is in the numbers. IUP home games usually bump from Jan. 20 until the end of the season. Last year was the complete opposite. So many people were disgusted by his decision that they simply quit coming. The attendance numbers tell the story. Damir Brooks' performance this year tells the story.

    - His team is 8-8. Casual fans aren't coming. Joe used to always draw 1,200 or so over breaks. Now they are barely getting 400 (10% arena capacity).

    - Start times ... valid. Awful. Playing league games at 3 p.m. on a work day is so stupid it's beyond discussion.

    - IUP went away from Saturday night games -- instead playing at 3 p.m. While a certain segment of the crowd likes this, most hate it. People aren't taking vacation time to watch a D2 basketball game. Kids are still in school (just getting out). So, no parents. No kids. No extra money buying Joe's $11 popcorn, etc.


    A real telling item happened at this weeks' UPJ game.

    UPJ has a women's player from nearby Marion Center -- Lydia Miller. She was an extremely decorated high school scorer and led tiny MC to the state final last year. IUP didn't recruit her (at all). That's a different discussion. Anyway, a huge local crowd showed up for the women's game to watch her (she's starting at UPJ as a true freshman).

    About 95% of that crowd left after the women's game. The local dance school performed at halftime of Joe's game. All those parents left after halftime.

    So, in the second half, you got to see who was actually there to watch Joe's game. It was scary. The place was empty.

    Students aren't back yet. I get it. Many fans are bandwagons. But, to have 'maybe' a couple hundred people there to watch IUP play UPJ on a Wednesday night? Good Lord.

    All of that said, I do suspect a decent crowd tomorrow for Seton Hill's visit. In particular, it's a really big women's game. Seton Hill has a huge women's following and typically brings a nice crowd. They all leave after the women's game, however.

    But, it's a Saturday in January. The weather should be fine. If Joe doesn't draw the locals tomorrow ...

    Sad thing is this team is actually -- and in a very odd way -- pretty entertaining to watch. You have to accept this isn't a vintage Lombardi team (not even remotely close). For every good 2 minutes it plays, it plays 2 bad minutes. But, they are getting better (slowly). They also are somehow in almost every game. Even the wins they have a way of making dramatic (or, traumatic).

    I have a hunch Joe's going to be back -- and back in a hurry -- next year. But, 'this year' is a big part of 'next year'. It's actually been (mostly) neat to watch these young kids grow. It's also entertaining to watch Joe. He hasn't coached this much in 15 years. He was getting kind of mellow the past few seasons. For better or worse, this team has woke him up.

    To put this in comparison, Joe's good teams would beat this team -- right now -- by 35 points.

    A couple weeks ago it was probably 45 points.

    Baby steps.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPbigINDIANS
    replied
    Originally posted by Chuck Norris View Post
    22 points on very efficient shooting for Grove is encouraging. He seems fully broken out of his slump.
    His physicality is improving, also.

    Long way to go but it is getting better.

    They are much more difficult to defend when he's spreading the floor.

    Leave a comment:


  • Chuck Norris
    replied
    22 points on very efficient shooting for Grove is encouraging. He seems fully broken out of his slump.

    Leave a comment:


  • tonyc
    replied
    IUP-PItt-Johnstown game story: https://open.substack.com/pub/tonyco...meOnShare=true

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPbigINDIANS
    replied
    Well, IUP followed the season formula.

    This time, however, the 'good' lasted nearly the whole first half.

    The 'bad' showed up in the second half. A dominating 21-point lead dwindled to just 5, but IUP found a way in the final 3 minutes - winning by double digits.

    That was Exhibit A of having such a young roster. IUP isn't as good as it played in the first half. UPJ isn't as bad as it played the first 20 minutes.

    I think Joe's speed caught them off guard. IUP also hit 7-8 treys in the first half.

    As you'd expect, UPJ adjusted very well and nearly came all the way back.

    I suspect both will win their home game.

    Joe's three freshmen all had (mostly) big nights. Grove went for 20-some and seems to have rediscovered his moxy. Merraro had an incredible game. He's going to be very special.

    The bad:

    * Way too many lapses in the second half. They went in to cruise control a bit not realizing UPJ can get real hot, real quick.

    * (9) TOs in second half ... and I'd say (8) of them were self-inflicted.

    * Damir had foul trouble all night. He managed to stick around but he was handcuffed on defense. UPJ knew it and went right after him.

    * They (Joe) needs to disguise his calls. UPJ knows all of them. Joe calls something out and they instantly react.


    End of the day it was a big win. Joe got some more gray hair but they finished it.

    I also thought Triggs played his best game of the season. I've been waiting for him to just play. I think he was hesitant the first half and thinking too much. I would like to see him get more physical and aggressive. He's built like a football player. It's coming with him. They could feed him some more, too. He has a nice shot.

    Ian Herring had some lapses but he brings a lot to the table. He's really starting to demand heavy minutes.

    Put it to bed. Time to get ready for the zone.
    Last edited by IUPbigINDIANS; 01-15-2025, 09:46 PM.

    Leave a comment:


  • Ship69
    replied
    Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
    Well, to this point, Joe's best defense for the deep shot has been simply hoping the other team misses.

    If UPJ has one strength, it's they can light it up from downtown.

    My guess for tonight is Joe's base defense will get shredded in the first half. UPJ's ball movement, screens, pick-n-rolls, etc., will wreck havoc.

    IUP will have a big athletic and speed advantage tonight. UPJ will have a big advantage in a half-court game. Bob and Joe are going to be in a bit of a chess match. HUGE game for both teams.

    If there was an actual spread on this one, it would probably be 1.5 points or so -- and, I'm not sure which would be favored.

    Even during the stretch of powerful IUP teams, UPJ always knew how to offset the talent gap. Rukavina may know Joe's system better than Joe does. UPJ has very rarely defeated IUP, but its come awfully close many, many times.
    UPJ certainly lit it up against Ship — hit almost 50 percent from the three-point line and made 17-of-18 free throws. And it was still only a five-point game. Those free throws were killers. Ship, not a particularly good free-throw shooting team this season, made 15-of-16. It's not often you shoot 93.7 percent from the FT line and actually get outshot by your opponent. Ship has had tendency to lose players in switches this year, resulting in too many open three-point looks. Giving up double-digit numbers of three-pointers is hard to overcome. Shooting 33 percent from three-point range is basically the same as shooting 50 percent inside the line, so it's usually devastating when your opponent gets up to 40 percent from beyond the line. Whether our teams lose or win these days often just comes down to whether the team you're playing is hitting its 3s.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPbigINDIANS
    replied
    Well, to this point, Joe's best defense for the deep shot has been simply hoping the other team misses.

    If UPJ has one strength, it's they can light it up from downtown.

    My guess for tonight is Joe's base defense will get shredded in the first half. UPJ's ball movement, screens, pick-n-rolls, etc., will wreck havoc.

    IUP will have a big athletic and speed advantage tonight. UPJ will have a big advantage in a half-court game. Bob and Joe are going to be in a bit of a chess match. HUGE game for both teams.

    If there was an actual spread on this one, it would probably be 1.5 points or so -- and, I'm not sure which would be favored.

    Even during the stretch of powerful IUP teams, UPJ always knew how to offset the talent gap. Rukavina may know Joe's system better than Joe does. UPJ has very rarely defeated IUP, but its come awfully close many, many times.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPbigINDIANS
    replied
    MASSIVE week for Team Joe.

    IUP without question must go 2-0. UPJ and Seton Hill both visit the KCAC.

    Joe is likely a small home dog in both games. But, his team is capable of winning these two.

    IUP is getting in the danger zone of missing the PSAC Tournament -- something simply unimaginable.

    A week ago, the team pulled a total no-show at Edinboro -- and got thumped. A couple days later they played probably their best game of the season in a 7-point loss to Gannon. As said early on, this group is going to have good nights and bad nights.

    The big questions entering this week:

    (1) Will the momentum from their last game carry over? IUP was idle this past Saturday. Joe had extra time to prepare for UPJ's 1950s offense. But, will they defend the pick-n-rolls, picket fences, endless passing, etc.? I 'think' the light bulb went off - finally - in the Gannon loss. We'll see.

    (2) Joe lets every team -- by choice or not -- bomb away from the outside. If he does that against this UPJ team, he will get lit up.

    (3) Can IUP make a foul shot?

    (4) IUP has been a good second half team -- and an awful first half team. Can this group turn the page and stop digging such deep holes?

    - Part of this -- without a doubt in my mind -- is Joe coaches the first half of each game as if it's 2019 and he has Armoni, Malik, David, etc. He doesn't. This team can't play that way. By the second half, he's visibly frustrated and let's them press and run. It's no coincidence this team is much, much better after halftime.

    (5) The Gannon loss was the first time this season IUP played with a level of confidence, energy and enthusiasm. Hopefully that carries over.

    Leave a comment:

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