Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

While not official, word on the street is last night was the last game this season IUP will be allowed to have fans in the KCAC.

The you-know-what is going to hit the fan today when this announcement drops.

Awful decision by President Titanic.

[Scrub]

Ben Howlett is fond of saying in postgame interviews something like: "The team that is best equipped to beat West Liberty is West Liberty." His point being that they feel they can beat anybody that's put in front of them if they stay in system. It's when they get out of system that they become beatable by plenty of teams. I'd venture a guess that the same is true for IUP. If they stay in system, they should be favored in 100% of their games. But 20 year-old kids like to remind us sometimes that they're 20 year-old kids, and they get out system and that's when losses happen. So Howlett's quote is likely applicable to IUP as well. Most nights, the only team that can beat IUP is IUP.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

There was definitely more to Joe's quote. He caught himself a couple times and kind of changed course/tone. He basically finally said he's focusing on the guys who are dressed.

I think everybody would agree he's not 100 percent -- probably not even 75%.

I'm just having trouble with a self-proposed shut-down on a team already very short on bodies.

Dress for the games. Play 7-8 minutes. I think it's clear he's lost his starting job. They are night and day better defensively with Sulaiman starting. Maybe that has a part in this, too. But by not even dressing he's taking away their security option on the bench.

But, like I said last night. It's February now. Basketball is over in a very short time.

This situation reminds me of David Justice in Moneyball. Billy Beane finally had to tell him they didn't need him to be a star anymore. They just needed the best version of him in whatever role he was going to have for whatever time he had left.

He'd be a huge addition coming back -- if he's mentally in to it. Even at 10 mpg, he gives them another 6'8" guy off the bench who can play G/F.

But, I'm starting to have doubts we see him on the floor again this year.

[EyeoftheHawk]

there have been a few more challenges this year than I bet Joe was expecting. It hurts to go from legit NC contender to hoping to being one of several teams hoping for the PSAC title

[EyeoftheHawk]

Per the radio interview, Joe said Demo decided to 'shut it down' for two weeks. Joe didn't seem to have any idea when he'd be back.

Basketball is going to end real soon. He only has so many games left in his career. I hope this gets worked out. Even if can go at 70% for 8 minutes ... they need all the bodies they can get.

[ironmaniup]

there have been a few more challenges this year than I bet Joe was expecting. It hurts to go from legit NC contender to hoping to being one of several teams hoping for the PSAC title

[IUPalum]

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Per the radio interview, Joe said Demo decided to 'shut it down' for two weeks. Joe didn't seem to have any idea when he'd be back.

Basketball is going to end real soon. He only has so many games left in his career. I hope this gets worked out. Even if can go at 70% for 8 minutes ... they need all the bodies they can get.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

No Demo again tonight. Plus side Ethan looked his best in a month. Off day Wednesday.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

IUP 83
Gannon 50

Final

[Golden89]

Joe up 45-20 at half.

Was 45-11

Yikes. Just got home from the ladies game. No need to watch this.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Joe up 45-20 at half.

Was 45-11

[IUPalum]

Memory Lane trip for the day.

Gannon's last win in Indiana came on Feb. 14, 2014 -- nearly 8 years ago.

Some may remember it as the Silent Night game. The Knights won in front of a then-record crowd of 3,621 inside the KCAC and upset the No. 7 Crimson Hawks.

IUP has gone 11-4 vs Gannon since that game.


Two things I can absolutely guarantee in the remaining years of the Joe Lombardi era:

1) They will never forget their uniforms again.

2) Feb. 14, 2014, was the first -- and last -- Silent Night game.



While the game gets some murky talk all these years later, most forget IUP was actually winning at halftime, 31-27. However, it took IUP more than 10 minutes to score its 10th point, so the ready-to-rock Saturday night mega crowd sat through 10 painful minutes in silence. That was a superb Gannon defensive team ... wasn't the best choice for such a game. Joe has said many times once IUP missed their first several shots the theme started to get to them and they got off to a very slow start.

So many games go by from year to year they all start to blend together. Some stand out. Silent Night is one of them.

Hard to believe it was 8 years ago.

God, that was 8 years ago already. I literally talked about that game Saturday with my wife. Hated that game!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Memory Lane trip for the day.

Gannon's last win in Indiana came on Feb. 14, 2014 -- nearly 8 years ago.

Some may remember it as the Silent Night game. The Knights won in front of a then-record crowd of 3,621 inside the KCAC and upset the No. 7 Crimson Hawks.

IUP has gone 11-4 vs Gannon since that game.


Two things I can absolutely guarantee in the remaining years of the Joe Lombardi era:

1) They will never forget their uniforms again.

2) Feb. 14, 2014, was the first -- and last -- Silent Night game.



While the game gets some murky talk all these years later, most forget IUP was actually winning at halftime, 31-27. However, it took IUP more than 10 minutes to score its 10th point, so the ready-to-rock Saturday night mega crowd sat through 10 painful minutes in silence. That was a superb Gannon defensive team ... wasn't the best choice for such a game. Joe has said many times once IUP missed their first several shots the theme started to get to them and they got off to a very slow start.

So many games go by from year to year they all start to blend together. Some stand out. Silent Night is one of them.

Hard to believe it was 8 years ago.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Saturday's win against Mercyhurst was the start of a daunting stretch.

Next 5:

Gannon
@SRU
SRU
California
@Gannon

Luckily, they get a bye on Wednesday of this week.