Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Ethan and Chucky ... MAKIN' SHIZ RAIN when it counts.


Wow. Clutch.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The record against the PSAC West is incredible to look at. They have dominated and I'm not sure we've appreciated that the way that we should. I feel like I can remember every one of those losses to Mercyhurst, Gannon, and SRU. Gary Manchel and formerly John Reily were the only guys that had the scheme to beat Joe, or play him close, with any regularity. Players obviously have a lot to do with that, but schematically, they both just seemed to really match up well with Joe when they were able to play their system to perfection. The losses to SRU, all on the road, were "freaky" games. With the exception of the loss up there last year where they kinda just got beat, they have gotten into some odd games up there the last couple of years. I can remember my sophomore year they hit a half court shot or a buzzer beater of some sorts to win the game. I listened to Jack on the radio in my dorm room on a Saturday afternoon. That would have been January 2013. Remember, that was before there was a stream for almost every game.

The thing about that 31-7 team is that they just got hot at the right time. It typically takes catching some fire to get on a run.

The Rock trip isn't easy. They go nuts for that game. Only game all year anybody attends there and it gets packed.

They get a lot of homecooking there, too. The shot clock conveniently breaks every visit. Scoreboad malfunctions at key times. Lots of interesting things.

Luckily the trip up there in two weeks will be like an IUP home game of sorts. It will be empty. Wednesday night over break.

And, as you said, SRU always plays their best game of the year against IUP inside Morrow. Last year up there Joe tried to play that slow-down game at their pace and they clocked us. The rematch down here Joe went full speed and called off the dogs up 35 points. He could have hung 50 on them that night.

SRU has had some really good teams in the past decade. Tough teams.

But, you know going up there ... there will be shenanigans. I make the trip every year. Always entertaining.

Two years ago during the women's game Tom was just blowing SRU out of Morrow. McGraw freaked out and got T'd twice and ejected. Then he wouldn't leave. Security walked him off the court. It was nuts.

Speaking of McGraw and his 'we are winning the west' quote ... he got blasted by 30 at Notre Dame the other night ... falling to 2-7 on the year.

[IUP24]

Chalk this up to too much time sitting in an airport, but, nevertheless, some of you will find these stats interesting.

These are numbers for Joe's team based on the past (5) years (starting with 2014-15 season) -- including the first (6) games of this season.

OVERALL	CONFERENCE	HOME	AWAY	NEUTRAL
138-30	94-17	82-12	50-15	6-3

The two best records of this stretch:

2016-17: 28-4 (eliminated in Round 2 of NCAAs by Fairmont State, which eventually lost in the national title game)
2018-19: 30-3 (eliminated in Round 2 of NCAAs by Mercyhurst)

The two worst records of this stretch:

2015-16: 21-8 (missed NCAAs largely because of regular season-ending loss at Seton Hill)
2017-18: 22-8 (missed NCAAs - this was the snakebitten team with injuries and the infamous Glover suspension / Dante broken wrist at Seton Hill)

Not the best record but the team that went the deepest:

2014-15: 31-7 (lost in national title game)




Last (5) years against PSAC West opponents (including all postseason meetings)

California	10-0
Clarion	10-0
UPJ	12-1
Seton Hill	9-1
Edinboro	9-2
Gannon	8-3
Slippery Rock	8-3
Mercyhurst	9-5

The record against the PSAC West is incredible to look at. They have dominated and I'm not sure we've appreciated that the way that we should. I feel like I can remember every one of those losses to Mercyhurst, Gannon, and SRU. Gary Manchel and formerly John Reily were the only guys that had the scheme to beat Joe, or play him close, with any regularity. Players obviously have a lot to do with that, but schematically, they both just seemed to really match up well with Joe when they were able to play their system to perfection. The losses to SRU, all on the road, were "freaky" games. With the exception of the loss up there last year where they kinda just got beat, they have gotten into some odd games up there the last couple of years. I can remember my sophomore year they hit a half court shot or a buzzer beater of some sorts to win the game. I listened to Jack on the radio in my dorm room on a Saturday afternoon. That would have been January 2013. Remember, that was before there was a stream for almost every game.

The thing about that 31-7 team is that they just got hot at the right time. It typically takes catching some fire to get on a run.

[boatcapt]

Yep. This is early in third season. I watched replay of them putting 154 on clayton state. They have all the pieces to win it all. Deep team with size that went to elite 8 last year with star player out.

And at the risk of beating a dead horse...# of DII OOC teams Nova has played that are +500? One...Cedarville (6-5) who they beat tonight by 7 points 91-84.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Big road trip for Tom's ladies this weekend. Friday night they take on an 8-1 Shepherd team and Saturday they get a Shippensburg (5-4) team that's won two straight (one of which was over Cal).

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Of note Porterfield made his first career start today.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Today's game summary:

Nobody got hurt and just about 1,000 were in the building.


The end.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Over / Under on Joe's attendance today is 190

[Scrub]

Yep. This is early in third season. I watched replay of them putting 154 on clayton state. They have all the pieces to win it all. Deep team with size that went to elite 8 last year with star player out.

Yup. The system clearly works. And when you're not attempting to recruit 18-22 year-olds to a deserted hilltop in West Virginia, it works even better!

[Columbuseer]

NABC poll
1. Nova Southeastern
2. Bellarmine
3. West Texas A&M
4. Northwest Missouri State
5. IUP

It's taken Crutchfield only three years to take Nova from six wins to the No. 1 ranking.

Yep. This is early in third season. I watched replay of them putting 154 on clayton state. They have all the pieces to win it all. Deep team with size that went to elite 8 last year with star player out.

[hawks16]

NABC poll
1. Nova Southeastern
2. Bellarmine
3. West Texas A&M
4. Northwest Missouri State
5. IUP

It's taken Crutchfield only three years to take Nova from six wins to the No. 1 ranking.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

This schedule this year is whacky. This has felt like football season with one game a week so far. Then come Jan.3 it's like every third day for Jan and Feb. Their schedule after XMAS is incredibly compact. It will be a challenge to keep the legs fresh. They have to be sick of practicing against each other by now.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

After this non-conference (thrilling) game with (D3 0-7) Bethany this Sunday, ... stuff gets real in a hurry.

IUP kicks off a brutal 9-game stretch starting next Friday night at Shepherd.

12/20 - @ Shepherd
12/21 - @ Shippensburg
1/3 - Lock Haven
1/6 - Mercyhurst
1/8 - @ Slippery Rock
1/11 - @ Gannon
1/15 - @ Edinboro
1/18 - California
1/22 - @ UPJ

I'm sure you could find a tougher 9-game stretch ... but that's pretty rough. Six of the nine are on the road.

There are some advantages to it. Going to Shep/Ship and SRU/GU/Boro over break is helpful -- in particular the SRU trip. Visiting Morrow with no students is a huge boost as that's the only game all year SRU draws a crowd up there.

Mercyhurst, SRU and GU in a 6-day window is pretty physically daunting.

Mercyhurst visiting the KCAC on a Monday night over break is another superb scheduling move by the home office. It will be a great gate. As that is one of the biggest home games of the year, I'd hope IUP would start trying to market it now. Dump free tickets all over town. Find a way to at least get 1,500 in there.

The other positive is Joe will get the return games at the KCAC with the larger crowds back on campus later in the season.

After this week, there aren't many easy games the rest of the way. Minus Clarion and Seton Hill, just about every team can put up a fight.

[IUPalum]

I don't think Joe has any faith in Ulrich. That's how I see it.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Why no Ulrich today to bang?