Iup basketball

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: Iup basketball

Per today's Gazette, Malik was released from the hospital. It said he's definately out 2-3 and possibly the season.

Luckily, it sounds like he's doing OK.

What did I hear-- second degree burns on his hands and arms. Yeah, I would guess gone for the year unless they get really deep into the NCAAs. He will in most likelihood not be able to have the full functioning use of his hands which are so important at this level of competition for quite some time. I hope that I'm wrong, but that sounds very serious. It's a tough break for the young man as well as the team.

I hope that he can make a quick and full recovery! Basketball is only a secondary concern at this point.

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[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

From a basketball view, yeah, it's a pretty devastating loss. They were really peaking.

Playing with 6 guys is only going to last so long. I think they can survive in the PSAC West. The West teams tend to play slower. But, against the deeper, faster-paced East teams ... forget it.

I agree about not burning the redshirts now ... was just thinking out loud. Pat Narduzzi had to do it this year at Pitt with the QB (and he then beat Miami). I wouldn't totally rule it out, by the way. Keyes has practiced all season. But, he doesn't solve the guard problem. Vaughns returning doesn't, either.

Assuming they play the hand they've now been dealt, Vaughns is now in the rotation. No more babying him. Trial by fire time. They could consider moving Blake to his more natural position as kind of a hybrid small forward/guard.

Gonna have to get creative from here on out.

In Bravado we trust!!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

From a basketball view, yeah, it's a pretty devastating loss. They were really peaking.

Playing with 6 guys is only going to last so long. I think they can survive in the PSAC West. The West teams tend to play slower. But, against the deeper, faster-paced East teams ... forget it.

I agree about not burning the redshirts now ... was just thinking out loud. Pat Narduzzi had to do it this year at Pitt with the QB (and he then beat Miami). I wouldn't totally rule it out, by the way. Keyes has practiced all season. But, he doesn't solve the guard problem. Vaughns returning doesn't, either.

Assuming they play the hand they've now been dealt, Vaughns is now in the rotation. No more babying him. Trial by fire time. They could consider moving Blake to his more natural position as kind of a hybrid small forward/guard.

Gonna have to get creative from here on out.

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

On to the bad news.

I'm hearing, anyway, Malik Miller may be out for awhile. No official word. Tony may shed some more light on it today in the Gazette.

Jalen Vaughns may return soon. He's not wearing a boot or using crutches. That helps but only so much. The guard spot now is only 3 deep. That's a major problem.

I don't know the state of Armoni Foster's shoulder injury from October. I know the plan was he was going to be shut down to preserve the redshirt. If he's able to play do you consider injecting him in to the lineup at this point with 7 regular season games left?

Keyes is obvously there, too, but I can't see adding him at this point.

It's a problem, no doubt.

What does Bravado do...

You can't start playing a freshman now. He's talented but he's not ready for this stage of the season. IF he's even healthy enough to play. We certainly don't know that either. You can't waste Keyes anymore at this point either.

What Bravado should do, is run with this group of horses. Danielek has to give them more offensively. Hutton has to be a two way player now. Vaughns has to be leaked in a little more when healthy. They are a borderline regional team right now. If they use Keyes they risk the next two years being dominant. If they use Foster, they risk poor inexperienced play. That kid hasn't played in almost a year now unless he played AAU somewhere.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Per today's Gazette, Malik was released from the hospital. It said he's definately out 2-3 and possibly the season.

Luckily, it sounds like he's doing OK.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

It was posted on Twitter that Malik was severely burned yesterday putting out a fire in his apartment.

Awful. I hope he's doing well and makes a full recovery.

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

IF Till makes the foul shots, whole different game. Gutsy no time out after the FT too.

I don't disagree with you for one second on that. Once there was no Malik, there should've been no reason why SRU shouldn't have won that game... period!!! As I've said before, the type of transfers (2nd/3rd chance guys) that KR always brings in added to KR's hot headed demeanor isn't a good formula for success. That team repeatedly has out of control lapses that costs them wins in the big setting. Yesterday it was the double technical that was a huge difference in that game. They keep their cool in that spot, does IUP win? No!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

On to the bad news.

I'm hearing, anyway, Malik Miller may be out for awhile. No official word. Tony may shed some more light on it today in the Gazette.

Jalen Vaughns may return soon. He's not wearing a boot or using crutches. That helps but only so much. The guard spot now is only 3 deep. That's a major problem.

I don't know the state of Armoni Foster's shoulder injury from October. I know the plan was he was going to be shut down to preserve the redshirt. If he's able to play do you consider injecting him in to the lineup at this point with 7 regular season games left?

Keyes is obvously there, too, but I can't see adding him at this point.

It's a problem, no doubt.

[ironmaniup]

Re: Iup basketball

Great analysis! I couldn't have said it better myself. No reason why SRU shouldn't have won that game. They were their own worst nightmare and it started with the coach!!! Players take on the demeanor of their coach and KR lost it again and so did the players!!!

IF Till makes the foul shots, whole different game. Gutsy no time out after the FT too.

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

Great analysis! I couldn't have said it better myself. No reason why SRU shouldn't have won that game. They were their own worst nightmare and it started with the coach!!! Players take on the demeanor of their coach and KR lost it again and so did the players!!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

It has to make one wonder what Kevin Reynolds was thinking.

The whole gym knew IUP only had six players. Malik Miller wasn't in the building. Jalen Vaughns was in street clothes with an ankle injury.

Then, very quickly, Willem gets two fouls. IUP has to pull a walk-on from the deep bench. Who, by the way, has played about 7 mop-up minutes all season.

And, like so many Rock teams before, they couldn't cash in on it. They played like knuckleheads ... dirty street ball on a night all they had to do was play clean.

Reynolds couldn't keep the team from playing playground ball in the first 20 minutes. He, too, of course blew up. IUP got the reward in the first half when SRU was called for a double technical. One on No. 24 and shortly thereafter one on Reynolds himself. Anthony Glover hit all four foul shots ... kind of an important 4 free points.

No. 24 was a little dirty tonight. No way around it. He should have been ejected for throwing a punch. On the technical play he went to the ground for a loose ball (jump ball). Then kept going after the whistle ... throwing the punch at an IUP player on his back. Joe went on to the floor. He was in the middle of multiple other dust-ups. It's a shame because he's a talented player when he's not more occupied in the charades.

To SRU's credit, they played much better in the second half and overcame a 15-point deficit to take a late 5-point lead late in the game. They hit some big, big time shots.

IUP was completely gassed with about 10 minutes left. Understandably. With Willem in foul trouble and Joe trying to save him, IUP played a long stretch Iron Man. But as always, they go all 40 minutes. Glover's three with 4.8 seconds left will go down as one of the more memorable shots in recent history. It brought a large IUP contingent to its feet. I put it up there with the Norfleet shot.

SRU played well enough to win the game. You could maybe say they should have won the game. It was there to take. Several times.

But, as is their trademark, they imploded. The Rock hit just 52 percent of its free throws, including several devastating misses down the stretch -- keeping the game a one possesion contest. They got outrebounded when it mattered most. They made some extremely inopportune turnovers in the final five minutes.

Slippery Rock again didn't shake hands during player introductions. They are the only PSAC team not to do so. Reynolds approached Glover during a timeout. I don't know what he said. Joe went nuts over it. Reynolds blew up at the scorers table at halftime. No idea why.

Willem was effectively out of the gameplan once he got his second foul and then third. It was obvious IUP only had 3 scoring options. Cobo went for 29. Glover finished with 20 and Dante had 14 points. Hutton only took one shot and missed. Blake had one three-pointer. Willem had 3-4 points. That's it. SRU still couldn't stop them in the final minutes when it was obvious only three were taking shots.

Blake and Hutton were the unsung heroes of the game. They played well defensively. Blake got stuck on the gigantic Michah Till all night and hung in there. Till finished several points below his season average.

SRU is a good team. I think they get a little too juiced to play IUP. I've watched several of their games. They don't get into all the shenanigans against other teams. It again cost them tonight. That's undeniable.

Great win for IUP. SRU had a great crowd of about 2,000 or so. It was loud in there. IUP travelled very well. Joe obviously has a situation on his hands now. Playing with six isn't going to work very long. Most importantly let's hope Malik is doing OK. That's way more important than basketball.

I wouldn't rule out a Round 3. It could happen. Doubtful, though.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

It was in the paper last game he lost his cousin. I was told at the game about the funeral. Hope he's OK.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: Iup basketball

Looks like IUP could be thin again on Saturday night. According to Bravado, Malik was released earlier today from a Pittsburgh hospital. They never said the extent of his injury/burns. Prayers to that fine young man.

Prayers that he is okay!

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

Looks like IUP could be thin again on Saturday night. According to Bravado, Malik was released earlier today from a Pittsburgh hospital. They never said the extent of his injury/burns. Prayers to that fine young man.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: Iup basketball

Some call it ice water, some call it ice, we here at IUP call it Bravado!

Looks like things didn't quite work out for the Rockheads. LOL.

IUP men take a big step up in the PSAC West race for supremacy.

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