Iup basketball

[scorpion]

Re: Iup basketball

I'll always remember the 93-94 regular season finale. IUP won handily, but what made it truly memorable was Jim Boone getting double T'd and tossed at the end of the first half. I thought the man was gonna have a heart attack and die right on the court he went so ballistic. And the crowd was as loud at that moment as any I've personally heard at ANY sports venue. That's the season IUP really put itself on the map nationally and the rivalry really exploded.

That was a tremendous atmosphere and game. That same season IUP then went on to beat Cal at the Hammermill and win the region title and earn their first birth to the Elite 8. I think Boone still has the bubble guts from losing that game!
You are right, that was the beginning of IUP greatness and it is still going strong!!

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Iup basketball

My personal favorite in the series was actually an IUP loss. It was the 1997-98 game at the Field House. Cal won in overtime. That was the night Rodney Horton went crazy and couldn't miss a shot. That was biggest crowd (and loudest) I ever personally saw at the Field House. It's funny how over the years so few games stand out in your memory and most just blend together. That is certainly one for me. I actually have the game on an old VHS somewhere ... I'd love to find it. And, of course, buy a VCR.

I'll always remember the 93-94 regular season finale. IUP won handily, but what made it truly memorable was Jim Boone getting double T'd and tossed at the end of the first half. I thought the man was gonna have a heart attack and die right on the court he went so ballistic. And the crowd was as loud at that moment as any I've personally heard at ANY sports venue. That's the season IUP really put itself on the map nationally and the rivalry really exploded.

Re: Iup basketball

There was a time that Cal's visit to IUP was the hottest ticket in town. If you weren't at the Field House by at least half time of the women's game you could be in trouble. It's been awhile since those days but it's still weird to see this game played on a Wednesday night ... over break, at that.

IUP leads the all-time series, 110-72 and has won 7 of 8 in the series, which has become very lopsided over the past 10 years.

On paper, tonight should be a blowout. However, I have no doubt this will be a close game. Cal doesn't have many players, but it has a few who can cause some issues against the IUP defense. Cal's 5-12 record can also be viewed as a bit deceiving. There's been some really close losses in there: 6 points to Shippensburg, 2 points to West Chester, 4 points (OT) to Gannon, 5 points to Edinboro ... surrounded by some nice wins over Seton Hill and Slippery Rock. The Vulcans could certainly be viewed as at least a .500 type team.

IUP's last two outings -- against teams with similar records -- have both come down to the final minutes (Millersville and Edinboro). The trip to Clarion on Saturday will have very similar circumstances. Until this team cleans some stuff up, ... have to expect another close game tonight. I'd say IUP wins by 5-7 points.

Iup men are the best in the west and prove it tonight. Iup by at least 10. Iup women by 3.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

My personal favorite in the series was actually an IUP loss. It was the 1997-98 game at the Field House. Cal won in overtime. That was the night Rodney Horton went crazy and couldn't miss a shot. That was biggest crowd (and loudest) I ever personally saw at the Field House. It's funny how over the years so few games stand out in your memory and most just blend together. That is certainly one for me. I actually have the game on an old VHS somewhere ... I'd love to find it. And, of course, buy a VCR.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: Iup basketball

There was a time that Cal's visit to IUP was the hottest ticket in town. If you weren't at the Field House by at least half time of the women's game you could be in trouble. It's been awhile since those days but it's still weird to see this game played on a Wednesday night ... over break, at that.

IUP leads the all-time series, 110-72 and has won 7 of 8 in the series, which has become very lopsided over the past 10 years.

On paper, tonight should be a blowout. However, I have no doubt this will be a close game. Cal doesn't have many players, but it has a few who can cause some issues against the IUP defense. Cal's 5-12 record can also be viewed as a bit deceiving. There's been some really close losses in there: 6 points to Shippensburg, 2 points to West Chester, 4 points (OT) to Gannon, 5 points to Edinboro ... surrounded by some nice wins over Seton Hill and Slippery Rock. The Vulcans could certainly be viewed as at least a .500 type team.

IUP's last two outings -- against teams with similar records -- have both come down to the final minutes (Millersville and Edinboro). The trip to Clarion on Saturday will have very similar circumstances. Until this team cleans some stuff up, ... have to expect another close game tonight. I'd say IUP wins by 5-7 points.

That is so true! I still recall the 2003 game, incidentally also played on January 18, at Memorial Field House. The place was PACKED! People were sitting on the bleacher steps even. It was the most crowded that I ever saw an IUP hoops game. Unreal. This was such a great rivalry over the years in both men's and women's ball.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

There was a time that Cal's visit to IUP was the hottest ticket in town. If you weren't at the Field House by at least half time of the women's game you could be in trouble. It's been awhile since those days but it's still weird to see this game played on a Wednesday night ... over break, at that.

IUP leads the all-time series, 110-72 and has won 7 of 8 in the series, which has become very lopsided over the past 10 years.

On paper, tonight should be a blowout. However, I have no doubt this will be a close game. Cal doesn't have many players, but it has a few who can cause some issues against the IUP defense. Cal's 5-12 record can also be viewed as a bit deceiving. There's been some really close losses in there: 6 points to Shippensburg, 2 points to West Chester, 4 points (OT) to Gannon, 5 points to Edinboro ... surrounded by some nice wins over Seton Hill and Slippery Rock. The Vulcans could certainly be viewed as at least a .500 type team.

IUP's last two outings -- against teams with similar records -- have both come down to the final minutes (Millersville and Edinboro). The trip to Clarion on Saturday will have very similar circumstances. Until this team cleans some stuff up, ... have to expect another close game tonight. I'd say IUP wins by 5-7 points.

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

Danielak got forced into this role once CJ left the team. That sucks before he should be in rotation with Cobo OR have Cobo and Danielak on the court together. It just hasn't worked that way with CJ's late departure. I think in the regional you'll see Danielak start getting more looks. On that note, with no Danielak, Malik has risen which has been huge! This team is going to be a tough out. Do I feel they are an elitie 8 team, not yet but there is a chance. They need to fix the TO's and shot better from the line.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

I don't love the role they are asking Danielak to play. He's splitting time with Cottrell (think Daddy / Cottrell). He's certainly not a prototype big man. In fact, his game is much more Jeremy Jeffers than Daddy Ugbede. He's a shooter but by default has to spend a lot of time banging underneath. The positive is his style will be a big asset against (most) non-PSAC West teams. But until then, it's tough to ask him to essentially play a hybrid center/forward against some really high-end PSAC low-post players. He's a hustler and isn't complaining. This team would benefit having another true post player off the bench but that's a broken record at this point.

These last several games have been very physical, ... typical, somewhat low-scoring West games. Gannon, Rock and Edinboro were much bigger, more physical teams. IUP is built to play up-tempo with Cottrell being the holdover to the older years (thank goodness he's here). But, you take the Gannon game and IUP crushed them on the boards. It may not happen the next time. Evan Phoenix was a complete non-factor in Round One due to foul trouble.

They are close. They will be undersized underneath the rest of the regular season but that's been apparent. The single biggest issue is the turnovers (and recently the free throw shooting). This inability to play in the first half is strange. Joe had some interesting comments on the matter in the last IG article. The Edinboro game they started something like 12-2 but then gave up a 30-6 run and were down 10 at halftime. The Boro zone really gave them some fits.

If they can even cut these turnovers by 25 percent and just get better on put-backs these close games will go away. Hutton has been a nice spark, at times, lately. He's shooting much better.

There's something to this group. They are very hard to put away and are certainly a second-half team. The problem Joe eluded to, though, is it seems to take them getting hit with 5 hay-makers before they start to get fired up. That's a mental thing ... hopefully Dr. Bravado can fix that part.

[IUP24]

This is almost getting to be right around the time when they started to catch some fire during that 2015 season. It was a 4 game stretch where things really came together. If I recall, they had Boro, Gannon, SRU, and UPJ all in a row. Norfleet was injured in there somewhere. It was right at the end of January/beginning of Feb.

Granted, that team was much easier for me to follow because I could watch them nightly (no streams are killer), so I don't have the same pulse of this team as I did that one. Obviously these are different teams, but that 2015 team, even with all of the great players they had, didn't start clicking until February. They were frustrating to watch most nights. Dyer hadn't found his game. The offense wasn't in a rhythm yet. At this time in 2015, they weren't an Elite 8 team.

I'm not saying this team will go on that same run, but doesn't everybody keep waiting for Danielak to finally find his stroke? What if he's the last piece they're missing? Different type of player, but what if he's this year's version of Shawn Dyer? A key element that just hasn't found it yet. If he finds his game, they could get hot quick.


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[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

The week ahead ...

WED: vs. California
SAT: at Clarion

I'm long past thinking this IUP team will have any easy games the rest of the season. I fully suspect Cal to come up here and put up a big fight. Clarion is, for whatever reason, very difficult in their gym and pretty bad on the road.

Cal is coming off a big win over a decent Seton Hill team and Clarion just dropped a 2-OT heart-breaker (at home) to Gannon.

Both have some players you can already see will cause IUP some issues. I can't see IUP losing either game but I fully suspect both will be close with 10 minutes left.` It's hard to pinpoint why this Joe team can't play in the first half. These big comebacks and thrilling finishes have been great for fans to watch (if you enjoy drama) ... but they aren't going to keep winning these all year.

It's time to kick it up a notch and start blowing these lesser teams out of the gym. The positive is I don't think this team is anywhere close to peaking yet. Granted, that's not a great thing to say on January 16 but it's also a good thing in a way. I think there will come a night when it all clicks at the same time.

BUT, continuing to struggle DEEP in games with the Edinboro's and Millersville's of the world is also a bad sign. The luck isn't going to last forever. They were real sloppy again in stretches against Edinboro. This 15-2 record could easily be 10-7 right now.

[IUP24]

"15-2 is 15-2." Style points certainly don't matter.



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[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

Edinboro was predicted to give IUP a run this year but for some reason they haven't clicked.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Joe is turning hair gray this year. My goodness. Every. Freaking. Night.

He's always talked about every team that comes in there treats it like Madison Square Garden. I think his 'Joe Speak' is actually true.

Edinboro played a fabulous game. They really never should have lost that game. Kudos to IUP. They just find ways.

On the flip side of that I have to question Boro's coach on having a 4 and whatever record. He has serious talent on that team. No way in freaking heck they should have just four wins. He's got size, speed, shooters, ...... baffling.

Maybe they were just really up tonight. Maybe IUP is a mirage. I don't know any more.

This IUP team could win the regional or lose in the first round of the PSAC. Neither would surprise me.

But ... they just win. Flair for the dramatic ... to the extreme. But .. 15-2 is 15-2. They've made it a fun season.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: Iup basketball

Seems like the IUP men are making quite a few James Bond type of narrow escapes this season. Bravado will do that for you! Joe could have been cast as 007.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

IUP 80
Boro 77
Final

Glover hits trey with 1.9 ....

IUP big comeback to win.

That was the best 4-win team I've seen in a long time.