PSAC WEST

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Mildly contested. He wasn't wide open, but he had enough room to get off a pretty good shot. He doesn't need much room.

Reilly played a zone on the last play ... he does that frequently coming out of a timeout on the last possession when teams have no timeouts left. Kutztown played it as well as they could have - it usually works, but not this time.

Speaking of Moe Williams ... he needs to work on his foul shooting, to say the least -- 34% for the year. I looked up his FT percentage after his first trip to the line ... just watching him you can tell he's a very poor free throw shooter.

Yep. His numbers would be scary if he could hit FTs. He's an athletic freak and gets fouled constantly.

My theory on that shot was with Moe out there was clearly only one person shooting the ball.

[Golden89]

Re: PSAC WEST

Beyond the call how do you let Anthony Lee get an open look in that moment?

Moe Willaims was already fouled out.

You gotta give Lee a Siamese Twin in that spot.

Mildly contested. He wasn't wide open, but he had enough room to get off a pretty good shot. He doesn't need much room.

Reilly played a zone on the last play ... he does that frequently coming out of a timeout on the last possession when teams have no timeouts left. Kutztown played it as well as they could have - it usually works, but not this time.

Speaking of Moe Williams ... he needs to work on his foul shooting, to say the least -- 34% for the year. I looked up his FT percentage after his first trip to the line ... just watching him you can tell he's a very poor free throw shooter.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

It's entirely possible that I was seeing something that wasn't there, but I thought Wednesday night was as close as Fite has gotten to losing his **** on the bench. The first 10 minutes of each half, he looked pretty apoplectic as his team approached him in timeouts.

He has some intensity. You're right, though, he is usually pretty level-headed.

That was a tough game for the players. They know Clarion is a total mismatch and it's the last game before vacation. It's a tough one to coach.

Every time Fite comes up around here it's always ... "yeah, he's the next coach at IUP." That story can be put to bed. Joe's going to coach another 5-10 years in my opinion. It's far too sweet of a gig.

I do think Fite should be a serious target of a lower-level D1 program.

[boatcapt]

Re: PSAC WEST

Twice Till passed up dunks to give the ball to an open teammate who was about 6 ft away

WOW...That's a BAD play not a good one!!! Passing up not one but two SURE dunks to give the ball to a player further from the basket? Not a wise play no matter how "unselfish" it might appear.

[jrshooter]

Re: PSAC WEST

It would also be appealing to finding the next Chris Fite type.

It's entirely possible that I was seeing something that wasn't there, but I thought Wednesday night was as close as Fite has gotten to losing his **** on the bench. The first 10 minutes of each half, he looked pretty apoplectic as his team approached him in timeouts.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

I don't think there is any chance Grady gets that job moving forward. Which, likely will mean another mass turnover this offseason.

It's hard to promote an assistant who was there for 8 of of the 10 years and worked directly for the guy you just ran out of town. They kept him this year beacause they had to at that point in the season.

I know Grady is nothing like KR. But, guilt by association is a real thing. It's hard to fire a guy for a list of items and then think his top assistant wasn't involved in any of them, too.

SRU will get a lot of good applicants for that job. It would be a great gig for the older-type coach looking for a last stop. It would also be appealing to finding the next Chris Fite type.

[IUPTrackMan]

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Most teams are off Dec 29 but there are two huge games:

WCU at Kutztown

Mercyhurst at Shippensburg

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Beyond the call how do you let Anthony Lee get an open look in that moment?

Moe Willaims was already fouled out.

You gotta give Lee a Siamese Twin in that spot.

Re: PSAC WEST

How much time was left when Ogbuagu made his second free throw? I believe that is was 30.6 seconds and change (the play-by-play says 30 seconds; it does not show tenths)? I will stand corrected if it was something like 32.0. The video by @etnreisenweber clearly shows the shot clock had expired by the time that Lee's shot went through the basket (and at least a fraction of a second earlier). The game clock was not visible in the video.

Edit to provide video link: https://twitter.com/ETNreisenweber/s...80123510988800

I was at the game and I believe your right there was 30.6 seconds left when kutztown had the last possesion. The video clearly shows 0 on the shot clock way before the ball went through the hoop. Gannon should have never got another shot.

[Golden89]

Re: PSAC WEST

Yeah, you're wrong on all accounts. I was there and the ball was through the hoop with approx. 1.2 seconds on the clock. They put 1 sec on the clock which couldn't be argued. The refs got that call right. The call you should be pissed about is the goal tend that was called when Matt Johnson got sent through the wall. That was clearly a foul (no call) then the goal tend was called (right call). They lost 2 points there because of an idiot Gannon player and Matt Johnson should've been shooting 2 free throws. He goes to the line there it could've been a different result.

How much time was left when Ogbuagu made his second free throw? I believe that is was 30.6 seconds and change (the play-by-play says 30 seconds; it does not show tenths)? I will stand corrected if it was something like 32.0. The video by @etnreisenweber clearly shows the shot clock had expired by the time that Lee's shot went through the basket (and at least a fraction of a second earlier). The game clock was not visible in the video.

Edit to provide video link: https://twitter.com/ETNreisenweber/s...80123510988800

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

I agree 100% - that non-call on the Matt Johnson steal and contested lay up was the key play of the game because Gannon was up 1 with 55 seconds left, got a steal and should have had at least two free throws. I would not have argued against Johnson foregoing that contested layup on which he was fouled and pulling the ball out to burn 30 seconds and perhaps get fouled.

I would also add that the Gannon clock guy did not do the home team any favors. The clock is supposed to stop on a made field goal under one minute. The clock operator let it run to zero. Had he stopped the clock at 1.2 secs like he should have, the Kutztown players running on the floor should have brought a technical. Reilly appeared to be arguing that point. Who knows, maybe they would not have run on the floor if the clock had been stopped at 1.2.

Having said all of that, Gannon shot 6-33 from three point range (18%) and 17-60 (28%) overall, which is in the unheard of category. Yet they had a chance to win because the Gannon kids just continue to battle their a**es off. Gannon has kids that can shoot the ball from three. I believe that shooting is 25% technique and 75% confidence. Right now its all in the heads of the Gannon players and they are pressing so hard that its tough to watch. Part of the mental break down with their shooting may be the fact that the Gannon philosophy is to pound it inside and shoot threes as a last resort, which is fine if you have Bigs who can score but Gannon does not. That "three as a last resort" philosophy also subtly tells the players that the coach is not sold on shooting threes, so that creeps into their minds and then they become hesitant. He who hesitates is lost. That hesitation and timidity and lack of confidence is steam rolling Gannon mentally right now.

I said last week that with the athletes Gannon has ... if they'd just play 'playground' on offense they'd score 75 points a game. It's not like those guys weren't scorers in high school and all the sudden forgot how to put the ball in the hoop.

[PSACwatcher]

Re: PSAC WEST

I haven't seen EVERY team in the West, but I can say that if Seton Hill and California don't get some depth, they'll be done by the end of January. You need more than 6 players in the PSAC...Plus, a 17-point Mercyhurst loss at ESU is a bit more than a setback, it was a drubbing...

Seton Hill lost at home to Millersville and West Chester by 30. The Seton Hill players look like they have checked out. Their head coach did them no favors by bringing in not a single recruit that is helping, and zero JUCOs.

[PSACwatcher]

Re: PSAC WEST

Yeah, you're wrong on all accounts. I was there and the ball was through the hoop with approx. 1.2 seconds on the clock. They put 1 sec on the clock which couldn't be argued. The refs got that call right. The call you should be pissed about is the goal tend that was called when Matt Johnson got sent through the wall. That was clearly a foul (no call) then the goal tend was called (right call). They lost 2 points there because of an idiot Gannon player and Matt Johnson should've been shooting 2 free throws. He goes to the line there it could've been a different result.

I agree 100% - that non-call on the Matt Johnson steal and contested lay up was the key play of the game because Gannon was up 1 with 55 seconds left, got a steal and should have had at least two free throws. I would not have argued against Johnson foregoing that contested layup on which he was fouled and pulling the ball out to burn 30 seconds and perhaps get fouled.

I would also add that the Gannon clock guy did not do the home team any favors. The clock is supposed to stop on a made field goal under one minute. The clock operator let it run to zero. Had he stopped the clock at 1.2 secs like he should have, the Kutztown players running on the floor should have brought a technical. Reilly appeared to be arguing that point. Who knows, maybe they would not have run on the floor if the clock had been stopped at 1.2.

Having said all of that, Gannon shot 6-33 from three point range (18%) and 17-60 (28%) overall, which is in the unheard of category. Yet they had a chance to win because the Gannon kids just continue to battle their a**es off. Gannon has kids that can shoot the ball from three. I believe that shooting is 25% technique and 75% confidence. Right now its all in the heads of the Gannon players and they are pressing so hard that its tough to watch. Part of the mental break down with their shooting may be the fact that the Gannon philosophy is to pound it inside and shoot threes as a last resort, which is fine if you have Bigs who can score but Gannon does not. That "three as a last resort" philosophy also subtly tells the players that the coach is not sold on shooting threes, so that creeps into their minds and then they become hesitant. He who hesitates is lost. That hesitation and timidity and lack of confidence is steam rolling Gannon mentally right now.

[WarriorVoice]

Re: PSAC WEST

Mid-term grades are in, boys and girls. Some made the Dean's List. Others need some serious library time.


WEST:

IUP (4-0, 11-0) -- Hawks closed the first semester with straight A's. Lot of big, dramatic wins -- home and away. SOS is stacked. Many of the teams IUP has defeated will continue winning lots and lots of games. Grade: A+

Mercyhurst (3-1, 8-1) -- Minus one setback, the Lakers were dominant in Nov-Dec. -- capped off with a bashing of Kutztown. Grade: A

UPJ (3-1, 8-3) -- Lost nail-biters to Le Moyne (3OT) and Shippensburg. Easily could have just one loss. Amazing being they are so young. Grade B+

Slippery Rock (3-1, 6-5) -- SRU has found itself but regardless of the circumstances five losses are five losses. Big second half potential. Grade: C+

Edinboro (1-3, 4-5) -- Edinboro wasn't deep to begin with ... losing its star for the past month sure hasn't helped. Scots have lost a few ugly games. They would be a much, much different team with Anthony Coleman. His injury status has been locked up in Fort Knox. Grade: D

California (1-3, 3-7) -- Cal's had a tough year but has a bright future. Vulcans are making strides this year. The record is the record, however. Grade: D

Gannon (1-4, 3-8) -- Eight losses before Santa Claus visits the Hammermill will have boosters buying Reilly coal. Buckets of it. GU's NCAA hopes are over before Dec. 21. Team could still make some noise in the conference -- maybe -- but that's the extent of it. Unless they run the table, ... Grade: D-

Clarion (1-4, 2-6) -- Clarion has one of the worst strength of schedules in the Atlantic Region and is still 2-6. Grade: F

Seton Hill (0-4, 2-8) -- Griffins have showed some fight but are just drastically undermanned. Effort only goes so far. You are what your record says you are ... Grade: F

I haven't seen EVERY team in the West, but I can say that if Seton Hill and California don't get some depth, they'll be done by the end of January. You need more than 6 players in the PSAC...Plus, a 17-point Mercyhurst loss at ESU is a bit more than a setback, it was a drubbing...And Kutztown isn't the Kutztown of 3 years ago...