Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball

[kdubnation]

We didn't play particularly well against Ohio Valley. We did play pretty good today. Defensively we could not stop them. We've not had a team come in and drive to the basket like that for quite a while. We were more able to stop Lincoln Memorial than AB. And I don't know what the deal has been with Mo this week but if you think Bezold could have done a better job against Bocook you're out of your mind!

[WKYDave]

Funny that I mention the 3rd straight losing season and everyone wants to debate how good the teams with losing records are playing against us and whether players that sat on the bench could have done worse on defense than the ones getting scored on. Let's ignore the sinking ship and talk about the deck chairs.

Back to subject at hand...Could Belzold have done worse than the 19 minutes Nick Fort spent on him? Would Bezold have fouled on a 3 point shot? We have all talked how Bezold plays smart and "punches above his weight" or do you all forget the praises heaped on him now?

Okay though, I get it, I'll play along, I'll fit in on the board..... KWC is going to make the GMAC tourny this year (won't take much this year) and WATCH OUT they will be clicking by March. You never know come tourny time...Zach stays hot, Goetz stays hot, Jo stays hot, Wyatt stays hot, Boyle stays hot, Sasha stays hot, Curries comes back, Mo plays great again, Bell finds shot, Smith starts to dominate inside all at the same time for 10 games....it can happen, remember what St. Joe did 10 years ago...NCAA ticket may get punched this year. Maybe we'll even hang #9 in rafters this year!!!! Peace out.

[kdubnation]

Look, I'm not saying I'm happy. I'm just saying that #1 we are improving, albeit not as quickly as we'd all like but progress is being made. And #2 AB beat us today. They earned it. That's a completely different story from several of our early losses in which we couldn't have beaten a middle school rec league team because of how poorly WE played. I realize they count the same in the standings but I still choose to acknowledge the progress nonetheless.

[pantherfan]

[Looking For 9]

Golf got a commit from a football player. Now that's recruiting.:)

[Looking For 9]

I think mbb is one/two players away from being an above average team. We/Coop needs to find a way to use Sission at the 4. He can handle many forwards.

[alumnifan]

Will the Panthers win 10 games this year?

[WKYDave]

Will the Panthers win 10 games this year?

HUSH...get with the program....here are the 2 takeaways from last night

1) Underestimated - Once again KWC proves the experts wrong - Massey had them losing by 16 points. We lost by 12 points, proving KWC is better than people think

2) Improvement - KWC played even with Hillsdale in the 2nd half, proving that KWC is getting better. In fact had we just made shots, played better defense, gotten some calls, etc in 1st half KWC might have won the game!

[WKYDave]

Looking at Massey's match up...no home court

KWC record vs in-state competition:

D2: 1-1 beat KY St
D3: 3-1 lose to Centre
NAIA D1: 0-6 lose to Campbellsville, Cumberland, Georgetown, Lindsay Wilson, Pikeville, and Thomas More (yes Drew's old school would beat his current one)
NAIA D2: 6-0

No comment necessary

[WKYDave]

Amazing job by the Purple and White....playing a Top 55 D2 team hard....gotta love the heart these guys have....4 guys in double figures while holding Findlay to only 3 guys in double figures....Their starting 5 only outscores our starting 5 by 5 points!!

Most amazing stat of all???

For about 22.5 minutes of game (over half the game!) KWC out scored Findlay by 17 points!!!!

This team is going places soon and the future is bright! Go Panthers!!!

[UFOILERFAN]

Wow

[kdubnation]

No, you're right of course. I have to stop trying to be optimistic I mean what good ever came from a positive attitude? We are 0-3 since the new president took his post officially. He should be fired immediately. Cooper has to go and probably the entire athletic support staff. Janitors too. I mean if we can't go on the road and beat the top 2 teams in the conference on their courts then why are we even fielding a team. Forfeit the rest of the games and start building a new coaching staff now. I'm sure there's enough high level D1 players that have been dismissed from their teams that we can get signed. In fact, if we cut compliance staff I bet we could even pay a few of them under the table. Whatever the case, we damn sure better not try to look on the bright side of the situation, at least not until we have 30 wins fir a couple of years and hang at least 3 new banners.

[WKYDave]

I knew an over-the-top mirror would be effective. Optimism is OK but realism is what's needed at this point. Being optimistic that the Titanic won't sink isn't solving the problem. Objectively diagnosing problems and offering possible solutions is what's needed. But I guess that's really not the fan's job; it's the staff and admin's job. That's why I brought up not trying someone besides Fort (when Sasha got in foul trouble) on #10 the other night when Mo plays only 8 minutes and Bezold didn't play. #10 was 2 of 5 from FT, if nothing else employ a "hack-a-Shaq" on him. Listen if you want to measure this team by GPA, social skills, niceness, etc. I'm fine with it and those are all great and important things. If KWC wants the men's program to be like other sports at KWC - strong academics, so-so athletics, I'm fine with that. But don't try to make excuses for poor on-field performance, just own up to it. Despite anyone's wishes, this team is objectively playing WORSE than last year's according to record, and computer rating (Massey and NCAA PI). (Subjectively, you could say they are coming back from deficits before losing, etc, but a 10 point loss is a 10 point loss, it doesn't matter if you came from 10 down to tie it earlier in game). Saying the "Sportscenter" brings out best in every opponent's shooting is silly. Cooper, HIMSELF, says that's its KWC's defense doing it. If he admits it, why can't the fans. I would think it's obvious from watching the games at the open shots they get. At the beginning of the year I said this team might be a .500 team and was told I was stupid; that this team was MUCH better than last year in talent, experience, etc. Turns out I was optimistic. I'm OK with Cooper coaching next year, but no more unless there is a turn around in talent, schemes, rotation, competitiveness and WINS. Even with the opening created by BU going D1, I don't expect to see KWC win a regional championship in my lifetime. Thing's have changed at KWC and at D2. But I don't think it is too much to ask that KWC not have 3 straight losing seasons with no improvement. Last time with 2 straight losing records was coming off NCAA probation under Todd Lee - 7-19 and 13-14. You could see improvement and 3rd season was 24-8 and NCAA bid. Does anyone think we will have winning record, much less 20 wins next year? Not "optimistically" but "realistically"? Would you bet $100 on over 19 wins in 2020-21? I totally get last year's 10-16 record and actually it was better than I thought at beginning of year. This year's projected 9 or 10 wins is very disappointing especially given the down year in GMAC.

[pantherfan]

Several KU and K State players should be available soon. Maybe Cooper can recruit them all and make a Harper/Lee/Happy type of roster that we can watch win games, start fights, and not graduate.

[Lawson]

I would be fine with that.