cgeldmacher

I get what you guys are saying about grad transfers, but I think we'd been in a bad spot this year if we traded out Isabelle for, let's say, another Jacobs. I've been critical of Isabelle, but he's really turned the corner on being a team player, IMO.

So, if I'm reading this thread correctly, we have a recruiting battle between North Carolina and SWIC?

I'd love to see them tour Australia and New Zealand. You'd have several guys that could act as tour guides at various stops.

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/f/st-louis-billikens-tailgating-accessories#bazaarRating:&facet:&productBeginIndex:0&orderBy:5&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&facetCategoryId:&fPrevCatId:& Don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but these Billiken bags sets are pretty awesome. Wish they weren't so expensive and that they had the current logo. Also, surprised it comes in three varieties.

I thought the same thing. When asked how the team handled the news there was an awkward pause and he grinned as if he was thinking to himself “I know the true answer, but I can’t tell the true answer to the media.” He then appears to settle in on the coach speak high road answer. I think the reality was the team was glad to have the distraction gone from practice, but Ford certainly couldn’t say that.

S2 last year. CG issues this year. It was poorly worded. I'll edit it.

I suggest that we are all standing (including the expensive seat folks) and being very loud for each player introduction on Sunday. Let's show the current guys how much we appreciate that they are here, that they are loyal and committed, that they have put up with everything they've put up with (including CG this season) these last two years, and that we want them to be warriors in conference play and earn that prize that they've worked so hard for, the Tournament. Be loud Billiken fans!!!

This team is experienced in dealing with adversity and shortages in the line-up. This may be an addition by subtraction situation. I will admit that, at best, the better team chemistry will only possibly approach making up for the loss of his talent, but I'm hoping that the team rallies around this situation and wins the A-10. Let's start by beating RI on Sunday and go from there.

I have been a Ford supporter and, honestly, feel he's done some good coaching, but this does reflect on him. The guys who we lost last year are on him too. I still think that Ford will be successful here, but it seems like he brings in some real character kids and them some who are just the opposite. There are so many guys in this team that I really admire that I was almost worried that they were having to deal with Gordon, given what's known about him. Here is to hoping that Coach Ford learns his lesson. Please be considerate of this if he passes on guys in the future and we're all wondering why.

So where does this leave us on the debate about whether or not Gordon should shoot more threes?

This sucks and is a blow to this year's team. However, like some have said, this is sadly expected. I was very cautious about being too excited about Gordon, because of what I have heard about him in high school from multiple sources. In my mind, he was always going to have something like this happen. It was either going to be his call or Ford's call, but at some point he would leave under bad terms. In the words of the great Dick Vermeil during similar bad times, "we will rally around (the other guys on the team) and we will play good (basketball)."

Thank you for your insight.

Did he just not go to class?

Just say they are an interesting program that I’m considering. No need to over exaggerate what they are. They’re on the decline, not on the rise by any measuring stick. Also, the commments above were more of a “Luke, don’t do it, that program sucks” than it was a criticism of his statement.

I have to give credit to Isabelle, since I’ve been critical of his play in the past. That was his most disciplined game. I hope he sees that he can get his points and the offense will perform better in general if he sticks to the game plan like he did tonight. Also, Goodwin’s mid range jump shot looked good tonight. It would be a huge boost to the offense if he started hitting shots like Bess has been. Coach said in the post game interview with Rammer that Goodwin has been following Bess’s lead of showing up early to and staying late at practice to get extra shots in. Love that a veteran like Bess is influencing other guys’ habits like this. Hopefully, Goodwin can pass that on to younger guys starting next year.

Hey Luke, record wise, Illinois is the worst team in the Big 10 and they just lost to Florida Atlantic. Not what I would call a team in the rise.

Count me as a guy who is not all that excited about a kid who can't crack the lineup at Duquesne. I don't know much about their coach, but I do know he likes cashing checks from the university that's paying him and that means doing everything he can to win.

The weave's purpose is the create an isolation for one of our bigs. By the time its done, three of our guys are on one side of the court with the defenders having their back to the ball, because they just chased our guy to that side. The doesn't happen if you call the same play with everyone just standing around, meaning without the movement that the weave creates. At the end of the weave, which only takes like 3-4 seconds, we have a guard with the ball trying to get the ball to a big that is now one on one with a defender. Once the ball is dumped in, there is usually a play in place that give the big options to either make a move on his man or to dish the ball if help comes scrambling over from the other side of the court. I've never understood everyone's problem with the weave. It's just a way to set up plays that have been practiced. I've always treated it as a good thing.

Again, nobody is expecting that. We're just saying he should take one maybe two a game when he's open. It's not going to change the course of the season, but every little bit helps.

For those that seem to be so against the idea of Gordon taking 3 pointers, please understand that no one advocating for it is suggesting that his is made a part of our game plan. We're just suggesting, and I think 05 said this, that there are times when our regular movement of the ball puts the ball in his hands at the three point line. When this happens, his defender is usually backing off of him, clogging the lane and taking away passes inside. When that happens, why not take a shot at it. So far, that's given us 6 points in five shot attempts. That's much better than the average of what has happened when he doesn't take that shot. If he makes it or he doesn't (once, maybe twice a game), then at least the guy guarding him has to think about the possibility of him taking a three the next time he's in the same spot.

The point that was being made was to get him one or two a game to draw the defense out. If the guy guarding him has to follow him out to the three point line, it opens up more opportunities underneath and for him to drive on a guy, which I'm confident he would successful with.

I would have to go back and review that game. I think this may not have been against their starters, or most of them. Also, I think that if we did go on a 10-0 run, that run was followed by giving up several easy baskets and a run the opposite direction.

You might be right about this. However, the only evidence you have is from a game against one of the worst teams in NCAA BB. Should we try to be up tempo more? Maybe, but we've also seen how our guys, Goodwin specifically, look on the fast break. It's not pretty. Going faster paced against a terrible team may lead to turning a game around, and doing so against a middle of the road or better team might lose you a game that you should win. I don't think it's as simple as what you saw against that one bad team.

You can prevent these losses. Look at Houston. We were very similar to them and our game was close. They seemed to figure out a way to prevent these losses. I'm not putting the blame on anyone in particular. I think our team has a variety of personalities and styles that are making it hard for Ford and the staff to bring them together to play their best basketball, but it can be done.

Also, switching to a press we've never used and effectively turning an 11 point deficit to an 11 point lead in about a span of about seven minutes is something a good in game coach does. For all of you out there that still want to ride OSU fans old narrative that TF can't coach, here's another example of why that's not true.