GDT Vs Mason

[joe_davola]

Definitely a beer spiller......

Kshoe has mastered the art of blasting the refs with no spillage.

I know we have the student section on one end to rip the refs, but trust me when I say that having Kshoe on the other end of the court is the exactly what we want. Passionate and not afraid to rip the refs when needed.

[jimbofive]

I rarely comment on the cheerleaders but a school with over 30,000 students ought to be able to do better. If Jimbo were here, I think he'd say something about "Shovelfighters".

i'm here. those "cheerleaders" looked like they made out with a bunch of bug zappers.

[slufan13]

How about Jett's final free throws in regulation. Most times you don't get that call on the road.

Yeah I think that's my point. You don't always get that call. And eventually we might not (@VCU @Chaz). It was a foul without a doubt but we all know that doesn't mean anything.

I just went and looked at the game tracker and this is not accurate. Manning was the only front-end missed.

Yeah we didn't miss many front ends. But I agree with whoever said earlier that making more free throws throughout the game changes the game. Maybe GM has to start fouling earlier. Like with 60 left instead of 30. Maybe they start to throw up more desperation 3's and we get extra possessions. They certainly don't wait until 8 seconds left on that last possession to get a shot up and they probably don't crash all 5 guys to the boards on the play and we get the rebound.

We didn't play very well last night. GM is a tough team. Road games are tough. We only beat URI by 1 on the road. We have some kinks to work out. But I'm enjoying the ride and I have confidence that the free throws will get back to our normal % and that we'll make the adjustments needed to play with the best teams.

The biggest thing for me is that we don't beat ourselves. I can't stand missed free throws or giving up offensive rebounds or silly turnovers. If a more athletic team just has their way with us, then there's nothing we can do.

[Box and Won]

i'm here. those "cheerleaders" looked like they made out with a bunch of bug zappers.

Honestly, they were the worst I've ever seen. Highly disappointing for a massive public university.

[Billiken Rich]

Honestly, they were the worst I've ever seen. Highly disappointing for a massive public university.

Up there with UMSL for pure unadulterated awfulness

[cheeseman]

I just went and looked at the game tracker and this is not accurate. Manning was the only front-end missed.

I am certain MM missed one - may have been in the first half though - remember that he took the shot and everybody thought it was a 2 shot foul - even the announcers were surprised, GM finally grabbed the rebound.

[cheeseman]

0 shots attempted in the second half. 0. As I said, others did have solid 2nd halves, but 0 shots is unacceptable for a player as talented as McCall. Deferring to the hot hand is a part of the game, but 0 shots attempted is a disappearance. And balanced scoring does matter. If current trends continue, it seems that if JJ has an off game, we lose.

He made a lay up in OT - if JJ has an off game then my guess is MM shoots more - my point simply was that only one basket can be scored per possession so what difference does it make who scores it.

[brianstl]

I am certain MM missed one - may have been in the first half though - remember that he took the shot and everybody thought it was a 2 shot foul - even the announcers were surprised, GM finally grabbed the rebound.

Went through the play by play on ESPN and Manning was the only front end miss.

[cheeseman]

Yeah I think that's my point. You don't always get that call. And eventually we might not (@VCU @Chaz). It was a foul without a doubt but we all know that doesn't mean anything.

Yeah we didn't miss many front ends. But I agree with whoever said earlier that making more free throws throughout the game changes the game. Maybe GM has to start fouling earlier. Like with 60 left instead of 30. Maybe they start to throw up more desperation 3's and we get extra possessions. They certainly don't wait until 8 seconds left on that last possession to get a shot up and they probably don't crash all 5 guys to the boards on the play and we get the rebound.

We didn't play very well last night. GM is a tough team. Road games are tough. We only beat URI by 1 on the road. We have some kinks to work out. But I'm enjoying the ride and I have confidence that the free throws will get back to our normal % and that we'll make the adjustments needed to play with the best teams.

The biggest thing for me is that we don't beat ourselves. I can't stand missed free throws or giving up offensive rebounds or silly turnovers. If a more athletic team just has their way with us, then there's nothing we can do.

I agree about the foul on JJ but once the refs called a foul on DE at the end then they kind of had to make the call for JJ at the other end.

[Billiken Rich]

I agree about the foul on JJ but once the refs called a foul on DE at the end then they kind of had to make the call for JJ at the other end.

You're asking for consistency from A10 refs? For the road team? Are you looking for peace in the Middle East too?

[moytoy12]

I am certain MM missed one - may have been in the first half though - remember that he took the shot and everybody thought it was a 2 shot foul - even the announcers were surprised, GM finally grabbed the rebound.

Yep, I remember that too, but don't recall the shooter. It was in the 2nd half though. I'm surprised if we really did only miss one front end of a 1-and-1.

[MB73]

+1

It isn't like we manhandled VCU, we beat them barely, by one basket... and that's at home. Be afraid of the away game.

George Mason, the other major "athletic" conference opponent, we needed overtime to beat them both times, here AND at home. And, let's be clear, GMU is NOT GOOD. They are not a good team. Their record going into tonight was 9-16, 2-9 conf., and the fact that it has been so difficult to beat them should be troubling.

The only two really good teams we've played this year, we lost.

These results are indicative of the kind of team we've been lately: win the first or second round of the tourney, but unless we catch absolute fire probably not penetrating into the deeper rounds. Joe Strauss is definitely onto something here.

To call him an idiot, particularly over that observation, is really quite ignorant.

We do not know how good we are because we have played a very weak schedule, and yes lost to the two GOOD teams we played, though it was very early in the season and we had not jelled, adjusting to losing KM and CE.

Beating VCU by 2 at home to Vegas (and many) means VCU is better than us (4-5 point home court advantage for SLU).

Las Vegas has us tied for 30th. 10th in the AP & USA is sweet, but there are so many teams we are ahead of in the AP & USA... Louisville, Creighton, Mich St, VA, IA, Wisconsin, IA St, Ky etc that have played superior schedules to ours and have taken some losses but also beaten some top 10-25 teams.

So we need to wait for the end of season 5 games which will be difficult (letdown potential) because we have almost clinched the regular season crown, then the A-10 Tourney, then the real test in the NCAA's. Can we win two games? If we play a front line beef laden power conference team, how will we fare? It is unknown, we might just keep kicking ass. But until then, Strauss, who is an assh*le, has a point.

[bomble]

Some photos from last night

[JMM28]

i'm here. those "cheerleaders" looked like they made out with a bunch of bug zappers.

They were awful. NBC should have used a few of them as a segue to a special Olympic promo.

[Dwayne's_World]

I guess I don't understand the logic of pessimism but what's wrong with "burying your head in the sand" to ignore the team's "issues"? I'd rather ignore them. Why in the midst of the best Billiken season in modern history led by the best Billiken class ever would I WANT to imagine this team getting burned due to the kinks they haven't worked out yet? I'm gonna go ahead and enjoy the ride.

Last year's team was totally dominant, but it didn't work out for them did it? I don't think a single fan thought the Oregon loss, however much of a fluke it was, was a good enough end to the season. I'm still getting over it.

Plus, acknowledging a team's issues as a fan doens't fix them... The more we say the FT shooting sucked or whatever is not going to make the guys get better at FTs. So what's the point?

I understand the board is about discussing any and all aspects of Billiken basketball, but some posts are massive downers. Killing the buzz.

+1000

[BillikenLaw]

Saying we lost to the only two really good teams we played is a disgrace. The we are undefeated in the A10 which is a REALLLY REALLY good conference.

Right, I suppose this just depends on what your standards are. I guess to me, roughly speaking, to be considered "good," you need to be invited to the NCAA. To be considered "really good," you need to be ranked highly on the AP poll. And frankly, when the PAC-12, ACC, B1G and BIG XII exist, I don't understand how you can call the A-10 a "REALLY REALLY good" conference with a straight face. What does that make those conferences? OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD ORGASMICALLY PHENOMENALLY KNOCK-UR-SAWKS-OFF good?

So far we've had two chances this season to show we can beat the kinds of teams we need to be able to beat if we want to make a deep run in the tourney. Both times, we failed. If you want to call pointing that out a "disgrace," then go ahead, but it truly is what it is.

I think the issue he has and I have with your post is that it was pure negative/pessimistic drivel without any analysis. By way of your name I assume you are a lawyer or involved with the law profession, so some sort of reasoning or analysis to back up the negative/pessimistic notions you spew would be appreciated. For instance, please explain with some proof your statement that: "These results are indicative of the kind of team we've been lately: win the first or second round of the tourney, but unless we catch absolute fire probably not penetrating into the deeper rounds. Joe Strauss is definitely onto something here." How so? Are you setting yourself up to be the mb tough guy who says "I told you so" if/when we lose?

Let's not forget the context in which I was speaking. Joe Strauss made a (what I consider to be) fair assessment based on what he's seen. Let's look at the tweet specifically so that there isn't any misunderstanding:

For this, he was called a moron in this thread and brushed off as some guy who doesn't know what he's talking about. Is what he said really all that unfair? His point is that we're going to have to beat teams better and more "athletic" than VCU and GMU if we're going to make a deep run in the "Big Dance," and so far we've struggled mightily against the best the A-10 has to offer on that front. We've won against the best the A-10 has to offer on that front, sure. But playing those kinds of teams that are just a little better than VCU or GMU seem not to bode well for us.

If you want to call that purely negative drivel, then whatever. We can only discuss what we see and what we think.

[JMM28]

I think the issues with Mason are deeper than just generic "athletic" term. Some teams just match up well with others. We've seen it with a terrible Rhode Island team the last few years.

Also - we should remember that from here on out, a top 10 team is playing. That adds a level of "this is our" Super Bowl" thing with opponents. SLU is taking the best punch from everyone the rest of the year.

[Billiken Rich]

+1000

Right, I suppose this just depends on what your standards are. I guess to me, roughly speaking, to be considered "good," you need to be invited to the NCAA. To be considered "really good," you need to be ranked highly on the AP poll. And frankly, when the PAC-12, ACC, B1G and BIG XII exist, I don't understand how you can call the A-10 to be a "REALLY REALLY good" conference with a straight face. What does that make those conferences? OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD ORGASMICALLY PHENOMENALLY KNOCK-UR-SAWKS-OFF good?

So far we've had two chances this season to show we can beat the kinds of teams we need to be able to beat if we want to make a deep run in the tourney. Both times, we failed. If you want to call that a "disgrace," then go ahead, but it truly is what it is.

Let's not forget the context in which I was speaking. Joe Strauss made a (what I consider to be) fair assessment based on what he's seen. Let's look at the tweet specifically so that there isn't any misunderstanding:

For this, he was called a moron in this thread and brushed off as some guy who doesn't know what he's talking about. Is what he said really all that unfair? His point is that we're going to have to beat teams better and more "athletic" than VCU and GMU if we're going to make a deep run in the "Big Dance," and so far we've struggled mightily against the best the A-10 has to offer on that front. We've won against the best the A-10 has to offer on that front, sure. But playing those kinds of teams that are just a little better than VCU or GMU seem not to bode well for us.

If you want to call that purely negative drivel, then whatever. We can only discuss what we see and what we think.

We are currently 6th in the RPI behind the ACC by a whisker. Is the ACC "orgasmically" better than us? It doesn't appear so from where I'm looking. Is 0.5653 so much higher than 0.5618? Please explain how the ACC is Really good while we are only good.

Are you sure you didn't do your undergrad at Marquette?

[Dwayne's_World]

The number one team in the country LOST last night to BC. Anyone can win on any given day in college basketball. George Mason is a good athletic team, but the fact is that we found a way to WIN. Come tourney time, it won't matter if we win by 2 or 10 or 30. Some need to take a chill pill. Rob Loe was right when he said last night that this team is the best he has played for because they used to LOSE games like this.

I did want to see Reggie match up defensively against Wright or Allen. I think that if we come up against these athletic teams in the future, he will be the key to shutting down their power forwards that are often too much for Dwayne to handle in the paint (that Oregon small forward did the same thing to us last year). Hopefully reggie can continue to work on his D and contribute defensively down the stretch.

[slufan13]

2010-2011 Butler:

Lost to Duke and Louisville in early in non conference. Lost to the 2 teams that "were the types of teams you have to beat to make a run". Went 13-5 in the fcuking Horizon League which is significantly worse than the A10. Knocked off #1 seed Pitt, # 4 seed Wisconsin, #2 Florida, #11 VCU. Ended up losing in the title game. For everyone that wants to point to athleticism, this SLU team is far more athletic than that Butler team.

2009-2010 Butler:

Lost to Minnesota, Clemson, and Georgetown early in non-conference. Went 18-0 in the Horizon League. Lost in the last seconds in the National Title game. Knocked off #1 seed Syracuse, #2 seed K State, #5 seed Michigan St. They had some great players (Hayward) but we have some great players too.

Stevens is a great coach. Yes. But Crews can be too. This group of seniors can help put together a gameplan like they have all season. We can adjust to beat anyone.

[brianstl]

The number one team in the country LOST last night to BC. Anyone can win on any given day in college basketball. George Mason is a good athletic team, but the fact is that we found a way to WIN. Come tourney time, it won't matter if we win by 2 or 10 or 30. Some need to take a chill pill. Rob Loe was right when he said last night that this team is the best he has played for because they used to LOSE games like this.

I did want to see Reggie match up defensively against Wright or Allen. I think that if we come up against these athletic teams in the future, he will be the key to shutting down their power forwards that are often too much for Dwayne to handle in the paint (that Oregon small forward did the same thing to us last year). Hopefully reggie can continue to work on his D and contribute defensively down the stretch.

Reggie should have gotten minutes last night and needs to get minutes @VCU. We will need him come tournament time.

[slufan13]

To add to my previous post:

2012-2013 Wichita St:

Lost to Tennessee early in non conference. Went 12-6 with a loss to SIUC in the MVC.

Beat #8 Pitt, #1 Gonzaga, #13 La Salle, #2 Ohio St. Were up 12 with 10 mins left on #1 and eventual National Champion Louisville in the Final Four.

[kshoe]

My reaction to GMU's three-pointer at the end of the first half was up there with some of Kshoe's epic explosions.

Both kids were still awake at that time and it was all I could do not to let the 4 letter words go flying...

[brianstl]

2010-2011 Butler:

Lost to Duke and Louisville in early in non conference. Lost to the 2 teams that "were the types of teams you have to beat to make a run". Went 13-5 in the fcuking Horizon League which is significantly worse than the A10. Knocked off #1 seed Pitt, # 4 seed Wisconsin, #2 Florida, #11 VCU. Ended up losing in the title game. For everyone that wants to point to athleticism, this SLU team is far more athletic than that Butler team.

2009-2010 Butler:

Lost to Minnesota, Clemson, and Georgetown early in non-conference. Went 18-0 in the Horizon League. Lost in the last seconds in the National Title game. Knocked off #1 seed Syracuse, #2 seed K State, #5 seed Michigan St. They had some great players (Hayward) but we have some great players too.

Stevens is a great coach. Yes. But Crews can be too. This group of seniors can help put together a gameplan like they have all season. We can adjust to beat anyone.

Those Butler teams had two NBA players on them. They had some athleticism.

[slufan13]

2005-2006 George Mason

Lost to Wake Forest in their only decent Non conference game. 15-3 in the CAA. Beat #6 Michigan St. #3 and defending champion UNC. #10 Wichita St. #1 UConn. Lost in the Final Four.

But yeah. We haven't shown that we can beat anyone so we'll be out after the first weekend.