VCU Game Day Thread

[3star_recruit]

If there are they don't get as much playing time as ours does. Shaka recruits players who fits his system. If he finds a white one who fits he will recruit him, I believe. I wish Crews would try to fit a system to the players style instead of trying to make the players fit a style that might not be right for their talents.

I often hear this refrain but what successful coach actually fits a system to the players style? (Guys who can just bring in a bunch of Hamburger All Americans and out-talent you don't count). Even in your initial statement you admit that Shaka recruits players who fit his style. Tom Izzo has a style and recruits accordingly. Bo Ryan has a style and recruits accordingly. Mark Few has a style and recruits accordingly. Even in the NBA the championship coaches play a style and sign the players who fit that style. Unfortunately in Crews' first recruiting class he had to scramble in the spring to get players. Ash and McBroom are not good fits for what wants to do. His first full recruiting class are much better fits but most of them just aren't physically ready to compete.

[Bay Area Billiken]

This board gets so upset with "trolls" yet they have their own with Bay Area Douchbag. "VCWho" was played out last decade. Thanks for the laughs, though.

Your team got absolutely owned by our freshmen and sophomores and it will only get worse for you next year. Peace.

VCWho guests-

You must not like California, the nation's most populous state by far, since your Gimmick came out here to San Diego, laid a major egg in Round 1 of the '14 NCAA Tournament and lost to Stephen F. Austin of the Low Con Southland Conference. Now that is a whole lot with which to be proud and blow those tubas. "You don't want to go to war, with the RAMS!" Evidently your Rams didn't want to go to war in San Diego either.

This was after you lost to a slightly above average #4 Seed St. Joe's team in the A10 Tournament Final, and after you lost the year before to a superior SLU team, not once, but twice, including the A10 Tournament final.

As for VCWho, true story- when SLU played your VCU in the '10 CBI, I showed the CBI bracket to a fellow SLU graduate, here in the Golden State. The person asked, "Who's VCU? The Viet Cong?" When advised of same, another SLU grad said we didn't want to get into an extended ground campaign with the VC, as the last one didn't turn out too well.

Despite your claims, if I took a little survey tomorrow morning at 2 stations on the BART line, say in Walnut Creek in the East Bay on one end, and in Downtown San Francisco on the other, and asked 10 people at each end who VCU is, how many would know the answer? Would even 1 person know? I frankly doubt it. So yes, you are still very much VCWho.

As for your Gimmick, that's a big part of your problem. You are like a poor man's SEC, whose fans see the need to self-promote so called "Big Boy Football." But it's better termed Big Mouth Football.

That's VCWho in a nutshell, Gimmick, Big Mouth, look at me, because you have to do that stuff to get noticed, just like your double deck bus riding around Manhattan. Did the bus go with you to San Diego too?

You are a cross between Big Mouth Football and the old Cincinnati teams, except without the talent those Cincinnati teams had, players like Kenyon Martin.

You will not win the A10 Tournament this year either. You will not be picked here to go far in the brackets.

Your fellow VCWho visitor's analysis of SLU recruiting is most interesting too. Gee, might you guys think that the legendary SLU Coach taking a medical leave and dying wreaked some "havoc" with the SLU recruiting the last 2 years? You know about "Havoc," right?

Oh and by the way, I always know I've won a debate when the other side resorts to personal attacks and/or name calling. But you're VCWho. What more should be expected? After all, you once were in part the "Richmond Professional Institute."

Would you rather we refer to you as RPI than VCWho? No, that won't work, there's already another RPI. How about the VC? We could save typing time and bandwidth, ecology, you know. After all, this is California here. You nice folks should know all about California by now.

[Cowboy]

-we lost by 20 but still had 4 timeouts in our pocket at the final buzzer, what should I think other than the coaches don't know what to tell the players? I am perplexed

[Bay Area Billiken]

-we lost by 20 but still had 4 timeouts in our pocket at the final buzzer, what should I think other than the coaches don't know what to tell the players? I am perplexed

I keep wondering if Jimmy must think he can take those timeouts back home with him, put them in the bank, and save them for a rainy day.

I'd much rather he exchange some of those banked timeouts for some yanks.

No more bank, no more yank!

[Bay Area Billiken]

I often hear this refrain but what successful coach actually fits a system to the players style? (Guys who can just bring in a bunch of Hamburger All Americans and out-talent you don't count). Even in your initial statement you admit that Shaka recruits players who fit his style. Tom Izzo has a style and recruits accordingly. Bo Ryan has a style and recruits accordingly. Mark Few has a style and recruits accordingly. Even in the NBA the championship coaches play a style and sign the players who fit that style. Unfortunately in Crews' first recruiting class he had to scramble in the spring to get players. Ash and McBroom are not good fits for what wants to do. His first full recruiting class are much better fits but most of them just aren't physically ready to compete.

In Rick Majerus' first year, he allowed Porter Moser to install a zone defense, an admittedly foreign concept to Majerus. He also allowed for pick and roll variation to the offense, allowing more 2 man game.

Last year, Crews allowed clearouts for Jordair Jett to drive to the hoop.

There is no rule etched in granite that SLU must run this motion offense and the same man to man defense. These players are like putting square pegs in round holes in this offense. Frankly, there are times I feel sorry for them.

This board gets so upset with "trolls" yet they have their own with Bay Area Douchbag. "VCWho" was played out last decade. Thanks for the laughs, though.

Your team got absolutely owned by our freshmen and sophomores and it will only get worse for you next year. Peace.

Yeah right. SLU lost by 2 at home to your team on a last second shot by your Graham, who is a Senior, not a Freshman or Sophomore, outplayed your team that night, and should have won that game.

We will see you next year.

[majerus mojo]

-we lost by 20 but still had 4 timeouts in our pocket at the final buzzer, what should I think other than the coaches don't know what to tell the players? I am perplexed

Here's an idea -- instead of pulling players the moment they commit an error, fail to box out, etc., for a little sideline pep-talk, why not use a timeout to do the same thing and keep the player in the game...

[lquarles]

Yeah right. SLU lost by 2 at home to your team on a last second shot by your Graham, who is a Senior, not a Freshman or Sophomore, outplayed your team that night, and should have won that game.

We will see you next year.

And then your team lost by 20 points tonight in a game that wasn't even THAT close, a game in which our #1 defender in the country did not play, a game in which our freshmen and sophomores scored 52 points, 2 fewer points than your entire team scored, and a game in which our tiny walk on hit a 3 pointer. Did you suddenly forget that your team played tonight?

Your team didn't outplay VCU at home. If your team did then your team would have won. Simple. You got lucky that VCU kept your team in that game by missing open shots and not paying attention to McBroom.

[Bay Area Billiken]

And then your team lost by 20 points tonight in a game that wasn't even THAT close, a game in which our freshmen and sophomores scored 52 points, 2 fewer points than your entire team scored, and a game in which our tiny walk on hit a 3 pointer. Did you suddenly forget that your team played tonight?

Your team didn't outplay VCU at home. If your team did then your team would have won. Simple. You got lucky that VCU kept your team in that game by missing open shots and not paying attention to McBroom.

SLU completely outplayed your VCWho team in St. Louis and should have won the game. Deal with it. You were very lucky to escape with a win.

You folks have a nice Warehouse by the way and a tuba centric Band.

Now go to bed and get a good night's sleep. It's late back there.

There's no need to reply. We know you need to be noticed and we know you're out there, even if the vast percentage of the populace could care less.

[Bay Area Billiken]

Here's an idea -- instead of pulling players the moment they commit an error, fail to box out, etc., for a little sideline pep-talk, why not use a timeout to do the same thing and keep the player in the game...

Bingo!

[Billikenboy]

Here's an idea -- instead of pulling players the moment they commit an error, fail to box out, etc., for a little sideline pep-talk, why not use a timeout to do the same thing and keep the player in the game...

This staff is creating their own problems with knee jerk substitutions. It hurts the team and looks like there is no strategy at all. If coaches cannot get it right how will the players do it.

[Bay Area Billiken]

Yarbrough's line: 24 minutes played, 16 minutes sat on bench, 17 points.

Can Chris May conduct an intervention with Crews like GM Mo did a couple of times with Matheny?

[Billboy1]

Maybe it's the coaches who are lost and not the players

[Bay Area Billiken]

Re the substitution patterns:

1. Yarbrough was removed at 15:43 with the score 6-2 VCU. He returned at 14:26 with the score 10-2 VCU.

2. Yarbrough was yanked at 6:53 of the first half, score VCU 22 SLU 17. He returned at 3:20 with the score 26-17 VCU. Thus, SLU did not score in the 3:33 he was on the bench.

Thus, in the first half, Yarbrough was sat for 4:50, during which time SLU was outscored 8-0.

Moving to the second half,

3. Yarbrough was removed at 14:08 with VCU ahead 41-26. He sat for 5:21 during which time SLU was outscored 10-8. He returned at 8:47 with VCU ahead 51-34.

4. Yarbrough was yanked at 5:05 after a foul and turnover with the score 62-45 VCU. He sat on the bench the rest of the game during which time SLU was outscored 12-9.

As such, during the second half, Yarbrough was sat for 10:26 during which time SLU was outscored 22-17.

For the game, Yarbrough was sat for 15:16 during which time SLU was outscored 30-17, a 13 point deficit. SLU lost the game by 20 points, 74-54.

Also, for SLU's 3rd straight A10 Eastern road game, stltoday.com has another game account from "Special to the Post-Dispatch."

[slufan13]

Also, for SLU's 3rd straight A10 Eastern road game, stltoday.com has another game account from "Special to the Post-Dispatch."

Not a mention about the game on Durando's twitter feed except for the starting lineup. Bring back Timmermann

[kmbilliken]

Re the substitution patterns:

1. Yarbrough was removed at 15:43 with the score 6-2 VCU. He returned at 14:26 with the score 10-2 VCU.

2. Yarbrough was yanked at 6:53 of the first half, score VCU 22 SLU 17. He returned at 3:20 with the score 26-17 VCU. Thus, SLU did not score in the 3:33 he was on the bench.

Thus, in the first half, Yarbrough was sat for 4:50, during which time SLU was outscored 8-0.

Moving to the second half,

3. Yarbrough was removed at 14:08 with VCU ahead 41-26. He sat for 5:21 during which time SLU was outscored 10-8. He returned at 8:47 with VCU ahead 51-34.

4. Yarbrough was yanked at 5:05 after a foul and turnover with the score 62-45 VCU. He sat on the bench the rest of the game during which time SLU was outscored 12-9.

As such, during the second half, Yarbrough was sat for 10:26 during which time SLU was outscored 22-17.

For the game, Yarbrough was sat for 15:16 during which time SLU was outscored 30-17, a 13 point deficit. SLU lost the game by 20 points, 74-54.

Also, for SLU's 3rd straight A10 Eastern road game, stltoday.com has another game account from "Special to the Post-Dispatch."

Crews looked pretty heated when he pulled him the last time. I guess that was a teaching moment. What surprised me is when we ran with them is when we made our run. I know to run with VCU has always been the thing we try to avoid, but it worked. Yarborough is very adept at running. Why not give it a try in the second half since we were struggling in the half court?

[slu72]

At this point I think it's fruitless to try and figure out the substitutions/rotations for this year's Bills. They'll say it's matchups, teaching moments, etc., but it looks like mass confusion with no rhyme or reason. Maybe JC's trying to make up for last year when he rarely substituted. If no one's distancing themselves from the what seems to be a 12 man roster of equals, why not just platoon it, ala UK?

[Taj79]

Everybody loves a winner ..... bandwagon fans (and reporters) jump ship quickly.

[Cowboy]

Everybody loves a winner ..... bandwagon fans (and reporters) jump ship quickly.

-what is your point?

[samslu]

I am watching the tape of the game. We played really well for the first 12 minutes. If they can learn to do that consistetly we will win some games the rest of the season.

Big problem was Roby and Yacoubo combined being 0-12 from the field and McBroom having the stomache flu limited his minutes.

[Taj79]

@cowboy --- just that with today's budget and newspaper failings, and without us being a huge winner as we were last year, the fair weather friends and coverage get abandoned.

[Cowboy]

@cowboy --- just that with today's budget and newspaper failings, and without us being a huge winner as we were last year, the fair weather friends and coverage get abandoned.

-okay, thanks, just wanted to see your direction with that post

-you mentioned in your VCU couch post about tv for the rest of this year, which here in STL will be fine except for Duq, but next year could be a struggle, but worrying about that now is getting way ahead of our current issues

[Old guy]

Well, what can I say, another disappointment. On to the next one, hoping for a win.

[TheChosenOne]

I am watching the tape of the game. We played really well for the first 12 minutes. If they can learn to do that consistetly we will win some games the rest of the season.

Big problem was Roby and Yacoubo combined being 0-12 from the field and McBroom having the stomache flu limited his minutes.

I would need to go back, but my recollection was that VCU came out and got the lead early with our offense again looking completely lost at least through the first 5 minutes of the game and Graham getting things going for VCU. Then we stepped up the defense slowing the pace down and got them into the half court forcing them into bad shots and offensively Milik did his thing and McBroom and Gillmann hit open 3s. That run over a few minutes was pretty much all we had in the entire game.

[MusicCityBilliken]

If we all pitch in for $345 we can get the institution version for Crews as a belated bday present

Wow, seeing that vid put shivers down my spine.

BigMouth, he coached probably before you were born (late 70s, early 80s) and that man almost single handily destroyed Billiken Basketball. It was seriously discussed among the Bd of Directors to disband the program and was a lot more then won and loss issues. Fortunately the President we had back then, Fr Fitzgerald, was very good. As bad as it is now, it is nowhere near as bad as it was then.

[BigMouthBilliken]

Wow, seeing that vid put shivers down my spine.

BigMouth, he coached probably before you were born (late 70s, early 80s) and that man almost single handily destroyed Billiken Basketball. It was seriously discussed among the Bd of Directors to disband the program and was a lot more then won and loss issues. Fortunately the President we had back then, Fr Fitzgerald, was very good. As bad as it is now, it is nowhere near as bad as it was then.

Relax. You think I was serious? I'm big mouth for a reason, I talk smack that's mad wack