Around the A10 20-21 season

[billikenbill]

59 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

La Salle played no one --- Fordham is that bad.  Announcers did say Fordham was 'COVID ravaged' and I know they have only played two games but I thought it was just pauses all over their schedule.  I do not know how many of their players were actually affected/infected.

From the broadcast, Fordham's players were confined to their rooms a total of 46 days, could leave only to pick up pre-packaged meals. Fitness consisted of pushups, situps, and whatever could be figured out to do in their rooms. There's a reason why they were picked 14th in the league as their talent level is low, but if all that covid-related inactivity is accurate, they've had no chance to improve.

[Compton]

1 hour ago, billikenbill said:

From the broadcast, Fordham's players were confined to their rooms a total of 46 days, could leave only to pick up pre-packaged meals. Fitness consisted of pushups, situps, and whatever could be figured out to do in their rooms. There's a reason why they were picked 14th in the league as their talent level is low, but if all that covid-related inactivity is accurate, they've had no chance to improve.

Additionally, just in terms of incoming talent, Fordham's coach's contract is up at the end of this season. It's got to be nearly impossible to recruit when kids don't know who they're signing up to play for their sophomore year or after sitting for a year as a transfer. 

[brownwolves]

And here comes the St Bonaventure University BROWN INDIANS !

ps if he cold weather doesn't get ya the Covid-19 virus will. The Tiwn Tiers Communities along the NY/PA boarder is getting hit hard. The SBU President has now contacted the Virus.

 

[CBFan]

2 hours ago, brownindians said:

And here comes the St Bonaventure University BROWN INDIANS !

ps if he cold weather doesn't get ya the Covid-19 virus will. The Tiwn Tiers Communities along the NY/PA boarder is getting hit hard. The SBU President has now contacted the Virus.

 

Good hearing from you nice win for the Bonnies.

Lofton’s 3 reminded me of Crutcher’s 3 against SLU last season what a huge shot.

I am glad that the refs did not fall for the leg kick out and flop on the last shot.

Happy New Year.

[Bay Area Billiken]

3 hours ago, brownindians said:

And here comes the St Bonaventure University BROWN INDIANS !

ps if he cold weather doesn't get ya the Covid-19 virus will. The Tiwn Tiers Communities along the NY/PA boarder is getting hit hard. The SBU President has now contacted the Virus.

 

I saw Lofton’s shot live, clutch.

I was glad the refs didn’t bail out Richmond at the end.

[HoosierPal]

15 minutes ago, Bay Area Billiken said:

I was glad the refs didn’t bail out Richmond at the end.

From my viewpoint, Burton's 5th foul was on Gilyard.  Gilyard did the grab.  Burton didn't touch the Bonnie.  Burton stays in the game, and would that have changed the outcome?  Never know.

[HoosierPal]

11 hours ago, billikenbill said:

From the broadcast, Fordham's players were confined to their rooms a total of 46 days, could leave only to pick up pre-packaged meals. Fitness consisted of pushups, situps, and whatever could be figured out to do in their rooms.

That is brutal, both physically and mentally.  We will be in a form (hopefully much reduced) of this situation when the team is cleared. 

[Bay Area Billiken]

4 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

From my viewpoint, Burton's 5th foul was on Gilyard.  Gilyard did the grab.  Burton didn't touch the Bonnie.  Burton stays in the game, and would that have changed the outcome?  Never know.

That was a horrible call. A10 refs gonna A10 ref.

[Taj79]

Absolutely right blown call.  The excuses made for Gilyard who apparently constantly grabs is that his rep as a national leader in steals allows this.  A FOUL IS A FOUL.  Not to defend the refs but the announcers did point out that many fouls are a matter of sight-lines.  That was my gripe about French's fifth foul in Minnesota.  The whistle was blown on anticipation, not reality.  Ditto these guards throwing their heads back faking getting hit ---- if you are a ref behind the players back and you see his head jerk back, what do you think?  It's along the lines of Francis kickign his legs out to hit Osunniyi to draw the foul as well.  

As I said, the Bonnies have to try and win ugly.  They don't have a lot of firepower and are constantly hoping someone, anyone, steps up the way Holmes did yesterday.  Lofton is good, Welch is streaky and Osunniyi has nothing outside five feet.  

Neubauer was supposed to be axed at Fordham when the AD stepped down.  But he only has one year left so Fordham must've thought why pay two guys for the same crappy year.  I don't think you can ever win at Fordham.  Ditto for La Salle and Geedubya.  Mason is a death knell.  I have Paulsen gone at the end of this year too.  Duquesne has had like five coaches since we joined the A10.  I think Schmidt's kids are all out of high school so I think a good year there and he gets offers elsewhere.  Don't know if he takes them but he does seem to win a lot for what he's got to work with.  

Mason beats Umass at Amherst.  La Salle beats Dayton in Dayton.  The Bonnies win in Richmond.  Richmond wins at Davidson.  Getting ready for a season of league cannibalism, with a touch of pandemic added.

[Littlebill]

Bonnies are the second best team in our league, imo. Richmond doesn’t have enough guys, and UD is struggling with the league doormats. It’s a shame Bona’s noncon got wiped out, because it would take a hell of a lot to get a bid at this point

[TheA_Bomb]

There's normally ups and downs in College basketball and I think it'll be more volatile this season with all the starting,  stopping and uncertainty. So I'm not sure I'd place Welder U as solid #2.  Week to week it'll be Richmond, VCU or Welders in the 2 spot.  Our veteran led team and depth is a definite asset.   I'm interested to see how they play returning from this lock down.   I'd bet they come out swinging after being cooped up so long.

[Taj79]

Did not see Duquesne/Geedubya in yesterday's rematch ... too much football.  But to see that Geedubya had won was indeed surprising.  Must be a lot like a baseball doubleheader in that a sweep seems rare and somewhat impossible.  The great Tobi Okani followed his coming out performance with a basket for the Dukes and Amari Kelly produced a goose egg.  Matt Moyer had another great game with 15 and 14 and likely shut Carry down again.  Geedubya is certainly the three-man show of Battle, Bishop and Moyer.  They scored 59 of Geedubya's 75 points (79%).  Hughes still starting but two points and five fouls.  Typical.

he Joeys up by three with 5 ticks left.  Fatts get ball races down right side with three Joeys in close proximity and gets to the hash marks and launches.  I think he jumped inot Myles Douglas as he released and of course the foul was called.  Fatts made all three.  Overtime.  The Joeys just ran out of gas and players then ---- Ryan Daly remains out with thumb injury and now Gonzaga transfer Greg Foster is sitting out "for personal reasons."  Also they did themselves no help with foul shooting ..... 6 of 11 overall but missed key chances late in regulation that would have iced win.  Prior to Fatts' tying move, Cam Brown missed one of two free throws.  he makes that and Fatts' drive is immaterial.  Taylot Funk, who scored a career high 29, missed two with about 3.5 minutes to play as well.  Lots of clanging down the stretch.  Fatts scored twenty despite a 5-for-14 shooting night missing all three from distance.  Half his points came from the FT line.

Another typical day in the A10.

[Taj79]

How sick am I?  Actually watched a replay if the second Geedubya/Duquesne game BY CHOICE yesterday.  Bad basketball be damned.

Duquesne remains who we thought they were.  Matt Moyer pretty much shut Sincere Carry down.  There was no Toby Okani or Amari Kelly to step in with double digits numbers.  Austin Rotroff might have hit a career high with nine but it was by default and nothing planned.  Lamar Norman Jr was a non-factor; Macea Austin did show with 11 but I think all were in the first half; Dunn-Martin keeps chuckign threes; and Michael Hughes was again a non-factor before fouling out.  Something is not right there ---- Hughes did start but there is a lot of scowling and negative emotions when he gets pulled.  I don't think he'd leave middle of his senior year but he doesn't appear happy and Dambrot doesn't appear too happy with him.  Marcus Weathers continues to do the same stuff game in and game out.  He plants his large arse on the low block and pins his defender so that someone can lob the ball over that to him where he catches and lays it in.  If you play behind him, he pulls dribble-and-spin moves and draws fouls with buckets.  Sunday however, he was putrid from the line ....3 of 10.

Geedubya is really two guys ... Battle and Bishop.  Bishop needs the ball and is the point but he is very slow and dleiberate.  He i sleft-handed and likes to go left and pull up for the mid-range jumper.  Battle still likes to launch three the minute he catches the ball.  Matt Moyer is really their glue guy and is having nice games when I see him.  Hunter Dean and Chase Paar are nothing but near-7-foot stiffs and Lincoln Ball, their fifth starter, basically stands in the corner  on offense so as not to get in the way.  Sloan Seymour is supposed a three point ace but I haven't seen it and Tyler Brelsford, who played in high school with Bishop, is weak and indecisive.  Geedubya got pounded again on both boards and is weak there.  Again only Moyer seems to have any fire.  

Bishop made a three to put Geedubay up by two with 16 seconds to go.  Dunn-Martin dribbled the entire length of the court and then retreated some before calling a timeout with 6.9 left on the clock.  They inbounded to Weathers in front of the Duquesne bench and cleared out.  I guess he was to go one on one with Battle but he fumbled the ball some, tried to regroup but failed to launch a decent chance from NBA three range.  If that's what you want, why not Martin or Carry?  

Another inexplicable cannibal job within the A10.  Duquesne is not a March Madness team, they will surprise some ... like us twice last year.

 

[Littlebill]

Up to #10 NET

[Compton]

9 minutes ago, Littlebill said:

Up to #10 NET

At this rate if we don't play any more games this regular season we'll be in line for a 1 seed. 

[billikenbill]

1 hour ago, Compton said:

At this rate if we don't play any more games this regular season we'll be in line for a 1 seed. 

And all this from Sagarin's #42 ranked team. Go figure.

[billiken_roy]

53 minutes ago, billikenbill said:

And all this from Sagarin's #42 ranked team. Go figure.

if i am sagarin knowing the ncaa pretty much only uses the NET for their seeding assistance, i would be adjusting my formula.

[RUBillsFan]

37 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

if i am sagarin knowing the ncaa pretty much only uses the NET for their seeding assistance, i would be adjusting my formula.

I don't think Sagarin's goal is to match the NCAA seeding.  I'd imagine his goal is to arrive at the best objective ranking of teams from best to worst and be able to reasonably accurately predict the outcome of future games using his rankings.

[bauman]

Taj regarding your Sunday post that talked about guards throwing their heads back as if shot by a gun or arrow, the first guy I remember doing that, and getting fouls called just about everytime, was a Houston guard. ( I think his name was Gray and it was about 4 years ago. )  Since then, it has become a part of many players' games and many officials still seem to be fooled by it.  Honestly, it is the one part of Yuri's game that I dislike as he does it just about every game, when there is contact as he drives to the basket.  I would like to see refs either be consistent in not calling fouls when that happens or better yet put into the recent category of flopping, that gets a warning and then a technical. 

Let's get the European soccer acting out of the CBB game.

Again, I really appreciate your coverage of the A 10 which is the most thorough of any coverage available and interestingly enough, comes from a Billikens.com MBM. 

[slufanskip]

25 minutes ago, bauman said:

Taj regarding your Sunday post that talked about guards throwing their heads back as if shot by a gun or arrow, the first guy I remember doing that, and getting fouls called just about everytime, was a Houston guard. ( I think his name was Gray and it was about 4 years ago. )  Since then, it has become a part of many players' games and many officials still seem to be fooled by it.  Honestly, it is the one part of Yuri's game that I dislike as he does it just about every game, when there is contact as he drives to the basket.  I would like to see refs either be consistent in not calling fouls when that happens or better yet put into the recent category of flopping, that gets a warning and then a technical. 

Let's get the European soccer acting out of the CBB game.

Again, I really appreciate your coverage of the A 10 which is the most thorough of any coverage available and interestingly enough, comes from a Billikens.com MBM. 

One of the greatest actors in CBB history played for the Bills. 

[billiken_roy]

1 hour ago, slufanskip said:

One of the greatest actors in CBB history played for the Bills. 

Ellis?

[slufanskip]

16 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

Ellis?

Yep. Cody made flopping an art. 

[Cowboy]

-Blake Ahearn was 'getting shot' at DeSmet 20 years ago

 

[SLU_Nick]

Did Dayton hire Jim Crews or something? They are in a dogfight with Fordham.  

[3star_recruit]

Just now, SLU_Nick said:

Did Dayton hire Jim Crews or something? They are in a dogfight with Fordham.  

They're running out of players.  Chase Johnson had to leave the team for personal reasons, their two freshmen guards are injured, their transfer from USC is injured and now Rodney Chatman is injured.