former_d1 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 November 10 Open With Shelby Metcalf Classic Lamar, Louisiana Tech, St. Louis Don't know if this is a repost or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basketbill Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 From Dallas Mornig News 7/18 "The men's basketball program at Texas A&M took a major step last spring. This season's nonconference opponents will reflect the improvement. The Aggies will play Final Four qualifier LSU at Baton Rouge, coach Billy Gillispie said Monday before an A&M Club dinner at Fair Park. It will be a rematch of LSU's 58-57 second-round win in the NCAA Tournament. LSU returns three starters, including slimmed-down center Glen "Big Baby" Davis. A&M also will play at Auburn and host Pacific, which has made three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. Already on the schedule was a meeting with UCLA, another team from last year's Final Four, at the John Wooden Classic in Los Angeles. Several basketball analysts questioned A&M's nonconference schedule last season. The Aggies finished 22-9 and earned an at-large NCAA berth. "I think it will be very hard to criticize [now] because we really upped the level of our preseason deal," Gillispie said. "The people who have criticized us in the past, I'm not mad at them. I think we deserved the criticism. We were doing what it took for us to play well in conference and to give ourselves a chance to be a postseason team." A&M also will host the Shelby Metcalf Classic in November, named for the longtime Aggies coach, Gillispie said. Lamar, Louisiana Tech and St. Louis will complete the field. Gillispie was joined by football coach Dennis Franchione in speaking to about 1,400." good to see they are playing LSU, UCLA, and Auburn too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Is this a tournament or just two games? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Lamar was 17 and 14 adn Lousiana Tech was 20 and 13. Coupled with Texas A&M, this seems at first better than some of our standard pre-conference games but you never know how one year will play out in the next. What's the difference between a tournament and two games? This sounds like one of those Fifth Third Bank Classics or M&T Bank Classic or something where three below water teams come to some big name U. around Thanksgiving or Christmas and play two games with the two-game winner declared Champion. While it doesn't mean much in the long run for most teams, it can jump start another. Ask GeeDub about beating Maryland in DC the few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Lamar lost their leading scorer and rebounder Alan Daniels, a kid we recruited, to graduation. Even when you take into account that Lamar averaged around 82 ppg, he put up some gaudy numbers -- 23.5 ppg 6.7 rpg. Similarly, Louisiana Tech lost their standout performer Paul Milsap, who put ridiculous numbers of 19.6 ppg and 13.3 rpg. On paper, we're the 2nd best team in this field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikenbooster Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I thought this was a 6 team, three game tourney. mhg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshoe Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 we will play all 3 teams and at the end the team with the best record will be declared champ. From a realistic standpoint it is imperative that we go a minimum of 2-1 in this tournament. With a tough non-conference schedule and an A-10 schedule that doesn't help the RPI we can't have any slip-ups in games like these. A repeat of the Paradise Jam a couple years ago would be a disaster. I believe Louisianna Tech lost their top player last year, a guy that had led the neation in rebounding for threee straight seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 See, here we go again...let's go 2-1(MEDIOCRITY!)...screw it, let's go 3-0. Why should TX A&M scare us? Forget the Paradise Jam...this is the new age for Billiken Basketball. Two all conference Frosh (one an all american),All conference NBA draft camp invited Center, three juniors who have racked up significant minutes and a talented enigmatic senior vying for the other two spots...this year, the mantra should be accept no prisoners, no moral victories (except maybe UNC), no excuses...just wins and the NCAA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillikenTX Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 While I agree that mediocrity should not be accepted...Texas A&M will be a top 15 team this year with several of their key players back who made a run in the NCAAs. Acie Law will be a good test for Kevin and Tommie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 You spend the whole summer hand wringing over every little nuance of our recruiting and now 2-1 is unacceptable. Take a deep breath dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshoe Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 1)going 3-0 in that tournament (including a road game over a top 25 team), 2)winning at SIU, or 3)winning at home in an electric environment vs. a young UNC team I'd take door #3. So save the moral victories for a close game against SIU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I haven't been wringing anything over recruiting. I'm just joining the crowd that is tired of accepting 4 games over 500 and saying we're on the right path. We've got the pieces in place to have a decent team...and then we get, "let's hope we go 2-1 in this thing." Why is everyone going to be content with beating Lamar, Louisiana Tech, and then losing to T A&M and call it a great weekend? We've got to knock some of these people off. Why not T A&M? They play a lot like UB's style. In your face defense, scores in the 50's, we shouldn't concede anything to the Aggies...C'mon Brich, time to expect more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Let's shoot the moon...3-0 in the Aggie tourney...upset UNC...and who cares what happens at SIU...as long as they don't blow us out. No one's gonna be depressed over that kind of start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 How is beating SIU a moral victory? Every loss to them is painful, it doesn't matter how good they are in a given year. I'm a believer that there are no moral victories. Moral victories won't get you in the tournament. I also don't like to choose which tough games are the most likely victories. Let's try to win them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I HOPE, not expect, us to beat every ranked team on our schedule. An away game against a ranked opponent is a game 98% of the teams in the country hope to win but expect to lose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Yeah, Pistol...i really don't understand that way of thinking at all. We should predict/hope for a moral victory against SIU, but at the same time expect our team to be recruiting blue chippers? How does that work? If we are going to think big time, a loss to a valley team is unacceptable (and don't cite their record...they are a mid-major team in a mid-major conference). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Yeah, Pistol, that's the way to think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 There are no Moral Victories...they don't put (MV)after L do they? I want us to beat SIU, but the choice was which do you prefer? A 3-0 start and a win against a top 15 is my first choice...should be a hell of a confidence booster...then ride that wave to a win over UNC for some national exposure, hey Santa Clara beat their championship team why can't we beat a younger version? If SIU goes our way, great, but if both the above happen I'm not slitting my wrists over a loss to the Salukis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 imo, we should expect to win that damn tourney, beat siu (bruce weber aint there anymore) and play unc to the wire and let's flip a coin on the outcome. all likelihood, we get our favorite st charles county cop ref who blows us at the end just because he has the power to do so. pollard has become my most hated ref. however, there is a lot of potential with these a-10 clowns. i just dont recognize them yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willie Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I think your totally off base on Pollard. I think he can become our Zetcher,that is give you that big call when you need it and the game is on the line. I can't remember what game but I remember one home game, and Brad was going to get T'd up by another ref, and Pollard ran over and got in Brad's face which kept him from getting the T from the other ref. Roy your just pissed that Pollard called a couple of ticky tac fould on Kevin in the shootout. Compared to what I saw in the A-10 Pollard is the Eddie Hightower of the league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SShoe Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 >Let's shoot the moon...3-0 in the Aggie tourney...upset >UNC...and who cares what happens at SIU...as long as they >don't blow us out. No one's gonna be depressed over that >kind of start. of course that's the goal, but realistically 2-1 in the tourney sounds fine. Especially when you consider how poorly Brad's teams usually start the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 pollard did screw lisch in the shootout, but i dont remember him ever being our knight in shining armour. i remember him playing the "i'm in charge" and just deal with it. that said, i do agree that even he is better than the clowns we have seen from the a-10. i just dont know their names yet enough to make it personal.......yet. i need to watch the games this season with wayne. he loves em all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshoe Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 "I also don't like to choose which tough games are the most likely victories. Let's try to win them all" So as fans we shouldn't discuss which games are winnable and which are most likely losses? I'm taking it you aren't a fan of any threads that predict how the season goes unless everyone predicts a perfect record. Of course we want to win them all but this aint 1976 Indiana. You guys all took the moral victory thing the wrong way. SLU72 said that UNC could potentially be a moral victory and all I said was we are more likely to beat UNC at home then SIU on the road so if there is a moral victory, a close game at SIU would be it. I don't care if they play in the Valley or not, SIU owns our ass in Carbondale and in my opinion they are probably the 2nd most unlikely win of the season, trailing only the game in Philly vs. St. Joes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willie Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Wayne has never seen a ref that wasn't out to screw the Bills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikan Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 One big problem with this tournament is the timing. These will be three tough games, with the one against A and M on their home floor being a real tough outing. The fact that the games are so early will make it tougher in terms of the unknowns of chemistry of this team as it relates to the rotation and the young big men. On the other hand, two of the other teams will need to adjust to losing players who had major roles. I know the coaching staff views this three game set as a very big challenge. Everyone would love to go 3-0 but beating a top 15 team on the road early in the season will be incredibly difficult. The other games are winnable but no walk in the park. If we can win at least 2 of 3 then it should help our RPI and strength of schedule because these are teams that are projected to do well in their respective conferences. Our team is still relative young in the backcourt but with a senior center and some experienced juniors to help our young stars we could really surprise some people. I know I sound like a broken record but the key will be our shooting. This team has enough talent and defensive toughness that we can beat almost anyone if we can shoot the ball from the outside at a decent percentage. If we shoot well we will be very tough to beat. If we clang jumpers all over the place then we will have gutwrenching defensive games that will come down to the end. I have high hopes but I still need to be convinced that we can shoot the ball well before I jump on the bandwagon that we are a good enough team to go 3-0 in this tournament. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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