Topic: GAME THREAD -- MU vs Akron

[Luke80]

Every call went Akron?s way the last 2 minutes. The call on Taylor on the and one was horrible.

[coalherd]

Surprise! Surprise!  Enrique (sp) who hit the winning foul shots for Akron is yet another opponent who set a career high in scoring!! 

Another sparkling example of the great Danny D'Antoni defense in action folks!

Oh, and of the 3 MAC games we have all on the road, it looked pretty clear that the one at Akron would be the best bet for a HERD victory.   By our play, can ANYONE be comfortable with our chances of winning ANY of remaining OOC games before entering conference play, except for tiny Bluefield?

[MicDrass1]

Mid major Marshall

[GreenWhite]

Problem is that it?s the same small details year after year.

Agree. Nothing else I can say about this. It was a team loss. Bad defense and poor foul shooting cost us this game.

[MUonium]

refs didnt cost us this game, stepping on our own feet did

[GreenWhite]

refs didnt cost us this game, stepping on our own feet did

Didn't see the game. Steve Cotton usually doesn't rip the officiating. But there were a lot of whistles. Time to put this one behind us and get ready for Duquesne at the CAM on Saturday.

[pembrook burrows III]

We choked.

[Herdforlife]

Just caught the end of the game. I feel like I just watched an Akron super fan get a chance at refing a game. Then Taylor made a freshman type play at the end, just gonna have to learn for the mistakes.

[GreenWhite]

D'Antoni still not out to talk with Steve.

[wasbarryb]

D'Antoni still not out to talk with Steve.

He's talking now.  Says we had to find five willing to fight "and we talked about it after the game."  Sounds like he was unhappy with the team and wanted to make his point quickly.

[coalherd]

Guys, from a pregame writeup in a local paper that I read, I believe 2 of Akron's best front line players, including, I believe, Freeman who had a double double along with the winning points (14 rebounds) are SOPHOMORES, with the big center who comes in off the bench, a freshman.

Does anyone else besides me seriously wonder how and why Coaches like Akron's Grose can bring in players who early on in their careers can play so efficiently and productively, while at MU we seem to have a penchant for getting too many players who come in with the team, especially on our front line, and after 2-3 or more years play as if they've never been on the floor before.  Un-excusable in my book.

Afte 8 years, this kind of stuff is getting too old

Please, no more "glowing" practice reports for a while!!

[thunderingon]

I?m sure the refs were bad but that?s expected when you play MAC teams on the road.  It was bad when we were in the MAC and worse since we left?and we scheduled 3 road MAC games in one season???  Our defense is going to be bad if Obinna can?t stay on the floor. But even with that?hit FTs and you leave out of there with a W. 

[thunderingon]

Guys, from a pregame writeup in a local paper that I read, I believe 2 of Akron's best front line players, including, I believe, Freeman who had a double double along with the winning points (14 rebounds) are SOPHOMORES, with the big center who comes in off the bench, a freshman.

Does anyone else besides me seriously wonder how and why Coaches like Akron's Grose can bring in players who early on in their careers can play so efficiently and productively, while at MU we seem to have a penchant for getting too many players who come in with the team, especially on our front line, and after 2-3 or more years play as if they've never been on the floor before.  Un-excusable in my book.

Afte 8 years, this kind of stuff is getting too old

Please, no more "glowing" practice reports for a while!!

You just gonna ignore the minutes that Touissant is giving us as a freshman and Obinna as a Sophomore?

[Herdalum83]

You just gonna ignore the minutes that Touissant is giving us as a freshman and Obinna as a Sophomore?

Yes, That's what he does. Anything to make DD and basketball seem worse than it is.

Which, is ridiculous, because there was plenty of legit things to be pissed over tonight that he didn't have to make up things, but that's what Coal Herd does.

[parshall2marshall]

I actually watch the game on ESPN, while listening to the 93.7 broadcast.  That way I get to see the game, but hear the herd partisan narrative.   Granted the radio broadcast was a little ahead of the TV, so I was able to watch the broadcast knowing what was going to happen.  That may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I like it.  I think of it as having ESP while watching ESPN.

I thought I had brought us back to victory by turning the no-clue homer ESPN+ announcers sound down at half time.  ;D

[coalherd]

Yes, That's what he does. Anything to make DD and basketball seem worse than it is.

Which, is ridiculous, because there was plenty of legit things to be pissed over tonight that he didn't have to make up things, but that's what Coal Herd does.

Look what their two front line sophs did tonight and tell me about the careers of Miladinovich, Byers, Marko, in 3rd or 4th years thus far.  Open your eyes. Yes, OAK has played pretty well overall, and tonight the fouls definitely hampered him.  But their freshmen off the bench played decently too, no better or worse overall than Touissant played.  But their 2 sophs DOMINATED the inside, scoring and rebounding.  Our bigs haven't shown the ability yet to do that.  Granted, our two veteran guards are look upon as to be our main scorers, Taylor and Kinsey.  But, if you can't see that we need a lot more from some combination on our front line guys, in terms of scoring, defense and rebounding, or we aren't going ANYWHERE.

If you can't see that, its on you.  Sorry reality upsets some people too much. Too damn bad.

[wlf]

I think Taylor and Kinsey were just tired at the end of the game. Marshall struggles with  defense, either quick guards drive to the basket or big men become all Americans. I don?t even know if their guard or whoever?s driving to the basket have to be quick to get around our defense.

[Toro Toro Taxi]

Yes, That's what he does. Anything to make DD and basketball seem worse than it is.

Which, is ridiculous, because there was plenty of legit things to be pissed over tonight that he didn't have to make up things, but that's what Coal Herd does.

It would be alot easier for him if he just cut and pasted his comments every time we lose , its the SAME thing OVER and OVER .

[Herdalum83]

Look what their two front line sophs did tonight and tell me about the careers of Miladinovich, Byers, Marko, in 3rd or 4th years thus far.  Open your eyes. Yes, OAK has played pretty well overall, and tonight the fouls definitely hampered him.  But their freshmen off the bench played decently too, no better or worse overall than Touissant played.  But their 2 sophs DOMINATED the inside, scoring and rebounding.  Our bigs haven't shown the ability yet to do that.  Granted, our two veteran guards are look upon as to be our main scorers, Taylor and Kinsey.  But, if you can't see that we need a lot more from some combination on our front line guys, in terms of scoring, defense and rebounding, or we aren't going ANYWHERE.

If you can't see that, its on you.  Sorry reality upsets some people too much. Too damn bad.

Again, lots of legit things to complain about, fact is we aren't very good. That's the reality. We have some nice pieces, but we don't have enough to put a full puzzle together.

But, the things you complain about, while having some factual basis somewhere, get totally invalidated by your ridiculous exaggeration to attempt to prove a point that very few would dispute if you'd stop the hyperbole. Like for example, you've complained all year about us "jacking" up threes "like always" despite the fact we take fewer threes this year than ever before and less than the average D1 team to this point of the season.

[coalherd]

Again, lots of legit things to complain about, fact is we aren't very good. That's the reality. We have some nice pieces, but we don't have enough to put a full puzzle together.

But, the things you complain about, while having some factual basis somewhere, get totally invalidated by your ridiculous exaggeration to attempt to prove a point that very few would dispute if you'd stop the hyperbole. Like for example, you've complained all year about us "jacking" up threes "like always" despite the fact we take fewer threes this year than ever before and less than the average D1 team to this point of the season.

Well, 83, you and THF have a problem with reading comprehension.  I did not "rag" on ALL the front line players on the HERD.  I said Danny has a " . . . penchant for getting too many" of such players who are just not playing at a high enough level to give us the success we all desire.  If you think we are getting such play consistently from the likes of Miladinovich, Marko, Byers, well, then that's an area we will just will just have to disagree on.

And if we continue to pile up losses throughout the season with the difference being game after game the play of the respective front lines of the Herd and its opponents, then, well, just live with it.

[herdfan129]

I really didn't understand his rotation tonight, and honestly just can't understand why he will not play a zone when it is absolutely clear his team can not compete with the other team's bigs.

Oh well, just like football anymore, you have to be sooooooooooooooooooo good or it doesn't matter what your record is anyway.  But wow, sloppy final three minutes.

Bigger question is why we waste time in practice working on a zone defense when he's too stubborn to run it during a game.

[herdfan129]

I think DD has taken us as far as he can or ever will. Probably time to CONSIDER other options.

Same stuff, different week. Same stuff, different year. No excuse for this.

Also, stop blaming the refs. They called a consistent game all night. Akron coaches just realized it and drove/attacked the basket and then made free throws. We didn't attack the basket nearly enough and didn't make the free throws.

Bright spot tonight was Early seemed to come on a bit tonight. We will need that from him throughout the rest of the season.

[MUther]

By the time we get to the point where people start talking about what we can do the rest of the season, I've already lost interest.  That means the first part of the season is dogsh-t.  I know we'll probably end up with 20ish wins and a game or two in the tournament and a top 150 RPI, just like every other year.  There's no surprise.  There's no "Hey those guys are pretty good."  Same as football.  Where's the magical 28 or 29 win season that a lot of other teams get to have once a decade or so?  We get reruns. 

I'm gonna say this and I don't care what the repercussions are, but we are the worst evaluators of basketball talent in the history of this sport at this point in time at Marshall and for the last several years.  The old man may be able to work with guys that already made an NBA squad, but he couldn't find a guy that could get to the NBA through college if he wanted to.  Kinsey can jump out of the gym but he doesn't have the tools to be more than a highlight reel.  We've had guards that no one can even remember their names that were better at getting the ball to the hoop or to another guy that could than Taylor.  The only legitimate talent we've had during Dan's tenure was Elmore, who fell into his lap, and spent his senior year waving at the cameras instead of winning ball games.  CJ was too inconsistent his senior year to be included as a top talent.  Too many wasted scholarships to count.  Too many projects to ever finish one.  And on top of all that we have an apparent system that you can't play in unless you're formally on the Ethiopian National Team and half starved to death or the complete opposite and the floor sags when you run down court. 

The new slogan for Marshall sports should be "Just wait 'til next year."  And then repeat.  At this point not winning a single game would at least be a change and somewhat interesting.  Stagnant and mediocre sucks.  I, too, thought Dan was onto something after 2018.  It was a fart in a jar and now it's gone along with the smell of victory.  This sh-t right here is why people don't go to games and make our sports a big enough priority to show up in droves.  Feels like a chore to go down there, find parking, get herded through the cattle gates and get to your seat to see the same crap you saw the last game, win or lose, and that you saw the last season, and the last 5 years, except maybe one year and even then it was a lucky tournament win not a complete season.  We were a missed layup away from losing that game to WKU in the finals.

Wish them all the best but I'm completely apathetic to basketball.  Don't watch on TV, don't go to games, don't usually even check scores unless I see a thread here.  Just don't care.  Past time for change.  Might not matter at this point.

[lexkyherdfan]

We have no business being in position to lose to Campbell at home and at Akron. I don?t care that Akron ?almost? beat Ohio State. We almost beat Indiana.  Just like we have no business losing to MTSU or Charlotte in football.   Oh sure?some will argue what has Marshall down in basketball that says we shouldn?t lose to those teams?  Well we are perceived to be in a better conference.  We win a NCAA tournament game more recently, we actually win a pay for pay tournament.   We simply don?t recruit enough talent to go with the good ones we do get like Obinna.  And I don?t understand the whole it takes a while to learn our offense.  We run a lot of pick and roll.  Spreading the floor and running sets with a potential kick outs  to the corner isn?t hard.  I am sure I am missing something.

We had a nice mid major schedule that we could be successful with and look good going into the conference play but I am not optimist we will have a bunch of wins. I hope we do but when we head to another ASUN member EKU in a week or so we will be in big trouble if we aren?t ready for 49 minutes of pressing and have the ability to score.  You can bet EKU will be ready for us. While AW would love to be at Marshall he will be fired up to take us down. The last time we were there we ruined his home opener there in front of almost a sell out. 

And I don?t want DD to be successful and be here.  Something just isn?t right and it shouldn?t take this long.  I truly hope things change the rest of the OOC portion of the season and we get a bunch of wins. Sure CUSA is a one bid league however other one bid league teams win lots of games and get respect.  Why not Marshall?  Winning helps bring fans (just like football) and better recruits.

[MicDrass1]

We lost West & Williams - big losses especially most impactful in early season and will show again deep in season as well.