MBB: USA South Conference

Started by CNU85, March 16, 2005, 12:28:10 PM

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captj

Quote from: Goose13 on January 27, 2006, 09:53:40 PM
cnu85 and captj-
    Im curious to see what kind of crowd we get this weekend. This is the first game since, sheesh, what, VA Wesleyan that all the students will be back on campus. I hope they come out in force, I know they dept is trying to promote the heck out of it.

I saw the BIG paid ad in the DP sports section yesterday, and if the students are ever going to turn out in force, this should be the game.  The afternoon game shouldn't interfere with studies or nightlife plans too much.  I hope they rock the house.

cnufan

Last check, Averett up 9 in the 2nd half.

cnufan

GC 70-68 Final over Shenahdoah.

AU was up five last check.

cnufan

Averett 89, NC Wesleyan 81 Final

cnu85

Wow!! What a game. Even when MC tied it up at 22, I wasn't worried. I figured CNU would win by 15 at that point. MC just played aweful. 32% shooting, air balls on free throws, losing a dribble when not defended. I can only remember once in the entire game thinking, "nice play" when MC had the ball. CNU was sporadic, not their best effort of the year. Gave up too many offensive rebounds to MC.

I like Selden's play and attitude. I'll make him my favorite player this year (like that means anything!). A few times when he was playing point he dribbled past Grant and was laughing. Grant couldn't keep up. MC was timid. I might get the players mixed up but it was either Grant or Lee who got their first foul with 3:57 left in the game. The other guy got his second with 1:33 left in the game.

Play of the game....Billy Mac stealing the ball at the top of the key, dribbles down the side, then across the middle, then skies from the free throw line....only to miss the dunk....still the play of the game!

Nice crowd - anyone know the attendance? Students were a force! The crowd was the reason MC had the air ball on the FT.

GC comes to town tomorrow!!!

cnufan


narch

congrats to the capts...looks like this might be a long season for my boys, but they've gotta salvage one on sunday - looks like the cnu defense really showed up today

who would've thought that the mc/su game would be a battle of teams with such dismal conference records...and the two pre-season favorites for poty have really fallen with thomas not playing very well and onyie out for the rest of the season...i certainly didn't imagine this match up would be like this - still gotta get a w...they might be tough to come by from here on out

cnu85

Narch,

one thing I always hold out hope for is how the team is playing going into the conference tournament. Regular season really doesn't matter if you can't get it done in the tourney! Maybe your boys will get it together by then.

captj

Random thoughts on the CNU (13-5, 4-1) win over Methodist (4-13, 2-3) –

The Captains dominated this game almost from buzzer to buzzer.  Except for a stretch late in the 1st half when they went to sleep (almost literally), they just dominated the Monarchs.  And they did it the way they have won most of their games this year; with a smothering defense.  I heard on the radio before the game that CNU was 9th (I think) in the country in fg% defense at 38% for the year.  The Monarch's 32% in this game is only going to improve that number.

The Captains were on fire offensively in the 2nd half.  Either that or Methodist just quit and stopped defending.  We shot 69% from the floor, 80% from long, and 83% from the charity stripe.

Although this was another great TEAM effort, there were also some strong individual performances as well.  Barton had 10 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals, and 6 assists to just 3 turnovers.  Blasingame protected the paint with stifling defense and had 11 rebounds and 5 blocks.  I found myself hoping that the Methodist post players would try to shoot on him.

Jeremy Romeo hustled the entire game.  He dove for loose balls, defended Seth Thomas most of the game, and shot the rock like he did last year.  He ended up with 18.  Thomas ended up with 8 points, with half of those near the end with CNU's 3rd team in the game.  And, oh yeah, it was his birthday.  Happy birthday Jeremy.  I hope a lot more of our guys have birthdays on game days.  I think this is the third time this season we've had a birthday boy play great in a winning cause on his birthday (Purdham and Barton were the others).

At times Korey Lewis was unstoppable.  I continue to be amazed that he can miss so many oh-so-close shots that rim out or just don't seem to fall the right way.  I'd still like to see him collect more rebounds.

Jahmar Claxton was his usual effective self.  10 points on 4 for 5 shooting, and 6 rebounds in just 15 minutes off the bench. 

Edward Riley also tough off the bench with 8 points on 3 for 5 shooting and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes.

Although the Liz Moore & Associates Team Player of the Game Award went to Claxton, I think that the broadcast team blew that call.  The Captains were lead, once again, by Donta Selden.  He was 7 of 8 from the floor, 1 for 1 from long, and 3 for 3 from the free throw line for 18 points.  He collected 5 rebounds, and did it among the trees.  His 6 turnovers ruined what was an almost perfect game.

And in reference to the question from a few days ago about players staying out at halftime for non-basketball award ceremonies; Matt Coleman was recognized for academic excellence (along with about 100 other student-athletes).  I was glad to see a basketball player being recognized, and don't have a problem with him missing the strategy session.

Now the Monarchs –

What was up with Shuford?  Did he lose his jersey again?  Zero PT in the first half.  Zero points in the second half.

Did someone slip Radmanovic a sleeping pill at halftime?  In the first half he had 9 and 7.  In the second he had 0 and 0.  He had just one foul in the game, also in the first half.  He played 9 minutes in the second half and did nothing.

I don't see a POTY on this team.  Like I said above, Thomas was shut down by Romeo, who is 3 inches shorter.  Grant was pretty good, but I'm not overly impressed. 

The flagrant foul by McDonald (I think) on the Romeo breakaway was totally uncalled for.  Sometimes you should just let them go in for the score.  Sure, he was successful in preventing Jeremy from landing hard, but what if he hadn't been able to?  Taking a shot at a guy who is in the air and completely vulnerable is just cheap, and that's what it was; a cheap shot.

Bring on Greensboro!!!!

captj

Quote from: cnu85 on January 28, 2006, 06:27:32 PM
Play of the game....Billy Mac stealing the ball at the top of the key, dribbles down the side, then across the middle, then skies from the free throw line....only to miss the dunk....still the play of the game!

That was a pretty incredible play.  When he started to descend it looked like someone had thrown him from the rafters.  He was that high.  And the miss was because he was too long on it, not short.  And I really think that fat zebra blew the call at the buzzer when he waved off the similar dunk that would have made it a 20 point win.

Here's a play for CJ to implement - have the other guys on the team spread the defense as wide as possible, isolating Billy Mac and his guy at the top of the key.  There's not a player in this conference that could prevent him from slamming it home.  His ball handling, speed and height are unstoppable one-on-one. 

leroy

CaptJ,
I give you credit for past posts and won't just dismiss you as nuts (as you have of GCGullet), you are usually quite entertaining...but your comments on the CNU/MC game were unusual to me?  CNU outplayed MC no doublt, but....

1.  It was Grant (not McDonald) called for the flagarant.  I guarantee you he had two things on his mind, one being to not give up two easy points and two being to not hurt Romeo.  IMHO it was a bad call to be a flagarant foul.  Regardless of the call, (I guess I could see how it could be flagarant if i squinted hard) it was not a cheap shot or a dirty play.

2.  That 9th in the country defensive FG% stat is inflated due to competition. 

3.  What abou that really tall sub- did you see him get a defensive rebound and then do an Allen Iverson-like killer crossover in the paint of the other team only to have it stripped for an easy bucket.  I'm pretty sure just putting the ball over his head and passing would've been just fine there.  Bottom line- his two highlights were MISSING a dunk and dunking one after the buzzer sounded.  I'm not sure if that is enough to be considered unstopable one on one by anyone in the conference?

Anyway, just thought those were interesting posts? 

captj

Quote from: captj on January 29, 2006, 10:39:30 AM
The flagrant foul by McDonald (I think)

You'll see that I wasn't sure that it was McDonald.  Either way, taking a shot at a guy that is in the air and completely vulnerable is IMHO a cheap shot.

And when did I say that Gullett was "nuts"?  I actually admire a guy that goes to the board strong for his team, even if I don't agree with him.

And about the poor decision that Billy Mac made... maybe that's why he's warming the bench.  That doesn't have anything to do with his ability to go to the hoop when he's isolated against one guy.

cnu85

Quote from: leroy on January 29, 2006, 12:52:43 PM
CaptJ,

A -  (I guess I could see how it could be flagarant if i squinted hard)

B - That 9th in the country defensive FG% stat is inflated due to competition. 

Responses -

A - I had to squint hard, too. I almost missed the guy carrying Jeremy out of bounds and almost into the first row of bleachers.

B - I would agree if it was still early in the season. People seem to forget that CNU has played 3 teams that, at the time, were ranked opponents. Also, since CNU is continuing its defensive play into the conference, I'm assuming your post means that the conference is weak and thus "inflating" the stats??? I'd have to check the % for conference games only. Narch can look that up - it's his specialty. Either way, the stats are what they are. I agree if CNU was in Wisconsin, the stats might be different. You just don't know for a fact, you can only speculate.

cnu85

Another dominating win for the Captains! Time to head west and try to steal one from SU. It's not going to be easy!!

captj

I've been thinking about the flagrant foul call on the Methodist defender yesterday afternoon.  I'll retract the "cheap shot" comment and change it to "VERY irresponsible".  I agree wholeheartedly that shots should be contested, but when the defender doesn't even go after the ball and hits him hard when he is in a vulnerable position, that is VERY irresponsible.  Those two points are not worth injuring someone over.  These guys are incredible athletes, and you can't tell me that the defender didn't make a conscious decision that he was going to do whatever it took to prevent Romeo from scoring.  Cheap shot?  Maybe that's too harsh.  But it was very, very irresponsible, and in my humble opinion, there is no place for that type of play in basketball.  It's just not worth it.