Team is Improved, but Still a Disappointing Weekend

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Polito
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Team is Improved, but Still a Disappointing Weekend

Post by Polito »

1-2 is no bueno in year 5 for me. Played solid competition, but not one ranked team so it wasn't that crazy. Should have absolutely beat Auburn tonight - this team has talent and depth, lead at half, and as usual blew it. I'm definitely feeling very let down after the potential of the Dayton win.

Now that is nothing more than the FSU fluke.

It's obviously early, but I am expecting a lot more from this team this year - players and staff need to get this right and start making some real noise.

It's the OOC, so of course it's not the be all end all, but it is an indicator. I am happy to see some clear improvement, but for me, the expectations are VERY high.

Hope they come back with a chip on their shoulders and start taking care of business.
Last edited by Polito on Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
Cards
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by Cards »

Disappointments so far:

Angus - He obviously is a blue collar kinda player, works hard, no flash. I think against our typical competition (caa) he will be OK and dependable. Once the competition level steps up a bit, he is out of his element. Lacks speed and can't jump more than 6 inches off the floor. He will help us in conference play, but he will not be an asset in higher level games.

Wormley - How is it that this guy is in foul trouble in the first 5 minutes of every game?? He is not a freshman, so there is no excuse. He also is NOT a point guard - not even close! He start and plays lots of minutes and finishes with 1 or 2 assists. What's up with that? If he put up 20 a game I think differently, but he is not bringing much to the table. Maybe his "D" is better than DB (because of height) but even that is questionable. I was hoping for much more from him.

Rok - Play more aggressively on both ends of the floor. Geeez, your the size of a sequoia but when you get the ball 5 ft from the hoop, you kick it out. C'mon and take charge out there. And on "D", we have seen you play stretches with good inside defense - do it more often. Its obvious you're trying not to foul, but geeeez, you're a senior, you should have learned by now how to play tough and still stay out of foul trouble. If your playing hurt, get better before we get to conference play.

It would be easy to pick on the freshman, but I'll refrain. They don't even have a half dozen college games under their belts - they get a pass for now.

This team will do fine in conference play, I'm not really worried about that. I am concerned that we might not draw top recruits and talent because we don't appear to be a top mid-major on the rise. I just don't see us as a team that top 100 teams are fearful of playing. Maybe the school is OK with .500+ winning percent, I am not. Its not just about making the dance (although that's a big part of it), its about being a team that other mids don't want to play and major programs fear playing and losing to a mid. It is certainly taking JM too long to figure things out. His overwhelming emphasis on offense turned out to be a detriment that took him to long to see. I think he's realized the CAA is much better than what he was used to. I wonder what the first 4 years would have looked like without Green being around. I am finding myself thinking that maybe JM is not the right guy to carry the team to new levels. He certainly got us on the right track with respectable student/athletes and a decent college program. Maybe that's as far as he can take it?

Look, I am pulling for the team and for JM. By all accounts he is a first rate guy. But there is no denying that there is something missing on this team. I don't know if its attitude, coaching, injuries, or style of play. Whatever it is, we will be good, but not really good. I don't want to settle for good. We will continue to have a lackluster fan base if we are only good! :cry:
Polito
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by Polito »

Yeah, I'll tell ya, one of the bigger disappointments from the weekend is Angus surprisingly. I have been really excited about him, potential impact is clear, but he got flat out put in his place in these last two games. Team really needed him to man up. Hope he learns and gets better from this. Believe (and hoping) he can still do damage in the CAA.

Wormley... well, sorry to say I called this from day 1 of his recruitment. Positives: size and he does play D with some intensity. Downsides: sigh, I'm not going to go there again (did all summer, and nailed it). He seems like a good kid who cares and plays hard. But as you all know, this isn't CYO and that just isn't enough. Pulling for him to turn things on/around, whichever it is.

BUIE SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY PG. Will say this to the staff until I'm blue in the face - it's not debatable. He should've started THIS game. :? :roll:

Rokus: I mean, not trying to be a know-it-all or a jerk because I like him, he has real value, but flip side is been calling him out for his soft kitten play for 2 years. A LOT of wasted potential. Kid should be an NBA draft lock and should be the dominating force leading HU to the promised land. Staff needs to sit him in front of a mirror and explain the image. What I wouldn't give to attach Uter's brass pair on him... would be a national all-american type player. Again, still time, and I'm pulling for him - team needs him to be a MAN.


Agree fully on the frosh, even I give them a pass this year. :D


P.S. Cards, my man! Your last comments just confirmed you are my kind of dude my friend. A round on me at the next event.
cactus
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by cactus »

The weekend automatically wasn't disappointing after they beat Dayton.

Clemson and Auburn have better raw athletic ability and talent. Unless Hofstra brings their A game, they're not going to win those games. If Pemberton didn't play fantastic they would have been blown out twice in a row.

Still only November and there are 6 new guys on the team (7 if you count Coburn). This league doesn't seem close to good enough for multiple bids this season, so the losses are just a learning experience.

Need Rok to get back to playing like he can and JWF to stop forcing so many shots. Would like to see Buie and Sabety play more.
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Flying Dutchmen
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by Flying Dutchmen »

This thread is like looking at a clear, blue sky and complaining that it's not red.

Am I disappointed we only took 1 of 3 in the tournament? Sure, I want us to win every game. But Auburn and Clemson are in the Pomeroy top 50. It's frankly unrealistic to expect a mid-major with the roster turnover we had coming into this year, to handle power conference teams in succession this early in the season. If we saw progress in this tournament, then it was a success, and I thought we saw tons of progress.

The Dayton win was obviously great, but I was pretty bummed we got worked by Clemson after playing with them the first 18 minutes of the first half. I thought we lost focus and kind of quit, or at least did not believe we could win that game in the second half. I know why we were in the zone the whole time, but it was completely ineffective as usual. The loss of focus was what really disappointed me though.

I felt a lot differently about the Auburn game. I didn't realize they were loaded with so much top-100 talent. We played with tons of confidence in the first half, I thought we had some chances to extend a lead, but overall, I can't complain with 64% from the field. The 18-0 Auburn run sucked, but it was a bit of a turning point for our team. In the Clemson game, we let them run away with it, but we regrouped well against Auburn, actually played some defense for stretches, and even manufactured really good looks that could have made it a close game. The shots didn't fall, but I was very impressed that we regained our composure to make it a competitive game.

Polito, you have to refer me to the doctor prescribing you the drugs that make you think Rok should have been an NBA lock. I love Rokas, but he's the worst D-1 shooter I've ever seen. He shot 29% from the line last year. There's a reason he chose to come to Hofstra from Oak Hill, no major conference program would ever sign a 29% free throw shooter, unless they were Shaq.

Regardless of his extremely obvious limitations, Rok was our most consistent player against major conference competition. He fought his ass off for boards, he moved the ball well from the post. He elevated his game, while playing the majority of the game managing his fouls because Sabety became a liability against the athletic forwards of Dayton/Clemson/Auburn. I mean I wish Rok was Porzingis too, but the player he actually has become is very effective in the CAA. It's an embarrassment to question his toughness, he's played injured a lot here.

Angus is coming from the OVC as an undersized PF who plays below the rim, coming off a major, season-ending injury. Who thought this guy was going to be Charles Barkley? He's given us solid minutes so far, and like every player on our team, he struggled against the more athletic lineups we faced. He's already better than anyone we had in that forward spot last year.

Wormley, it's been four games. I also like Buie as the starter, but Wormley has flashed good athleticism, as he gets more acclimated with running the point in our system, he should have a larger impact. The luxury of having Wormley and Buie is that Wormley can play aggressive early, and if he gets in foul trouble we have Buie ready to play, who himself is coming off of a major knee injury.

You can say what you want about Mihalich. I criticized his staff's recruiting prowess and inability to play defense last year, but I thought they rebounded to put together a team that could be a contender in the CAA this season. Before JM even coached a game at Hofstra, I had concerns because he beat exactly one power conference team in his tenure at Niagara, I wasn't sure his system could translate even to the CAA to have success. But his Hofstra teams have looked competitive against major teams, the most competitive since Jay Wright. TP's and Mo's teams would have gotten smoked in a tournament like this, D.O.A. performances, but we performed well overall this weekend.

I get the idea of wanting higher expectations, but how can you land on the moon before you invent the wheel. This team looks pretty good, like a team that can compete for the CAA title. That would be a huge bounce-back from last year, and would have our program definitively trending upward.

The negativity (you can frame it however you want, but that's what it is) is so unjustified after a solid start to the year. I just don't get it.
HUSID74
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by HUSID74 »

Would you all have preferred that we lost to Dayton and then beat two cupcakes? I for one am pleased that we beat Dayton, gave Clemson and run early and then LED AUBURN at the half...we competed and showed we are MUCH better than last year, and IMO CAN compete for the CAA title this year. NUFF SAID>
Mike34
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by Mike34 »

If JM utilizes the team properly, then I'm sure we could compete for the CAA title this year. However, JM unfortunately doesn't do that.

I also said this all of last season, and the fact that it is still an issue is extremely concerning.
HUSID74
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by HUSID74 »

Mike34 wrote:If JM utilizes the team properly, then I'm sure we could compete for the CAA title this year. However, JM unfortunately doesn't do that.

I also said this all of last season, and the fact that it is still an issue is extremely concerning.
How would you propose he use the team differently?
Mike34
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by Mike34 »

Rotation. Fresh legs on the court as often as they are needed (ex: Rok being gassed for majority of the game last night with no sub, not effective). The team has the talent to keep a good rotation going, so there's no reason why JM shouldn't have figured this out by now!
ProudofPride
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by ProudofPride »

We don’t know what goes on in practice or walkthrough that makes JAM decide when to use each player.
Dooku25
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by Dooku25 »

Haven’t joined the party on the boards this season until now, but here are my 2 cents. I’ve watched all 5 games so far and all things considered, I like this team.
Of course we have some question marks, but I’ve seen enough to confirm we can compete for a CAA title this year.

I'm ok with what happened this weekend down in Charleston. They beat Dayton, which is a team that is as good or better than any team in the CAA. And they led basically the entire game. That win put is in the winners bracket so it gave us an opportunity to play 2 power conference opponents. Clemson did not take us lightly, they played all out for 40 minutes and are simply a better team. I was not as disappointed in that performance as others. We competed for awhile until they pulled away in the 2nd half. I was only able to watch the first half against Auburn, and obviously that was a good half for us. Pearl must have lit into his team at half time as they came out on a 18-0 run but we still had it down to 77-70 late which is a good sign that our team will not quit.

Overall, I like our talent and depth at most positions.
Pemberton looks great in year 2. JWF is scoring his points, although less efficiently so far, I am not worried about a talent like his. He will dominate in the CAA once again. We will go as far as these 2 can take us.
For the first time in years we have quality bigs and depth. Sabety needs to play more as others have mentioned. And I think we should see more Trueheart than Radovic at this point. He has a redshirt season under his belt. Angus looks like a quality add and should do fine in conference play.
The only worry is PG. Not sold on Wormley yet, but I will give him more time. I like Buie a lot, and maybe they were cautious with his minutes down in Charleston, coming off a major injury. He should play more at the season goes on I would think.

This is a team with several new players and it needs more in game experience to gel. That is what the OOC schedule is for. If we stay healthy, I like our chances in the CAA this year.
daHUPride
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by daHUPride »

Me
- not disappointed in 1-2 record and thought we played all the top teams (other then Temple)
- agree more frequent subs and better use of our deeper roster
- wouldn't completely judge the showing of this squad we had against the longer athletes we played this weekend compared to what we will play in the league
- no idea how KW gets in foul trouble so quickly; and like DB better at the PG spot
- think that JA is a role player; not a stud
- this team doesn't have one guy on the roster that we can practice against that plays D like the big men we faced this weekend - so those easy pass on the interior that might work in practice - isn't fooling anyone on Dayton, Clemson or Auburn
- RG is still very important to this team - he isn't what he was 2 years ago - his role needs to redefined
- I like the upside of this team - I hope JAM uses the roster to its fullest and not just go 6 deep
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Jojogunne
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by Jojogunne »

I would like to see us start Buie, JWF, Pemberton, Trueheart and Sabety -- at least for one game. See what they can do, and send a message to Wormley, Angus and Rok.
stuball888
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by stuball888 »

Agree withJojo. Wormley to me is NOT a point guard. I️ think he had Zero assists against Aurburn. Also would like to know the assist to turnover ratio of both Buie and Wormley Even this is right up your alley
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HofstraHockey
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by HofstraHockey »

This team is 3-2, with their only two losses coming to Clemson and Auburn.

Looking for anyone who a month ago said they would be disappointed right now with this result.
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by EvanJ »

stuball888 wrote: Agree withJojo. Wormley to me is NOT a point guard. I️ think he had Zero assists against Aurburn. Also would like to know the assist to turnover ratio of both Buie and Wormley Even this is right up your alley
I'm assuming "Even" is supposed to be "Evan." Unlike some statistics I post that require research, anybody can find their assists and turnovers at http://static.caasports.com/custompages ... ofstra.htm and Hofstra and big sites like ESPN probably have that also. Buie has 18 assists and 8 turnovers for a 2.25 ratio. Wormley has 10 assists and 9 turnovers for a 1.11 ratio, which is slightly higher than the CAA average last season. Hofstra's opponents have a 1.37 ratio, which is better than 8 CAA teams last season.
stuball888
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by stuball888 »

thanks Evan I know I could count on you. Sorry for the typo.
Pride97
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by Pride97 »

Last year CoC won their first three games. The next three were:

UCF - loss - 40-60
Wake Forest - loss - 61-78
Villanova - loss - 47-63

They lost to LSU a few weeks later by 10. They were a good defensive team which probably kept them in these games (and the scoring down), but that’s three losses to majors - 4 if you count the AAC. They ended up with 25 wins and I think we can all agree that they had a good season.

Obviously they lost in the title game to UNCW, but they had a very good season.

My point being that these two loses shouldn’t define what this team can or will be. I’m not saying we are on our way to 25 wins, but who knows?




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HUSID74
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by HUSID74 »

Mike34 wrote:Rotation. Fresh legs on the court as often as they are needed (ex: Rok being gassed for majority of the game last night with no sub, not effective). The team has the talent to keep a good rotation going, so there's no reason why JM shouldn't have figured this out by now!
We played nine guys vs Auburn...should we have cut minutes for JWF and Eli, they played the entire game...the only pt issue you could question was Sabety only getting three minutes.
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Jojogunne
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Re: Team is Improved, but Still a Very Disappointing Weekend

Post by Jojogunne »

Well, we didn’t win with JWF and Pemberton each playing 40 minutes. Maybe they would have benefitted from some rest in each half. Tired legs = missed shots.


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