MBB Game 31 Northeastern, 2/25/23 (Sat), 2 PM

[Wags]

Wags, you are such a tool lol - kudos for following my jock for an entire season, I can think of a couple of posters on this board who likely love it and have the same hard on for me

Excuse me? YOU were the one texting ME about the team all season. I simply responded every time. So let's get the record straight on that one.

I stand by every statement I made at the time - it was all true, and deserved. The OOC in fact was solid, I loved it, but in no way was it murderers row like you want to make it sound. Losing to MTSU, Mason, and UMass was garbage. And add on an embarrassing loss to A&T. So yeah, they were going down a bad path.

Not deserved at all. Completely detached from reality. You don't know basketball as well as you scream to everyone from the mountaintop that you do if you think Thomas, Plotnikov, Williams (hurt early and didn't play, remember?) would all come in and magically, instantly gel with Estrada, Dubar and Carlos, who deserved a second season (not a mere few games) to grow from last year, and the same for Speedy to grow as a head coach off only one year in that role with a sigbificantly different team than last year. Sorry, but you're not realistic. Basketball is a game of chemistry and that chemistry (like I've told you all season) often takes time.

Whatever you think about the OOC schedule, it was simply not the CAA schedule aside from a few games against the other upper echelon teams aside from HU. How you could think that they should've (SHOULD HAVE, not could have) been dominant during OOC play, and how you'd think that they couldn't improve and eventually dominate like they did against a largely weaker during CAA play shows that maybe you didn't know as much as you like to tell everyone you do. This team grew as the season went on. You have to allow for that instead of saying their entire season is done because they lost to Middle Tennessee in Canada the day after Thanksgiving.

This was "They'll never win a title without a bench" when I said they would - and they did (both titles) - from three years ago all over again.

To your credit, and I fully give this to you, you correctly called the rollercoaster - was just telling Stu how you were spot on - the entire college basketball season has been wild for all teams from the top down - very unpredictable.

Which is exactly why you don't call it a season in November and December. If you know this, why be so shortsighted and impatient instead of letting it play out like I suggested?

But I wonder - if the team hadn’t turn their season around, would you have done the same to yourself, taking yourself to task quoting every post since who knows when?? Lol doubtful. I know we all need our little joys in life, so enjoy!

Wouldn't have been necessary because unlike you, I didn't claim to be a Hofstra Basketball Nostradamus all season. I simply said you're bailing on the team way too soon, let them play the games and let's see what happens.

Yet you should be careful, the nets haven’t been cut yet. I don’t want to hear one excuse from you. If they don’t dance all this is just an afterthought in the books. For the record I think they absolutely can - I think CofC is going to be a big mountain, but hey so will HU.

Right, as I've already agreed with you countless times this season, so why would I have an excuse if they don't?

And finally, all you really needed to say was your one line in that lecture: “you’re right.” I know I am. As much as you hate it, I call it like it is at the time, and it’s 9 times out of 10 the truth. That’ll suffice next time brother

You're right? About what? You had them buried. season over, in November, December, January, even after they beat Charleston for goodness sake, only to come here and congratulate them for all of the things you said they couldn't do, which I told you all along they COULD do if you gave them half a chance to do.

Is the job finished? Of course not. We all know it's ultimately about the NCAAT. But they are a far cry from "3 or 4 seed - mark it," and "this team isn't good and has already been exposed," and "Speedy (extended by HU today, by the way) hasn't impressed at all," and "Charleston's going to wipe the floor with HU." Right? Hardly. Your calls this year reminds me of that Honeymooners episode when Ralph tells Alice, "Okay, so I made some mistakes. Nobody's perfect," to which Alice replies, "You are. You've been wrong every time."

Opinions & predictions are fine. We all make them and we all get some wrong. But having a Mike Francesa level of being adamant, arrogant, and completely dismissive of any other view - only to be proven wrong later - and then to still not admit it after the fact - is just comical. Being the loudest in the room doesn't make you correct or accurate, it simply makes you the loudest.

[Flying Dutchmen]

Great honor, great accomplishment by the players and the coaching staff. Outstanding finish to the season.

The defensive improvement has been remarkable, all it took was abandoning the zone. Now that we have some defensive depth, we can play man to man without much concern about foul trouble. Amazing elevation in game from WW and NBY inside, we led the conference in blocks! Both players have given us a lot down the stretch.

If you told me NIT in November, or after the A&T game, I would have signed up so fast I would have set the paper on fire. The stakes have risen now though, but I believe this team competes well enough on both sides of the ball to become champions.

I cannot believe my concern for the conference tournament is our offense. I think we peaked offensively when we went up 16 in the first half of the Drexel game. My main concern in DC is we go ice cold from the perimeter.

I can't describe it without sounding insane, we were in such a groove for weeks offensively, there was like an aura around the team. It seemed magical, and I felt it leave when we got up 25-9 against Drexel. Felt like the air left the building. The offense has been functional, but clunky ever since. The team had an ethereal stretch from the 2nd half of Elon to the 1st half against Drexel, maybe the best I've seen a team play at Hofstra, so in control on both sides of the ball.

I digress, enough of the Aaron Rodgers-like ayahuasca trip. Our perimeter shooting has fallen off. We're going to need to shoot over 35% to beat Charleston if we get to the final, and frankly I don't think UNCW is a gimme either. TT has been a model of consistency, but Estrada needs to find his shot again.

The big X-factor is Carlos. We're not going to win in the semis or finals if he puts up donuts. JC needs to hit three pointers, or else we're not going to have enough firepower to take down Charleston. Hitting a few shots also helps Carlos run the offense, SBU and Northeastern just collapsed inside on us to take away passing lanes. It was especially prominent in the Stony Brook road game, if Carlos hit a few shots early, we probably win that one going away like we did in the first meeting.

[Wags]

The big X-factor is Carlos. We're not going to win in the semis or finals if he puts up donuts. JC needs to hit three pointers, or else we're not going to have enough firepower to take down Charleston.

Or just score at all. He only made one 3 and only attempted two at Charleston but he went 6/11 overall and scored 15 huge points.

I think Plotnikov, with his energy, his D, his own 3-point shooting and his ability to patiently wait and pass on 3s that aren't there - to get to the rim and throw down some powerful dunks that get the whole team energized - is going to have at least a key stretch or two as an x-factor during the tournament. Maybe that'll be against Charleston in the final or against UNCW or Drexel in the semis. He only played three minutes with little impact at Charleston but maybe that'll be a lot different if HU and C of C meet again.

[dutchPride86]

So, last night NBC News mentioned our win over NE at 6 pm, but did not say that we won the CAA regular season title. Bruce Beck, the usual sports anchor, was still down in Florida at spring training. He probably would have mentioned it.

Tonight, Bruce was back, and he reported on both Fordham winning 20+ games this season and Iona winning their conference title today. He interviewed Rick Pitino (didn't we beat him this year?). He also said that Fordham Coach Keith Urgo would be on his Sports Final show tonight.

Bruce usually treats Hofstra well. I hope our sports information dept. reaches out to him. Maybe he will shoot out to Hempstead to report on our team before they leave for the CAAT.

Good call here, seems like Bruce Beck has joined the bandwagon:

https://twitter.com/BruceBeck4NY/status ... 7764039681

[HUSID80]

Yes he has, better late than never!