MBB Game 02 vs. Princeton, Nov 10 (Fri), 7 PM

[Cards]

I will be at this game. Definitely excited for the first game. I am sure it will have a solid crowd as Hofstra has been promoting this pretty hard on social media. They had a huge bonfire event on campus last night too with both basketball teams and coaches.

Hope its packed tonight. Gotta bring home a W to keep excitement going.

[Pride97]

Will be there with my family tonight. Hoping for a great crowd. When I added tickets for my boys, it sounded like they were selling well. Couldn't get tickets anywhere near mine which is good an bad I guess. We've played Princeton tough the past few times we played them, so hopefully that continues.

[EvanJ]

https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=484928 has statistics.

https://www.flohoops.com/live/87582 has video.

[Pride97]

Indeed a good crowd - let’s go!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dutchPride86]

Anyone know why Tomasco getting minutes over Sunday? Feel like Speedy way overthinking it if reason is Princetons bigs playing on perimeter like broadcast suggested. Hope Sunday isn't hurt. Hofstra could really use a couple post ups to counteract Princetons swarming defense off all their ball screens.

Feel like hofstra fortunate to only be down 1 very underwhelming half

[Wags]

Anyone know why Tomasco getting minutes over Sunday? Feel like Speedy way overthinking it if reason is Princetons bigs playing on perimeter like broadcast suggested.

That would make sense with 17 of Princeton's 24 first-half shots coming from 3. But Hofstra really doesn't have much of an inside presence so far. Not that HU had giants before in the front court, but they are so much smaller up front than we're used to. Dubar has been far too quiet. Plotnikov needs to give them something off the bench.

[triplec2195]

Caught the last 10 minutes and we missed easy layups both by Carlos and Fritz. I couldn't believe the misses but give credit to Princeton playing very sound basketball on both ends. The D on Thomas was incredible he couldn't even breathe and thank God for Dubar in the second half and a couple of nice baskets from Barrouk. We needed more O output from both Carlos and Fritz. I haven't seen a box score but we normally score in the 70's. Shutting down Tyler in the second half along with a stretch of BAD turnovers hurt us as we tried to get back in this game.

[triplec2195]

Just looking at the box score and not seeing too much of this game we turned it over 14x and they turned it over 12x and had 3 more rebounds but they hit 12 three's to our 8. We gave them some wide open looks. The D on Tyler seems to be the difference in this game which is a concern I pointed out in a prior post. It looks like Plotnikov ran into a bit of foul trouble and stayed on the bench when Barrouk gave us a lift offensively. Also 9 assists from Carlos and 11 points but also 4 turnovers. This is a game we will have to learn from because Thomas is going to get double teamed beyond the arc where he makes his living all the time the same way they tried to stop Estrada.

[Polito]

Attended the full game with one of my girls tonight. We managed to have fun just because it's daddy-daughter time. My quick take: YIKES. A whole lotta bad. It's early, and I do know it's going to be a work in progress, but ... sheesh.

First kudos to Princeton. They played HU superbly. Moved the ball well creating plenty of open shots. Played stifling D, and shockingly were clearly faster than HU. The best players on the floor tonight were certainly not on HU. Sad. This isn't the Sweet 16 team either, lost their 2 best, this is a different team, and their best player didn't even play well. They never looked out of control. Impressed.

HU Good
- Not much. I'll love the arena, suppose I can at least say that - all the updates they've made, it really does look good.
- Carlos looks improved, can tell he worked hard offseason. Played hard and was effective. Still more room to grow too which is great.
- Barrouk can hit that 3 baby, thank the Lord - AND he can also play D, a nice surprise - I like this kid, get him involved more.
- Washington gave pretty good minutes. Feels like a steady guy.
- What else??? I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here...

HU Bad
- Lots to list. This team is VERY far from its goals. Looked like a hot mess for 90% of the game, missed tons of easy buckets, couldn't finish at all. Looked completely out of sorts all game - lost, frustrated, inconsistent, slow, sloppy, you name it. Need to find themselves.
- Speedy got out-coached by a coach who got kicked out 5 min in. Not a great look at home. Probably should've had your team practicing things other than shooting a million 3's vs St Joes. Speedy and staff were schooled tonight, team played even worse coming out of halftime.
- This team didn't rebound well for it's size at all. Didn't box out and the 6'10 guy was never near the basket on D. SMH.
- This team is S L O W. Cannot believe I'm saying this - couldn't believe I was seeing it - Princeton (!) torched them in speed. Not good.
- Fritz, for all the hype he better be a lot better than this - stunk tonight on both ends - get to work Parrotta.
- Tomasco is even worse, but that's not his fault - he shouldn't even be playing significant minutes.
- Dubar, VERY disappointed - looked exactly the same as last year. Completely checked out for half a game. Showed up too little too late. If that's how he going to play this year, this team isn't going anywhere regardless of whoever else.
- Thomas can't disappear as the go-to. Trying too hard perhaps. Have to hope he'll be better... can't be much more ineffective than tonight.
- This team needs Wilmoth. And pray he's actually good.
- Put an APB out for German - could've stayed at home and had the same impact.
- Saw entire team give up on plays several times tonight. They got smacked in the face and didn't respond well at all. Looked and acted beaten well before it was over. Dejected, confused, even lazy at times - Speedy had no answer, tried a million lineups, each worse than the last.


Overall, I'm just happy it's basically game 1 and they have time to improve. Staff needs to go back to the drawing board and these players need to turn it up if they plan on winning anything. Best thing about tonight is that despite how bad they looked, they didn't get blown out. They showed a few flashes. Just need someone(s) to step up and start taking some leadership, or the ceiling for this group is going to be real low. Watch the tape, then burn it, fix the BS, and get better for the next game.

Hanging my hope on it's not how you start, it's how you finish. Let's see how they respond with a few days to get their act together vs GW...

[Wags]

Based on last year's inconsistent OOC play before righting the ship en route to a 16-2 CAA record and the top seed, I'll give the benefit of the doubt. That said, with Estrada gone, key returnees having to do a little more than last year, and with new pieces having to fit in well, it remains to be seen if this team is as good as last year's and if it's capable of something similar over time. Can't overreact to the second game (first real game) on Nov. 10. For now, based on last year, these notions from Speedy deserve the benefit of the doubt until proven correct or otherwise:

"We’ve just got to tighten up a couple things, which we will, but we’ll get better. We’ll bounce back from this and we’ll be fine."

“It’s going to take us a while to gel just like [with] last year’s team, it took us a while. We pretty much didn’t hit our stride until like, mid-January [last season]... we’re going to keep getting better as the season goes along.”

[Cards]

Polito - Good summary of the game. I was there as well, and I think the overall majority of your comments are fair and accurate.

There is a lot of work to be done, but as you said, its only game 1.

[Polito]

Appreciate that Cards.

I agree with this completely - they do not know who they are yet w/out AE, and it showed, but I fully believe they will learn and grow from this - much of the poor play last night was thankfully just silly sloppiness and fully correctable in short order:

"We’ve just got to tighten up a couple things, which we will, but we’ll get better. We’ll bounce back from this and we’ll be fine."

I do NOT agree with this - don't like the mentality that basically says it's ok to stink until halfway through conf play, it's expected - that promotes the wrong thing IMO - it should NOT be expected accepted or even talked about that way. Of course the end is what matters, but work to get things right faster. Why speak like you're tossing in the towel for 2 and a half months? What does last year have to do with this year? Why can't this team rise up well before then? That's ridiculous to me. And if Speedy doesn't mean it this way he needs to say it differently next time.

“It’s going to take us a while to gel just like [with] last year’s team, it took us a while. We pretty much didn’t hit our stride until like, mid-January [last season]... we’re going to keep getting better as the season goes along.”

But I am certainly onboard with getting better and better as the year goes on - and it needs to start on Tuesday.

[joeg1]

Princeton took away the 3pt line and doubled TT, and Speedy didn't have the answer until it was too late (Dubar). Game, set, match.

This will be our opposition's blueprint- guard the three and we sputter. Speedy and co will need make adjustments before games get out of hand.

TT doesn't see the floor as well as Estrada and he struggled passing out of the double. (His best play was the baseline dunk, which was spectacular!) Princeton, to their credit, was relentless defensively- disciplined, well conditioned, well coached.

Barrouk got beat off the dribble multiple times, from what I saw. Nice catch and shoot game, but I don't see much more from him.

Not sure what to make of our post play, because Princeton basically ran a motion offense and there was nothing to defend down low. A little concerned Sunday got zero minutes...was he hurt or coach's decision? Tomasco will get eaten alive against most bigs. Fritz showed some flashes. Needs to finish with more authority.

Carlos looked good for the most part...showed nice development of mid range game. Dubar needs to be used more effectively- he has the tools to make a difference. Also need more from Plotnikov- I think he has some talent, but he seems very inconsistent.

Nice, lively crowd.

Re the ejection- thought the refs had a real quick hook. He must have said something really special. There were some make up calls that followed.

Not the end of the world, as PU is good, but we don't have many cupcakes on the OOC schedule, and we could have pulled this one out with a few more stops down the stretch.

[Wags]

I do NOT agree with this - don't like the mentality that basically says it's ok to stink until halfway through conf play, it's expected - that promotes the wrong thing IMO - it should NOT be expected accepted or even talked about that way. Of course the end is what matters, but work to get things right faster. Why speak like you're tossing in the towel for 2 and a half months? What does last year have to do with this year? Why can't this team rise up well before then? That's ridiculous to me. And if Speedy doesn't mean it this way he needs to say it differently next time.

I don't think that's what being said there. I think it's simply a realistic acknowledgment that for most teams, growth and development isn't always an instant thing right from the start, it's a process. Should the same things and same results as last night continue to happen in the early going, I think we may hear a different tune. Basketball is a game of chemistry. When you lose a two-time CAA POY and roles are shifted, new pieces are added, it's expected that there will be early growing pains as long as the journey is one towards continued progress and improvement that leads to the ultimate goal in March. I don't want to speak for Speedy, but parsing his words, I think that's what he's getting at.

[Wags]

TT doesn't see the floor as well as Estrada and he struggled passing out of the double. (His best play was the baseline dunk, which was spectacular!) Princeton, to their credit, was relentless defensively- disciplined, well conditioned

Especially Lee - he was everywhere, getting his hands on everything, very disruptive, involved in everything at both ends. And that was without him even scoring much in the first half, which he then did (in addition to everything else he was already doing) in the second half.

I was joking at the table that there must been more than one of him out there. Great player to have. Canadian, from Toronto.

well coached.

Which is especially saying something in this game given that the staff handled the team without Henderson for the final 32 minutes.

[Jojogunne]

A lot of coaching takes place between games.

Regarding Tomasco, I recall him be described as more of an outside shooter when he first came to Hofstra. If so, he could be a nice weapon on the perimeter.

[daHUPride]

No Shame losing to a Princeton team - they are traditionally a well oiled team.

The way we played was a bit disappointing.

I think:

Fritz has to be better than what we saw Friday.

Fritz/Carlos should be able to develop into a nice pick/roll combo - with Fritz - for a bigman - having a nice bullet(s) in his pocket - moves well and is a really good passer.

Carlos looked much improved - physically he's mature - locked in on D

Barrouk - showed some - confident in his shot.

Didnt understand our decision to have Fritz guard Princeton #3 Peirce (26 pts/15 rbds; 6'7" 220 lbs) - thought DUBAR (quick/strong) wouldve been our best chance against him - not Fritz.

First game - nothing to get excited about - but certainly was not a showing that I expected.

[Polito]

Yeah, I’m sure that’s probably true wags, I just don’t like how that stuff comes across - I prefer a little more urgency overall – doesn’t mean the change is going to come fast but I would like to see some higher expectations built into the team mindset. Things don’t have to take forever, that’s an old ineffective mentality today IMO

Hm I didn’t see it that way joeg, I thought Barrouk showed some eager energetic D, but I may have missed what you saw.

Bottom line to me after one game, Thomas and Dubar need to show up for full games and take some leadership, and Fritz better get to work, team is counting on this guy in a big way. We don’t need anymore post busts or guys that don’t figure out how to play until the last couple of games of the year. That’s not cutting nets.

Time to figure it out and correct, looking forward to seeing how they grow and respond in this next game. And to be clear, not seeking a miracle leap, but tangible improvement is what I’m looking for..

[Wags]

Yeah, I’m sure that’s probably true wags, I just don’t like how that stuff comes across - I prefer a little more urgency overall – doesn’t mean the change is going to come fast but I would like to see some higher expectations built into the team mindset. Things don’t have to take forever, that’s an old ineffective mentality today IMO

I'm sure that no one has higher expectations or hopes for the team than they do. And I believe the urgency is there in what we don't always see (in the locker room, studying film, practice) but it's realistic that we won't necessarily see that translate in the first real game of the season or for the first several games.

Based on last year, we have to trust the process. They were getting destroyed here (perhaps, deservedly so after some of those games) for inconsistent OOC play last year and then praised for a 16-2 league record and securing the top seed. I know we all like to take the temperature on a daily basis but sometimes we just have to breathe and let it play out. Last year showed that. The thing that I have questions about is this isn't last year - it remains to be seen without Estrada and with others shifting roles as a result, and how the new pieces may or may not gel, if this team, should it struggle OOC again, is capable of great play within the CAA like last year. Time will tell.

The most encouraging thing was Dubar's second half on Friday. At halftime, I was wondering who is ready to become that sidekick that Thomas is going to need this season, so then Carlos can do his thing and all of the other roles from 4th on down can be identified and solidified over time. Dubar was a no-show in the first half in terms of filling that No. 2 role, but he definitely started to answer that question in the second half. That was the biggest thing to take out of that loss. As Speedy says, it will be different on different nights, but I think for the most part, in general, you need that No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 in place and then start to fill in 4 ,5, 6 through 9 or 10, etc.

That second half from Dubar was big in starting to figure all of that out as they go through November and December before CAA play. But now that needs to be fairly consistent from him and for both halves of games (not saying score 18 every half by any means, but show up, make an impact in both halves of almost every game like a legit sidekick for Thomas, the way Thomas complemented Estrada, and even at times, the way Estrada or someone else complemented Thomas late last year).

[triplec2195]

We lost a lot when we lost Estrada and now TT has a lot on his plate. It remains to be seen whether he can tweak his game and score more in the midrange if they shut off his 3 point shooting. He's a very strong mid-range shooter as Rutgers witnessed in the NIT. HE'S VERY CAPABLE OF MAKING DIFFICULT SHOTS but can the rest of this team make up the 20 points that Estrada took with him or do they even have to. Can some of that lost scoring be made up on the D end by limiting the scoring of our opponents. Like what has already been said Carlos looks locked in and we know if he takes more shots he's going to increase his PPG. He's already capable of getting plenty of assists. Fritz is more or less of a Nelson clone type player maybe better at distributing and can shoot a bit from beyond the arc. IDK that we'll see him take a lot of three's if any just like I don't think we'll see Tomasco shoot much from beyond the arc. Both Tomasco and Fritz couldn't guard a quick 6'7 shooter in Pierce and as daHU said we had a better matchup with Dubar guarding Pierce. This didn't happen because D Stone is prone to getting into early foul trouble and when you desperately need him for his offense we couldn't afford to lose him. But what's the role here of Sunday I assume we'll see him match up against big post players and the Princeton game was not the classic blueprint for Sunday in the lineup. What do people here see as Sunday's role on this team? Clearly he's a shot blocker,rebounder and can use his height advantage to score down low.