Game 15 William & Mary

[Jojogunne]

JWF should start and get as many minutes as he can handle.

[Dooku25]

I know it was a 40 ft shot with 1 second left but why did they have Bernardi on Dixon in that spot. Bad job by the staff in that situation. Everyone knows they would try to get the ball to Dixon. If you're not going to deny him the ball, you have to put Ty Greer on him.

At least this loss is easier to take compared to the last Dixon buzzer beater.

Very excited about JWF.

[ZMAN3]

I posted something re this game earlier but somehow it disappeared. Blame this L firmly in the hands of JM! Everyone and his brother knows you find your tallest player and place him on the inbounds passer. Sabety or Walker should have been guarding Cohn obscuring his view as best as possible - not JWF. Any kind of deflection and the game is over. I'm a big C's fan but the most respected coach in NYC was Red Holzman - fair to say he knew the game? He always used Phil Jackson or Nate Bowman in those situations. And as posted above (which I also noted earlier) - why is BB in the game - he's our worst defender in the current rotation. Futhermore JM in postgame said we went too much 1 on 1 down the stretch. Duh! It would help if you had a play or two for someone to run. Said it before it was deleted and will say it again - totally frustrated!
PS-Why did JM pull everyone off the lane when JWF was shooting those FT's ? If he misses (which he did) there's a chance for offensive rebound. There was no worry about a rebounding foul and ensuing FT's for W&M because HU only had 6 fouls! So fill the lane and maybe get the ball. Maybe JM should spend less time yelling at officials and more time with a little strategy! Also - this was important game to EP - deciding on HU over W&M - maybe a little better run in 2nd half might have been good ?

[Polito]

Another great battle to the wire for these two squads. Though I have grown tired of the Tribe being a constant thorn in the side. The last shot losses have worn out their welcome to me - it's time for HU to start dishing out the pain, instead of being on the receiving end.

Alas, this L doesn't really upset me because:

A) HU is going to surprise this conf - they are MUCH better than everyone not us expected. And this conf is open for biz outside of the W. And I think HU is going to be right in the thick of the 2 seed race.
B) I believe HU is the better team. I really do. I think they are the more talented squad, and if they had played their game right, would've won this in regulation.
C) This is going to be a MAJOR learning experience down the stretch. And I'd rather have it now than later.

Not discounting the Tribe, hats off on a battle won. But I think HU takes the war. This was a game HU gave moreso than the Tribe winning. Just my humble, yet very accurate, opinion.

But HU was very sloppy all around, and the upper classmen leaders in particular were the culprits of way too many painful turnovers and poor play at the end of regulation. Botching a 5 on 3 scenario in the 2nd was just a WTF moment. Really. It was bad. Like, really bad. And that's just not who this team is.

As I've said, this team and season are entirely up to Powers. He had a very good game, 7 assists and some big shots, but his play the last 5 min or so of regulation left a lot to be desired. I counted 4 or 5 straight offensive possessions that he forced things and tried to be the solo hero. PLEASE Powers, for the love of HU hoops, STOP doing that. You need to create my friend. Some opps you create are for you, 100%, but MOST are not. There is NO reason to force solo scoring attempts 4 or 5 straight times up the floor - CREATE and DISH. Must run PLAYS. Teammates were completely taken out of the game during the last 5 min of reg play. That is a no-no.

This game should be a MASSIVE reminder of the importance of that, and another super learning experience as the team progresses through conf play. This type of play from the point is absolutely VITAL to HU's success this season.

Jojo, my friend, you are right on the money. Believe I've been clamoring for that since the offseason. Just starting to see what many were so excited about when he signed the dotted line. And it's just the beginning. This fella is dangerous - why he hasn't been the primary/starter/minutes guy at the 2 from day 1 is purely out of respect for BB, his heart/blood/sweat/tears for HU, and his last yr.

Truly love and appreciate BB, but it's time to get serious about this season. If this team wants it's best chance to win, JWF takes the lead at the 2, end of story. The more confident and decisive he becomes, the more unstoppable he becomes. He and Pemba can terrorize this conf.

BB unfortunately continues to be a liability in a few key areas: ball handling, shot creation, and defense. And quite frankly, he has not been the lights out shooter he needs to be this year to negate those issues. He had 18 pts but shot VERY poorly 11-27 overall...for a shooter, that is a major youch. And if he isn't shooting lights out, the value diminishes significantly. No clue what was up with him forcing that 3 in what looked to be 100 feet off the line for absolutely no reason with a few min left in the 2nd. I want JWF, and I want him 30/min/game EVERY game (which is what he had today).

Give me Powers, JWF, and Pemba/Robinson as much as possible 1-3, with BB mixed in the 2 for some key 3 threat / keep them honest play (and actual SET plays for him to get looks), and this team can do some serious damage.

And with that said, I would really like to see some better coaching. Trust me, I love these guys. But being fair and honest here, I think they also need to step up now - specifically I mean in the rotation use, the matchups, and they play-calling. There's really no reason for this program to consistently be on the losing end of these last shot games. And it's happened more often than it should. This game should've never went to OT. The last 5 min were very poor. And in OT, as Z noted, there were some major leadership gaffes from the staff. Let's nip that in bud please going forward.

All in all, I remain very encouraged and hopeful for this team. They have talent, desire, passion, teamwork, work ethic, and they fight to the end. Let's shock the CAA and make waves. ROLLPRIDE!!!

[garyg]

Hats off to JWF...showed flashes as freshman and earlier this season...waited patiently and continued to work...besides points kid also had 8 rebounds

[garyg]

Agree 100% with you on BB Polito. Like to see BB come of bench and play 15-20 minutes...if he is hot keep him in

[Cards]

Agree with all that has been said, and frankly, I've been saying it for a while JWF and EP should be in at the 2 and 3 slot. These guys can be scoring machines, and when they are not scoring, they bring much more to the table than BB. I know JM is loyal to BB and likes to think the extra experience is a bonus, but I think the difference in overall game ability in JWF and EP makes up for that.

With the right amount of dishing, this team really has quite an offensive potential. And with JWF in the game, there is a another guy who knows how to feed and PnR with Rok. I have said it before, JWF is a very good passer. Its just another weapon that he brings to the floor that BB does not have. With all the attention that DP and JWF get driving to the hoop, Rok should be open for lots of layups.

And lastly, what a treat it is to see JWF flying over the heads of 6'6" guys for rebounds! Give this guy 30 minutes of PT and he will wreak havoc in the CAA.

[Mike34]

I posted something re this game earlier but somehow it disappeared. Blame this L firmly in the hands of JM! Everyone and his brother knows you find your tallest player and place him on the inbounds passer. Sabety or Walker should have been guarding Cohn obscuring his view as best as possible - not JWF. Any kind of deflection and the game is over.

I agree ZMAN3 - it was extremely frustrating watching the Tribe shoot three's over and over with barely any defense. When Sabety got in the game it was like he was the only guy on HU who could block 3's from occurring. Not to mention he came in like an animal in his few minutes of play. Brought some excitement.

JM has no strategy whatsoever and no plays. He spends way too much time screaming at the players and the refs. I don't think JM realizes we can see and hear everything he says to players during the game and a lot of the time what he says is extremely unnecessary and only infuriating for everyone - NOT helpful.

Also agree with the above regarding Powers - he NEEDS to pass. I know he's good, and probably wants individual stats, but it was painful watching him force shots in when he could have passed to his teammates to get some buckets. Especially when the score is so close at the end of the second half...

Another thing that is really painful - the amount of times every game that Rok and Sabety are left under the basket unguarded and none of our guards look to pass to them.

Greer is a great presence and very aggressive and I'd like to see more of him along with JWF.

[HU87]

As someone who sits directly behind the HU bench, I do agree with a lot of the above points in regards to JM and his in-game play call. However, I think it's hard/unfair of us to judge his communication/decisions with his team... he has relationships with these players that we know nothing about.

Tough game for Eli, but one JM was aware of. He didn't heat up, and JWF did. Whether Eli should have been in for BB is a whole 'nother topic, but I think JM sees this as motivation going forward for this young player-- Eli is going to be an HU great, and these types of lessons can have profound positive effects moving forward if it's the right way to motivate.

Hardest moment for me to watch was sub 1-minute play of 2nd half-- we have the ball and an opportunity to greatly increase our win chances with a bucket. Powers looks over to JM, who basically chokes for 5-10 seconds, then calls for Rok to come out and do a high ball screen. While JM is choking, Farrelly calls an off ball screen for JWF, shifting Rokas mid play to head over and set this pick instead. The result is 5 seconds on the clock with no play being run and Powers needing to force another drive, which turns into a turnover. Unacceptable.

[daHUPride]

That was tough loss. A loss that felt confident that we were going to win.

JFW and Pemberton are a much better fit playing along side with Powers then BB is. Greer also is my pick over Robinson, although JR had a few nice hustle plays. I thought we'd get more out of Robinson after his redshirt year.

[Wags]

I posted something re this game earlier but somehow it disappeared. Blame this L firmly in the hands of JM! Everyone and his brother knows you find your tallest player and place him on the inbounds passer

The Knicks didn't even use their tallest player, but one that was tall enough (Carmelo), who got a deflection to seal a win in Minnesota this year, same situation, same spot on the floor for the inbounds pass, about the same amount of time left on the clock.

So I agree, that was the biggest mistake at the end (and also Z, good point about leaving guys on the lane for an offensive board on the JWF missed FTs instead of pulling guys back), but in addition, I also (and I know many may not agree) don't like fouling with :01.2 with left. W&M wasn't really in sync. They were sort of scrambling, and I think would not have had a good enough look to make a game-winner if HU simply lets it play out. Instead, by giving the foul, they let a good coach like Shaver draw something up for W&M to catch their breath and execute out of a set play. I know it still took a heck of a shot, but why risk that by fouling, especially when Dixon had beaten HU at the end before? And I said it even when JWF was at the line, long before the foul was given. I had a feeling that fouling would come back to haunt them and it did. Of course, if you do put a big on the inbounds passer and if someone other than Bernardi is out there to guard Dixon, maybe it ends positively even with fouling. But I'd have simply let it play out, and had they, I think we're talking about a good, exciting W instead of a tough L.

[ZMAN3]

Would like to note I wrote HU had 6 fouls and the 7th on the rebound would have resulted in a 1 and 1 - In reality HU only had 5 fouls so a resulting foul on the rebound WOULD NOT have resulted in FT's

[bobe13]

Another great battle to the wire for these two squads. Though I have grown tired of the Tribe being a constant thorn in the side. The last shot losses have worn out their welcome to me - it's time for HU to start dishing out the pain, instead of being on the receiving end.

Alas, this L doesn't really upset me because:

A) HU is going to surprise this conf - they are MUCH better than everyone not us expected. And this conf is open for biz outside of the W. And I think HU is going to be right in the thick of the 2 seed race.
B) I believe HU is the better team. I really do. I think they are the more talented squad, and if they had played their game right, would've won this in regulation.
C) This is going to be a MAJOR learning experience down the stretch. And I'd rather have it now than later.

Not discounting the Tribe, hats off on a battle won. But I think HU takes the war. This was a game HU gave moreso than the Tribe winning. Just my humble, yet very accurate, opinion.

But HU was very sloppy all around, and the upper classmen leaders in particular were the culprits of way too many painful turnovers and poor play at the end of regulation. Botching a 5 on 3 scenario in the 2nd was just a WTF moment. Really. It was bad. Like, really bad. And that's just not who this team is.

As I've said, this team and season are entirely up to Powers. He had a very good game, 7 assists and some big shots, but his play the last 5 min or so of regulation left a lot to be desired. I counted 4 or 5 straight offensive possessions that he forced things and tried to be the solo hero. PLEASE Powers, for the love of HU hoops, STOP doing that. You need to create my friend. Some opps you create are for you, 100%, but MOST are not. There is NO reason to force solo scoring attempts 4 or 5 straight times up the floor - CREATE and DISH. Must run PLAYS. Teammates were completely taken out of the game during the last 5 min of reg play. That is a no-no.

This game should be a MASSIVE reminder of the importance of that, and another super learning experience as the team progresses through conf play. This type of play from the point is absolutely VITAL to HU's success this season.

Jojo, my friend, you are right on the money. Believe I've been clamoring for that since the offseason. Just starting to see what many were so excited about when he signed the dotted line. And it's just the beginning. This fella is dangerous - why he hasn't been the primary/starter/minutes guy at the 2 from day 1 is purely out of respect for BB, his heart/blood/sweat/tears for HU, and his last yr.

Truly love and appreciate BB, but it's time to get serious about this season. If this team wants it's best chance to win, JWF takes the lead at the 2, end of story. The more confident and decisive he becomes, the more unstoppable he becomes. He and Pemba can terrorize this conf.

BB unfortunately continues to be a liability in a few key areas: ball handling, shot creation, and defense. And quite frankly, he has not been the lights out shooter he needs to be this year to negate those issues. He had 18 pts but shot VERY poorly 11-27 overall...for a shooter, that is a major youch. And if he isn't shooting lights out, the value diminishes significantly. No clue what was up with him forcing that 3 in what looked to be 100 feet off the line for absolutely no reason with a few min left in the 2nd. I want JWF, and I want him 30/min/game EVERY game (which is what he had today).

Give me Powers, JWF, and Pemba/Robinson as much as possible 1-3, with BB mixed in the 2 for some key 3 threat / keep them honest play (and actual SET plays for him to get looks), and this team can do some serious damage.

And with that said, I would really like to see some better coaching. Trust me, I love these guys. But being fair and honest here, I think they also need to step up now - specifically I mean in the rotation use, the matchups, and they play-calling. There's really no reason for this program to consistently be on the losing end of these last shot games. And it's happened more often than it should. This game should've never went to OT. The last 5 min were very poor. And in OT, as Z noted, there were some major leadership gaffes from the staff. Let's nip that in bud please going forward.

All in all, I remain very encouraged and hopeful for this team. They have talent, desire, passion, teamwork, work ethic, and they fight to the end. Let's shock the CAA and make waves. ROLLPRIDE!!!

Agree 100% Polito

[joeg1]

Damn little Napoleons!

[Jojogunne]

JWF has averaged 19 ppg over the last five games. I don't think Coach will start him in place of Bernardi, a senior and co-captain, but I think JWF merits a start or two in place of Pemberton.

[ProudofPride]

Wow, check out the link in Stephen Gorchov's tweet about the last player in the nation to score 30 points of the bench prior to JWF last night. Can't make this stuff up.

https://twitter.com/StephenGorchov/stat ... 0126653441

[Wags]

Wow, check out the link in Stephen Gorchov's tweet about the last player in the nation to score 30 points of the bench prior to JWF last night. Can't make this stuff up.

https://twitter.com/StephenGorchov/stat ... 0126653441

Ha, that's crazy!

[Jojogunne]

You are entering ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVSRm80WzZk

[Polito]

That is ridiculous lol


Thank you for reminding me joeg1 - Little Napoleons will live on forever - I have respect for the program and coach, but they have flat out some of the worst forum poster fans in this conf.

And for that I truly desire for HU to demolish them each and every time. To the program's credit they seem to always play HU tough, so there is plenty of reason for payback yet again - make it hurt in the 'Burg fellas.