MBB @ JMU - 2/7/16, 3 PM

[ZMAN3]

We were screwed when Nichols went down (which I said at the time although only stating the obvious). This is not a good defensive team - the zone leaks like a broken dam. Nichols was the best defender and a sub at the 4 and 5. The 3 youngsters are not ready but they have to be used more liberally and intelligently. Even the color guy said Gustys was gassed. Unfortunately there's little to do except develop those kids for the tourney and next year.
PS-You'd think with almost all upperclassmen they'd play with more poise down the stretch of games.

[Jojogunne]

I'm as disappointed as anyone and really feel the punch in the gut that we all took as fans the past two games.

However, there is no runaway powerhouse in this conference and if you don't think any team can lose on any given day you are crazy. Things are looking down and I agree I don't feel that they will win 3 in 3 but crazier things have happened.

We all want the best for this team, so why are you guys all killing someone who is trying to stay optimistic (keep it up dutchie). I certainly wish i could do it. Bottom line is the season isn't over yet. If UNCW has a bad few games, this all opens up again.

It hurts that we know what they can be and they aren't showing it. They are not getting blown out. A miss or made shot here and there and they win both of these games. They aren't completely overmatched, they just aren't finishing. It's frustrating, but not impossible that they can win 3 in 3.

I'm generally a pessimist, but reading everything on the board is making me not want to get caught up in all the negativity and hope for the best. It's hard to match all of you who have already let the sky fall. You might as well not watch the rest of the season (though you all will, because as Polito always says we are all big fans and just want them to win).

It's hard to look past what happened, but really what choice is there? I'm going to hold out hope until they are eliminated.

I'm with you. I don't think it's unreasonable to hold out hope. There are a lot of good reasons to not believe this team can cut the nets down in Baltimore, but it's not like they're not competing. They have been right there in 3 of their 4 CAA losses. The difference between them being where they are and where UNCW is right now are a handful of plays over a few games.

The difference is not having Jamall Robinson this year. Even if he averaged just 5 points a game, he would have helped us win the last two games and probably a few others. Unless he is hurt, I don't understand why he is redshirting.

[ProudofPride]

Hofstra softball tweeted something a little while ago that I think is very fitting for the MBB team right now. 6 regular season games left, plus the tourney. Maybe the team will learn something from these two games. Even though losses obviously aren't good in terms of record and standing, sometimes the learning experiences they offer can actually be good for the team.
https://twitter.com/HofstraSoftball/sta ... 2657032192

[dutchiedoright]

Here's the thing.......

This deal is not now nor ever will be won in February !

Disappointed ? Yes. Over ? Are you kidding? Does JMU scare you ? Does UNCW ? If we were the #1 seed, we would still have a tough Saturday game.

This thing is VERY, VERY hard to win.

So, buckle-up.

[stuball888]

Lets go back to the softball tweet. If you remember last year Hofstra under first year head coach larrissa Anderson went up against a JMU team with two all-americans in pitchers jaylyn Ford and megan Good. That JMU team went 19-0 in conference play and beat Hofstra 3-0 during the regular season. they swept the conference awards and were a heavy favorite to sweep the CAA tournament down in harrisonbug VA. What happened was Hofstra found a way to beat then two out of three games and claim the title. Not only do the players have to learn from the losses but so do the coaches who have to make adjustments in order to win.
BTW- good luck to the ladies this year as they start their season down in Florida this friday against a very good Tulsa team.

[Flying Dutchmen]

Here's the thing.......

This deal is not now nor ever will be won in February !

Disappointed ? Yes. Over ? Are you kidding? Does JMU scare you ? Does UNCW ? If we were the #1 seed, we would still have a tough Saturday game.

This thing is VERY, VERY hard to win.

So, buckle-up.

Hell no it's not over!

I love this team, they represent the school very well. BUT, the team has major issues closing out games. We've seen it since the Virgin Islands, and it's been an issue in 13 games this year, it's a trend that needs to be addressed! Maybe Buie needs a little more burn late, maybe put Walker out there to try to swat some shots late, do something, anything to try to break this late game funk.

That's not a referendum on our starters, the reality is they're playing over 80% of the team's minutes, it's ridiculous. Sometimes players just need to know they can get a break to regroup if they're having a bad stretch. I think our late game strategy puts too much pressure on the starters to deliver, and they start making out of character/gameplan decisions late, and it's been very detrimental to our win percentage.

[Cards]

I could not post earlier as I was too disgusted to go to my computer and turn it on. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that JM was sitting in for the real coach for this game because it is beyond me that he could have seen all that we have seen this year and still make all the same mistakes and draw the same losing conclusions game after game! First and foremost is they lovefest with 3 pointers. Next, as I've said before, we saw the best of AT last year (problem is that AT and JM still think he is super player and go to guy.....reality is that he is a hard working, tough, blue-collar type player, a better than average CAA player, but certainly not a go to guy). Next is the depth issue - anyone on this board who thinks some of the starters are not gassed at the end of these games, and that tired legs play as well as fresh legs, has never played competitive sports.....PERIOD!!! And finally, like last game, did anyone happen to see RG get any passes down low in the last five minutes of regulation or any passes down low in overtime.....of course not, because there were none, NONE, NOT ONE FRIGGIN FEED TO THE GUY SHOOTING 70% THAT OTHER TEAMS CAN"T HANDLE.

Anything can happen in the short CAAT, we could even get hot and play with tired legs. Because anything can happen in the CAAT, I was counting on this team at least winning the regular season title and then we could at least follow the team into the NIT. Thats likely gone now unless we win the rest of our regular season games (not likely - about as likely as 3 in 3)!

Finally, if anyone here thinks that this type of play does not impact HU success in recruiting quality players, you are sorely mistaken. These type of loses, done multiple times, do real damage to the future teams as well as the record of this years team!

[stuball888]

To me I look at the playing time having an effect as the season continues. Sort of like innings pitched or pitch count in baseball. At the beginning of the season we were able to get away with it against Fla state, st bonnie and lasalle. if we were to play those teams now, I doubt we win those games. As the season wears on so does the effect of the starters playing all those minutes. Would love to see stats of shooting Pct and defense shooting pct comparing the first half of the season to the second half of the season.

[Wags]

To me I look at the playing time having an effect as the season continues. Sort of like innings pitched or pitch count in baseball. At the beginning of the season we were able to get away with it against Fla state, st bonnie and lasalle. if we were to play those teams now, I doubt we win those games. As the season wears on so does the effect of the starters playing all those minutes. Would love to see stats of shooting Pct and defense shooting pct comparing the first half of the season to the second half of the season.

I don't think you can compare that because there's a big difference in playing OOC teams vs. CAA teams (that know you better and which you know better).

To me, it's still mainly about EXECUTION, or the lack thereof, particularly at the end of a few games.

Yesterday:
- Tanskley missed a LAYUP, up 79-72 with 3 1/2 left
- Bernardi turns it over, up 81-76, with <3 left
- Green misses a FT, up 81-78, with 1:39 left
- HU doesn't grab a defensive rebound, up 82-79, leading to the Curry 3 to force OT with :16 left.

We can sit here and talk about playing time and fatigue all we want, but those are plays these guys should be making down the stretch of these tight games, and they're not. And it's not because they played too many minutes or because certain guys in the bench didn't get enough time. It's a lack of MENTAL FOCUS more than anything physical. Just make the damn plays! It happened twice against JMU and again, against UNCW, during a half in which they were way colder than they'd ever be normally (that just happens sometime). THAT is the VERY FINE LINE right now between 8-4 and 11-1 and a VERY different outlook on the entire season from the sky-is-falling, we're-not-winning-enough-because-we don't-play-our-bench theorists.

[Wags]

I could not post earlier as I was too disgusted to go to my computer and turn it on. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that JM was sitting in for the real coach for this game because it is beyond me that he could have seen all that we have seen this year and still make all the same mistakes and draw the same losing conclusions game after game! First and foremost is they lovefest with 3 pointers. Next, as I've said before, we saw the best of AT last year (problem is that AT and JM still think he is super player and go to guy.....reality is that he is a hard working, tough, blue-collar type player, a better than average CAA player, but certainly not a go to guy). Next is the depth issue - anyone on this board who thinks some of the starters are not gassed at the end of these games, and that tired legs play as well as fresh legs, has never played competitive sports.....PERIOD!!! And finally, like last game, did anyone happen to see RG get any passes down low in the last five minutes of regulation or any passes down low in overtime.....of course not, because there were none, NONE, NOT ONE FRIGGIN FEED TO THE GUY SHOOTING 70% THAT OTHER TEAMS CAN"T HANDLE.

Anything can happen in the short CAAT, we could even get hot and play with tired legs. Because anything can happen in the CAAT, I was counting on this team at least winning the regular season title and then we could at least follow the team into the NIT. Thats likely gone now unless we win the rest of our regular season games (not likely - about as likely as 3 in 3)!

Finally, if anyone here thinks that this type of play does not impact HU success in recruiting quality players, you are sorely mistaken. These type of loses, done multiple times, do real damage to the future teams as well as the record of this years team!

All that matters to recruits is the end result. If Hofstra cuts down the nets in Baltimore next month, no recruit will look past that and say, "Yeah, but you lost in OT to JMU twice and blew a 20-point lead and lost to UNCW." NO recruit will say that. Guaranteed.

[stuball888]

But if we dont cut down the nets, that is EXACTLY what the recruits will think.

[Wags]

But if we dont cut down the nets, that is EXACTLY what the recruits will think.

They won't even know about those specific games - all they're care about is, "Did you make the tournament or not?" And not even just this year. They'll want to know if you made it or at least got very close the past few years, if you played at MSG sometimes, on TV sometimes, etc. They don't view things on the micro level that we do.

[Polito]

This has been my point for who knows how long - you can get away with burning your main guys for certain games early on, but there's no way in hell you can realistically expect to drive your starters into the ground for entire season, and have no impact - I mean if that was the plan I'll be even more furious - this staff isn't new, that's not an acceptable oversight

What we are seeing now is exactly the result of the same guys playing all game long all season - there's no question whatsoever that the late game collapses, the 2nd half bricked 3's, games going to OT, blown double-digit leads, BB's struggles, and now even RG looking and behaving SPENT at end of games is a DIRECT result of over-reliance, improper PT distribution, and not enough bench development

Sorry, but folks need to be able to handle some heat here - that is on the staff - it's already blown the conf title, and you all know what's next...

What has been done to protect this team in order to actually WIN the tournament? We hear all the time, it's all about those 3 days in march, nothing else matters, etc etc etc etc... Ok, so we're playing that line, fine. Then please tell me what is, and what HAS BEEN, the plan to win 3 in 3? It certainly can't be playing the same weary guys I see dragging the floor late in games...

Well, I guess it can be if the goal is to have a real quick trip to B'more and just use it for some good 'ol R&R. Because that strategy doesn't bring home a conf title and an NCAAT berth.

Hope to hell they have a REAL plan, a much better one than what we've seen blow the regular season the last 2 straight games.

[Polito]

And Wags, I disagree on the mental focus part - that to me is a DIRECT reflection of over-exertion for the past 3+ months. DIRECT.

If I'm a team with serviceable depth like UNCW and JMU, I'm running HU all game long, rotating fresh legs all 40, full court pressing until they fold. Because at some point in the 2nd half, HU has proven all year long they will offer that opportunity. Not due to talent, due to mental or physical fatigue, or both (doesn't matter really). This isn't just 2 games, it's been like that all YEAR.

Look, JM doesn't have 100 guys on the bench, and yes, the bench guys are not at the same talent level as the starters - I think people get the call for rotation use very confused and they unnecessarily defend it. This is a marathon, and the season needs to be managed as such.

I love the use of the bench earlier in games and going to your core group to finish things out. Quite frankly, that is EXACTLY how it should be. So what's the problem? This should've been done MONTHS ago, and I fear as we are seeing, it's too little too late.

And my personal issue with it all is that this isn't some miracle piece of news - this isn't some secret ingredient that only guys like Coach K know. This is BASIC basketball, especially in a grueling conf like the CAA. I'm just a lowly fan as some on here would be happy to remind me of, yet I've been clamoring for this since NOVEMBER. And now all of a sudden it's clear. Even the STAFF recognizes the gaff now, as evidenced by their obvious change in strategy.

You know what that is? It's a desperate attempt to correct a major mistake that simply should never have occurred. This should not be an issue. And that's mine.

[Cards]

Barring a long shot turnaround (NCAAT or NIT), recruiting will be impacted by performance this season.

And yes - there most certainly is a price to pay for the cumulative effects of too many minutes, innings, rounds, periods, played during a season. It is stunningly obvious and validated in every sport every year!

Sad to listen to the post game presser - JM saying over and over that these guys are playing their hearts out every day. We all know they are, we see it in every game, we appreciate it, and it is not the reason for the pattern of late game collapses! JM and staff should know that, should have seen it earlier, and should have made adjustments. I know that hindsight is 20/20, but this was supposed to be our year!

I'm concerned that if JM does not get on board with having at least 11 active players each year, ready to go, then we will be facing the same issues next year. You simply have to expect at least someone to go down or be hampered by injury every year. You also have to expect somebody to have a bad or really "off" year or something weird like the Djambo situation. Still don't understand the JR redshirt - he should have been on the court as soon as Djambo was a question mark. As such, we still need at least 3 more guys who are ready to contribute next year - this will be an extremely important recruiting class. When RG is POY next year or the following year, I don't want to hear that we didn't have the players around him to win the CAAT and play in the NCAAT!

[Wags]

And Wags, I disagree on the mental focus part - that to me is a DIRECT reflection of over-exertion for the past 3+ months. DIRECT.

I'm not buying that.

If it is, how do you explain executing and making the plays they needed to make through three overtimes, even after first falling being in overtime, to win at Northeastern? And how do you explain going from that game, when they should have been exhausted after winning at NU earlier, to being 3 down in the second half of the next game, and closing 45-15 to crush W&M by 28?

Yes, to a degree, being over-exerted affects your ability to execute late. But they have also shown the ability to overcome that in spades.

When you take it ALL into account -- the losses to JMU and UNCW, the wins at NU and over W&M, and everything else -- I still see it as a lack of mental focus and a lack of execution down the stretch of just THREE games more than anything else. Make those few plays here and there, and they're 11-1, 10-2, and ALL of these other comments and threads go away. That's how fine a line it's been.

[stuball888]

We have only 9 players next year. Unless we add 3 more I see us shorthanded again next year.

[ProudofPride]

Any chance Djambo can return next year? I'm not sure if he technically received a scholarship since he wasn't at school, so I don't know about his eligibility.

[Jojogunne]

Djambo may be too old to play next year. I'm not certain, but I think NCAA eligibility expires at 23 or 24. Please correct if I am wrong.

If Djambo does returen next year, he will have missed 2+ years of D1 competition. How much could he contribute?

[ProudofPride]

Djambo may be too old to play next year. I'm not certain, but I think NCAA eligibility expires at 23 or 24. Please correct if I am wrong.

If Djambo does returen next year, he will have missed 2+ years of D1 competition. How much could he contribute?

We had a walk-on 3 years ago that was 28. I'm pretty sure walk-ons have the same eligibility requirements, they just don't get a scholarship. Although he may have been an exception because he took time off of school to serve the country.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/college/h ... -1.4741147