Bobcat Attack - Ohio Basketball - Official Game 15 Thread: Ball St.

Ohio Basketball Topic

Topic: Official Game 15 Thread: Ball St.

Page: 1 of 3

mail

Ted Thompson

1/7/2018 9:34 PM

Use this thread to talk about anything game-related. For away games, we'll have a separate travel thread.

Date: January 9th, 2017 7:00 PM

Opponent: Ball St. (10-5, 1-1 MAC)

Site: Convocation Center

TV: None

Radio: Ohio Radio or TuneIn Radio

Webcast: ESPN3

Ball St. statistics, roster and media guide.

Ball St. Fan Site: OverThePylon

mail

Ted Thompson

1/8/2018 9:30 AM

Apparently Jontrell Walker missed the Buffalo game due to being charged with domestic battery.

Link: Ball State basketball player preliminarily charged with domestic battery

mail

OU_Country

1/8/2018 9:31 AM

Besides their big Notre Dame win, and getting handled at home by UB this past Saturday, what do we know about Ball State?

mail

person

doubledribble

1/8/2018 10:49 AM

Ball State is a program on the rise in the MAC. They are well coached by James Whitford and an experienced staff who can recruit. The key to their play seems to center around their point guard who transferred back to Indiana after his freshman year at NKU. He is a very competitive kid who sets the tone his teammates follow. Ball State has always seemed to struggle in the Convo, so students not being back in Athens could be an important factor Tuesday.
Bobcats need to show up with the team that played NIU on Saturday, versus the group that traveled to Central last week. Control their point guard, shoot the ball well, win the rebound war, and the 'Cats should be in the game at the end.

mail

bshot44

1/8/2018 11:01 AM

OU_Country wrote:expand_more

Besides their big Notre Dame win, and getting handled at home by UB this past Saturday, what do we know about Ball State?

Persons is an All-MAC guard. He will be a handful.

Trey Moses numbers aren't great ... but he will be a challenge down low for Taylor/Mickle.

Ball State struggles to defend the 3pt shot ... unfortunately Ohio isn't great at hitting them. Might be a chance for Dartis to shake his slump?

Ball is also a pretty good rebounding team ... Ohio has the best defensive rebounding in the MAC. So that will be tested. Will be imperative to keep Cards off the glass. Ohio has worst rebounding margin in the MAC .... so this will be key.

I'd guess Ohio opens as about a 4-point favorite ... maybe 3. But it is going to take a really, really good effort to beat Ball State. You know they will be an angry team coming off that thumping they took vs. Buffalo.

mail

OU_Country

1/8/2018 12:16 PM

Thanks guys. I know a lot about Persons, but not a ton more about the rest of the group. I know they've been recruiting well for a couple years now.

mail

person

BobcatSports

1/8/2018 5:11 PM

We open as 1.5pt favorites.

mail

person

allen

1/8/2018 5:39 PM

OU_Country wrote:expand_more

Thanks guys. I know a lot about Persons, but not a ton more about the rest of the group. I know they've been recruiting well for a couple years now.

They have done a good job with their recruiting. KJ Walton will be a handful next year. We need to defend the three and rebound on the defensive side. On offense we need good floor spacing, limit turnovers and knock down open shots.

mail

Ted Thompson

1/8/2018 5:56 PM

2nd, Jason Carter (lower leg) remains out for now. 3rd, freshman forward Ben Vander Plas took part in some 5 on 5 today. It was his first team activities since his foot injury last fall
— Jason Arkley (@JasonAmessenger) January 8, 2018

6th, With Ball State, Ohio is facing a team it's defeated in 8 straight matchups. Cardinals blown out at home on Saturday + that tidbit, and I imagine it will be a very motivated group wearing red in the Convo. Last OU loss? 76-73, 2011 MAC Tourney
— Jason Arkley (@JasonAmessenger) January 8, 2018

Lastly, in the MAC there's little separation yet. Buffalo and WMU are 2-0, Akron and EMU are 0-2. The other eight teams are 1-1. But until further notice, or changes, the Bulls are the team to beat
— Jason Arkley (@JasonAmessenger) January 8, 2018

mail

person

Bobcat1998

1/8/2018 6:37 PM

I am numb to any injuries this year. I fully expect Carter to be redshirted with BVP so it's not a big disappointment to hear that about them. We played our best game of the year without Dartis. What we need is a big game from Block and Gollon, who have slumped lately.

mail

person

cbus cat fan

1/8/2018 7:46 PM

What an up and down season for Ball State. Hopefully, we bring them down, but as Bshot mentioned Persons is a handful. Ball State has a a way of bringing in state talent, who went to other schools (like Persons,) back to Muncie. It might have started with Dan Palombizio in the early and mid 80s. I believe he went to Purdue first after committing to Indiana (or vice versa my memory is a little hazy 35 years later.) Anyway, I believe he was the nation's leading scorer at one point in 1985 and ended being second or third. If I remember right we shut him down that year (maybe someone with a better memory than I can chime on this one.) Hopefully, our defense keeps Persons in check as well.

Last Edited: 1/8/2018 8:06:18 PM by cbus cat fan

mail

person

Alan Swank

1/8/2018 7:57 PM

cbus cat fan wrote:expand_more

What an up and down season for Ball State. Hopefully, we bring them down, but as Bshot mentioned Persons is a handful. Ball State has a a way of bringing in state talent, who went to other schools, back to Muncie. It might have started with Dan Palombizio in the early and mid 80s. I believe he went to Purdue first after committing to Indiana (or vice versa my memory is a little hazy 35 years later.) Anyway, I believe he was the nation's leading scorer at one point in 1985 and ended being second or third. If I remember right we shut him down that year (maybe someone with a better memory than I can chime on this one.) Hopefully, our defense keeps Persons in check as well.

Eddie Hicks shut him down. Blocked one of his shots into row P.

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/basketball/college/indiana...

And for a little fun for those lamenting the talent level in the MAC, check out his chart of MVPs:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-American_Conference_Men...

Last Edited: 1/8/2018 8:03:36 PM by Alan Swank

mail

person

cbus cat fan

1/8/2018 8:08 PM

Thanks Alan, also kudos for bringing up Eddie Hicks and his stellar defense. He and the 84-85 squad sure bring back great memories!

mail

bobcat28

1/8/2018 9:07 PM

BobcatSports wrote:expand_more

We open as 1.5pt favorites.

This is shocking. whoever set this line has not seen us play this year.

mail

person

Alan Swank

1/8/2018 10:12 PM

cbus cat fan wrote:expand_more

Thanks Alan, also kudos for bringing up Eddie Hicks and his stellar defense. He and the 84-85 squad sure bring back great memories!

Eddie pretty much shut down Palambizio and Ron Harper in late February/early March that year. The team played great defense limiting the opponents to 62.9 points per game which would be right at 70 today with the 3 point shot. In fact from 81 - 85, Danny's teams held the opponents to 4 of the lowest scoring totals in Bobcat history prior to the 3 point shot.

mail

person

Jeff McKinney

1/8/2018 11:21 PM

bobcat28 wrote:expand_more

[QUOTE=BobcatSports] We open as 1.5pt favorites.

This is shocking. whoever set this line has not seen us play this season.
QUOTE]

It's definitely not shocking. Per Sagarin, Ball State is less than a point higher than Ohio. Since Ohio is playing at home, the only surprise is that Ohio is not favored by 3 instead of 1.5.

Ball State is a good team, but let's don't go overboard in praising them based only on their win over Notre Dame . If Ohio brings it's B game vs Ball at home, Ohio wins. Biggest disadvantage for Ohio is that Ball State is coming off the big loss and will be hungry.

Last Edited: 1/9/2018 12:41:00 AM by Jeff McKinney

mail

bornacatfan

1/9/2018 8:55 AM

Latest from local news

http://www.thestarpress.com/story/sports/college/ball-sta... /

Ken Pom has Cats a 78 76 winner with a 55% chance of a win

Last Edited: 1/9/2018 8:57:29 AM by bornacatfan

mail

person

Pataskala

1/9/2018 11:51 AM

We're 7-6 vs D1 teams. We haven't been two games above .500 vs D1 teams this season. About time it happens.

mail

person

oldkatz

1/9/2018 12:46 PM

Alan Swank wrote:expand_more

cbus cat fan wrote:expand_more

Thanks Alan, also kudos for bringing up Eddie Hicks and his stellar defense. He and the 84-85 squad sure bring back great memories!

Right on Eddie Hicks' defensive talent. Harper probably still has bad dreams about it. Key offensive element those days was the deadly outside shot of Rick Scarberry. He just retired as a school principal and his son is lighting it up at Notre Dame of Ohio. Good times, Alan.

mail

GraffZ06

1/9/2018 10:58 PM

So this game happened. Not that you'd know it.

We lost.

Did anybody actually watch it? Does anybody care?

mail

person

catfan28

1/9/2018 11:03 PM

GraffZ06 wrote:expand_more

So this game happened. Not that you'd know it.

We lost.

Did anybody actually watch it? Does anybody care?

+1. Apathy has set in.

I'll say it for those who may not want to: this team is at times a bit depressing to watch. Somewhat reminiscent of the old "wilderness campaign" of Larry Hunter and Co. (I realize the record won't be that bad). We are simply outgunned in the MAC - which is a depressing thought in itself.

Already looking towards next year, and hoping we can keep healthy. Just not enough healthy bodies to compete right now.

mail

person

Maddog13

1/10/2018 12:11 AM

Yes, I watched it. The 'Cats just sort of disappeared down there near the end after appearing to have gained an edge on Ball State for awhile there. More specifically, they began rushing shots and really began to lose their composure. Defensively, they really seemed to lose focus at times. The other aspect that appeared to disappear from the game was the coaching. Where did everyone go? The two sides appeared to be getting a little nasty toward one another. I didn't see any "Killer Instinct" from our players tonight or any real coaching strategy from Saul to speak of. It seems like this team is lacking both a leader and clear cut identity. Ball State won because they appeared to want it more. Wow! I am just not seeing a lot of consistent improvement from this team. I guess that they are saving everything for the MAC tournament, if, in fact, they make it there.

mail

OhioCatFan

1/10/2018 12:29 AM

Seemed to me we lost because the whole team had a bad case of what I call "Chad Gill disease." That man had more creative ways to blow layups than any college basketball player I think I've ever witnessed. Tonight so did we.

mail

person

GoCats105

1/10/2018 7:39 AM

GraffZ06 wrote:expand_more

So this game happened. Not that you'd know it.

We lost.

Did anybody actually watch it? Does anybody care?

Not sure I would call it apathy. The reality has set in and it's a tough watch some nights.

That being said, the shots were there but they just didn't hit them. Wide open threes and misses bunnies around the rim coupled with some head scratching shots and late turnovers. Lost by seven. Two of those threes go down and one layup and it's an Ohio win. Super frustrating to watch.

mail

100%Cat

1/10/2018 8:22 AM

I think the toughest part, for me, was that the guys missing at the rim were usually very reliable finishing at the rim. Laster and Mickle missed several shots at point blank range. Butler also missed a bunny in close. Block couldn't hit an open 3 to save his life. Just too many missed opportunities to beat a solid team.