Not gonna lose too many games when you shoot 48% from 3… (unless the other team shoots 50%)

Let’s just move on.

The MAC is awful, but I didn’t see 2-9 happening.

I get what you’re saying, but when the other team doesn’t miss what can you do? Certainly a combination of athleticism and poor defense. Reef out was a killer. Elmore had no business getting 33 minutes.

Onward and forward.

+1. It’s two-fold. I remember being impressed by ASU’s portal class with all the size it added between Hicks, Hardnett, Dominguez, and Laku, but it’s still 11-14 overall. That said, I would gladly welcome a portal haul of no player smaller than 6’6 at this point and maybe ASU fairs better in the MAC.

Don't you think their athleticism and length led to better shots?

They shot very well; but that's not just some flip of the coin thing that we had no control over. They got good look after good look because we couldn't stay in front of them, and even when we closed out we were giving up several inches at every position.

I'm very surprised by the talent disparity between the MAC and Sunbelt. 10 years ago this would have been hard to believe. That league seems to have leapfrogged us.

I think we need a PG for sure. My concern with Reef returning is it could hinder our ability to land a true PG. Have to assume if everyone comes back penciled in starters are Reef, EJ4, AJB, Hadaway, and Clayton. Can’t afford another season of starting two 6’1 guys.

Might be unpopular, but I low key would be cool if Reef just used us for the year and dipped since I’m not confident Boals wouldn’t start him. That to me would just lead to more of the same stagnant type of offense we’re seeing. That would put the PG need at two but I’d almost prefer to unknown at this point than the current.

We severely lack length and athleticism. AJ Brown would have helped some but we needed more. It's why I clamored all off-season for a 3 and D wing. They don't grow on trees.

This weekend just proved what we already knew. The MAC has been lapped by numerous other mid major conferences and it honestly isn't very close. We're much closer to the SWAC than we are the P5/6.

Just look at the guys getting off the bus and it's instantly apparent.

The league doesn't recruit anywhere close to the levels of the 90s the last time we really were considered a top tier midmajor conference that flirted with being a top 10 league (usually no lower than 12) and had any realistic shot of an at-large birth.

Conference realignment and NIL have hurt, but so has D1 expansion. Adding 50ish teams and 3 conferences takes away at larger births and dilutes the D1 talent available.

If you aren't moving forward you're falling behind. The MAC has stood still for 30 years. This is what you get.

Look, I am not happy with the defense and rebounding of this game either. But damn, Arkansas State impressed me. They certainly looked better than a middle of the road Sun Belt team. Really good use of screens and ball movement and of course knocking down shots at a ridiculously high rate. But yes our defense needs to be better. We got a step behind on so many screens. Agree that Hadaway had a particularly bad game defensively.

A lot to like otherwise, we kept up our strong shooting. Sheldon continues to solidify himself as an elite perimeter shooter...opponents can't give him an inch and that will help stretch the defense. Elmore the quietest 33 minutes I may have ever seen. He is typically an aggressive player, can't believe he only attempted 1 shot. Jaylin still rolling, another good game.

And Oh looky there...Clayton was 4 for 4 from 2 and 2 for 2 at the line. He backed them down in the paint multiple times. I won't stop talking about this until his 2 point attempts catch up to his 3 point attempts (1 for 7 Saturday). As Jaylin & Miles shoot better and Sheldon emerges more and more, the need for Clayton to be in the paint is only strengthened.

You can bet Boals will make defense and defending screens a point of emphasis during the long week of practice. We obviously need to be better on defense to hang with Toledo.

+1

We have had 12 scholarship players on the roster all season. We are allowed 13. We simply struck out on filling the last spot.

Miles Brown and Jaylin Hunter were in their final year to begin with. Evans and Burris are incoming.