Bring it on!  ChickenHawks beatdown # 3!

In Saturday's game, it appeared Miami had a strategy that anytime TJ touched the ball the defense immediately tried doubling him--not showing TJ much ball handling respect.  If that is the case in Cleveland, here's hoping he and his teammates recognize it before it occurs and get some passes to the open man and make the RedHawk pay.

    ESPN box score, while not always accurate, shows Miami starting 3 guards last night and Willie Moore, at 6-3, listed as a starting forward. Actually, then, four starting guards. So, yes, pound it inside. Moore will have to start out guarding Jon Smith or Tony Campbell. Take advantage of the mismatches on the offensive end.

Miami sucks. Always and forever.

One thing we've got to do is improve FT shooting.  We've topped 70% just once in the last four games (BGSUcks, 10-13, 77%).  We were 15-23 (65%) last night; 12-19 (63%) at Fiami Saturday and just 18-33 (54.5%) on Senior Day vs Kent.  We can't afford to waste too many easy points in Cleveland.

It doesn't matter that Miami has not beaten Ohio in the last 6 games. Or that Ohio literally beat them twice on Saturday in Oxford.

What matters is Wednesday night. To play again Thursday, the Bobcats must score more points than Miami tonight.

Had this been a regular season game, I would have stayed home and I would have advised all to do the same. But this game is important. So I have circumvented the approaching winter storm by traveling on Tuesday. Greetings from the computer room at the Cleveland Public Library.

Late winter frontal systems are nothing to be trifled with. It was a weeknight trip to Kent State when the National Weather Service warned of freezing precipitation. I did not heed the forecast. I had wrangled a media credential by agreeing to transport The Post's reporter for enough mileage reimbursement to pay for a week's worth of Court Street when we returned. Two things make a young man lose his mind; one of them is dollar signs. Heading north on I-77, we hit the weather somewhat north of Newcomerstown. As the road became treacherous, my passenger was torn. Should he urge me to slow down or pull over at the risk of missing media room snacks? Or should he remain silent in the hopes that Frank Truitt left him a hot dog.

Outside Strasburg, it all came unglued. The car lost traction and spun clockwise. We grazed the guardrail, which sped up our rotation. I saw the headlights of oncoming traffic, but only briefly as the car continued around. At 270 degrees, I realized it would be a good time to steer into the spin. We completed the full 360 and the car stabilized; somehow the engine was still running. I dropped a gear and resumed almost as if nothing had happened.

My passenger knew something had happened, and politely requested that I pull the hell over so he could vomit. While he dealt with his delicacies, I checked the damage. It was minimal and I decided we could continue the journey. I saw a plow pass and reentered the interstate, following as far as I needed. At Memorial Gym, I had a press room hot dog.

So be careful tomorrow. Or leave home now. Affordable hotel rooms are still available and I'll be at the Winking Lizard until they refuse to serve me.

Look for lots of ball pressure out front on Bean. If he handles it ...we live to play another day. TO's and points off TO's are going to absolutely be the stat to watch. 

TJ/Setty/AC score combined 25 we win

Will be rocking my jersey underneath my suit tomorrow...