Better call SAUL!! Yet another year of out rebounded, no 3pt shooter horrid from the FT line and yet another home loss to a less than stellar opponent! Does Jeff have a dog?

Before you guys slit your wrists wait until January and see just how good or not so good tonight's opponent in the Convo becomes, they sounded like a hand full. Wright State and Ohio State both easily took down their opponents tonight.

Guarantee 15+points a night from Hadaway and I'll like OUr chances in the MAC. Simmons and Breath are a major upgrade over last year departed. Hadaway appears to be an upgrade on the pre-hurt Hadaway. Just have to get JJ to take over most of the Sheldon minutes and Conners coming in 4 out of 10 games and going off.

Keep working on the defense, free throws and rebounding. It is a LOOOONNNG Season so do not throw in the towel yet as you say it is all about a few days in March not a few halves in early November.

I agree with all of this, and add that Boals does not seem to be a good game-day coach. After he calls a time out in a critical situation, more often than not we don't see a new strategy or a play call that makes a difference. Some here have said that the team does not have set plays. We'll, if so, that's a problem. You need set plays for crucial situation, and you need to be able to design new plays on fly.

I guess I was spoiled growing up when Gentleman Jim Snyder was the coach. He was very, very good at calling strategic TOs and then devising just the right play to take advantage of his teams strenghts and the other teams weaknesses. Just one example, I was there at St. John's Arena the first time we beat OSU. I remember a TO late in a very close game where Jim called a TO, and what happened after that was masterful. OSU was in a man defense. OHIO put the ball in play and after a several seconds every OHIO player except the man with the ball pulled to their side of of the court (two to the left and two to the right), this opened up a hole in the center that a MAC truck could go through, the guy with the ball (don't remember who it was) drove down the center for an uncontested layup. It was like a choreographed ballet. To call for this play and pull it off Jim had to know the talents of his players and tendencies of the OSU players. I just don't see any thing resembliing this kind a mastery of the game in Boals.

I know it's a different era now, but the ball is still round and the rules are much the same (save for the 3-point shot and the shot clock). I've seen some coaches in this era who have the kind of smarts that Jim had. It just doesn't seem to me that Jeff has it.

I'm not ready to say "fire the coach," but my patience is wearing thin.

Boals going into the 2025-2026 season with Sheldon as his starting shooting guard is coaching malpractice. Never in a million years after last season did I think Sheldon would be the starting two-guard in the opener playing 36 minutes against Arkansas State. We aren’t talking Dave Jamerson here.

Coaching malpractice.

Boals is loyal to a fault.

Dior had 8 points in 16 minutes. Let’s drink from that well, please.

All of this. Sheldon is a 10 minute energy guy. Kelly is ready now. Kuany looks like a steal. That was a very winnable game and lineup mismanagement was frustrating.

People need to make shots for guys to get assists.

So what you're saying is:
1. Groce
2. Sendy
3. Boals
4. Toddy K

And I have to say that your data, while nice, does omit details that are important. With Sendy and Groce, the NCAA Tourney appearances are with THEIR guys. Boals, while doing a masterful job of coaching that group in a COVID year, had nothing to do with getting those players. Saul, for all his faults, will go down as the Belichick (Brady) who found Preston and brought him in and who found BVP out of Wisconsin. While I love the MAC Tourney title, it is a bit deceiving when you look at recruits.

The same Frank Martin who lost at home to Marshall last night?

I thought it was a good game, both teams looked pretty solid. I'll be surprised if Arkansas State isn't near the top of the Sun Belt again. They've got several good players on that roster, and size.

Great student turnout for the opener. I was a little worried when they were sitting for the first 5 minutes of the game but they eventually woke up. Lost a lot at halftime but overall fairly encouraged, but losing to not big name schools is not the best way to get them to come back.

Also how did 2 Arkansas St fans end up in the middle of the Ozone? We've gotta have someone from the Athletics Dept walk up to them and ask for a student ID. Not only is it weird and embarrassing, it's probably not the best for safety and peacekeeping.

This game was very much like much of our OOC last year. Not terribly upsetting or horrific, but frustrating that we just couldn't find a way to win...again. On that point, I understand the frustration with coach Boals. When you consistently lose toss-up games, it is easy to look at the coach and a few key decisions. We just have not been good at winning these "gut-it-out" type games for a few seasons now.

I am not surprised we were outrebounded, and if you had to point to one factor as the difference in the game that was probably it. I don't expect that to be a consistent issue in the MAC.

Shout out to Hadaway, what a game. His touch around the rim was elite. His trash talking was strategic and contained, he got in a couple guys heads at times. He was dejected after the game, walked off without shaking hands. If he can be that guy in the paint, we will take a step forward. 9 for 10 from 2!

And speaking of the paint, Simmons had a frustrating night with foul trouble early (aided by some garbage calls) but he clearly can turn on a killer instinct when he needs to. He could have a big year.

I'm a Sheldon supporter, but agree 36 mins is too much. I like Connors & Kelly a lot and we should see more. Connors is probably the 3 point shooter we need. Jackson would be an elite player if he could shoot the 3, but he just isn't above average there which effects how he is defended. We missed several really good looks from 3. Sometimes you shoot 30% from 3 because of good defense and bad looks...last night we shot 30% because we sucked at shooting.

Offensively I thought we passed up some good jumper opportunities early in the clock. Would like to see guys pull up when they get some space, especially knowing we don't have much of a 3 ball weapon. Defensively, we've gotta be quicker to seal off the lanes. OSU & Ark St both had success going quick to the rim.

In the prediction thread I said we were in for a rough start followed by a hot streak and I stand by that. I think we are better than last year. If we can knock off Illinois St, I'll be content at 1-1. But 0-2 at home, even if the opponents are good, will be a tough pill to swallow.

Are we really comparing Frank Martin's and Jeff Boals' resumes right now? I think our roster is better than UMass' -- that has equivalent turnover to that of Arkansas State.

In three contests, Hadaway is 6/12 from three. Sheldon is 7/22. If that trend continues, I am trusting replacing Sheldon with Breath in the starting lineup. Rebounding and defense would surely improve, Elliott would not be forced to guard the occasional 6'6"+ three man (though does he look taller than last year to anyone else?). What am I missing? This should be the move.