Not when we get no flow. Refs treating Brandon Johnson like he is a beast. BVP getting banged. So yes, refs and calls affect shooting.

Not going to judge this young team in Zoo to open MAC with Roderick, Murrell, Brown and Foster all having injury issues. Dartis got screwed by refs in 1st half. Refs jobbed us first half. Proud we came back after down 13 zip and 10 in 2nd half

Look at the stat line for the trips to the line and also we took 50% of our shots from the 3, not smart.
Despite this with just a few minutes left and behind by only 2, with a chance, and we needed to clamp down on D, we didn't and the result was a loss.
I wonder if the Price issue could have had some effect on the team, mentally.



GO BOBCATS

It's clear that we're very young and we're making a lot of mistakes that young players tend to make. That said, I'd say we won the middle 34 minutes of that game which is impressive in that it was the first conference game and it was on the road. I really think Murrell is going to be a big positive for this team going forward and I'm very confident in Dartis's leadership and the way he opens up the middle by just being on the court. It's early, we'll get through this.

If a teammate walking out on you after failing to earn playing time effects you, mentally, you are weak, mentally.

As for recent roster movement, no disrespect to anyone, but Roderick/Murrell >>>>> Mcmurray/Price.

First of all, Western Michigan earned the win. For periods of time they dominated underneath and then won it from the outside. The final score didn’t reflect how close it was. There were some positives. We didn’t lose our poise and 3 players who haven’t played virtually any minutes got a lot of time and all 3 looked like they are going to be positive contributors going forward.

It’s early yet.

Murrell just might be a pretty damn good MAC player if he can stay healthy and get out there and get his minutes.
We couldnt buy a basket in the last 2.5 minutes, and had plenty of chances.
The number of free throws shot is way out of bounds.
Chance to bounce back on Tuesday night.

I agree here with my SLO buddy, particularly that last line about the players back from injury who are getting their sea legs again, as we might say in the Navy. That Army grunt oldkatz might have another analogy, which will probably be even more colorful, but he's a colorful guy! berniebobcat and I are pretty drab guys by comparison . . .

Definitely. I would like to think that after another week of practice, and another game, they'll be able to contribute even more than we saw in this one.

The luster is off and the honeymoon seems to be over. Still early and a long way to go to be critiquing coaching behaviors. Wasn't he the one who ripped his coat off and got angry just a few games back?

Not the way you want to start MAC play.

Never easy to win in K-Zoo, but if you want to be considered a top half MAC program with thoughts of doing something in Cleveland - games against bottom dwellers, even on the road, are ones you need to win.

Newsflash, we ain't there yet.

After a couple early season surprises, this team has settled into what it appears to be - and that's young, inexperienced, unathletic and not very good. Gonna take some time, and that's okay.

I watched the full game on TV. Did anyone else but me notice that we STILL look shorter, smaller and slower at basically every single position on the floor than our opponent? And this wasn't a P5 team where that's to be expected. This was Western freaking Michigan. And it wasn't all because we have a team of 18 year old kids and they were 22 year old men - half of WMU's guys last night were freshmen too.

Some of that's on the guys/style Saul recruited. Some of that's due to Boals not having a full recruiting season/schedule. It's going to take some time but we HAVE to address this. We'll need a new starting center next year once Sylvester graduates (certainly not Springs - maybe Foster if he puts in a ton of work but he'd be undersized), but BVP either needs to bulk up or work on some quickness/agility if he's gonna be a dominant PF (even if he's a "stretch 4").

On a positive - Murrell looked REALLY good. Like, put him in the starting lineup at the 3 with Preston/Dartis/Vander Plas/Ogbonda good.

Yes and it's little things like - being a step slow on defense and allowing a driver to get by, or a step slow on rotations allowing a guy to get a free look (slow feet). Or being a second late reacting to a loose ball (slow hands). Or being a second late or an inch too short on those second and third attempts on rebounds around the rim, or blocked shot attempts (too short/not enough hops). Or simply not securing the ball firmly in our hands and letting it get knocked loose or losing control of the dribble (this happens to Preston ALL THE TIME which causes him to have to leave his feet and get stuck in the air). Not to mention the times getting backed down on the post or a block out (not strong enough).

Then I think about all the times we try to drive on someone and get nowhere. No separation, even when we move and reverse the ball well (not fast enough, strong enough with the first step). Or how when defenses "man up" and get physical and in our face, how our offensive sets get pushed further and further from the hoop until we're left passing the ball 35 feet from the basket and hoisting a desperation shot attempt instead of being strong with the basketball and exploiting their aggressiveness.

It's like the freshmen playing the varsity. Bigger/faster/stronger.

It was something I lamented often in relation to all our frequent injuries during Saul's tenure. Maybe that's tin foil hat on my part or maybe it's true, but just looking at the physical bodies of the players and games this season - it's still a glaring problem.

We have no Basra Fakhir, Curtis Simmons or Gary Trent. No Brandon Hunter. No Shaun Stonerook. No Leon Williams, Reggie Keely or Antonio Campbell. No Jerome Tillman. Shoot not even a Tarren Harbut or DeVaughn Washington. "Men" who are 6'5 to 6'9 and 230-260 lbs of pure muscle.