menu
Logo
99+
Bobcat Attack Menu
Logo
99+
Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: MAC Championship
Page: 1 of 2
mail
person
Buckeye to Bobcat
3/10/2018 10:08 AM
Who ya got tonight? Toledo or Buffalo?

Definitely am excited for this final, should be two very solid teams going at each other.
mail
person
Obc2
3/10/2018 10:16 AM
Buffalo.

I must admit watching them makes me crave athleticism and shooters for our Bobcats.
mail
shabamon
3/10/2018 10:23 AM
If Fletcher is out, then I have to go with Buffalo. With Fletcher, it's a tossup. However, I think Toledo is built better to win a game in the dance.
mail
bigtillyoopsupsideurhead
3/10/2018 10:38 AM
Should be an exciting game. First time they met Buffalo won 104-94 in regulation.

I think Buffalo wins a close one 86-82.
mail
person
Buckeye to Bobcat
3/10/2018 11:15 AM
Personal interest: Toledo

If Fletcher is out: Buffalo by 14

If Fletcher plays 15+ minutes: Buffalo by 4
mail
person
Maddog13
3/10/2018 11:57 AM
It's great to see the two best teams in the MAC going at it tonight for all the marbles. It is hard to imagine Toledo winning with Fletcher hurt and them having had to play a tight game last night; however, I wouldn't rule Toledo out, though I certainly believe Buffalo to be the best team in the league. Whoever wins, I would love to see them go deep in the tournament and take down some big time programs.
mail
bornacatfan
3/10/2018 12:39 PM
bigtillyoopsupsideurhead wrote:expand_more
Should be an exciting game. First time they met Buffalo won 104-94 in regulation.

I think Buffalo wins a close one 86-82.
That was a great game to watch. Anxious to see the result, although I will probably be watching some other games at the time...
mail
greencat
3/10/2018 12:50 PM
Obc2 wrote:expand_more
Buffalo.

I must admit watching them makes me crave athleticism and shooters for our Bobcats.

You must be pretty thrilled with the incoming class of super-stud blue-chip athletes Saul signed, especially the one that bench presses 120.




(obvious sarcasm alert)
mail
person
BobcatSports
3/10/2018 4:50 PM
Why the consternation IF Fletcher can’t go? According to some on here losing key cogs is NO excuse for not winning. A superior recruiter like a Todd K certainly has a comparable D1 level talent equal to if not superior to Fletcher right down the bench.
mail
person
Buckeye to Bobcat
3/10/2018 5:47 PM
BobcatSports wrote:expand_more
Why the consternation IF Fletcher can’t go? According to some on here losing key cogs is NO excuse for not winning. A superior recruiter like a Todd K certainly has a comparable D1 level talent equal to if not superior to Fletcher right down the bench.
I get where you're going with it and I agree with you. Injuries if you have depth shouldn't impact as significantly.

The big difference with this scenario right now is that Fletcher has been with them all year until now. Usually having time to adjust rotations and getting chemistry right can make it easier on a team when dealing with a problem like this.
mail
GraffZ06
3/10/2018 7:36 PM
BobcatSports wrote:expand_more
Why the consternation IF Fletcher can’t go? According to some on here losing key cogs is NO excuse for not winning. A superior recruiter like a Todd K certainly has a comparable D1 level talent equal to if not superior to Fletcher right down the bench.
Nobody said injuries don't matter at all. What I've said though is that coaches own the team/players/bench they put together regardless of injuries. That's still true. If Toledo loses tonight nobody is going to cry them a river or give them a participation trophy because they played without a key player. A loss is a loss is a loss.

That being said, it's night-and-day when trying to compare two teams with an injury where one of them might lose in the conference championship game (no shame in that) while the other finishes 7-11 and next to last in the league while getting bounced in the first round.

Injuries DO matter. How you deal with it also matters. Results still matter.
mail
person
Townie1977
3/10/2018 8:44 PM
greencat wrote:expand_more
Buffalo.

I must admit watching them makes me crave athleticism and shooters for our Bobcats.

You must be pretty thrilled with the incoming class of super-stud blue-chip athletes Saul signed, especially the one that bench presses 120.




(obvious sarcasm alert)
We have a few versions of reality on this board, but I am fairly certain there is not a single poster that can argue that our roster is not constructed to compete at a MAC championship level. We are not close to Buffalo or Toledo. EMU is athletically superior as is Kent, WMU, CMU and Ball State. Miami and Akron are coming.

Saul needs to watch this game closely and then take a look in the mirror. Nate Oats is Saul's antithesis. He recruits and reloads. His team has an identity and swagger. Remember how athletic our teams were 5 or 6 years ago? TJ Hall and Ricardo Johnson would be the Southeastern Ohio version of Jordan and Pippen on our current roster, and thats nothing against TJ and Ricardo. It is just that we used to have depth!

Is it going to be a satisfactory level of improvement if we host a first round game next year? Is a first round host game a job saver? I can not believe that is apparently how far the expectations of this fan base have fallen.
mail
FearLeon
3/10/2018 9:05 PM
Townie1977 wrote:expand_more
Buffalo.

I must admit watching them makes me crave athleticism and shooters for our Bobcats.

You must be pretty thrilled with the incoming class of super-stud blue-chip athletes Saul signed, especially the one that bench presses 120.




(obvious sarcasm alert)
We have a few versions of reality on this board, but I am fairly certain there is not a single poster that can argue that our roster is not constructed to compete at a MAC championship level. We are not close to Buffalo or Toledo. EMU is athletically superior as is Kent, WMU, CMU and Ball State. Miami and Akron are coming.

Saul needs to watch this game closely and then take a look in the mirror. Nate Oats is Saul's antithesis. He recruits and reloads. His team has an identity and swagger. Remember how athletic our teams were 5 or 6 years ago? TJ Hall and Ricardo Johnson would be the Southeastern Ohio version of Jordan and Pippen on our current roster, and thats nothing against TJ and Ricardo. It is just that we used to have depth!

Is it going to be a satisfactory level of improvement if we host a first round game next year? Is a first round host game a job saver? I can not believe that is apparently how far the expectations of this fan base have fallen.
Great take Townie^^^^. So that's 3 titles in 4 years for Buffalo and they have everyone back but Clark and a dynamite recruiting class coming in. I watch this Buffalo team run up and down the floor and realize we don't match up at all with this team next year even with a healthy roster of players. Athletes, athletes and more athletes and they can all shoot...that's what UB has. Oats has built a machine in Buffalo and Groce is going to build Akron back up. MAC East looks mighty difficult in 2018-2019. #12Months
Last Edited: 3/10/2018 9:16:39 PM by FearLeon
mail
person
Alan Swank
3/10/2018 9:11 PM
Buckeye to Bobcat wrote:expand_more
Why the consternation IF Fletcher can’t go? According to some on here losing key cogs is NO excuse for not winning. A superior recruiter like a Todd K certainly has a comparable D1 level talent equal to if not superior to Fletcher right down the bench.
I get where you're going with it and I agree with you. Injuries if you have depth shouldn't impact as significantly.

The big difference with this scenario right now is that Fletcher has been with them all year until now. Usually having time to adjust rotations and getting chemistry right can make it easier on a team when dealing with a problem like this.
Very valid point. Our major injury was early in the season. Toledo's was last night.
mail
person
Bobcat1996
3/10/2018 9:12 PM
Townie- hosting a first round game won't get it done for the Ohio coach next season and Bobcat followers know that. With the Bulls winning a MAC title for the third time in four seasons they are on a big time run. They reload next season with 5 of the top six returning, so they will be the favorite to win again. Guessing if the Bulls coach doesn't leave for a bigger league, he will get a hefty raise and surpass Saul as the highest paid MAC coach.
mail
person
Townie1977
3/10/2018 9:37 PM
Bobcat1996 wrote:expand_more
Townie- hosting a first round game won't get it done for the Ohio coach next season and Bobcat followers know that. With the Bulls winning a MAC title for the third time in four seasons they are on a big time run. They reload next season with 5 of the top six returning, so they will be the favorite to win again. Guessing if the Bulls coach doesn't leave for a bigger league, he will get a hefty raise and surpass Saul as the highest paid MAC coach.
I think you are correct Bobcat1996.

Oats deserves every bit of the accolades that culminate with being highest paid coach in this one bid league. Because of his leadership, he has ensured the bid runs through Buffalo.

Now....someone tell me again how that beautiful Buffalo campus is a built in advantage over that POS campus in Athens called Ohio U. Buffalo must have resources that we could never dream of here in Southeastern Ohio. I wish we had a beautiful campus, a great venue, an excellent fan base, great program history.......WAIT.....we do have those things.

I wish we had a program leader.
mail
person
bobcatsquared
3/10/2018 10:15 PM
I'm going to guess that everyone on this message board is similar to me and believes the Ohio University campus and Athens is a beautiful place to spend 4 or more years. Not sure about anyone else on here, but I also believe that not every high school basketball and football recruit feels the same.

Some, for example, might prefer a more urban setting, no?
mail
person
allen
3/10/2018 11:11 PM
bobcatsquared wrote:expand_more
I'm going to guess that everyone on this message board is similar to me and believes the Ohio University campus and Athens is a beautiful place to spend 4 or more years. Not sure about anyone else on here, but I also believe that not every high school basketball and football recruit feels the same.

Some, for example, might prefer a more urban setting, no?
They love it, all of the football and basketball players come back. Blair Brown constantly tweets about missing Athens, when I was on campus, we got crushed by former football players in a pickup game. Athens is a great place, you have to have great energy and connect to recruits and they will come. The blacks have a reunion every three years, donate and Sanjay and others always come back. Saul has his own type of player in my opinion. He tries to find diamonds in rough versus competing for sure shots. We will see if it works. Hunter and Groce swung for the fences. Hunter had good energy and was very likable. I gave him jamaal Harris’ phone number, jamaal did not have the grades. Stringer almost transferred here. I am sure that saul is likable. I don’t know how he relates to the youth. I know from interviews that Oats is the Dabo Swinney servant leader type that builds his players up.
Last Edited: 3/11/2018 1:02:37 AM by allen
mail
person
Tom Valentino
3/11/2018 12:26 AM
FearLeon wrote:expand_more
Buffalo.

I must admit watching them makes me crave athleticism and shooters for our Bobcats.

You must be pretty thrilled with the incoming class of super-stud blue-chip athletes Saul signed, especially the one that bench presses 120.




(obvious sarcasm alert)
We have a few versions of reality on this board, but I am fairly certain there is not a single poster that can argue that our roster is not constructed to compete at a MAC championship level. We are not close to Buffalo or Toledo. EMU is athletically superior as is Kent, WMU, CMU and Ball State. Miami and Akron are coming.

Saul needs to watch this game closely and then take a look in the mirror. Nate Oats is Saul's antithesis. He recruits and reloads. His team has an identity and swagger. Remember how athletic our teams were 5 or 6 years ago? TJ Hall and Ricardo Johnson would be the Southeastern Ohio version of Jordan and Pippen on our current roster, and thats nothing against TJ and Ricardo. It is just that we used to have depth!

Is it going to be a satisfactory level of improvement if we host a first round game next year? Is a first round host game a job saver? I can not believe that is apparently how far the expectations of this fan base have fallen.
Great take Townie^^^^. So that's 3 titles in 4 years for Buffalo and they have everyone back but Clark and a dynamite recruiting class coming in. I watch this Buffalo team run up and down the floor and realize we don't match up at all with this team next year even with a healthy roster of players. Athletes, athletes and more athletes and they can all shoot...that's what UB has. Oats has built a machine in Buffalo and Groce is going to build Akron back up. MAC East looks mighty difficult in 2018-2019. #12Months
I’ll be interested to see what happens with Buffalo if/when Oats leaves. Sure, they are in a great position to continue this run. But six years ago, we were coming off our 2nd MAC title in three years, a Sweet 16 bid, had our entire rotation coming back and Caris LeVert on the way. Then Groce left, and you know the rest.

Could Buffalo keep it going with another coach? Absolutely. Oats picked up right where Hurley left off. But it can turn in a hurry...
mail
person
colobobcat66
3/11/2018 9:11 AM
Bobcat1996 wrote:expand_more
Townie- hosting a first round game won't get it done for the Ohio coach next season and Bobcat followers know that. With the Bulls winning a MAC title for the third time in four seasons they are on a big time run. They reload next season with 5 of the top six returning, so they will be the favorite to win again. Guessing if the Bulls coach doesn't leave for a bigger league, he will get a hefty raise and surpass Saul as the highest paid MAC coach.
He’s already signed a new contract extension, so that mystery should be released soon.
I’m guessing if Buffalo wins a game in the tourney, he will be gone..
mail
person
colobobcat66
3/11/2018 9:13 AM
Tom Valentino wrote:expand_more
Buffalo.

I must admit watching them makes me crave athleticism and shooters for our Bobcats.

You must be pretty thrilled with the incoming class of super-stud blue-chip athletes Saul signed, especially the one that bench presses 120.




(obvious sarcasm alert)
We have a few versions of reality on this board, but I am fairly certain there is not a single poster that can argue that our roster is not constructed to compete at a MAC championship level. We are not close to Buffalo or Toledo. EMU is athletically superior as is Kent, WMU, CMU and Ball State. Miami and Akron are coming.

Saul needs to watch this game closely and then take a look in the mirror. Nate Oats is Saul's antithesis. He recruits and reloads. His team has an identity and swagger. Remember how athletic our teams were 5 or 6 years ago? TJ Hall and Ricardo Johnson would be the Southeastern Ohio version of Jordan and Pippen on our current roster, and thats nothing against TJ and Ricardo. It is just that we used to have depth!

Is it going to be a satisfactory level of improvement if we host a first round game next year? Is a first round host game a job saver? I can not believe that is apparently how far the expectations of this fan base have fallen.
Great take Townie^^^^. So that's 3 titles in 4 years for Buffalo and they have everyone back but Clark and a dynamite recruiting class coming in. I watch this Buffalo team run up and down the floor and realize we don't match up at all with this team next year even with a healthy roster of players. Athletes, athletes and more athletes and they can all shoot...that's what UB has. Oats has built a machine in Buffalo and Groce is going to build Akron back up. MAC East looks mighty difficult in 2018-2019. #12Months
I’ll be interested to see what happens with Buffalo if/when Oats leaves. Sure, they are in a great position to continue this run. But six years ago, we were coming off our 2nd MAC title in three years, a Sweet 16 bid, had our entire rotation coming back and Caris LeVert on the way. Then Groce left, and you know the rest.

Could Buffalo keep it going with another coach? Absolutely. Oats picked up right where Hurley left off. But it can turn in a hurry...
I think their AD has left for greener pastures so that may be a major factor in keeping up the continuity.
mail
person
Bobcat1998
3/11/2018 9:37 AM
colobobcat66 wrote:expand_more
Townie- hosting a first round game won't get it done for the Ohio coach next season and Bobcat followers know that. With the Bulls winning a MAC title for the third time in four seasons they are on a big time run. They reload next season with 5 of the top six returning, so they will be the favorite to win again. Guessing if the Bulls coach doesn't leave for a bigger league, he will get a hefty raise and surpass Saul as the highest paid MAC coach.
He’s already signed a new contract extension, so that mystery should be released soon.
I’m guessing if Buffalo wins a game in the tourney, he will be gone..
Oats is gone. I only wonder who follows him. Shannon Evans did well to follow Hurley. Perhaps Massinburg or Perkins could be convinced to sit a year to play at Pitt or Uconn if that is where Oats could land.
mail
bornacatfan
3/11/2018 10:25 AM
Bobcat1998 wrote:expand_more
Oats is gone. I only wonder who follows him. \
I think that is a key. The next coach in line is the key recruiter and "grabber of recruits". If he stays they keep the recruiting in line, if he goes he takes the pipeline with him. As for the players, which I think is the point of your post, that will be another case where the MAC loses talent to Power conference schools just because they are bigger.
mail
person
Ohio69
3/11/2018 11:09 AM
Townie1977 wrote:expand_more
...,campus in Athens called Ohio U...
LOL. “Ohio U” ? Seriously?

14 months ago we were walking into the Convo to face Eastern Michigan U at 10-3 (3-0) with wins at Georgia Tech U and @ Buffalo U. And were looking ready to steamroll all the other U’s in the MAC. Wonder how that could have ever been? I just read we have an all-Mac freshman for the third straight year. But, can’t be true. Townie says our coaches don’t recruit guys who can play.
mail
person
Townie1977
3/11/2018 11:33 AM
Ohio69 wrote:expand_more
...,campus in Athens called Ohio U...
LOL. “Ohio U” ? Seriously?

14 months ago we were walking into the Convo to face Eastern Michigan U at 10-3 (3-0) with wins at Georgia Tech U and @ Buffalo U. And were looking ready to steamroll all the other U’s in the MAC. Wonder how that could have ever been? I just read we have an all-Mac freshman for the third straight year. But, can’t be true. Townie says our coaches don’t recruit guys who can play.

Will always be Ohio U to me, lived it all my life. LOL (didn't know LOL was still a thing)

14 months ago was light years from today my friend. You catch many games this year? Take stock of the in conference rosters? How about this...watch the MAC championship last night?

Happy that TK was on the All-Freshman team, great accomplishment. Buffalo had (4) honored on the All-Conference team, Ohio U had (1) honorable mention- you ok with that? Our roster is deficient, stop making excuses.
Showing Messages: 1 - 25 of 32
reply
vertical_align_top
vertical_align_center
vertical_align_bottom
add_comment
chevron_forward
MAC News Links



extra small (< 576px)
small (>= 576px)
medium (>= 768px)
large (>= 992px)
x-large (>= 1200px)
xx-large (>= 1400px)