Just got back from DC - thoughts on our game

[BGSU33]

My in-laws live in Northern Virginia so we arranged for a short visit to DC to coincide with this game. Hey, I needed something to look forward to with the visit. That said, after this game, I would have been better served hanging out with my in-laws longer…..

First and foremost, I know it was our first game and all, but if tonight’s showing was any indication to the style of play or the type of performances we’re going to see this year….it will be a LONG season. After losing three post players and hearing in the preseason how we’re going to play an up-tempo style of basketball this year and use our athleticism to get up and down the floor, this game was nothing but more of the same for us from recent years. We grinding things to a halt offensively, and continued to struggle mightily scoring offensively. I know we pride ourselves on defense, but we MUST be able to score. Period! Going on the road and holding your opponent to 54 points for the game is solid, and you’d take that almost any time. But it was also another continuous parade to the free throw line for our opponent and if Howard could have hit a free throw, they’d have buried us. I’ve heard so much about Calhoun and I think he’s going to be a good one for us, but man did he struggle finding any sort of touch. Can’t help but think he’d like to get just one or two those shots to drop. I was very disappointed to see Jakubowski give us next to nothing offensively either. Especially from our floor leader. We just looked lost for answers from our guards on the perimeter throughout much of the game. I think that may make or break us this year depending one whether we can find a presence there for us. Our three-point shooting also failed us miserably, just as it did in our exhibition game.

On the positive side, Thomas looked solid and Black had a very nice showing in his first game. McElroy was very active off the boards and I also think he could be a very good one for us as well. I’d love to see him get his offensive going as he could be a double-double guy if he does. I also thought when we weren’t sending them to the line, our defense was pretty good in spots. I can’t really comment on our bench play as the game was close throughout, so some guys never saw the floor for us tonight who might see action for us as the year goes on. And the most positive thing from this game – it wasn’t a MAC contest.

All in all, we lost to a team we should have beaten. Yes we were on the road, yes it was our first game and yes we are still searching for an identity this year. It would have been nice to have played that Ohio Dominican game before this one, but that’s not how it lined up for us. Hats off to Howard, they beat us, but we lost to a bad team and that says what you need to know about us right now. But it’s only one game. If we can start scoring, we’ll win some games this year. I’m not even going to let one game sum up what to expect this season from us, but that said, we have a lot of work to do if we hope to be a different team this season.

[debtzoomba]

No Craig Sealey and hardly any minutes from Jordan Crawford? Come on now. Crawford turns the tempo up both offensively and defensively and with an offense and lack of rebounding where was Sealey?