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Akron sticks a dagger right in BG's heart! Again, we fail to put the game away in the closing minutes and we fall and fall hard. We had a 10-point lead in the first half and lost it, then built it back to 7-points in the second half and lost it too. Tough, tough loss. I just hope this doesn't sink us, because right now, we're reeling.

Reimold throwing the inbound pass away with a little over a minute left was killer. I'm really not sure where he was going with that pass...it was in Almanson's direction, but way overthrown.

Did anyone catch who should have been picking up Joyce on Akron's game-winning basket? I believe that Floyd was guarding him as the ball came inbounds, but he was screened across the lane. Whoever should have hedged/switched/helped out didn't, and Joyce got about the easiest last second bucket I have seen in my life. The effort he put into it looked like a warm-up layup.

On a side note, Adam Walther looks like he belongs on an 8th grade "B" team. Probably the cockiest freshman I've seen come into AA for awhile. At least he'll give us a Zip to focus our harrassment on for the next few years. Walther will take over nicely for Andy Hipsher.

Crew Love wrote: Did anyone catch who should have been picking up Joyce on Akron's game-winning basket? I believe that Floyd was guarding him as the ball came inbounds, but he was screened across the lane. Whoever should have hedged/switched/helped out didn't, and Joyce got about the easiest last second bucket I have seen in my life. The effort he put into it looked like a warm-up layup.

Floyd got screened and there was a lack of communication. I believe it was Almonson who should have picked him up. He seemed to bite on his guy for a second to long and then it was too late.

Among the few words on the postgame spoken by DD were that Floyd shouldn't have let him get to the right (ie, away from the baseline) and Almanson should have picked him up.

Dakich said Floyd should have never let Joyce go left. I wasn't impressed at all by Dru Joyce when he was running around with 'Bron 'Bron and I wasn't impressed tonight, but he made a good drive and will get the glory after an overall poor game. Josh's feet are almost as sad as Fitch's knee. Josh was really gimping around at several times and I think that contributed to Joyce going by him like he was stuck to the floor.

I realize that Bubba has a little "moxie" to him, but what in the hell makes you think he belongs on an 8th grade B team? I've said some pretty crazy things in the past, but the kid flat out shoots the ball and was a few looks away from torching us not to mention he was one of the reasons Akron was in the game in the second half. Wow. I don't know, BG could learn a thing or two from Bubba's "stage presence" that he brings.

The move to go at Floyd does not surprise me in the slightest. There are few, if any guards in the MAC that Floyd can guard off a set-play or in isolation situations. Moon would've been my perferred choice. He's more physcial and much quicker, but Floyd's legs were warm and I can see why he was left in, despite not agreeing with it.

We have got to figure out a way to inbound the ball against face-guarding pressure. Last year's debacle against OU was a near-miss disaster and we put ourselves in vulnerable situations with our lack of ball-handling and prescence of mind to respond to full-court pressure.

Almanson and Reimold were winning their match-ups all night long and then we lose sight of them in the last two to three minutes. Hammb also pointed out with great accuracy that we did not get a defensive stop in the last three minutes.

Monday's game shouldn't be a "must-win," but we have very few gimmie's left.

I think he was referring to the fact that Bubba looks like an 8th grader, not that he plays like an 8th grader.

What I didn't understand was why Josh was guarding Romeo Travis in the final minutes. I thought Eyink did a wonderful job on him most of the night and then Josh was guarding him in the final 2 minutes. Josh fouled him to give up a 3 point play and then fouled to give up 2 FT's. I realize Eyink had 4 fouls and they were scared of losing him, but if you can't trust your seniors, who can you trust?

Reimold's inbounds pass was a bad play by a good player. Few and far between from JR, just a really bad time for it. If we get it in, we go 2 possessions to their 1. Since we didn't, they got the ball last and obviously took advantage.

I think Stevie Wright has a fair amount of talent and really good athleticism. With that said, though, I am terrified every time he touches the ball of who is going to catch an errant pass in the 3rd row or which opponent is going to get a dunk when they strip him trying to go between his legs. Pass the ball and stop dribbling out top! Get it on the wing and go to the hole under control -- he is not a point guard. He proved that last year and proved it on numerous occasions tonight.

Sorry for the negative post, but it was just one of those nights. I'm sick of losing games that we have no business losing. On a bright note, when was the last time John Reimold had 2 dunks in a game?!

If you were there, you know about #4, Walther.

He's a punk. From the Zips' website, he's from Moeller HS in Cinci. They also claim that he's 165 lbs. There's no way that this skinny-a$$ freshman weighs any more than 140. He kept taunting the crowd and pissing people off. I'm sorry, you can't act like that unless you can actually beat someone in a fight. He's going to be hurting sometime, if he continues to act like this for the rest of his carreer. To his credit, he did have 15 pts., in 18 min. He was 5-9 from the floor, including 3-5 from 3pt. land, and 2-2 from the free throw line. He took a lot of crap from the fans, and he backed it up, even if he is an a$$. OK, thats all for now. Adios, Jeff

I just don't get it . . . who cares what the kid weighs or how many fans he "pisses" off . . . . Generally speaking, you piss off opposing fans b/c the team they're cheering for can't stop you. I realize he had a few things to say to the crowd, nothing major from what I saw and he has an easy name to pick on, but you summed it all up with one phrase . . . "he backed it up"

That's all that needs to be said. I would like to see BG show up with his emotion and intensity . . . by no means do I think he's a choir boy or much more than a really good shot, but he had it rolling tonight when it counted.

Main wordage in your statement, maggot:

"If he backs it up."

He backed it up. I'd say 15 in 18 is a pretty good clip...A cool point per 1.3 minutes? Something like that. Not bad. Play 40, average 33 or so.

They came into Anderson and played us for fools.

I'd say that's a good reason to be cocky.

Sorry Option, you beat me to it!

ok even if josh couldnt get over what about the opposite guard in the corner?!?! if he drops off then they may not have enough time to even pass it to the guy in the corner for the shot and like it was said before it was like a warmup layup because nobody was near him....coach preached alot in the postgame about how he stressed that joyce practically falls down when forced to use his left hand annd yet we let him beat us right in a tie ball game with less than 5 seconds left?!?!? mental mistakes are whats killin them but its at least somethin we all knwo they can overcome....hopefully better next time

I realize that Bubba has a little "moxie" to him, but what in the hell makes you think he belongs on an 8th grade B team?

Option...it obviously wasn't his play, evident from his shooting, but if you watched the game at ALL tonight, you saw that this kid looked like. A couple inches over 6 foot and a potato sack over 150 pounds? I made the 8th grade comment because, honestly, there were guys on my 8th grade basketball team that made Walther look like a punk. Little muscle, little physicality, and a baggy full-sleeved t-shirt under his jersey, but to his credit, the kid can shoot. There definitely is a place in college basketball for a kid like this, but where? Remember a few years ago when Austin Montgomery was a freshman hitting for outside shots for double-digits every other game or so? Walther is one-dimensional and does NOT have D-IA game. Sooner or later, teams will get the scouting report on him and control his game. There's a reason that Steve Kerr and Dan Majerle weren't Michael Jordan.

Okay, Let me preface this by stating that I'm in the severe minority. In fact, I don't know of a single basketball coach anywhere that would play that final game situation how I would. But I play to win, and that is why, I FOUL somebody in that final possession.

If you go out there and play defense you know that Akron is not going to take a shot until the clock is inside of 5 seconds. Best case scenario is you get a stop or a turnover and force OT. It was a tied game already, and Akron had nothing to lose & everything to gain. Conversely we had little to gain, and everything to lose.

If I'm the coach I foul somebody & put them on the line. Worst case scenario you now trail by 2 but you guarantee yourself a possession to tie or possibly win it with a triple.

I know that not many people likely agree with me, but I have seen too many times a team try to play defense there (like we did) and fail miserably (like we did). Personally, I NEVER play for OT, I try to win the game in regulation. Especially when you have 1 starter hobbling, 2 with 4 fouls, and your 6th man has already fouled out, as was the situation last night. I just don't see the logic in hoping you get a stop to force an OT.

And this is ignoring the fact that we hadn't stopped Akron at all in the final minutes of the game. Maybe I'd make the worst basketball coach in the history of the world, but I'd much prefer the ball in my hands with a chance to tie or win than having to hang on in a defensive set with the best possible scenario becoming OT. And if they were to miss one of those free throws you're in even better shape!

Besides that I would've had Moon on that final set as well. He's made a number of key defensive plays for us down the stretch in games. For all Floyd has done to win me over on the offensive side of the court, I still think he's got the slowest feet of any PG in the MAC. I know he got screened, but as Dan said the scouting report clearly stated that if you make him go left he's as likely to fall over and lose the ball as he is to make a play. If you let him go right you're playing into his hands. Dan was not at ALL pleased with Floyd's effort on that play judging by the post game.

hammb wrote:Okay, Let me preface this by stating that I'm in the severe minority. In fact, I don't know of a single basketball coach anywhere that would play that final game situation how I would. But I play to win, and that is why, I FOUL somebody in that final possession.

If you go out there and play defense you know that Akron is not going to take a shot until the clock is inside of 5 seconds. Best case scenario is you get a stop or a turnover and force OT. It was a tied game already, and Akron had nothing to lose & everything to gain. Conversely we had little to gain, and everything to lose.

If I'm the coach I foul somebody & put them on the line. Worst case scenario you now trail by 2 but you guarantee yourself a possession to tie or possibly win it with a triple.

I know that not many people likely agree with me, but I have seen too many times a team try to play defense there (like we did) and fail miserably (like we did). Personally, I NEVER play for OT, I try to win the game in regulation. Especially when you have 1 starter hobbling, 2 with 4 fouls, and your 6th man has already fouled out, as was the situation last night. I just don't see the logic in hoping you get a stop to force an OT.

And this is ignoring the fact that we hadn't stopped Akron at all in the final minutes of the game. Maybe I'd make the worst basketball coach in the history of the world, but I'd much prefer the ball in my hands with a chance to tie or win than having to hang on in a defensive set with the best possible scenario becoming OT. And if they were to miss one of those free throws you're in even better shape!

Besides that I would've had Moon on that final set as well. He's made a number of key defensive plays for us down the stretch in games. For all Floyd has done to win me over on the offensive side of the court, I still think he's got the slowest feet of any PG in the MAC. I know he got screened, but as Dan said the scouting report clearly stated that if you make him go left he's as likely to fall over and lose the ball as he is to make a play. If you let him go right you're playing into his hands. Dan was not at ALL pleased with Floyd's effort on that play judging by the post game.

What he said.