BG vs Kent State

[factman]

Still pizzed about the game. KSU 19 offensive boards. Denny the game from Hell. I don't even want to think about points in the paint and the stutter steps to the basket.

Our bigs are just not as good as Holmes was

HoopsFan

They are both FRESHMEN!

[FalconTurf]

Still pizzed about the game. KSU 19 offensive boards. Denny the game from Hell. I don't even want to think about points in the paint and the stutter steps to the basket.

Our bigs are just not as good as Holmes was

HoopsFan

They are both FRESHMEN!

And both seem to be ahead of where Holmes was as a sophomore. Not sure they have the same athletic ability but their game is more refined. I'm excited to see what these two freshman can do over a 4 year career with a potentially better supporting cast.

[BGSU33]

Parker and Huger both eluded to something I have a hard time understanding in sports - coming out not ready to play. This is something that drives me nuts whenever I hear it. I can understand this happening in practice where it becomes repetitive and isn't much fun. But it shouldn't be that way for games. Yes, I understand some games you get up for more than others. But I'm sorry, when a first place team strolls into your gym, with a chance for you to move into first place with a win, in front of another good crowd, how are you "not ready to play???" There are 365 days in a year and you only get 9 of these types of situations, and you "aren't ready??" It drives me crazy. That falls squarely on the shoulders of the coaches and players to be ready. I mean what were you doing in the days leading up to the game?? Below is what they said:

“I don’t think we came out ready to play,” said Spencer Parker, who finished with 14 points. “We came out too relaxed and not energized. “In the second half, we tried to flick on the switch, but we had dug ourselves too big of a hole to dig out of. … We weren’t ready to play anybody the way we played [in this game].”

Coach Michael Huger agreed, adding, “It’s kind of like boxing: We seem to feel out opponents, seeing what [punches] we can throw. Then all of a sudden we go for the kill at the end. “It can’t be that way. You have to start out stronger. We can’t spot teams points.”

[Roll Along!]

I'm not a big fan of the phrase "not ready to play" because I think it simplifies things too much and is used for a variety of issues in the early part of the game that doesn't literally mean they didn't come ready to play. I think it means all or any of these things (and probably more):

* The other team does something early in the game that you weren't expecting and it takes you awhile to adjust the game plan
* Bad scouting report/game strategy leading into the game
* Wrong mental state of mind entering the game. One reason I would never gamble my hard-earned money on 18-22 year old kids. Maybe they had a fight with their girlfriend the night before and they came to the arena with that heavy on their mind. Maybe they are a good student who struggled with a test earlier in the day or the day before and they are thinking about that. Maybe they talked to their parents and got bad news about a grandparent's health. There are 100 excuses for why an 18-22 year old might not come to the arena on game day with single-minded focus on the game. It doesn't mean that they don't want to be there or that they aren't excited to play the game, but that they may be thinking about other things as they mentally prep for the game in the hours leading up to it.
* Poor performance. Sometimes, a team just starts a game poorly for no reason, missing a bunch of shots, uncharacteristically turning the ball over, etc. Rather than saying "we just missed shots", they often say "we didn't come ready to play".
* Feeling out phase. Sometimes, I imagine, a team goes into a game with the idea that they are going to feel out what their opponent does. If the opponent hits a bunch of shots early, the team feels like they didn't attack from the outset and so they weren't ready to play.

[Tech2000]

Considering the circus that took place since last April, Jan's incident, players coming going coming again, recruits decommiting, huger had his hands full until july/August just to put a team together. With many not having played together, little nucleus to gain from, they are by far ahead where I thought they would be and making at least most games competitive in the end that we lose gives reason to look to next season. A lot of these freshman were probably standouts in high school and brought their A game when needed. In college they have more than likely they need to bring it all the time

[gmartin]

Another thing to take into consideration. Generally on game days the players are out shooting about 90 min before the game in the arena. Then take a 10 min break and then do their typical 20-25 min pregame routine.

When there is a women's game before the men's game the team cannot do its shoot around on the arena floor. They have to go to the practice gym. The practice gym doesn't have the same background as the arena. I wonder if that plays into anything. Also if you warm up and expect a 4 pm tipoff and that gets delayed by 40 minutes does that have any effect. Getting into a routine and then it be deviated slightly may have some effect.

[HoopsFan]

One of the comments from the bench is when #1 drove to the basket. He's right hand dominate and Huger yelled at the defender to not let him go to his right. Of course, I also get side comments from Al Stacey, except he's not going to be there anymore since they're off to North (or is it South) Carolina. It's pretty insightful to hear him talk to the players, notably Wiggins. And, yes, they can hear us

HoopsFan

[FalconTurf]

Another thing to take into consideration. Generally on game days the players are out shooting about 90 min before the game in the arena. Then take a 10 min break and then do their typical 20-25 min pregame routine.

When there is a women's game before the men's game the team cannot do its shoot around on the arena floor. They have to go to the practice gym. The practice gym doesn't have the same background as the arena. I wonder if that plays into anything. Also if you warm up and expect a 4 pm tipoff and that gets delayed by 40 minutes does that have any effect. Getting into a routine and then it be deviated slightly may have some effect.

And the practice court was covered with carpet and chairs for the women's basketball reception followed by the men's reception. They needed to go over to the fieldhouse or rec for shoot around and I doubt that happened.

[threestooges]

Another thing to take into consideration. Generally on game days the players are out shooting about 90 min before the game in the arena. Then take a 10 min break and then do their typical 20-25 min pregame routine.

When there is a women's game before the men's game the team cannot do its shoot around on the arena floor. They have to go to the practice gym. The practice gym doesn't have the same background as the arena. I wonder if that plays into anything. Also if you warm up and expect a 4 pm tipoff and that gets delayed by 40 minutes does that have any effect. Getting into a routine and then it be deviated slightly may have some effect.

And the practice court was covered with carpet and chairs for the women's basketball reception followed by the men's reception. They needed to go over to the fieldhouse or rec for shoot around and I doubt that happened.

I know what you're both saying, but just to clarify, all four teams that played Saturday had their normal one-hour shootarounds. I agree that it might affect the teams playing in the second game to have their pregame routine altered. The BG players (both men's and women's) are used to having the court available 90 minutes before tipoff so they can wander out to the court, do their thing & get ready for the game. For most doubleheaders, the BG team playing the second game can warm up in the practice gym, but -- as was stated above -- that was not possible on Saturday because of the receptions for the women's bb alumnae and the men's bb centennial celebration. It's hard to say that made a difference in the outcome of the second game, though, because Kent State faced the same obstacles.

[threestooges]

I would bet we could get 5 people on here and could beat the Women's basketball team.

No.

[threestooges]

Even though our women's program has been down past 2 years those girls would still take most of us on this board to school. As Freak said, 80% of the banners hanging in the Stroh was from our women's program.

Yes.

[Falco_peregrinusana]

Perhaps I missed it... there was a rule-at one point-that college players were not allowed to dunk in warmups before the game. Has this rule been changed this year?? Looked like the Harlem Globetrotters dunking exhibition on Saturday afternoon.... Could someone fill me in??

[hammb]

Even though our women's program has been down past 2 years those girls would still take most of us on this board to school. As Freak said, 80% of the banners hanging in the Stroh was from our women's program.

Yes.

I'm not an athlete. I'm fat, slow, and short. Never claimed I was an athlete. Never claimed I could hold my own with the women's team...have no desire to even try. I long ago realized that my role in a basketball game is to be a fan. I've got great hand eye coordination and can hold my own on a golf course, ball diamond, etc...but a sport that requires sheer athleticism like hoops? Nope, I'm garbage.

But that's just it...women can't compete either, and that's why I hate it. Could you find 5 guys on this board that could beat the women's starting 5? Maybe, I don't know. But I'm positive I could round up 5 guys that played HS hoops at the rec center on any given day and do so. At least if they get some time to practice and play together a bit before the game.

I realize women's basketball at BG has been incredibly successful over the years. I realize there are people that love the game, even prefer it over the men's game. That's fine. It's just not the SAME game. It's a big time stretch, to me, to even call it the same sport. To me, it's hot garbage. But I don't begrudge others for what they enjoy. I can't stand watching Nascar or reality TV either...to each their own.

[factman]

Hammb, you may be right if you pick and choose the best from the rec, but I can tell you that a group of us that all played HS basketball used to play at the rec periodically with Jackie Moytyka, Megan Mc Guire, Dawn Eastman, etc, and they more than held their own against us. Admittedly, they were in much better shape, as we were on our 30's at the time but I was very impressed with their ability to play physical and defense, not to mention their shootiting. Can they play against elite HS guys........no, but against most HS type guys, they more than hold their own.

[Flipper]

I've worked out with some highly conditioned female athletes...not D1 college level...but they could carry a pace in a strength/cardio workout that would grind me to dust and I could go at a high level for a musclehead.

The gap between female athletes and men isn't nearly as wide as some of you think. You could get 15 people off this board and play 7 on 5 and those women would still thump you. They're D1 players in game condition....of course they'd beat a collection of ham and eggers from the Rec.


The match up I'd like to see would be the gymnastics team vs the football team in a Cross fit type scaled workout. I suspect that pound for pound the gymnasts are the best athletes on campus but the back seven in football (and RB & WR) along with some of the hockey players would give them a run