This team is NOT going to win the MAC Tournament

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

There's a SOS discussion over on CSNBBS. Apparently some math guy calculated we have the toughest remaining schedule in the MAC. Not sure how that factors in to all of this.

Code: Select all

Remaining games SOS
1. Bowling Green
2. Buffalo
3. Miami-OH
4. Ohio
5. Eastern Michigan
6. Kent State
7. Akron
8. Northern Illinois
9. Central Michigan
10. Western Michigan
11. Ball State
12. Toledo

https://csnbbs.com/thread-892052-post-1 ... id16636211" target="_blank

[mbenecke]

It certainly would make sense. Our next 6 games are 2 with Ball State, Toledo, @ Buffalo, @ CMU, and @ Akron.

[Falco_peregrinusana]

There's a SOS discussion over on CSNBBS. Apparently some math guy calculated we have the toughest remaining schedule in the MAC. Not sure how that factors in to all of this.

Code: Select all

Remaining games SOS
1. Bowling Green
2. Buffalo
3. Miami-OH
4. Ohio
5. Eastern Michigan
6. Kent State
7. Akron
8. Northern Illinois
9. Central Michigan
10. Western Michigan
11. Ball State
12. Toledo

https://csnbbs.com/thread-892052-post-1 ... id16636211" target="_blank

If you look at who we have played so far, we have played the worst (by conference record) teams in the league so far. Taken care of our business, but we have beat the bottom dwellers.

[hammb]

IT doesn't surprise me at all. It seems like every time we're in a close game over the past several weeks I'm telling my wife part of the frustration is that the opponent just isn't that good.

Things are about to get a lot tougher. There are currently 5 teams with losing records in MAC play, and we have wins over each of them. We've already lost our home game against KSU, and we've got a pair against Akron still.

Obviously, we still control our destiny. I'm glad that we've gained a lot of experience winning close games, but we're going to have to play better against those better teams just to keep close. Saturday was a great start going to Toledo and playing pretty darn well. Let's hope they can keep that up.

[bgsufalcon24]

Anybody else here think 33’s original post isn’t aging very well?

[mbenecke]

We beat the bad teams, and now we're beating the good teams.

This team, back at full strength, as figured out a way to win close games. I love it.

[JohnFloyd4Life]

Obviously Diggs isn't going to do this every game, but I hope this was a big step forward to him getting acclimated to the D1 game. he gets a lot of good looks with Frye, Turner and Laster beating people off the dribble. If he could knock down open 3's and average double figures for us we would be a much more complete team.

[hammb]

Obviously Diggs isn't going to do this every game, but I hope this was a big step forward to him getting acclimated to the D1 game. he gets a lot of good looks with Frye, Turner and Laster beating people off the dribble. If he could knock down open 3's and average double figures for us we would be a much more complete team.

Really he's probably been the best, most consistent, range shooter on the team this year. One thing that I think really helped last night was him cutting without the ball and finding looks from inside the arc as well. He's so often been used a stationary catch and shoot guy, when his body lends itself to being useful in a larger offensive role.

The team is winning games right now but I really am starting to wonder if playing Diggs at the 3 more frequently wouldn't make for a much better offense. Especially if Frye is willing to play like he did last night NOT chucking up shots constantly and finding the open man. I really like Caleb Fields, and he's a really good defender, but he's not giving us much of anything on offense right now. Throw in Mattos who is basically a nothing on offense and Frye being not especially great at creating off the dribble and it results in a lot of stagnant minutes and long periods of not scoring. We saw it last night to start both halves...our starting 5 REALLY struggles offensively unless Juice is making things happen on his own or we can get out in transition. In the half court that group is just lost right now. Part of that is defenses can basically ignore 2/5 of them.

[FalconTurf]

Diggs has the body, athleticism and skills that you love to see on the perimeter. Continued improvement in his defense is his biggest hurdle while adjusting offensively. He is the player missing from last years team. I’m excited to see how he puts it together this year by tourney time. He could be the key down the stretch opening the lane or getting kick outs to open the offense up.

[BleedOrange]

Zeigler should be getting more minutes as we develop depth. He a great on the ball defender and stays in front people. He may be the best athlete on the team. He should be getting a spell in both ualves of each game to develop his confidence.

[mbenecke]

As we discuss the future of the program being developed, I want to remind people that each of these guys has the eligibility to be back next season:
Justin Turner (BIG maybe)
Daeqwon Plowden
Tayler Mattos
Trey Diggs
Caleb Fields
Davin Zeigler
Chandler Turner
Matiss Kulackovskis
Dylan Swingle
Joniya Gadson

That's a ton of production and potential coming back...

[hammb]

As we discuss the future of the program being developed, I want to remind people that each of these guys has the eligibility to be back next season:
Justin Turner (BIG maybe)
Daeqwon Plowden
Tayler Mattos
Trey Diggs
Caleb Fields
Davin Zeigler
Chandler Turner
Matiss Kulackovskis
Dylan Swingle
Joniya Gadson

That's a ton of production and potential coming back...

Was actually thinking during the game last night that I could see next year's team being better than this one. That obviously hinges on Turner's return, but if he comes back to be a 5th year Senior I think some combo of Zeigler/Fields could play the PG with Diggs starting at SF, Plowden at PF. Mattos & Swingle with another year of development.

For now I'm enjoying the wins, but if we can find a way to get everybody with eligibility back next year they should again enter the season as one of, if not the, MAC favorites.

[BillyLP]

As we discuss the future of the program being developed, I want to remind people that each of these guys has the eligibility to be back next season:
Justin Turner (BIG maybe)
Daeqwon Plowden
Tayler Mattos
Trey Diggs
Caleb Fields
Davin Zeigler
Chandler Turner
Matiss Kulackovskis
Dylan Swingle
Joniya Gadson

That's a ton of production and potential coming back...

Was actually thinking during the game last night that I could see next year's team being better than this one. That obviously hinges on Turner's return, but if he comes back to be a 5th year Senior I think some combo of Zeigler/Fields could play the PG with Diggs starting at SF, Plowden at PF. Mattos & Swingle with another year of development.

For now I'm enjoying the wins, but if we can find a way to get everybody with eligibility back next year they should again enter the season as one of, if not the, MAC favorites.

I think JTurner is probably gone after this year, either to play pro ball or as a grad transfer to a P5 school (something I couldn't blame him for if he's trying to improve his stock at the next level), so I think this year is really the one to break the streak. There is still depth moving forward and we aren't really sure how Zeigler, CTurner, and the incoming freshmen will turn out, so I still have hope for the future, but we *know* the talent is there this year, so I'm really putting a lot of eggs in the basket of them breaking the drought this season.

[JohnFloyd4Life]

I get a little worried about Zeigler and C Turner. These days kids want to play right away and bolt if they don't. They have to know they're going to be playing big roles next year regardless of whether Juice is back. If Juice is gone we're really going to need both of them to be productive in the rotation,
along with two new guards coming in as freshmen.

I also wonder about Gadsen, I was surprised he didn't transfer prior to this season since he essentially hadn't seen the floor in two years. I know he's injured this season and probably receiving a medical redshirt, but it seems like he's a wasted scholarship at this point. You aren't going to have a rotation where you play three 5s, they obviously like Mattos, I think they're committed to Swingle and I think we're seeing that Matiss can develop into a stretch 5 depending on the matchup. I don't see where Gadsen fits into all of this unless he comes back a much better player.

[Globetrotter]

I think that if Turner comes back it will be to play point guard. His path to the NBA is as a point guard and that's potentially what we can give him that no power 5 can.

The lineup would likely be
1 Turner-Metheny
2 Fields-Zeigler-Fulcher
3 Diggs-Turner-Young
4 Plowden-Mattis
5 Mattos-Swingle-Gadsen

3 Srs again. So 2021 would be

1 Metheny-Zeigler
2 Fields-Fulcher
3 Turner-Young
4 Mattis
5 Mattos-Swingle-Gadsen

As far as Gadsen goes I think he stays and graduates here. He seems like the kind of guy who personality wise is the glue to a roster. He will have years of eligibility left after this year with a likely redshirt this season. I would bet he stays for a year and graduates then moves along. But he is the most likely to transfer.