vs. Miami (12/30)

[jpfalcon09]

Can't ever get too excited for this program because it'll always let you down.

[Falconfreak90]

Finally starting to play....with 10 min left and down 61-45.

[fanatic13]

If we were only terrible instead of completely terrible in the first half we might have had a shot at the comeback. Miami taking care of business and shooting 92% on free throws didn't help but kudos to them there. Overall disappointing night and we'll really need to find a win over the next three games to avoid a big hole early

On a positive note the growth of Towns the last couple years has been incredible. I know he's pretty old now but I never thought he would as much of a scoring threat as he's become

[hammb]

I'll give the team props for battling in the 2nd half, they didn't quit, but really Miami was never threatened. We got it down to 9 at one point (inside the final 4 I think), and Miami hit a 3ball, made pretty much all of their FTs, and went forward.

It's tough to ever give too many props to fighting back when you're down 28. The other team knew the game was over, and they were right.

The first half was just awful basketball. Stupid fouls forcing us to play either without our best players or playing some of them cautiously with 2 fouls. We were desperate enough that we put Squire on the court and man; that kid does NOT belong on a D1 basketball court. We seemed baffled when they were in zone....we moved the ball really nicely for the first 3-4 minutes or so, but as is typical we never seem to have an idea how to attack the zone. I will say of our first 10 or so three attempts it felt as though at least 7-8 of them were really good looks that we just couldn't make. Which of course result in Miami condensing even further inside, and they're a pretty big team. When the offense was rattled, and Campbell off the floor, those guys flat out quit for a solid 10mins of the first half. Simon got a tech, I'm assuming to try and get his team to show some emotion, there wasn't any reason to be complaining about the calls. When you refuse to move your feet on defense, and just reach out and grab people you're going to get called for fouls.

Just so sad to see the team lose the game in the first half when they had a really really good crowd on hand. Quite a few were at their first game in years or wanted to come see the team on discount night...I don't blame any of them for not returning.

[Bgsu2016]

I'll give the team props for battling in the 2nd half, they didn't quit, but really Miami was never threatened. We got it down to 9 at one point (inside the final 4 I think), and Miami hit a 3ball, made pretty much all of their FTs, and went forward.

It's tough to ever give too many props to fighting back when you're down 28. The other team knew the game was over, and they were right.

The first half was just awful basketball. Stupid fouls forcing us to play either without our best players or playing some of them cautiously with 2 fouls. We were desperate enough that we put Squire on the court and man; that kid does NOT belong on a D1 basketball court. We seemed baffled when they were in zone....we moved the ball really nicely for the first 3-4 minutes or so, but as is typical we never seem to have an idea how to attack the zone. I will say of our first 10 or so three attempts it felt as though at least 7-8 of them were really good looks that we just couldn't make. Which of course result in Miami condensing even further inside, and they're a pretty big team. When the offense was rattled, and Campbell off the floor, those guys flat out quit for a solid 10mins of the first half. Simon got a tech, I'm assuming to try and get his team to show some emotion, there wasn't any reason to be complaining about the calls. When you refuse to move your feet on defense, and just reach out and grab people you're going to get called for fouls.

Just so sad to see the team lose the game in the first half when they had a really really good crowd on hand. Quite a few were at their first game in years or wanted to come see the team on discount night...I don't blame any of them for not returning.

I don’t think we played too bad offensively, need to set better screens for sure. Give Miami credit though, that was an incredible shooting performance tonight. They hit everything in the first half, 7-10 from 3! I will say though what a bummer, great crowd on hand for a total blowout.

Towns played terrific, he needs some recognition for a career type game in a bad loss. Campbell needs to purchase NBA league pass and watch Cade Cunningham more. He has great skills at the rim, but just doesn’t use it enough. He absolutely did nothing with the ball in the first half, could’ve put me out there to do dribble handoffs

[guest44]

Let’s just be honest. Miami is better. Akron is better. Where between 3-7 does BG fall when it’s all said and done?

[BleedOrange]

BG flailed for a long time in the 1st half without a timeout to reset or to make adjustments. When BG started going cold, that lost a discipline in the half court and settled for random, forced, one-on-shots with little ball movement, screens, or off the ball cutting.

[hammb]

BG flailed for a long time in the 1st half without a timeout to reset or to make adjustments. When BG started going cold, that lost a discipline in the half court and settled for random, forced, one-on-shots with little ball movement, screens, or off the ball cutting.

Yep.

Javonte picked up his 2nd foul and was subbed out with 13:04 on the 1st half clock. We were up 9-8.

He subbed back in 6 minutes later with 7:07 on the clock when Thomas picked up his 2nd foul. Miami made both FTs from that foul to go up 27-13.

That 19-4 run in 6 mins was an absolute haymaker, and during that time we ran next to zero offense, Thomas couldn't get downhill at all or create for teammates. Offensively we were lost in all the zone possessions. We run our dribble handoff weaves while their zone just stands there watching us run around for no reason. We were not flashing into the middle of it to even TRY to dissect it. IT was directionless either settling for threes or trying to penetrate off the dribble which is just foolish.

Then to compound it we brought Preston Squire in at 6:39 (down 27-13). He proceeds to guard nobody and gets dunked on then stands around aimlessly in the paint while his men flash out and nail 3s. He subs out at 4:30 now down 41-17. Very impressive to manage going -10 while playing 2 mins, but he managed it. There isn't a scenario on the planet where he should be seeing minutes against D1 competition. He's a poor rec league player who happened to grow into looking like a D1 player. That stretch isn't all on him, but we'd be better off putting the chair he was sitting on the sideline in than him. Throw in the fact that we had Campbell playing with 2 fouls and everybody else worried about getting into fouls, that 2:00 stretch was the knockout punch.

Game over at 4:30 to play in the 1st half.

[guest44]

What’s been my biggest beef with Simon since his arrival has been how he handles two fouls in the first half. For someone who embraces analytics he is totally lost in time at the two fouls thing. No matter what and whom the competition is he buries his teams based on it when key players get two fouls in the first half.

[mbenecke]

What’s been my biggest beef with Simon since his arrival has been how he handles two fouls in the first half. For someone who embraces analytics he is totally lost in time at the two fouls thing. No matter what and whom the competition is he buries his teams based on it when key players get two fouls in the first half.

Huger-esque.

Infuriating, especially with how mediocre MAC officiating is. Can completely tank the game for you.

[hammb]

What’s been my biggest beef with Simon since his arrival has been how he handles two fouls in the first half. For someone who embraces analytics he is totally lost in time at the two fouls thing. No matter what and whom the competition is he buries his teams based on it when key players get two fouls in the first half.

Huger-esque.

Infuriating, especially with how mediocre MAC officiating is. Can completely tank the game for you.

Agreed. A full 2 mins of game time went by when the old dude who sits in front of me and I were chatting how they simply had to find a way to play with Campbell out there with 2 fouls. There's no doubt that he's the type of player that, in foul trouble, severely crippled his biggest strength defensively but it doesn't matter. The offense could not operate without him

And Simon never even looked at him on the bench until Thomas got his second foul..I still say I've thought Kimbrough can give some mins as a ball handler but clearly the staff disagrees. I think there are plenty of instances where thomas is also not an ideal primary ball handler (against Miami was clearly one)

[fanatic13]

The offense was completely stagnant against the zone especially without Campbell and I'm not sure how there's any other conclusion. We didn't hit our open looks however the biggest issue was not enough penetration and getting the ball to the middle of the zone. Campbell did a lot better job driving at the end of the first half and the second half. It would nice to have a guy you can drive like that off the bench and provide a spark like ish ali. Maybe that's Kimbrough?

Is getting the ball to the middle of a zone not the "right" strategy anymore to beat a zone? We never seem to try to get there against zones and I'm not sure if my info is outdated with threes and analytics. Outside of Diggs catching fire I've never watched bg kill a zone

[Matty B]

Let’s just be honest. Miami is better. Akron is better. Where between 3-7 does BG fall when it’s all said and done?

Totally agree here. They play today and the over/under is north of 170! Miami is already getting top 25 votes, and the winner today probably gets close to actually cracking the top 25.

It's absolutely Imperative to get a 3-6 seed going into Cleveland. Need to come back strong against UMASS.