Binghamton vs. UAlbany, 01.12.2008, 2pm

[haggyland]

Lillis's free throw shooting looked good today.

 

That's about all the positive energy I can channel for this one...

[purplehaze]

Lillis is carrying this team--can anyone else step up??

[JustDrastik]

Not to beat a dead horse - but the 3 ball is either carrying us or killing us, it seems. Brent needs to step up - I'd have expected more consistency. If he's injured (which I doubt he is because of the previous games efforts), I would hope he would take some time to recoup health wise. He needs to shoot more than 4 times as well. BConnelly has been somewhat off as of late - don't know whats up with that. Lillis is playing out of his mind - who is going to step up? As of late, no one seems like they want to step up and take the necessary initiative. A 14-pt loss to Bing, especially at home is disappointing.

[danes05]

I can't understand why after the 4th or 5th Gordon 3-pointer we didn't paint a defender on him. Lillis locked him down for awhile to start the second, but then he got open shots and killed our momentum. I'm still trying to figure this team out; and I hope their starting to figure themselves out. I think the peices are there to make another run but you never know what team is going to show up.

My thoughts on the Ambrose situation- I obviously am not Coach and I have no interaction with the team other than cheering them on at games. I also respect Coach and the staff and praise what they have done. With all that said, I can't understand the way coach is bringing along Ambrose. He sends the kid in and takes him out immediatley if he makes one mistake. Now, I know today he made two back to back but isn't the leash a little short here? I'm not here saying that Ambrose should start or even play more, but just feel Coach is too quick to pull him when he does play. Any thoughts?

[UA'08]

I can't understand why after the 4th or 5th Gordon 3-pointer we didn't paint a defender on him. Lillis locked him down for awhile to start the second, but then he got open shots and killed our momentum. I'm still trying to figure this team out; and I hope their starting to figure themselves out. I think the peices are there to make another run but you never know what team is going to show up.

My thoughts on the Ambrose situation- I obviously am not Coach and I have no interaction with the team other than cheering them on at games. I also respect Coach and the staff and praise what they have done. With all that said, I can't understand the way coach is bringing along Ambrose. He sends the kid in and takes him out immediatley if he makes one mistake. Now, I know today he made two back to back but isn't the leash a little short here? I'm not here saying that Ambrose should start or even play more, but just feel Coach is too quick to pull him when he does play. Any thoughts?

wouldn't be surprised if ambrose transferred.

[Clickclack]

MAINE DROPS UMBC at UMBC. Unreal!

[JustDrastik]

I hadn't really thought about it, but UA '08, you bring up a valid point. Does anyone have insight on Coach's relationship with Timmy? Is Timmy on the same page as the Coach? I would hope that Tim would understand where Coach is coming from, rather than make a haste decision - but if he isn't getting much play, it could be interesting to see how it pans out

 

Oh, and this league is WIDE open. Almost scary to think that ANY team could win the AE tourney. I just hope we piece it together until then.

[Clickclack]

Regarding Ambrose! I'd like to preface this by saying this is ONLY MY OPINION. But IMO, we should forget this kid (I mean that in the best possible way)! Let him develop in anonymity and lets stop scrutinizing his every mistake and focusing on him like he's the next Jamar. What reason has coach Brown given us to doubt how he brings anyone along?

 

It seems to me that WE'VE (myself included) have put Timmy on some pedestal like he is the savior of our program and are upset with coach Brown that Timmy is developing slower then many of us would have liked. Let's give him the same benefit we give to the other young kids......Giff, Conelly (his first year or even two), Rob Moores (who has a year up on Timmy in college ball), Jimmy and almost every other player. No doubt Timmy has allot of raw, physical ability but if you watched the game today it's PAINFULLY obvious that he simply hasn't arrived yet. AND THATS OK! Why do we treat him different then any other freshman? He had one or two great games, the rest of the time he shows his lack of development, no different then any other freshman.

 

I will let him develop in anonymity......TIMMY WHOOOOOO? I know NO Timmy!

[Clickclack]

I hadn't really thought about it, but UA '08, you bring up a valid point. Does anyone have insight on Coach's relationship with Timmy? Is Timmy on the same page as the Coach? I would hope that Tim would understand where Coach is coming from, rather than make a haste decision - but if he isn't getting much play, it could be interesting to see how it pans out

 

Oh, and this league is WIDE open. Almost scary to think that ANY team could win the AE tourney. I just hope we piece it together until then.

 

Just,

 

I tried (FWIW) to watch how Timmy reacts to being pulled.....he seems genuinely happy when the team is doing well. Always gets off the bench to cheer on the players coming off the floor during TO's etc. I've made a point to watch his reaction......I don't know, I think these are premature speculations about anyone transferring. At this point, I think it can actually do more damage then good by focusing to intense a light on the player...in this case Timmy. I really hate transfer speculation when it's a FACT....99% of us have no idea what the possibility is.

 

I can't believe I'm gonna say this....but...let's be careful to NOT do damage to Timmy the coach or the program in these types of discussions. And this is coming from the 'free for all' guy!

 

Think about this....name one person you though coach Brown brought along improperly. Think back over the years.....I think his record speaks for itself!

[OrangeDane]

This was just one of "those" games...career performance by Gordon...the hoop musta looked twenty feet wide to him for gosh sakes...while on our end...how many games is Brent gonne "o-fer"...good to hear that UMBC was beaten by Maine of all temas....2 games behind would not be a great place to be...even early on...as others have said this league's wide open this year...if we can pull things together we can still run the table...but...folks remember...with injuries to Allen, Anderson and Martin...we are depleted....puts pressure on everyone to perform at top of their game every night and play extra mins as well...that's tough...the effort was there today, this was a hard fought game and the final score does not reflect the fact that the game was actually much closer than that (although UB did maintain a 4-7 point lead most of the way...)...the shots simply would not drop when we needed 'em to...unless you're name was Gordon, anyway!!)..lets get the Terriers and th Hawks next week!!

[JustDrastik]

Oh I totally agree - I'm not starting speculation. Granted, his situation was totally different, but Yocum didn't get much play and he eventually left. I was trying to see how Timmy handles the criticism/teaching from coach. Sometimes, if someone isn't humble, they take all the criticism as negative. He is a freshman, and I think that myself included, we are too harsh or fast to judge. I guess with our recent success, we assume naturally that a hyped recruit with freakish athleticism could be the savior for a program which is in a rebuilding stage.

[danes05]

I hadn't really thought about it, but UA '08, you bring up a valid point. Does anyone have insight on Coach's relationship with Timmy? Is Timmy on the same page as the Coach? I would hope that Tim would understand where Coach is coming from, rather than make a haste decision - but if he isn't getting much play, it could be interesting to see how it pans out

 

Oh, and this league is WIDE open. Almost scary to think that ANY team could win the AE tourney. I just hope we piece it together until then.

 

Just,

 

I tried (FWIW) to watch how Timmy reacts to being pulled.....he seems genuinely happy when the team is doing well. Always gets off the bench to cheer on the players coming off the floor during TO's etc. I've made a point to watch his reaction......I don't know premature speculations about anyone transferring. At this point, I think it can actually do more damage then good by focusing to intense a light on the player...in this case Timmy. I really hate transfer speculation when it's a FACT....99% have no idea what the possibility is.

 

I can't believe I'm gonna say this....but...let's be careful to NOT do damage to Timmy the coach or the program in these types of discussions. And this is coming from the 'free for all' guy!

 

Think about this....name one person you though coach Brown brought along improperly. Think back over the years.....I think his record speaks for itself!

I'm in total agreement with most of your points. I also have watched how Timmy reacts and agree he seems totally involved. I don't want to comment on any transfering issues. Just think coach has been pulling him too quick. However Coach is the man who runs the show and knows all that goes on during the season. All I know is what I see on the court. Just was wondering if anyone else thought the same. I in no way want to jepordize or speculate on the relationshop between Coach and Timmy. Just hoping we pull it together and make a run at 3

[haggyland]

Very classy comments by Broadus on the blog.

[Zalman B]

I'm all for keeping any intense focus off Timmy, and letting him develop until his familiarity with the college game catches up to his athleticism. I also don't want to criticize Coach Brown, since he obviously knows far better than I both 1) his team and 2) how to be a professional basketball coach.

 

That said, if Timmy is really going to be on such a short leash as he was today, I'd like to see him get his first chance in a setting more conducive to his success - unlike today.

 

The lineup Timmy played his 1 minute with today was Iati, Connelly, Brent Wilson, and Gifford. He came in while Bingo was in a full-3/4 court press.

 

Two comments:

 

1) We have had trouble this season so far vs. any press, even when we have our best ball-handling lineups in. Timmy first TO came breaking the press, pushing up the far (from my view) side of the court. Facing a press with only one other guard seems like a tough spot to put in the freshman who has had some issues with turning the ball over.

 

2) The second TO came in the half-court set, on the next play down. Same lineup. I still wonder sometimes what our "set" offense is, since it often seems to come down to someone (often Lillis) being asked to create his own shot. Looking at that lineup, it seems to me that Timmy, even being a freshman, is the best of those 5 to get his own shot in the half court set (Connelly was being guarded by a guard, so stepping out and facing up would have been tougher than when he's matched up against a bigger, slower guy). In that situation, Timmy is more likely to force something.

 

I like Timmy, and I like the potential that he brings. I can understand having a short leash on his, especially if he has lapses on the defensive end as well. That said, I think he can, as much as anyone, benefit from having the right lineup around him - and the lineup he was in there with doesn't seem to be one that would be the best fit.

 

Also, I am impressed with the positive attitude he's showing on the sidelines during games at least. I haven't seen him once snap at any coach or teammate when he's been pulled, and he always seems to listen to the coaches and cheer on his teammates when he's not in.

[Dane Pound]

It's interesting what everyone took away from that game considering the lengthy discussion of Ambrose. With time he'll be a good player in our system in the future. It's not unusual for freshman to struggle, even talented ones and to be honest freshman guards almost always tend to drive me nuts with their decision-making. As someone once said, the best thing about freshman is they become sophmores.

 

I was much more concerned with our upper classman. To me, Lillis is doing everything but singing the national anthem and he did not get much help yesterday. We're not a bad offensive team when Connelly, Lillis and Brent are on the court and scoring but when one of them are off we are not a good looking team on that end of the floor. No offense to those of you looking at Ambrose but I think you're talking about the wrong guy. This is from the peanut gallery but I'd like to see Hastings be a little more selfish out there. To me, he seems to have more tools than he gets credit for. He can shoot the three, he's big enough to shoot over guys in the lane and if you foul him get can shoot from the line. That and he seems to have a good handle on what they're trying to do defensively.