UA @ UVM

[Clickclack]

I listened this morning a bit to CB on Wylands show...apparently Raffa will try go a bit in practice later on in the week and see if he can be of any help in the UVM game.

 

Hopefully we can sell the barn out for this one....in a one and done you never know.

[NYR]

I’m glad it’s Vermont. They have been the top rival for the past 4 years. Who knows...maybe somehow Trimboli finishes his career in tears on Albany's floor against Albany. He’s been a great villain for any UA fan.

 

 

The way I see it a combination of a few things need to happen for UA to win.

 

1) They need to wear the Alt Gray Uniforms. If you walk in the door and we’re wearing black, it’s over

2) Raffa needs to either

a. not dress or

b. dress but shave the beard

 

Here are a few scenarios.

 

a. Raffa dresses and starts (bad news Albany losses)

 

b. Raffa dresses, comes off the bench and baits Trimboli into a fight. I think we still lose

 

c. Raffa dresses, comes off the bench, play’s the 2 and hits some big shots. I think this is our best chance. Remember rules 1 and 2 above...if they are not followed there is not a chance.

 

d) Barazza plays and somehow channels Reggie Millier and hits a ton of 3's. Not sure why it needs to be Reggie Miller but that's the last time I followed the NBA. He can't just hit a bunch of shots...he needs to be an ass while doing it a-la Reggie Miller or dare I say a-la Anthony Raffa. Remember under this scenario Raffa needs to be either in street cloths or cleanly shaven (both very unlikely)

 

Prediction:

 

Raffa and Barazza both dress. The beard IS in the building. Brown try's to play off Raffa's ego/attitude and tells him to "go out there, take control and win this thing".

Things don't go well. Realizing he needs to get his head straight for the next 3 years, Brown can't decide whether to sit him in the second half or play him. He decides to stay with him. 14 points and 9 turnovers and 2 assists later, Brown apologizes in the post game press conference for playing the kid when he was clearly injured. UA fans watch as Trimboli as he puts two thumbs under his jersey and flash the VERMONT on his chest to the crowd (a la Jamar Wilson I realize) after a comfortable 15 point victory.

 

What can we do about all of this?

 

GET RAFFA TO SHAVE the BEARD! It would certainly be better than Gifford sporting another mohawk.

[JRUGGS]

I'll be there to see all that - may not see Trimboli at full strength. He missed 1 game\start in 4 years last weekend - he isn't well.

[UA_MA_2000]

To recap on our game versus UVM this season where we won:

 

Game 1. UAlbany wins 82-77.

 

-Raffa goes for 22 points and does a good job of beating UVM's ball pressure. Raffa scored 14 points in the second half, and that included 3 straight 3-pointers during the critical stretch when UVM led 43-40 but when UAlbany came back and pushed UA's lead to 52-44.

 

-UAlbany shot 58.3% from the floor in the second half. UA shot 48% from the field overall. We hit what was at that time (and maybe still is) a season-best 8 three-pointers.

 

-Trimboli had 21 points.

 

-Billy Allen and Jerel Hastings went 5-5 from the FT Line in the final few minutes.

 

-UVM was down 23-20, but then went on a 10-0 run. With UVM up 30-23, UVM then stretched their lead to 34-25. Around that time in the game, UAlbany went on a 10-2 run at the close of the first half, very much similar to the Title game in Burlington in March of 2007. The score at the half was UVM 36, UA 34.

 

-UVM shot 59.3% in the FIRST half. BUT, we held UVM to 40.7% shooting in the second half (yet they still scored 41 points in the second stanza).

 

-Maurice Joseph got little playing time and was hardly a factor in game 1 (7 minutes, 2 fouls, 0 points). He was much more of a presence in game 2 at the BPG.

 

-Harris had 15 points in the first half. Harris had 20 points total. Ambrose had 17 points and 4 fouls. Raffa fouled out with 3-4 minutes left in the game, and that was rough for us.

 

-Barraza went 1-1 for 3-pointers, hitting a key shot in the second half from atop the key.

 

-Gifford played 32 minutes, went 2-4 from the field, had only 3 rebounds and 4 points (and 2 turnovers), but played great defense on Blakely.

 

-Blakely had several dunks. He also had 11 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Blakely was in foul trouble in the second half.

 

-McIntosh went 12-17 from the field, and tied his then-career-high for points with 25.

 

-We outrebounded UVM in that game 39-26. Harris had 9 boards, and Ambrose had 8. Brian C. had 6.

 

-Hastings and Johnson, our two best perimeter players, had only 18 minutes combined (13 and 5, respectively).

 

-We scored 48 points in the second half, whereas UVM scored 41.

 

The foregoing is from my recollection of the game and, even more so, from: http://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticle.d...;ATCLID=3643613

[UA_MA_2000]

I. Just-for-fun discussion on jump shooting in anticipation of the UVM game.

 

Some thoughts about shooting, and remember, I know nothing. If I did, I'd be coaching right now. Anyways, let me know what you guys/gals think. For those of you who play hoops, I'd be curious as to what works for you guys when shooting the "rock".

 

For me, and for most novice basketball players, perimeter shooting in basketball is in large part a function of the legs IMHO. At 6'2", and about 190 lbs., I am not even strong enough to shoot three-pointers right now (and neither are most of you, despite what you think), ESPECIALLY when in a game and my legs are tired. I can, however, shoot free-throws all day and night. Just the other night, I hit 55 of 60, including 39 of my last 40 (as God as my witness!). When I shoot, I basically focus on three parts to my shot, which are as follows:

 

(1.) Bend my knees and get enough leg into the shot. The legs and upward movement created from the legs creates the momentum of the ball so that the arms should only GUIDE the ball and not propel the ball. Arms guide, legs propel.

 

(2.) Arc the ball! The ball has a better chance at going in and getting a favorable bounce when arched. Raffa's shots are a great example of an arched shot (and then some). Arched shots also have less of a chance of being blocked. Jerel's shots seemed, at times, to be more of a line drive last year, but he seems to have gotten out of that shooting style this year. I hope Jerel gets his shots this weekend.

 

(3.) Keep the elbow IN towards the body!! This was screwing me all up recently. I was missing everything until I thought about what I was doing, and then I realized my right elbow (I'm a righty) was drifting out (probably because I wasn't using enough legs in my shot) and thereby throwing the trajectory all off. When you keep the elbow in, one's shot is able to go in a straight line towards the basket. I usually start with my forearm and bicept part of the arm at a 90-degree angle to each other, such that my hand is pointing straight up (because the right elbow is in towards the body).

 

Focussing on these three things have helped my jump shot exponentially in pick-up games and while just shooting around. I just wanted to bounce them off other posters and see what they think and see whether they have noticed anything in our team's shooting this season. Again, I certainly don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm just sharing what has worked for me and am curious to see what others have noticed in some of our players' shots, if anything.

 

II. On Tapering off the Conditioning and Lifting this Week?

Also, do any of you guys think Coach will taper off the conditioning and strength training this week? In other words, maybe cool down to "maintenance mode" so as to let the players flush their systems of lactic acid and latent fatigue? I sometimes wonder whether athletes' upper bodies could almost be treated like a distance runner's lower body in terms rest, tapering off, etc. For example, a distance runner probably wouldn't be doing intervals or speed workouts or strength training several days before a big race. In this connection, a jump shot arguably goes to all heck when the legs and arms are tired, especially during a game. There's no question, as evidenced by Coach Monroe's comments after the UMBC game, are players are benefiting greatly from the conditioning program they are on this season. Just curious as to whether that program is paused or tapered off this week in anticipation of the Tournament. Thoughts?

[danes05]

I think we have a good shot to beat any team in this tournament. I'm hoping the guys can pull it together and make a run. Not sure where they are mentally at this point

[I rock(ed) the Cape]

Mark's blog is reporting Trim may miss the tourney....HUGE blow to UVM if it's true...

[NYR]

I. Just-for-fun discussion on jump shooting in anticipation of the UVM game.

 

Some thoughts about shooting, and remember, I know nothing. If I did, I'd be coaching right now. Anyways, let me know what you guys/gals think. For those of you who play hoops, I'd be curious as to what works for you guys when shooting the "rock".

 

For me, and for most novice basketball players, perimeter shooting in basketball is in large part a function of the legs IMHO. At 6'2", and about 190 lbs., I am not even strong enough to shoot three-pointers right now (and neither are most of you, despite what you think), ESPECIALLY when in a game and my legs are tired. I can, however, shoot free-throws all day and night. Just the other night, I hit 55 of 60, including 39 of my last 40 (as God as my witness!). When I shoot, I basically focus on three parts to my shot, which are as follows:

 

(1.) Bend my knees and get enough leg into the shot. The legs and upward movement created from the legs creates the momentum of the ball so that the arms should only GUIDE the ball and not propel the ball. Arms guide, legs propel.

 

(2.) Arc the ball! The ball has a better chance at going in and getting a favorable bounce when arched. Raffa's shots are a great example of an arched shot (and then some). Arched shots also have less of a chance of being blocked. Jerel's shots seemed, at times, to be more of a line drive last year, but he seems to have gotten out of that shooting style this year. I hope Jerel gets his shots this weekend.

 

(3.) Keep the elbow IN towards the body!! This was screwing me all up recently. I was missing everything until I thought about what I was doing, and then I realized my right elbow (I'm a righty) was drifting out (probably because I wasn't using enough legs in my shot) and thereby throwing the trajectory all off. When you keep the elbow in, one's shot is able to go in a straight line towards the basket. I usually start with my forearm and bicept part of the arm at a 90-degree angle to each other, such that my hand is pointing straight up (because the right elbow is in towards the body).

 

Focussing on these three things have helped my jump shot exponentially in pick-up games and while just shooting around. I just wanted to bounce them off other posters and see what they think and see whether they have noticed anything in our team's shooting this season. Again, I certainly don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm just sharing what has worked for me and am curious to see what others have noticed in some of our players' shots, if anything.

 

II. On Tapering off the Conditioning and Lifting this Week?

Also, do any of you guys think Coach will taper off the conditioning and strength training this week? In other words, maybe cool down to "maintenance mode" so as to let the players flush their systems of lactic acid and latent fatigue? I sometimes wonder whether athletes' upper bodies could almost be treated like a distance runner's lower body in terms rest, tapering off, etc. For example, a distance runner probably wouldn't be doing intervals or speed workouts or strength training several days before a big race. In this connection, a jump shot arguably goes to all heck when the legs and arms are tired, especially during a game. There's no question, as evidenced by Coach Monroe's comments after the UMBC game, are players are benefiting greatly from the conditioning program they are on this season. Just curious as to whether that program is paused or tapered off this week in anticipation of the Tournament. Thoughts?

 

Those are the basics. #4 would be getting the ball in a good shooting position on the hand. Out on the finger tips and not on the palm.

 

Not trying to proclaim myself as an expert but this is what I see from our players

 

#1) Watch Harris shoot foul shots...no legs

 

#2) Harris and Ambrose both lack a good arc from the foul line. Pracrtce and discipline can over come this but they're not leaving themselves much room for error

 

#3) From the floor Hastings jumper almost looks like a two handed shot. Elbow's are out too far and his guide hand plays way too big a roll in his shot

 

#4) Allen shoots the ball from the heal of his hand. For a kid described as a sharp shooter in high school I don't know he ever had success with that grip on the ball. Connelly also shoots the ball from the heal of his hand but he has been able to lock himself into a 15-18 foot range. Anything shorter or longer he struggles. Getting the ball out on his fingertips would help

 

Then there's Barraza

 

#1) check

#2) check

#3) check

#4) check

 

His shot selection is just very poor and tends to fade from the hoop. He just needs to get more comfortable on the foor, understnd his roll, not force shots and gain confidense. My guess too is that he may be more comfortable shooting off the dribble. It's easier getting everything going toward the hoop when you shoot off the dribble. It's also much harder to get these shots. Coming off screens and rushing shots is causing breakdowns in what is a very nice stroke.

 

Just MO

[Clickclack]

Saw this in today's TU blog....

"No. 7 seeds are 0-23 in the quarterfinals since the America East began seeding its teams in 1983.

 

That’s surprising since even the No. 8 seed has managed to reach the semifinals twice by upsetting the No. 1 seed (New Hampshire over Siena in 1988 and Stony Brook over Boston University in 2004)."

[S-money]

Saw this in today's TU blog....

"No. 7 seeds are 0-23 in the quarterfinals since the America East began seeding its teams in 1983."

 

"Why not us" indeed...

[danes05]

The mood on this board and in the arena the past few games has been subdued at best. I know the boys haven't given us much to cheer about but lets be loud today and send these Cats home in a body bag.

[MRSGDG]

The mood on this board and in the arena the past few games has been subdued at best. I know the boys haven't given us much to cheer about but lets be loud today and send these Cats home in a body bag.

 

I agree. I made a few posters last night which I was going to hand off to I Rock the Cape and a few students. We might hold one but sitting in the chairbacks I don't know how well that will go. Now if there are UVM fans behind us then yeah maybe I will hold the signs up and block their view lol.

 

 

Hoping they don't tell us not to hold this one up..because god forbid it mentions a players name!!

 

 

[ua06]

So its now 11:15 and is it already too late to purchase the session 2 broadcast from America East?? If so thats pretty damn stupid..Do they want all the latecomers to get screwed into being forced to buy the all session or something?

Right now the only games listed are:

 

All Session

Session 3

Session 4

Lacrosse..

 

Anyone have any suggestions?

[madDOG]

ESPN says 33-19 at the half- GO DANES!!!!

[madDOG]

ESPN says 33-19 at the half- GO DANES!!!!

 

second half looks ugly for us. anyone watching live? wtf is going on??