#10 UAlbany vs. #7 New Hampshire

[DaneFan2k3]

Talk amongst yourselves .... I'll give you a topic: The Great Danes are one up and one down vs. UNH this season, trading road victories between the clubs.

 

Discuss.

[Patch]

The Danes should be competitive but...

 

UNH has a healthy Ben Sturgill this time which could cause match up problems for the Danes.

 

The key as always for the Danes is how Iati and Levine shoot the ball.

 

Courtney Johnson has to stop getting in early foul trouble as he has the last 2 games.

 

If the Danes shoot it decently they can win and advance.

Edited March 1, 2004 by Patch

[Dane Pound]

I would have preferred a chance to knock Stony Brook out of the tourney but I'll take UNH. This way I can get there early and root for UMBC who will not get a call against the screaming Marachuks in the early game.

I remember Courtney got into foul problems in the second UNH game and seemed to be the start of his foul difficulties. They brought Childs in when he went to the bench and we had no one who could stop him. Seems like a league-wide stragedy to play us physical and let us foul ourselves out.

This team has seemed exhusted it's last couple of games. Hopefully they can get their legs under them by Friday. On the bright side, Kenny Macalla hasn't missed a shot from the field or the line this year.

[professor]

Iati looked absolutely dead against Northeastern! Hopefully he has something left for the AE Tourney!!!!!!!!!

[Albany Fan]

One win in this tourney would be nice reward for the team as deserve something positive from this season as showed a lot of heart as very undermanned but never gave up as stayed respectable in most games facing great uphill battles all season long.

[Patch]

The key to the UNH game will be if Courtney stays out of foul trouble, we need 2 guards on the floor and if Wyatt has a solid game.

 

This group does deserve a win!!!!!!!

 

Go Danes!!!!

[statefan]

I believe the key statistic to predicting a Dane victory is Jon Iati's assit to turnover ratio. For all league games he had 48 assists and 52 turnovers, a ratio of 0.92. In the three victories, he had 15 assists and 3 turnovers, a ratio of 5.00; meaning that in the 15 losses, he had 33 assists and 49 turnovers, a ratio of 0.67. Coincidentally, the team's ratio is league games is also 0.67. Courtney Johnson, the other primary ball handler had a ratio for league games of 0.72, and a ratio in the 3 victories of 0.58. The one stat that is significantly different in the victories is Iati's assist/turnover ratio.

 

I view this as a team statistic in many ways. When shots fall, assists accumulate. And, many turnovers, especially early in the league season occured before we seemed to work out the scheme of bringing the ball up against various traps and presses.

[Patch]

statefan

 

Without a doubt "TOs kill" but.......

 

If Courtney gets in foul trouble as he has recently the Danes are in big trouble.

 

1. Courtney is a stopper, he takes one offensive weapon out of the game. He's done it most of the year.

 

2. We only have two guards, if Courtney is out we are easily trapped and turned over.

 

3. We have no one to move the ball and get it to Iati or Levine in decent spots.

 

4. It puts double the pressue on Iati.

[statefan]

Patch - I'm not disagreeing with you. As we've seen all season, with a roster as limited as our's, we need 4 or 5 key components to work in order to win, and if even one doesn't (whether it's Courtney accumulating fouls, Levi not shooting well, Iati not getting assists, Q not rebounding well, etc, etc.) we lose. I just thought the statistic on Iati's assist/turnover ratio was one that was statistically significantly different in our victories. As you state so often, next year will be quite a different story.

[Patch]

statefan

 

I am in total agreement with everything you posted.

 

For this years team I would really be pleased for them, if they came out Friday night with everyone playing a solid game.

 

They as a group really played hard this year in spite of all the obstacles they faced.

 

I was hoping for double digit wins this year with a possible assault on .500 but when Jamar went down, no Hughes and then Pipikis going out. It would have been easy for this group to quit but they just fought all season.

 

Hopefully next season will be healthy and prosperous.

[professor]

Iati's role with this team is to score! JOhnson's role is assists! You don't need to be a brain surgeon to figure that out!

[scottotile]

For the first time ever(and probably only), I agree with something Professor said. Iati did look very tired Sunday. I think the play where that showed the most was the very last play of the first half when his man hit a wide open 3 pointer at the buzzer, he was no where near him. And his role is to score, as long as he doesnt force bad shots. On the bright side, Levi played well and hopefully that continues.

[DaneFan2k3]

There are three new "media center" video links (as they call them) on the UAlbany homepage ... one from Brown previewing the Tournament, one from Patterson about senior day and the Saturday game, and one from Fox 23 profiling Iati. I like the videos, they are a good addition to the UAlbany site.