UA vs. Binghamton

[McFan]

UA'08

 

Can't believe you forgot to mention Siena....that was yet another disgraceful performance....it trumps CCSU and FAU in my mind....

 

Surprisingly, I think this is the worst thing that could have happened for UVM...I wouldn't put a nickle on it because this team is so schizophrenic but I'm thinking we'll get an inspired effort on Sunday.

 

Good points by both on bad losses. I guess I lean towards this one as it is the freshest, home court, opening conference game, defending champ w/ only 7 scholarship players, coming off a good performance, a game we should have won.

[uofalbany]

Mark just posted his postgame recap.. some interesting quotes..

 

"I told these guys after, 'You know what?' It's my fault, ' " Brown said. " 'I've got to stop expecting you guys to rebound well (just) because teams in the past we've had here have prided themselves on their rebounding, their effort and their toughness. Maybe it's not fair to the other teams that we've had here to compare you to them. Maybe I'm doing those other teams an injustice.' "

 

"That's just pure effort and energy," Brown said. "You're on your homecourt, playing the defending champion, playing the biggest team in the league who you know is going to the glass, and you don't respond."

 

"We've got to continue to find leadership," Brown said. "Right now, our best leader's not one of our captains, and that's a problem. Billy Allen might become one of our captains before the season's over, or as soon as the season's over. That kid, whether he plays five minutes or 35 minutes, all he cares about is winning. He's on the court, telling guys where they should be. He's talking. He wants to win."

 

Brown didn't even rule out stripping a player of his captaincy, although it sounded as though that's not the direction he prefers to go in.

 

Brown has two more years. Let's see what he accomplishes. He did recruit the players that got us 2 NCAA tournaments. He knew he was heading for uncharted waters, when he managed to renegociate his contract the Spring after Jamar left. Smart man.

 

I'm overjoyed to hear his quotes. This team has the character of little sissies. They are nothing compared to years past.

 

There is no effort or toughness. Effort and intensity alone could win MANY games, even when you're having horrible nights. Not this team.

 

Who doesn't 'show up' to play a Division I basketball game? Harris and Ambrose

show up when they feel like it? Bench em. Strip em of the captain's honor. I'd rather have freshmen get the minutes and experience. I'm embarassed I ever compared Ambrose to Jamar.

 

Let's hope this team knows how much of an embarassment they've been.

They may be good people, but their basketball sucks.

It's resembling A TOTAL JOKE.

[uofalbany]

And all of this is directed at effort, intensity, and toughness.

 

If I knew they had no talent, but they were giving every ounce of energy and effort they had, leaving everything on the floor, then I could take ANY loss.

 

Time to take UAlbany Basketball seriously boys, or get the hell off the team. Maybe some of them should take up knitting.

[Clickclack]

And all of this is directed at effort, intensity, and toughness.

 

If I knew they had no talent, but they were giving every ounce of energy and effort they had, leaving everything on the floor, then I could take ANY loss.

 

Time to take UAlbany Basketball seriously boys, or get the hell off the team.

 

The talent isn't the problem on this team....the exact reason this is all so infuriating is because of the lack of effort....EPIC PHAIL (msg board lingo/intentionally misspelled) last night!

[UA'08]

The biggest dissapointment is the possibility of losing the fanbase that we started to build during our first ncaa trip. People can say those aren't real fans but at our stage we take whatever fans we can get.

[SaintsFan]

I still believe that Brown can coach....I have major concerns regarding whether or not he can bring in the players he needs to win with. If he knows his system is complicated and he needs cerebral players....what is he doing messing around with Ambrose, Harris and MJ.....If there is anything take Brown to task for is that he hitched his wagon to those three.....when is graduation day?

 

I dont think that the system is all that complicated. The issue is Ambrose and Harris in particular (the rest remain to be judged) are the equivalent of basketball retards (strong language but necessary). They have great athleticism but the decision making / game savy are absolutely putrid. Now it could be that the rest of the team is deferring to these guys... but it also could be that some of these guys also suffer the same lack of basketball IQ. Shot selection, timing among many other things... more than two of UAs players lack. The program is currently going in reverse.

[McFan]

Harris and Ambrose continue to take the balk of the heat. And maybe it's deserved. But tell me please which players have shown up on a consistent basis. Do they have more talent? I would agree Tim does. I'm not sure Will Harris is that good. He is a good three point shooter, yes. Doesn't rebound, can't score around the hope, struggles to dribble the basketball. We took a chance on an ACC pedigree, came up craps.

 

How about the slow starts. Can we try not having Brett Gifford on the floor to start every game. I mean really 18 minutes, 2 points and 1 rebound. Last I checked he's almost seven feet tall. Does he get a pass? Does coach get a pass for running him out there?

 

Again we pound Will and Tim, but tell me who do you put out there? More importantly who do you think deserves to be out there? I haven't seen more or less effort out of the others.

 

I haven't seen enough Mike Black to know but I would say he does.

 

Scotty gives effort whenever he is on the floor, but he has his shortcomings.

 

Billy Allen deserves minutes but can't say I saw any more effort from him than the others last night. 23 minutes, 0 pts, 1 assist, 1 RB.

 

Blake Metcalf is an effort guy from what I've seen. 4 minutes last night.

 

Logan Aronhalt. Seems to provide some energy, but most of it is to shoot the ball, which I'm OK with.

 

Jake Lindfors?

 

Dereck Tartt? Nothing yet.

 

Were any of our redshirts better options than those listed above?

[Dane Pound]

It wasn't as much about talent for me last night as it was people who went to compete. I thought McRae did and I thought Mike Black did and maybe Urli. I've thought McRae has been the guy who has consistently played hard this year, not the most talented player on the team but I thought he's played his heart out. I felt the same way about the Detroit game, we got out-toughed. In the past years our most talented players have also been are most competitive, I don't feel that way this year.

 

One more thing about last night and I know it's childish and stupid but I would have really liked to see Coach Brown take a technical foul last night. I think sometimes you need to show you're sticking up for your players that way. Maybe it would have just made me feel better because I really wanted to yell at someone and could have done so vicariously.

[Clickclack]

I know section 200 was outraged....my voice still hasn't returned.....not that it matters but last night's game was the worse piece of officiating I've ever seen. I didn't bring it up earlier because WE lost the game with our effort, the refs didn't lose this for us but those three need to be fired...a complete embarrassment to the AE.

[dslyank]

I agree with DP and bosiy, I yelled out several times for coach to take the "T". I have seen Sauers and other coaches turn around a teams effort, with a well placed technical. And I for one, do think we win with an honest officiating crew. The tall white guy and short fat one were about the worst "pair" of officials I've seen together in a long while. I've seen bad officials many times, but I do not recall ever seeing a pair like those two at the same time. Bing went to the line twice as many times as Albany (28 to 15 I think) and it was NOT a case of a team going to the line a lot at games end scewing the total.

Ok---I agree we played awful and I am not nieve enough to totally blame the stipped guys. So what does anyone think of this thought---the eight game road trip which was suppose to toughen us up, has done nothing but killed any confidence this team may have had and only taught us how to lose.

[McFan]

It wasn't as much about talent for me last night as it was people who went to compete. I thought McRae did and I thought Mike Black did and maybe Urli. I've thought McRae has been the guy who has consistently played hard this year, not the most talented player on the team but I thought he's played his heart out. I felt the same way about the Detroit game, we got out-toughed. In the past years our most talented players have also been are most competitive, I don't feel that way this year.

 

One more thing about last night and I know it's childish and stupid but I would have really liked to see Coach Brown take a technical foul last night. I think sometimes you need to show you're sticking up for your players that way. Maybe it would have just made me feel better because I really wanted to yell at someone and could have done so vicariously.

 

Great point. I think maybe if coach stuck up for Tim in particular and the team in general a little more we may not get all those ticky tack fouls.

 

Anyone else curious as to why the first time Tim has foul trouble (that I recall) this year is the first AE game?

[McFan]

I agree with DP and bosiy, I yelled out several times for coach to take the "T". I have seen Sauers and other coaches turn around a teams effort, with a well placed technical. And I for one, do think we win with an honest officiating crew. The tall white guy and short fat one were about the worst "pair" of officials I've seen together in a long while. I've seen bad officials many times, but I do not recall ever seeing a pair like those two at the same time. Bing went to the line twice as many times as Albany (28 to 15 I think) and it was NOT a case of a team going to the line a lot at games end scewing the total.

Ok---I agree we played awful and I am not nieve enough to totally blame the stipped guys. So what does anyone think of this thought---the eight game road trip which was suppose to toughen us up, has done nothing but killed any confidence this team may have had and only taught us how to lose.

 

I would have fully agreed w/ the confidence thing until I saw the Yale game. I really thought that would help put the 8 games in the rear view mirror.

[Clickclack]

It wasn't as much about talent for me last night as it was people who went to compete. I thought McRae did and I thought Mike Black did and maybe Urli. I've thought McRae has been the guy who has consistently played hard this year, not the most talented player on the team but I thought he's played his heart out. I felt the same way about the Detroit game, we got out-toughed. In the past years our most talented players have also been are most competitive, I don't feel that way this year.

 

One more thing about last night and I know it's childish and stupid but I would have really liked to see Coach Brown take a technical foul last night. I think sometimes you need to show you're sticking up for your players that way. Maybe it would have just made me feel better because I really wanted to yell at someone and could have done so vicariously.

 

Great point. I think maybe if coach stuck up for Tim in particular and the team in general a little more we may not get all those ticky tack fouls.

 

Anyone else curious as to why the first time Tim has foul trouble (that I recall) this year is the first AE game?

 

To be fair to CB....he might not have worked up enough anger last night to get T'd up but he pleaded, yelled and stomped around a good deal after a number of bad calls...should he have gotten a T? I wouldn't have been against it but he did plenty of protesting. In the second half I sat quietly and watched him just to see what he was doing.....

[Eli]

I didn't read all the posts but this boils down to one thing:

 

This team isn't mentally tough enough and they don't put forth the effort that previous teams have done (Lillis, Connely, Wilson, etc.). This team is pretty dang athletic, but it amounts to nothing without toughness.<br><br>Also, the amount of bad calls yesterday was RIDICULOUS. Anyone else notice that when those two refs (minus the really tall one) get together to ref our games, it's always a cluster F of bad calls? I can't stand those two. They are HORRIBLE.<br>

[Oldtimer]

Before this game I said it was scarrey, I didn't mean Bing was to be feared but that underestimating a team always presents a problem. Our first half team defense--or lack of--SUCKED! How can you be a D-1 recruit and turn your head as many times as we did in the first half. I have been a season ticket holder since we went D1 and played for Albany and attended games for over 50 years and I think this team has the most talent--team wise--since we have gone D1. It is far from the best team, and doesn't have the best players individually--but has ----forget it. CONCENTRATION and INTENSITY are non-existent. Have you noticed how soft the passes are on offense, they are so soft it allows the defense to adjust---it is as if they are in practice. My comments are not against individuals. PS: The Bing refs were terrible but we lost the game, they just made it more painful.