mbb 2019 Game #5: 11/22/19 - 7:30PM @ Quinnipiac (Bobcats Invitational)

[Clickclack]

1 hour ago, Eli said:

Our attendance is pathetic. It'll never improve. We won't ever need more than a 4000 seat arena. Fans in this area suck. 

Yeah... Benson isn't trying hard enough to bleed every last cent from the 1000 season ticket holders and 500 people that come. It does wonders for attendance what he's doing. 

[Dane Pound]

8 hours ago, godanesgo99 said:

Not ready to join any Brown bashing. He has earned trust. Disappointed with the start, and how the team has played, but the season isn't lost. 

Look at the 14-15 team. That team started 2-6, and had a total non conference record of 5-7. That team went 15-1 in conference. It wasn't constructed that differently than this team. 

I'm not saying this team shows any signs of being that team, or that there is reason to believe they will, but they can't continue to shoot this cold, and opponents won't shoot that hot. I think the talent is there, it's just not clicking.

Every year there's some adversity and sorting of roles and message board freak-outs. 

[UA'08]

No more freaking out. It is what is. Let WB stay forever, put him on the hot seat, fire him, doesn’t matter. I was definitely guilty of unrealistic expectations of where the program can go when I started following in 2004. Yes others have seen it come a long way, but 2004 on is all I know. We are in a low major conference with one true mid major team in Vermont. 

[Clickclack]

17 minutes ago, Dane Pound said:

Every year there's some adversity and sorting of roles and message board freak-outs. 

That team had Rowley, Hooley, Singletary and Sanders there was balance at point, on the wings and critically down low. They played inside out...they offensively clicked. There was senior leadership on that team with a core of 4 year kids. It's not just cold shooting this year, the style of play is very troubling, they can't get anything inside as bigs turn the ball over or can't finish back to the basket so unlike the '15 team that had Sam Rowley, this team can't play inside out. Hansen likes to run around and launch 3's, Lulka before injury was ineffective. This leads to us being zoned, shooting desperation 3's. There's nothing inside so it's easy to defend on the perimeter and reason why we have dropped some 10% on average as a team shooting the 3.  

 

Looking objectively at individual players, there is zero growth from a number of kids. Still early but the start to this season if we are being frank has been an outright disaster. From lack of effort, lack of urgency (see Lehigh game, first half of D3 game) to the inability to defend or score or even run sets. We'll be told soon enough it's all about the AE play, then it will be all about AE tourney. It's disappointing that program is RARELY ready to go when season starts, even after a summer trip. Look at the OOC results from the last decade...why is that ALWAYS the case? You look at other programs in the AE, and they treat all games as important instead of scrimmages to get ready for AE play. 

 

Last year they played well down the stretch, return most of the core and look worse then the team that finished last year. This is absolutely inexcusable!

Edited November 23, 2019 by Clickclack

[godanesgo99]

That team, Sanders and Singletary were new and had just joined the teams as JUCO transfers. Hooley was a Jr. that missed a big portion of the season. The team had role players that were unestablished like Ennema, Mike Rowley and Peters or freshman in Baker and Stire that didn't play much till late in the season. 

Is Clark or JoJo a Singletary? Is Healy a Hooley? Is deSousa a Sanders? Is Rizzuto a Baker? Is Hank/French a Mike Rowley/ freshman Stire? Is Lulka/Hansen a Sam Rowley?  Is Fruscio a Williams?

I'm not saying that anyone on this team is equal to a player on that team, but I am saying the construction isn't all that different. I have the gas can and matches within my reach, but it is still way too early to write this team off. 

Right now the team hasn't come together. They are shooting too many 3s. Missing wide open shots. Not running the offense. Forcing too much, and not in a good way that gets to the line. 

Chances of them repeating what the team did in 14-15 are extremely low, but I don't see it as that far fetched at this point in time. Just need someone to step up and make it happen.

Edited November 23, 2019 by godanesgo99

[Clickclack]

38 minutes ago, godanesgo99 said:

That team, Sanders and Singletary were new and had just joined the teams as JUCO transfers. Hooley was a Jr. that missed a big portion of the season. The team had role players that were unestablished like Ennema, Mike Rowley and Peters or freshman in Baker and Stire that didn't play much till late in the season. 

Is Clark or JoJo a Singletary? Is Healy a Hooley? Is deSousa a Sanders? Is Rizzuto a Baker? Is Hank/French a Mike Rowley/ freshman Stire? Is Lulka/Hansen a Sam Rowley?  Is Fruscio a Williams?

I'm not saying that anyone on this team is equal to a player on that team, but I am saying the construction isn't all that different. I have the gas can and matches within my reach, but it is still way too early to write this team off. 

Right now the team hasn't come together. They are shooting too many 3s. Missing wide open shots. Not running the offense. Forcing too much, and not in a good way that gets to the line. 

Chances of them repeating what the team did in 14-15 are extremely low, but I don't see it as that far fetched at this point in time. Just need someone to step up and make it happen.

I get what you are saying... There are what... 25 games left? I'm just really discouraged right now not only with result but just how lost they are. The eye test shows me a brutal team that's not competing. 

[godanesgo99]

1 hour ago, Clickclack said:

I get what you are saying... There are what... 25 games left? I'm just really discouraged right now not only with result but just how lost they are. The eye test shows me a brutal team that's not competing. 

No argument there. I'm just saying that the talent appears to be there, but there has been no leadership and they aren't playing together as a team (yet). They need to go inside out, they need to attack the rim to make the 3s open up. I haven't actually been that upset with the shot selection for the most part, they just aren't falling for them.

My comments were geared towards the extreme negativity to the coaching staff, the recruiting, the kids, and everything. If the team still looks like they so right now come the middle of the conference season, then burn it down, but right now it is way to early. Brown has my trust, the talent level appears high on paper, but they need a chance to put it together. The 13-14 team may even be a better team to compare this one to. A slow start and a poor league season, followed by a trip to the NCAA as the team learned to play together.

[dslyank]

On 11/23/2019 at 11:08 AM, UA'08 said:

with one true mid major team in Vermont. 

Stop Please. Everyone on this blog has his right to their opinion; but calling vt. mid major is like calling $iena mid major. Vt is a ONE sport school. OK they are a mid pack in Hockey East but rarely a playoff team. How many ae conference championships, how many commissioner cups (O is the answer for cups and champs other than bb pretty near 0.) Their basketball has what 10 champs to our 5 and they have been D1 at least twice as long as UA. When your resources are NOT spread around multiple sports, especially when football involved, much easier to excel at ONE sport.

And for those who keep praising vt. attendance; anyone attend either UA volleyball game @ UA Friday or Saturday. Even with only one side open the noise and excitement in UA gym is vt like. The old timers on this blog can tell what 2000 to 2500 sounded like in the old DIII days. Keep hearing how well vt. draws; but bingo who never wins anything usually leads the ae in attendance and as bad as UA attendance; when winning we far out draw vt and even in losing years we are right their with them in attendance. Let's see what happens and see what happens when their 2500 "super faithful" sit in their new larger stadium. Hugh increases NOT guaranteed.

Anyhow, calling them mid major, IMHO way OFF base.