ualbany mbb MBB - Game 29 / Conference Game 14: Home vs New Hampshire - Thursday, February 29, 2024, 7:00 PM

[Dane96]

13 hours ago, jimbo said:

I didn’t see it all, but their pace never let up. Decent D helped by turnovers and some atrocious shooting by UNH. Are they better, worse or the same without Beagle in the lineup? 

Been keeping quiet about this for a bit- Better, definitely better.  As talented, maybe not...but the team seems to be playing more cohesively. Not sure why-- maybe it was a wake up call?

[jimbo]

1 hour ago, Dane96 said:

Been keeping quiet about this for a bit- Better, definitely better.  As talented, maybe not...but the team seems to be playing more cohesively. Not sure why-- maybe it was a wake up call?

I was wondering if anyone was thinking that, because I was. Their ppg avg has gone up. Rebounds are down slightly. Marshall is way more aggressive blocking shots and quite honestly this is the most athletic team I’ve seen here. Not sure if it’s bad chemistry, bad fit, getting overshadowed by Sebastian and Marshall, etc, etc. in any case, Beagle seemed to not advance from where he was last year. Maybe it was the ankle…worse than they let on? He’s still on the roster and the silence is odd. Truthfully, right now I think they miss Jackson more. I was certainly expecting big things from Beagle, but the transfer portal thing left a bad taste.

[godanesgo99]

3 hours ago, jimbo said:

I was wondering if anyone was thinking that, because I was. Their ppg avg has gone up. Rebounds are down slightly. Marshall is way more aggressive blocking shots and quite honestly this is the most athletic team I’ve seen here. Not sure if it’s bad chemistry, bad fit, getting overshadowed by Sebastian and Marshall, etc, etc. in any case, Beagle seemed to not advance from where he was last year. Maybe it was the ankle…worse than they let on? He’s still on the roster and the silence is odd. Truthfully, right now I think they miss Jackson more. I was certainly expecting big things from Beagle, but the transfer portal thing left a bad taste.

This is exactly what I have been telling people. Super Athletic. Talented Scorers. Suspect Defense, if you can call it that.

They will score more points with the current lineup than they would with Jackson/Beagle, but.... 

I think they are better with Beagle, because even if he isn't the best defensive big out there, he is still the biggest body in paint we had and definitely altered shots/stopped the overly easy layups. Beagle is still among the league leaders in rebounding and in FG%. We miss having someone that we know is gonna make pretty much every shot they take within a few feet of the hoop.

I also agree that Jackson is the biggest loss, as he was the #1 defensive guy, and seemed to always be on the opposing teams best offensive player. 100% hustle, 100% of the time. 

Anywho...

We have all been on DK as a coach, and the criticism has been mostly valid - especially when it comes to team defense - but I think we can all praise his ability to ensure that the team never gives up. They remain intense and seem to give 100% all the time. This is why I think I started this thread with:  "I want to root for them soooooo badly" as it is easy to like and want to root for a team/players that is/are hustling and giving it their all 100% of the time. 

Maybe they catch lightning in a bottle and win a few more games. I am not ready for the season to be over. I never am. 

Edited March 1 by godanesgo99

[cwdickens]

11 hours ago, Dane96 said:

Been keeping quiet about this for a bit- Better, definitely better.  As talented, maybe not...but the team seems to be playing more cohesively. Not sure why-- maybe it was a wake up call?

 

10 hours ago, jimbo said:

I was wondering if anyone was thinking that, because I was. Their ppg avg has gone up. Rebounds are down slightly. Marshall is way more aggressive blocking shots and quite honestly this is the most athletic team I’ve seen here. Not sure if it’s bad chemistry, bad fit, getting overshadowed by Sebastian and Marshall, etc, etc. in any case, Beagle seemed to not advance from where he was last year. Maybe it was the ankle…worse than they let on? He’s still on the roster and the silence is odd. Truthfully, right now I think they miss Jackson more. I was certainly expecting big things from Beagle, but the transfer portal thing left a bad taste.

I have watched this team, in person at home and via streaming occasionally when they are on the road.  I am of the opinion that Sebastian Thomas did not like sharing the limelight with Jonathon Beagle and likely Jonathon did not like sharing the limelight with Sebastian.  In conference play 3-3 with Beagle, without Beagle in conference 2-6.  

When we feel a player does not develop or exceed his or her previous year's efforts, we have to ask ourselves is it the player and/or the coaching and/or the chemistry of the team?

Will any of us really know that answer?

On side note, for the "first" time, I saw two incidents that Killings pulled players for behavioral issues, one involved a technical foul call, and Killings made a point of getting in your face discussion about what just occurred with each player.  So unlike Killings from my past observation.

Edited March 2 by cwdickens
clarify