Western Kentucky (1/2/20)

[UNTLifer]

40 minutes ago, keith said:

I think I’ve only seen WKU miss one shot since I started watching and we had a sizable lead at the time. 

Your fault. 

[Andrew]

5 minutes ago, Greendylan said:

For those of you who think we're ready to roll through conference play after losing a whole bunch of tough non-conference games, giving up 61 points in a half should give you pause.  We still have only 1 win away from home, which was in Arlington.  I don't feel too optimistic about our chances at Marshall in a couple days.

I’m still wondering who thinks we will hit ten conference wins. We should, but then again we should have won tonight... 🤷🏼‍♂️

[Mean Green Matt]

Pretty bad collapse. 

[BillySee58]

1 minute ago, GrandGreen said:

NT just does not have enough depth in the front court.   J. Simmons is tough player but is a big liability on both ends of the court. 

Mccasland needs to get real with himself and move on from Simmons. He’s the only one outside of the Simmons family who thinks Jahmiah is a CUSA level player. 6’4” post who can’t shoot, can’t finish at the rim, is a turnover waiting to happen when he drives in, and gives very little resistance defensively in the restricted area.

Having him on scholarship has done nothing but hinder the roster each of the last three years. I hope he feels enough pressure to win here to not make it four years. Although Wren handing out extensions before any substantial winning doesn’t help there.

Same for Abdul Mohamed and Shakeem Alcindor. You’re using scholarships on redshirting these dudes, so you’ve wasted scholarships on guys who don’t play all year, only to waste a scholarship on those same players to also not play once they have finished redshirting. Happened with Tikhonenko as well but at least we moved on there.

[BillySee58]

6 minutes ago, Andrew said:

I’m still wondering who thinks we will hit ten conference wins. We should, but then again we should have won tonight... 🤷🏼‍♂️

I do. Pretty confident that losing to a top 3 team in our conference on the road doesn’t preclude us from winning 10 of 18 conference games. Problem is this was a golden opportunity to step up and assert ourselves as a conference contender and we whiffed in embarrassing fashion.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Everything was going just great until WKU went unconscious.  We were still playing pretty well defensively overall & getting buckets on the other end (although having trouble with that 3/4 court trap they were constantly running).  The Hilltoppers just started hitting every single bucket & there was absolutely nothing we could do about it despite a good effort.   

I think WKU will look back on this 2nd half as their best half all year... just sucks it was against us.

[NTEdgex2]

Ladies won over wku, 61-54. 
 

GMG!

Edited January 3, 2020 by NTEdgex2

[Mean Green Matt]

Our WBB team won by 7 over a heavily favored WKU team tonight. Everyone that played tonight for us will be back next year. Leading scorer for us was freshman Randi Thompson. 

[GreenEggs&Ham™]

WKU has defeated UNT 11 consecutive games now. The last time UNT beat WKU was back in 2012 right after they fired Ken McDonald and Ray Harper took over as HC.

WKU scored 61 points in the second half of tonight's game. 61 !

[UNT Texas Hooligan]

Appropriate for most of our men's sports 

[Greendylan]

We could still win 10 conference games, but I think that's toward the upper end of what is realistic.  We've gone 8-10 the last two years, and while I could see us maybe picking up an extra win or two this season, I wouldn't expect much more than that.  

[GrandGreen]

NT will not only win 10 games they will be in the hunt for the championship.

The wheels came off in the second half of this game, NT should have won this game. 

However, the refs gave this game to WKU: even discounting the fouls by NT at the end of the game to get the ball; this was one-sided officiating.

WKU appears to get every close call and some phantom calls.  Their guard slip and fell at least twice with no contact and got the calls.

Ten free throws for NT and 34 for WKU.   They got NT's bigs in early foul trouble and that swayed the game.   

 

[Shark84]

Just now, GrandGreen said:

NT will not only win 10 games they will be in the hunt for the championship.

The wheels came off in the second half of this game, NT should have won this game. 

However, the refs gave this game to WKU: even discounting the fouls by NT at the end of the game to get the ball; this was one-sided officiating.

WKU appears to get every close call and some phantom calls.  Their guard slip and fell at least twice with no contact and got the calls.

Ten free throws for NT and 34 for WKU.   They got NT's bigs in early foul trouble and that swayed the game.   

 

Please don't blame the refs. Giving up 61 second half points was not because of bad officials. There were some bad calls but that wasn't why we lost.

[GrandGreen]

Just now, Shark84 said:

Please don't blame the refs. Giving up 61 second half points was not because of bad officials. There were some bad calls but that wasn't why we lost.

You have no idea if the refs swayed the game or not.

Their calls could have very easily been the difference in the game.  

However, this loss is on NT's lack of defense in the second half.   Very uncharacteristic of a McCasland team.  Also give credit to WKU for their great 3 shooting in the second half. 

 

[Greendylan]

12 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

NT will not only win 10 games they will be in the hunt for the championship.

The wheels came off in the second half of this game, NT should have won this game. 

However, the refs gave this game to WKU: even discounting the fouls by NT at the end of the game to get the ball; this was one-sided officiating.

WKU appears to get every close call and some phantom calls.  Their guard slip and fell at least twice with no contact and got the calls.

Ten free throws for NT and 34 for WKU.   They got NT's bigs in early foul trouble and that swayed the game.   

 

Unfortunately, that appears to be the mantra this season.

Regardless of the quality of our play, we need to figure out how to close out games against good teams.  We desperately need wins, and they need to start against Marshall on Saturday.  If we lose that one, it may indicate that we're simply not conference title contenders.  I'm still confident that we'll be a tough team to beat at the Super Pit, but we can't lose nearly every road game and still pretend that we're one of the top tier CUSA teams.

[keith]

I'm of the opinion that this wasn't a collapse or a meltdown in the second half.  WKU was throwing up prayers from downtown and they were all going in or they were driving to the bucket out of control and somehow getting a friendly bounce and spin off the rim and a trip to the charity stripe.   I don't know how they ended up, but at one time the announcers said they were 9 for 11 from beyond the arc.  That doesn't happen everyday.  It wasn't due to a lack of defensive effort.  Most of these were adequately contested, WKU just wouldn't miss.  We scored 42 in the first half and 42 in the second.  I wouldn't say the refs cost us the game, but when all the 50/50 calls seem to fall one way, it does make you go hmmmmm.  One that was clearly swatted out by a WKU player gets overruled by a ref that wasn't near the play cost us a possession at a critical point and I think WKU went down and hit another three.

This one stings, but I think we'll be fine in conference play.  We've grown into a better team now than we were at the beginning of the season.  

[Venson]

14 hours ago, BillySee58 said:

Mccasland needs to get real with himself and move on from Simmons. He’s the only one outside of the Simmons family who thinks Jahmiah is a CUSA level player. 6’4” post who can’t shoot, can’t finish at the rim, is a turnover waiting to happen when he drives in, and gives very little resistance defensively in the restricted area.

I thought I was the only one who thought this.

[Andrew]

1 hour ago, Venson said:

I thought I was the only one who thought this.

It seemed like people were very high on him when he came over with Grant, but he hasn’t produced. I can respect Grant for keeping his promise to him if he came along, but it can hard as a fan. 

[RiseUNT]

[BillySee58]

Just now, Andrew said:

It seemed like people were very high on him when he came over with Grant, but he hasn’t produced. I can respect Grant for keeping his promise to him if he came along, but it can hard as a fan. 

Well put. It’s hard to fault Simmons. I’m sure he works very hard and seems to be fulfilling his end of the scholarship as a student athlete.

It’s on the coach when you sign guys who don’t have any other offers and are young, and they don’t play well. Guys like Simmons and Alcindor don’t usually transfer just because they aren’t playing much. That’s their only D1 option, so lack of playing time doesn’t usually initiate a transfer like it would with a player who did have other D1 coaches who wanted them and still might.

And it doesn’t look good to not renew a scholarship/force a kid out so you get stuck. 

[Andrew]

Just now, BillySee58 said:

Well put. It’s hard to fault Simmons. I’m sure he works very hard and seems to be fulfilling his end of the scholarship as a student athlete.

It’s on the coach when you sign guys who don’t have any other offers and are young, and they don’t play well. Guys like Simmons and Alcindor don’t usually transfer just because they aren’t playing much. That’s their only D1 option, so lack of playing time doesn’t usually initiate a transfer like it would with a player who did have other D1 coaches who wanted them and still might.

And it doesn’t look good to not renew a scholarship/force a kid out so you get stuck. 

Maybe the hope was he could’ve the next Roger Franklin... 

[BillySee58]

Just now, Andrew said:

Maybe the hope was he could’ve the next Roger Franklin... 

Roger was a top 100 recruit with offers from schools like Arizona, Indiana, UCLA, and Michigan State. Simmons had 1 D1 offer from Arkansas State because of Dowling and Mccasland. Nowhere near the same caliber of prospects. 

[southsideguy]

to put salt on the wound a WKU (number 6) made the the top 10 plays from last night.

 

[southsideguy]

Starting to think we will also be average at best in major sports.  I have more faith if we would come away with a big win now and then.  

[Andrew]

1 hour ago, BillySee58 said:

Roger was a top 100 recruit with offers from schools like Arizona, Indiana, UCLA, and Michigan State. Simmons had 1 D1 offer from Arkansas State because of Dowling and Mccasland. Nowhere near the same caliber of prospects. 

I was just referring to his size and the position he plays. Maybe Roger (lite) coming off the bench.