UAB (1/6/2022)

Censored by Laurie · January 7, 2022

28 minutes ago, Andrew said:

Man I said this to start the year and everybody was like nah… we good… we got great players on the bench…

ya, but when you said it there were so many typos and misspellings that no one understood it.

I guess kudos to you, though!

Wag Tag · January 7, 2022

I really miss a Deng Geu type of player that could play a few different positions because of his athleticism.

BillySee58 · January 7, 2022

2 hours ago, Censored by Laurie said:

I like a tight rotation, but the rotation has also gotten a lot tighter this year...it's legit 7 dudes at this point...starters + Perry & Scott. last season Rubin & Abou were the primary bench players, but you got decent minutes from Terrence Lewis, Jalen Jackson, Mykell Robinson...most of the time in how you're describing...like a match-up based 8th man...some nights you need a guard, some nights some fouls from a PF.

I do think that speaks to trust...which then in turn speaks to recruiting. it looks like Grant had some swings and misses this year.

that said, he's also landed Perry and Scott this year...Hamlett, Reese, Abou, Rubin...it's not like he can't recruit and with the nature of college sports right now, it's not like missing on scholarships is terribly punitive long-term...if kids aren't playing they leave and you get your scholarships right back.

I'd love to have one more trusted rotation player, but it's unlikely at this point.

Ultimately my biggest gripe is that recruiting still feels largely like it did when he got here. Trying to find value in JUCOs who High Majors tend to ignore. We haven’t seen anything like the 2011 class which JJ secured after a 15-seed first round tourney exit.

Mccasland has had great success and it does look like the program is continuing to elevate even if we don’t win a tournament game again this season. That’s the most important thing and I’m happy about that. Just feels like recruiting is lagging behind the on-court product.

Jonnyeagle · January 7, 2022

38 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

I really miss a Deng Geu type of player that could play a few different positions because of his athleticism.

I sort of feel Aaron Scott can be like that don't you?

UNTLifer · January 7, 2022

8 minutes ago, Jonnyeagle said:

I sort of feel Aaron Scott can be like that don't you?

Love this young man’s game. I feel like Robinson could have been the same type of player but for some reason, McCasland didn’t let him off the bench much.
On a completely different note, anybody else just want to punch UAB’s Ertel in the face?

bstnsportsfan3 · January 7, 2022

This team has a lot of talent and is still figuring out how to play together. I think missing multiple non conference games hurt a bit as we are usually a bit more together when it comes to conference time

Wag Tag · January 7, 2022

1 hour ago, Jonnyeagle said:

I sort of feel Aaron Scott can be like that don't you?

I like Scott but can’t see him playing the center position. Deng blocked shots and hussle are the best I have seen in a long time! I thought Robinson was going to be that player. He is a big ???.

Wag Tag · January 7, 2022

1 hour ago, BillySee58 said:

Ultimately my biggest gripe is that recruiting still feels largely like it did when he got here. Trying to find value in JUCOs who High Majors tend to ignore. We haven’t seen anything like the 2011 class which JJ secured after a 15-seed first round tourney exit.

Mccasland has had great success and it does look like the program is continuing to elevate even if we don’t win a tournament game again this season. That’s the most important thing and I’m happy about that. Just feels like recruiting is lagging behind the on-court product.

Looking forward to see how Mc works the the transfer portal.

Mean Green Matt · January 7, 2022

1 hour ago, Wag Tag said:

I like Scott but can’t see him playing the center position. Deng blocked shots and hussle are the best I have seen in a long time!.

The Shawnson Johnson of his time!

MeanGreenHoops · January 7, 2022

2 hours ago, BillySee58 said:

Ultimately my biggest gripe is that recruiting still feels largely like it did when he got here. Trying to find value in JUCOs who High Majors tend to ignore. We haven’t seen anything like the 2011 class which JJ secured after a 15-seed first round tourney exit.

Mccasland has had great success and it does look like the program is continuing to elevate even if we don’t win a tournament game again this season. That’s the most important thing and I’m happy about that. Just feels like recruiting is lagging behind the on-court product.

it will be interesting to see how this season turns out. The lack of improved recruiting is showing up at the end of games. Who do we have who can hit a big shot? Perry can but can he even get one off?
At the moment there aren't any other go to guys. Last year we had 3.

MeanGreenHoops · January 7, 2022

5 hours ago, Censored by Laurie said:

I like a tight rotation, but the rotation has also gotten a lot tighter this year...it's legit 7 dudes at this point...starters + Perry & Scott. last season Rubin & Abou were the primary bench players, but you got decent minutes from Terrence Lewis, Jalen Jackson, Mykell Robinson...most of the time in how you're describing...like a match-up based 8th man...some nights you need a guard, some nights some fouls from a PF.

I do think that speaks to trust...which then in turn speaks to recruiting. it looks like Grant had some swings and misses this year.

that said, he's also landed Perry and Scott this year...Hamlett, Reese, Abou, Rubin...it's not like he can't recruit and with the nature of college sports right now, it's not like missing on scholarships is terribly punitive long-term...if kids aren't playing they leave and you get your scholarships right back.

I'd love to have one more trusted rotation player, but it's unlikely at this point.

He definitely doesn't trust anyone else on the roster at this point. I do remember that last year though somewhere during conference time all of the sudden Mykell Robinson did start getting minutes. So hopefully someone else is getting close to contributing.

Edited January 7, 2022 by MeanGreenHoops

MeanGreenHoops · January 7, 2022

Also, this was actually the worst thing I saw last night.

Shark84 · January 7, 2022

16 hours ago, greenminer said:

Here and dialed in. UAB is soo good. Kennedy is a good coach and appears to have a squad equipped to give UNT problems for a good while.

UAB loaded up on grad transfers. That isn't the way to stay good for the long haul. Unfortunately, none of our grad transfers this year are making an impact for us. Perry is a JC transfer. Winning at the grad transfer game is the new way for mid-majors to try to complete with the big boys. We will never get the 5 star guys out of HS. We can only hope to get them to come for a year as a transfer. UAB got some great players this year to build off a strong core from last season. Sure wish we new why Wright can't get off the bench. He looks like a big swing and miss.

BillySee58 · January 7, 2022

1 hour ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

it will be interesting to see how this season turns out. The lack of improved recruiting is showing up at the end of games. Who do we have who can hit a big shot? Perry can but can he even get one off?
At the moment there aren't any other go to guys. Last year we had 3.

They absolutely made sure Perry was not going to be the one to get the shot off. We need to come out of this offseason with at least one more legit double digit scorer. Then hope Jones and McBride take steps forward as well. That would be an even scarier team, provided the defense plays like it has over Mccasland’s tenure.

Censored by Laurie · January 7, 2022

1 hour ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

He definitely doesn't trust anyone else on the roster at this point. I do remember that last year though somewhere during conference time all of the sudden Mykell Robinson did start getting minutes. So hopefully someone else is getting close to contributing.

if I were a betting man, my guess is his trust issues lie in what these fringe bench players have shown defensively...missed rotations, inconsistent effort, those kinda things. rarely do you see Grant get too bent out of shape over missed shots...but a defensive lapse he loses his poop.

that has to be a more difficult thing to recruit for. I'm guessing Browne and Stone and Zephir can knock down shots, but if they're not full up to speed/bought in on the defensive end then they sit.

Censored by Laurie · January 7, 2022

also...interesting note from last night's broadcast...maybe it's common knowledge, but was new to me...

Tylor Perry is the kid cousin of former UNT center Jeffery Simpson...who in two years here is like top 3 all time in blocks.

broadcast called Perry a "UNT fan" as a kid b/c of Simpson. thought that was pretty cool

MCMLXXX · January 7, 2022

1 hour ago, Censored by Laurie said:

also...interesting note from last night's broadcast...maybe it's common knowledge, but was new to me...

Tylor Perry is the kid cousin of former UNT center Jeffery Simpson...who in two years here is like top 3 all time in blocks.

broadcast called Perry a "UNT fan" as a kid b/c of Simpson. thought that was pretty cool

This has been mentioned on other broadcasts and was posted over a month ago. I think it was during the Drake game. You and Coach Andy Mac may be among the last to know this: "Cool Factoid".

Posted November 28, 2021

Announcer said Tylor Perry was a North Texas fan before he came here. Jeffrey Simpson was his cousin. I was unaware of that fact.

Edited January 7, 2022 by MCMLXXX

greenminer · January 7, 2022

3 hours ago, Shark84 said:

UAB loaded up on grad transfers. That isn't the way to stay good for the long haul. Unfortunately, none of our grad transfers this year are making an impact for us. Perry is a JC transfer. Winning at the grad transfer game is the new way for mid-majors to try to complete with the big boys. We will never get the 5 star guys out of HS. We can only hope to get them to come for a year as a transfer. UAB got some great players this year to build off a strong core from last season. Sure wish we new why Wright can't get off the bench. He looks like a big swing and miss.

Kennedy had our number last year. Whatever he has, it's not just about this year's grad xfers.

Censored by Laurie · January 7, 2022

33 minutes ago, MCMLXXX said:

This has been mentioned on other broadcasts and was posted over a month ago. I think it was during the Drake game. You and Coach Andy Mac may be among the last to know this: "Cool Factoid".

Posted November 28, 2021

Announcer said Tylor Perry was a North Texas fan before he came here. Jeffrey Simpson was his cousin. I was unaware of that fact.