UTEP (3/5/22)

El Paso Eagle · March 5, 2022

Golding has been complimentary of Grant and them team. He is hard to dislike. Bigger fan of Grant's but would not mind seeing him coach us one day

CMJ · March 5, 2022

MTSU also was upset today.

Andrew · March 5, 2022

3 minutes ago, CMJ said:

He's also playing vastly better competition night in night out in the ACC vs CUSA. Not as big a difference as you'd think.

Article said it comes down to conditioning and mentioned it starts at a young age (8th grade) when these elite prospects are already being looked at. Yes the higher level ACC causes more a grind; however these players are also on another level when it comes to conditioning before they even step on the floor for the likes of Duke and Kansas. We are a mid major where deeper rotations are more common.

Again it’s not about having another Tyler Perry coming off the bench. It’s about having a guy who can simply be a buffer and allow somebody like Bell to stay out of foul trouble and rest his legs for when we really need them. The guy does not even have to touch the ball on offense. Keep moving and set screens and body someone up. It really is a simple solution for a simple problem.

Andrew · March 5, 2022

8 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

If Mccasland trusted more than 7 players then we might see more than 7. He doesn’t, and they haven’t given him any reason to when they’ve had chances. Outside of maybe Wright. I’m somewhat with you on confused why he hasn’t been given more opportunity.

Again the player doesn’t even have to make a impact on the stat line. Somebody who can give Bell or Jones or Abou an extra 3-4 minutes in the half of rest on the bench is needed. The impact of that move would be seen late in game with what should be fresher legs leading to increased defensive pressure, less turnovers, and one would assume less missed free throws and wide open shots.

Andrew · March 5, 2022

5 minutes ago, Quoner said:

Brown has appeared in 3 games this month. Burke hasn’t played since 2/12. Chriss hasn’t played since 2/10. Frank hasn’t played since 2/15. Green’s development into an actual rotation player has been written about at length since the start of 2022. A lot of the previous minutes you saw were Covid and injuries. It’s great to be deep and it’s great to blow people out, but you’re continuing to yell at a speed boat because it’s not an airplane and it’s exhausting.

Sure and we have rolled with the same 7 guys since the Simmons injury and even before that for a quite sometime. It’s going to be difficult to win 3 games in a row with 7 guys who play intense defense. That’s a lot of pressure on these guys. Foul trouble makes it worse. Every guy on that bench was offered a scholarship. They are D1 players. It’s difficult to believe that Having Perry, Stone, Jones, Bell and Abou or McBride, Murray, Jones, Scott, and Wright etc… on the court as a group for 2-3 minutes could make anything worse. Especially true with the grind we go on the offensive end. These guys might only see 3-4 offensive positions at the most during that time and can simply screen off ball and keep the D honest. The benefit comes when our other guys enter fresher with a little more energy to play defense and make free throws.

CMJ · March 5, 2022

I mean today we were missing free throws in the first two minutes of the game. If anything Bell was shooting them better at the end.

Green Lantern · March 5, 2022

I wanna credit UTEP. I thought they played tremendous defense in the 1st half. Much more aggressive, focused, and physical. We didn’t match that intensity until well into the 2nd half after we’d already dug an enormous hole for ourselves.

Edited March 5, 2022 by Green Lantern

GMG_Dallas · March 5, 2022

1 minute ago, CMJ said:

I mean today we were missing free throws in the first two minutes of the game. If anything Bell was shooting them better at the end.

He's been bad at FTs all year, I don't think end of year fatigue is the issue - he's just not a shooter. That said, I do think we'd benefit from an extra man in the rotation to give guys a break. When we get in foul trouble, our defense struggles. They can't be as physical and that's when UTEP took advantage today. An extra player in the paint such as Wright would be great.

NorthTexasSportsNetwork · March 5, 2022

LET

IT

GO!!!!!!!!!

Wright wasn’t ready to play here with the system Mac has in place, Miah is out for the year with a knee injury leaving you with a freshman in Matthew Stone and TAMUCC transfer in Rasheed Browne.

Clearly they aren’t:

1. Experienced enough which is a major factor

2. Talented enough to compete as of now. Stone and other freshmen are still so young, why rush.

You make my head hurt Andrew, I know you’re a great fan and person, but goodness sakes you have the worst takes I’ve ever seen.

Big Z · March 5, 2022

I’m proud of these guys, 100% faith in the tournament 🏟

emmitt01 · March 5, 2022

7 minutes ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

LET

IT

GO!!!!!!!!!

Wright wasn’t ready to play here with the system Mac has in place, Miah is out for the year with a knee injury leaving you with a freshman in Matthew Stone and TAMUCC transfer in Rasheed Browne.

Clearly they aren’t:

1. Experienced enough which is a major factor

2. Talented enough to compete as of now. Stone and other freshmen are still so young, why rush.

You make my head hurt Andrew, I know you’re a great fan and person, but goodness sakes you have the worst takes I’ve ever seen.

Season 5 Nbc GIF by The Office

Bringing someone in to “take up minutes” or “not touch the ball” works great…until your opponent goes right at them on offense, and you see either your lead evaporate or their lead grow.

We lost by TWO. Let me say that again…two.

And if we’re panicking because we looked “tired” I guess it’s a good thing we have 5 days before the next one.

I mean, it’s not as if Grant has led us to more single season CUSA wins than any program in league history…or back-to back-to back league titles after being picked SIXTH in the preseason. I think I’ll defer to his judgement just a tad.

Edited March 5, 2022 by emmitt01

Andrew · March 5, 2022

7 minutes ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

LET

IT

GO!!!!!!!!!

Wright wasn’t ready to play here with the system Mac has in place, Miah is out for the year with a knee injury leaving you with a freshman in Matthew Stone and TAMUCC transfer in Rasheed Browne.

Clearly they aren’t:

1. Experienced enough which is a major factor

2. Talented enough to compete as of now. Stone and other freshmen are still so young, why rush.

You make my head hurt Andrew, I know you’re a great fan and person, but goodness sakes you have the worst takes I’ve ever seen.

My point/take is very valid. We miss less free throws and have more energy late in game for defensive stops if we get another player or two involved for short bursts. Literally using them as rest guys. There have been multiple possessions in a row where a guy like Abou or Murray doesn’t touch the ball. Browne or Stone or Wright could do the same. Sure you give up a little on defense but you get a guy some rest so he can close strong. That’s my whole point and it is valid. 3 games in a row is going to be very hard on a 7 man rotation.

TheColonyEagle · March 5, 2022

At the very least I like that a 2 point loss on the road after we had everything wrapped up is the end of the world. The UTEP fans stormed the court. Did the “overrated!” Chant.

we’re ok

NorthTexasSportsNetwork · March 5, 2022

Just now, Andrew said:

My point/take is very valid. We miss less free throws and have more energy late in game for defensive stops if we get another player or two involved for short bursts. Literally using them as rest guys. There have been multiple possessions in a row where a guy like Abou or Murray doesn’t touch the ball. Browne or Stone or Wright could do the same. Sure you give up a little on defense but you get a guy some rest so he can close strong. That’s my whole point and it is valid. 3 games in a row is going to be very hard on a 7 man rotation.

Ok well with the guys we have now, that free throw percentage isn’t changing whatsoever. Maybe if we land some guys next year it changes, but this isn’t just down the stretch of the game. This is every single time at the line. Perry and sometimes Rubin are the ONLY good free throw shooters on this team.

Tons of teams are tried at this point in the year, but the toughest team wins. We are a very very tough team, so we will continue to win.
Yeah McCasland isn’t landing flashy guys, but the ones that have committed here and played from JUCO are the cornerstones of this program.

Ultimately, I don’t understand your logic on this. Besides the players fixing it themselves, Mac isn’t a wizard who can change them overnight. It’s a process, that will eventually succeed when we hoist the trophy next Saturday in front of thousands of our fans.

So what I’m saying is, and I speak for everyone here and at UNT, please stop with these comments. It’s just making yourself look foolish saying “McCasland this” “McCasland that”

meangreanmick · March 5, 2022

3 minutes ago, Andrew said:

My point/take is very valid. We miss less free throws and have more energy late in game for defensive stops if we get another player or two involved for short bursts. Literally using them as rest guys. There have been multiple possessions in a row where a guy like Abou or Murray doesn’t touch the ball. Browne or Stone or Wright could do the same. Sure you give up a little on defense but you get a guy some rest so he can close strong. That’s my whole point and it is valid. 3 games in a row is going to be very hard on a 7 man rotation.

You are conveniently forgetting that Grant has always coached this way, and somehow we won the CbI, won CUSA tourney last year and won first round in NCAA, etx, etc. You are trying to find an issue where there there is no issue. it’s college basketball, we were bound to have an off day and/or run into someone who just got lucky and shot lights out and well above their ability level. It happens.

emmitt01 · March 5, 2022

5 minutes ago, Andrew said:

My point/take is very valid. We miss less free throws and have more energy late in game for defensive stops if we get another player or two involved for short bursts. Literally using them as rest guys. There have been multiple possessions in a row where a guy like Abou or Murray doesn’t touch the ball. Browne or Stone or Wright could do the same. Sure you give up a little on defense but you get a guy some rest so he can close strong. That’s my whole point and it is valid. 3 games in a row is going to be very hard on a 7 man rotation.

“We miss less free throws and have more energy late in game for defensive stops if we get another player or two involved for short bursts.”

So let’s test your theory and compare it to…oh, I don’t know, literally the game we just played.

The worst free throw shooter, by far, on the floor (at 23%) was Thomas Bell. He shot BETTER at the stripe later in the game than at the beginning.

We went down big at the BEGINNING of the game when legs were fresher. Somehow, red bull maybe or Flinstone vitamins at half time, we won the second half by TWELVE points. During which part of that half should we have inserted someone to eat up minutes??

I’ll hang up and listen…

RiseUNT · March 5, 2022

Every home team won today in cusa

Andrew · March 5, 2022

8 minutes ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

Ok well with the guys we have now, that free throw percentage isn’t changing whatsoever. Maybe if we land some guys next year it changes, but this isn’t just down the stretch of the game. This is every single time at the line. Perry and sometimes Rubin are the ONLY good free throw shooters on this team.

Tons of teams are tried at this point in the year, but the toughest team wins. We are a very very tough team, so we will continue to win.
Yeah McCasland isn’t landing flashy guys, but the ones that have committed here and played from JUCO are the cornerstones of this program.

Ultimately, I don’t understand your logic on this. Besides the players fixing it themselves, Mac isn’t a wizard who can change them overnight. It’s a process, that will eventually succeed when we hoist the trophy next Saturday in front of thousands of our fans.

So what I’m saying is, and I speak for everyone here and at UNT, please stop with these comments. It’s just making yourself look foolish saying “McCasland this” “McCasland that”

So what should we focus on? What needs to be improved and what is the solution? For these next 3 games.

Quoner · March 5, 2022

3 minutes ago, emmitt01 said:

“We miss less free throws and have more energy late in game for defensive stops if we get another player or two involved for short bursts.”

So let’s test your theory and compare it to…oh, I don’t know, literally the game we just played.

The worst free throw shooter, by far, on the floor (at 23%) was Thomas Bell. He shot BETTER at the stripe later in the game than at the beginning.

We went down big at the BEGINNING of the game when legs were fresher. Somehow, red bull maybe or Flinstone vitamins at half time, we won the second half by TWELVE points. During which part of that half should we have inserted someone to eat up minutes??

I’ll hang up and listen…

We came out flat and they came out strong and focused and deserve credit is one approach, but deep down, we all know if the bench guys played an average of 26 seconds per game, we’d be 25-3.

emmitt01 · March 5, 2022

8 minutes ago, RiseUNT said:

Every home team won today in cusa

Except for Southern Miss

GMG_Dallas · March 5, 2022

26 minutes ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

Wright wasn’t ready to play here with the system Mac has in place, Miah is out for the year with a knee injury leaving you with a freshman in Matthew Stone and TAMUCC transfer in Rasheed Browne.

Then why recruit them? You brought Wright in for one year for nothing? Seems like a waste.

emmitt01 · March 5, 2022

Pavlovs Eagle · March 5, 2022

15 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

Then why recruit them? You brought Wright in for one year for nothing? Seems like a waste.

This has also been a mystery to me.

I can see in the minutes given to some of the Freshmeat players why they're riding the bench, but Wright played in 75 games with Washington including a majority of those seeing starting minutes and now can't even be a warm body to take some fouls in our system in his super senior year? Who'd he piss off?

Andrew · March 5, 2022

33 minutes ago, meangreanmick said:

You are conveniently forgetting that Grant has always coached this way, and somehow we won the CbI, won CUSA tourney last year and won first round in NCAA, etx, etc. You are trying to find an issue where there there is no issue. it’s college basketball, we were bound to have an off day and/or run into someone who just got lucky and shot lights out and well above their ability level. It happens.

Just going through his first 3 seasons he played a solid 9–10 man rotation. You can find this on sports reference.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/north-texas/2020.html

GMG_Dallas · March 5, 2022

7 minutes ago, Pavlovs Eagle said:

This has also been a mystery to me.

I can see in the minutes given to some of the Freshmeat players why they're riding the bench, but Wright played in 75 games with Washington including a majority of those seeing starting minutes and now can't even be a warm body to take some fouls in our system in his super senior year? Who'd he piss off?

Right. And I understand you usually have a few deep bench guys who are mostly there to be practice bodies but those are usually walk-ons. I wouldn't even be asking this question if Wright had been getting 5 minutes per game. Literally just to give a slight breather here and there instead of having a guy backing off on defense because he's in foul trouble.

I will say I trust in Mac and I don't believe it'll impact the team in the tournament as a whole even with potentially (hopefully) 3 games in 3 days) because every team will be playing the same schedule or worst due to seeding. That said, I can see it being problematic (because it has been) in a single game and unfortunately, with single elimination games afoot, we can't put ourselves at a disadvantage with foul trouble. I think we as fans see the W and the record, smile, and move on. Foul trouble has put us at risk several times. The team persevered and won most of the time but we're a few Tylor Perry misses away from being 2nd or 3rd in the west.