Wichita State (1/4/24)

[GMGfor3]

For such a knowledgable fan base, they sure are quick to forget about the win 2 years back, plus our TBT team winning their regional in that gym. Plus last night. come on Shockers, you can't be that shocked... Put some respect on our program.

 

Anyhow.. massive, gutsy, courageous road W. Biggest of the Hodge era thus far. After some tough results and poor closings to games in the non-con, last night felt like a marquee win for the maturation process. No one will want to play this team in March.

[CMJ]

They aren't that far removed from top 20 rankings and deep runs in the NCAAs, so I can understand their frustration.  I'm sure they won't be in the wilderness for too long because they care too much to let that happen.  But they, like a lot of other schools, haven't realized that we aren't a flash in the pan.

Edited January 5 by CMJ

[Green Lantern]

8 minutes ago, NT80 said:

Yes, many of the better programs we beat complain about their own poor shooting, turnovers, coaching, etc...rarely acknowledge it is the opponent causing all of it, lol!

Wichita fans before the game thread were whining about the loss of Houston and Cincy and that the AAC was no longer a quality basketball league with the new invites.  Few knew we won the NIT last year.  Many of them want to join Creighton in the Big East instead. 

Exactly! For such an engaged and overall educated fanbase, it’s comical that our style manages to sneak up on them.

Have to admit that I’m jealous of that arena setup and their fan engagement though. Just like WKU was the SBC/CUSA measuring stick in that regard, we’ve got to up our collective game to meet the new targets - WSU and Memphis in the AAC.

[HoosMeanGreen]

37 minutes ago, Dannymacfan said:

My favorite play in the game was when CJ drove, missed the floater and then grabbed his own board and put it back in off the glass.  The dude is starting to show he can lead this squad.

WS gave zero effort on that play - it was at that moment I knew that WS had given up & conceded the loss. 

[NT80]

20 minutes ago, Green Lantern said:

Exactly! For such an engaged and overall educated fanbase, it’s comical that our style manages to sneak up on them.

Have to admit that I’m jealous of that arena setup and their fan engagement though. Just like WKU was the SBC/CUSA measuring stick in that regard, we’ve got to up our collective game to meet the new targets - WSU and Memphis in the AAC.

What else is there to do for entertainment in Wichita in the dead of winter?   It looked like an older fan base too.  I didn't see a lot of students.

[CMJ]

10 minutes ago, NT80 said:

What else is there to do for entertainment in Wichita in the dead of winter?   It looked like an older fan base too.  I didn't see a lot of students.

Winter break.  WSU typically has nice student turnout.

[Green Otaku]

11 hours ago, Matt from A700 said:

Felt like CJ had more than 2 steals. I thought he played amazing.

My only critique is ball security, he seems to cough it up a few times a game. Need to clean that up and we are looking good. 

[cousin oliver]

To me the biggest story of the night was Coach Hodge.  This guy has never been a head coach at this high a level and he jist looks like he belongs.  He also doesn’t have those constant temper tantrums that McCasland seemed to struggle with.  I feel like Hodge is going places.

[Green Lantern]

24 minutes ago, cousin oliver said:

He also doesn’t have those constant temper tantrums that McCasland seemed to struggle with. 

???? I mean Mac certainly has an intense coaching style and involvement in the game but I don’t really recall “temper tantrums”. Dude is always engaged and coaching up his players. He’s firey and passionate. Honestly I miss watching him coach. When I had non-UNT friends at the games, they always commented on how fun it was watching him work. 
 

Ross has his own style and hopefully it will turn out to surpass Mac’s achievements when it’s all said and done. But he’s not particularly entertaining to watch do his job.

[Venson]

2 hours ago, Green Lantern said:

Just like WKU was the SBC/CUSA measuring stick in that regard, we’ve got to up our collective game to meet the new targets - WSU and Memphis in the AAC.

I can see us striving to be like WSU in that regard. It will be hard to compete with Memphis because they play in the FEDEX Forum, which is where the Grizzlies play. That would be equivalent to us playing in the American Airlines Center where the Mavericks play. That won't happen. Most college teams don't have that.

[greenminer]

1 hour ago, cousin oliver said:

He also doesn’t have those constant temper tantrums that McCasland seemed to struggle with.

weird.  I loved Mac's emotional outbursts.  Showed he cared, and never struck me as "temper tantrums".

Our players would run through brick walls for Mac.  Until last night, I was starting to feel like Hodge would not carry that torch.  I feel a lot better now, though.

[UNTLifer]

1 hour ago, cousin oliver said:

 He also doesn’t have those constant temper tantrums that McCasland seemed to struggle with.

This is a bit, right?  McCasland was a blast to watch coach, and if you have ever played, he is the type of coach  you respected because he was honest and got the best out of you.  I know that upsets  your girlfriend, but I think its time she comes to grips with the fact that good coaches are passionate, and that is all it was with him.

I grew up during the Blakeley years and loved those teams and his antics, but they seemed to be more for the fans.  Mac is my favorite coach we have ever had because he cared and made others care.  His antics were just a true manifestation of his feelings for his players and trying to get the most out of their abilities.  Ask those kids that played for him how they feel about him.  I still love the video of him talking about he didn't come here to win 15 games, he came here to win championships.

[UNTLifer]

4 minutes ago, greenminer said:

Until last night, I was starting to feel like Hodge would not carry that torch.  I feel a lot better now, though.

There was a closeup of Hodge during a timeout and he was definitely carrying that torch.  Love it.

[Matt from A700]

59 minutes ago, Venson said:

I can see us striving to be like WSU in that regard. It will be hard to compete with Memphis because they play in the FEDEX Forum, which is where the Grizzlies play. That would be equivalent to us playing in the American Airlines Center where the Mavericks play. That won't happen. Most college teams don't have that.

Yeah I think Wichita State's program is the goal. Especially since a lot of big programs are downsizing their arenas to our size.

However, after reading their game threads, I know our forum has its fair share of negativity, but I'm glad none of us shit on our own guys like they do.

[Green Lantern]

1 hour ago, Venson said:

I can see us striving to be like WSU in that regard. It will be hard to compete with Memphis because they play in the FEDEX Forum, which is where the Grizzlies play. That would be equivalent to us playing in the American Airlines Center where the Mavericks play. That won't happen. Most college teams don't have that.

I agree. WSU’s environment being on campus is much more akin to what we should be building towards. Part of the reason I advocate for a new arena in Denton. Not a fan of those NBA arenas for regular college games like Memphis. They lack campus “soul”.
 

Both Memphis and WSU have long histories of sustained success and passionate, educated fanbases as a result. The new standards for us to strive towards. Aspirational peers.

[cousin oliver]

 

[ADLER]

20 hours ago, NT80 said:

Please note: The good guys always wear green and the bad guys wear gray and black.

Edited January 5 by ADLER

[HoosMeanGreen]

The Green Room podcast is up.

 

 

[NT80]

2 hours ago, ADLER said:

Please note: The good guys always wear green and the bad guys wear gray and black.

You're fighting a losing war with today's generation (players) on uniforms.  It's a way for coaches to (help) keep them happy. 

I've also noticed a large increase this season in individual basketball player's wearing brightly colored shoes (non team colors), headbands, leggings, and other various individual expressions that coaches are allowing.  It's just society

[Venson]

5 hours ago, Matt from A700 said:

However, after reading their game threads, I know our forum has its fair share of negativity, but I'm glad none of us shit on our own guys like they do.

This. They would rather say their players are bad than admit that we have a decent basketball team that just beat them.

[Glory to the Green]

6 hours ago, Matt from A700 said:

However, after reading their game threads, I know our forum has its fair share of negativity, but I'm glad none of us shit on our own guys like they do.

I recently went to a Big 12 game and was blown away at how the home fans straight up booed their own team going into halftime.  

[NT80]

13 minutes ago, Venson said:

This. They would rather say their players are bad than admit that we have a decent basketball team that just beat them.

Wichita State also has a first year coach this year in Paul Mills.  He was 30-5 last year at Oral Roberts and took them to the Sweet 16 in 2001.  I think Wichita State fans just assumed they would automatically become 30-game winners with him in his first year, and it's not going that direction.

[greenminer]

https://goshockers.com/news/2024/1/4/mens-basketball-shockers-drop-conference-opener-vs-north-texas.aspx

[greenminer]

WSU Forum thread on last night's game

[greenminer]

eyeballing Wichita State's history, specifically their incredible run under Gregg Marshall.  They won the 2011 NIT, but check out this incredible streak in the years following:

2012 - R64 (27 wins)
2013 - F4 (30)
2014 - R32 (35-1 final record!)
2015 - S16 (30)
2016 - R32 (31)

....interesting to see how brutal they are currently tearing into Mills, but he is actually on pace to do better this year - year 1 - than what GM did in his first year at WSU (11-20)
 

Edited January 6 by greenminer