High Point (12/6/24)

[Tonto]

4 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

Maybe this is as good a time as any to ask…

 

”what does everyone think this team is?” 

I think this game has us questioning ourselves.  I thought going into this game that we were better this year than last.  Now… I don’t think so.  Stiff have a big hole at center.  Seems to get larger each season.  Guards are better ball handlers this year but more inconsistent offensively.

[Green Otaku]

22 minutes ago, BleedingGreen said:

So…it’s a lot better to have 1  streaky player to rely upon (Edwards) vs. 3 of 4 streaky players this year?

Streaky? If any of these players were averaging nearly 20 points a game I wouldn't be saying anything.

 

[3_n_out]

As I’ve mentioned before in another thread, in close games like these, the coaching has got to play a big part in helping you win. Yes the players must execute, but have we noticed anything different from RH when the games are tight? 

[Aquila_Viridis]

A case study in eternal ineptitude in the face of - and partly because of - extraordinary political challenges, versus a bizarre institution where money IS the religion. Whatever we got paid to go to their little palace in that dump town, it wasn't enough. 

Edited December 7 by Aquila_Viridis

[Greendylan]

1 hour ago, Censored by Laurie said:

My dude, that ship was long since sailed. 
 

the AAC is a one bid league this year…two if Memphis gets ousted in the conference tourney. 

You're probably right, but going into this game I still thought the possibility was there that NT could finish with a strong enough non-conference performance that a dominating run through the AAC (unlikely as that would be) could be enough to be a bubble team.  

Let's finish strong with the upcoming home non-con games and then see if we're still in the 50s-60s in NET.  If so, things could get interesting at some point.

[DeepGreen]

We lost to High Point ?  Who is that?  Sounds like a kitchen appliance.  Really disappointed in this loss.

[UNTLifer]

4 hours ago, Censored by Laurie said:

Oh look who was right again. 

This aged like warm milk. 

[GMG_Dallas]

9 hours ago, Censored by Laurie said:

Maybe this is as good a time as any to ask…

 

”what does everyone think this team is?” 

I think we'll finish with around 18 wins so no better than last season. I expected more progress from year 1 to year 2 of Hodge yet it seems like we'll underachieve this year like we did last year. The hole at center is glaring. I'm sure AAC coaches are taking notice.

[CMJ]

I didn't think last season was really much of an under achievement.  We moved to a more difficult league with a new coach.

[meangreenfaninno]

8 hours ago, DeepGreen said:

We lost to High Point ?  Who is that?  Sounds like a kitchen appliance.  Really disappointed in this loss.

They were pretty good and had some good players.

[GMG_Dallas]

56 minutes ago, CMJ said:

I didn't think last season was really much of an under achievement.  We moved to a more difficult league with a new coach.

We promoted Hodge for continuity in hopes there'd be very little drop off. Going from back-to-back 25+ win seasons to 19 is an under achievement in my opinion. The current AAC is not leaps better than CUSA was in basketball outside of Memphis. Four of the top seven AAC teams last year were schools that came with us from CUSA and we were the lowest ranked of those four. I can give a pass for year 1 because Hodge was newly promoted but I'm expecting better for this year.

[CMJ]

Well, I certainly didn't expect us to win the conference last year.  I'd hoped to finish top 4-5 and maybe get to 20 wins, but I wasn't sure if that was likely to happen.  I was a tad disappointed with how the season ended up, but that's mostly because we did so well early on in league play.  I didn't expect we'd win the AAC preseason, and when people were throwing out predictions like that I just shook my head and knew there'd be a lot of upset folks.

[GMG_Dallas]

I didn't expect to win the AAC last year nor do I expect to win it this year. I did, however, think we were capable of winning the conference last year. We just fell short in so many games. This year looks like it'll be similar. 

[CMJ]

I guess I didn't even think we had a reasonable shot with Memphis and FAU, etc..  Of course, I didn't expect the school to win the regular season would be USF (I didn't think the Bulls would be anywhere NEAR the top spot), so what did I know.

Edited December 7 by CMJ

[MrAlien]

I really think Hodge just got out coached, the transition defense was weak, once UNTs established their structure they were good, but high point was push the pace enough that UNT could not establish its perimeter defense.  On the offensive side of the ball, UNT didnt move the ball around enough, HP used a classic triangle defense allowing anyone driving the ball in to be trapped.  Also, UNT had some stupid fouls, you cant run an 8 man rotation if you cant play disciplined.     

[3_n_out]

The rotations continue to kill me ever since last year. I get that he wants to go all out defense, and that takes a lot of stamina and effort, so I kinda see the subs every five minute intervals. But, how long do we need to see Moulaye be a detriment to this team offensively night in and night out? I believe he’s given too big of a role for what we need and what we can handle. He’d be much better in a backup role.

Vice may have a better general understanding of basketball since he was a decent rated prospect out of HS and recruited by a respected program. Plus he’s got size which we’ve been wanting for this team. I don’t see why he and some of the younger guys aren’t playing, especially when could use more production.  Is RH being too stubborn for his own good? If this is what he ran at juco, his system needs tweaking now that he’s up in D-1 basketball. There’s no rec league games up here and every game is crucial…especially when you’re a G5 program. 

[Andrew]

11 hours ago, DeepGreen said:

We lost to High Point ?  Who is that?  Sounds like a kitchen appliance.  Really disappointed in this loss.

I was asked by someone (who always messes with me about being a UNT fan) if we lost to a high school last night… becuase that’s what it looked like. 😒

[greenminer]

All three losses thus far were away/neutral, and I feel like are 50/50 series if they continued.  Plus - kinda remarkable - all 3 of those teams won 27+ games last year.

It's easier to be competitive when you're in a sport managing 5 vs. 5, compared to 11 vs 11 (x 3 different units).  There's just more quality further down the board.  So every year you have a few schools that are playing at a high level, maybe not blue-blood level, but they can be T50 and you have never heard of them before.  Additionally, like Andrew experienced above, you have this stigma among casuals that, if they haven't heard of them, they must be a high school-level school and the loss is automatically embarrassing.

Oh! Then you have 352 freaking schools playing at this level.  Getting to the T25 in this realm means you're in the top 7% of 352 teams.  The same T25 list in CFB FBS is 19% of all teams.

Edited December 7 by greenminer

[GMG_Dallas]

52 minutes ago, 3_n_out said:

The rotations continue to kill me ever since last year. I get that he wants to go all out defense, and that takes a lot of stamina and effort, so I kinda see the subs every five minute intervals. But, how long do we need to see Moulaye be a detriment to this team offensively night in and night out? I believe he’s given too big of a role for what we need and what we can handle. He’d be much better in a backup role.

Vice may have a better general understanding of basketball since he was a decent rated prospect out of HS and recruited by a respected program. Plus he’s got size which we’ve been wanting for this team. I don’t see why he and some of the younger guys aren’t playing, especially when could use more production.  Is RH being too stubborn for his own good? If this is what he ran at juco, his system needs tweaking now that he’s up in D-1 basketball. There’s no rec league games up here and every game is crucial…especially when you’re a G5 program. 

 

Sissoko was a transfer from Dayton so he was also recruited by a respected program. I didn't have an issue with Moulaye last year because he was in a new starting role but as of now, there's just not enough improvement at this point to justify giving him 20 minutes per game. I agree with the rest you said though.

37 minutes ago, Andrew said:

I was asked by someone (who always messes with me about being a UNT fan) if we lost to a high school last night… becuase that’s what it looked like. 😒

Nice gym for a high school team. That's a good team. Not upset we lost to them, annoyed with how we lost. It's almost always foul trouble and being outrebounded without making adjustments.

[MCMLXXX]

1 hour ago, Andrew said:

I was asked by someone (who always messes with me about being a UNT fan) if we lost to a high school last night… becuase that’s what it looked like. 😒

He probably graduated from Whatsamata U and is a bandwagon/t-shirt fan of some program that he has no connection to.

[greenminer]

59 minutes ago, MCMLXXX said:

He probably graduated from Whatsamata U and is a bandwagon/t-shirt fan of some program that he has no connection to.

I've heard of Whatsamata! The Fightin Watchagonnados

A powerhouse out of Ohiopyle, PA.

[southsideguy]

it is our low point.

[BleedGreen4]

On 12/6/2024 at 10:08 PM, Tonto said:

Love him or hate him but there is no Jason Edwards on this team to get hot when need it

went snooping and agree we could use him for a game or two 

[Shark84]

On 12/7/2024 at 9:09 AM, GMG_Dallas said:

We promoted Hodge for continuity in hopes there'd be very little drop off. Going from back-to-back 25+ win seasons to 19 is an under achievement in my opinion. The current AAC is not leaps better than CUSA was in basketball outside of Memphis. Four of the top seven AAC teams last year were schools that came with us from CUSA and we were the lowest ranked of those four. I can give a pass for year 1 because Hodge was newly promoted but I'm expecting better for this year.

Hodge had to replace almost the entire roster from last year. How does anyone expect progress with the way college sports are today. I do think if we are going to recruit HS players they need to play or just use the scholarship on another senior transfer. 

[GMG_Dallas]

45 minutes ago, Shark84 said:

Hodge had to replace almost the entire roster from last year. How does anyone expect progress with the way college sports are today. I do think if we are going to recruit HS players they need to play or just use the scholarship on another senior transfer. 

We're not the only school that deals with transfers.