Middle Tennessee State (3/8/09)

CMJ · March 5, 2009

We split the season series, each winning on the road. The Blue Raiders were sputtering down the stretch, but they are still very dangerous. Who wins the rubber match?

Biggest game in the history of Western Civilization!

oldguystudent · March 5, 2009

If we win by anything less than triple digits I say we fire the coach, kick all the players out of school and steal the boy scouts camping trip money from the concession stand!*

*I do this because every time I've mocked UNT basketball success this season, they've come out and destroyed the other team in the next game. I'll call it rally mocking.

CMJ · March 5, 2009

Oh, I also forgot to mention....should we win on Sunday that'll be 20 wins on the year, which would be the third year in a row we've hit that mark.

Edited March 5, 2009 by CMJ

greenminer · March 5, 2009

Oh, I also fogot to mention....should we win on Sunday that'll be 20 wins on the year, which would be the third year in a row we've hit that mark.

If we win 20 with this year's squad, you might argue this is JJs best coaching job.

e-bone ver2.awesome · March 5, 2009

If we win 20 with this year's squad, you might argue this is JJs best coaching job.

I don't understand this statement. What is wrong with this team? It is very talented.

Green P1 · March 5, 2009

I don't understand this statement. What is wrong with this team? It is very talented.

Its talented for sure, but I see it as kind of a hodgepodge of talent.

e-bone ver2.awesome · March 5, 2009

Its talented for sure, but I see it as kind of a hodgepodge of talent.

Umm... okay.

CMJ · March 5, 2009

I have to agree with e-bone, this is an extremely talented team. Arguably the most talented JJ has had. Probably not the best "team" however, because though we have important seniors in the lineup, they didn't carry us the way KD, Calvin, and Rich seemed to when we needed it(tho that shot Collin Dennis hit tonight to put the lead back up to 6 was gigantic).

Then again, who knows what we'll say after Sunday. I'd love to take out the preseason Conference Champs in the tournament. That'd be all kinds of sweet.

Edited March 5, 2009 by CMJ

greenminer · March 5, 2009

"hodgepodge" works for me.

JJ has taken a team with no one close to the point Bell was or the inside presence Wooden was, and found a chemistry that is really working.

Some random thoughts:

Dominque looked out of sorts at times, and Dennis didn't look like the Collin I remember from last year. Having said that and despite being undersized, Dominique and Josh have really developed their defense with respects to running down their man and disrupting the passing lanes.

McCoy looked like he made some errant decisions in his early going (trying too hard to continue his 27ppg barrage?), and I think it hampered him in the second half.

I do think between George and Eric, though, we have a poor man's version of Duncan and Robinson. They seem like they can be especially difficult to deal with when both are on the floor at the same time. They kind of clean up after each other on every possession? I was especially impressed with Eric's presence on the offensive side of the ball.

We'll need to step up our defense in the paint if we want to win this whole thing. When FAU got the ball inside, there were a few occassions where they made us look silly with the extra pass.

MeanMag · March 5, 2009

I was particularly disappointed with how we handled the ball up 10+ in the second half. 2-3 unforced turnovers (bad passing) in a row and they were back in it quickly. Hopefully we will be a little smarter down the stretch when we get up like that in the tourney.

Overall though, I liked our 1st half play and the last minute of the game knocking down the pressure shots and getting critical stops at points when we needed them.

TheTastyGreek · March 5, 2009

This is a crucial, CRITICAL one game stretch! This is the play-in game for the Semifinals! Winner of this game faces the winner of the WKU/FIU play-in game for a play-in game to the Conference Tournament Finals! (Which, in effect, is a play-in game for the NCAA Tournament!)

I don't think it's a stretch to say that this is quite possibly the biggest, most critical one game stretch in our season so far. Can we win one straight against Middle Tennessee? Will we?

If anyone needs a sense of perspective on just how huge this game is... The stakes are so high that Johnny Jones knows that his entire value as a coach (and a human being) will be determined by the outcome of this game. I'm told that Coach Jones has ordered a special bespoke suit. This one is just as dapper as all his others, but with a special feature: It's coated in kerosene. If somehow we don't fulfill our destiny and win this game, Coach Jones plans on self-immolating right there at the scorer's table after he finishes shaking hands with Kermit Davis.

Harry · March 5, 2009

This is a crucial, CRITICAL one game stretch! This is the play-in game for the Semifinals! Winner of this game faces the winner of the WKU/FIU play-in game for a play-in game to the Conference Tournament Finals! (Which, in effect, is a play-in game for the NCAA Tournament!)
I don't think it's a stretch to say that this is quite possibly the biggest, most critical one game stretch in our season so far. Can we win one straight against Middle Tennessee? Will we?
If anyone needs a sense of perspective on just how huge this game is... The stakes are so high that Johnny Jones knows that his entire value as a coach (and a human being) will be determined by the outcome of this game. I'm told that Coach Jones has ordered a special bespoke suit. This one is just as dapper as all his others, but with a special feature: It's coated in kerosene. If somehow we don't fulfill our destiny and win this game, Coach Jones plans on self-immolating right there at the scorer's table after he finishes shaking hands with Kermit Davis.

LOL!

Stan R · March 5, 2009

So Tasty what I think I'm hearing you say is that you truly believe deep down in your soul, with every fiber of your being, that this is a single-elimination game.

UNTLifer · March 5, 2009

Losing to someone named Kermit would just be humiliating.

Censored by Laurie · March 5, 2009

I don't understand this statement. What is wrong with this team? It is very talented.

I think we've all agreed that this is a very talented team...however it is a team led primarily by under-classmen and newcomers...in past years JJ has welcomed back an experiened core of juniors and seniors, all of whom had at the very lease a years experience in the system and had played a significant role the season before. This year we had one guy, Collin Dennis, who fit that description, and he's been sporadic at best. That is what Green P1 and Greenminer were lauding.

Green Lantern · March 5, 2009

"hodgepodge" works for me.
JJ has taken a team with no one close to the point Bell was or the inside presence Wooden was, and found a chemistry that is really working.
Some random thoughts:
Dominque looked out of sorts at times, and Dennis didn't look like the Collin I remember from last year. Having said that and despite being undersized, Dominique and Josh have really developed their defense with respects to running down their man and disrupting the passing lanes.
McCoy looked like he made some errant decisions in his early going (trying too hard to continue his 27ppg barrage?), and I think it hampered him in the second half.
I do think between George and Eric, though, we have a poor man's version of Duncan and Robinson. They seem like they can be especially difficult to deal with when both are on the floor at the same time. They kind of clean up after each other on every possession? I was especially impressed with Eric's presence on the offensive side of the ball.
We'll need to step up our defense in the paint if we want to win this whole thing. When FAU got the ball inside, there were a few occassions where they made us look silly with the extra pass.

See. Very close to another Greenminer Observation Deck. I think you're just playing coy on this issue. When can we expect the bi-weekly segment?

UNTLifer · March 5, 2009

We will hammer the MUTS and make them our bi*$&!

GoMeanGreen1999 · March 6, 2009

We will hammer the MUTS and make them our bi*$&!

Agree. I think we win this game. In fact, I think this team goes dancing. Last night was so refreshing to see a JJ coached team hitting free throws and not jacking up 3's all over the place.

CMJ · March 6, 2009

We've been very solid from the line this year.

Quoner · March 6, 2009

Losing to someone named Kermit would just be humiliating.

Rudy Tomjanovich agrees!

greenminer · March 6, 2009

We've been very solid from the line this year.

A few tidbits for those not in the know (you'd have to hide under a rock):

We're second in the country behind UTEP in FT attempted/made.

I'm not sure where our percentage as a team is ranked, but I believe we're 80%+ which is ridiculous.

And Josh is 90%+, and hasn't not missed one since Jan 10. I think in the post-game they said this is the 3rd different occasion where he has hit 20+ in a row.

CMJ's statement is, well, an understatement.

Quoner · March 6, 2009

A few tidbits for those not in the know (you'd have to hide under a rock):
We're second in the country behind UTEP in FT attempted/made.
I'm not sure where our percentage as a team is ranked, but I believe we're 80%+ which is ridiculous.
And Josh is 90%+, and hasn't not missed one since Jan 10. I think in the post-game they said this is the 3rd different occasion where he has hit 20+ in a row.
CMJ's statement is, well, an understatement.

Imagine how good we'd be if we practiced them.

/Hits self in crotch with rock

CMJ · March 6, 2009

A few tidbits for those not in the know (you'd have to hide under a rock):
We're second in the country behind UTEP in FT attempted/made.
I'm not sure where our percentage as a team is ranked, but I believe we're 80%+ which is ridiculous.
And Josh is 90%+, and hasn't not missed one since Jan 10. I think in the post-game they said this is the 3rd different occasion where he has hit 20+ in a row.
CMJ's statement is, well, an understatement.

I was kind of making it in response to the statement that it was refreshing to see the team make them. We've been making them most of the season. The NCAA lists us as the 67th best FT shooting team in the nation. Out of well over 300 schools, that's really good.

Edited March 6, 2009 by CMJ