Wasn’t pretty for the first 25 minutes or so but I’m glad our guys got the win and can enjoy some days off before the next one.
I will say this though: IF we play as poorly in the first half as we’ve done in these last two, against quality teams, we’re going to be in trouble. I don’t know why we seem to come out so flat early in the game but the intensity they carry out of halftime needs to be present early in the game. I know we have a tendency to play down to our opponents but we can’t afford to do that because we’re not always going to be able to bury a team down the stretch like we did against Davidson and Georgia State. Playing lazy and uninspired for the first 20 isn’t a habit we need to develop.
Aside from the early sloppy play and poor shooting, I thought everyone contributed very nicely tonight. We’ll need balance like that to be successful later on.
Let’s all enjoy a week off as the guys take exams and we finish up some Christmas shopping.
We ALWAYS play down to the ability of our opponents. I’m not quite sure why we don’t get more TV coverage, every games close and intense, at least up until the last 5 minutes. But a W’s a W. That’s how college basketball is, not about how the game was played( i.e the Alabama game)…but who came out victorious.
Plus I was kinda disapointed with the fan support. Not just the turnout but we didn’t seem to be in it which in turn seemed to have an effect on the players…either way we’re 5-2, Lutz got his 300th, and we look towards our next opponent…GO NINERS
Wow, take the W is right. That was the ugliest game I’ve seen played in quite a while. For a moment there, it looked like Curt was the only one on our team who was actually trying to put the ball in the cylinder :wacko:
Whats up with Drayton starting over Basden? Is Eddie still feeling bad with the hip pointer?
That’s a team…yes…but still played loppy…those numbers show why we were ranked 19th pre season by CBS. We can’t beat the best, but we seemt o play sloppy when we play a lower level ball club.
[QUOTE]That’s a team…yes…but still played loppy…those numbers show why we were ranked 19th pre season by CBS. We can’t beat the best, but we seemt o play sloppy when we play a lower level ball club.
Sorry. Stupid fat fingures…We CAN beat the best, but we seem to play sloppy when we play lower level ball clubs. That cow bell playing took a lot out of me tonight…
[i]Originally posted by NINERcowbellplayer[/i]@Dec 11 2004, 11:56 PM
[b] [QUOTE]That's a team...yes....but still played loppy....those numbers show why we were ranked 19th pre season by CBS. We can't beat the best, but we seemt o play sloppy when we play a lower level ball club.
Sorry. Stupid fat fingures…We CAN beat the best, but we seem to play sloppy when we play lower level ball clubs. That cow bell playing took a lot out of me tonight… [/b]
Hey it took a lot of practice in high school to get that “COWBELL SCHOLORSHIP”…I had DUKE, NC State looking at me. It’s not always click click click click…Sometimes I have rest’s, and off beats, and when the music changes from 4/4 to 2/4…OH SHIT SON IT"S ON!
[i]Originally posted by TheShowDawg[/i]@Dec 11 2004, 11:01 PM
[b] Why can't Plavich have any consistency shooting in Halton. He goes crazy in away games (Syr.,Davidson,etc.) but always seems "off" at Halton. [/b]
And those free throws are still clanking. Just blows me away that the kid can go 92-100 in practice but can't sink 'em in a game. Mental or not, that is hard to believe and he really needs to overcome it. Bama won't be the only time where he's on the line with a chance to ice it or keep us in it and we can't have him missing like that.
Seems like Mitch and Curt are going to be the guys we want to have the ball when the opposition is fouling us.
[i]Originally posted by JKniner[/i]@Dec 11 2004, 11:07 PM
[b] We and most teams never play well going into exams...ugly games all over the country this week and next. [/b]
I don't know, I saw a few teams play pretty darn well today. If we can play that good in the final 20 minutes of these last two games, then the ability to do so in the first half is present. It's just a matter of having the intensity early on instead of flipping a switch when you need to.
Bobby noted in the postgame that the last 8 days have been so emotionally draining for both him and the team, with all that’s been going on, Bama, Davidson, exams, etc., that the team was just out of gas in the first half. He said the team thought he was going to yell at them at the half, but he simply asked them if that was all they had. I think they responded nicely. I do agree, if Georgia State could’ve hit anything in the 1st half, we would’ve been way behind. Oh well, I expect a much sharper perfromance against UNC-A. Bobby said they will have Mon. and Tues. completely off to concentrate on exams, and take a break from basketball.
That will be a MUCH needed break for those legs and emotions. I think this team will come out on fire against UNC-A and take them to the wood shed for 40 minutes.