Post game MU-SHU observations, comments, etc.
Post them here!!
posted by Tony Graham at 10:37 AM
Monday, December 04, 2006
About Me
- Name: Tony Graham
- Location: United States
If you have a moment please check out my Asbury Park Press blog at app.com. Just click on sports and then colleges. We talk about all MU sports..football, men's and women's hoops, soccer, the works...as well as local colleges in general. Thank you.
Previous Posts
- Your thoughts on USD post here..forgot to enable...
- This from a USD guy..I commented on it on the blog...
- MU-SHU predictions, other pre-game comments
- Seton Hall advance story for Monday Press
- MU Football advance story for Saturday Press
- Post game comments on MU vs. San Diego here
- Final predictions on MU vs. San Diego
- Press story on MU-Rider hoops
- The best of...MU football game notes
- MU football offensive line story for Friday paper
22 Comments:
Ouch, did not see that one coming. This game was an absolute mess. Also, it was a joke that Steve Bazaz did not get into this game. Nice to see Rickie Crews get some minutes and show some flashes, that was the lone bright spot of the night.
Tony,it was a JOKE, MU looked like a D-3 at best tonight.You have to start asking the hard questions about the program.I dont want to hear the same old BS spin that were Monmouth and ...... This is not just one bad game we are lucky to be 3-6 .Four pts and we are 0-9 . The LIU game will help set the table and we will see what the NEC brings.A very disappointed fan,it was a JOKE.
A disgraceful performance for a program about to collapse. I think MU should cut there losses now and start benching some of these selfish upperclassmen.
What a joke!
Tony you should have went to the EAGLES game instead.
Well, I can say with certainty that this was the first time in my short tenure as a spectator that I was glad I missed an MU hoop's game instead of sitting in a three hour class. I had my blackberry giving me constant updates, and needless to say, I turned it off at halftime. Tony, what happened?
Not being there it is hard for me to make detailed game comments, but just glancing at the stats, again more turnovers than assists, the achilles heel of this team. I dont recall a game this year that theyve had more assists than turnovers, and that is a problem. Also, anytime a team shoots 51+ % from the floor you are in for a long night.
Looking at individual statistics, it is nice to see Alex had a good shooting game. He is a good kid and hard worker, and hopefully this will get him out of his shooting funk. Tony, how was Crews, does he have a chance to help the team?
Other than that I dont have much to say. I wonder if this would have been such a deflating loss had FDU not set the bar so high and beat SHU? MU clearly had a bad night, and has to move on and start focusing on LIU, and the games that really matter. Hope that things look better on Thursday. Good Night!
First...just for the heck of it...a look at FDU (3-2) this year with the current records of the teams they played in parenthesis
lost to Providence 96-71 (6-1)
beat S Hall, 76-71 (5-1)
beat St. Peter's 72-65 (2-5)..which lost to MU, 51-50
lost to Wisc. G Bay 76-67 (2-5)
beat Canisius 85-83 (OT) (2-4)
Tues night at Drexel (4-2)
I think the NEC will come down to
RMU, MU, and FDU in that possible order..
Now to sum up my thoughts on Monday night...
Seton Hall was far superior athletically in my opinion. Hawks always have trouble getting the ball inside and running their stuff against these type of teams.
. Why does Calloway "deserve this". I ran the post because it is your opinion but ...??
2. Bazaz..I like Steve a lot, but did it really matter? I would rather see Nunner, Rickie, etc. get that extra minute or two of experience.
3. What "hard questions": shall I ask? Why MU can't compete with Big East teams?
4. MU does not have near the talent of Seton Hall. Every SH starter even including the big center would be an all NEC First Teamer...and then some...
You're right about Bunch not getting enough shots, and Calloway did address that after the game..indicated he also wants to see Bunch get more shots..but again..Bunch does not get that many reps in practice which is
limited because of those knees..but I think you'll start seeing him being more of a focal point...
5. I did get to see the last five minutes or so of the Eagles game! Whew!
6. The turnovers did not really kill MU...it was the descrepancy in talent. Could MU have played better? Yes. If Deki makes those fouls shots (and he did not play well at all) MU stays closer for a little longer..but can't see it making much of difference in the long run....Alston has trouble getting shots against big teams...and or big defenders...
Also: MU missed some layups early..which it usually does against this type of competition due to nerves, lack of confidence, etc...
Bunch is less of a factor against "Big time" teams than he is against teams more at MU's level...Big East teams, for instance... go against 6-10s, seven-footers fairly often, and often in practice and are far less intimidated..
..overall "Big John" has looked pretty good,I thought, the last two games including Monday...
Monmouth is not ready to be a "next level program" at this current stage....is an upper echelon NEC program which it has been the last six years...at least it is winning its close games.. they would count as losses so they should count as wins.
If Rickie is ready to grdually contribute MU will be better this year in the long run, and maybe Nunner will get some confidence from tonight..
Calloway did not specify what "changes," lineup for instance, he had in mind, but Wednesday's practice apparently will have some bearing. There is an NCAA mandated off day Tuesday...
Oh, I was not" being kind" to MU. But, MU fans should not be wringing their hands over losing to SHU even if they, in turn, did lose to FDU.
In the end..I doubt if this outcome will be any indicator of where MU will finish in the NEC or how SHU will fare in the Big East.
I agree I did not
see this blow out coming but I can't say I was totally surprised...
Let's see what happens Thursday vs. LIU (3-4, 2-4 vs. D1s) and vs. Hartford (3-3) Saturday, which beat LIU in its last start, 64-49.
Well, I certainly did not expect that result last night, but given the score, I did expect this type of response from fans. Do I blame them? No, not really. I have been on both sides of the equation, first growing up as a fan, then playing for the Hawks, now as an avid follower again. And playing for my father and the coaching staff, I am used to taking constructive criticism, so any that I dole out, I hope is not offensive and can be viewed for what it is my observations and opinions.
I do wonder what if the reaction would have been this harsh had FDU not raised expectations of Hawk fans by beating Seton Hall? Would it have mattered if we had lost by 10 or 15 rather than 35? I don't know. What I do know, is that comparing non-conference games amongst three teams is usually quite useless. Let me explain. Take the St. Peters-MU game for example. MU won 51-50. SPC lost to Seton Hall 80-60, a blowout yes, but much of that game was far closer. Yet in head to head, MU beat SPC. I think I may be running in circles here, but what my point is, is that comparing a game like FDU versus Seton Hall and Seton Hall versus MU is largely irrelevant. Why? Non-conference games are a great venue for teams like MU to play competitve opponents and prepare for the NEC schedule, and sometimes even gain some national recognition for upsets or near upsets. In addition, in the long term, winning games like this are a great way to climb the ladder towards mid-major recognition, which MU has begun to do, but hasnt quite achieved yet. BUT, at this level it all comes down to conference play and jockeying for seeding for the NEC tournament, where everything boils down to three days in March. Comparing how MU and FDU faired repectively vs. SHU is not going to be indicative of how a matchup between those two schools would go down. Matchups, styles of play, timing, the way a team's playing, and a good/bad night are all factors in a single game, that make it difficult to judge in a three team comparison. I hope this sort of makes sense, because I'm thinking and typing on the fly.
On Style: I for one am a huge proponent of the MU style of play both offensively and defensively. I played in the system, flourished at times in the system, and it faciliatated and sometimes enhanced my abilities as a player. It is the kind of style that less athletic and more skilled players can thrive in. Now, MU certainly does have some good athletes. but not on the caliber of SHU. As per the matchup, I dont see how there can be much criticism of it. It has been the staple of this highly successful program, and has helped propell the program to six straight winning seasons (which is something to be proud of). The style is not going to change, nor do I think it should, and quite simply it doesnt really matter what you and I think of the system, that's for the coaches to decide. What I would like to see is MU throw in the full court trap a few times a half when Corey is in the game to mix things up, and maybe throw in some quick hitters on offense. Other than that, the kids just need to execute and play hard, which they will do.
My comment to MU hoops fans: relax and let's see how the team fairs on Thursday verus LIU, a game that matters gravely towards gaining home court advantage for the NEC tournament. I hope that team has two good practices, puts this Seton Hall game out of memory and sight, and comes ready to play on thursday. I know the coaches will prepare them well, and hopefully the team will come out hungry to reconcile last night's performance. This can still be a very good season, and I for one am hopeful it will be. Marques and Deki, two excellent players need to step up and make sure all players are on the same page, and demand perfection from everyone. I also think Bunch needs to establish himself some more in the post, and they need to find him down there, which will open up the perimeter shooting. Overall, this loss means little to the season, as much as some hate to admit it. MU needs to buckle down, focus on Thursday, and prepare to win 13-14 games in the conference and go from there. See you all on Thursday at Boylan Gym.
Jason Krayl...a voice of reason.
Well said Jayson! Everyone needs to relax and see what happens when we begin playing the NEC teams. This is the true test of what we have and where we are going.
Key Krayl point here - "I also think Bunch needs to establish himself some more in the post, and they need to find him down there, which will open up the perimeter shooting.''
Yes..they have to start looking for him..bad knees and all..
In football you have to have a running game to win..right? In hoops.. you have to have a decent post game - in my opinion.
Well said Jason. Everyone needs to relax and let the coaches make the adjustments and see what happens against LIU. The NEC games are where we will see who we are and where we are going.
One more thing..including my own we have like 23 comments so far on the SHU game. After MU beat Rider there was like...5-6?
I think we need to adjust an age old phrase to read - "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned - or an angy fan.''
also...an angry fan!
Well, Loss oh well get over it. However, GREEEEEAT point TG, very little props to the team for winning.
The best point goes to SLY... It may be the "System", not the kids.
Monmouth has the talent to match up with Seton Hall. I attended the Seton Hall/Fairleigh Dickinson game and I thought they (Fairleigh) had the experience and had incorporated the right game plan to win.
Coach Green allowed his players the opportunity to display their abilities and not play in a vaccum.
We run "2" offensive plays, Ray Charles could have picked up on that by now. To raise you one if Ray didn't see it, we now play against Rays assistant that virtually could have ran the "2" play backwards. Give me a break!
Don't dare take away from the athletic ability of these kids. Let them play. Callway should open the vac. They played with fear last night. More like fear of going outside the box. He keeps going in the huddle writing and re-writing the same X's and O's in the same spots. Open the vac and "let um" rip!
I agree that some MU players ..I thought..showed signs of fear last night..but not fear of the system.. more like fear of the Pirates.
For anyone to say MU's athletic ability is on the par with Seton Hall is just not being realistic.
FDU may have better athletes than MU, but not Big East athletes. Yes, FDU won that SHU game one reason, at least partially being, they played without fear.
MU's missing layups last night and its inability to go inside last night had nothing to do with style of play.
When MU went to the Dance last year was it because of its overall athletic ability?.....Or the way they melded their talents into their manner of play?
I totally agree the team HAS to be in sync. In my opinion any team with athletic ability that plays together has a hell of a chance to beat any team they go up against if they play with the idea of winning. The first part of the battle is belief. Fear will always equal defeat. They had a fighting chance to win but it was lost before they ever left the locker room. Get it together first in the mind and the body will follow. As a man thinketh so is he! Forgeteth the lay-upeth. MU got smashed from the peri-three. Moreover they were beat by themselves.
Bad loss yes but not unlike the last seven losses at the hands of SH so I don't understand the shock. MU will be alright.Maybe Coach should comeup with a different approach & let the guys play a more uptempo pace once in a while. I know everyone keeps mentioning our caliber of players, but our guys are just as good if not better in some instances than the players on the MU team. Keep your heads up guys. I still believe in you.
Here we go in panick mode again! Told you Tony, they blow your blog up when we loose. Have MU fans always been so shallow? My God, I am beginning to feel sorry for myself for becoming one of them, an MU fan that is. Ride or Die I'm down for you guys (the team) keep your head up, at least you have a few fans that won't kick you when you down.
Stop complaining about the system, the kids should know how to pass, cut, make bounce passes, keep plays alive, and hit open jump shots. Those are the ingredients for success with the MU offense.
Hey Tony,
Is our "Jet" running out of fuel, he looks unhappy - what's the word?
Did you see anyone looking happy last night?
Post a Comment
<< Home