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WMU @ Buffalo (1/21 @ 7:00 pm)


Jeseph

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My sense of the guys on the team is that they want theirs before passing the ball. It seems to me that guys just hold onto the ball a split second too long before passing. With the delay the defense can catch up and gain better defensive positioning. Most blatant example Segu getting the ball at foul line extended, he had a somewhat open shot but faked to make pass to Graves at top of key with absolutely no one around him. Unfortunately Segu clanked it. 

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3 minutes ago, UB85 said:

My sense of the guys on the team is that they want theirs before passing the ball. It seems to me that guys just hold onto the ball a split second too long before passing. ...

After Johnson missed his first three, a few plays later he got the ball behind the line again and he almost seemed scared into making the extra pass to Graves who nailed the three.  They were positioned quite close to each other, and I didn't think Graves would be able to get it off.

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13-6 sounds pretty good especially with some very bad losses. A lot to clean up. Shooting again was sub par. But got out and ran after missed shots and turnovers for transition baskets. Segu needs to be a pass first guard and be judicious with his shots. He had a nice step back for a two in the lane off the dribble but otherwise was a drag on the team tonight. Our defense against their screen game was poor. Too many fouls, pick and rolls and open threes. It seems like the players just are not sure how they should defend. Williams in particular found himself in no mans land. 

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Nice win, not great defense in first half but came out strong in second and finished the deal. Finally we are seeing the potential we we’re hoping for at beginning of season w Johnson, he’s playing solid all around and not forcing. Really difficult stretch coming up, Kent state been struggling lately and I think that’s the one we need to take advantage of at home. Win that and we will be in good shape going into Akron. 

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Six turnovers for the whole game! Nicely done!  Also 75% FT shooting.  Both are big improvement over earlier in year.  Still need together the D, although 19 turnovers is a positive.  

Also Hardnett had a nice night 8 points on 4-4 shooting and 6 rebounds.

The Bulls need to be ready, Kent St should be motivated.

Edited by DocCas86
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4 minutes ago, UB05 said:

If we had hit a couple more of our open 3s we could’ve won by 20. Very encouraging game, Im not sure any of us could’ve hoped for more after starting 0-2 in conference 

I like your enthusiasm.  It certainly seems like the team is starting to come together.   Let's take it one game at a time.  Need to take it up a notch against Kent State.

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31 minutes ago, DocCas86 said:

Six turnovers for the whole game! Nicely done!  Also 75% FT shooting.  Both are big improvement over earlier in year.  Still need together the D, although 19 turnovers is a positive.  

Also Hardnett had a nice night 8 points on 4-4 shooting and 6 rebounds.

The Bulls need to be ready, Kent St should be motivated.

Hardnett has been a low key solid role player this year.

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After being at the game and coming home to read what was written, you'd think we lost by 20. Some of you have such little faith in the players, coaches and team as a whole. Some of you critique the hell out of the coaching decisions and condemn the players relentlessly so frequently. From being at the game, I saw a lot of effort from every player at all times. Were there defensive breakdowns over 40 minutes? Absolutely. Were there bad shots taken? Yes, but fewer than some of the earlier games this season. Did UB take care of the ball? Most definitely. Did UB turn the other team over often, transitioning into instant offense? Yep. Did the officials over-officiate, causing chaos to the normal rotation in the first half? Yes, it was foul city out there, and inconsistently done. You'd have no idea this team has won 4 straight league games, with the last two in double figures and now face a Kent State team that has lost 3 straight, including a loss to NIU at home, one of which UB was flamed for big time on this board. It's hard to win games in this league. I know that some people have come to expect to win every night after last year's performance, but come on, winning isn't easy and these teams are relatively close in talent, at least to the point where any team can win on a given night, even if some teams are invariably more likely to win versus others. 

Overall, this team's energy has been much more positive, both on the floor and on the bench. The hanging heads are not shown outwardly. The support for each other appears better. The ball movement and extra pass that we've come to know and love was seen this evening, and I can't say that I've seen it much prior to tonight this season. The defense to offense that we've been able to enjoy in the past few years was also seen tonight. Hopefully this team has turned a corner and can continue to build upon these last 4 wins. All I know is that this team does have talent and is absolutely capable of winning the MAC. Are they a lock to do so? Nope, but they definitely have the roster to do it, and at a much better rate than the other MAC teams.

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Some nights I don't care what the records are, it's a conference game and it's going to be tough.  I thought the Bulls competed really well again tonight, we've seen them lose focus for stretches of games (and down the stretch) and that didn't seem to happen tonight.  Western shot really well in the first half but the Bulls played well enough to be tied at the half, and UB kept getting better as the second half wore on.  I'm impressed by the workrate overall (which shows up in the rebounding numbers), they're not as slick and skilled as the past two years but they're competitive.  A much more complete game tonight than in most others this season.  Assist to turnover rate was awesome tonight.  Even when the 3's weren't dropping, they were finding the wide open man.  If anything to work on, it's the inside  motion to the hoop, they got burned a few times tonight on that.  But I expect guys like Mballa will get experience and won't get burned someday.

Mballa - battled so well underneath, and he runs the floor with and without the ball well for a big guy
Jordan - a truncated first half due to two quick fouls, but Segu picked up the slack
Graves - a quiet first half, followed by a really strong second half at both ends
Antwain - credit when credit is due, he's picked up his defensive intensity and he's picking his shots better on offense.  Showing what he can do, hitting his free throws, growing in confidence
Grant - by all that we saw, should've earned a charge in the first half, but these guys weren't going to call anything on Brandon Johnson
Brock - still doesn't use his size well underneath.  Has to move quicker, has to get position and box out if he's going to be effective
Segu - not a ton of points but a lot of solid minutes running the show
Williams - I wonder if Western made a point to focus on him defensively tonight
Hardnett - as others said, some solid minutes and made some nice put-backs underneath

Western - Hawkins is still there.  They looked a lot tougher tonight than their record said.  Johnson is good anywhere on offense, but he doesn't get dirty on defense, even towards the end when he had fouls to use.  Flowers often just chucks up shots to try to get to the foul line.  They use a lot of screens to try to open up shots and bang around defenders.

Crowd - a light crowd on a cold January weeknight.  A few students are trickling back and made some noise down there.  Hopefully more of them on Friday.

Say what you want about the execution at times, this team is trying, and they're an interesting group to watch.

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1 minute ago, enrique14150 said:


Antwain - credit when credit is due, he's picked up his defensive intensity and he's picking his shots better on offense.  Showing what he can do, hitting his free throws, growing in confidence
Grant - by all that we saw, should've earned a charge in the first half,

Yes and Yes. That Grant charge would've been huge at that time in the game, but like the big one that he took versus the giant Ohio guy last week. For as much s*&t as he's taken from guys on here (and sometimes deservedly so), he's been a positive spot over the last few games, even in limited minutes. His energy has been positive towards the team (as has Johnson's) and it's showing up with some team wins.

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24 minutes ago, 121Merrimac said:

This time last year, ticket sales took off, and the rest of the season was basically already sold out.  Does anyone know how sales are going so far for the rest of this season?   The next three Friday night, nationally televised, home games should boost attendance...

About the same as seasons prior, maybe a little more butts in seats.  300's do have more people though, so they are selling more single game tickets.

Paid attendance floor (all games, D1 games, MAC games)

2019-20: 1913 (vs Naz), 2404 (vs Ohio), 2404

2018-19: 1852 (vs St Francis), 1852, 4747 (vs Ball State)

2017-18: 1100 (vs Toledo), 1100, 1100 - outside of this outlier 2098 (vs NIU)

2016-17: 2652 (vs Ohio), 2652, 2652

2015-16: 2226 (vs Akron), 2226, 2226

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6 minutes ago, enrique14150 said:

Western - Hawkins is still there.

He's likely a goner after this year.  If we don't make the tourney, I'm rooting for Western to make a Cleveland run so that Beauregard is forced to keep him for another 5 years of mediocrity.

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