Kent State @ UB - 2/10/23 6:00 pm - ESPN2

[Bluebird96]

Where is Curtis Jones???

[mikescherrer8]

Curtis Jones needs to be better than this, needs to shoot the damn ball. Unacceptable inconsistency from him all year. 

[MuchMany]

Really baffled by that possession out of the timeout that resulted in a 30 foot Hardnett three at the buzzer. Is that what we drew up? 

[Tee4three]

Start fouling now? 

[clodney]

WTF was the game plan tonight?! Zid Powell or nothing?? This is the worst coaching I’ve seen in a long time. 

[mikescherrer8]

Pathetic ass defense too late here. Just letting them score.

[Bluebird96]

Kent is just better and has seemed hungrier tonight. UB had 25 pts in the first 11:00, 36 in the last 28:00

[Bluebird96]

I don’t want a 20% shooter shooting 3’s in the last minute of a game no matter how wide open he is. 

[MuchMany]

2 minutes ago, Bluebird96 said:

Kent is just better and has seemed hungrier tonight. UB had 25 pts in the first 11:00, 36 in the last 28:00

To my eye they started doubling our high screens, which is the basis for almost all of our sets. We don't have a very advanced offensive playbook and it's easy for the better teams to figure out this year. 

[Tee4three]

7 minutes ago, MuchMany said:

To my eye they started doubling our high screens, which is the basis for almost all of our sets. We don't have a very advanced offensive playbook and it's easy for the better teams to figure out this year. 

Teams that have the ability to flash and protect the high screens shut UB down

Part of that is the players foster being smaller and having inexperienced bigs. The passes that are needed to beat that consistently are difficult to catch and will have pressure coming. As jack gets more comfortable he will start to finish those passes 

Against Kent, UB will need to draw up a secondary player to pass to, not just the guy rolling. Find where Kent's help is coming and hit that open guy 

Edited February 11, 2023 by Tee4three

[clodney]

6 minutes ago, MuchMany said:

To my eye they started doubling our high screens, which is the basis for almost all of our sets. We don't have a very advanced offensive playbook and it's easy for the better teams to figure out this year. 

Is this why our gameplan was to give the ball to Zid at the top of the key on 100% of the plays? We don't have anyone else who can break the pressure? This was a complete shift from what we normally see from this team and it was a disaster. We finally had a shot at winning our first game against a good opponent all season and we came out with a completely fresh strategy that produced nothing. Am I wrong?

[Tee4three]

1 minute ago, clodney said:

Is this why our gameplan was to give the ball to Zid at the top of the key on 100% of the plays? We don't have anyone else who can break the pressure? This was a complete shift from what we normally see from this team and it was a disaster. We finally had a shot at winning our first game against a good opponent all season and we came out with a completely fresh strategy that produced nothing. Am I wrong?

Very similar strategy, just a different player running it

I'm assuming they liked zids size compared to foster against Kent 

[Bluebird96]

33 minutes ago, Tee4three said:

Very similar strategy, just a different player running it

I'm assuming they liked zids size compared to foster against Kent 

They’re both listed at 6’4. Though Powell is a little thicker. And Curtis is 6’5 and for my money a better ball handler than either one of them. 

[MuchMany]

43 minutes ago, Tee4three said:

Very similar strategy, just a different player running it

I'm assuming they liked zids size compared to foster against Kent 

Foster still ran point most of the night I thought, with Zid and Curtis taking turns when Foster sat. The high weave we run with the three guards can leave any of those three with the ball up top at times. Maybe there was a shift in strategy in the second half, but I didn't notice.

[DooleyBull06]

Disappointing 2nd half. No sugarcoating here. Kent was there for the taking yet again. We failed to hit outside shots in the 2nd half. Kent once again established their style of basketball. We were out rebounded and the turnovers, my god the turnovers. We know one speed, and that’s all gas no breaks. Make us grind possessions and we end up with one player going 1 on the entire opposing team. For the 1st 24 minutes we played well. Responded to adversity. However Kent wore us down. Some might look at this as yet another moral victory, but we’ve proven that we still can’t win a big game. Don’t look up now but Ohio is beating Akron. Those are our next two games. 

[clodney]

9 minutes ago, MuchMany said:

Foster still ran point most of the night I thought, with Zid and Curtis taking turns when Foster sat. The high weave we run with the three guards can leave any of those three with the ball up top at times. Maybe there was a shift in strategy in the second half, but I didn't notice.

Sure seemed like Zid was more involved than any game I’ve seen since Colgate. He is what he is too, a turnover or a highlight reel. Either way, another loss. Next up, at Ohio where they’re currently dismantling Akron. This season is over. 

[MuchMany]

36 minutes ago, clodney said:

Sure seemed like Zid was more involved than any game I’ve seen since Colgate. He is what he is too, a turnover or a highlight reel. Either way, another loss. Next up, at Ohio where they’re currently dismantling Akron. This season is over. 

Cool, season's over. Look forward to hearing from you again in November. 

[Bluebird96]

Despite the cold 2nd half for UB, the Bulls still out-shot Kent for the game percentage wise from the field (46.0-42.9), from 3 (40.0-31.8), and from the foul line (76.5-55.0). Well above our season averages on 3’s and FTs.

Matched them in assists with 17 even though the Flashes had 4 more makes.

We even forced 17 turnovers out of Kent.  

The difference was 21 turnovers of our own, and Kent won the O-rebound battle 17-9 and held UB to their fewest shot attempts all season (50) with the next lowest being 54 against that juggernaut Howard University.

No more time for moral victories when you’re 1-9 or whatever vs Kent, Akron & Toledo the past 2 seasons and counting. Need real victories, starting Tuesday @ Ohio.

Edited February 11, 2023 by Bluebird96

[enrique14150]

"Decent, but not good enough."

I really liked how they came out of the gates on fire, hit some threes and took an early lead.  Compared to some other games they started slow and had to dig out of a hole - it showed they were prepared, ready and raring to go.  That crazy good shooting percentage first half (compared to Kent's) was always going to revert towards the mean eventually.  I was perfectly fine with a 6 point lead at halftime against a very good opponent.  The problem second half was, the turnovers continued and the shooting dried up.  Yet again, an opponent decided "we'll concentrate on shutting off UB's looks from the perimeter, and we'll take our chances matching up inside when we need to."  Adams hit a couple from 3 early; they watched Curtis like a hawk.  Even when they gave room inside, they reacted fast.  You could say that Kent is a bad matchup for the kind of team UB is - they're big, physical, and that showed in many ways - UB had to really work hard to get rebounds when they could.

THE GAME FLIPPED WHEN: UB kept being up 3-6 points until Kent hit three 3's in a row, and took a 3 point lead.  It flipped the script.

UB HAD A CHANCE UNTIL: so many games come down to the last 5 minutes.  Do you make your shots? Do you stop the opponent? The Bulls were down 6 with about a minute to go, Kent for some reason decided to force a pass and it was intercepted.  Adams and then Zid bricked three's that could've made it a one possession game with 45 seconds to go, and Kent got the ball back.  Ballgame.

The CJ-Perkins-etc teams OWNED those last 5 minutes of games.  Part of what made them so successful overall.  The Mballa-Segu-Williams teams were usually horrible in that by comparison, a big reason why they fell short of that standard.  These guys...too soon to tell, they've done ok some games (Colgate) and not others (today).

Curtis - another game he was quiet and didn't hit too many shots.  But it seemed like they were really keying on him.
Adams - hit a couple outside shots early but didn't get looks later.
Jonnivius - I asked a few games ago, his best game yet?  Maybe it was today.  He's getting more confident underneath.  I see him becoming like Hardnett someday - when he's a senior, he'll be so much stronger and purposeful.  Very good from the free throw line.
Zid - the Wild Card.  He'll draw at least one charge and get called for at least one charge every game.  He'll make a really confident bucket straight to the net, and another couple ill-advised shots or badly timed turnovers.  I kinda don't want him out there when the game is on the line at the end.
Foster - not as good this game, he got the ball caught up in traffic a few times.  But he remains a steadier presence than others.
Jack - Kent is a good physical inside team, he's not ready to be effective over the whole game against that...yet.  He will be though.

Kent - they shot like crap in the first half.  Both teams played very sloppy over the course of it.  But they made the plays at the end to make the difference.  Especially Carry - he came alive at the end, scoring several key buckets to seal the deal.  It's how a good, veteran team takes care of business on the road when things haven't been going well.  We know what that looks like ourselves.  I was perfectly fine with fouling Kent because they missed half their foul shots.  They had 13 more shot attempts than UB, which negated the fact that UB held them to 42.9% shooting.

I don't tend to go after the refs, because when they're bad they're usually bad both ways.  But I couldn't help but notice, Kent had 7 fouls in the second half with over 12 minutes to go.  And didn't get called for their 8th foul until there was under a minute left.  You mean to tell me that this game, which was pretty physical, and even just in a regular basketball flow, they were worth 7 fouls in under 8 minutes and those guys didn't see a single foul in TWELVE minutes after that???  Bull crap.

Crowd - came alive at times when it was needed. Not anywhere NEAR what this fanbase is capable of, but better.  

To the posters who have said for some time this is a .500 team - you're right.  But I will contend that they're an interesting, entertaining .500 team that works very hard out there and that's worth watching.

[ChubbyHubby]

We did a poor job boxing out on the defensive end.  Time and again we saw the Kent bigs grabbing an offensive board for an easy put back.   Hardnett even let a guy go around him for a bound after a Kent free throw.  Only way the second guy in the lane on a free throw should get a rebound, is if it bounces out well over the first guys reach.  He just seemed to play a bit lazy last night.  

[Tee4three]

I strangely came away from this game with more hope of a run in Cleveland

Got to see how they play Akron again to see what adjustments they make 

[bullsbball]

11 hours ago, enrique14150 said:

I don't tend to go after the refs, because when they're bad they're usually bad both ways.  But I couldn't help but notice, Kent had 7 fouls in the second half with over 12 minutes to go.  And didn't get called for their 8th foul until there was under a minute left.  You mean to tell me that this game, which was pretty physical, and even just in a regular basketball flow, they were worth 7 fouls in under 8 minutes and those guys didn't see a single foul in TWELVE minutes after that???  Bull crap.

I've given up trying to understand the refs. Noticed the 7 fouls 8 minutes into the second half for Kent. First, was shocked they had 7 already. Then, at the end of the game, shocked they STILL had 7.

Just seemed like a lot of contact at the rim that wasn't getting called.

How does a physical team get the reputation of not getting calls against them where as otherwise simple touch fouls are called?

I notice sometimes, refs wait to see if a basket is made before actually making a call. If the ball bounces on the rim a few times and goes out, they've lost their opportunity to call a foul.

In terms of the game, I really liked the team energy and the movement they had. In the second half, UB just couldn't get past the Kent's defense (both in the paint and outside the 3 point arc). Very entertaining. 

Edited February 11, 2023 by bullsbball

[DooleyBull06]

I’m not trying to pick an argument with anyone. I’m venting…but are we watching UB basketball to be entertained? Or to cheer on the team as they win? Bc isn’t winning entertaining? Losing to me isn’t entertaining. For example, the Super Bowl tomorrow, I don’t have a dog in the fight therefore I want to be entertained. But if I were a fan I’d want to win. Whether that’s pretty or ugly I’d want to win. Winning is entertaining regardless of how. 
 

I guess this is what most feel when people say “Reggie ball” is back. We are settling for being entertained. That’s complacent to me. “Oh we played hard.” We have fallen to the middle of the MAC pack. But hey, it’s entertaining.

[enrique14150]

3 hours ago, DooleyBull06 said:

I’m not trying to pick an argument with anyone. I’m venting…but are we watching UB basketball to be entertained? Or to cheer on the team as they win? Bc isn’t winning entertaining? Losing to me isn’t entertaining. For example, the Super Bowl tomorrow, I don’t have a dog in the fight therefore I want to be entertained. But if I were a fan I’d want to win. Whether that’s pretty or ugly I’d want to win. Winning is entertaining regardless of how. 
 

I guess this is what most feel when people say “Reggie ball” is back. We are settling for being entertained. That’s complacent to me. “Oh we played hard.” We have fallen to the middle of the MAC pack. But hey, it’s entertaining.

I'm entertained by going to UB games.  Yeah I want to see them win.  Winning is a lot of fun.  But I have fun cheering for the team and going to games anyway.  I'm not miserable when they don't.  Well maybe if they lose to a Little Three team I am.

[DooleyBull06]

58 minutes ago, enrique14150 said:

I'm entertained by going to UB games.  Yeah I want to see them win.  Winning is a lot of fun.  But I have fun cheering for the team and going to games anyway.  I'm not miserable when they don't.  Well maybe if they lose to a Little Three team I am.

I’m all for entertainment. I’m just worried that we as fans and the administration are becoming complacent. And just settling for that. Settling for a middle of the pack team that could win the conference tournament if things go our way.