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Post by theneumann64 on Jul 22, 2015 21:21:14 GMT -5
I still don't like the Rowan thing. I understand it, but I don't like it.
Other than that, I have no issues with the opponents on the schedule. The actual schedule I'm not thrilled with, like we play 3 games at the Palestra and they are all on week nights (1 being the night before Thanksgiving), but I don't know how much blame La Salle should actually even take for any of that.
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Post by belfieldhappyhour on Jul 22, 2015 21:46:48 GMT -5
I still don't like the Rowan thing. I understand it, but I don't like it. Other than that, I have no issues with the opponents on the schedule. The actual schedule I'm not thrilled with, like we play 3 games at the Palestra and they are all on week nights (1 being the night before Thanksgiving), but I don't know how much blame La Salle should actually even take for any of that. Yeah, that is Penn's game so who knows why that date was chosen. The Rowan thing could be a little anxious too since it will be their third game in 6 days, with a big fat Thanksgiving between games 2 and 3.
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Post by luhoopsfan on Jul 23, 2015 7:43:42 GMT -5
the timing of the Rowan thing is not ideal, however, I have to say in the big picture of what really, really matters in the world, I give G the absolute utmost respect I could possibly give a basketball coach. Sometimes it backfires, but G is truly loyal to those that have given him opportunities and is clearly grateful to be in the position he is. Sometimes successful people forget where they came from and fall out of touch with reality and too in touch with themselves; G is the antithesis of those people. I think he absolutely loves La Salle but recognizes that he wouldn't have anything if not for the opportunity he was given at Rowan. It's not going to be popular (clearly) when it comes time to play that game, especially on the road, but I commend him for not worrying about what other people will think and doing what he thinks is the right thing to do.
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Post by thelasallelunatic on Jul 23, 2015 9:59:12 GMT -5
I still don't like the Rowan thing. I understand it, but I don't like it. Other than that, I have no issues with the opponents on the schedule. The actual schedule I'm not thrilled with, like we play 3 games at the Palestra and they are all on week nights (1 being the night before Thanksgiving), but I don't know how much blame La Salle should actually even take for any of that. I hate the Rowan game also Neum, only because its a lost opportunity to get better. If they wanted to honor G, why not play Rowan in the preseason exhibition game? Being that we're only playing 10 nonleague games, to waste a game playing Rowan is silly. It wouldn't be as bad as if we had 14 nonleague games, or the rest of the schedule was stacked, but this isn't the case here. However, I've been bitching about the schedule for 9 years now, and it hasn't really changed. So I'm just going to stay as positive as I can, especially with this season. G isn't going to become John Chaney, so for me to beat a dead horse makes things miserable for myself and the rest of the board. Aside from the Rowan game, with the issues that the team is going to face, this type of schedule was to be expected.
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Post by talkinbball on Jul 23, 2015 10:38:39 GMT -5
In light of our outlook for this year, I am not doing my annual rant on the OOC. We need all the wins we can get. Completely agree, however, that I don't like the fact that we are not playing, at least, one of the Palestra games on a weekend.
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MisterD
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Post by MisterD on Jul 23, 2015 11:11:25 GMT -5
However, I've been bitching about the schedule for 9 years now, and it hasn't really changed. SoS rankings >>> Your opinion
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Post by thelasallelunatic on Jul 23, 2015 12:54:42 GMT -5
I'm just trying to bitch less about things I can't control...and this is one of them. One of my goals that I made on my 32nd b-day a few days ago. Focus on shit I can control and bitch less about shit I cannot control. Mr. D, I think this will work well until Eli Manning throws a dumb pick on Week 1 of the NFL season and than has a dumb "Manning face" as he runs off the field. I don't think I'll be able to keep to this goal once this happens.
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Post by JoeFedorowicz on Jul 23, 2015 13:54:02 GMT -5
However, I've been bitching about the schedule for 9 years now, and it hasn't really changed. SoS rankings >>> Your opinion This. Anyone's perception of Giannini's scheduling is trumped by the fact that he has, objectively and quantitatively, scheduled in a way that improves his SOS and RPI.
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MisterD
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Post by MisterD on Jul 23, 2015 13:56:43 GMT -5
Nah, I like bitching about things, but atleast make sure its not something provably factually incorrect. Our SoS hasn't been underwhelming or bad, its been very good three years running. 4th last year, 2nd year before, 3rd before that in the conference. Very, very good.
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Post by golasalle on Jul 23, 2015 14:17:02 GMT -5
Nah, I like bitching about things, but atleast make sure its not something provably factually incorrect. Our SoS hasn't been underwhelming or bad, its been very good three years running. 4th last year, 2nd year before, 3rd before that in the conference. Very, very good. Yeah, but it is not SEXY enough
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Post by Fastchuck on Jul 23, 2015 14:27:19 GMT -5
I'm just trying to bitch less about things I can't control...and this is one of them. One of my goals that I made on my 32nd b-day a few days ago. Focus on shit I can control and bitch less about shit I cannot control. Mr. D, I think this will work well until Eli Manning throws a dumb pick on Week 1 of the NFL season and than has a dumb "Manning face" as he runs off the field. I don't think I'll be able to keep to this goal once this happens. How about when JPP lets an interception slip through his fingers (finger)?
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Post by thelasallelunatic on Jul 23, 2015 16:22:34 GMT -5
SoS rankings >>> Your opinion This. Anyone's perception of Giannini's scheduling is trumped by the fact that he has, objectively and quantitatively, scheduled in a way that improves his SOS and RPI. I'm not talking about gaming the RPI system. I'm talking about making the team better. There's a difference in playing a 22 win Rider team and the 5th place team in the Big 12, even if the computers imply otherwise, at least talent wise.
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Post by stlexplorer on Jul 23, 2015 17:46:57 GMT -5
I'm pretty much in line with everyone else. Rowan as a preseason game, great story and moment. In regular season just doesn't fit
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MisterD
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Post by MisterD on Jul 23, 2015 17:57:31 GMT -5
I'm not talking about gaming the RPI system. I'm talking about making the team better. There's a difference in playing a 22 win Rider team and the 5th place team in the Big 12, even if the computers imply otherwise, at least talent wise. But you know the GD response, man. "5th place in the Big 12" is West Virginia. They were a tourney 5 seed and played the 255th toughest OOC schedule. 4th is Baylor, 3 seed, 186th schedule. 6th is OK State, 9 seed, 235th. 7th is Texas, 11 seed, 201st. These aren't games Giannini simply eschews, these are teams that don't play dangerous mid-majors with no connections because there's literally zero reason at all to do so. They'll make the tourney by virtue of existing and doing ok in a major conference; their OOC SoS means zero.
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MisterD
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Post by MisterD on Jul 23, 2015 18:09:49 GMT -5
Or look at it this way: We got *1* total non-tournament game against the Big 12 last year as an entire conference. Because we didn't want to play them or forgot to ask? Or ...
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Post by thelasallelunatic on Jul 23, 2015 18:15:46 GMT -5
Or look at it this way: We got *1* total non-tournament game against the Big 12 last year as an entire conference. Because we didn't want to play them or forgot to ask? Or ... I will give you that Mr. D....I hear you.
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Post by JoeFedorowicz on Jul 23, 2015 19:00:32 GMT -5
This. Anyone's perception of Giannini's scheduling is trumped by the fact that he has, objectively and quantitatively, scheduled in a way that improves his SOS and RPI. I'm not talking about gaming the RPI system. I'm talking about making the team better. There's a difference in playing a 22 win Rider team and the 5th place team in the Big 12, even if the computers imply otherwise, at least talent wise. And if you lose to Weet Virginia, it's a loss. And La Salle loses what, 7 of 10? If you beat Quinnipiac or Iona or Towson...you get a bigger bounce with the expectation that you win 7 of 10. It's math, and the Dr has excelled at it. You'll get Nova and Temple and two more big-ish games per season. Don't need to / shouldn't play the entire top -25.
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Post by mookie on Jul 23, 2015 22:32:18 GMT -5
I worry about a potential 4 game losing streak going into conference play....
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Post by jellybean on Jul 24, 2015 9:01:36 GMT -5
OCC 8-3 (L to @nova by a lot, Temple and Miami by 3 to 5). FWIW.
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Post by MisterD on Jul 24, 2015 9:37:21 GMT -5
I worry about a potential 4 game losing streak going into conference play.... Meh. If you told me we could either see some massive potential in Shuler/Stukes/Tony/Yevgen/Karl? during some painful losses or a bunch of ugly, how-did-we-win-that wins, I'll take the former. Rebuilding year.
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Post by a10champion15 on Jul 24, 2015 10:07:26 GMT -5
Transition year not a rebuilding year.
8-3 is pushing it in my opinion. Especially when we have no idea what to expect from the front court. Miami and Nova are going to be real tough. Temple I am not as concerned about but rivalry games can go either way.
Hofstra going to be a real solid team, CAA favorite. Playing @ FGCU is going to be tough but they did lose 3 of their 5 starters. Rider is going to be a decent MAAC team. Towson returns nearly the entire team. All three add a couple transfers from P5 programs or solid freshmen.
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Post by scarletexplorer on Jul 24, 2015 10:13:44 GMT -5
I'm not sure of the record yet. My lone, bold prediction, is that we beat Temple this year. It's in late January, and the team should hit its stride by then.
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Post by a10champion15 on Jul 24, 2015 10:25:14 GMT -5
Same here. I know how good Bond is and Temple's front court is solid but their problems were with the offense. They lost Morgan and Cummings and add Levan Alston and Trey Lowe. Levan Alston is not going to carry them. Temple still waiting on Josh Brown. DeCosey disappears way too many games and Coleman was barely a valuable bench player.
Jordan Price will be the best guard on the court that day by a mile.
If Temple misses the tournament this year which they probably will. Fran Dunphy will probably lose his job. Temple sacrificed their basketball program for football and millions of dollars with it. It isn't even an argument either. It is a fact.
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Post by mookie on Jul 24, 2015 10:59:39 GMT -5
Definitely agree that it's a transition year, but that doesn't mean I don't worry about a potential 4 game losing streak heading into conference play. I worry about any losing streak that could crush the team's spirit and confidence.
Our offense failed us a lot last year so I won't take it for granted anytime we play a team that struggles to score, especially if they're a good defensive team...
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Post by scarletexplorer on Jul 24, 2015 11:07:24 GMT -5
Price and Roberts will shoot better. Stukes has another year under his belt and Shuler will be seeing more time and had a whole offseason to improve his game. I think with the starters we have, the offense should flow better and be more efficient than last year's.
That said, I worry about late in the year when we're getting banged around with a thin bench. I think we'll be okay through OOC season, but at some point fatigue is going to set in.
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Post by MisterD on Jul 24, 2015 11:38:17 GMT -5
Want a crazy stat assuming I added right? We have 4,965 total returning career minutes among scholarship players. That's enough to place first on the all-time NCAA minutes played list (over Matthew Dellavedova) by 21 minutes. If there were another A-10 team with that sort of lack of both depth and experience, but with 3 former top 100s coming in the next season, we'd look at them and say "they're gonna suck this year, but watch out in 2016-17", right?
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Post by blueandgold on Jul 24, 2015 12:03:18 GMT -5
Want a crazy stat assuming I added right? We have 4,965 total returning career minutes among scholarship players. That's enough to place first on the all-time NCAA minutes played list (over Matthew Dellavedova) by 21 minutes. If there were another A-10 team with that sort of lack of both depth and experience, but with 3 former top 100s coming in the next season, we'd look at them and say "they're gonna suck this year, but watch out in 2016-17", right? I agree. This reminds me of the 140 characters or less on La Salle in the Norlander preview: "Not this year for La Salle, but the next. The Explorers will steal a few, be up and down this season, then be an NCAA Tournament team come 2017." My favorite part is it does not even say "borderline", "sniff", "on the bubble", "postseason", "NIT", or "20+ years from now". All I want is to see Yevgen play well this year, not lose 20 games, pray for good health, and move on to 2016-2017.
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Post by coqui900 on Jul 24, 2015 12:46:18 GMT -5
We're losing, barring any transfers or the like, one role player and a walk-on after this season. (Is Hank a senior?)
Everyone else is coming back with a ton of minutes. And the one role-player and two walk-ons are being replaced with Top 100 recruits who also have experience. They also sat out a year, which gives them a year over their peer class, AND can practice with the actual team.
It might not be a seemless fit but the team after this year is going to be nuts, at least on paper. Having it come together is the magic question. But Jordan/Cleon as seniors alone is a really great start.
Also, I heard from a very knowledgeable Memphis fan a report on Pookie's game. He told me that he's one of the fastest players he has ever seen on a basketball court. The only player faster he saw at Memphis was Derrick Rose. However, his basketball IQ was a bit lacking, but he thought they were more freshman errors than anything else. He also said he was a really great kid from a very tight-knit family. The Memphis coach isn't long for the course -- he chases off a lot of players.
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Post by broderickpresident on Jul 24, 2015 16:35:00 GMT -5
Want a crazy stat assuming I added right? We have 4,965 total returning career minutes among scholarship players. That's enough to place first on the all-time NCAA minutes played list (over Matthew Dellavedova) by 21 minutes. If there were another A-10 team with that sort of lack of both depth and experience, but with 3 former top 100s coming in the next season, we'd look at them and say "they're gonna suck this year, but watch out in 2016-17", right? On an unrelated note, I believe Lionel played over 5000 minutes (roughly 38.5 mpg for 131 games). There's no official all time minutes leader, though
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MisterD
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Post by MisterD on Jul 25, 2015 8:04:28 GMT -5
You're right, I just picked the top of the list and didn't realize it started tracking in like 2010. So we're not even in first. That's pretty amazing, right?
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