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Bring on the Owls

Don’t know how they beat Nova but hopefully they can do their part the rest of the way to give this win as much mileage as possible
Between now and the 16th they play 4 teams from Philly…and one from RVA…
 
Great win. One observation, we need to work on passing. The back door pass hasn’t been seen yet has it? Maybe once this yea?
 
Six games in with the new transfers and some returning experience in our system beside them. GAVE away a couple of games, but believe this team can be very good. Have the hosses to play great defense which should keep us in games. Have a very good offensive coach with enough tools to score.

Fun to watch. Let's keep the D and press up and could have a surprising season. Spiders are not an easy out based on results to date.

With some gelling, believe fans will be yelling.
 
Nice win and was impressed with Spider defense. Looking at team stat line they were good across the board with no deficiencies to give us reason to complain. Goose finally wasn't hesitant in trying to score. Randolph got 21 minutes showing not much on stats with 3 points, rebounds, and assists with late TO but was team high +25 plus/minus.
 
some random observations.

Quinn needs to spend an off season in the NAncy Lieberman/TJ Cline big man school.

Nelson needs to keep running the offense and not dribble. Once he starts that, the whole offense stops.

When Randolph subs in for Quinn and we go small with Goose, Bigelow, Burton, Nelson/DJII and Randolph, we can really defend a lot better than any other lineup.

Randolph generically needs to play more.

Our late game prevent offense is always frustrating!

We need today's Goose and Syr/Wich St Bigelow every night.

like the small lineup too (without a center), we play better when we play more uptempo.
 
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Really good 26 minutes between 10 minute mark of 1st half (when Spiders had 7 points after first 10 minutes) and the 4 minute mark of the 2nd half when up 14, they ended the game with 5 turnovers and zero FG attempts (4 of them before the FTs began) as well as fouling a 3 point shooter. It was a total buzzkill bc it just seemed that Moon learned absolutely nothing from yesterday's game about staying aggressive. He simply doesn't get it I guess.

Honestly, not much changed from game to game except Temple played an atrocious game. As previously mentioned 8 straight first half turnovers is something I have never witnessed. But for UR it was a strikingly similar pattern to other games this year - fall behind early, play inspired for a good while and then completely shut down well before the game is over.

Aside from late mistakes, Goose was what I thought he would be this year, a slashing threat and selective jump shooter. Randolph gave great energy, defense and that timely 3. Whether it's him or Dji or Crabtree, that is something we need from one guard every game off the bench. Quinn still indecisive and dribbling too much.

Take the win, accentuate the positives, try to get better on the negatives.

If can sub in a coach for the last 5 minutes, could be something.
 
You’re all welcome…I was able to listen up until it was 16–10 and then the last 30 seconds, and that was brief enough that the Spiders could overcome my jinx.
 
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Randolph did bring energy. Quinn gotta convert those bunnies. We r also missing too many open 3s again but that’s us right now as a team. Bailey hustles but man that release point on jumper is slow & low, pushes it from his chest. Has to fix that but hard to do at this point.
Yep, and he wasn't ready to shoot it. That's another reason why I have been saying I only see minutes for Dji at back up PG. Not trying to be negative, but I think it is pretty clear he is behind Goose, Roche, and Randolph at non PG. Randolph was ready for the 3, got it and shot it. Good form. Quick release. Also, gave us great energy, moves so well and quick away from the ball, played great defense, and had 3 assists. He was great out there. He might not get 21 minutes when Grace gets back, who knows, maybe some games he will, but he definitely showed what he can give us out there. We were down 16-7, and then got those huge 3s from Roche and Randolph which settled us in tonight.

And, for all those Goose will never see 30 minutes a game guys, he got 35 tonight, and I think he showed why we want him out there a lot.
 
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Nice work last night for the guys to get past the Syracuse disappointment and back to winning ways. Defense smothered Temple and never let them feel comfortable or get in much of a groove. Battle was clearly a great shooter but I'm generally fine with one guy torching us and shutting everyone else down. Also a lot of his shots were pretty tightly contested and he hit anyway.

One of the biggest positives for me from the game was the play of Randolph. His energy is infectious and he just seems like one of those guys that seems to make good things happen when he is in the game.

Ball movement the last 5 minutes seemed a little better last night. We still seemed a little stagnant down the stretch but definitely an improvement from earlier games this season.

On the negative side, turnover numbers were better but we still seem to be pretty careless with the ball/unforced errors at times. Hopefully more time playing together will help this as the season progresses. Also still frustrating to see a big early deficit again. Being down by 6,10,15, etc. points mid first half nearly every game sets us up for failure and needs to be figured out.
 
Randolph has looked very very good out there. I questioned his decision to burn the shirt last year, but really think that decision kept him engaged and mentally prepared for this year, and paying off big time. He is shot ready, but also not forcing it and making good decisions with the ball. And he plays with that attitude. Would really like to see Noyes get a spot minute or two here and there. I realize hard to do when oother guys playing well, but hopefully will get some opportunity.
 
Hey we play decent defense and I had rather have slow start and strong finish. We were on 20-5 run at end of game. With our depth, we are going to have different key players most games which will create problems for other teams.
 
Agree Carolina, I was expecting hiccups early year - with the hope we could continue to ramp up into conference play. The frustrating part is that they were all very winnable games. As much as Trap does not believe in our depth, I think it is pretty good this year. I have a lot of confidence in guys like Randolph, Roche, and Dji coming off the bench. If we can keep Grace and Quinn healthy, I think we have good depth across the roster.

I want Walz to get a couple minutes a game. I am a big believer in even that forces you mentally sharpen and be prepared for the next opportunity. I think Randolph is case in point number 1. Last year I loved his enthusiasm but felt like he was a turnover or bad decision waiting to happen. This year he looks in control and making great decisions so far.
 
really strong, decisive game from Goose. he's deceptively fast and can burn overplays. and I'll take 1-1 from the perimeter all day. can't believe he fouled another 3 point shooter! but it didn't cost us.

I know it didn't all work out for him and not all will agree, but I love the way Quinn played. much more aggressive with the ball. not just looking to kick it out. some really good handling/passing. and he rebounded. keep grinding, big man.

were we too early to crown Bigelow? we played a ton with Burton as the 4. which works because we've got a lot of 2/3's earning time. everything about Randolph impresses every time out.

when Roche goes 2-5 from 3, it feels like he's off. lol. I really think he's going to have some ridiculous 7-8 type game soon.

the blocked 3 was a bad decision, but Dji was good in his brief run.

nice to see Nelson knocking down foul shots, though I wasn't really worried about his foul shooting. form looks good.

and I love that Mooney went back to Walz for a brief run. nothing showed in the stats but he looked much better. solid defense, screens, and some ball handling. I hope those couple minutes give him some extra confidence. and I hope we find him a couple minutes each night when Grace comes back.
 
Quinn just keeps getting himself in bad positions with the ball where he can't reasonably take a shot. Or when he has a chance to shoot, he is too slow to get it up there. Hopefully this improves as the year progresses, because he could be a very nice factor down there.

Roche is a type of player I don't think we've ever had before, at least that I can remember. I would say Adam Ward, but he was big and slow. Roche is actually quick and athletic, even though he only shoots threes, and he's such a weapon. What I really like about him is that it feels like he could get all his work done in like 5 minutes if necessary -- come in, get up 8 threes, probably make 4 of them, and then get out. Lots of fun to watch. He's shooting 44% from deep! And somewhere along the way even made one two-pointer, which I don't remember.
 
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Nice game for Nelson and Burton. Only playing 6 is going to be tough. Loved seeing Nelson make his free throws and minimize his turnovers.

Knew Nelson would sink free throws after the announcers trashed him for being a 47% free throw shooter ...then he hit 5 of 6,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,which is 83%...................
 
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Really nice win last night over a quality opponent. Was only able to watch the end of the game last night and listen to second half on radio so can't do player observations as I normally do. But did seem like Goose really stepped up and found some offensive flow, Burton played a hell of a game, the offense seemed to flow a lot better (probably because Temple played more man to man than zone). Defense seemed really solid as well and that continues to be a theme. Quinn is not Grant or TJ but seems to be settling into his role, which is less of a distributor/scoring option and more of a rebounder, interior defensive presence. Not coincidentally, our defense is much much better this year.

Also, Mooney didn't take the air out of the ball as much as he normally and we kept some of our foot on the gas to close out the game.

Nice team win. I'll give Mooney some love here because the team could have been down and emotionally spent after last night's tough loss. They weren't, Temple clearly was, so credit to the coaching for getting the team mentally prepared last night.
 
Knew Nelson would sink free throws after the announcers trashed him for being a 47% free throw shooter ...then he hit 5 of 6,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,which is 83%...................
Yes, wanted to mention this. Nelson needs to be a better FT shooter because he is the one going to be on the line to close games out when we have a lead. He stepped up last night. Hopefully, the first couple games were more of nerves and just a bad spell. Think he has good form, just needs the confidence. Last night was huge in the regards for him.
 
Yes, wanted to mention this. Nelson needs to be a better FT shooter because he is the one going to be on the line to close games out when we have a lead. He stepped up last night. Hopefully, the first couple games were more of nerves and just a bad spell. Think he has good form, just needs the confidence. Last night was huge in the regards for him.

Think Nelson is "settling in" - following Gilly is not an easy assignment - imagine he will keep getting better each game ...........was privileged to meet his dad at a game and told him it is always good when we get local players because their families have an easier time attending games..............asked about brothers and his dad told me they were really young.............
 
Be interesting to see how this one goes. Seems like a bit of a let down spot for both teams. We are favored by 1, yet Temple has victories over Rutgers and Villanova.

The Zach Hicks game. Hopefully if we lose we will get the Temple posters on here to slam dunk it on us rub our nose in it. Looks like Zach is a solid player for them, had 20 points in a loss to Vandy.

No sign of your Temple buddy around here
 
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Nice team win. I'll give Mooney some love here because the team could have been down and emotionally spent after last night's tough loss. They weren't, Temple clearly was
Yes, thought this was a big key, of course i missed the first part, started watching when we were down 16-10 and went on like a 12-0 run, so opposite the SF effect :). I really think this team plays with great enthusiasm and joy, which really carries to the defensive end of the floor. I really thought our team was much more mentally ready to play than Temple. I am usually complaining about players getting beat or no help, or lagging to loose balls, but this team has not provided much angst in those areas. Guys get in the game and exert themself on defense, but work their way into the flow on offense.
 
were we too early to crown Bigelow?
I've wondered this a little bit too. I still think he is super talented, rebounds well, and there's no doubt he's made some big plays for us and should be getting some pretty big minutes.

But with a growing sample size now he is shooting 32% overall and 29% from 3 this season. Also he has 8 turnovers to just 2 assists.

I think in some ways similar to how Blake was for us, we need someone at times that will look to shoot when no one else will, and Bigelow definitely answers that call. But if he can't start making shots at a little better clip then something may need to change.
 
I've wondered this a little bit too. I still think he is super talented, rebounds well, and there's no doubt he's made some big plays for us and should be getting some pretty big minutes.

But with a growing sample size now he is shooting 32% overall and 29% from 3 this season. Also he has 8 turnovers to just 2 assists.

I think in some ways similar to how Blake was for us, we need someone at times that will look to shoot when no one else will, and Bigelow definitely answers that call. But if he can't start making shots at a little better clip then something may need to change.
Granted that I missed his 2 games that were duds (Northern Iowa and last night) but all of the games I have seen is him making big plays at big times on both ends of the court.

He's a forward, so I'm not worried greatly about assist to turnover ratio and shooting the 3 ball, while he is not terrible at it, he also doesn't rely on it, which I don't want my 6'8 forward relying on 3 balls anyway.

I can kind of get the Blake comparison, not a bad one, Blake was a pretty damn good player for us. He plays unafraid and with great energy, sometimes a bit out of control, but also is not afraid to take a big shot, which we need a guy like this on our team.

He is in my opinion, a really good fit for our team. He will and should remain our starting 4.
 
Agree Carolina, I was expecting hiccups early year - with the hope we could continue to ramp up into conference play. The frustrating part is that they were all very winnable games. As much as Trap does not believe in our depth, I think it is pretty good this year. I have a lot of confidence in guys like Randolph, Roche, and Dji coming off the bench. If we can keep Grace and Quinn healthy, I think we have good depth across the roster.

I want Walz to get a couple minutes a game. I am a big believer in even that forces you mentally sharpen and be prepared for the next opportunity. I think Randolph is case in point number 1. Last year I loved his enthusiasm but felt like he was a turnover or bad decision waiting to happen. This year he looks in control and making great decisions so far.
23 they just cannot leave Waltz in long . He has physical tools just a little lost.
 
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and shooting the 3 ball, while he is not terrible at it, he also doesn't rely on it, which I don't want my 6'8 forward relying on 3 balls anyway
He might not "rely" on the three pointer, but he's taken the second most on the team and 58% of his shots have been 3's (34 out of 59).

Again, not trying to knock him and I realize he contributes in many ways, but we can't overlook the things he's not doing well either.
 
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Granted that I missed his 2 games that were duds (Northern Iowa and last night) but all of the games I have seen is him making big plays at big times on both ends of the court.

He's a forward, so I'm not worried greatly about assist to turnover ratio and shooting the 3 ball, while he is not terrible at it, he also doesn't rely on it, which I don't want my 6'8 forward relying on 3 balls anyway.

I can kind of get the Blake comparison, not a bad one, Blake was a pretty damn good player for us. He plays unafraid and with great energy, sometimes a bit out of control, but also is not afraid to take a big shot, which we need a guy like this on our team.

He is in my opinion, a really good fit for our team. He will and should remain our starting 4.
With Grace starting at 5, yes?
 
it's early, but Bigelow's shooting percentage will be a concern if it doesn't improve. I like his defense and rebounding (last 2 games are an aberation I assume). I just meant a few days ago I was ready to lock him into 30+ mpg like Burton. I'm waivering on that. he's still a good player.
 
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With Grace starting at 5, yes?
Oh yes. I think Grace starts at the 5 when he returns. Quinn has been playing better as of recent, but to me my starting 5 is Nelson, Roche, Burton, Bigelow, and Grace. Think this is our best starting 5 and blends together nicely guys with lots of experience in Mooney's system with the guys who have been making the most plays thus far.
 
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