Somehow held one of the top three-point shooting teams in the country to 23% and the MAC player of the year to one field goal.
Toledo vs. Spiders in game
- Thread starter Gallipoli
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I think it was our best defensive half of the season, btw out rebounded them 34-32
Sal and Grace combined for 8-11 shooting and 18 points. I am truly shocked. Very happy for both of them.
Is 10 offensive rebounds the most we have had all year? And 13 second chance points? It did seem like some of the guys that normally don't play were aggressive on the offensive boards. They will probably get a stern scolding and be forced to the habits of our upperclassmen by the time we play again next Thursday, if they are not glued to the bench and replaced by Grant and Blake.
Yes, remember these guys are mostly backup players and always play the other team (that rebounds) in practice.
We had 12 offensive boards and 14 second chance points against Mason. We also had 10 offensive boards against WVU, which was obviously helped by the number of shots we missed.
Sure like the looks of Bailey. Wish we had seen more of him during the regular season.
Bailey looked like a chicken with his head cut off the first half, but really got it together in the second half.
Aren`t you the guy who said Kyle Lauletta has spaghetti for an arm?
Yes, where is he playing now? Grace is terrible, but a good kid.
Honestly, Grace had some pretty nice moves around the basket. He played as if we needed him instead of as if he was just there to be a placeholder. And we did need him.
Grace has been playing against Grant Golden all year. It showed last night.
I think Matt Grace has improved tremendously since last season. Maybe it's the hair
So Matt Grace (or CM) remembered last night that he’s 6-10 and is the tallest guy on the floor. It took until the second half (and arguably 80+ games) for this to happen.
Not surprisingly, it makes a difference sometimes to play your big guy down low and not floating around the perimeter the whole game.
Good game Matt.
Not surprisingly, it makes a difference sometimes to play your big guy down low and not floating around the perimeter the whole game.
Good game Matt.
I think both he and Sal played like they knew it was OK for them to be aggressive offensively, instead of deferential. It showed.
Say what you want about the St. Mary's game, but one silver lining from that game is it looked like that's when the same light seemed to click on for Wilson, and he's been playing very well since. Dji still seems a bit hesitant and deferential, but I have no doubt the light will click on for him too.
I always felt like the best freshman we've had over the years were the ones that did not give AF about seniority and just played like it was an extension of their senior year of high school. Kendall Anthony, Gilyard come to mind. I think it seems to be a bit harder for big men to have that that guards, but that's just purely conjecture.
Say what you want about the St. Mary's game, but one silver lining from that game is it looked like that's when the same light seemed to click on for Wilson, and he's been playing very well since. Dji still seems a bit hesitant and deferential, but I have no doubt the light will click on for him too.
I always felt like the best freshman we've had over the years were the ones that did not give AF about seniority and just played like it was an extension of their senior year of high school. Kendall Anthony, Gilyard come to mind. I think it seems to be a bit harder for big men to have that that guards, but that's just purely conjecture.
Grace and Sal were forced out of their Mooney prescribed roles last night and that is the reason we say them have their best games of the year.
Anyone notice, Mooney scold Sal at the end of the game for not pulling the ball out and eat time when he scored on the fast break. I was like M-f*cker he scored, he was aggressive, and he was confident that is EXACTLY what you want your players to do and you are yelling at him for doing that. Classic and infuriating example of Mooney teaching his players to play scared right in front of our eyes.
Anyone notice, Mooney scold Sal at the end of the game for not pulling the ball out and eat time when he scored on the fast break. I was like M-f*cker he scored, he was aggressive, and he was confident that is EXACTLY what you want your players to do and you are yelling at him for doing that. Classic and infuriating example of Mooney teaching his players to play scared right in front of our eyes.
I think Matt is also a guy who needs time to get in the flow of the game and get comfortable. Something that has been hard the past 2 years behind Golden because he would come in and play and 2-3 minutes at a time. And with our pace of play - that might only equate to 3-4 offensive possessions.
I am not saying Grace is all league, but what we saw last night I think is the best case we can expect next season with Grace. Play about 25 minutes. Not taking a lot of shots (that will be for Burton and probably Wilson), but being efficient and solid. No terrible mistakes (he did miss a 3 and put his head down and get beat down the floor once - but that will happen). I would expect him to get 6-10 points a night next season. Only thing we will need more out of him is rebounding, especially if Cayo is gone.
I am not saying Grace is all league, but what we saw last night I think is the best case we can expect next season with Grace. Play about 25 minutes. Not taking a lot of shots (that will be for Burton and probably Wilson), but being efficient and solid. No terrible mistakes (he did miss a 3 and put his head down and get beat down the floor once - but that will happen). I would expect him to get 6-10 points a night next season. Only thing we will need more out of him is rebounding, especially if Cayo is gone.
I agree, Trap. I think it's a very different mentality being a starter vs being a 3 minute stop gap for Grant. Matt and Sal both did things differently with the extended runs. and they played better that way. they should have been coached to do those things all along even in the brief runs.
97, you say "scolded", I say "coached". I absolutely want a coach talking to Sal there. The right play at that time was to pull out unless it's a sure basket. pull out, burn time, get fouled, make the foul shots. getting blocked and recovering for a put back isn't a sure basket. the Burton 2 handed dunk was sure basket.
97, you say "scolded", I say "coached". I absolutely want a coach talking to Sal there. The right play at that time was to pull out unless it's a sure basket. pull out, burn time, get fouled, make the foul shots. getting blocked and recovering for a put back isn't a sure basket. the Burton 2 handed dunk was sure basket.
Sal can do all of this and be way better both protecting the rim and rebounding. I don't understand why we would default to Matt if Sal gives us better defense and can do mostly the same things on offense. He has better footwork and a better handle from what I can tell, the only thing that Matt does a lot better is shoot the 3 and I guess passing out of the high post.
Sal played well but fouled out in 13 minutes. it's a 2 headed monster going forward. only question is will the new guy be ahead of them or behind them next year.
His foul rate was exceptionally high last night, that's certainly not workable. Iirc two of those were on offense where he fouled going for a rebound, and I think at least one on D he was kind of left last man standing and didn't have much of an option. I suspect he can be coached on that, and I also expect that's one of those things that you actually do need gametime for. You don't call a lot of fouls in practice, at least in my view that's something that's pretty loose that you need in game experience to figure out what you'll get away with.
Trap, disagree. That type of play should never happen. Yeah, even great players will air ball some but you absolutely can not put your head down and get beat like that. That is 100% mental and 100% preventable.
He did a similar thing in the Duquesne game threw a bad pass off an official and then you can see him start to argue (with Burton I believe) but the ball was still in play and he got burnt down the court for a slam dunk and I think it was an 1. So, he has done it twice in the past 2 games now. Both of those plays were pretty big momentum swings.
If I want Mooney to scold someone over something, it is not playing until the whistle blows. Grace needs to learn from this and no matter the player, they deserve an immediate seat on the bench for doing this in a game.
Grace had a great second half last night and that should be commended. Mooney should cue up tape of both of those plays back in Richmond, sit down with Matt review them and then tell him that can never happen again.
I can't remember all of Sal's fouls but he had at least one really careless one on the offensive glass. I like that he was being aggressive and all but that was his 4th foul and he literally had no chance of getting it. Hope he learns from that. I suspect he will.
Sal also had 10 points in 13 minutes on 5 of 6 shooting which is really good.
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Maybe I missed it, but is there a post game video, or YouTube, of Mooney’s response to the win?
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