MBB @ JMU, Saturday 1/18 4pm

[KentHogan]

Nice win!

Let’s hope they can keep improving!

Getting great guard play, just wish we had a strong stud in the paint who could finish!

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

Nice win!

Let’s hope they can keep improving!

Getting great guard play, just wish we had a strong stud in the paint who could finish!

Beaubrun, Marcus and Wilson have been improving. Beaubrun appears to be better all around, but Wilson has that size and shot blocking ability. Marcus looks like he’s going to be really good as he gets more minutes and confidence. I think he would have played more yesterday if not for that elbow he threw and should have got a flagrant for.

[Saint3333]

How bad is Beauburns injury?

[9Steelman]

Ark St Thursday night 9 pm et ESPN2

[Bootsy]

SO…

When can we begin arguing about whether or not free throws actually matter?

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

SO…

When can we begin arguing about whether or not free throws actually matter?

What’s wild is that it seems like we’re shooting better than last year, but last year was 68% and we’re currently at 65%. No one on our current team is as bad as Brown/Abson it seems, so not sure how that is playing out.

[AppOrange]

Just watched the game, JMU broadcast better than ours by a long shot. Also, JMU must really hate us, we own them

[Bigdaddyg1]

The tired and worn out “free throws don’t matter” stuff doesn’t need to resurface. Even last year I can’t recall a single intelligent person saying that free throws don’t matter. I have tried to make the argument that a lower percentage of makes can be somewhat negated by a strong defense. I firmly agree that a division one basketball player should absolutely not shoot 65% from the line but that stat in particular can be skewed especially when there is a low number of tries. If a team shoots 10 a game and makes 6.5 that’s 65%. If the other team fails to score off those 3.5 misses the impact is lower. We play great defense which helps with any offensive shooting deficiencies.

[Stonewall]

Points matter. A lot.

[Stonewall]

https://www.dnronline.com/sports/app-st ... 811d8.html

[9Steelman]

This team plays defense, plays as a team, 100% effort all the time, and having fun = positive results. Keep it up!

[APPdiesel]

Big test against Arkansas State coming up. They’ve won 2 straight home games by 20+ and they can SCORE. We need to be up in the 80s to stand a chance and that’s not really our game. Defense will be huge. Can’t afford extended scoring droughts against them.

[Saint3333]

They love the three, we will be tested.

[Bootsy]

The tired and worn out “free throws don’t matter” stuff doesn’t need to resurface. Even last year I can’t recall a single intelligent person saying that free throws don’t matter. I have tried to make the argument that a lower percentage of makes can be somewhat negated by a strong defense. I firmly agree that a division one basketball player should absolutely not shoot 65% from the line but that stat in particular can be skewed especially when there is a low number of tries. If a team shoots 10 a game and makes 6.5 that’s 65%. If the other team fails to score off those 3.5 misses the impact is lower. We play great defense which helps with any offensive shooting deficiencies.

Sorry, man…I poked the bear. Couldn’t help myself.

[chiefsfan]

They love the three, we will be tested.

Yes, its an addiction. Sometimes to our own detriment because we'll see a team like South who just does nothing but play a packed in zone and dare us to shoot from outside. We're actually not as good outside as we were last year overall, but we have a true sharpshooter this year. Last years team was a bunch of guys who all shot the 3 about average, but no one who could change a game with it unless they got unusually hot.

Funny thing is, its largely the same team as last year. Its just our best shooter from last year is struggling this year to the point he's getting limited minutes.

[Saint3333]

Chief, thanks for coming over here. How do you think you guys will handle our bigs?

I assume a high scoring game would benefits you as well.

[Cro-Magnon App]

I’d spend some time working on blockout schemes, or rather crossing and ducking and looping schemes that might defeat the defensive box out, that might put us in position to rebound some of our missed free throws, thus leveling out the poor percentage. Particularly with Beaubrun, Dodd and Marcus. Late in the game, protecting a lead, at least the ball is in the hands of those (particularly Tate) who can ring them.

[app97]

They love the three, we will be tested.

We lead the league in 3-point field goal % defense, holding opponents to 28% thus far, and we’re right behind USA in other defensive stat categories…will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[Saint3333]

Ark St is the last team on our schedule in the top 5 of the SBC. Really need a top four seed in the tournament format this year.

[chiefsfan]

Chief, thanks for coming over here. How do you think you guys will handle our bigs?

I assume a high scoring game would benefits you as well.

You guys aren't the only team in the league who has a 6'9 6'10 type player who is good off the dribble and likes to play out on the wings and dare people to come out on him. We do essentially the same thing.

Our defense also gets criminally overlooked. We're top third of the country defensively ourselves. You ask about scoring in the 80's but only one team has hit 80 points on us this entire season and that team is going to be a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

If you look at our losses this year, they all are similar outside of Bama. We entered the game without one of our best players, and without an option to throw too inside, we got sucked into turning the game into a 3 point contest, and we had a poor shooting game. Meanwhile our opponent didn't turn the ball over and avoided long stretches where they weren't scoring, which is usually what dooms teams against us. We're healthy for the first time since the start of league play. Hopefully that plays to our advantage.