At ECU

[BambooRdApp]

Shooters and scorers get nil . If true, we only have about $400k in nil for bball, this will be the strategy.. play good D and score a few more than the opponent.

[ASU77]

I've always thought Kearns was not the long term answer. I agree that his style of play is extremely tough to watch. He used to hang his hat on defense, but that is not particularly good this year. It's going to be a long night when we play High Point.

[APPdiesel]

The one guy who is being picked up by the mic going OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO has forced me to mute the broadcast.

Always a pet peeve in any small-time live sports production…if you place a crowd mic somewhere and that “Ooooooooo-Oooooooo” fan sits near it, move it at half time. Still, I will say, most ESPN+ games are using 1, maybe 2 crowd mics and they do have their limitations like how far from the receiver it can be. But still, move it.

[Stonewall]

It’s “Kerns”. And given our resources my opinion is that the staff does very well with what they have to work with. Basketball takes a way back seat to football in Boone.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

Kerns may have fielded the best team we have ever had two years ago. He's not going to be able to replicate that every season, but will probably have splashes here and there. To expect that every season in this environment and our place in the financial pecking order is unrealistic. We should be more concerned with being able to hold onto Kerns than what could be on the other side of the fence. Kerns wants to be here. The next guy could be a Buzz kill.

[Saint3333]

Natty attempts to trigger fanbase using the term buzz, not today good sir...

[Cro-Magnon App]

We can’t shoot.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

Natty attempts to trigger fanbase using the term buzz, not today good sir...

We miss all the shots we don't take.

[rbarthle17]

I turned the game on in the final minute of the first half. Saw we were up 33-17 but they managed to score 17 points while going 1/11 from the field?? I never did get back around to the game for the second half but I'm glad we at least won.

Personal basketball-related side note, my younger son is the starting 4 on his freshman basketball team. He only started playing basketball seriously two years ago. Didn't make the 7th grade team. Worked his ass off to get basic skills up to being able to make the 8th grade team. Mostly rode the bench. Got invited to a tryout last winter for a local travel team. Made the team, worked his way into the starting rotation, was named most improved player, and has taken that success and is now legitimately the defensive core of this team that is a defense-first squad. I could not be more proud of his work ethic. The tie to our university? The coach's motto is "take the stairs".

[mike87]

I attended the game. The 'feel' in Minges was that App took control in the first 5 minutes and never relinquished it. ECU made a run start of the 2nd but App held them off and killed it out. The Pirate faithful got a little rowdy during their run but settled back down. We were the better team and it showed. Beer was $12 and then they flipped the screen around like I was going to tip them. I gave her another 15%. Shooters gonna shoot.

[spacemonkey]

I attended the game. The 'feel' in Minges was that App took control in the first 5 minutes and never relinquished it. ECU made a run start of the 2nd but App held them off and killed it out. The Pirate faithful got a little rowdy during their run but settled back down. We were the better team and it showed. Beer was $12 and then they flipped the screen around like I was going to tip them. I gave her another 15%. Shooters gonna shoot.

I was there as well. I think they do a great job with their game atmosphere. I was surprised they didn't have more students. The place did get pretty loud for about 5 minutes and we hit a three. My son and daughter are at ECU and it was fun giving them heck the whole game. Thanks coach Kerns and App team, you made a fun night for me.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

I would like to say something about a few of our players. In a time where kids transfer like it’s going out of style, there is something to be said for Marcus, Dodd, Clarke and Wilson sticking around. They’re all improving and if they continue to stick around, that time playing together is going to payoff.

[Stonewall]

Two of those turned down an increase in pay to return. Hint: Both over 6’8.

[Bootsy]

I find it hard to believe that we are going to increase attendance to home games. Even when we win (in this case by double digits) it’s not just ugly, it’s BAD ugly.

I was, and still am, a supporter of Dustin Kerns, but his coaching style is ugly basketball. When App is winning, I don't mind it, but it's not fun to watch.

I sense a recurring theme here...

[MrCraig]

I find it hard to believe that we are going to increase attendance to home games. Even when we win (in this case by double digits) it’s not just ugly, it’s BAD ugly.

I was, and still am, a supporter of Dustin Kerns, but his coaching style is ugly basketball. When App is winning, I don't mind it, but it's not fun to watch.

I sense a recurring theme here...

It certainly forces us to have an argument- what is our realistic expectation for the basketball team? We are now getting to the point in Kerns' career at App that *I* think we should be consistently vying for the Sun Belt championship. Not winning it, but in the running. Are we at that level? Are we ok not being at that level? Should our expectations be higher than that or lower? IDK. Basketball for a small school in NC is a different animal than any place outside of maybe Indiana, Kentucky, and Kansas.

My opinion (and no disrespect to Kerns & co): if App isn't going to be winning a lot, I'd prefer the on-court product to at least be a little more exciting to watch.

[JTApps1]

Two of those turned down an increase in pay to return. Hint: Both over 6’8.

I wonder if they see what's happened to Abson and realize money isn't the only thing that matters?

[311neers]

Two of those turned down an increase in pay to return. Hint: Both over 6’8.

I wonder if they see what's happened to Abson and realize money isn't the only thing that matters?

While he doesn’t play much, Abson is the 2nd most efficient player on that team according to advance metrics. It’s a different level of ball and he’s just a step slow but their top big man off the bench.

[WASU 93]

I find it hard to believe that we are going to increase attendance to home games. Even when we win (in this case by double digits) it’s not just ugly, it’s BAD ugly.

I was, and still am, a supporter of Dustin Kerns, but his coaching style is ugly basketball. When App is winning, I don't mind it, but it's not fun to watch.

I sense a recurring theme here...

It certainly forces us to have an argument- what is our realistic expectation for the basketball team? We are now getting to the point in Kerns' career at App that *I* think we should be consistently vying for the Sun Belt championship. Not winning it, but in the running. Are we at that level? Are we ok not being at that level? Should our expectations be higher than that or lower? IDK. Basketball for a small school in NC is a different animal than any place outside of maybe Indiana, Kentucky, and Kansas.

My opinion (and no disrespect to Kerns & co): if App isn't going to be winning a lot, I'd prefer the on-court product to at least be a little more exciting to watch.

For me, a championship is great (regular season or tourney). Top 4 in the conference is very good and the expectation is a winning conference record.

Basketball is different than football in that (as Stonewall has mentioned) Kerns raises the majority of the NIL himself. In addition to being in the shadow of the ACC, there are 18 D1 basketball schools in NC (and 14 in Virginia, 12 each in South Carolina and Tennessee). So, recruiting is competitive. But, NIL among the “smaller” schools may be different.
In theory, most of UNC-A and UNC-G’s NIL money is going to go to basketball. A school like Davidson (which has affluent alumni) may not put any into non-scholarship football and focus their NIL money in basketball. Furman and Elon could do the same. So, we may be behind in NIL/ability to build and retain rosters (ECU may be the same way and they probably spend on baseball/basketball may be #3).

Hence, my expectations

[WASU 93]

Two of those turned down an increase in pay to return. Hint: Both over 6’8.

I wonder if they see what's happened to Abson and realize money isn't the only thing that matters?

While he doesn’t play much, Abson is the 2nd most efficient player on that team according to advance metrics. It’s a different level of ball and he’s just a step slow but their top big man off the bench.

Yes, but he could be All Sun Belt and at the top of the nation in blocks. Instead, he has $$$

[spacemonkey]

Worst part of 16 team leagues. Mathematically you should expect to win once every 16 years.