Game #16: @ NOVA

The 2 defining moments tn to me were:

-The blown call on MH on the put back. Down 3 with a minute and change to go, calling a tip back on the floor screwed us.

-Collective late game execution, response to zone D, and ill advised shots. Yes we outplayed them for 35 minutes, but just like Hall, that doesn't get it done on the road.

14-2 (2-2) is something we all have to sign up for. The Carneseca crowd has to eat DePaul and Creighton over the next 7 days. A 4P Saturday Hinkle tip on MLK wknd won't be easy. These next 2 home games have to be ours.

We lost to the National Champs at their place. We were 6 pt dogs. It's disappointing that we couldn't win, as we played well enough to, but this loss isn't the end of the world. However, we really need to win these next few games.

Mullin should stop encouraging the team to run the Brian Mahoney offense.

We lost to the National Champs at their place. We were 6 pt dogs. It's disappointing that we couldn't win, as we played well enough to, but this loss isn't the end of the world. However, we really need to win these next few games.

Tough road game against a quality opponent but it is a new season and Nova is not even ranked so people should stop calling them the Nation Champions which they were last season and not yet this season. They are not remotely equivalent to the NC team of last season especially after losing their top 4 players to the NBA draft.

The 2 defining moments tn to me were:

-The blown call on MH on the put back. Down 3 with a minute and change to go, calling a tip back on the floor screwed us.

-Collective late game execution, response to zone D, and ill advised shots. Yes we outplayed them for 35 minutes, but just like Hall, that doesn't get it done on the road.

14-2 (2-2) is something we all have to sign up for. The Carneseca crowd has to eat DePaul and Creighton over the next 7 days. A 4P Saturday Hinkle tip on MLK wknd won't be easy. These next 2 home games have to be ours.

The refs were awful. These refs are hometown refs, and there’s zero accountability.

However, unlike the Seton Hall game, Mullin blew this one by somehow not realizing that his players were exhausted. By the time that was completely obvious it was too late to throw Keita and Williams in there to give Ponds and Simon a break.

However, unlike the Seton Hall game, Mullin blew this one by somehow not realizing that his players were exhausted. By the time that was completely obvious it was too late to throw Keita and Williams in there to give Ponds and Simon a break.

Why not play Williams? Thought he was doing fine to get a few minutes. That was surprising.

Why not play Williams? Thought he was doing fine to get a few minutes. That was surprising.

Tough game for a rook. Trimble was playing well. He looked like Rodman on the glass for a bit and he was throwing Paschal around.

I don't buy the fatigue angle at all. We played a slower pace than ever tonight and Paschal and Boothe played 40 and 39 for Nova.

This is how we play. We shoot 3’s. I would have liked to see Heron and Ponds drive the ball more but that’s just not how we play. We are a good team, capable of beating anyone if we are hitting our shots. We will have games like tonight when our shots are not falling, we need to learn how to win when that is the case.

Why not play Williams? Thought he was doing fine to get a few minutes. That was surprising.

Clearly a gross error in judgement by the staff. They can’t pull the we don’t believe he’s ready bit because he was ready to play in the last three games.

Tough game for a rook. Trimble was playing well. He looked like Rodman on the glass for a bit and he was throwing Paschal around.

I don't buy the fatigue angle at all. We played a slower pace than ever tonight and Paschal and Boothe played 40 and 39 for Nova.

You can’t see that the guys were exhausted? Why else do you think they stopped moving the ball?

Look, sometimes Ponds can play 39 minutes and he’ll be fine, but he’s gonna have nights like this. No one is dynamite every night.

Playing 6 players is irresponsible. This isn’t Mullin’s first day.

He could have brought in Keita, Williams or Earlington even if they were just gonna foul their man a couple of times. Not ideal, but better than losing Heron and Clark for extended periods of time.

Clearly a gross error in judgement by the staff. They can’t pull the we don’t believe he’s ready bit because he was ready to play in the last three games.
You can’t see that the guys were exhausted? Why else do you think they stopped moving the ball?

Look, sometimes Ponds can play 39 minutes and he’ll be fine, but he’s gonna have nights like this. No one is dynamite every night.

Playing 6 players is irresponsible. This isn’t Mullin’s first day.

He could have brought in Keita, Williams or Earlington even if they were just gonna foul their man a couple of times. Not ideal, but better than losing Heron and Clark for extended periods of time.

The guys weren't exhausted at all. Stop this ridiculousness. Boothe played 39 and Paschal who is 260 freaking lbs played all 40 minutes.

The under 4 tv timeout ran down to 1:58 before a stoppage...that's why they looked tired. It wasn't a total minutes thing. Williams couldn't have been used then anyway since there was no stoppage.

Nova is not the game you play rookies who average 7.8 mpg.
This was an extremely slow paced game for us with several built in breaks of 15-20 seconds passively dribbling or holding the ball.

Williams will get 10-12 minutes against DePaul.

Nova also does a better job than pretty much everyone of cutting off dribble penetration to the rim.

This is how we play. We shoot 3’s. I would have liked to see Heron and Ponds drive the ball more but that’s just not how we play. We are a good team, capable of beating anyone if we are hitting our shots. We will have games like tonight when our shots are not falling, we need to learn how to win when that is the case.

Phil Boothe made a three with 2:36 left to put VU up one 68-67. They did not score a basket the rest of the game and won 76-71. That's loaves and fishes stuff right there.

What does Mitch do exactly? Look stoic and pensive?

he gets paid.

our transition offensive was not clicking tonight. part of that due to Nova's D.

relying too much on the 3 and taking too many contested and low percentage 3s early in the clock.  I like a quick 3 if it is uncontested and from the proper spot, usually corner or top. (except for Fig who likes the wing) Need more penetration and dishing. 

Nova also does a better job than pretty much everyone of cutting off dribble penetration to the rim.

However true that may be, the fact we only had 8 FT attempts has more to do with our style than their defense. We didn’t try, maybe the team was tired having played 3 games in 8 days.

If there’s one thing I expected from Mullin when he became our coach it’s that based on his experience as a player, he understands what a culture of winning is really about.

As fans, we are all entitled to our opinions, but as a coach and as players, they have to truly believe they should win.

Agree?

Sure. They're easily the best team in the Mullin era and have won 15 games already. I'm sure they take the court every single game believing they will win.

The reason this hurts so bad is what it would have meant. 3-1 with 3 on the road would have been awesome. Still nothing about losing to nova @ nova is crippling. We played well enough for 35 minutes or so to clearly be the better team. Take that with you, learn from this game (both players and CM) and move forward IMO as the best team in the BE.

However true that may be, the fact we only had 8 FT attempts has more to do with our style than their defense. We didn’t try, maybe the team was tired having played 3 games in 8 days.

Nova took 32 3's and 22 2's and shot 22 FTs.

SJU took 35 3's and 26 2's and shot 8 FTs.

The entire SJ team other than Ponds took exactly one FT.

That's not a style of play issue.

Nova took 32 3's and 22 2's and shot 22 FTs.

SJU took 35 3's and 26 2's and shot 8 FTs.

The entire SJ team other than Ponds took exactly one FT.

That's not a style of play issue.

That non goaltend into block call on the sideline was about as bad a two play sequence a ref could deal you. It was that brutal. Well maybe we’ve seen worse. Pretty sure nova didn’t have 7 TOTAL fouls until under ten minutes in the game.

Forget Ponds, I want the ball in Simon's hands late. The way he freezes up and alligator arms everything his whole career means he's due.

Also, why doesn't he take more threes in big games?

Sure, bad mouth the player that had a 9 assists to 1 turnover ratio, shot a higher percentage from the field than ponds and was our second leading rebounder.

That corner 3 is his shot. That's gone down a lot these two years.

Reports of a diminished role for Trible were premature. 27 minutes.

Pascal 40, Boothe 39, Gillespie 34
Walden 39, Garfunkel 38, Ed 34
If you just happen to be a big Williams fan then I guess you have a legit gripe about minutes. Outside of that, Mullin played it the same way as Wright.

LJ's hurt ankle hurt. Nova took control late while he was out. Came back in when it was too late. You know he would have come up with the late game heroics otherwise.

How the f*ck could they give us Michael Stephens. Unbelievable.