Horizon League Basketball Tourney

[mudclods]

So with Detroit being banned from post-season play due to academic reasons from years past, that will give the 3 seed now a first round bye in the Horizon League tournament and move IUPUI up to the 9 seed.  There's 2 games left and a lot can happen.  YSU can be as high as the 3 seed and would get the first round bye and a quarterfinal home game or fall to as far as the 7 seed and have to go the road in the first round. 

YSU needs to at least win one on this road trip as that would make them no worse than the 5 seed and I think no worse than the 4 seed if they beat Green Bay, which would give YSU the season sweep.  I think if YSU wins both they need UIC to lose one to get the 3 seed.

The 4 seed wouldn't be bad as that would give them a first round home game against IUPUI- a team YSU seems to always be able to handle.  And if they could beat them would get a quarterfinal home game.  It would be pretty demoralizing if YSU gets swept this weekend and has to go on the road after losing 3 straight.  Just don't want to end the season how last year did losing 4 straight.

[Penquin68]

I feel the game tonight at GB is really important.  We need to develop more scoring than DQ.  At times Donel is hitting and at times Jelani, but neither consistently.  We need one of them to step up and get a typical game from DQ and Naz.  Without that we can be in trouble. Unfortunately Garrett Covington hasn't been doing well offensively except short range shots.

[go guins]

I feel the game tonight at GB is really important.  We need to develop more scoring than DQ.  At times Donel is hitting and at times Jelani, but neither consistently.  We need one of them to step up and get a typical game from DQ and Naz.  Without that we can be in trouble. Unfortunately Garrett Covington hasn't been doing well offensively except short range shots.

No doubt about  GB game being important.  2nd biggest regular season game of Calhoun era. (after last week's Wright St. game.  Your also right on the money with needing consistent 2nd option.  Sometimes Morgan, Sometimes Simmons, Cathcart or Covington, but you never know who you can count on.  Bohannon is very dependable, but more of a clean up guy, not a primary 2nd option.  I agree with you, I wish somebody would stick their head up and keep it up!  Big game, I hope the play well!

[mudclods]

I agree with the above comments.  You know what you're getting with DQ and Naz, but YSU needs more consistent scoring from a couple others.  Akuchie seems to be in a funk lately as his scoring has been going down the last 4 games.  I love Covington on the defensive end, but I was hoping he would have been a little more productive scoring.   

In order to get to the next level, they need to be able to win some games on the road.  Only 4 road wins this season and they were against USC Upstate, IUPUI, UIC, and Detroit.  The only decent win is the UIC one and that was at the beginning of conference play and UIC has greatly improved. 

[ValleyTalk]

Win IUPUI upsetting, if you want to call it that, Oakland, YSU appears to have guaranteed themselves a home game.

[mudclods]

Win IUPUI upsetting, if you want to call it that, Oakland, YSU appears to have guaranteed themselves a home game.

Oddly enough IUPUI swept Oakland this year for 2 of their 3 conference wins.  I didn't see that one coming at all tonight with the way Oakland has been playing. 

[mudclods]

Looks like YSU will be the 5 seed no matter what happens now Saturday and I think will play CSU.  They caught a break with Milwaukee & Oakland both getting upset tonight.  Green Bay just shot the ball ridiculous...56% from the field including 56% from 3 and made 25 of 27 from the line.  It's really amazing they only lost by 10. 

Them knocking down all those foul shots just never allowed YSU to chew into that lead.  I was thrilled after YSU hit a 3 right before half and to start the 2nd half as they got it down to 2 but GB went on a run and that was pretty much it. 

Really hope now Green Bay can get the 3 seed instead of UIC.  Barring IUPUI winning and assuming YSU can beat CSU at home, I'd much rather see YSU go to UIC then back to GB for the quarterfinals.   

[ucfpengbuck]

Green Bay shot the ball well because we have no rim protectors.  They were able to drive to the hoop with no concerns.  I can't figure out why coach stays small ball almost all 40 minutes.  An injection of Jamir Thomas might have made the difference.  Let him use all five fouls instead of collecting splinters.

[mudclods]

Green Bay shot the ball well because we have no rim protectors.  They were able to drive to the hoop with no concerns.  I can't figure out why coach stays small ball almost all 40 minutes.  An injection of Jamir Thomas might have made the difference.  Let him use all five fouls instead of collecting splinters.

Yeah I agree.  Jamir played 11 mins against Wright St and scored 6 points.  He played a total of 3 mins the last 2 games.  I was surprised with the lack of PT especially early on when GB was dominating the boards. 

Ola hasn't played in the last 9 games.

Wonder what the deal with Jelani was?  He only played 3 mins.  That's the first time all year he's played less than 10 mins

[Penquin68]

I agree about Jamir and Jalani.  We need a big to protect the inside.  GB got a lot of layups and we are working for any kind of shot all night.  Ola also. Not sure what the deal is, but we play small most of the time and when Mike Akuchie plays he is more of an outside guy than an inside presence. Jalani is a tremendous athlete, but at home against NK his man got around him a number of times on drives.  Maybe that is the issue.  I am not a fan of  Devin instead of Jalani also.  Jalani has a big upside if they can get it developed.

[YsuPride]

Going to be a one-and-done in the tournament the way the team is playing now down the stretch. We can't shoot very well at all. Need to recruit some shooters

[ucfpengbuck]

Wasn't pretty but the result = W.  DQ carried them on offense and everyone scrapped their rears off.

[ValleyTalk]

Going to be a one-and-done in the tournament the way the team is playing now down the stretch. We can't shoot very well at all. Need to recruit some shooters

I’ll take the W. Nice to hold them under 70 after giving up over 100 two nights ago. We get these guys again Tuesday. They beat us here in OT so it will likely be another battle.

[ucfpengbuck]

Why is UIC a higher seed than we are ?

[mudclods]

Wasn't pretty but the result = W.  DQ carried them on offense and everyone scrapped their rears off.

Yeah for sure. It really was similar to the first game where YSU fell behind big, came back to take the lead, but this time closed it out. Thought Covington was tremendous. He didn't  play the first game and I felt that and the poor free throw shooting the first game was the difference.  Still wasn't a great FT shooting night but much more respectable  than the first game.

Though it didn't change the seeding it was an important win to now guarantee a wining season,  winning  conference  record, not go into the tournament losing  3 straight  and avoid getting swept by Milwaukee.  The only team YSU didn't beat in the conference was NKU.

Milwaukee sure ended the regular season bad losing 5 straight and 6 of the last 7. I sure didn't expect  YSU to play them. Probably would prefer YSU to play CSU but CSU beating  Milwaukee  Thursday was the difference.  That's 3 of the last 4 years YSU will end the regular  season  playing the same team in the Horizon League tournament.