YSU vs Detriot

[ysuscuba]

Ok, it sounds like the state of detriot men's basketball is out of control.  Are the really down to 8 total players?  Well I really hope this team doesn't have a major let down.  We will be on the road this Thursday and Friday.  Is it possible we take the next two?  I had the opportunity to watch the wright state vs gators game and wright state held their own.  In fact, their inside play looked pretty good for a young squad. 

Anyways, I'm jumping head.  We need to focus on the titans.  Hope we can continue adding W's this season.

[IAA Fan]

wow, any links we can look at for UDM Scuba? I know they are dedicating a new court to Dick Vital ...I think that is next week and not against us. I know they blew a lead at Akron.

[OleYSUfan]

Fan: Detroit to dedicate the new court against St. Johns on Monday Dec 5th.

Apparently UDM is having personel problems with some serious injuries and discpline problems. They have started off poorly losing to Akron, Bowling Green, Notre Dame and G. Washington. They still have some good players with Ray McCallum and etal. I believe they are currently somewhat disfunctional and YSU can take advantage and eek out a win. We will have to click on all cyclinders and that includes Brooks.

Good Penguins!! 

[ysuindy]

Sagarin's overall ratings have YSU ahead of UDM, however his Predictor rankings make UDM a 5 1/2 point favorite including the 3.33 point home court advantage.

Pomeroy (kenpom.com) predicts a 80-70 UDM win, giving YSU just a 19% chance of winning.

From the HorizonLeagueHoops blog

5. (2) Detroit (3-4)
Efficiency margin: +4.6 (-4.6)

The wheels are coming off for the Titans, who went 1-3 on the week and saw their efficiency numbers plummet more than any other Horizon League team.

Up-tempo teams like Detroit are like an over-engineered BWM. They perform at extraordinary levels when every piece is doing its part, but when any component fails, it takes a lot of work to get the system up and running again.

Detroit, who worked (and failed) to overcome the loss of rebounds-leader senior Eli Holman, who is gone on indefinite leave, lost John Hoskins who left the team earlier in the month for undisclosed reasons, and now the Titans are forced to grapple with a season-ending ACL injury to senior forward Nick Minnerath. That leaves just eight eligible players for Ray McCallum Sr. and three — 6-7 Doug Anderson, 6-7 Evan Bruinsma and 6-11 LaMarcus Lowe — in the frontcourt.

There’s simply no way to run an up-tempo scheme with eight players, although Detroit will get Chris Blake and Brandon Romain back in January (both were out with academic problems).

Next: Youngstown State, Thursday, 6 p.m. (Live on HLN)

http://horizonleaguehoops.com/2011/11/28/power-rankings-week-3/#more-209

[ysuindy]

From the official Horizon League Press Release


At Calihan Hall, Detroit (3-4) hopes to find comfort at home after a difficult five-game road trip was made tougher by the loss of Nick Minnerath last week. Already playing with a short bench, the Titans will enter Horizon League play with just eight active players on its roster.

In Minnerath's absence, Evan Bruinsma has worked to fill the gap, scoring a career-high 17 points in Detroit's lone win last week, a 94-93 overtime win against Austin Peay. Chase Simon went for 27 on Saturday, but foul trouble forced the Titans' hand in an 81-63 loss at Akron. Still, with Simon, Ray McCallum and LaMarcus Lowe, the Titans can pose problems for nearly any team in the League.

The matchup between Lowe and Youngstown State's (4-1) Damian Eargle will be particularly interesting to watch. While Lowe enters the night ranked 16th in the nation in blocks with 3.1 per game, Eargle is second in the country at 4.6. Threee this year, Eargle has swatted six or more shots, coming within two blocks of a triple-double on Nov. 18. Eargle is supplementing his defensive prowess with 11.2 ppg and 7.4 rebounds per game as well.

Detroit will have to get its hands up on the Penguins' perimeter, as YSU leads the Horizon League with a 40.9 percent shooting clip from three-point range. Leading the charge are Blake Allen and Kendrick Perry, who are knocking down 29-of-61 attempts combined. Between Perry and McCallum, Thursday's game also features two of the League's top young point guards.

http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/nine-conference-games-to-set-early-season-tone.html

[ysuindy]

Horizon League Hoops blog preview picks YSU to win tonight

Youngstown State (4-1) at Detroit (3-4), 7 p.m. EST (Live on HLN)
Pomeroy pick: Detroit 81%
My pick: Youngstown State

Here’s one team outplaying their critics (YSU) and one team not living up to expectations because of a string of injuries and player losses (Detroit). The Penguins haven’t beaten Detroit since Jan. 1, 2009, but present a scary situation for Ray McCallum Sr.’s depleted squad that will be unable to run their high-paced system with just eight players.

This matchup also pits the Horizon League’s most talented sophomore point guards against each other. Ray McCallum Jr. is a quick, slashing threat from anywhere on the floor, but YSU’s Kendrick Perry is a better distributor (23.1% assist rate) and stealer (3.8% steal rate) so far this season.

Jerry Slocum has a deep and very talented backcourt that shouldn’t have a lot of trouble keeping a leash on McCallum Jr., whose options in the front court are all but gone. Sophomore Evan Bruinsma will likely be starting in the injured Nick Minnerath’s spot, but his rebounding numbers on both ends are better than any one YSU rebounder.

This game presents a rare opportunity for a team that handles the ball exceptionally well (YSU is 40th nationally in turnover percentage) to push the tempo and wear down McCallum’s miniaturized roster. Usually that’s Detroit’s M.O.

http://horizonleaguehoops.com/2011/12/01/opening-night-previewing-all-four-conference-openers/

[ysuindy]

12-4 YSU at the first media timeout.  Couple of 3's and pushing the ball against the short handed Titans.  Look good so far - now I have to leave work - get home for second half.  Go Guins!

[ysuscuba]

Wow, we tried hard to blow that game.  Oh well,5-1

[ysuindy]

YSU wins 64-61.  Huge win.  Come from behind late.  KP with 3 of 4 free throws down the stretch.  Huge game for Brooks - six 3's - playing like he did in Pittsburgh - glad to see him break out of his slump.

On to Fairborn and a chance for a sweep of the road trip.

[ItalianPenguin]

Wow, we tried hard to blow that game.  Oh well,5-1

What the he11 does that mean? Tried to blow the game? What a silly thing to say after an effort like that. Good win on the road at a tough venue.

[ysuscuba]

Sorry just really wanted this game.  They had a strong finish.  I guess I'm just used to Ysu blowing games.  I'm a big college basketball fan and just want to see the guins beat up on some of these horizon league teams.  I work with a butler grad and at time i just want to knock his block off!

[ysuscuba]

FYI, The Horizon League App is very cool.  If your an apple fan, you can use the app on an Ipad and stream it to Apple Tv.  It's nice seeing the Guins on the big Screen. I think it's a 1.99 in itunes. 

[ysuindy]

From a quick check:  first YSU road win in the Horizon League since February 7, 2009 at UIC.  Only the 11th YSU road win in the Horizon League.  This is YSU's 11th season in the HL.

YSU's 11 road wins have been over Detroit (3 times), Loyola (3 times), Cleveland State (2 times) and UIC, UWM and UWGB (in the HL tournament).

[YSUGO]

Watched game on internet...I know my eye sight is bad i thought we looked very small...and if Detroit was down a few players why weren't we trying to play a little more up tempo? Seems like Detroit would want to slow the game down?

[IAA Fan]

I understand where Scuba is coming from ...just wanted to make a big statement