It felt like a trap game, for a while it looked like a trap game. It was far from a thing of beauty but 16-0 is still 16-0.
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We almost covered- Ken Pom will hate this one. We survived
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The MAC is a very solid conference in men’s hoops. And ladies actually. Maybe even more so. There are at least 3 players on every team we play that would be fine additions to our roster. Western has a few for sure.
Was a tough watch, but 16-0 is 16-0. And figuring out Kirby can be a big contributor is a great discovery. My stock is already up.
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Grateful for the win, will need to play MUCH better at Toledo. I love Suder, but tends to get careless at key moments with the ball. Let’s limit that Pete!
Kent beat BG, 93-90.
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Onto Toledo! Their defense is probably worse than WMU but their offense is a lot better
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Playing Western means bully ball and we got bullied for 25 minutes. We were too impatient and loose with the ball. We committed so many bad turnovers. There were too many ill-advised passes trying to hit the cutter going down the lane. At the other end, our first shot defense was good but they were outhustling us to some rebounds. If it wasn’t for the bench and Skaljac, we would’ve been down at the half. Even in the 2nd half, we gave up too many points off made free throws of all things.
Finally, with about 15 minutes left, we quit turning the ball over and started to take control. It seems that Suder wants to defer early and close late which is understandable. I want him to get going early. Also, he needs to realize how other teams are guarding him. If he doesn’t take the 3, he’s going to try and back down his guy to the block, so everyone is walling up for it and waiting for it, getting him into some trouble. The hesitation move he pulled in the 2nd half worked because he essentially faked the back down. The spin dribble and the simple pull up or step back around the elbow should work too. This should also cut down on his turnovers.
Kirby was my MVP tonight because he brought it from the moment he stepped on the floor. 10 points and 8 boards for a 6’4” freshman was impressive. The dribble spin move from almost half court was the perfect antidote against their ball pressure. He’s good in the zone (in fact the bench players were good in the zone) and made good decisions at both ends tonight.
Obviously, if we play like this on Friday, we’ll get smoked. We should expect another fight like this in Kalamazoo in a month and be better prepared for it. The whistle may not be as friendly up there.
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Per Steele Perry was out due to illness
I was only able to see the second half of the game due to family obligations, and I watched that on my phone. So I am in no position to comment on much, other than to say, I texted some people last night, that even though it is a very small sample size, Kirby may end up being the best freshman in this class. His 8 boards in particular were very impressive. Steele has said several times Kirby might be the most athletic player in the MAC, and certainly on our team. That showed last night. 16-0 is a nice feeling!
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Justin Kirby brought the juice when no one else had much. Way to earn more minutes, kid!
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This game seems as though I thought it might. Miami wins, but doesn’t cover the spread. Since I don’t sports bet, all I care about is the win!
Shoutout from Wally during the UMass/OU CBSSN broadcast, his daughter is a current sophomore too.
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