DistrictBaller

Here's something to consider that might give credence to tonight's game being more of a match-up loss as opposed to saying much about the quality of either team one way or another. The team that VCU beat in our first game by an 80-57 score just beat Miami (Fl) 63-51 tonight.

I think VCU is still a pretty good ball-club. What Wichita St. did was unveil a great blueprint to take away what we do. I think several A-10 teams are capable of executing that so it will be interesting to see how we adjust and how effective other teams are going forward.

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"We will wreak havoc on our opponent's psyche and plan of attack."
- VCU Head Coach Shaka Smart

owlfan2272

Late congrats to Charlotte on their win.

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Temple Owls have won a lot.

bprichard

It's just one game and nothing to stress out over. It seems like Wichita State might just be a lot better than people thought would be the case since they lost so many contributors. I think it is definitely to their advantage that they've played VCU a few times lately, so they knew what to expect better than most non-conference opponents will. And Marshall is just a phenomenal coach. I think WSU will end up higher than 4th in the (relatively weaker than usual) Missouri Valley.

If VCU loses to Winthrop, start worrying then.

DistrictBaller

Yeah I completely agree with that. If that happens, there is serious expectation-lowering that needs to take place.

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"We will wreak havoc on our opponent's psyche and plan of attack."
- VCU Head Coach Shaka Smart

moss2k

Braswell didn't get the start for Charlotte, chipped in with 21 and 12 in 26 minutes. Niners did turn it over too often, most of those coming from Freshman. Mayfield could return on Saturday vs Lamar if his ankle is healthy, I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him until our trip to Alaska.

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Charlotte 49ers message board

Muddy Waters

Needless to say, a sample size of one or two games will show averages which are not sustainable in a 30+ game schedule.

However, it is interesting to have a look at these early-season anomalies.


Atlantic 10 Statistics - Updated November 14, 2012 (Atlantic 10)


Here are a few surprises among this morning's A10 Conference Leaders:

(1) Richmond with a 92.5 PPG scoring average and a +42.5 PPG scoring margin average after 2 games.

(2) La Salle making 23 of 25 FTs (92 %) in their first game.

(3) Xavier making 62 % of their shots from the field in their first 2 games.

(4) Dayton making 50 % of their 3-point shots in their first game.

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DoubleJayAlum

I have an idea on who to replace them with....

DoubleJayAlum

Valid point. I just have a hard time believing that WSU is that good though. Seriously, shooting 15% from behind the arc? They do rebound very well.

Frankly, VCU looked like they couldn't shoot a lick. If they make FTs or could knock down outside shots, they win easily. Going 50% from the FT line will cost a team multiple games.

DistrictBaller

Maybe, just maybe, those were 2 very good defensive teams exchanging body blows all night. Wichita State shooting 15% from 3 may not be as much an indictment of their shooters as it is an indication of how tough it was to get good shots from the perimeter against us.

Again, they've played us 2 years in a row before this and they know our system and personnel pretty well. They had a great game plan that attacked our weaknesses, we had a bit an off-night at the FT line and didn't match their intensity, and they squeaked out a win. It's very impressive and shows that VCU has a lot of work to do if we're as good as the pundits said we were going to be.

I'll take the loss in November as a teaching lesson for later on. Better now than in the A-10 schedule. We'll have to go back to the lab and address these weak points and shore them up, or we will certainly lose several more games in the A-10 schedule.

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"We will wreak havoc on our opponent's psyche and plan of attack."
- VCU Head Coach Shaka Smart

SpiderDave19

The rest of the league would disagree.

DistrictBaller

I don't blame you.

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"We will wreak havoc on our opponent's psyche and plan of attack."
- VCU Head Coach Shaka Smart

paulxu

I'm pretty sure you haven't lost any games in the A-10 schedule, yet.

(Shaka can coach. He'll fix anything that can be fixed.)

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...he went up late, and I was already up there.

A10BBall

Exactly... any win out of OOC is necessary for the A-10

A10BBall

Shaka is going to need to work on that Free Throwing that was very concerning!

WH

The Minutemen were, as usual, exasperating. Too many quick shots and too much gambling on defense.

The team needs to be more disciplined at both ends of the floor. Unless the MM are, there’s no chance of an A-10 title and getting to the NCAA tournament will be difficult.

Lot of time for improvement, though. I disagree with DukesDan that Williams is a double-edged sword. Sure, he needs to calm down at times, but I am more concerned with the judgment of other players such as Putney, Riley and Morgan.

Putney and Riley both have quick triggers. Morgan less so, but that wasn’t the case vs. Harvard. Still, he came thru in the clutch.

The key to UMass is Cady Lalanne, not Williams. Chaz gets them near the top. Only Lalanne can put them over the top.

IMO, Lalanne has the most promising mix of size, athleticism and interior skills that I have seen in an A-10 player since at least David West. And West did not have Lalanne’s inside game at the same age. The kid will be a star and future NBA player, I predict, if he stays healthy.

Only thing he really did wrong vs Harvard was get TOO close to the basket. He made some moves that put him under the basket, making it harder for him to shoot.

He is an excellent rebounder and blocks shot with ease. I haven’t been this excited about a UMass bigman since Lou Roe.