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AE Gameday Weekend 1/21-1/22
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You're not kidding.
And to clarify, I come across harsher than I mean. I think that part of this is being a Lowell hockey fan. Every year, they lose to teams they shouldn't (especially at home). It just gets frustrating. I truly am happy for Duquette and the players, and I hope they continue and build on this season. My goal for this team is to be playing at Tsongas every game, and for that to happen, they need to make this type of year the norm. And obviously, get locals (and students) excited.
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The fans will come the more the team wins. Last year I thought that Max Brooks would be a POY candidate this year. I think that he still may be, but I'm not positive that he's the best guy on your roster right now. UML will be hosting AE playoff games this year. I'd imagine that those will all be at Tsongas, so that should give your fan base a pretty good taste.
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Some of us UA fans are still around, its just that our team has been so bad for the last couple of years that it has been hard to participate in most of the conversations. I miss the debates over who's guards are better with the UVM faithful when we had Singletary, Sanders, and Hooley, or Cremo, Nichols, Campbell. I mean back when we could make a decent argument without be laughed it. It has been 5+ years since we could make a case.
Hopefully this DK nonsense settles out, Beagle Stays, and we can start to participate again. LOL
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Agreed, which is why I still read the site and post from time to time, its just when the team is struggling to even make a playoff spot it makes it hard to keep interest up. I find myself not feeling like even going to games since the team is playing across the river and a 20 minute drive away instead of a 5 minute drive from the normal location. Why go if it is just going to be an embarrassing loss anyway. Even the BPF site has like 5% of the normal activity. Its sad.Your team does not have to be good to have and express an opinion here. I get that it's more fun when your team is good, but I and others are still interested in your views and opinions. This goes for fans from all teams. Even Bryant.
As much as this season has been wacky, if my life was at stake and I had to pick two finalists right this second, I’d probably still pick Lowell and Bryant. Albeit with a fairly low degree of confidence, especially wrt Bryant.
It’s just hard to look at a starting five that has Walker, Gross-Bullock, Pride and Timberlake and not see that as a top 2 team. It‘s a stupid amount of offensive talent for one team to have in a league like this. They don’t even have to be good defensively. They just need to not stink at it. They have more than enough time to make that happen before the tournament, as long as there is any kind of collective focus on the issue.
If that roster doesn’t make the finals in a year like this, it’s a pretty big wasted opportunity.
It’s just hard to look at a starting five that has Walker, Gross-Bullock, Pride and Timberlake and not see that as a top 2 team. It‘s a stupid amount of offensive talent for one team to have in a league like this. They don’t even have to be good defensively. They just need to not stink at it. They have more than enough time to make that happen before the tournament, as long as there is any kind of collective focus on the issue.
If that roster doesn’t make the finals in a year like this, it’s a pretty big wasted opportunity.
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The problem with Bryant right now is that their zone defense does stink. If Grasso would scrap the zone and play man, I think they'd be much better. They seemed to defend UVM much better in the second half of their game when they played more man. Their guys are certainly more athletic and in many respects, man is easier to play. Until Bryant figures out their D, I don't see them making the 'ship. I agree with UML. They are pretty deep and talented. I think that this is probably their tournament to win.
Here's an example of where Bryant might be playing both man and zone...thus, aren't playing either one:
(Yeah, I'm cherry-picking one play from when they were already down 23, but I saw this pop up and WOOF)
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UML has really impressive depth, I think. Probably most talented team in the conference overall, too. Going to be different for them in the captain's seat, however.
Bryant is supposed to be the other contender and didn't even look to me like they were playing the same sport, let alone on same level.
Bryant is supposed to be the other contender and didn't even look to me like they were playing the same sport, let alone on same level.
It leaves you speechless. They weren’t even pretending to care.
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Looks like a 7th grade basketball team standing around in a Zone. But like, the D4D5 C team and not the D1 A 7th grade team.
I picked Bryant to finish second in league play, same sentiment here, they have a lot of individual talent. However, after careful considerations, are they really that talented? They seem as if their a collection of scorers who are talented but did not fit in elsewhere and lack the intangibles. They play the worst defense I have ever consistently seen, they do not box out at all, they take crazy quick shots( I know Grasso plays fast but there has to be limits). Are they actually talented or at this point layup line all stars who look talented. They have now been blown out in league play multiple times, at what point does their actual "talent" get called into review. They can score and are athletic, but lack defense, cohesiveness, adjustments, rebounding, defense without fouling. I am interested to see what Grasso can do with this team the rest of the season. Its rare that talented teams get blown out consistently in the America East, I am guessing Grasso turns this ship around to save his future job prospects but right now they are a mess and its past the midway point in season.
One way to look at it is that if any other team in the league with the possible exception of Lowell played defense the way Bryant does, they’d probably be 0-7, or at best have a win or two. Bryant is 4-3, and two of those losses were road games against Lowell and Vermont. So the raw material is clearly there.
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Exactly, the raw material is there. Their failure to meet expectations, in on Grasso.
Yeah, let's be careful not to swing this conversation too far in the other direction. Bryant is talented. And should have no issue finishing at least in the Top 4 of the league. And on what is a longer-than-usual list of teams that could realistically win the AE Tournament, I'd probably still put them just behind Lowell (the AE's most well-rounded team, in my opinion) because in a 3-game scenario I think their offense is good enough to get hot and charge their way to a title (if you can't be be good at both ends, be really good on one end). But they definitely need some significant institutional adjustments if they're going to reestablish themselves as a favorite.
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I'm sure as with most things there's multiple explanations, but when your coach acts like the hardest hardo around, it's pretty obvious where blame will get pointed when your team plays the softest/laziest defense most anyone will ever see in D1.
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Edert is not same player he was last season at St. Peter's, just look at his shooting numbers. I think I saw he came off the bench last game as well.
Timberlake is on this 3rd college basketball team and while obviously talented offensively, don't see much more than a second team AE player at this point.
Timberlake is on this 3rd college basketball team and while obviously talented offensively, don't see much more than a second team AE player at this point.
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