[Rocketfan]

This game really brings back memories. This is a classic Hankinson deficit.

If my team can't play some D or shoot the 3....im going to end up just like Mel Hanky!

[SuperJon]

I just looked at the stats, so I now have more to add:

We had four guys shoot free throws. Four. That's all. We could draw a foul on almost any drive and we had four guys shoot free throws. We had three starters not even step to the line.

Speaking of free throws, Anthony can't shoot 50% from the line like he did today.

As a team, we shot 54.5% from the line.

They didn't even have 1000 people there. That's an absolute joke. An ESPN game and you can't get 1000 people?

JP Primm is good.

So is the Smith kid.

They had 18 more rebounds than us.

BRIGHT SPOT: We cut the turnovers down a lot, only giving the ball up 11 times.

[jcmanson]

SJ, I know you didn't get to see the first game, but Johnny and Jesse played alot together then as well. Also, Seth brought the ball up all game regardless of who was in the game with him against Montreat.

[LUconn]

Once it was obvious no one could shoot today, I don't see why we didn't try to spread the floor and penetrate with the intent of getting a layup or dunk.

I don't understand why we don't do that even if we are shooting well. How many games like this is it gonna take for Ritchie to stop letting them jack up 3s for 40 minutes? Sounds like what happened in the tournament last year. And with a similar outcome.

[jcmanson]

We need to get Brolin on the block and give him the ball.

[Kolzilla41]

Once it was obvious no one could shoot today, I don't see why we didn't try to spread the floor and penetrate with the intent of getting a layup or dunk. Every guy besides Seth who penetrated seemed to want to kick it out. With Anthony and Brolin's athleticism they should've been penetrating and going to the basket.

This is one thing that has perplexed me the last two years. We would have a sure dunk/lay up and they would kick it out to try a three, something that BJ did all of the time last year. I noticed UNCA would pass it around up high and look for a back door score. I think this is something this team could be great at and needs to work on.

[SuperJon]

Once it was obvious no one could shoot today, I don't see why we didn't try to spread the floor and penetrate with the intent of getting a layup or dunk.

I don't understand why we don't do that even if we are shooting well. How many games like this is it gonna take for Ritchie to stop letting them jack up 3s for 40 minutes? Sounds like what happened in the tournament last year. And with a similar outcome.

I'm ok with the penetrate and kick to a three, but when the threes are falling, dunk the freaking ball. It doesn't do you any good to be able to jump out of the gym if you refuse to do it.

[SuperJon]

SJ, I know you didn't get to see the first game, but Johnny and Jesse played alot together then as well. Also, Seth brought the ball up all game regardless of who was in the game with him against Montreat.

So who is the point guard? Jesse's a good point guard but from what I've seen he can't shoot very well. If Seth is handling the ball, why is Jesse in the game? I don't mean that in a negative way, I'm just trying to understand the reasoning.

[Fumblerooskies]

A young and inexperienced group. UNCA has 8 youngsters, too...but they have at least a couple of experienced guys in the mix. We have Smith. We will get better with more game time.

[prototype]

Let's shoot straight here...WE SUCK!! We have good players, but a lousy gameplan and a lousy outlook on how to play basketball. We CAN'T start all Guards and expect to win. Open post Offense? You know what that means - play no Defense, get no rebounds, don't pass the ball, shot a 3 whether you are open or not, lose every game. We could blame the gym (But - most these players played in sucky high school gyms like this the last four years and Smitty has played here what 8 times now) or the youth (BUT, they had 8 freshman). This was just plain and simple - We need a post game - not Carter shooting 2 for 6, all from behind the 3-point arc. We need to get Floyd and Smitty dedicated to play in the paint, never play Ohman again, and sit Carter down until he gains 40 pounds.

Asheville? Are you kidding me?

[jcmanson]

Freshman have historically played well at home and poor on the road. This was the result of both of those today.

Just keep repeating that to your self manson, you may feel better.

[prototype]

There's the problem - we have all freshman and we play half our games on the road:( And I'm sure we are not wining all our games at home this year.

[LUconn]

We need to get Floyd and Smitty dedicated to play in the paint, never play Ohman again, and sit Carter down until he gains 40 pounds.

I like this entire sentence except the last part. I know you don't like Carter's game, but he was probably the only person that tried to play defense today and our offense was effective with him in there.

[Cider Jim]

We need to learn to rebound and defend.

The first key to rebounding is to GET IN THE PAINT.

[SuperJon]

Carter showed some of the most potential today. He also looked really bad at times on defense. However, even if he looked bad, he was attempting to play defense and that's encouraging.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

Let's shoot straight here...WE SUCK!! We have good players, but a lousy gameplan and a lousy outlook on how to play basketball. We CAN'T start all Guards and expect to win. Open post Offense? You know what that means - play no Defense, get no rebounds, don't pass the ball, shot a 3 whether you are open or not, lose every game. We could blame the gym (But - most these players played in sucky high school gyms like this the last four years and Smitty has played here what 8 times now) or the youth (BUT, they had 8 freshman). This was just plain and simple - We need a post game - not Carter shooting 2 for 6, all from behind the 3-point arc. We need to get Floyd and Smitty dedicated to play in the paint, never play Ohman again, and sit Carter down until he gains 40 pounds.

Asheville? Are you kidding me?

Agreed.

Im gonna try to stay as nice, calm, and positive as i can here we go...

I dont know why Kyle gets the green light to do whatever he wants.

Smitty Struggled.

I really feel bad for Curry, He had to create ALL of his shots.

I think we ran off of screens MAYBE 4 times, That wont cut it

We need to value our opportunities with the ball.

Brolin needs to stop listening to this we only shoot 3's garbage and go dunk on someone

WE HAVE TO get Carter/Austin a post touch... Even though he wont do anything with it and will have to pass it back out we have to do something to move the defense.

We have to play defense... Maybe McKay will get that now and learn to play the game instead of shooting all the time.

McKay is a terrible in game coach and has now proven twice @ UNCA that he cant even stop the bleeding let alone put a decent run together.

Johnny has to take it to the hole more but our guys have to move so he can pass out if need be.

Theres your top 50 recruiting class... against whatever UNCA's class is... they gave us buckets

I dont care if they have more guys that have more experience than we do. Do they have the Big South Player of the Year? Nooooo. Do they have a mid-major All-America? Nooooooo.

I like these guys, well most of them anyway, but we arent getting it done. Hellen Keller could have coached us better today. McKay needs to get it together.

Im embarrassed to show my face right now because of the slaughtering we just took on national television. We have become the presby of the conference and deserve to be laughed at.

If we turn it around ill give props, but right now Curry and Brolin (In the second half) are the only ones that want to play, and I think Eaker is the only one that wants to coach.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

The only reason Carter looked so good is because the rest of us looked like crap.

[LUMU11]

I don't post much during football, but i'm a basketball guy so i'm getting involved. That was embarassing, but chalk it up for experience. IMO we didn't play hard enough in the first 15 minutes or so. We did seem to be attempting to box out and keep them off the boards, but we were very slow getting to balls. We were slow on closeouts and a couple times really overran the wings leading to good looks and penetrations where we were outnumbered. Second thing that happened, is everytime we made an effort to get this thing back within striking distance early in the game they answered big time, usually with a 3 or a put back, and even a couple times with a 3 on a 2nd chance and that just demoralized us. Nothing against Smitty, but you can't get that kind of effort out of the conference Preseason POY on the road and expect to win. I think we will continue to find that Seth, even though he struggled is going to find a way to get 15+ every night, remind you of another Curry? That's a positive. Super won't talk about Kyle, so I will. His game has changed he's not the guy he was when he was a walk-on. Early last year he was playing like he had something to prove and like he was trying to earn minutes and he played well because of that mentality. Then later last year and now this year I get the feeling he thinks he is a "guy", he's not, he's a role player. A catch and shoot guy, but he wants to put the dang ball on the floor now and shoot on the move and all this crap and it's just not his strength. At this level he is a catch and shoot guy who needs to just go play hard or he can't help us. I thought he really hurt us in the first half. He can't be taking looks away from Seth and Anthony, even Brolin. His minutes need to be reduced drastically. Seventh guy off the bench 15-20 and know his role and he'll be ok. Otherwise he really hurts us. That was too long, my apologies.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

and when a FRESHMAN is going lights out from 3... Ummm PUT A FLIPPIN HAND IN HIS FACE.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

Super won't talk about Kyle, so I will. His game has changed he's not the guy he was when he was a walk-on. Early last year he was playing like he had something to prove and like he was trying to earn minutes and he played well because of that mentality. Then later last year and now this year I get the feeling he thinks he is a "guy", he's not, he's a role player. A catch and shoot guy, but he wants to put the dang ball on the floor now and shoot on the move and all this crap and it's just not his strength. At this level he is a catch and shoot guy who needs to just go play hard or he can't help us. I thought he really hurt us in the first half. He can't be taking looks away from Seth and Anthony, even Brolin. His minutes need to be reduced drastically. Seventh guy off the bench 15-20 and know his role and he'll be ok. Otherwise he really hurts us. That was too long, my apologies.

That was polite considering what I want to say, Good post though.

[jcmanson]

right now Curry and Brolin (In the second half) are the only ones that want to play, and I think Eaker is the only one that wants to coach.

Carter wanted to play. Jesse wanted to play.

[LUconn]

Ok, that was an awful game, but I love how all of the RMK boo-birds come out of the wood work acting like we just put Kim Graham out on the floor to coach. I'm sure every practice he's just got everybody on the arch taking shot after shot for 2 hours and then he tells them to hit the showers. WHAT IS HE THINKING!?! WORST IN-GAME COACH EVAR!

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

right now Curry and Brolin (In the second half) are the only ones that want to play, and I think Eaker is the only one that wants to coach.

Carter wanted to play. Jesse wanted to play.

Jesse was more worried about his Jersey and if Carter wanted to play he would go get a rebound and not let them hit his hands and drop them. He had a nice block and a couple nice shots, but he has to get after it. If he wants to block shots he had many opportunities today.

[LUMU11]

Also, in defense of our struggles in the Justice Center. I'm a former student-athlete and i'm telling you when you're used to LU's facilities and you have to go somewhere else in this conference and play, particularly Asheville and Radford it's hard because it's like taking you back to high school and even sometimes bad high school facilities. Your just thinking gosh, let's get this crap over with and get out of here this sucks. And it's the wrong mentality and you've got to be mentally tougher than that, but it's the truth. Our guys just played an NAIA team in front of 5100 people and they go to play an ESPN conference game and 900 people are there, it really sucks. It is one reason UNCA has a serious advantage in that gym, not to mention those rims are tighter than anything you can hear it on TV. It's absolutely brutal.

[Cider Jim]

McMasters, at 6'11", with ZERO rebounds?