If roundball is your blood, this is the place to discuss the Flames as they move into the Ritchie McKay era for the 2nd time.

Moderators: jcmanson, Sly Fox, BuryYourDuke

User avatar
By Kricket
Registration Days Posts
#666286
Anytime Zach Cleveland gets the ball I get nervous that he’s gonna turn it over. It seems he’s taken a couple steps back offensively this year.
User avatar
By Kricket
Registration Days Posts
#666287
Cleveland has calmed down with the ball and now distributing it a bit better.

Taelon really should be more assertive. He’s hit shots when he takes them but defers way too much.
User avatar
By Ill flame
Posts
#666288
Don’t have CBSSN so I didn’t watch this one. Just looked at the box score and saw kennesaw state had 24 fouls. Were they just using the “they can’t call a foul every time” style of defense or what?
LU Armchair coach liked this
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#666289
Kricket wrote: March 2nd, 2025, 3:01 pm Anytime Zach Cleveland gets the ball I get nervous that he’s gonna turn it over. It seems he’s taken a couple steps back offensively this year.
Actually, his turnovers are substantially down from last year, and he leads us in assists. The stat where he has gone down is shooting %, from 59%0 to 47.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#666290
Ill flame wrote: March 2nd, 2025, 4:20 pm Don’t have CBSSN so I didn’t watch this one. Just looked at the box score and saw kennesaw state had 24 fouls. Were they just using the “they can’t call a foul every time” style of defense or what?
Probably more like the "these guys suck at FTs" defense. As it happened, we actually did not today, but couldn't get defensive stops down the stretch.
Purple Haize liked this
By JK37
Registration Days Posts
#666293
Kricket wrote: March 2nd, 2025, 3:01 pm Anytime Zach Cleveland gets the ball I get nervous that he’s gonna turn it over. It seems he’s taken a couple steps back offensively this year.
I thought his passing today was as good as it’s been all season.
User avatar
By jbock13
Registration Days Posts
#666295
It seemed pretty clear they were hacking Cleveland every time they could.
User avatar
By flameshaw
Registration Days Posts
#666296
We just aren't very good. No BIG'S that can score. I really believe we have over-achieved this year, based on our talent level. Don't see us winning the conference championship.
User avatar
By jmclaughlin
Posts
#666297
I wish I didn’t agree with you Flameshaw, but I do. There are too many soft spots with this team. Surprised that more teams haven’t played us the way KSU did today.
By flamehunter
Registration Days Posts
#666298
Overachieved or not, we have improved a lot over last season. Ritchie addressed our weaknesses from last year and I have every confidence we will improve again next season. But, this team isn't done yet and we have a real chance to see some success in the post season.
jmclaughlin liked this
User avatar
By TH Spangler
Registration Days Posts
#666301
flameshaw wrote: March 2nd, 2025, 11:19 pm We just aren't very good. No BIG'S that can score. I really believe we have over-achieved this year, based on our talent level. Don't see us winning the conference championship.
I think this a very good team, playing in a good conference with a bunch of teams that could get hot and take it. Hope it's us. I think who ever it is, they can win a game in the big tournament.
By John_6_47
Posts
#666305
Perhaps this is too soon (I’m not giving up on this team), but is next year going to be a stacked group? A bunch of this team can return and we get Smith and potentially Ihnen back? With new recruits and another offseason for Yu/Blair/Decker?
By Humble_Opinion
Registration Days Posts
#666308
It boggles my mind how negative people are. Since the 2nd half of the conference slate, we've gone from being 4th in conference to the top spot (prior to this loss) having won 6 in a row and beating some very good teams on the way to doing it. This conference is wide open and very competitive. This team has proven to be very effective on the defensive end for the vast majority of this season (ie. Defensive efficiency rankings), despite our "soft spots". We lose a close game where we scored 80 points because KSU couldn't miss in the 2nd half. It's pretty rare for a McKay coached team to score 80 and lose.

Do I expect us to win the tournament? No, but we have a legitimate shot. What I do know for sure is that we're certainly in a much better position heading into the conference tournament this year as opposed to last. Maybe some of you could use a dose of that reality.
By Chippy
Registration Days Posts
#666310
We started with potentially 7 "starters". I have to give all the credit for the remaining 6 "starters" and for Coach for the effort they are making to excel, represent the University, and yet still win, especially since Ihnen got injured. We had to replace his productivity (10+ ppg, 4+ rpg, 20'pg). Yates is doing the best he can, but he's not the 6'9" presence both offensively and defensively that Ihnen provided. Had he stayed healthy, we may still lose a couple CUSA conference games, but we'd all be a little more comfortable when it comes to postseason play.
socal_flame liked this
User avatar
By LU Armchair coach
Posts
#666311
Looks like most of the posters for LU MBB likes it easy maybe instead of leaving the ASUN conference rank of 26 and going to CUSA conference rank of 9-10 depending on which site you look at. LU should’ve went to SWAC #31 or better yet drop out of D-1 and just win championships. This is by far the toughest conference LU MBB has been in. Sitting at #2 with a chance to be #1 - #3 and it like just b**** b**** b****. At least this ole LU Armchair Coach see the greatness this team is having.

Play Basketball Play Basketball
User avatar
By jmclaughlin
Posts
#666312
Its not negative to be realistic. Many things can be true at once.
This is the toughest conference we have played in, by a far margin. This LU team is a really good squad. They play great, gritty Defense that puts pressure on the opposing team to score. This team moves the ball better than most and rarely take bad shots. This team is a terrible free throw shooting team. This team is not a good rebounding team. This teams chances were negatively impacted with the loss of Ihnen. This team struggles to score in stretches without a consistent post scorer. This team struggles with bench production and depth. Yet, this team has seen great improvement from YOY. We are beatable on any given night. We can beat good teams on any given night.

This has been a great season!
flamehunter, aredd33, TH Spangler and 3 others liked this
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#666313
We're "not very good"............... but we have "overachieved" :dontgetit Call me an idealist, but I have always kind of considered overachieving to be a good thing. Would you rather have a team that has more size, depth and overall talent, but underachieves? We have had a few of them over the years. Passed the eye test, but did not win like this team has, in spite of playing in way weaker conferences. Did they meet the "very good" standard?
Last edited by olldflame on March 4th, 2025, 8:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
thesportscritic liked this
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#666314
John_6_47 wrote: March 3rd, 2025, 12:57 pm Perhaps this is too soon (I’m not giving up on this team), but is next year going to be a stacked group? A bunch of this team can return and we get Smith and potentially Ihnen back? With new recruits and another offseason for Yu/Blair/Decker?
We should be way bigger/longer and a whole lot deeper regardless, but if Maughmer and Peter win their petitions and can return, we will be absolutely loaded. It would be our deepest, longest, and most versatile roster EVER.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#666321
JK37 wrote: March 4th, 2025, 7:40 pm Which is why the NCAA will find some way to deny them and screw us.
They will probably need to go to court. The situation is not exactly the same as Pavia's. D2 schools are 4 year programs and are part of the NCAA, while JUCO's are a totally separate entity. Also, Pavia could make a pretty compelling argument as to the million dollars plus in NIL money he will make in that extra year, something Peter and Maughmer cannot.
User avatar
By LU Armchair coach
Posts
#666322
olldflame wrote: March 4th, 2025, 5:12 pm
John_6_47 wrote: March 3rd, 2025, 12:57 pm Perhaps this is too soon (I’m not giving up on this team), but is next year going to be a stacked group? A bunch of this team can return and we get Smith and potentially Ihnen back? With new recruits and another offseason for Yu/Blair/Decker?
We should be way bigger/longer and a whole lot deeper regardless, but if Maughmer and Peter win their petitions and can return, we will be absolutely loaded. It would be our deepest, longest, and most versatile roster EVER.
So, are you thinking with these kids coming back it makes us bigger/longer? Are you also referring to the incoming freshman helping with this issue of size?

If Taelon & Jayvon don't get another year, do you think HCRM don't hit the portal to try and replace them? If they all come back my guess is some or all the freshmen may not have a spot for next year.
Excitement for this season

Biggest differences and similarities between 2023 […]

@LA Tech

This is a very young team with 9 pitchers on the[…]

Navy FTW

They're plain & boring, just like the whites, […]

NCAA Realignment Megathread

First of all, I'm really glad to be back. Second […]