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.

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By Ill flame
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#666349
Humble_Opinion wrote: March 7th, 2025, 1:06 pm If we were a multi-bid league, I'd agree with the idea that winning the regular season matters. That would almost guarantee a tournament berth. The real champion is determined in the conference tournament and the NCAA tournament though, so I tend to agree more with HCRM. Is it an accomplishment? Sure. Does it mean anything to you though in terms of benefits other than a few social media posts? No. HCRM did what he's supposed to in downplaying accolades in pursuit of the real goals, which is to win championships.

If football goes out and wins first place in the regular season only to turn around and lose the Championship game, does the regular season win really matter? No.
A conference championship IS a championship and it’s worth celebrating. It should be priority number 1 every year with any national level success being the cherry on top of a successful season. I hate that college sports is getting away from that mindset.
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By Kricket
Registration Days Posts
#666351
I think football is slightly different than basketball I think regular season championships in basketball is a bigger deal because practically every team gets a shot at a conference tournament regardless of how terrible.

Football only the top two get a shot so that carries a lot more weight.

Either way… I think everyone wants to beat Western Kentucky.
By JK37
Registration Days Posts
#666352
Kricket wrote: March 7th, 2025, 9:05 am
Ill flame wrote: March 7th, 2025, 12:30 am I really hope we can find a way to win on Saturday. Anything can happen during the conference tournament but being able to claim a conference championship for the 6th time in 7 years would be a great feeling.
Agreed. I was slightly surprised to hear McKay downplayed it saying 1st or 2nd are pretty much the same for the tournament. That is true but first place in the regular season still matters.
What matters most in a one-bid league is winning the conference tournament. For that reason, there is no difference between first seed and second seed. That’s what McKay was saying.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#666354
JK37 wrote: March 7th, 2025, 10:38 pm
Kricket wrote: March 7th, 2025, 9:05 am
Ill flame wrote: March 7th, 2025, 12:30 am I really hope we can find a way to win on Saturday. Anything can happen during the conference tournament but being able to claim a conference championship for the 6th time in 7 years would be a great feeling.
Agreed. I was slightly surprised to hear McKay downplayed it saying 1st or 2nd are pretty much the same for the tournament. That is true but first place in the regular season still matters.
What matters most in a one-bid league is winning the conference tournament. For that reason, there is no difference between first seed and second seed. That’s what McKay was saying.
Another factor is that a regular season championship is no longer an auto-bid to the NIT. Under the current format, we are already locked in for that.
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By Kricket
Registration Days Posts
#666355
JK37 wrote:
Kricket wrote: March 7th, 2025, 9:05 am
Ill flame wrote: March 7th, 2025, 12:30 am I really hope we can find a way to win on Saturday. Anything can happen during the conference tournament but being able to claim a conference championship for the 6th time in 7 years would be a great feeling.
Agreed. I was slightly surprised to hear McKay downplayed it saying 1st or 2nd are pretty much the same for the tournament. That is true but first place in the regular season still matters.
What matters most in a one-bid league is winning the conference tournament. For that reason, there is no difference between first seed and second seed. That’s what McKay was saying.
I get what he was saying. I also think winning the tournament is the most important thing. My point was that it kind of feels like it downplayed winning the regular season whether intentional or not.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#666376
I just became aware that Metheny participated in the Senior day ceremony along with McKay, Peter and Maughner. He definitely does have a year of eligibility, but apparently is planning (at least for now) to forego that and get started on a career in real estate. He has family members who are in that business. For anyone who has followed our program, there is a significant history of players who have done this and ultimately returned. It's something you can do again if you change your mind, but if you don't participate and then decide not to return, the opportunity is lost.
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By Kricket
Registration Days Posts
#666378
LU Armchair coach wrote: March 8th, 2025, 12:42 pm All these LU Armchair coaches should’ve known what HCRM is saying with his statement.
Play Basketball Play Basketball
Everyone is aware of what McKay was saying. Sometimes what you say can convey unsaid feelings. That’s probably a nuance that AI struggles with though. :lol:
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By Purple Haize
Registration Days Posts
#666392
Kricket wrote: March 9th, 2025, 9:41 am
LU Armchair coach wrote: March 8th, 2025, 12:42 pm All these LU Armchair coaches should’ve known what HCRM is saying with his statement.
Play Basketball Play Basketball
Everyone is aware of what McKay was saying. Sometimes what you say can convey unsaid feelings. That’s probably a nuance that AI struggles with though. :lol:
AI isn’t known for nuance
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#666403
Flames all-CUSA honors:
Taelon Peter............. 6th Man of the Year
Zach Cleveland and Taelon Peter............ 3rd team all conference
Kaeden Metheny................ 2nd team all conference
Colin Porter ............. honorable mention all conference

It doesn't bother me that we didn't have anyone on the first team. We were really balanced, and there were some other players who put up big numbers.

McKay not being COY was highway robbery. Ray Harper is a great coach and a fine man, but Ritchie coached us to the championship with one of our top players out. Might have been his best coaching job yet. Would love to see him win one of the national awards he is up for just to show the CUSA selectors how wrong they were.

Javon Maughmer not being on the all defensive team was also a huge miss.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#666406
LU Armchair coach wrote: March 10th, 2025, 6:16 pm Ray Harper a fine man? You know something the rest of us LU Armchair coaches don’t know?
Play Basketball Play Basketball
My source on that is Ritchie McKay, who has always been highly complimentary about Harper.
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By Purple Haize
Registration Days Posts
#666414
olldflame wrote: March 10th, 2025, 5:56 pm Flames all-CUSA honors:
Taelon Peter............. 6th Man of the Year
Zach Cleveland and Taelon Peter............ 3rd team all conference
Kaeden Metheny................ 2nd team all conference
Colin Porter ............. honorable mention all conference

It doesn't bother me that we didn't have anyone on the first team. We were really balanced, and there were some other players who put up big numbers.

McKay not being COY was highway robbery. Ray Harper is a great coach and a fine man, but Ritchie coached us to the championship with one of our top players out. Might have been his best coaching job yet. Would love to see him win one of the national awards he is up for just to show the CUSA selectors how wrong they were.

Javon Maughmer not being on the all defensive team was also a huge miss.
I get not having a 1st team all conference player. But if you don’t think this team had one only 1 of the top 10 players and they still won the Conference that tells me it was a heck of a coaching job. So RMK not getting the CoY is baffling to me
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