Old Dominion (2/28/15)

[Andrew]

We lost this game due to Benford's stupidity (imagine that). With 11 minutes to go in the 2nd half we were in the double bonus...We only had 3 team fouls at that time. Benford did not demand the ball to go into the paint. As a matter of fact I don't think he literally called a designed play to get the ball down on the block. We had 11 minutes to grind down and get free throws at will. INSTEAD...we took mostly bad perimeter shots after windshield wiping the basketball for about 30 seconds. Kind of pathetic. Actually, it is pathetic.

Also, call me crazy, Jeremy Combs needs to shoot the ball way more than 4 times. I know he isn't quite a create his own shot type of player at this point in his young career, but he needed more touches. We started shooting too many 3's almost right when we hit the double bonus...boneheaded. I just don't get it. I don't get the incompetence of this coaching staff to simply do things that needs to be done during key situational moments of basketball games. We shot 28 free throws....could have easily been 40, easily.

This was the same case in the first half as well. We were in the double bonus with 8 minutes to go till half. I though we might get it into the post or clear out and iso in order to try to draw fouls but we did not. We did have good ball movement early but by the end we feel apart. I'm not writing off this team yet, but still a lot of work to do. I just wish we could have won for the seniors and the fans who braved the weather to make it out.

I hope J Will stepped it up in the locker room after the game and laid down the law. No time for being lazy or selfish by Amy of the 10 guys who suit up. This season is coming to an end soon and the guys need to get it together and play like it. No fighting, no attitudes, no bad shots, no turnovers, no issues. Just get it done!

[Andrew]

Well then kick Deandre Harris off the damn basketball team if he's such a problem. Deandre is a good player...but he's a "me" oriented person and that is obvious going simply off of his on court play. I don't like "me" players, I want team players. I want players that don't want to be put in the game when the current 5 out there is lighting it up. I want a guy that will pass the damn ball in a fast break. If the dude is an idiot then get him away from the ones trying to be teammates. Still can't believe this game. Coach blew this one...coach did, not players. This was bad, bad coaching.

I can agree it's more on the coach, but players still missed shots and the refs blew a lot of calls. We may disagree on what should have been done though. I thought we lost because we played 5 guys pretty much the entire game and had no bench. ODU a was deep, long, and athletic. We were just tired and feeling depleted.

[Ben Gooding]

If we would have pushed the ball to the post there would have been a ton of fouls and that would have given the players an opportunity to rest. We didn't and that's on the coach. This might be the most simple sport of all sports. Do what the game tells you to do and a coach will be successful. Do what the situation is calling for and good things will happen. It's not that damn hard. To not put this on the coach is beyond ignorant. If the players are given looks at the perimeter most will take the shot if they're a shooter. BUT, the game play wasn't calling for that...it was screaming for post touches. So...Benford should have adjusted accordingly and made for certain that the ball ended up on the block. But, he didn't do that. I was sitting right behind our bench and he never told a player to get in there or scream it out, really, nothing.

[UNT90]

Can we shoot free throws?

[GangGreen]

Everyone needs to just keep a level head.

Or toke Pena.

Anyway, I have been overseas for the last couple of wins. Was really looking forward to watching/listening to this one. Could have sworn it was tonight.

It was a good run. I just hope it doesn't go to sh** the last three games after reading some of the comments. How we come back from this loss will say a whole lot about this team and the guy leading them.

[Ben Gooding]

We were hitting them tonight. Voss can knock down free throws and he should have been the one touching the ball on the block.

We need a bigger big...#20 was killing us with baby jumpers all night. He would penetrate and pull up and knock down 8-10 footers all night. With a true big we could have taken that away. But that's neither here or there. We don't have a big, big so there is no reason to even bring that up (granted that is also on the staff).

[Andrew]

If we would have pushed the ball to the post there would have been a ton of fouls and that would have given the players an opportunity to rest. We didn't and that's on the coach. This might be the most simple sport of all sports. Do what the game tells you to do and a coach will be successful. Do what the situation is calling for and good things will happen. It's not that damn hard. To not put this on the coach is beyond ignorant. If the players are given looks at the perimeter most will take the shot if they're a shooter. BUT, the game play wasn't calling for that...it was screaming for post touches. So...Benford should have adjusted accordingly and made for certain that the ball ended up on the block. But, he didn't do that. I was sitting right behind our bench and he never told a player to get in there or scream it out, really, nothing.

Are you for more micro management or less? Just asking. It seems like some people want Benford to roll it's out there and others want him to take full control and tell them what to do every play. It's hard to tell where everyone stands.

And to answer Nt90. We were decent from the line today and Collin is a great free throw shooter. With tired legs it's hard to make them though.

[BillySee58]

Did Ahmed dress out? Didn't see the floor.

[Ben Gooding]

I think he dressed...can't recall seeing him play.

[Andrew]

We were hitting them tonight. Voss can knock down free throws and he should have been the one touching the ball on the block.

We need a bigger big...#20 was killing us with baby jumpers all night. He would penetrate and pull up and knock down 8-10 footers all night. With a true big we could have taken that away. But that's neither here or there. We don't have a big, big so there is no reason to even bring that up (granted that is also on the staff).

No one was stopping 20 tonight.... He had hands in his face and ran into double teams and still stepped back and knocked them down. He was just on. Nothing we could do there other than double every time he touched the ball. ODU a did not have a big either and they did ok....

[Andrew]

Did Ahmed dress out? Didn't see the floor.

On the bench but did not play. Hoping for more from him next season. He seems lost when he touches the floor sometimes. Good player but seems to be unable to remeber where he needs to be on the court.

[Ben Gooding]

I'm into calling what the situation dictates. If we are cruising (which isn't often) then let the players play. If a situation arises and changes need to be made, then change to what is being dictated in your favor. 19 minutes in the double bonus tonight....19! I would love to know how many non-shooting fouls were called in our favor during those 19 minutes...answer is not many...but how many? We should have been simply dribbling the ball right at the opponents.

[GangGreen]

On the bench but did not play. Hoping for more from him next season. He seems lost when he touches the floor sometimes. Good player but seems to be unable to remeber where he needs to be on the court.

Sorry, but that doesn't sound like a good player to me.

[Andrew]

Sorry, but that doesn't sound like a good player to me.

When he has played he can score from anywhere and is pretty athletic. That's the good part.

[Ben Gooding]

He's a good athlete, but just doesn't have the savvy yet. I also don't think his defense is ready to be consistently on the floor. He's a good player under the basket that can create his own shot from a couple feet out.

[Mean_Green09]

We were hitting them tonight. Voss can knock down free throws and he should have been the one touching the ball on the block.

We need a bigger big...#20 was killing us with baby jumpers all night. He would penetrate and pull up and knock down 8-10 footers all night. With a true big we could have taken that away. But that's neither here or there. We don't have a big, big so there is no reason to even bring that up (granted that is also on the staff).

Freeman is a top notch guard. He can get into the paint against mostly anyone. We weren't stopping him. Just move on.

[Mean_Green09]

I'm into calling what the situation dictates. If we are cruising (which isn't often) then let the players play. If a situation arises and changes need to be made, then change to what is being dictated in your favor. 19 minutes in the double bonus tonight....19! I would love to know how many non-shooting fouls were called in our favor during those 19 minutes...answer is not many...but how many? We should have been simply dribbling the ball right at the opponents.

We couldn't get it into the post bc ODU wouldn't let us. They are a damn good defensive team. They defend the post really well and were collapsing on most entry passes. We also couldn't get into the post bc we didn't shoot the ball well. Benford is always preaching about getting the ball into the post. Even if he calls a set play to get the ball to the post ODU could still stop it with fundamental D and making the entry pass difficult. What we really needed tonight was a guy who could beat his guy off the dribble. We missed Harris and his explosiveness.

We got beat by a top 25 caliber team tonight who has one of the best defenses in the country. We had our chances and just couldn't get done. We hung around while playing shorthanded. Time to move onto the next game and see how this teams responds.

[GMG24]

Ben, did you not see every set they ran had a post option?? You sir make coming to this board difficult. Flannigan, combs, voss, etc even JW a few times.. They're posts kicked our posts *#% period. We didn't get paint touches because they're BETTER than we are. When Voss caught it low, he had to take mid range step back jumpers to get looks. They dominated us in the paint, and on the glass. It's that simple.

One other note, that irked me a little, was watching whatever the atm transfers name is, sit by deandre and cut up with him while he was acting like a 3 year old. Speaks volumes to me about his ability to lead. I can't get over the fact that VOSS, or JW, or TJ didn't go over to deandre snatch him up and tell him, get in or get the heck out! Someone needs to step up and quit allowing that crap to happen. That's the only time it'll stop.

[Ben Gooding]

I understand they are a good team. And yes I understand that we tried to get it into the post a few times and ODU tipped the ball up or away. But you just don't stop trying to get it in there when you are in the double bonus with the lead. You don't just resort to heaving up prayers. We spent almost half the game in the double bonus. There is no excuse to that. And yes, they are a better team than us. Before our game today I was saying they should be a tourney team no matter what happens in Birmingham b/c they are a good team. I am aware, but because a handful of entry attempts get denied doesn't mean you go away from it.

Oh and post options and actual post touches are different...throw that thing in there like a football if need be. Lead + dbl bonus almost always leads to a win. Again, they are a good team that should go to the tournament. I think they'll need to win out their final 2 games which both are at home. It wouldn't hurt if they could win a couple in Birmingham as well. They would put them at 25-7 with a handful of pretty good wins. if they don't get in with that then the system needs to be adjusted because it isn't working.

[Andrew]

I'm ready to watch Ben Gooding and Greg michael ginnings (?) take it out on the basketball court in a week!

[Brett Vito]

MGB late night hoops rewind:

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/02/late-night-hoops-rewind-old-dominion-70-unt-57.html/

[Army of Dad]

MGB late night hoops rewind:

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/02/late-night-hoops-rewind-old-dominion-70-unt-57.html/

Way more than just yelling...

[Matt from A700]

Those were the worst refs I've witnessed this season. It went from bad to worse in the 2nd half when we got some bad calls, turned the ball over more, put up some bad shots, and we couldn't follow a score with a stop on the other end. I asked RV from the stands at the end if we could get some better referees next year, and he said, "I know.."

Jordan was also off yesterday. But it was a joy to watch him this season. I just hope this game that I believe was marred by bad officiating doesn't hurt their confidence going back on the road. They play like they did with a solid officiating crew and they still can make a run in the conference tourney.

Edited March 2, 2015 by Matt from A700

[GMG24]

It wasn't the refs..... Quit crying.

[Travis]

I didn't think the refs were all that poor yesterday