Game 10: AT Pennsylvania State University, Wednesday, December 7th, 7 PM, Big Ten Network

[Vurbel]

The only thing I worry about now...is short rotation and young players....do we end up dragging a** come February.

They're 20. They'll be fine. That was Bobby Knight's theory back in the day. These are guy who played 3 AAU games/day growing up. Now, you and I would be in the hospital after playing that much, but at 20 you're fine.

 

[GMU92]

They're 20. They'll be fine. That was Bobby Knight's theory back in the day. These are guy who played 3 AAU games/day growing up. Now, you and I would be in the hospital after playing that much, but at 20 you're fine.

Agreed. That said, read A Season on the Brink by John Feinstein. Knight's tactics were borderline psychological torture. The crap he pulled on Steve Alford was unbelievable and he's lucky he put up with it. And then Knight refuses to shake his hand after he became his own man and succeeded as a head coach. Knight shoved used toilet paper in his secretary's face. He was one of the last of the old time truly abusive coaches to (somewhat) get by with it because he happened to win a lot.

 

[GMUgemini]

They're 20. They'll be fine. That was Bobby Knight's theory back in the day. These are guy who played 3 AAU games/day growing up. Now, you and I would be in the hospital after playing that much, but at 20 you're fine.

Freshmen tend to wear down by the end of the season...college is a much more brutal game than AAU basketball. Just look at the 2010 George Mason team: started out 9-1 in the CAA and on the back stretch just lost it going 2-6, and then the Fairfield debacle in the CBI at home.

The very next year, pretty much the exact same team went on a national best winning streak and beating Villanova in the round of 64 of the NCAA tournament.

The 2009-2010 team featured 9 freshmen and sophomores and only one senior (Louis Birdsong).

 

[Vurbel]

Good thing the freshmen at Kentucky have never been successful. Better athletes, but play better competition. Bottom line is they should be fine.

 

[mkaufman1]

Freshmen tend to wear down by the end of the season...college is a much more brutal game than AAU basketball. Just look at the 2010 George Mason team: started out 9-1 in the CAA and on the back stretch just lost it going 2-6, and then the Fairfield debacle in the CBI at home.

The very next year, pretty much the exact same team went on a national best winning streak and beating Villanova in the round of 64 of the NCAA tournament.

The 2009-2010 team featured 9 freshmen and sophomores and only one senior (Louis Birdsong).

Very true point- and I'm hoping the same doesn't this year with a very similar young team.

That being said I remember many of the games that year, mason was up and down and very inconsistent. While they started 9-1 in the CAA many wins were very close and obviously down the stretch they tailed off. One half they would be great the next half they were awful and hung on for the win.

One thing I've noticed with this group is that during this win streak, they have been consistent and won a few games by bigger margins. That's very unique for such a young squad and I hope that continues versus getting warn down.

 

[gmubrian]

Finally got to watch the game. One thing I liked and didn't see mentioned was how Otis wasn't phased at all by the full court pressure and just dribbled through it. There was one time where I expected to hear Benny Hill music playing in the background the way he made them look foolish!

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Finally got to watch the game. One thing I liked and didn't see mentioned was how Otis wasn't phased at all by the full court pressure and just dribbled through it. There was one time where I expected to hear Benny Hill music playing in the background the way he made them look foolish!

How did you watch the game?

 

[couchcoach]

How did you watch the game?

on tractor

 

[gmubrian]

How did you watch the game?

I had DVRed it. It was on the big 10 network.

 

[psyclone]

Penn St at home upsets the Terps by 8. Good for our rpi! (not that is all that relevant this year)

 

[MasonSAE4]

Penn St at home upsets the Terps by 8. Good for our rpi! (not that is all that relevant this year)

Isn't RPI calculated by win percent/opponents win percent/opponents opponents win percent? Does a Penn State win over Maryland do our RPI any real difference than a loss to them? Seems like the only bump we really get is by Penn State's win percentage increasing ever so slightly

 

[Falco]

Penn St at home upsets the Terps by 8. Good for our rpi! (not that is all that relevant this year)

I posted in a different thread, someone does a NIT bracketology. Mason was on the bubble.

We have an opportunity for 3 top 50 wins. And maybe penn state can finish top 50.

Wishful thinking, but who thought New England would make that come back. Go Patriots! (See what I did there)

 

[GMUgemini]

I posted in a different thread, someone does a NIT bracketology. Mason was on the bubble.

We have an opportunity for 3 top 50 wins. And maybe penn state can finish top 50.

Wishful thinking, but who thought New England would make that come back. Go Patriots! (See what I did there)

Well, just to be clear, we weren't a bubble team in that bracket, we were an "also considered, most likely CBI/CIT team."

 

[GMUSig03]

I posted in a different thread, someone does a NIT bracketology. Mason was on the bubble.

We have an opportunity for 3 top 50 wins. And maybe penn state can finish top 50.

Wishful thinking, but who thought New England would make that come back. Go Patriots! (See what I did there)

Really long shot at the NIT, not likely.

And, is there anyone who did NOT see the Patriot's comeback happening? I called it early in the 3rd quarter and was not surprised at all.