Game 5: GMU (4-0) at JMU (3-0) on Friday, November 19, at 7PM.

[LOUDmouth]

Anyone else at the game notice the enthusiasm of the crowd? On 3 separate effing occasions, the band and student section started a countdown from 5 when we had 9 on the clock and all three times our guys threw it up when they yelled one. Then carrying over that bullhorn from their football team on third downs into the basketball arena where the screen would flash the bull and the electricity lights around the arena and score board flashing in unison really got the crowd and team going. It was hard for us to overcome that atmosphere. Hell, that could have been part of the reason for the off night from Oduro, Cooper and Schwartz. These guys were on par with the Maryland fans, if not more so. I yelled 'Let's Go Mason' during one of the JMU foul shots and thought I was going to get lynched.

That crowd was way louder than at UMD, through the whole game. If they fill up that arena, which is tiny for 8500 capacity, they will have a huge home court advantage.

 

[GMU1983]

Where is Byingtons or English postgame video?

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Frazier wouldn't be taking the minutes at the 1. Xj or Cooper would be playing there. Shifting Gaines or Shwartz to the 2 if needed in that case. Hartwell would still get some minutes at the 1 too. But no more XJ and Hartwell on the floor at the same time is basically what I'm proposing.

Cooper played PG last night with a big lineup and...

It didn't work.

Basically the whole night JMU was able to play great perimeter defense with its smaller quicker team while we couldnt exploit our height advantage at the rim. Whole story right there.

Frazier will be fine but its pretty obvious you have to earn coach's trust with practice minutes. Henry is doing that slowly, Frazier and Polite have been injured and will do so more slowly.

It'll happen though. We clearly need better bench minutes at the 2-4, and 1 if Hartwell can't deliver.

Just slowly.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

That crowd was way louder than at UMD, through the whole game. If they fill up that arena, which is tiny for 8500 capacity, they will have a huge home court advantage.

They are really excited about UVA coming in. That place will be LOUD

Cool seeing Ralph Sampson last night BTW.

 

[Jack Strop]

That crowd was way louder than at UMD, through the whole game. If they fill up that arena, which is tiny for 8500 capacity, they will have a huge home court advantage.

JMU's students are far better versed in their in-game effort than Mason's. They stood the whole game and we're loud. We used to be that way. Mason student's could learn a thing or two from them.

JMU's arena, as well as the entire East Campus, are beautiful. The last time I was there it was only the Convocation Center and woods.

 

[GMU1983]

JMU's students are far better versed in their in-game effort than Mason's. They stood the whole game and we're loud. We used to be that way. Mason student's could learn a thing or two from them.

JMU's arena, as well as the entire East Campus, are beautiful. The last time I was there it was only the Convocation Center and woods.

That is what I am talking about we can get loud but it is because of the a play and the acoustics. If all the students stood all game long clapping or chanting it would be intimidating ...go watch Utah State

 

[Jack Strop]

That is what I am talking about we can get loud but it is because of the a play and the acoustics. If all the students stood all game long clapping or chanting it would be intimidating ...go watch Utah State

I blame Reich's Field Marshall Jay Marsh. Since his absence, I have already seen improvement—marginal, but welcome.

 

[GMU79]

They are really excited about UVA coming in. That place will be LOUD

Cool seeing Ralph Sampson last night BTW.

They can beat UVa this year.

 

[Earl the Squirrel]

They can beat UVa this year.

Never in my wildest dreams (or worst nightmare) did I ever think I would watch XJ takes 7 three-pointers in a single game. After his 1-4 effort against SB I figured coach put probably whispered in his ear because he only attempted a total of 4 over the next three games.

So I was puzzled early in last night's game when he seemingly decided, "I'm Steph Curry." Oddly, they both have "push" shots and XJ did put up Steph-like numbers (4-7).

XJ took the most threes last night (though the last one at the buzzer doesn't really count). Was this some sort of distortion? A bending of time and space?

I find the idea of XJ taking more 2+ threes per game unnerving. Am I wrong to feel this way?

He is 6-15 on the season.

 

[MasonSAE4]

Lol @ everyone saying Kim should’ve rotated more. We were one less turnover or one Oduro missed layup away from winning with the exact rotation he went with. Hell, even if Hartwell had put his hand up on an open shooter just once instead of thinking a 5’9 guy charging at a 6’4 shooter would scare him, we probably win that game.

Now, if we get our bell rung by UW then maybe you’d have a point. But last night is certainly not evidence of poor minute management. We lost by essentially one possession with the entire team minus Ticket playing like shit.

 

[GMUgemini]

Lol @ everyone saying Kim should’ve rotated more. We were one less turnover or one Oduro missed layup away from winning with the exact rotation he went with. Hell, even if Hartwell had put his hand up on an open shooter just once instead of thinking a 5’9 guy charging at a 6’4 shooter would scare him, we probably win that game.

Now, if we get our bell rung by UW then maybe you’d have a point. But last night is certainly not evidence of poor minute management. We lost by essentially one possession with the entire team minus Ticket playing like shit.

They also win if Oduro makes 2 of 3 FTs and XJ makes the front end of the 1 and 1 he missed. They could have given up that last three and still been up 1.

Still 21 TOs is what did it. And maybe you yank some players who are shooting 1-6 from 3 and have 5 TOs? Maybe. But you probably also lose that game too.

 

[GSII]

How many points off of turnovers did JMU Have?

 

[GMUgemini]

How many points off of turnovers did JMU Have?

JMU had 22. Mason had 21

 

[dr. gunnie]

If our fans who attended would have done some coordinated cheers, we would have won. As usual, I blame Jollay.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

If our fans who attended would have done some coordinated cheers, we would have won. As usual, I blame Jollay.

LOL coordinated cheers after a Bojangles tailgate

 

[gmubrian]

Here is my take on the game. I know I am coming late to this conversation. I was at the game, got home late and have been busy until now (I just finished packing for South Dakota and I am heading to the airport as soon as I post this):

First, let me caveat that it is harder to “see the whole picture” sitting right behind the bench and if you combine that with the fact that I know nothing about basketball, take this with a grain of salt.

We couldn’t get it inside to Josh and he missed some easy shots that should have gone in.
We couldn’t seem drive that much.
I think a improved PG ball handling could have helped us a little bit.
I thought we played pretty decent D overall, though, we had some lapses where it was a little sloppy after we made some big plays on the offensive end.
Ticket is a freak athlete!
JMU has definitely improved their in-game atmosphere.
I am happy and laughing at the same time that we are back to wishing that a player named Gray gets off the bench more.
I didn’t notice that any of our players with a lack of energy.

My biggest take away that seems to be mostly overlooked so far that we need to give credit where credit is due.
From my point JMU played great, in your face defense for almost the entire game.
I think some are making the same mistake as MD fans after our win that they just played poorly when I thought we played pretty good defense against MD.
I hated throughout the entire Final 4 run that everyone said that the team we played had an off night when defense was our specialty, so maybe our defense is what made them have a bad night.
I think the same thing applies to the Madison game (in reverse).

If we need to do one thing based on this game, it is to work on our offensive execution in the face of a high pressure defense.

 

[GMU79]

Here is my take on the game. I know I am coming late to this conversation. I was at the game, got home late and have been busy until now (I just finished packing for South Dakota and I am heading to the airport as soon as I post this):

First, let me caveat that it is harder to “see the whole picture” sitting right behind the bench and if you combine that with the fact that I know nothing about basketball, take this with a grain of salt.

We couldn’t get it inside to Josh and he missed some easy shots that should have gone in.
We couldn’t seem drive that much.
I think a improved PG ball handling could have helped us a little bit.
I thought we played pretty decent D overall, though, we had some lapses where it was a little sloppy after we made some big plays on the offensive end.
Ticket is a freak athlete!
JMU has definitely improved their in-game atmosphere.
I am happy and laughing at the same time that we are back to wishing that a player named Gray gets off the bench more.
I didn’t notice that any of our players with a lack of energy.

My biggest take away that seems to be mostly overlooked so far that we need to give credit where credit is due.
From my point JMU played great, in your face defense for almost the entire game.
I think some are making the same mistake as MD fans after our win that they just played poorly when I thought we played pretty good defense against MD.
I hated throughout the entire Final 4 run that everyone said that the team we played had an off night when defense was our specialty, so maybe our defense is what made them have a bad night.
I think the same thing applies to the Madison game (in reverse).

If we need to do one thing based on this game, it is to work on our offensive execution in the face of a high pressure defense.

GMUBrian, I think you are the one that said I had a "terrible take" in my post when I said the loss to JMU took some of the shine off our UMD win. I still don't think it was a terrible take, but I admit it was a disappointment of the moment take. You are right, it was a great win, and one of the best in our history, and with the JMU loss fading further into the past, I'm now appreciating the win's significance, both for this season as well as for things going forward.
My bad, friend.

 

[tblack33]

GMUBrian, I think you are the one that said I had a "terrible take" in my post when I said the loss to JMU took some of the shine off our UMD win. I still don't think it was a terrible take, but I admit it was a disappointment of the moment take. You are right, it was a great win, and one of the best in our history, and with the JMU loss fading further into the past, I'm now appreciating the win's significance, both for this season as well as for things going forward.
My bad, friend.

Now kith.

 

[GMU79]

Now kith.

Didn't know you were up on your Olde English! Well done, Of kith and kin!
Right on!

 

[GSII]

The JMU game was a rock fight and they deserved to win. However, we could of won and we'd be saying how lucky we were to win. If Oduro finishes, gets a few more touches, more aggressive we win, luckily. On to the next.