Game 8, South Fla, Dec 4th, 7 PM, MASN

[gmujim92]

Of course it was. I can't remember the last time we were on ESPN for something positive.

2011, nation's longest winning streak and cracked the top 25 during the season for the second time in five years.

Seems like a million years ago at this point....

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

While clearly the start of the run/refs were not Hewitt's fault, he took a big step toward convincing me he isn't our guy tonight.
His rotations were abyssmal in the second half, and used Okoloji (his guy) over Gray and Jenks for some reason. I also got a stare down from Houston when I screamed for a TO with Mason down 5 on a 20 point swing.
Well, F U man. You guys need to coach. And your toked up relative shouldn't have been in and taking jumpers late.
Such a shame because up till the run it was maybe the best performance of the Hewitt era, or at least post Morrison/Pearson.
Hewitt is a class guy (arm around Bryon after the game), but no excuses in year 3.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Yeah the no acountability thing too...wonder if VG would have gotten to stay in the game if he had a behind the back turnover like Marko or some of BAs careless ones?

Now I have to go murder Toms brother at poker. U know how depressing it is to drive all the way to ac after that loss and first thing u see is a spitting image of Tom when you get there?

 

[gmujim92]

I'm pretty well convinced at this point that Hewitt's assistants are not helping him in any way on game day.

Recruiting? OK. Apparently Kreider is well-regarded as a young up-and-comer on the recruiting trail, and I like most of the players we've signed during Hewitt's tenure.

But we are sorely in need of a veteran bench coach -- like Mike Deane at JMU, who brought emphasis on defense and helped Matt Brady immeasurably last season. It's no coincidence that JMU finally got organized and stopped playing like total morons long enough to win the CAA.

If Hewitt is back next season, IMHO it has to be conditional upon him being willing to kick one of these guys (Houston, perhaps?) to the curb and hire somebody who can help him manage personnel and strategy.

Not sure what Houston brings to the table anyhow. His nephew certainly has been an epic bust.

 

[Five Two]

Not sure if these have been posted, but here is the Washing Post from last night's game:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...5e9302-5d58-11e3-bc56-c6ca94801fac_story.html

 

[gmutom]

Now I have to go murder Toms brother at poker.

Good luck. He's pretty good. Hope one or both of you leave AC with some cash.

 

[gmujim92]

Good luck. He's pretty good. Hope one or both of you leave AC with some cash.

So Jollay really is playing poker with your brother? I thought he was joking about you looking like Chris Christie

 

[gmutom]

So Jollay really is playing poker with your brother? I thought he was joking about you looking like Chris Christie

Yeah, they're both playing in the Junkees tournament at the Borgata in NJ. And Chris Christie would have to grow a few inches and drop about 200 pounds for me to look like him. haha

 

[JimP]

Not sure if these have been posted, but here is the Washing Post from last night's game:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...5e9302-5d58-11e3-bc56-c6ca94801fac_story.html

I love/hate Goff's story on last night's game. I'm glad he highlighted all the embarassing stats that Mason accumulated over the final 12 minutes of the game. That 3rd paragraph says it all. He clearly believes it wasn't the refs who lost the game. 23 - 1 run by a team that couldn't make a jump shot. Ouch.

Unfortunately, Allen & Hewitt's comments focus on the technical and not the shitty play. Even if they got the tech wrong, (which I don't think they did - doesn't seem like I'm the only one) Mason was still up by 6 or 7. Isn't it coaching 101 that your team has to forget about past bad calls (or perceived to be bad calls) and focus on what it can control? Like the quality of play perhaps? Maybe we can get Goff as a coach.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Oh boy........

 

[gmutom]

Nobody is claiming the coaches and players couldn't have done a number of things better after the six-point possession. That's a given. We missed FTs, threw the ball away, jacked up idiotic shots, and our star player disappeared for six minutes. But sports are all about momentum, and it all changed on that one play.

It reminds me of the Fairfield game in the CTI a few years ago when we blew that 27-point lead in the second half or when the Redskins blew a big lead against Denver this season when it looked like they were going to win by 20 and then gave up 31 straight points. Everything is going great and then all of a sudden one or two plays completely flips the script.

Again, that doesn't excuse our meltdown. We went from playing our best basketball of the year to looking like a youth team with no composure or basketball IQ. I consider Allen and Marko to our most level-headed kids, but you knew we were in trouble when Marko dribbled behind his back in traffic and Allen got stripped at midcourt. We simply couldn't get out of our own way.

Who knows where we go from here. Hewitt might have lost the team for good last night or maybe they will set the last 10 minutes aside and realize they can actually be a decent team if they play like they did the first 30 minutes. I didn't have high hopes for us beating Oklahoma before our collapse last night, but I think we will find out what this team is made of Sunday by their effort and body language.

 

[Patriotfan49]

I don't disagree with your theory, but who would you like to see benched? We have no backup PG with Moore out, so we are limited there in terms of who we can sit. I honestly wouldn't have a problem starting Jenkins over J2. If this season is as lost as some people seem to think, we might as well get the freshman some valuable minutes instead of playing a senior who really contributes nothing on either end of the court.

To get things started off, how about AO and J2 are permanently glued to the bench. Id rather see Rudy before either one of those clowns come onto the court.

 

[gmutom]

To get things started off, how about AO and J2 are permanently glued to the bench. Id rather see Rudy before either one of those clowns come onto the court.

Yes! If you start an online petition, I will sign it immediately. Time to shake things up.

 

[Patriotfan49]

It reminds me of the Fairfield game in the CTI a few years ago when we blew that 27-point lead in the second half or when the Redskins blew a big lead against Denver this season when it looked like they were going to win by 20 and then gave up 31 straight points. Everything is going great and then all of a sudden one or two plays completely flips the script.

Again, that doesn't excuse our meltdown. We went from playing our best basketball of the year to looking like a youth team with no composure or basketball IQ. I consider Allen and Marko to our most level-headed kids, but you knew we were in trouble when Marko dribbled behind his back in traffic and Allen got stripped at midcourt. We simply couldn't get out of our own way.

Who knows where we go from here. Hewitt might have lost the team for good last night or maybe they will set the last 10 minutes aside and realize they can actually be a decent team if they play like they did the first 30 minutes. I didn't have high hopes for us beating Oklahoma before our collapse last night, but I think we will find out what this team is made of Sunday by their effort and body language.

Just for the record, there was no similarities in that game to this. Skins were not winning that game even if they were up by 30. That would be similar to us jumping out to a 12-15 point lead on Duke in the first 10 minutes. Would you really expect that to hold?

Also I disagree.. we went from playing our "best ball" back to simply playing how we normally play. The meltdown is who we are. I hate to say it, I like the guys.......but 95% of them may be mentally disabled when it comes to Bball. The idiotic moves ever single game some of them make.....are just baffling. Im afraid PH is going to do his best VV impression, he is trifling this year.

Then you combine players like that with a staff like ours.....this is what you get. BBall purgatory....

 

[Walter]

To get things started off, how about AO and J2 are permanently glued to the bench. Id rather see Rudy before either one of those clowns come onto the court.

I wouldn't play them either but please don't refer to these two guys as clowns. They are from all accounts good guys, just not good basketball players.

 

[GSII]

I don't disagree with your theory, but who would you like to see benched? We have no backup PG with Moore out, so we are limited there in terms of who we can sit. I honestly wouldn't have a problem starting Jenkins over J2. If this season is as lost as some people seem to think, we might as well get the freshman some valuable minutes instead of playing a senior who really contributes nothing on either end of the court.

Tom,
If it has to be painful in the begining to get the message across then so be it. If we have to play with four, then so be it. But the hell if we should let poor defense, bad decsions and mistakes, mental lapses keep on going. I'm sick of seeing same old shit for three seasons. Last night, after Copes had that nice block but ruined much of it by waving his finger like he is something special, then proceeds to throw the ball away trying to find PH....What does Hewitt tell him? "Don't worry about that" ARE U KIDDING ME!!!! Tell your highest rated recruit to wake up! And on his shot that almost broke the back board..... Hewitt should be pressing his buttons on working harder. Instead he comforts him? WTF...No wonder he feels he's god's gift and waives his finger b/c he blocked a shot....from behind. Prime examples of not having command of your team and coddling, instead of coaching. And hearing Coach Skeeters call this team "young" in the post game was saddening b/c I know he really means soft and stupid.

 

[GSII]

Prior to the technical Hewitt had called off the zone that was working like a charm. Seriously, that was the best defense I've seen this team play. We should just run a zone the whole game if we're going to cover that well.

Hewitt abandoned the zone and that let USF get drives, which lead to stupid fouls, easy layups, and rushed playing on the offensive end. To me, it all comes down to that zone and a) why we gave it up in the first place and b) why we never went back to it to slow the game down when it was getting chippy.

Welcome to the boards SsTn. The above is why he should be fired and why he was fired by Ga Tech.

 

[gmutom]

Just for the record, there was no similarities in that game to this. Skins were not winning that game even if they were up by 30. That would be similar to us jumping out to a 12-15 point lead on Duke in the first 10 minutes. Would you really expect that to hold?

The Skins had a two touchdown lead in the third quarter, so it's nothing like us having a 10-point lead on Duke in the first 10 minutes. As bad as the Skins are, they were controlling every facet of that game and absolutely had every opportunity to win it. My point was how quickly the momentum shifted when the Skins made a few boneheaded plays and gave Denver life.

Anyway, don't get me started on the dreadful Redskins. They depress me more than Mason basketball does right now.

 

[GSII]

Here's a real coach for ya..

"I thought from the opening jump ball they took it to us, (and) I mentioned we haven't been practicing very well and it can lead to not playing very well,'' he said. "I can't think of a time I've been more disappointed in myself, it's my job, and we looked like a softer team, that solely falls on me, nobody else.''

This is accountability. This is being pissed and not settling for medicore. This was Mike Izzo after Unc, down 2 starters, whipped the #1 team last night. Never forget, poor practice equals poor play on game day. btw..i hate unc.

 

[gmujim92]

Here's a real coach for ya..

"I thought from the opening jump ball they took it to us, (and) I mentioned we haven't been practicing very well and it can lead to not playing very well,'' he said. "I can't think of a time I've been more disappointed in myself, it's my job, and we looked like a softer team, that solely falls on me, nobody else.''

This is accountability. This is being pissed and not settling for medicore. This was Mike Izzo after Unc, down 2 starters, whipped the #1 team last night. Never forget, poor practice equals poor play on game day. btw..i hate unc.

It's Tom Izzo, but your point certainly holds.

I guarantee practice is not going to be very fun in East Lansing the next couple days.