Random observation's after attending last night's game:
Another upside to being in Conf USA and out of the Sunbelt are the better travel destinations. Picking up San Antonio, Houston, Birmingham, Virginia Beach area, and Charlotte are major upgrades to prior destinations with the exception of N.O./Lafayette.
Didn't see what the announced crowd was but could not have been more than a thousand. Of course, it is a small, private school with a lot of competition for the entertainment dollar. Very poor pep band, makes me appreciate ours even more.
Props to Rice, we rarely got a clean look at the basket, in or outside. Their scout seemed to be better than ours.
CD's incessant use of T.O.s cost us again last night. He burned his one and only TO with 3 minutes to go in the 2nd OT so when we had the ball with 17 seconds to go with a chance to tie we just had to wing it. Upshaw lost the ball and had to foul. Maddening in how we squander TO's.
Not sure I ever remember worse pick 'n roll defense than what we observed last nite in the first half. EVERY time both of our defenders went with the ball leaving the guy who set the pick free to roll toward the hoop. It got marginally better in the 2nd half but not much.
To our credit we kept battling, never gave up even though we were down from the opening tip. Seems like we were down 8 with 2.30 or so and somehow found a wat to play an extra 10 minutes.
Officiating was tiled toward them most of game but I thought we benefitted from some calls the last 15 minutes or so. I thought the calls on baskets at the end of regulation and the first OT were correct, even though they both went our way.
Went has happened to Darnell Harris? Was at a game earlier where he had 24 or 26 points. He has disappeared the past few games.
Not sure why Perrin Buford doesn't play more? Always seems to bring energy and makes things happen. He ought to start Sat night for sure.
A lot of careless TO's last night, not so much what Rice was doing.
CD went with basically the same 5 the last 12-13 minutes which I get but our guys looked gassed in the 2nd OT. Thought we could have used Giddy then though he hadn't done much earlier. We just needed a shot of energy that last period.
A game we will look back on and should have won. Regardless of whether they beat WKY last weekend. We had better talent, they just played better and smarter.
How Marcus Tarrance got the rebound in the 1st OT off the intentional free throw miss was impressive but how he got the shot off and made when he was on the baseline and sorta behind the basket was off the charts. A lot of want to in this team that doesn't always show up on the stat sheet or win column.
I think Ivey is the PG and it is his to lose. He has good basketball IQ but his lack of size can hurt him and us depending on match ups.
Ok, off to Dallas to see family and the NTexas Sat night.
Another upside to being in Conf USA and out of the Sunbelt are the better travel destinations. Picking up San Antonio, Houston, Birmingham, Virginia Beach area, and Charlotte are major upgrades to prior destinations with the exception of N.O./Lafayette.
Didn't see what the announced crowd was but could not have been more than a thousand. Of course, it is a small, private school with a lot of competition for the entertainment dollar. Very poor pep band, makes me appreciate ours even more.
Props to Rice, we rarely got a clean look at the basket, in or outside. Their scout seemed to be better than ours.
CD's incessant use of T.O.s cost us again last night. He burned his one and only TO with 3 minutes to go in the 2nd OT so when we had the ball with 17 seconds to go with a chance to tie we just had to wing it. Upshaw lost the ball and had to foul. Maddening in how we squander TO's.
Not sure I ever remember worse pick 'n roll defense than what we observed last nite in the first half. EVERY time both of our defenders went with the ball leaving the guy who set the pick free to roll toward the hoop. It got marginally better in the 2nd half but not much.
To our credit we kept battling, never gave up even though we were down from the opening tip. Seems like we were down 8 with 2.30 or so and somehow found a wat to play an extra 10 minutes.
Officiating was tiled toward them most of game but I thought we benefitted from some calls the last 15 minutes or so. I thought the calls on baskets at the end of regulation and the first OT were correct, even though they both went our way.
Went has happened to Darnell Harris? Was at a game earlier where he had 24 or 26 points. He has disappeared the past few games.
Not sure why Perrin Buford doesn't play more? Always seems to bring energy and makes things happen. He ought to start Sat night for sure.
A lot of careless TO's last night, not so much what Rice was doing.
CD went with basically the same 5 the last 12-13 minutes which I get but our guys looked gassed in the 2nd OT. Thought we could have used Giddy then though he hadn't done much earlier. We just needed a shot of energy that last period.
A game we will look back on and should have won. Regardless of whether they beat WKY last weekend. We had better talent, they just played better and smarter.
How Marcus Tarrance got the rebound in the 1st OT off the intentional free throw miss was impressive but how he got the shot off and made when he was on the baseline and sorta behind the basket was off the charts. A lot of want to in this team that doesn't always show up on the stat sheet or win column.
I think Ivey is the PG and it is his to lose. He has good basketball IQ but his lack of size can hurt him and us depending on match ups.
Ok, off to Dallas to see family and the NTexas Sat night.
