YSU Central MI MBB

[mudclods]

YSU wins 84-77 and finally beats a MAC school.  Wasn't a typical win for YSU as they had to shoot very well to win as they struggled on the defensive end allowing CMU to shoot 55% and make 10 3-PT; however YSU was a tick at 56% and made a season high 11 3PT.  Typically these are the games YSU lose. 

I didn't like how either half started for YSU as they pretty much got outscored by 5 in both halfs early on.     Olison & Cohill were tremendous both scoring over 20.  Can't figure out why Myles Hunter can't get going.  Thomas and Agoro played well off the bench.  Not a good game for Shemar as he turned the ball over 4 times in just 15 mins of action.

YSU opened as a 10-pt favorite and it climbed to 12-12.5.  That seemed pretty high to me.  I realize CMU entered at 1-7 but 5 of their losses were to Gonzaga, Kentucky, Xavier, DePaul & Missouri! 

Up next is Canisius on Saturday.  Canisius is just 2-8 and have lost 4 straight including tonight by 13 to NKU.  They lost to CSU by 10 earlier this year, but only lost to Miami by 10 and St. Bonaventure by 9. 

[ucfpengbuck]

Pretty much what Mud said .   Cohill and Olison are finding their game with one being out last season with an injury and the other moving to d1 from naia.  Need  cosistent production from those two every game.

Would like to see more minutes for Owen Long and Chris Shelton.   I think coach was frustrated with Mayes' turnovers and gave the minutes to Chicone .  Mayes for some reason likes to attack the basket against the bigs a little too often which usually doesn't go well.  It's good for him to attack and get to the hoop but he needs to be smarter about when to do it.

[Double ET]

Mayes tried too hard to force himself driving into the defense through the middle without any passing outlets.
While, Chicone, being a freshman, played to his limit and tried not force the action. Miles Hunter has not shown me anything this year. I would like to see more minutes for Ogoro and Long.

I believe YSU might have lost both Wisconsin games if they shot FT like the YSU team in the past. Chicone shot 80+ % in high school and he missed 2 in row (1+1) last night.

I also noticed when players were lining up to shake hands that CMU players were so much taller than our team. They must have two 7 footers on their team.

[mudclods]

Agree on the above on Shemar.  He can be excellent at times and has shot the ball well from 3, but can be erratic.  He reminds me of DQ driving to the lane, but DQ had more size and height.

Chicone has done a nice job handling the ball, but would like to see him shoot better at just 1-5 from 3 and only 5-9 from the line.  His one turnover late was a potential 4-point swing as CMU was probably going to foul and instead turned it over and he fouled them.  So it could have been a 12-point lead that would have sealed it, but it instead was an 8-point lead that gave CMU a little life.

I think Coach Calhoun had said CMU was one biggest teams they would play all year.  They had 3 at 6'11 and 2 at 6'10.   

[Double ET]

Coach Calhoun must like shorter and more athletic players than taller slower players.
I still remember Mike Rice brought in the 7’4”” guy whom we nick named “Ricky Standstill”. As tall as he was, he didn’t have much of an inside game.
I think Bobby Haines was the last good big guy we had. Unfortunately, his career was cut short due to injury.

[ucfpengbuck]

Hain was 6-10 and Jorden Kaufman was 7-0 .  Kaufman wasn't going to beat  anyone in a foot race but he played ok his sr year.  Coach Calhoun did have John Salley who was 6-11 although he was a walk on.  The last big men that he recruited were 6-9 Olamide Pedersen and  6-8 Cheick Traore who are both playing sub D1 basketball.

This season Jacori Owens at 6-9 is our tallest player and still haven't got a read on what he brings due to lack of minutes.

[Double ET]

Hain was 6-10 and Jorden Kaufman was 7-0 .  Kaufman wasn't going to beat  anyone in a foot race but he played ok his sr year.  Coach Calhoun did have John Salley who was 6-11 although he was a walk on.  The last big men that he recruited were 6-9 Olamide Pedersen and  6-8 Cheick Traore who are both playing sub D1 basketball.

This season Jacori Owens at 6-9 is our tallest player and still haven't got a read on what he brings due to lack of minutes.

Wow, I completely forgot about Kaufman and his last second layup to beat Oakland at the buzzer.

[IAA Fan]

I agree with what is being said. I mean this was a 1-7 team and we should not have struggled. I think that the players may have felt the same way. They said that CMU scored 13 of the first 17-points of the second half. I was thinking we would balloon our 13 point lead into 20+ and we lost most all of it.

Ironically, CMU had all the big guys, but it was their two short transfers from Horizon member UIC that killed us. We could not stop them inside and they sure stopped us inside early in both halves.

[mudclods]

I was disappointed Salley didn't stay in the program.  I think it's always nice to have the ability to put a big man in even if he's not the most athletic especially against some teams.  Hain was tremendous and his injury was nearly as deflating as Covington's.  Kaufman definitely improved every year.  I wish we could get some more mins out of Jamir but i'm not sure about his stamina let alone his foul troubles.  I thought Ola had a chance to be something special the way he started off but he was never right after his injuries.

As I said earlier, Wednesday's game wasn't a typical YSU win, those are usually the games YSU loses but thankfully shot lights out.  Those first 3 possessions CMU beat the press so easily and pretty spotted them 6 points.  I think YSU got lax in the 2nd half and thought they had it under control.  When YSU built the lead to 13 I really thought it was going to be at least an 18-point victory.  CMU really played like a team in the their first year with a new coach.   

I really believe YSU is 7-1 right now with Covington and absolute worst case 6-2 but I don't believe they would have lost either of the MTE games, definitely not SIUE and can't imagine the lackluster performance and not being able to score against Niagara.  Shame of it is, YSU probably would have had a hell of shot to be 9-1 heading into the WVU game

[YSUGO]

I watched the 14 minutes of the game first time i watched in over 2 years.  I said to myself we actually looked like a college basketball team.  After dealing with Slocum I feel we are on the right path.  It’s even tougher now the way the transfer rule is.  Sign Calhoun long term and overpay him.  I think he can get us to dance in time. 

[chezmustache]

I watched the 14 minutes of the game first time i watched in over 2 years.  I said to myself we actually looked like a college basketball team.  After dealing with Slocum I feel we are on the right path.  It’s even tougher now the way the transfer rule is.  Sign Calhoun long term and overpay him.  I think he can get us to dance in time.

     I agree with YSUGO in part.  Calhoun has elevated the program from habitual doormat in the Horizon League to middle of the pack.  He has not shown the ability to take us higher.  2020 - 2021 was a disappointment.  Calhoun was in his fourth year.  He had his players.  The Penguins had a veteran starting five, with the exception of Rathan - Mays.  Horizon League coaches picked them as the number three team preseason in the league.  They finished below .500.     

     This year the Penguins are ranked 234 out of 358 Division I teams by Jeff Sagarin.  RPI has them at 273 of 358.  These are not ringing endorsements. 

     Let's take a deeper look at Sagarin. 

Our wins were against:

SEMO ranked 287 of 358
St. Thomas ranked 332
Milwaukee ranked 278
Green Bay ranked 308
Central Michigan ranked 318

Losses were to:

Penn State ranked 68
SIUE ranked 293
Niagara ranked 213

     Of eight games, the Penguins have played six against the bottom 71 teams, the lowest 20%.  And we lost one of those.  At home!  YSU's Sagarin strength of schedule is 345 of 358.  The results so far reflect uneven performance against the 14th weakest schedule in Division 1. 

     We are what our record says we are.  It does not suggest Calhoun "can get us to the dance", at least not yet.       

[ucfpengbuck]

Thank you chezmustache I feel worse.  Facts trump feelings.

[Double ET]

Thank you chezmustache I feel worse.  Facts trump feelings.

To make me feel better, how are the ladies ranked?

[ucfpengbuck]

Thank you chezmustache I feel worse.  Facts trump feelings.

To make me feel better, how are the ladies ranked?

I'm going to be the ahole poster on the women.   I hope i'm wrong but i don't see this team as some might.   Point guard works hard and is tough but very small.   Some really good outside shooter and one good post player.

Barnes has them scrapping,I just think they're like some of his past teams and once again I hope i'm wrong.   Glad they're undefeated and I'll cheer for them from afar.

[Wick250]

I'm not going to get into a war involving two YSU sports teams. I will just say that some of us enjoy watching a basketball team that has a plan, balancing an inside and an outside game. And we appreciate a team that plays hard every game, not just when they feel like it.

Nothing reinforces my last point more than the men's lackluster effort in the MTE contrasted with the women somehow taking down Milwaukee and Green Bay without their post player.