popsicle,
Yes, I would have expected one or more of the coaches to tell Weber to miss the 2nd FT, as there were only .6 seconds left. Oakland had a timeout, so they likely would have had enough time to call a TO and have the ball. But, they would have had at most .3 or .4 seconds. And, the player in-bounding the ball would not have been able to run the baseline. If Weber was NOT instructed to miss the 2nd FT, that to me is a mistake.
The rest of the post is for the discussion in general. My personal opinion is the Slocum era at YSU has helped improve the program, but that things have plateaued. So, the question to me is where does the administration want to go from here? It is unlikely Slocum will get fired, as YSU does not have the money to do that, plus there are more pressing matters with the school looking for a new President. Slocum does not seem to me like someone who would resign, but with the way this season ended, one never knows. I think the more likely scenario is he finishes out his contract and then steps aside.
As for the game, I have noticed that most people love to focus on the final few plays of a game, no matter what the sport. A point I have been trying to make is there are several things that happened over the course of 45 minutes that led to the outcome. I though Kampe had cost Oakland the game when he got the technical with just over 3 minutes remaining. It gave YSU 2 FT's, and Weber made both giving YSU a 75-65 lead. Those were the last points YSU scored in regulation.
Less than a minute later, Amiker made a stupid play that cost him a T. Oakland missed both FT's, but got the ball and scored, cutting the lead to 6. YSU failed to score on the next possession, and then Oakland hit a 3. On the next YSU possession, Weber made a TO and then Amiker fouled Bader while he was shooting a 3point shot. Bader made all 3 shots, and the game was tied. One can blame the coaches from now to eternity. But, that technical is on Amiker. The turnover by Weber is on him, as is the fouling of Bader on a 3 point shot.
YSU digging themselves a huge hole to start the game did not help. Yes, they made up the deficit and went ahead by as many as 10 points, but that start was horrible. I'm just not big into blaming a player, a coach or looking at just 1 or 2 plays/possessions and saying that is what won or lost a game. Especially not in basketball.
I believe teams win as a team, and lose as a team. And, the coaching staff is part of the team. Also, I think Oakland deserves some credit for not mailing it in once Kampe got that technical. And, they had players off the bench step up when 2 starters fouled out.
YSU is what they are in mens basketball. Until such time as they are able to have at least 2 players on the roster in the 6'5" - 6'8" range with some muscle, who can contribute on both offense and defense, YSU will struggle to be more than a mid-level HL team, and be around .500 against D1 teams. I do not buy the argument that these type of players are not available. I'm not talking about a kid who is 6'9" or taller, with muscle and had a stellar high school career. Slocum and his staff have done a solid job of recruiting guards, and also with taller players that play away from the basket. But, with the exception of Jack Lyles(who was in Slocum's 1st recruiting class) and Eargle, the recruitment of players that can play the power forward or center in the HL has been very disappointing.
