It's games like this that make you appreciate this team because even though they didn't play well they still won and isn't winning what it is all about. Also years past we would have lost this game but guts and defense made it possible for the win thank you coach Mullins for installing a winning culture
I'd much rather be upset about an ugly win than be mad about a loss. Means people's expectations are being raised and that's a good thing for the program.
Agreed, it is a good thing, because the objective is to build the program back to the point where home wins against teams like Evansville are a given and strong performances like we got at Hinkle on Monday are no surprise.
@salukiworld I am not upset I am thrilled they found a way to win something that has been missing for years this team is growing and I am sure their will be disappointments but not today
This was the kind of game where having a crowd may have really helped. Just a lethargic outing, which happens sometimes, but Southern was lucky Evansville is a bad team because it was a performance that wouldn't cut it against a good opponent. And it would have been nice to be in control and get guys like Butler and Long some PT. I would have been tempted to put Butler in for a few minutes today to see if he could provide some needed energy, as no one other than Jones in the second half had much.
Harvey is in a funk; I'll be interested to see how quickly he can bounce back. And there are a few other guys, especially D'Avanzo and Verplanken, who could use a good game soon to get a little mojo going.
I was thinking the same thing and Reis said the same thing to Mullins postgame. There were points when SIU went on runs and fans could have gotten loud and pushed them to a win earlier in the game but Evansville kept hanging around until the end.
Seems to me that last year, despite going 0-fer the Valley, E-ville was annoyingly good at "hanging around until the end." Or maybe that was just a game or two.
I think Lickliter is doing a decent job with the pieces he has.
(Inflammatory political snark)
.Austinsaluki posted:
...E-ville was annoyingly good at "hanging around until the end." Or maybe that was just a game or two.
Excellent comment.
"Nov 12, 2019 — Evansville pulled off the biggest upset of the young season on Tuesday, going into Rupp Arena and knocking off Kentucky, 67-64."
This was an awful game to watch. We are going to have some bad days, especially with the amount of youth on the team. Extremely grateful that we were just good enough to pull out a win yesterday. I expect a better game today for SIU.
I expect Evansville will give us another tough game, especially after having time to make adjustments. They prove they can shoot the 3 against us and they could easily go on a tear and pull off the upset. I just hope the Dawgs can find their shooting touch again and relax a bit more at the FT line so we don't have a repeat of the nail biter we had yesterday when we missed so many freebies at the end of the game.
.Austinsaluki posted:
...E-ville was annoyingly good at "hanging around until the end." Or maybe that was just a game or two.
Excellent comment.
"Nov 12, 2019 — Evansville pulled off the biggest upset of the young season on Tuesday, going into Rupp Arena and knocking off Kentucky, 67-64."
Yep...how could THAT happen and then they don't win a single game in the MVC that year?
I listened to most of the game yesterday and sure sounded to me like they were in a funk yesterday, or off kilter as previously mentioned. And with a starting rotation of mostly Freshman and Sophomores that will happen from time-to-time. Heck it can - and will - happen with a very seasoned team too.
But the one other thing clear to me was the difference in TEAM (emphasis intentional) attitude and the direction provided from the bench. It's really nice to see this team is now led by a real basketball coach and not a .......
I have a lot more faith now in the team make-up and in future situations like yesterday will more than likely not end with an ugly loss.
Go Dawgs!
Um...didn't that hit the top of the backboard?
yeah, but as long as it comes back down in bounds you keep playing, they changed that rule a couple years ago.
Thanks for the rules change explanation. I saw something similar in an OSU game a week ago or so and thought that I had just witnessed some freak physics phenomena when the teams had played on.
Go Dawgs!
Um...didn't that hit the top of the backboard?
yeah, but as long as it comes back down in bounds you keep playing, they changed that rule a couple years ago.
Thanks for the rules change explanation. I saw something similar in an OSU game a week ago or so and thought that I had just witnessed some freak physics phenomena when the teams had played on.
Yes, thanks--I was unaware of that change.
(Inflammatory political snark)
Harvey's minutes have diminished lately. I think it might be his defense. Mullin's has subbed him out earlier in last few games. I have noticed some times his man has blown right by him. Yesterday Mullin's didn't put him back in until Aces started fouling at the end of the game but he was subbed out every time on defense. This is a problem because he is a great scorer and our leading rebounder but Mullin's expects tough defensive play. He looked a little discouraged yesterday and even his shots weren't falling. I hope he can change things around. We need him on the floor.
.Austinsaluki posted:
...E-ville was annoyingly good at "hanging around until the end." Or maybe that was just a game or two.
Excellent comment.
"Nov 12, 2019 — Evansville pulled off the biggest upset of the young season on Tuesday, going into Rupp Arena and knocking off Kentucky, 67-64."
Yep...how could THAT happen and then they don't win a single game in the MVC that year?
They lost Deandre Williams to a back issue I believe; he is an NBA-level talent that's now at Memphis I think.
.Austinsaluki posted:
...E-ville was annoyingly good at "hanging around until the end." Or maybe that was just a game or two.
Excellent comment.
"Nov 12, 2019 — Evansville pulled off the biggest upset of the young season on Tuesday, going into Rupp Arena and knocking off Kentucky, 67-64."
Yep...how could THAT happen and then they don't win a single game in the MVC that year?
They lost Deandre Williams to a back issue I believe; he is an NBA-level talent that's now at Memphis I think.
They were 9-4 when McCarty resigned. They didn't win a game past that point
Harvey's minutes have diminished lately. I think it might be his defense. Mullin's has subbed him out earlier in last few games. I have noticed some times his man has blown right by him. Yesterday Mullin's didn't put him back in until Aces started fouling at the end of the game but he was subbed out every time on defense. This is a problem because he is a great scorer and our leading rebounder but Mullin's expects tough defensive play. He looked a little discouraged yesterday and even his shots weren't falling. I hope he can change things around. We need him on the floor.
I think you are spot on with your observation. Harvey needs to up his defensive skills. To let guys blow by you, like has happened enough times to let opposing teams know it is a possible weakness which to exploit, tells me that Ben is not as focused in on his defense much as he thinks he is. I don't think he is loafing, I just think that any Saluki wants to be at the level of a Bryan Mullins has to give 110% effort. Anybody who witnessed how Mullins played defense when he was a Saluki can understand the intensity he is after. I think Harvey is as fast as Bryan was, so it is not matter that Harvey can't keep up with most of the players he is assigned. When he played D1, Mullins had great court awareness, and like a great chess player who thinks a few moves in advance, he seldom got fooled with where the ball was going or who was the secondary threat. Can you coach such a thing, or is it just something you are born with instinctively? Until Harvey ups his D, maybe others will take his minutes.
