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Topic: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Topic: Did this team get better as the season went on?

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FearLeon
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Member Since: 3/12/2005
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Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 11:55:11 AM

Below is what I wrote after witnessing the Memphis debacle in person. 3 months later, I think we have our answers to some of these questions.

Did this team get tougher as the season went on? Did Christian make better in-game decisions as the season went on? It's perplexing how Baltic an Kellogg pulled disappearing acts in several games This team benefitted from a horrible MAC conference or the record could have been a lot worse.

Count me in with the majority of people on this board who have serious questions about Christian moving forward. I just have a hard time believing that a Groce "Don't Flinch" team lays an egg like this in a MAC Championship game.

Christian: 0-8 against quality opponents
0-1 against Winthrop

December 6, 2012

That was a fun trip (sarcasm).

Walking out of the FedEx Forum on Wednesday night a Tigers fan turned to me and said, "Is that really the same team that nearly made the Elite 8 last March?"

My response: "I don't know which team that was?"

Through 8 games, this team has no identity. Where is the toughness? I hate throwing around the word "soft", but it applies here. One suggestion...fly in Tommy Freeman and let him show these guys how to step in the lane and take a charge. Somebody has to be willing to take one for the team.

I don't think OHIO committed one hard foul on Wednesday night. Everything is ticky-tack and way too many fouls 35 feet away from the basket. I also remember on 3 occasions when a Memphis player had nowhere to go under the hoop. They were forced to attempt a circus, reverse lay-up and we ended up slapping them on the wrist and getting whistled for a foul. Why? Poor court awareness.

Rebounding. The numbers don't lie. Alarming to say the least.

There was a lot of on-court bickering between players and horrible body language throughout the game. Confidence is clearly lacking and Christian needs to nip this in the bud. I was disappointed by Christian's lack of emotion and anger on the bench. This team lacked energy and focus and I actually thought Christian should have took a technical foul. Anything to try and energize the team.

With all this said, I'm not ready to push the panic button. In 2009, I traveled to Pittsburgh and saw a similar performance when OHIO lost a December game to Pitt by 26 points. That team went onto beat Georgetown the following March.

Better to lay an egg in December than March. This team has been humbled. I'm really curious to see how Christian handles it from here.

PS No more ally-oops to Baltic when you have a 4-on-1 break. A lay-up also counts as 2 points.

Last Edited: 3/17/2013 12:00:02 PM by FearLeon

#BleedGreen #TrentIsGOAT

Bhugh24
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 50

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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 1:41:55 PM

You are incorrect about majority of people on the board having serious concerns about Christian moving forward. You and only a few others have voiced real concern.

The majority is behind the coach. There was a poll a couple of weeks ago and it was like 30-1 people supportive of coach.

Gallia Cat
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Member Since: 7/11/2010
Post Count: 938

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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 1:57:26 PM

Bhugh24 wrote:

I agree. I am supportive and I think Christian will do a great job. It seems that John Croce and Christians have different styles and I actually believe that is why they did not really sync as the season went on. His Kent State team were always solid underneath and seem to always win the rebound battle. Groce (who I think is a great coach) did not seem to worry as much about winning the battle of the boards. I think moving forward you are going to see Ohio move to an inside offensive game and not so guard oriented so I would assume we will see a little different recruiting focus.

One final observation is I was amazed at the Ohio fan turnout last night! No other school in this conference travels to the MAC tournament like Ohio fans do! So Proud!

That one crazy fan
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Location: Iowa City, IA
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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 1:59:36 PM

FearLeon wrote:

I just have a hard time believing that a Groce "Don't Flinch" team lays an egg like this in a MAC Championship game.

I love how we keep citing how a Groce team would not have lost a game that matters. I've said this in other threads but I'm going to say it again. We lost in the 2nd round of the MAC during the 2010-2011 season (with this very same seasoned group of veterans). The 2nd freaking round to Ball State. A bunch of people heavily criticized Groce then and had "serious doubts" about the future of our program. Keep that in mind the next time you try to compare someone with Groce when it's their first year at the school.

The opposing team sucks!

Bhugh24
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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 2:12:59 PM

Donuts
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Member Since: 9/22/2010
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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 2:53:57 PM

Don't flinch.

Don't flinch if we resort to taking a player we rag on Akron for taking to make magical run in 2010.

Don't flinch while we watch Cooper throw in magical shots in 2012 against Akron.

Just goes to show how a nice catchphrase can go a long way in solidifying a reputation.

We were up three at halftime. Unless Christian went around the locker room and hit each player in their shooting arm, the 20 minute meltdown to end the game was on the veterans.

FearLeon
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Post Count: 4,715

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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 4:18:02 PM

Ringo wrote:

FearLeon wrote:

I just have a hard time believing that a Groce "Don't Flinch" team lays an egg like this in a MAC Championship game.

Groce inherited an ILLINI team that wasn't supposed to be very good (not his players) and turned them into an NCAA team in his first year.

When you inherit a Sweet 16 team with its top 10 players back, you can't lose by 20 in the MAC Championship game to a team that lost the 2nd best point guard in the league. Walt Offutt hinted in the presser that something was missing with OHIO all year. These guys never bought into what Christian was selling.

#BleedGreen #TrentIsGOAT

Ozcat
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Member Since: 1/4/2005
Location: Gahanna, OH
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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 4:36:03 PM

FearLeon wrote:

Groce inherited an ILLINI team that wasn't supposed to be very good (not his players) and turned them into an NCAA team in his first year.

That team also features a bunch of guards that fit pretty well in his system. And that team was very much similar to our squad last season. A few big wins (Gonzaga, IU, OSU) and some perplexing losses (Northwestern, Purdue, and to a lesser degree Iowa).

The JC criticism continues to amaze me. The guy guides us to our first MAC title in almost two decades, and he sucks? Please.

doubledribble
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Member Since: 10/6/2010
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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 5:29:31 PM

Fear Leon, you are so far off base with your your posts that they do not even deserve comment or rebutal. Start following another program so Bobcats do not have to read your bull#@$&.!
This team improved all season long. We won three games at the end of the season, two on the road, that last years team would not have won. We did not catch lightning in a bottle in the tournament, and got beat by a quality team. A couple of our kids did not have their best game with them on Saturday.....that happens in college basketball. Please subscribe to Hawk Talk, or possibly the Eastern Michigans web site and take your consistent "ANTI- COACH" themes with you.

FearLeon
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Member Since: 3/12/2005
Post Count: 4,715

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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 6:37:03 PM

doubledribble wrote:

Fear Leon, you are so far off base with your your posts that they do not even deserve comment or rebutal. Start following another program so Bobcats do not have to read your bull#@$&;.!
This team improved all season long. We won three games at the end of the season, two on the road, that last years team would not have won. We did not catch lightning in a bottle in the tournament, and got beat by a quality team. A couple of our kids did not have their best game with them on Saturday.....that happens in college basketball. Please subscribe to Hawk Talk, or possibly the Eastern Michigans web site and take your consistent "ANTI- COACH" themes with you.

DD,

I hope you are right about what I saw out of Christian in his first season. Hopefully, this time next year, Christian will prove me wrong. Trust me, I hope it happens.

Don't worry, I'm not heading over to Hawk Talk or Eastern Michigan's site. I'm a passionate alum who has traveled to many games over the past 24 years. Just like Bornacat, I believe this program has the ability to take it to the next level and be a consistent NCAA Tournament player. Is Christian the guy to get it done? Only time will tell, but right now, there seems to be a disconnect between his style of coaching and his players. Perhaps this changes when he brings in his own "guys" starting next season.

0-7 in 2012-2013 vs Top 100 teams speaks volumes.

#BleedGreen #TrentIsGOAT

JSF
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Member Since: 1/29/2005
Location: Houston, TX
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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 6:44:05 PM

He's going to be here at least three more seasons. Might as well hope for the best.

"Loyalty to a hometown or city is fleeting and interchangeable, but college is a stamp of identity."- Kyle Whelliston, One Beautiful Season.

My blog about depression and mental illness: https://bit.ly/3buGXH8

FearLeon
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Member Since: 3/12/2005
Post Count: 4,715

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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 6:47:47 PM

JSF wrote:

He's going to be here at least three more seasons. Might as well hope for the best.

And I am Dragon...it's all we can do.

#BleedGreen #TrentIsGOAT

redrustler
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Member Since: 1/6/2005
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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 9:35:25 PM

We lost in the 2nd round of the MAC during the 2010-2011 season (with this very same seasoned group of veterans).

Unless my math is failing me, in 2010-2011, the "same seasoned groups of veterans" would have been primarily sophmores, with a couple of freshmen mixed in. I would expect improvement as they became and junior and seniors.

Monroe Slavin
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Location: Oxnard, CA
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RE: Did this team get better as the season went on?

Posted: 3/17/2013 9:54:51 PM

The outlier factor removes this season from possibility for typical analysis.

It's difficult to say how much the coaches put to solving the problem. It kept showing up in games. So, that's not good.

But next year will be a much truer (word?) opportunity for judgment and analysis.

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