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Topic: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Topic: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

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Bobcat Love
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the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/13/2010 9:41:26 PM

Very nice win. Many, many high points, and very few lows.

Highs:

1. Student turnout...very good. O-zone was a force like I can't remember on a first or second Saturday in November. I think you can directly credit the Georgetown win and NCAA penetration for increasing student interest. As I told Mrs. LOVE, this is only going to get better as we get into MAC play. Very cool, should be a fun year on Richland.

2. DJ...I'm telling you, we are witnessing something very special in the offing. This kid is absolutely spectacular. Geno who? The two should never even be mentioned in the same sentence. Coop is not only the straw that stirs the drink at the point, but he's clearly a team leader on the floor. An extension of Groce. His defensive ability to cut off the passing lanes is unbelievable, throw in the quick hands and it's pure danger. Now that he's developing more confidence on the offensive end, it's just amazing. My favorite play today ties into #3, but right before the half Groce called for 2 possessions to their at about :53 left, Cooper immediately takes it to the hole for the and 1. Just like it was drawn up.

3. Groce...did a really nice job today on a couple fronts. Rotations and 2nd half adjustments. We were a completely different team out of the locker room and I liked going Baltic/Keely up front to start. Here is the rotation I go with for the short term and see what happens:

Cooper
Freeman
Baltic
Keely
Washington

1st off: Kellogg
2nd off: Sayles
3rd off: Johnson
4th off: Tunji
5th off: Hall

4. Baltic and Keely...whew, somebody put in some work in the offseason. Keely was a junkyard dog on the glass today. Just a man child in that slightly undersized frame. Really working hard the entire game in the paint and finding ways to accept the entry passes. Baltic looks leaner and more muscular and looks very comfortable with his back to the basket. Both have a TON more confidence in this, their 2nd year in the program. However, both looked confused a couple times and relied on ability to pull them through as opposed to the script. Delaware was playing tough, but not as tough as Akron and Kent will be down the road. These guys are going to have to maintain their focus through the long slog - and no doubt - having DVW will be a huge help. But great to see these guys improving their games from year 1 to year 2.

5. Tunji and Sayles....I think we really missed "energy minutes" last year. It's clear Groce has strong confidence in Tunji, enough where he was a strong part of the 11 man rotation today. He brings a lot of good energy and tempo to the floor, which we sorely needed during some lulls...but definitely needs to work on his shot. Maybe the flattest FT stroke I've seen. Sayles, just glad to have him back. Needs to keep his confidence up after he missed a couple 3's today, but hit a couple nice mid-range shots. Nice minutes on Defense. Just need him to be a team guy when DVW, Keely, and Ivo need blows.

The Lows: (I can't even call them lows. None of this is negative, but relative to the high's, there are some things to improve upon)

1. Freeman: Hard to call it a low, because he did so many things right that won't show up on the stat sheet, but just didn't have the offensive impact that we've come to expect. Took a while to get going and the stroke still looks good. I'm not worried in the least, just wanted to see a few more big bombs from him today. He'll be fine.

2. The Freshmen: Raw and confused. But again, Freshmen Kellogg looked pretty nervous, Johnson looked out of synch, Hall was quiet, and Jacobs was really raw. It's funny because I see a lot of Keely and Baltic in all of them, and the development on display by those two was astonishing today, so I feel great about the future. I would say in order right now, Johnson is probably the most ready to play NOW....Kellogg has a chance to be the steadiest 4 year player....Hall may be the most talented....and Ethan may have the biggest single year down the road. Best I can surmise.

3. Officiating: Stunk. Plain and simple. There were some awful calls (the over and back, gimme a break) and the one ref has been bad since Armstrong walked on the moon. Just lousy MAC officiating. Really questioning if they even knew the rules out there. Freeman took a blatant charge that went as a block. Multiple fouls given 2 shots not in the act of shooting. Cooper awarded some kind of NBA continuation nonsense for an And 1. Just funny business out there. Delaware Coach should have taken his T earlier, and probably should have added another for good measure.

4. The jackals that sit behind me. Were NOT funny last year, and are NOT funny this year. Just tons of gum flapping and personal insults to the Refs and other players. Sad. Really sad. Mrs. LOVE had to hold me back a couple times, and if anyone cares to observe - it's going to get ugly again this year. Bunch of trash giving my school a bad name and I'm not going to sit by and listen to it, nor am I going to have others subjected to it. Sorry for standing up for something....but it has to happen. Others can chime in that hear these idiots.

That's all. Great to be back in the Convo. CANNOT WAIT for Monday night vs. Oakland. Should be fun to have Devaughn back in uniform. Will give us a completely different complexion out there.

JSF
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/13/2010 10:06:27 PM

You're thinking of Terry Wymer, Love. And I know Tunji has worked a ton on his free throw shot.

Hope the second half is more this team than the first... shooting was bad (at least until we started actually getting the ball inside), but a 10.8% turnover rate is fantastic. Pretty much agree with everything you said. Offensive rebounding percentage was 28.6%, which is probably the highest it'll be all year.

93 possessions today. That's insanely fast.

"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

Ohio Here
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/13/2010 10:28:46 PM

Baltic and Keely were plan awesome today, but Monday will be a true test. Oakland has a NBA caliber post player. Time to see what we got.

Great win today, loved the second half adjustments. That wins games.

anorris
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/13/2010 10:32:51 PM

Summed it up well, Love. I was very happy with student turnout for a November afternoon game -- felt like we were in conference play already. If that is a fair number of freshman students' first experience with the program, I have to think we gained a few fans this afternoon.

Also, Baltic and Keely clearly worked their butts off this offseason. Good to see them making some marked improvements and making an impact. Best part is that I can still see plenty of room for both to grow.

Last Edited: 11/13/2010 10:34:16 PM by anorris

TriciaOU
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/13/2010 10:37:31 PM

I agree on all points, aside from some d-bag who stood on front of me until anorris kindly asked him to move, I thought it was a great atmosphere on the Convo today. Can't wait until Monday!!

LOVE-- Where was your green jacket?? :)

Go Bobcats!

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Pataskala
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/13/2010 10:49:06 PM

A good solid performance for the first outing. We learned more about the Cats against Delaware than Akron fans learned about the Zips against D-III Milliken.

We will get by.
We will get by.
We will get by.
We will survive.

Jeff McKinney
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/13/2010 11:19:07 PM

Speaking of Terry Wymer and MAC refs...I happened to see that our old friend JERRY SAUDER called the Bryant vs. Kent State game today (a 90-49 Kent victory). I'm sure "Mr. Clean" brought back lots of memories for TOS.

I basically agree with the tone and content of most peoples' posts about the game. Lots of good stuff to notice. If the freshmen can improve a few things, especially shot selection, watch out...This freshman class could be really stellar.

SEohiocat
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 6:13:31 AM

Love, Very nice post. In particular, your observations about Keely and Baltic. They are now true power forwards in that great OU tradition. Hope the Oakland game has the student energy. The band wont be there, they have their Ohio Theater concert. Hopefully, the students will be back , they really were almost at January strength and energy.

OU_Country
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 8:12:39 AM

What Love said about Cooper echoes what I said in the early second half. It's truly a treat to watch DJ play almost every time he plays. 25 and 7 with 5 boards from the point. Gotta love that.

UpSan Bobcat
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 10:24:54 AM

Keely and Baltic providing some offense was great to see. Last year, their moves in the post were limited. Both of them had some nice power and finesse moves. With the players we lost, I was concerned we weren't going to have anyone who could create their own offense, outside of Cooper, but that did not look like a problem today. It looks like we should get a lot more post scoring than we did last year.

bobcat2nc
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 10:42:02 AM

I agree with all the above. Loved the second half adjustments. 1 and 1/2 minutes into second half Cooper had a steal, a basket, and 2 terrific assists. Set the tone for the rest of the game.

Bobcat Love
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 11:20:36 AM

By the way, weird goosebumps for me during intro's yesterday...

"FROM KANSAS CITY MISSOURI......" - LOVE hearing that in the convo from KC boy to KC boy.

Really cool.

Alan Swank
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 12:05:33 PM

Bobcat Love wrote:

By the way, weird goosebumps for me during intro's yesterday...

"FROM KANSAS CITY MISSOURI......" - LOVE hearing that in the convo from KC boy to KC boy.

Really cool.

Was in KC yesterday so I missed the game so thanks for the play by play love. I'll be down to see you Monday to help out with the moron loudmouths behind you.

Joe McKinley
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 3:48:16 PM

Bobcat Love wrote:

I continue to be impressed by the O Zone this academic year -- the students were great at the football games and very engaged at the volleyball match I was able to attend. I agree 100% with BL about yesterday's showing. If our students can keep this up it will only add to the homecourt advantage.

Alan Swank
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 5:26:11 PM

Agreed Joe. Unfortunately they're only here for two more games and then they'll be back in January. Big crowds throughout December which we'll have when we go to semesters would give this team support and confidence.

Jeff McKinney
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 5:46:23 PM

Bobcat Love wrote:

By the way, weird goosebumps for me during intro's yesterday...

"FROM KANSAS CITY MISSOURI......" - LOVE hearing that in the convo from KC boy to KC boy.

Really cool.

Makes it even better with Sweet Lou Horvath's melodious tones...

Also, agree with everyone on the Ozone...it was in excellent, mid-season form yesterday. Hope this is a sign of excellent attendance to come during the conference season.

Jeff McKinney
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 5:47:33 PM

TriciaOU wrote:

Glad anorris was able to get the Dragon out of your way.

OU-Barker
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 7:00:15 PM

Jeff McKinney wrote:

TriciaOU wrote:

Glad anorris was able to get the Dragon out of your way.

I heard the winged one was getting a little riled up during the game. I got stuck having to sit near the band and didn't get to sit in my normal seat. Cannot wait till Monday. Team looked really good, see what the big test on Monday brings.

FearLeon
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 7:37:16 PM

The LOVE brings it strong after every game. It's the first post I go to after every game. Excellent analysis. The FROSH were a little nervous, which was expected. Can't wait to see this group improve 10 games from now.

#BleedGreen #TrentIsGOAT

Voice of Reason
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 7:53:15 PM

Let's give some props to the Marketing staff for the student crowds this year. They have been way better for football this season and they are impressing early in bball. I know I saw the marketing staff hard at work at all the summer orientations getting freshman signed up.

We love to be critical on this board, so I want to be fair and give them props when it is due.

Doc Bobcat
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/14/2010 8:17:34 PM

2. DJ...I'm telling you, we are witnessing something very special in the offing. This kid is absolutely spectacular. Geno who? The two should never even be mentioned in the same sentence. Coop is not only the straw that stirs the drink at the point, but he's clearly a team leader on the floor. An extension of Groce. His defensive ability to cut off the passing lanes is unbelievable, throw in the quick hands and it's pure danger. Now that he's developing more confidence on the offensive end, it's just amazing. My favorite play today ties into #3, but right before the half Groce called for 2 possessions to their at about :53 left, Cooper immediately takes it to the hole for the and 1. Just like it was drawn up.

What Love said.

Could be Ohio's best point guard ever.

Was Walter Luckett a point guard?

giacomo
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/15/2010 9:18:42 AM

I made the trip from PA to attend the game. I was very impressed with Baltic and Keely. I like Keely's little jump hook and Baltic had some very nice moves around the basket. Cooper will be the diference maker this year. He has so much quickness and smarts. Plus he is so confident that he instills that in his teammates. Is Freeman hurt? He never looked to shoot and looked like he had lead in his boots.

Unlike some others, I was not impressed with the crowd. If that was a good crowd, we have low expectations for attendence. The students were vocal, for how many were there,but not enough in my opinion. The band was great.

After the game my wife and I took a stroll through the campus and uptown. Sad to see the old Baker Center being gutted. I always enjoyed hanging out there. It had a classic feel about it that the new one will never have, despite it's glitziness. We were very disappointed in what uptown has become. Back in my day, uptown Athens was the hub of commerce for the area. It was used by the townspeople and the students and had a very diverse mix of stores and eateries. Now, it appears that it's just for students and fast food joints and bars. The commerce has moved on the fringes where Wall Mart and such are located. Not unusual for most of America, but Athens was slower to adopt the trends that have killed Main Street USA. My last visit was in 2004 and it was changing then, but the change was very stark this past visit. Kind of sad. I can only image what the changes must be like to someone that went to school in the decades before we did.

JSF
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/15/2010 10:50:37 AM

You might be the only one that misses old Baker.

OUVan
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/15/2010 11:34:05 AM

Bobcat Dragon wrote:

You might be the only one that misses old Baker.

I should add that when I was in town a couple of weeks ago and saw that Baker was closed I was disappointed but after walking through the new student center I didn't miss it at all. The new place is spectacular and makes for an easy walk to Peden, Byrd and the Convo. I was told by more than one person that weekend that the new place has the only escalators in Athens County. That should be worth something. ;)

John C. Wanamaker
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RE: the LOVE's thoughts on today's game....

Posted: 11/15/2010 11:36:14 AM

Not just Athens county, but Meigs, Hocking, Vinton, Scioto are all devoid of that modern tech!

"Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half."

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