Game 11 - Tennessee

Anything and everything that is UMass Minutemen Basketball.
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econalum
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A lost 10 minutes we cannot afford

Post by econalum » Sun Jan 04, 2004 4:24 pm

This team needs to stay close and keep the effort up - when it slipped in the "3rd qtr" - they had no capacity to get more than 4 points back before UT answered, and that was the game. UT defensive effort was strong - according to the UT press they were run ragged for an extra long practice just on defense, and it showed.

I thought it was a fun game to watch - UM had its moments - but we are such an outside focused team we will not get to free throw line as much as the competition. We got an occasional second chance bucket.

On coaching side, they do not handle pressure well, perhaps we just do not have enough talent at 8 - 12 on the team to press the starters in practice. Not a coaching thing yesterday IMHO, needed 2 more players and full effort all the time, and we had a long lapse.
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fbiman
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Post by fbiman » Sun Jan 04, 2004 4:48 pm

Wiggum wrote:What? The "we're young give him time" mantra or the "he's not a very good coach and the results are indicitave of that" mantra?

Maybe if losing weren't occurring so often there would be different things to talk about other than assessing blame for continued losing or creating excuses for continued losing.
Although I can't speak on Mike's behalf, I think that he's sick and tired of all the negative talk that has permeated the board that he works so hard to maintain.

Yes, we all know that Lappas isn't getting it done. Yes, we all know what Lappas was a downgrade from Bruiser - based on a comparison of Bruiser's first three years and Lappas first three. But, for God sakes, can we please give all the whining and crying a rest???

There are no fewer than ten threads on this board that say essentially the same thing - that Lappas sucks and the program is in the toilet for the forseeable future.

I understand, as a fan and supporter, that it is frustrating, but sometimes after reading some of the crap on this board, I feel like putting my head through a wall. And I'm willing to bet that there are a lot of others here that feel as I do.
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Post by vanmeter » Sun Jan 04, 2004 5:04 pm

First of all I was pleasantly suprised by the play of Lee yesterday.

Secondly, while I personally like Lappas, looking at the program as objectively as I can, the results to date have been very dissapointing. He says the first 2 years he did not have his own players, this year they are young. The fact remains that after 2+ years we should be able to beat the likes of Hartford and Central Connecticut. We could have beaten them before he came. One only needs to look at far as URI to see what good coaching can do with other peoples players. BC lost Bell, Sydney, and Bryant yet they are 10-2. BU just beat Michigan at Michigan.

I am always hopeful and would be more than happy to write positive views, however I do not find much to be hopeful about at this point.
Also, many talk about our 1st year players, the fact that many are getting the playing time they are getting is more a reflection of the fact that we really only had 3 returning players (Vig, Lee, and AA).

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Feato
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Post by Feato » Sun Jan 04, 2004 5:33 pm

The most consistent thing about this team over the past several years is its inconsistency...it's gotta end soon or this up-and-down roller coaster ride will continue from game to game...
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Wiggum
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Post by Wiggum » Sun Jan 04, 2004 6:04 pm

I'm actually sick of people whining and crying about other people expressing their opinion. It's a messageboard. If you don't expect to hear diverging views, then you might be a bit too naive for the internet. But, don't let that stop you from posting about what other people say or commenting on their attitude if that's what you want to talk about.

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Post by UMass87 » Sun Jan 04, 2004 6:34 pm

Feato wrote:The most consistent thing about this team over the past several years is its inconsistency...it's gotta end soon or this up-and-down roller coaster ride will continue from game to game...
If you ignore the first four games of the Lappas era then most of the "up-and-dow roller coaster ride" can be explained by the stregth of the opponent. UMass looks ok when they beat teams UMass fans would havve been embarassed to have on the schedule just three years ago. Now we get all excited about the progress.

The vast majority of Lappas' wins have come against weak opponents. Basically, Lappas' UMass teams need to play a schedule made up entirely of America East caliber teams. It's even better when UMass get's to play America East teams with half their scholarships unfilled - like Albany.

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fbiman
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Post by fbiman » Sun Jan 04, 2004 6:34 pm

Wiggum,

You are free to express your opinion on this board as you see fit. Far be it from me to tell you what and when to post. But all of your posts have basically been in the "Lappas sucks, Bruiser was better" vain.

We all get the message. We know where you stand. If you can't come up with something original, maybe you should give this board a rest.
That's not an MP, that's a YP. Not My Problem, Your Problem.

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Post by kdogg8173 » Sun Jan 04, 2004 7:04 pm

I think that the team is just not really that good. I mean Tenn. played like ass in the first half and I actually thought Umass played well. The result was that they were up by only 1. They are really just not a good team right now, they can and could be, Ill wait and see but who knows. I do think that if we played hartford and ccsu right now, we would beat them so I do have to say that we have improved since the beginning of the season. Hopefully in 5 or 6 games I can say that if we played tenn. and texas tech we would beat them too.

I think we are getting better but its at a very very very slow pace.

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Post by UmAstudent » Sun Jan 04, 2004 8:01 pm

Ok so your telling me you want a us to bring in another new coach with another new system and have to wait another 3 years for us to get his players in? I would rather wait this out then go through all that again.

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jj
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Post by jj » Sun Jan 04, 2004 8:09 pm

Do you think he's up to it, UMAStudent? What happens if we wait another 3 years and we are still hearing the same lame excuses and the team is still horrible?

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Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Sun Jan 04, 2004 8:32 pm

i think if we are hearing these same excuses 7 games into next season that he should be canned... but that is only if we finish strong this year... i dont know... i'm on the fence about him.... he has not impressed me at all this year, and it scares me because i dont want to talent that he has recruited to just up and leave

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Post by philosopher » Sun Jan 04, 2004 8:49 pm

MikeUMA wrote:Gimme a break. Have you ever even seen Briggs play?
As a matter of fact, yes, I have seen Briggs play. However, not as a Minuteman. Why do people keep bringing him up? He's ancient history, gone for better or worse. And having seen Briggs play, I can tell you that Freeman would eat his lunch. No way Briggs would have matched muscle with the guy who may well be the A-10 Newcomer of the Year.

I saw the second half of the UT game, and was favorably impressed with Lee's heart, Viggiano's willingness to mix it up under the boards. On the things that do not impress me about this team, I've mentioned them in other threads and will not air them out again. The horse is already dead.
I also liked the favorable things the announcers mentioned concerning the future of this squad with everyone returning next year. Adding Carrier, Deli, and Oliver to what's already there makes me want to smile.

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Post by UmAstudent » Sun Jan 04, 2004 9:30 pm

jj wrote:Do you think he's up to it, UMAStudent? What happens if we wait another 3 years and we are still hearing the same lame excuses and the team is still horrible?

No but in 3 years I think we will not have this prob. The team is turning the corner and if you cant see that then your blind.

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Post by MassMan06 » Sun Jan 04, 2004 9:35 pm

UmAstudent wrote:No but in 3 years I think we will not have this prob. The team is turning the corner and if you cant see that then your blind.
Agreed. The record may not show it, but this team is in much better shape than they were last year.

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jj
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Post by jj » Sun Jan 04, 2004 9:47 pm

UmAstudent wrote:No but in 3 years I think we will not have this prob. The team is turning the corner and if you cant see that then your blind.
You know what? I admire your optimism, but I can't see it that way. Only because I was delusional and said the same stuff when Bruiser's teams were crapping out (and I was defending him), and now it looks the same way.

I see a handful of really good players that aren't be taught how to play good basketball, and have no concept of how to handle the press, or inbound under mild pressure without shitting themselves, or whatever. Lappas may recruit good and great players (which I think he does) but he also NEEDS to teach them how to play better. And it doesn't look like that's happening.

You don't need to tell me about optimism- I wrote the book between '96 and 2002 with this team. I'm slowly being converted to the darkside.

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