Game 9, 2015-16: at FGCU 12/13/15

[mdogt12]

Sun 12/13 1:30 PM ESPN3

[diplomat]

Anyone going to this game?? I might have extra ticket so if you are let me know

[69MG]

It's time to move on from the UCF game and start thinking about a game that we MUST win. Anyone who went to the MM Center last year has a bad taste from that game. We were in it for the first half and maybe 10 minutes into the second half and then it was over. Donte was great, but I don't recall anyone else having a good day.

Brett Comer, who we had recruited, controlled the tempo and always seemed to make the right play. He had 14 assists. Thompson went for 18 and 6, including 6/8 from 3. Jones also had 16. THEY ARE ALL GONE.

Their leading scorers are: Norelia (6'8) at 14.5 and 8.5, and Terrell (6'5 guard who comes off the bench but plays 26 minutes a game) at 13.5 and 5. The other 4 starters are: Debose (6'4 G) at 8.9, Johnson (6'2 G) at 8.1, Simmons (6'9) at 7.8 and 4.6, and Cvjeticanin (6'9) at 6.4.

As a team, they only take 17 3s a game, so it's not a major [part of their offense. Terrell at 37% and Cvjeticanin 35% are the only players who take more than 2 per game. They are holding opponents to 23% on 3 pointers. I don't know if that is a result of great defense or the competition they have played. They lost to Florida and Texas A&M, but the rest of their schedule is pretty weak.

I like this matchup better than CFU, but their size does concern me. We are smaller at every position except the 5. This might be a game for Holloway to assert himself inside against a player that is the size he likes to play against (6'9, 250). Who else will step up for us?

[NilesGold]

^ I think all we really need to know is can/will FGCU play a passable zone defense? If not, UMass wins by 10+.

[inthescoop]

This team beat us last year and we should have won, we were the better squad. I hope the players have a sense of revenge they want to reveal for this game.

[capezona]

I hope they come out of the gate with a lot more passion then they did at UCF. They must have left their passion in their lost luggage that didn't arrive until halftime.

[eldonabe]

It's time to move on from the UCF game and start thinking about a game that we MUST win.

I am not sure if this is a "Must Win" in the regular sense. It is not like the game is a lynch-pin for their tourney resume or anything like that. It is important from a momentum and overall positive feeling about the program I suppose, but the reality is that if they don't win this one..... meh.....

I did just see/hear some some disappointing stuff from twitter - DK states that he would not have changed a thing about how the last 5 minutes went on Tuesday night other than that they needed to make more shots... We can all agree to disagree with that statement but it would appear that DK is almost on an island with that particular viewpoint.

The only MUST is that this team MUST improve, on the court and on the sidelines. I still say they just do not have the horses right now to be anything but a .500 team at best, but that does not mean that cannot get better over the season. DKs comment above leads me to believe that the improvement on the sidelines may be tough to achieve however....

[Roadtrip]

Yeah, Eldon, all I have is hope that DK will change for the better. He is just to darn stubborn for his own good. Square peg? Hmmnn, where is that round hole?

[harbo]

Were these two Florida games scheduled as a farewell homestand where Bergantino's people get a chance to catch him live? Classy move if it is. It seems to me that coaches (including Calipari) used to schedule such games.

[TheInsider]

I'd call it a must win because they lost to Bowling Green at home. The same BG team picked to finish last in the MAC east. It's a must win because if we want to be a respectable team, it's a game we must win.

[fenway617]

4th UMass game this year that has no betting line.

[Roadtrip]

Here we go, boys,let's do this!

[MJatUM]

These refs blow.

[mdogt12]

good to see we came out fast...not

[TheInsider]

Once again we look terrible