DEN

Miners => Den => Topic started by: SisyphusMiner on October 12, 2021, 08:07:16 AM

Title: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on October 12, 2021, 08:07:16 AM

There's usually rumors floating around by now about how things are looking.  Which guys are looking good, who got fat, etc.  Does anyone have anything?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on October 16, 2021, 02:56:47 PM

Does anyone know what times Golding has open practice every day? I'm thinking of taking a half day to check it out. Thanks

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on October 20, 2021, 02:33:39 PM

2☆ 6'7" 205lb SF Jonathan Dos Anjos out of Loyola Marymount signed with Miners & looks to be eligible immediately.
Kid was playing D1, then transfers to play JUCO, then comes here with what looks to be 3 years of eligibility.
I saw some clips of the kid and he looks like an athletic shooter. I'm really not sure what to think of the kid until I see him play. His stats show he is good at rebounding, but looking at him on film, he needs to improve on post moves & was playing on a bad knee.
He didn't really pass the eye test with me. I'm thinking he's a strong back up. We shall see.

In other news, my buddy at TECH saw Williams play in a few exhibition games & said he was a force in the paint, but needs work on D. He said he won't play if his defense doesn't improve. I told him Terry couldn't teach him that skill. Hopefully Tech will.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on October 27, 2021, 11:05:31 PM

Fellas,
Today, a couple of us were able to get into a Miner basketball practice & just DAMN. Golding is very intense, exciting, and every kid (including myself) wanted to run through a wall.
Nov 1st is an open practice, but you need to call the athletic department asap to reserve a spot.
You won't regret it.
Also, I'll give an update on the players & how they look this weekend.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Austintacious on October 28, 2021, 02:31:13 AM

Two of my brothers attended a practice last week. They were impressed. Also, the players and coach came up to them and introduced themselves and shook hands. Well worth attending if you can go.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on October 28, 2021, 12:53:17 PM

Quote from: Austintacious on October 28, 2021, 02:31:13 AM

Two of my brothers attended a practice last week. They were impressed. Also, the players and coach came up to them and introduced themselves and shook hands. Well worth attending if you can go.

Now, that's how to build a rapport. Nice job, Golding. It shows discipline too.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on October 29, 2021, 03:35:56 PM

So, the practice was fantastic. Golding & Cox came to shake my hand and talked a bit. Some kids came, but the others were in there zone. 100% understandable.
1st off, Golding is super energetic & is calling all the shots. Practice goes from drill to drill in an instant. Only a 2hr practice & they got every second out of it. This guy is bringing an exciting brand to UTEP.

Let's talk about scholarship kids:
Boum- had a cast on, but getting it off next day. He did running drills along the side lines.
Giffa- quick guard still learning, but he is good with security.
Satterfield- strong, athletic, & quick. Not the shooter I wanted, but will drive effectively.
Agnew- very fast & shot lights out. Tpughest kid on the court.
White- still working on his game
Kennedy- most athletic of the bunch & hitting all his shots. Dunks with bodies on him. Damn
Hollins- smart & had some clutch shots. He will help.
Bieniemy- good ball control & hits shots with frequency. He is much improved.
Sibley- good command of the game, works in the paint well & good footwork. Needs to get strong if he's going to bang with big bodies.
Kalu- strong & can clear paint. Still learning.
Onyema- athletic & can jump. Needs to work on assignments & positioning. Good defender.
Maring- big, strong, & rebounds well. This is our starting center.
Verho- a leader & confident. His role is now PF & he is ready. He needs more post moves, but what shocked me is he can shoot well from top of key.
Bieniemy, Kennedy, Agnew, & Boum will be our go to long ball shooters. Very impressive. Maring, Verho, & Onyema will clear the paint, while Hollins & Sibley will be driving wings. Every kid worked hard. This team will drive a better team crazy with energy & defense. No room for lazy on a Golding squad.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: BREVO on October 30, 2021, 07:48:51 AM

Great write up, it?s good to read about the progress of the team.  Looks like a huge difference in the team?s chemistry this year under Coach Golding.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on October 30, 2021, 08:19:46 AM

Thanks for the writeup.

Based on what you are saying, does this sound right?

PG:  Bienemy mostly, a few minutes from Giffa
SG: Boum, agnew
SF:  Kennedy, Satterfield, Hollins, Sibley
PF:  Verho,Onyema
C:   Maring, Kalu

Still a bit thin in the paint, seems like?

Did it look like they are developing schemes to generate open shots for Boum?  Legit screens instead of the half-ass Terry screens?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on October 30, 2021, 09:06:15 AM

That is about right, Sis.
I think the ones getting little minutes would be White, Satterfield, Giffa, & Kalu. In regards to being thin in the paint, don't forget Sibley is 6'8" & Hollins at 6'7" is a veteran. Also, our PG is a long 6'5".  I think we will be OK even if a big man gets injured. UTEP is built like UAB, only a couple of thick bodies, but everyone is long.
In regards to offense: pass/shoot, pick & roll, & feeding a big looks like the plan of attack.  Our great shooting will open up a lot for close jumpers & dunks.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on October 30, 2021, 11:30:33 AM

Quote from: Chanson on October 30, 2021, 09:06:15 AM

That is about right, Sis.
I think the ones getting little minutes would be White, Satterfield, Giffa, & Kalu. In regards to being thin in the paint, don't forget Sibley is 6'8" & Hollins at 6'7" is a veteran. Also, our PG is a long 6'5".  I think we will be OK even if a big man gets injured. UTEP is built like UAB, only a couple of thick bodies, but everyone is long.
In regards to offense: pass/shoot, pick & roll, & feeding a big looks like the plan of attack.  Our great shooting will open up a lot for close jumpers & dunks.

I hope you're right about our "great shooting." Last year I remember people saying that too, and it was not "so great." I wish for a team like the one that beat us in Denver (?) in the first game of the Dance when all Butler had to do was shoot from the outside because their shooters played lights out. They couldn't miss. I remember all the groans from Miner fans every time they shot because they HARDLY EVER missed. That's the kind of shooting I love. Don't talk to me about players making a lot of points I go with percentages more because someone can shoot every time he gets the ball and he's bound to be a high scorer but they never mention how many he missed. My cousin used to play like that. We used to call him, "El Yo Shooteo" (I'll shoot), he always was high scorer for a reason.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on November 05, 2021, 05:35:03 AM

Here is some funny news. Julyan Stone, Wayne Portolatin, & Claude Brittain have been added to the roster according to Verbal Vommits. Someone over there is smoking that hippy grass.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on November 05, 2021, 06:42:42 AM

Awesome!  Our chances just got a lot better!

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on November 07, 2021, 08:36:10 AM

It looks like the 6'7" JUCO Jonathan dos Anjos signed with UTEP. His videos show as much defense as offense. I also saw a short when he dunked from the free-throw line. He is impressive.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on November 16, 2021, 11:21:24 PM

So, I was at the game today & the only kid that didn't play was Sibley. It's a D2 team, so I knew we would kill them.
Golding: Dude is intense & pushes the kids hard. I love this guy.
Maring: Did well on both ends. Is it me or does he move in slow mo?
Verho: worked hard. Needs to work on more post moves.
Kalu: impressive. This kid is getting better every time I see him. I want more.
Onyema: very athletic, but doesn't know where to be at times. Needs work.
Hollins: Trues too hard. Needs work to be effective. He should get it by conf play.
Kennedy: Had some great plays. Once the kid hits his jumper well, he will be good.
White: Didn't really do enough. Needs to be more aggressive.
Satterfield: shot really well. Needs work on D.
Bieniemy: this kid is as good as Julyan Stone. Needs to be stronger against opposition.
Giffa: He is getting better. Needs more work on making shots & playing quicker.

This team is getting better. Pacific will be a good test on how these kids deal with talent. If our defense can step up, we will win.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on November 17, 2021, 07:04:14 AM

I pretty much agree with everything Chanson said.

I like Kalu a lot. Maybe best of the newcomers right now.
Maring is a work in progress, but high upside.  Good court vision for passing.
Teich keeps saying Hollins isn't in playing shape yet.  Hopefully he shows more as he gets his legs under him. 

I'm not ready to put Bienemy up there with Stone yet.  He had tremendous assist / TO ratio.  But Bienemy is solid.
Will Kennedy ever hit the jumper well?  He contributes so much in every other phase of the game though. Great rebounding instincts.

Someone posted this on the other board, supposedly from the post-game show -- "Golding said our offense hasn't even reached the ball screen phase yet. "
That would explain a lot of what we're seeing.  Offense is still being developed and team isn't ready for more wrinkles yet.  Not surprising given they haven't run any actual offense for the last several years so there's nothing to build on.  Gotta lay some foundation first.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on November 19, 2021, 06:54:10 AM

From an article out in California:
"The disruptive UTEP defense has forced opponents to turn the ball over on 31.2 percent of all possessions, the fourth-best rate in the country."

 https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/article255921411.html#storylink=cpy (https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/article255921411.html#storylink=cpy)

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on November 19, 2021, 08:06:23 AM

Not to be a downer, but we have played Western New Mexico, Northern New Mexico and New Mexico State.  If we played Las Cruces High, Onate, and Santa Teresa High we could be number 1.  Twelve and 13 steals against the directional schools. Nine versus NMSU but if you watched the game it wasn't nearly as close as the final score looked. If we can't do anything but chunk three pointers up without beasts rebounding the bricks, if we give up the paint, steals and turnovers just allow us a few extra chunks.  I would like to know if there is a stat on stuffs.  I bet we would be near the bottom.  Points in the paint aren't limited to points.  They generate trips to the free throw line and cause players to foul out and play softer defense to keep from fouling out. There are teams out there that can get away with playing from beyond the arc, but they have players that are deadly shooters.  We have one that is pretty good.  Bienemy is here instead of OU because he couldn't shoot. 

Until I see that we have decided to play with a force inside, we are going to lose to any team at our level.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on November 19, 2021, 08:20:46 AM

And yet you were convinced that having a top 10 D in football having played NMSU, UNM, ODU, etc meant we had turned the corner.

Obviously we aren't there yet.  But it is an indicator that things are moving in the direction we want them to.  I expect this to be a long season as well.  Do you remember what Gillispie's record was his first season?  6-24.  But we could see things moving in the right direction.

I don't understand how you can be all Pollyanna rainbows flying unicorns and cotton candy about year 4 of Dimel where we beat 6 of the most god awful teams in the country  and Debby Downer about seeing progress 3 games into CGJ tenure.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on November 19, 2021, 09:13:32 AM

I was and am convinced that we turned a corner.  After ten years we were competitive.  That is turning a corner.  When we stepped up and blew away two teams that historically have kicked our butts all over the field even though Tech and Southern Miss are horrible this year-even though Tech lost a one point game to Miss State and a two point game to SMU.  Yeah, we turned a corner.  We are six times better than we have been.  That's a corner.  Against a top 25 ranked team we battled and weren't humiliated.  We turned a corner.  I wasn't convinced I AM convinced.  For the past ten years NMSU UNM and ODU would have joined every other D1 team in the country and beat us like a drum.  Not this year.  I held back for a few games, but within two or three games I could see a difference.  It was easy really.  We had wins where we normally had losses.  AND in impressive ways.  Not fluky lucky wins.  So I guess beating shitty teams instead of losing to them, and playing good teams and not being humiliated and NOT vying for the title of worst team in college football makes me Polyannaish, I guess I am.

I have high hopes for Golding.  I am thrilled that he is a defensive minded coach.  Defense will keep us in games we might not should be hanging in there.  After three games, two of which were glorified scrimmages, I really have no idea where the bball team is.  My closest guess is what we saw against NMSU.  What I saw was a defensive team playing hard with offensive lack of what I considered to be a precision working offense, as I had expected to see from a control freak that I think Golding is.  I know it is early.  But it is early for everyone else, too.  What I saw wasn't what I had hoped for on offense.  It may be a matter of time, but I don't think so.  I think if we had the will to play basketball in the paint, we would try.  I don't see the effort.  It is early and I am perfectly willing to win in a different way, though.  So, winning, proving me wrong would be welcomed by me.

I am old, opinionated, and so willing to state my feelings that I started a website for it.  It doesn't make me right.  So, if you have trouble understanding how I can be how I am, well here's a number and the back of the line is over there.  Smile, it is Friday, the Miners basketball team plays a decent team tonight and we all will get a chance to see how it goes.  The season is young and opportunity is there for the taking.  Tomorrow we play football.  We will get another chance to see if that defense is legit or not, if I was wrong to have had faith or not.  That's how it works.  You see, I feel that my Pollyannaish attitude was proved to be right.  The defense didn't crumble against good teams.  It held up.  The offense held up.  We may have even lost, but it wasn't because the defense was proven to be a fraud.  Now, you may not feel the same.  That is what we call opinion.  I can understand that you and others may not feel the same as I do.  I'm ok with that.  The same type of thing applies to the basketball team.  I may be way off and proven to be.  I have had crow on the menu before. 

Btw, and I think I mentioned it before, my wife tells me that I am never wrong. She is usually mad at me when she says it and still admits it. Lol

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on November 19, 2021, 03:06:34 PM

Some valid points. I'll put my 2 cents about football on another entry, but I like how far along the bball program is than the football program.
Granted it is easier to get the bball program going quicker because of less moving parts, but those stats are merely an indication that our team is hustling. Most D1 teams are playing powder puff teams to boost confidence & to get roll players important minutes. The stats are far from comparing to other teams, but are an indication that this team has bought into the Golding style of ball. Many teams are trying to surpass the "buy in" stage at this point.
Don't get me wrong, still a ton of work is needed, but the buy in, the hustle, discipline, & players holding each other accountable is something I haven't seen since Barbee.
Looking at Pacific, they are still trying to find themselves with losses to Hawaii & Northern Colorado. The hustle alone should win the game, but I know nothing of their individual talent level.
Lastly, we finally had a kid screw up in Sibley not make shoot around before the last game. That's why he didn't play. I'm betting he will never wake up late again.
If the Miners can't win tonight, it will be more on the coach than the players. Why, the players have the talent to win tonight's game. What they don't have is enough set plays they can execute & throw the opposition off. Also, once Beiniemy, Boum, & Satterfield starts hitting shots, they tend to stay on that streak.

We shall see.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on November 20, 2021, 06:56:40 AM

I didn't see a whole lot last night that was different from what I've seen.
The defense played hard the whole game pretty much. Not a lot of turnovers, but disruptive.
The offense continues to be a work in progress.  Some signs of life, but still some confusion and standing around.  More aggressive driving the paint which is a good thing.
Eventually this 3 man weave will turn into a weave with screens designed to break guys open.

I thought Boum scored his points without really forcing things or disrupting the offense.  Nice to see.
Hollins can score.  He seems like a bit of a defensive liability though.
I really like Kalu, even though he's young and makes mistakes.  I think he's going to be a great post for us one day.

Oh, and while I generally like a tightly called game, the officials blew their whistles on every tiny little thing and it really made the game about them.  Not saying it was unfair, just so disruptive.  Let them play a little.  Wonder what Agnew said to get that T, by the way.  Golding sat him the rest of the game pretty much to teach him.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on November 20, 2021, 09:33:54 AM

Yes, yes, & yes.

What Sis said.

Here is a breakdown on who I saw play:
Bieniemy: doing more & more. I love this guy.
Agnew: does things no one else wants to do. Had a fantastic shot under basket. Bit of a lose cannon at times
Kennedy: does everything except hit shots
Hollins: much better on O, needs work on D
Sibley: not sold on the kid yet. Only talent so far is he is quick & long
Boum: Dude is deadly. Best player on team
Verho: great on D, needs work on post moves
Kalu: strong & works hard. Still green
Mering: big presence in paint. Needs to be quicker
Overall, out team had more talent. It should have been closer if other team hit those lay ups. Coach needs to work on more offensive progressions.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Alaska Miner on November 20, 2021, 10:26:22 AM

Yes, well said, Sis. The defense is definitely good! I?m enjoying that aspect of this team. It almost makes you think The Bear is still around, until you see the way the offense selects shots? lol
Nah, I am being a bit harsh.  Actually, they were working it in under the basket much better last night, and their success showed in the score.
I think they show that they are clearly learning more and more from Golding with each passing game. I am definitely optimistic. It seems that clown Terry didn?t teach them much of anything?
Go Miners! 8)

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on November 21, 2021, 03:20:00 PM

So, looking deeper into the game (box scores) only 5 players had 20+ minutes in the game. Verho, Boum, Hollins, Kennedy, & Bieniemy. Centers played minimal minutes while Agnew & Sibley shared 12min a piece. Verho & Kennedy were crap for scoring, but made it up on D. Beiniemy, Boum, & Hollins were able to score for us.
This game told us a lot about Golding.
1) Trusts in D more than scoring
2) Knows how to play small
3) Big men aren't quite there on efficiency
4) Sibley is a defensive liability
5) Agnew is an offensive liability

In regards to the team:
1) Boum (smallest kid) had most rebounds
2) Guards rebound better than bigs
3) Bigs not good at scoring

The shortcomings look like we should have lost the game, but the Miners dominated most of the game. When Pacific pushed in the end, Miners did a great job in holding.

I have a theory.
Coaches that come from small schools have more action plays for guards than big men & I think that may also be the case here. Coach is learning how to incorporate big men while using his strength of guard play. I'm actually very OK with it since our guards are long & quick. At some point, Golding will run into good perimeter defense & need to teach his bigs more set plays.

UC Riverside is going to bring length, speed, scoring & strong rebounding. I think this will be a bit more of a good match up because Riverside's defense will not be as strong.

Anyone have thoughts on our opposition?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on November 22, 2021, 10:51:26 AM

I will not be able to watch this one so looking forward to everyone?s comments

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on November 22, 2021, 08:47:37 PM

I'm at the game. I'm not sure if anyone is watching, but Sibley has been open 9n the paint 6 times & he passes out. He is afraid to shoot. We don't need a chicken shit. Why coach doesn't take the kid out is beyond me.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 07, 2021, 09:02:56 AM

So, looking at Twitter, I saw that 5☆ 6'7" Che Evans Jr committed to UTEP. He is a San Diego St transfer from Baltimore. Ties with Kalu, I have no idea. The kid is a wing & can shoot lights out. In 2020 he was the #1 ranked recruit out of Maryland. Golding now needs a decent big man. When I say that, I mean someone who can score.
Aside from trying to find a big man, I can't wait to see this Evans kid in orange.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on December 07, 2021, 10:14:18 AM

Do you know when he will be eligible?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 07, 2021, 10:33:36 AM

Quote from: SisyphusMiner on December 07, 2021, 10:14:18 AM

Do you know when he will be eligible?

I'm guessing as soon as he gets here. I don't think he played a single game for SDSU. Not sure how that would work. Plus, the kid has not played competitive ball for a year. May need to get unrusted

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on December 07, 2021, 12:02:14 PM

Quote from: Chanson on December 07, 2021, 10:33:36 AM

Quote from: SisyphusMiner on December 07, 2021, 10:14:18 AM

Do you know when he will be eligible?

I'm guessing as soon as he gets here. I don't think he played a single game for SDSU. Not sure how that would work. Plus, the kid has not played competitive ball for a year. May need to get unrusted

Two things: Unrusted and willing to play the Golding defense. If he's just gonna be a let me shoot guy then we already have some but if he does I hope he's as good as they say and makes them instead of lobbing clunkers.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on December 07, 2021, 12:55:14 PM

I can't imagine him transferring here under the illusion he doesn't have to play tough D.

The speed of D1 can make a good shooter not a good shooter, but you have to like your chances that a 4 star out of Baltimore will find a way to contribute.

Kennedy is a 4 star and he contributes in a lot of ways, but that jump shot is pretty erratic.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 07, 2021, 03:53:06 PM

My mistake fellas. He is not a 5☆. It was Kwami Evans' stats I was looking at out of Baltimore as well.
This kid is still an offensive beast. If he is eligible for Spring, I don't think it's a good idea to play. He would lose a year of eligibility & he would be behind. While I very much want to win, the growth & future of this team depends on the blueprint set this year. Setting a foundation doesn't mean winning now, but it does mean winning tomorrow.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 07, 2021, 09:10:13 PM

I figured out why Kennedy keeps jacking up 3's. Because we don't have any shooters. Boum is a scorer, but not really a shooter. We have no offensive game in the paint.
I am actually not mad. We knew we weren't gonna win it. We just hoped it would be more competitive.
Anyway, I don't think we should dwell on the game so much. Our kids are still trying to get Golding ball & it takes time. Playing a team like that during our time of learning is a tough call. Golding is coaching his kids for the conference play and setting a new blueprint for the program.
I was going to grade each kids effort, but thought I'd concentrate on the coaches & the program. I don't think I can give a grade for the coaching either. This game was unfair to them.
GO MINERS

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on December 08, 2021, 08:02:57 AM

It's kind of looking like Golding isn't going to change anything defensively due to the opponent.  We are going to run it until we get it right.  It may be that way all year.  If he still never changes up defenses next year then I have an issue with that.  None of our guys could consistently deflect KU guards on the dribble drive, and that's a consistent problem for us.

I honestly don't know what offensive scheme you could implement that would help "the gang that couldn't shoot straight".  If you can't make jump shots and you can't make layups, there's not a lot of options left for a coach.

Most of our guys score on volume, not percent, and yet not one of them will follow their own shot.  They jack one up and then head back up court like it's money.  The only guy that looks like he is an efficient scorer is Sibley and I wish he would be more assertive offensively.  I still like Kalu and Maring but they are so so raw.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on December 08, 2021, 08:26:33 AM

I do think that our freshmen and sophomores will prove to be better players than our juniors and seniors have proven to be.  So at least there's that.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on December 08, 2021, 08:38:46 AM

We can?t shoot and have no inside game. I wondered how you can have a basketball team that can?t shoot. They can?t make layups!  And we have no inside game. Do we have no inside game because people six feet nine inches tall can?t put the ball through the hoop or are they being not given the chance. You, me, and my wife can see that we can?t shoot. But we jack up three pointers that don?t even hit backboards. Is Golding coaching that?  Can he not help it. That?s the players he has so that?s the players taking the shots. Bieniemy and Kennedy should not be allowed to shoot a three pointer. At all.
The Bear used to say you can?t teach seven feet or something like that. He used to sit Greg Foster for wanting to play guard. He?d say that guards were a dime a dozen but seven feet?  When you can?t make you shots get closer. When you are so close that you are shooting layups and missing them get closer!  Have big men shove it through the damned hoop!
While you are at it, figure out how you got a basketball team that can?t shoot. That needs to be the first thing you do. Figure out how it is that we have a team that can?t shoot. Because however we managed to do that we don?t want to do it again.

Stats from the game;

31.1%   13.0%   fg% and 3pt fg%  If you shoot 13%from 3 point range how many games does it take to adjust to the fact that you can't shoot and try to get to the hoop to get close enough to make your shots.  I mean this is third grade basketball.  If you were playing bb with your friends and shot 13% from 3 point range your friends would tell you(if they even had to)hey asshole, stop shooting from there.  But, we have a coach for that.  Golding has to do something.  Somehow, some way, he has to figure out how to run an offense that doesn't involve shooting three pointers until he finds someone that can shoot.  I'm trying to figure out how our players got here.  Not trying to be shitty about this, but can someone tell me why we have players that seem not to be able to play basketball.  I mean basketball is pretty simple.  Put ball in hoop and keep the other guy from doing it.  Name the player and tell me if he does either well.  You wouldn't think it would be hard to do.  But try it.  Take away Boum.  Go down the roster and see if you can name the players that can do both-put the ball in the hoop and keep the other guy from doing it.  Does anyone else think it is strange that we "can't shoot"? 

Our whole game is based on making it really hard for the opponent to get an easy shot.  The enemy doesn't have to even worry about that.  We can't make layups.  We make easy shots hard all on our own.  AND we don't like layups anyways! THEN we look for the harder shots to take!  Run out to shoot a three you have no prayer of hitting!  Golding draws up defenses while the opponent's coach says get out of their way and let them run out past the arc to throw up a brick, and one of you run down under our hoop for a long pass and a layup after we get the rebound. 

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Alaska Miner on December 08, 2021, 10:52:50 AM

I agree with all of these comments. I am at a loss as to how they can shoot this bad. In essence, that has been the story of all their losses. They just can?t shoot! :o
I don?t get it. Possibly the worst shooting Miner team I?ve ever seen.  Not sure, but damn close to the worst, anyway.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on December 08, 2021, 05:42:28 PM

The way the Miners play is like how a football team can't win with just a running attack or a passing attack. With the way the Miner basketball team is playing opposing teams know that they can't shoot the three to save their lives or make the easy layup or worst yet guard their bigs under the basket.

Heck, the Miner guards love to shoot the three (and miss) and the Miner bigs are afraid to put it up under the basket. No small wonder it's called basketball, the Miners are a basket case.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Bytor on December 09, 2021, 10:38:10 AM

I know it's early still but my impression is that Golding seems to care only about defense. All of the players efforts are focused on defense and they don't seem to have much left for offense. Usually, when you miss shots, it's because of tired legs.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on December 09, 2021, 11:02:43 AM

That is a good point. Nice way to jump in.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on December 09, 2021, 11:30:50 AM

agree guys look tired.  TV always looks exhausted.
KU played hard D and rebounded hard and pushed tempo and didn't look tired.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 10, 2021, 01:27:16 PM

Verbal Commits shows we offered 6'11" C 260lbs Jimmy Bell transfer from St. Louis Bilikins. I saw some clips of the guy. He's not a jumper, but has good post moves and an OK defender. This kind of guy is much needed. We don't have a big man that can score. Verho was thought to take the place of Williams. Boy was Golding wrong on that kid.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on December 10, 2021, 02:06:57 PM

I always thought that CRT was just feeding the beast, BW. TV was just doing his part in the feeding.  We seem to have discovered that TV was always Ed McMahon and not Jay Leno. He was and is a second banana. I thought and still think that that is a big part of the job. I believe it is part of Golding?s job to develop that in TV and design plays and put TV in place to succeed and develop that part of his game. Not to mention that the team needs it.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on December 10, 2021, 03:43:27 PM

Quote from: kyyote on December 10, 2021, 02:06:57 PM

I always thought that CRT was just feeding the beast, BE. TV was just doing his part in the feeding.  We seem to have discovered that TV was always Ed McMahon and not Jay Leno. He was and is a second banana. I thought and still think that that is a big part of the job. I believe it is part of Golding?s job to develop that in TV and design plays and put TV in place to succeed and develop that part of his game. Not to mention that the team needs it.

What Golding needs to impress on TV is that if you're afraid of taking it to the basket and afraid of mixing it with the other big guys that he's sitting down and will become just a spectator. No need for coddling, he's old enough to be told how it is.

Ky, I thing that's why so many military veterans are so successful after getting out because we're never pampered and we are told how things are. Do you agree.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on December 10, 2021, 05:12:32 PM

Mine is not to wonder why. Mine is but to do or die!  Long before Yoda.

I was blessed to have been put in leadership positions in the Army that allowed me to achieve leadership positions on the outside, along with a hard headed determination to be the best person for the job. Any job. I learned that from my first father-in-law who was my boss when I was 17 and just out of high school. Having been small and skinny most of my life and having been picked on when I was a kid by two older brothers I am a tad insane. When I was younger I enjoyed working big guys to damned near death on production lines because no one could out  work me. Pride and orneriness.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on December 11, 2021, 08:56:08 PM

I will be on an airplane during the game.  Looking forward to hearing y?alls thoughts

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 13, 2021, 08:44:44 AM

Can someone who watched the game give a quick synopsis on coaching & player performance? Looking at box scores, Kennedy & Boum killed it, but not much on the rest. Sibley had the Flu, Bieniemy out with injury, & Verho dealing with sore back. That's all I have so far.
I hear coach killed their big scorers with hard D.
Thanks

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on December 13, 2021, 11:12:38 AM

Quote from: Chanson on December 13, 2021, 08:44:44 AM

Can someone who watched the game give a quick synopsis on coaching & player performance? Looking at box scores, Kennedy & Boum killed it, but not much on the rest. Sibley had the Flu, Bieniemy out with injury, & Verho dealing with sore back. That's all I have so far.
I hear coach killed their big scorers with hard D.
Thanks

https://themw.com/watch/?id=6286500485001


I watched the whole game on this site. Crimson Aggie from cusa forum posted it. I hope you can still see it.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 14, 2021, 09:13:53 AM

Thanks, Mojo.
Just saw the whole game.
Golding: relentless defense on big shooters & cleared the paint a bit. Great game plan.
Boum: our best scoring option & was a thorn on D. Love how he hits his FT's.
Kennedy: hats off. Kid played PG for 1st time & was brilliant. His D is always solid, but he found another gear on O. Nice.
White: Kid is just a body going through motions. I don't see him sticking around.
Saterfield: Kid get better every time he is on court. Needs to keep shooting & working on D.
Agnew: scrappy & tough. Needs to work on his jumper. He's in for his D & rebounding only.
Hollins: Played much better. I like him on short min & not full game. He plays better that way. His O was better & D was also scrappy.
Sibley: Can't score him for tonight. Only put him in for D & blocking. He was ill.
Kalu: Got dirty on D & was great on pit backs. That's exactly what we need in a big man. I like this freshman. Not there yet but will be.
Maring: Needs to be more busy & clear that paint. His type of game is for a quick person. He really needs to work on quickness.
Verho: I heard he has back soreness, but he was OK. He was disruptive, cleared paint, & had a few pit backs. He is a 5 & not 4.

Surprised not to see Giffa. It means coach doesn't like what he sees yet. I'm glad coach didn't use him, because our height really messed with the Lobos guards. Also, not many set plays. Our speed & height created shots the D was very quick & didn't allow them to find any rhythm.
I give the team an A-. The minus is because Miners need to work on set plays & quicker passing.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 14, 2021, 09:39:19 AM

So I keep reading chatter on the SDSU transfer Che Evans Jr in not only is he eligible for Spring ball, but will have an immediate scoring impact.
I really don't think he will be playing much in the beginning. He still needs to learn the Golding Blueprint which is relentless defense. It's gonna take him some time, but a great addition none the less. If he can shoot like Saterfield was supposed to shoot, then he will be welcome. Still can't trust anyone on this team for 3 ball accuracy.
Back to Evans. He is a 4☆ & Verbal Commits has him at 6'5", but others at 6'7"? I saw vids of the kid & he is no defender. He slides at times & puts his hands up, but stood around most of his high-school vids. I think I know why SDSU parted with him. He will get a wake up call to play D here. I hope he transitions quickly.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on December 15, 2021, 07:52:48 AM

I had some down time at a hotel and went back and watched a replay of the UNM game.

We looked like we had more of a clue what we were trying to do offensively, but this is still our weakness.  Without a monster game from Kennedy we lose that one.  Can he become a consistent offensive presence?

Agree with Chanson observations.

Satterfield sure has a pretty shot.  Gotta learn to play better D.
I still like Kalu.  He was our leading offensive rebounder in only 10 minutes.  Slowly learning how to deal with the physicality of D1.  Not there yet.
Maring no change.  Still OK offensive game, still totally lost defensively most of the time.
Hollins showed improvement defensively.

TV back issues might explain why he always looks exhausted.  Maybe it's not exhaustion but pain.  Or pain causing exhaustion.

Right now I like starting 5 (if all healthy)

Bienemy
Boum
Kennedy
Sibley
TV

Off the bench, Agnew gives toughness and energy, Satterfield a reliable 3, the big guys are just spelling Sibley and TV.  Kennedy looking like best backup for Bienemy -- I don't trust Boum at point.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on December 15, 2021, 05:44:12 PM

You know, something came to mind while I was watching the NM game. It occurred to me that Maring seems like another Tofi. He has about the same height and body. I liked the kid he was a little lost but that's to be expected from a Frosh. Tofi wasn't exactly burning the hoop either and I think Maring will become an important member of the squad.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 15, 2021, 06:57:20 PM

Quote from: Minermojo on December 15, 2021, 05:44:12 PM

You know, something came to mind while I was watching the NM game. It occurred to me that Maring seems like another Tofi. He has about the same height and body. I liked the kid he was a little lost but that's to be expected from a Frosh. Tofi wasn't exactly burning the hoop either and I think Maring will become an important member of the squad.

I hope so. I think Maring is a Soph. Also, Tofi was better at clearing the paint.

Also, let's break down the talent at the star level this year.
Hollins 3.7☆
Bieniemy 3.5☆
Sibley 4☆
Kennedy 4☆
Evans 4☆
Golding is doing well on the recruiting trail. Just need 1 4☆ big man & then DAMN.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on December 17, 2021, 08:34:01 AM

No Verho certainly affected the game.
Sibley still sick?

Kalu looks better every game.
Satterfield nice shooter, need to learn how to play D
Will either Onyema or Maring learn how to play D?

Maybe Kennedy just needs ball in his hands more?
Why is Kennedy the leading rebounder?  7 players on the team listed as taller.
Note, Kalu is 10th in minutes played per game, and 3rd in rebounds per game.  Also highest FG%.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 17, 2021, 11:09:38 AM

Yup. No Verho, Bieniemy, or Sibley. Sibley started, but had no energy & sat out rest of game. If McNeese hit free throws, we might be upset about the loss.

Golding- Still has work to do. We should have killed it on D, but 3 starters out took its toll. I don't think I ever have seen Golding so pist. He's gonna need blood pressure meds.
Let's break down each player starting with the 1.
Kennedy- this quicker team exposed his ball skills, however, his shooting, D, & rebounding shined. I love this kid.
Giffa- Still needs to speed his game up. Euro kids have always had this issue. Along with bad D.
Boum- Brought his game in the 2nd half. He is too fast to be a PG, but last 10min was racing ball up. Needed it w/Bieniemy out.
Saterfield- Coming out party on O. Still needs help w/D, but he's improving. He had best dunk of the year last night. Should be on ESPN top 10.
Agnew- A beast on D, but got in foul trouble with those quick guards. Has no business shooting unless he attacks rim.
White- Getting better. Had a decent game, but I think we have seen his ceiling.
Hollins- I can figure him out. He is off & on. Last night he was off. I think his issue is footwork.
Onyema- So athletic, but still can't play D. His D did throw the 7'er off, but needs work on reading the floor. He also needs to work on post moves.
Maring- The kid is lost & slow. Has very little game on both ends. Golding will need to make a decision if he can pick up a better big man.
Kalu- He looks like a school boy, but I like his game. It's green, but he cleans up messes with put backs, rebounding, & strength. Once he figures out some post moves, Oh My. There was a moment he was defending & stood & stared while he was being dunked on. I hope that woke his ass up.

We still can't defend back door. While some players got an A, overall I grade the performance a C+.
You might be thinking I'm a bit harsh after a WIN. Here is why. We couldn't trap, D broke down in paint, lost track of how many dunks & lay ups they had, we couldn't rebound like we should, & Agnew keeps jacking up bricks. Our guards adjusted to their incredible shooting, but couldn't defend feeds in the paint.
I just hope Verho's back issue is not serious.

Go Miners.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on December 17, 2021, 12:00:56 PM

Teicher said TV and Bieniemy had concussions. Or we?re under concussion protocols.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 19, 2021, 08:44:31 AM

Does anyone know when Spring ball officially starts? Reason for asking is I want to know when the new transfer, Che Evans, is eligible to play. His shooting might be good, but he will need to acclimate an intense defense.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on December 19, 2021, 08:56:14 AM

One of the articles on the transfer said Jan 4

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 20, 2021, 09:37:27 AM

Good to know. He won't be hear until conference play. Not sure about practicing with team, but I hope he can help.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 22, 2021, 08:33:04 AM

Wow, Golding still has not coached on how to defend the back door. I know we need to defend the perimeter on a smaller team, but these lay ups & dunks are getting ridiculous. Both teams with 25 rebounds.

Golding: I feel bad for him. He can't keep his kids healthy. Because of it, he is still experimenting with different line ups. He will ha e a very tough game today if he can't get Boum & Verho back.
Bieniemy: Had some lapses in judgement, but was cool overall.
Agnew: Finally hits shots. Guy is a defensive wrecking ball. Control the silly fouls & keep rebounding.
White: Is in for his defense. Has little confidence in shooting except for that prayer he hit.
Saterfield: Getting better on D, but needs to be in more for his scoring. Would love him to rebound more.
 Kennedy: Such a talented & confident kid. His D has always been good, but his O has picked up a few levels. Great to see.
Sibley: He might still be shaking off that flu still, but did help a bit on interior D. His offensive footwork is good & needs to use it more.
Kalu: Is strictly in for his D. I need to see him rebound more. Has 1 post move that scored. How about doing that more.
Mering: Yikes. Play Onyema instead.

SG's did their jobs with scoring, however, Boum will really be needed tonight if we are going to win. Plus, if Verho is out again, we will  keep getting dunked on. Onyema & Boum were out for food poisoning. If they come back today, they won't have energy.

Overall, last night's performance deserves a B-.  Why, because poor interior D & rebounding.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on December 22, 2021, 09:48:08 AM

Overall agree.
I think I heard them say Onyema had food poisoning too.  Maring needs to learn how to play within himself.  Get rebounds, and don't shoot more than 2 feet from the basket.  Learn how to play D.

Sibley definitely didn't seem like the guy we've seen to this point, so yeah probably still not feeling 100%.


I still think most of the back door cuts are because the guards are getting beat on dribble penetration.  Lots of time their defender left them to help cover.  Sometimes the defender just fell asleep.

I think we have underappreciated just how much Verho adds defensively.  He's not blocking a zillion shots but he plays smart, sold defensive ball.  Wish he could score.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 22, 2021, 10:19:56 AM

Gethro Muscadin 6'10" C for Lobos just left the team. We could use him.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on December 22, 2021, 02:47:55 PM

I wasn't impressed with Kalu at all. He still looks lost and he also needs to jump higher than 3" (okay maybe I exaggerated a bit).

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 23, 2021, 12:48:47 PM

Bradley was a team we could have used Verho for. Looking at the play from Boum the 1st 5min, I knew we were not gonna win.

Golding: I think he got more out of his kids that are more roll players. This was not a game to press the sick & injured kids to play. He made the right choice. That's why I love this guy.
Bieniemy: Did OK. He was a bit sloppy & lost a few balls, but just came back from concussion. He's still working through cob webs. Need more scoring.
Boum: He was about 60%. Poor guy had no energy. He did his best on D & didn't do much on O unless he was open.
Agnew: still a defensive beast, but more bricks & bad decisions in the paint. Ugh
Saterfield: He is getting better every game. Needs to keep shooting & play tighter D.
Kennedy: Needed him to score more to have a chance. Still was best player on the court. We'll need him to score more against Conf foes.
Hollins: He did more clean up work than anything. Glad he's only 1yr. Has reached his ceiling.
Sibley: another kid shaking of Flu cob webs. He did much better, but not enough. Want to see him doing more offensive paint work. Still waiting to see his potential.
Kalu: Played hard, but big men gave him a hard time. Need more production if plays 20+min.
Maring: Played much harder. Had 1 less reb than Kalu w/half the playing time. Needs to be a lot more active or he'll be gone.
White & Giffa in for less than 1min.

The team last night gets  D+. I realize kids are still recovering, but to lose a lead like that with our defense is horrible. Kennedy needed to make a few more plays on O for us to win that one. We only hit 78% FT. If it was 85%, we win. It was attention to detail was was our demise. I trust Golding will have them ready for Conf play. This team is not a post play team this year. Golding needs 1 more year & 2 more key pieces to be at that level.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on December 23, 2021, 04:53:32 PM

Agnew, Maring, and Hollins need to stop shooting 3s

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on December 23, 2021, 05:33:50 PM

I think we are about exactly what our record is at 7 and 5.  We have guys that Golding has playing as hard as they can and the guys have a lot of heart.  But actual basketball ability is somewhat limited.  Boum is a basketball player.  All around, basketball player with basketball skills.  There are others who are athletes and energy and heart but just not very good at shooting or even dribbling.  That is who I was as a kid.  Shots were aimed in the general direction, and some went in but most didn't and like with some of our guys, dribbling is an adventure.  But I was on you like a cheap suit on defense and wormy under the basket.  We have at least two or three of these guys.  Think of the ability to put 5 players on the floor at the same time.  If you have Boum you play him until he drops.  That is pretty much it on offense and defense.  Kennedy is defense and rebounds but the offense may be great but it may not be.  After that it gets tough to find offense without breaking the defense.  I think we are that.  Youth we have and look to the future, or transfer portal?  I expect to win about half in conference, maybe.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on December 26, 2021, 11:31:30 AM

So...
I did a lot of digging into Che Evans Jr. Sis is correct that he will be eligible on Jan 4th, granted SDSU doesn't get in the way.
I looked at some of his vids & while he can shoot and jump, he lacked quickness, energy, & a sense of urgency on D.

Breaking down High Schools vids:
Positives- he was able to shoot from anywhere, gave smaller guys problems playing defense in the paint, & has good footwork facing or with back to basket.
Negatives- He stood around a lot playing defense outside of 10' and lacked quickness.
When he played with Team Melo, he played with a lot of dominant PG & SG that were ball hogs. Didn't see much of his skills there.

Breaking down SDSU practice:
- Most of the film was him shooting from outside & not so much driving or playing D.

If this kid doesn't conform to defense, he will not play & may transfer to a smaller school after his semester here.
I also read he had a knee injury his Sr year & he may have been nursing that.
The kid made ESPN's, 247, & all other scouting sites Top 50 in the country before his injury. Of he is healed & not afraid of testing that knee, along with quick outside D, he will help a lot. If he moves like on the vids, he may see a max of 15min a game.
I'm pretty sure it was all laid out for him when Golding recruited him.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 13, 2022, 06:12:17 PM

Once again, no 1 can score except JB. Boum only hitting FTs. Very tough to watch.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 13, 2022, 06:41:15 PM

This game is a shit show. Didn't think I'd see another poor performance from this team. Turnovers, scoring, & flat hustle was this evenings issue.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 14, 2022, 07:18:33 AM

With the currently available players, it looks like our best lineup is:

Bienemy, Boum, Satterfield, Onyema, Verho

4 of these are capable of scoring.  The B bros got their points on volume.  Not the way to win.  Boum is so streaky we can't rely on him night after night.  And Satterfield finally had a poor shooting game.

Sibley first big off the bench.  Hollins getting way too many minutes.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on January 15, 2022, 12:02:48 PM

The past two days I have been watching cusa games and these are the standings. Notice anything?  UTEP?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Austintacious on January 15, 2022, 02:07:52 PM

I had noticed that.  We don't count1

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on January 15, 2022, 02:08:43 PM

Maybe we're going to the mwc.

LOL, yeah right.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 15, 2022, 09:45:34 PM

Hollins played his best game as a Miner
Don?t understand why Clardy got so much PT
Onyema barely played

Boum as always is our biggest problem and our salvation.  Early in the game I was wondering if he was our problem.  Late in the game he out the team on his back and carried them

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 15, 2022, 11:51:51 PM

I can't figure this team out.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 16, 2022, 09:45:05 AM

Quote from: Chanson on January 15, 2022, 11:51:51 PM

I can't figure this team out.

I did not watch the game & only heard 5min of it in 2nd half, because I had a dinner date. But..., kept the phone close to keep checking score. I kept biting my nails during OT.
Things to note. Verho played 35 min, for the most part no White, Maring, & Onyema, made ODU turnover 15x, 59% FT, & 27% from 3. I'm glad I didn't watch the game because this was a pillow fight. ODU made 1 3ball, & 31% FG. ODU is an under 500 team & Boum finally took advantage of a lesser opponent.
From looking at Box Scores:
Golding- I think he is having the most stressful year of his life with Covid, illnesses, injuries, & some players not playing to expectations.

I'm not going to dwell on the negatives, because I guarantee Golding & company are fully aware, but Boum finally getting back to scoring, Jorell's rebounds, with JB's consistency look to be promising. We have 1 home game this week in a poor UTSA team.
The only chance we have in playing any kind of post season is getting healthy sooner than later, 1 big man not named Verho to step up, & Sibley to drive to the hoop with frequency.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 17, 2022, 09:15:16 AM

Interesting to contemplate which of our previous coaches or candidates that were vs Goldling would have won the ODU game with our personnel and they way they were playing.

I'm not sure this game was won by Golding's Xs and Os, but I am pretty sure that Terry would have stopped coaching midway through the first half.  I think Haskins and Gillispie would likely have got more out of our guys, but I still recall that both of them lost when they didn't have the personnel.

Jans also might have got more out of these guys.


Looking down the road, I am still pretty excited about our young big men.  Sibley especially, but I also think I see future solid players in Onyema and Kalu.  Not sure we have a PG of the future, but maybe that's now a transfer portal thing.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 17, 2022, 04:46:14 PM

Does anyone know how to find the links for bball games? I want to see the last 5min & OT of the ODU game.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 17, 2022, 05:54:21 PM

CUSA.tv?

Not sure if you need an account to watch older games though.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 17, 2022, 07:39:41 PM

No option for past games. Thanks anyway.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 17, 2022, 09:03:00 PM

 https://conferenceusa.com/watch/default.aspx?Live=15507&path=utep (https://conferenceusa.com/watch/default.aspx?Live=15507&path=utep)

Does this link not work?  May need an account and most recent game posted is So Miss from Jan 8

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 18, 2022, 09:28:32 AM

Yes. Need to have an account. No worries. Thx

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Lil_Train on January 18, 2022, 01:11:48 PM

Just a heads up on the ODU replay.  You can check it out on ESPN+, if you have an account on there. That game was not on CUSA TV.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 18, 2022, 04:58:02 PM

Quote from: Lil_Train on January 18, 2022, 01:11:48 PM

Just a heads up on the ODU replay.  You can check it out on ESPN+, if you have an account on there. That game was not on CUSA TV.

Ooh. I do have an account. I'll try that. Thx

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 18, 2022, 05:24:54 PM

yeah he's right sorry I forgot that's where I watched it.   

:(

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 20, 2022, 06:17:34 PM

I just read on KROD that Onyema is a non-schollie player.  Did not realize that.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 23, 2022, 06:00:09 PM

I think the 1st half looked like what Golding is trying to put together.  The 2nd half was a mess.

Hollins looking better than he did, but still not all that great.
Verho played better generally, but would be great if he could finish
Sibley off game, but 5 blocks!
Onyema strong under the hoop, did a good job on Germany
Agnew still not looking right

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 23, 2022, 10:38:59 PM

Thx for the update, Sis.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 24, 2022, 10:27:49 AM

Were you not able to watch?

I am paying $12/mo for access to CUSA TV, and there is no commitment term.  The day after our season ends I will cancel.

I realize this is not for everyone, but I'm pretty happy with it.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 24, 2022, 10:33:15 AM

Was at game in EP v UTSA & saw Kennedy walking without scooter a bit. He still uses it for distance, but was standing & taking steps.

I have a theory that y'all may not like. I think he should be medically red shirted for the remainder of the year. We don't have the pieces in the paint to make any post season run. Might as well save the year & come back to a fresh start with what ever support Golding brings in next year.
Do I sound off for thinking this way?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 24, 2022, 10:38:12 AM

Quote from: SisyphusMiner on January 24, 2022, 10:27:49 AM

Were you not able to watch?

I am paying $12/mo for access to CUSA TV, and there is no commitment term.  The day after our season ends I will cancel.

I realize this is not for everyone, but I'm pretty happy with it.

I didn't. I heard game with 1 ear pod in & watched NFL. It was probably the best Sunday for the NFL ever. Both games were absolutely epic.
Plus, I don't have CUSA TV & kept reading that it's poor.
I got used to Teicher going crazy when they do well & then totally dog a player when he misses a lay up.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 24, 2022, 11:26:28 AM

I don't think the quality is all that bad.  Home games are Teich by the way.  Road sometimes I sync the audio broadcast with the video so I can hear Teich.  He's a total homer, but he is actually really really good at play by play.  One of the best I've heard.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on January 24, 2022, 11:58:25 AM

Totally agree with Sisyphis concerning Teich. He might not be a likeable person (he's a snob) but he does know his business so for that I applaud him. He's one of the best and I'm actually surprised he hasn't been stolen by a big time name.

As for the Nfl games, WOWSERS, it has been one of the best playoff in a long time. Most of the games came down to the kicker winning it. The best one though I think was how Mahomes came back with less than a minute, (35 seconds) and they still managed to tie and win it on OT. The Chiefs are my second favorite team and now my grandson (the next Canseco) loves them too. I gave them all for lost when the Bills scored their last TD, but yeah, Mahomie came through.
Truthfully, I had never watched a Bills game and I was surprised how good Allen was. That's the kind of QB we need (including one like Mahomes) for the Miners, one who isn't afraid of running for a first down. The one we have sucks and I'm not happy with his play. I hope we can get a good one by good I mean that Hardison is mediocre big time.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 24, 2022, 02:47:56 PM

Well we just signed a 3 star.  IDK, watched his highlights and looks like he had some very good receivers.  Only difference to me is he can run.  But he throws high a lot, just like Hardison, launches prayers that would be intercepted in D1.  Not sure this is our salvation.

https://krod.com/utep-football-lands-3-star-qb-jake-mcnamara-in-2022-signing-class/ (https://krod.com/utep-football-lands-3-star-qb-jake-mcnamara-in-2022-signing-class/)

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on January 24, 2022, 03:01:46 PM

Quote from: Chanson on January 24, 2022, 10:33:15 AM

Was at game in EP v UTSA & saw Kennedy walking without scooter a bit. He still uses it for distance, but was standing & taking steps.

I have a theory that y'all may not like. I think he should be medically red shirted for the remainder of the year. We don't have the pieces in the paint to make any post season run. Might as well save the year & come back to a fresh start with what ever support Golding brings in next year.
Do I sound off for thinking this way?

I think that Saterfield may have shown that he can shoot and may have taken Kennedy's spot.  But how that fits in one way or another, my question is does Golding have the chance to hit the portal using this.  It opens a whole discussion of what may or may not be right, and how that might work out in the long run.  It has gotten to be so cutthroat between players and coaches that I don't know whether to back a kid that was with us but may leave if he has a good season or say who's out there and can we get him?  One goes against everything about my love of the college game and the other says wake up old man!  This is 2022 and it is a free for all!  Winning is what counts.  The fact that you have never heard of your players means nothing.  Wins mean something.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 24, 2022, 04:21:56 PM

Kennedy is currently better than Satterfield at every aspect of the game except 3 point shooting, IMO.  If you have both, I think you use Satterfield to come off the bench and hit some shots then go back to Kennedy.  TBH, if there's someone I'm sitting in favor of Satterfield, it's Boum

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on January 24, 2022, 04:36:07 PM

Like I said, may. The thing I was wondering about was the chutes and ladders part.

On a completely different note I finally saw what I considered a very well educated offense except for the ability to hit the open bunnies and the paint seemed to me to have been a focus. Maybe just the opponent though.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 24, 2022, 04:54:15 PM

Agree. Whether permanent part of the offense, or opponent specific it showed some development and a plan all of which is an improvement over CRT.  Hopefully we continue to see something that looks like an actual offense with a plan and intent.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 24, 2022, 05:05:51 PM

I think Kennedy is the best player on the team. I think his D & rebounding have always been fantastic. He developed his O this year with creating his own jumpers & hitting with frequency. I think Saterfield has taken over Agnew's 6th man. Agnew was in for his D, but is careless with the ball & can't shoot. Saucy needs to hit his shots.
I just thought that the year is not going to happen if the players don't tighten it up with open shots, layups, & rebounding. I'd love to see Kennedy here another 2yrs if he does a medical red shirt.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 27, 2022, 11:10:43 AM

Tonight will be the 1st game I miss at home. Caught a stomach bug, but that doesn't mean I won't watch. I'm gonna try CUSA TV.

So, I know I bet on FAU to win tonight, but a couple of factors may equate to a Miner win.

Let's 1st talk about the obvious.
JB- is one of the top PG's in the country as of late. He is usually a top scorer in a game, his defense reeks havoc for smaller PGs, & he rebounds like a boss.
Boum- is a great scorer & has been clutch to close teams out.
Then there is Hollins & Sibley. While Hollins seemed to have reached his ceiling, Sibley has not, but lacks confidence. I know it's a work in progress, but a 4☆ usually has more of an impact at the D1 level. Once he starts get get more assertive, the confidence usually follows.
Now for some recent positive factors.
Verho- His injured back seems to be better. He is more aggressive & playing more minutes. He is also driving to the hole more. He will be the big difference if he continues elevating his game.
Saterfield- his posture doesn't look pretty when he hits jumpers, but they are falling at a 50%+ rate from 3 as of late. His rebounding has also picked up.

Other than, JB, Boum, Saterfield, & Verho, Golding is looking for someone to step up. It's definitely not gonna come from Maring, White, or Clardy.
Kalu & Onyema are still green while Saucy has no business taking jumpers. This leaves the obvious candidate to be Sibley.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 27, 2022, 04:20:39 PM

Quote

Saterfield- his posture doesn't look pretty when he hits jumpers, but they are falling at a 50%+ rate from 3 as of late. His rebounding has also picked up.

Know whose shot was butt-ugly?  Hardaway.  As long as they fall?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 27, 2022, 09:06:37 PM

Wow. What a win. Miners out rebounded badly & they win off an offensive rebound & tip in. Unbelievable.
Verho in dbl figures. That's what was needed to win like I posted earlier.
I freakin love it.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 28, 2022, 04:47:15 AM

For the first 10 minutes or so we saw what the offense is supposed to look like.  Also, learning how to win close ones, how to still accomplish things when someone is out, isn't scoring, etc.  Should pay off down the road this year and future years.  To me, this team may not have a better record at the end of the year than last year's, but they are so so so much more fun to watch.

Hollins looking better every game.  I had written him off.
Verho had a really good game.
Boum finally had an efficient game without forcing too much.
Onyema coming along nicely.
Need to develop our ball screens to get Satterfield open.  Him just standing in the corner didn't work, except for locking down his defender.
Clardy playing with more confidence.
Love Agnew's energy and heart.  Always a spark
Would have been an easier win with Sibley.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 28, 2022, 07:08:34 AM

Quote from: Chanson on January 27, 2022, 11:10:43 AM

Tonight will be the 1st game I miss at home. Caught a stomach bug, but that doesn't mean I won't watch. I'm gonna try CUSA TV.

You picked a bad night to get sick -- probably the most exciting home game all year. Hope you're feeling better.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 28, 2022, 10:42:47 AM

I should be good for Saturday's game. While I am kicking myself for not going, I gave my tix up to a buddy who contacted me right after the game that it was the best gift he received. That made me sooo happy.
I'm hoping this momentum will get more fans in seats. I'm gonna check top 10 on ESPN to see if Hollins tip in made it.

So, I was feeling horrible last night & lied in bed with head phones listening to the radio & not watching. Teicher & Yellen were going crazy after that win. They were jumping & screaming & then realized they were still on air. That was gold to me.
Also, does anyone know exactly what happened to Sibley? I'm thinking they might also sit him against FIU to get healthy. Also, did any of you notice that FAU played better when JB was sitting. We need another solid PG next year.

Golding- what a win for this guy. All year he struggled against bigger teams & finally put one under his belt.
JB- another great night. He had no energy left after this one. Probably why he didn't hit that 3.
Boum- also did his job & then some. He had a few strips to add to his high scoring.
Saterfield- needs to watch tape on Reggie Miller, Steph Curry, etc on how to get open. He'll be fine.
White- didn't make mistakes, but didn't take step forward in getting better.
Clardy- had a turn over, but controlled the ball to give our big players a breather.
Agnew- great energy as always. Kept their shooters at bay. Held my breath when he shot, but they went in when needed.
Hollins- not a stat stuffer, but hustled & had the game winning tip in amongst the trees.
Kalu- played hard, but was outmatched. Great learning game for him on elite big men.
Onyema- was played sparingly. Had a big dunk & disrupted shots. Another learning game.
Verho- is finally healthier & using his feet in the paint to score, besides his D.. I want more, please.
The ending was a dramatic win, but in truth, it was ugly. Rebounding & turnovers were horrible. Luckily we shot better from the field & from the stripe. Having more steals & less turnovers also helped.
On to FIU. This team is not as good as FAU, but cannot be overlooked by any means. I hope Golding played Kalu & Onyema a lot more this game.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 28, 2022, 11:31:30 AM

Sibley got run over on a charge (or maybe they called blocking).  He laid there a while.  Teich or Yellen said they thought groin.  So he probably took a knee to the crotch.

I held my breath with Agnew 3 pointer too.  NoNoNo, YES!

BTW, could really use Kennedy's D.  He can stay between his guy and the basket.  Boum pretty good.  Bienemy gets beat on the dribble pretty often.  Agnew good on stopping dribble drive.  Other guys not so much.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on January 28, 2022, 12:06:55 PM

The past few games I have seen what appears to be an offense.  The defense continues to play hard.  I now find myself wondering if the covid had a tremendous impact in slowing down the getting the offense, or if it took players and coaches time to come together, or and this is my concern, is it pretty much opponent specific.  Is it simply the last few games have we been able to look more organized and generating open midrange shots?  Some plays mixed in to give TV a chance to a stronger inside game.

I am just guessing, but I think Sibley may have hit his head and that was the concern.  It is too bad we lost him because I think he was a part of TV?s awakening.  I think Sibley provided the added strength inside to help TV.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 28, 2022, 12:41:03 PM

TD being Tydus Verhoeven?

I think I recall somewhere around the UNM game Golding said there were still lots of parts of the offense they hadn't installed yet but they were having to do it one piece at a time.

My interpretation was that we hadn't had an offense under CRT and these guys were starting from scratch.

Satterfield:  Doesn't seem like he shoots off the dribble well. has anyone seen him catch one on the move and plant and shoot (no dribble)?  Looks to me like we are in the early stages of implementing ball screens to pop guards open, reason I'm asking.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on January 28, 2022, 01:07:50 PM

Yes, good gawd a mighty!  Damn!

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 28, 2022, 03:23:26 PM

It's not that bad Kyy, just watch a video of the President talking and realize you're nowhere near that far gone yet.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on January 28, 2022, 04:34:44 PM

That is a special blend that is exhaled past his lips like a flathead with the plug wires mixed up. When he is ?speaking? it is painful on multiple levels and tenses.

Part of the problem is that I use a laptop and an iPhone and they are very different. My iPhone tries too hard to help me and the laptop has sticking keys. I wish that had been the problem here but it wasn?t. TD was a brain fart that is impressed into my brain and it is Ty Dus. And I?m old. Lol

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 30, 2022, 05:46:41 AM

Nice win.  Team doesn't give up, they fight back.  TV was a beast.  Hollins continues to contribute postively

If we can continue to get 20-ish points combined from our bigs it will help a a lot.

UNT really tough opponent in their house, good players, very good coach, very cold snowy sleety weather.  This is a probable loss, likely by a lot.  If they win this, they have really turned the corner and the sky is the limit in conference.   A loss not really a bad sign, especially if we at least look like we belong out there.

I've been going to the UTEP UNT game for years, and watched McCasland build something.  Every year they are better, and he outcoached Terry hugely, even when he had inferior players.  I will miss this one as I'll be driving back from Houston, so I'll listen to the radio broadcast.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 30, 2022, 10:03:06 AM

Miners played with confidence except for Sibley & Saterfield. Coach said Sibley was playing hurt, but that looked like his normal game. He's been given a lot of rope to develop. Saterfield was scouted & defended well.

Let's do the break down, shall we?
Golding- cracked the whip on D. It paid off in the 2nd half. This was total domination.
JB- seemed like he had a bit of an off game, especially on D, but did enough to be relevant.
Boum- Just brilliant. Every time he is hot like that, just feed him the ball. 30+ points
Saterfield- had 3 open looks & couldn't convert. That's all he had, though. He was singled out. Needs to figure how to get open.
Clardy- better at protecting the ball, but needs a lot of work still.
Agnew- this is the Agnee we all want to see. As soon as coach put Saucy on the PG, it was over. He also didn't try to score much. Rebounds & defense is why he is here.
Hollins- I was wrong when I said he reached his ceiling a few wks ago. He stepped up w/11pts, 3 rebs, & pretty good D. We need this on a consistent basis w/Kennedy out.
Sibley- chimed in with rebounding, but stick timid on O. Kid needs a full summer of hard strength training to get his confidence up.
Z- tonight's performance is why he gets minimal time. He defended a bit late & caught silly fouls. Needs another summer of work, but still needs court time for confidence.
Verho- His best game in a Miner uniform. Dbl/Dbl & just dominated on O. Had some mistakes in the end, but this was the team we could afford those with.

Now, on to a really tough 6-7 games on the road. Starting with a very good UNT. Can this tough D continue? We shall see.

PS- the officiating was not good. Saw 2 phantom fouls called & they really didn't allow the game to flow. Girl ref was good looking. Will give her a pass, but next time I'm throwing rotten vegetables.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on January 30, 2022, 10:50:28 AM

? Girl ref was good looking.?

This is the kind of in depth analysis that we love here in the Den. I believe Sibley and Hollins  being on the court with TV is a key to TVs success. When he has help down low he isn?t smothered and can use his speed and sweet moves to shoot his baby hooks.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on January 30, 2022, 12:06:02 PM

I am seeing improvement.  I now see stretches of the games lasting longer than one or two plays where what I am seeing on the court exceeds anything I saw from the previous two coaches.

Just for fun, thought I'd rank the defensive play of the various guys that get meaningful play time.

Guards:
Kennedy
Agnew
Boum
Bienemy
Satterfield

From Boum downwards, these are guys that will get beat badly off the dribble several times a game.  Kennedy and Agnew only rarely.

Bigs:
Verhoeven
Hollins
Sibley
Onyema
Kalu

Hollins has picked it up a lot.  Not as athletic as Verho but strong and quick hands.
Sibley so so.
Kalu actually better at being in position than Onyema, but gets backed down too easily.  Onyema is athletic and strong and is often able to recover from his mistakes because of that.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on January 30, 2022, 12:54:43 PM

So I got to talking to some hard core fans at the Don & all think Kennedy will take a Med Red Shirt for the year. Not sure if it can be done, being he sat his 1st year & got an extra for Covid year. Not sure how it works, but I hope they do this. Would love to have him another 2yrs.
JB- this young man has a shot at NBA. Once he can hit with better frequency & protect the ball better, he will be ready for the top level.
I'm not going to dwell on who we need to replace, because we have a good idea. What I do want to talk about is the help needed to be better.
We need a big and a PG. We have shooters & scorers ready for next year in Evans, Boum, JB, Saterfield, & Kennedy. We need a ball handler & distributer. Clardy & Giffa not at D1 level backup status. We need 1 or 2 solid big men. Verho is the only one with skills while our other bigs are really green. We see potential, but we need 1 baller while our greenies catch up.
We have some good 2s & 3s going into next year with Boum, Saterfield, Kennedy, Sibley, Evans, dos Anjos, & Saucy.
1st thing is 1st. We need a good big. Golding needs to land someone sooner than later. Preferably a Soph transfer. Type talent I'm thinking of is V. Hunter, Caracter, Lofton (LA Tech), etc. They do exist.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 05, 2022, 04:42:19 PM

Great road win against Rice.

Defense was great along the perimeter. Still an issue with the back door. I actually think the other kids would have more points, but when you have someone as HOT as JB, just keep feeding him.
Golding- has got his team doing better than any of us thought (so far). Got the big guys to do more attacking, but it was the long ball & defense that won this game.
JB- Played lights out & dictated the game.
Boum- Didn't push since JB was hot, but defended well.
Saterfield- Still learning the game. Is only good on catch/shoot & getting better on D. I like his potential.
Agnew- Great energy on D. Should not be shooting the ball. Only driving. Gets so careless on O & with his handles. He gets in his own way & ignores fundamentals. That's why he doesn't start.
Hollins- I dogged this kid in the beginning. I was wrong. He has developed into a really good role player. Keep it up.
Sibley- Still issues with confidence. I wish he would drive more since he has great footwork & not settle for 15'rs. He also needs strength. He is too lean to bang in the paint.
Onyema- I like his fight & athleticism. He needs to learn offensive moves & be quicker on D
Verho- Played OK on O. Missed a lot under the basket, but I want to see him keep it up. I think je just needs to turn the corner. His D was good, but got outrebounded 8-2 against their big.
Maring, White, & Clardy- Just Ugh. All lucky to be playing on a D1 team.

Our teams identity is defense & guard play. Sound familiar? We need some bigs & a PG. We have a kid replacing Hollins & a 6'6" sharp shooter. So until next year gets here, I'm gonna keep riding this unexpected season.

Go Miners

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 05, 2022, 07:24:19 PM

I was wrong on Hollins too.


The way Bienemy is playing right now, where does he fall in the list of legendary UTEP point guards?  He dominated that game and the last several.  He had 36 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, 3 steals in this game.    Julyan Stone was probably a better defender and had better A/TO ratio. But he couldn't score like JB. 

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 05, 2022, 08:41:53 PM

Just bought tickets for the UNT game.  I don't expect a win, but should be the best game I've seen in their house in quite a while.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 05, 2022, 11:28:12 PM

I'm pretty sure Golding will give them a run for their money.
Was looking at the schedule and we have a game at home on Super Bowl Sunday. Man that sucks. Who schedules this BS?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 06, 2022, 08:28:54 AM

The incompetent CUSA leadership?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 06, 2022, 08:39:51 AM

The team is obviously playing better than they did earlier.  I think they are playing a more balanced offense.  So much depends on the opponent though.

I made three charts hoping I could see better any trends.  They tell us a lot but not necessarily what I wanted to know.

(https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/273220407_10217070182701405_6545179621593940735_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=0debeb&_nc_ohc=z06nW7hmBgkAX_82Kvc&tn=ijxihe5WDm5TbQN6&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AT-X0T23oH8z27upDbO3vIPXEiJMiDwLHDBS8Um3hArF8Q&oe=6204021A)

This is the last eight games and shows 3 pointers taken and made.

The one below is points in the paint for us and our opponents.  We still are getting jobbd inside.

(https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/273374113_10217070182901410_2091566202572700172_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=0debeb&_nc_ohc=VCslvYPMNW0AX8kKu4M&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AT9asQk7it4t1z2jFFrQZWy9fQQvaUYT9SrXXcuMSSvIaQ&oe=6204BB64)

Finally this one is a combination of 3pointers made plus points in the paint.

(https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/273266295_10217070183461424_4439720450888312741_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=0debeb&_nc_ohc=hbOiFj5UXbkAX95uqf8&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AT_5cT3W3Jl6Redcwd0v_24Etfvxycl3X2sHNVu0lpwd1A&oe=6204AA05)

I wish there were easy to point to factors, but I don't think there are.  Th last three games the three pointers percentage has improved and the number taken is down but I don't know that that is a trend.  The only trend I can see for sure is that we are winning.

Here is one more thing.  Looking at winning percentage of opponents.  LA Tech was a loss to a team with a 74% winning percentage.  Next was Southern Miss with a 27% win percentage and we win.  Then came a loss to Charlotte with a 57% winning rate. ODU with a 41% winning percentage was a UTEP win.  Then came two wins over UTSA who wins 33% of their games.  FAU was a win over a team that wins 61% of their games and FIU was a win over a team that wins 57% of their games.  So, we have won games against weak teams but we also won some games on the road against some decent teams.

In December I said I thought that we were going to win 17 games.   If we continue to play the way we are we may reach 20.  Maybe.  The UNT game should tell us a little more about whether the competition is the biggest factor to our recent winning streak or not.

Last thing, The Bear would love this team and Golding.  They would be thicker than thieves if Haskins were alive.   

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 06, 2022, 09:14:49 AM

Got to admit those charts are good & funny. 1st time I've seen one hand written.
The other big factor is the defense. We are keeping teams below 70pts which gives us a chance. Golding was clear on rather being beat with interior play than the 3 ball. They not only did that with Rice, but we outshot the long ball on a team that depends on it. It helped that JB was on fire.
Last thing, thanks Sis for giving the OK on CUSA TV. I took the plunge & did a mnth to mnth for $11/mnth. It's actually not bad. Need to deal with out of town commentary, but it was worth it.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 06, 2022, 12:33:35 PM

Kyyote,
I feel like it's really more that the guys that aren't hot are willing to give it up to whoever has the hot hand.  Against Rice Boum missed some early but recognized that Bienemy was on fire and stepped back and let him be the man.

Also, just attempting to score in the paint forces the defense to respect that.  It's a little like the difference betweeen Kug and Dimel.  knowing that we might pass for a 40 yd bomb means they can't pack the box with 11 players.


Chanson,
I don't know how many you've watched?  Rice had the best quality broadcast.  UTSA was pretty bad.  Ours is somewhere between.  I don't really mind listening to the homers usually.  If it gets too bad i will pull up the Teich broadcast on my phone and sync them.  Even though I have to delay one or the other to get them to sync, it's kind of cool

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on February 06, 2022, 01:15:54 PM

Man, I'm like Ky with his hand written graphs, behind the times. Hey old man, they invented rulers a long time ago. Ha, ha. Only joking old man I don't want to Ps you off.  :o ;)

Hey Chans how do you get Cusa tv? I subscribed to espn just to watch some Miner games but they never show them or Cusa at that. As far as synching, that...I wouldn't know what to do. But for sure I want to subscribe to Cusa Tv. Question: can I just stop the subscription to Espin?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 06, 2022, 04:46:37 PM

So... I subscribed to CUSA TV for the 1st time about an hour before the Rice game. It was actually pretty good. You can cxl anytime. I'll probably cxl just after CUSA Tournament & re-subscribe come November. I saw the whole game from my phone. I'll probably watch on Smart TV next time.
Tomorrow's game is ESPN+. How funny that I never would have thought of subscribing to either with Floyd or Terry. Even though this is supposed to be a "Push Year" I love watching how Golding develops these kids along with his attention to defense.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 06, 2022, 05:27:42 PM

I added the Rice game to my charts and low and behold it became pretty clear.  UTEP shot 11 for 21 for 52% from three point range.  We also outscored Rice in the paint 30 to 28 and on my combo chart it went off the chart at 41.  The three point shooting percentage for the last four games each were above 40%(45) and the average for the last 5 games is 43%.  Also, the number of attempts has dropped to an average of 20 attempts per game.  Down from the 26.4 attempts a game for the previous five games.  And we are on an upswing in points in the paint.  Shooting 3 pointers at the rate we are connecting is hard to think will continue.  Getting more made threes on half the tries and pounding it inside seems to be coming along.  Also, TV has sweet moves for a big guy.  I hate them. lol But they are sweet and I think he is getting the chance to make them enough now to improve his percentage.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 07, 2022, 04:49:12 AM

I bet if TV could learn to pivot to the right, pump fake, then up and under to the left he'd score a crap ton.  He's pretty mobile.  Who was it that used to to do that a lot?  Wolfram?  Tofi?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 07, 2022, 08:08:27 AM

Cedar learned to do that his Sr year

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 07, 2022, 08:23:11 AM

                        UTEP         Opponents

Scoring Margin   3.9              --
SHOOTING
FG: Made-Attempted   534-1276   510-1173
FG: Percentage   .418   .435

3PT: Made-Attempted   179-500   128-387
3PT: Percentage   .358   .331
3PT: Per Game   8.1   5.8

I went back to the first 13 games before the eight in the charts.  The average number of 3 pointers taken was 22.4 and averaged making 7.3 per game.  During that time the team shot 291 and made 95 for 32.6%.  In the eight games in the chart the 3 point percentage is up to 37.9.

Here is the 3 point shooting percentages for each player that is a factor;

Boum  41   113   .363
JB       52   133   .391
KK      15   51   .294
Sater   41   86   .477
Sib      9   20   .450
Holl     7   30   .233
Agn     5   24   .208
Bonk   2   13   .154

I bet that if TV would learn to turn around and take the fucking ball to the hoop like a demon he would make a butt load more baskets and free throws galore!  Sweet baby hooks and teardrop underhanded like a guard are dandy for short little guys who can't go to the basket like a big man can.    The baby hook looks pretty.  The jam with both hands daring a defender to get their arm broken, well ask The Bear what he told Latin before the Kentucky tip.  Plus he is a damned good free throw shooter to boot.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 07, 2022, 09:11:01 AM

Agree on TV, but just not sure he has that in him. Used to love Maxey for that reason.

Even if you have great 3 point shooters it's tough in college to win consistently if that's your only game.  Hell, even Loyola Marymount had Gathers and it didn't work without him.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 07, 2022, 02:38:09 PM

While I don't think scoring comes natural to Verho, he can still find ways to be in dbl digits every night. Look at Ced Lang. Kid had heart & grit. He learned to be an effective scorer. Maxey, Caracter, Hunter, etc all had the talent to score the day they touched the floor. Can Golding pick up someone like that? Time will tell.
Until then, Golding needs to work on Sibley, Verho, & Kalu. I don't think Maring has the coordination for D1 play.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 07, 2022, 04:07:57 PM

What blows me away is that I watched him do it and his teammates erupted in celebration like they had won the game. So I know he can do it and he damned sure seemed to like doing it. I just think he is like a lot of big men that wish they were guards. Haskins constantly had to reign in Foster. He would say that guards are a dime a dozen but you can?t teach seven feet.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 07, 2022, 09:30:33 PM

Our four forwards had 15 rebounds and 21 points

Their two forwards had 15 rebounds and scored 35 points. 

Guards 37 UTEP 31 UNT

Free throws UTEP 6/6(Fwds 2/2       UNT 17/27  (Fwds were 7/11)

Any questions?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 07, 2022, 09:45:33 PM

Well...still no defense for the back door. Got to hand it to UNT for studying film & dominating the offensive paint in scoring & our turn overs were our demise. We had better percentages all around with FT, 3s, rebounds, etc.
I'm not upset by any means. We needed someone to step up besides the usuals, but no one stepped up.
Golding- I thought he did well. He just doesn't have the players to drive & dominate the paint.
Boum- did well. He needs help.
JB- also did well, but can't do it all.
Saterfield- no show
Saucy- helped on D, but still was sloppy.
Clardy- what can I say. He is in to give a breather.
Hollins- hustled & did his job.
Sibley- coach is waiting for him to figure it out. 4pts & 4 rebs. Meh
Onyema- still learning. He won't be effective until his Jr year.
Verho- I think he allowed too much even though he is labeled a defender. I think he got out muscled. Golding & company need to help him with a stronger opponent.

This was a well coached UNT team that has had a while to build. We will get there. Just need a few other pieces.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 08, 2022, 05:23:00 AM

A couple additional comments.

Lots of turnovers by Bienemy.  Uncharacteristic but the only offense we had in the first half so trying too hard.

Hollins did well overall and was the only guy that could play physically with their bigs.  Sibley and Verho are so skinny.
Onyema seemed a bit lost.

Satterfield just stands in the corner.  Guarding him is the same as guarding a fencepost.  He got beaten badly off the dribble drive several times.  This is why at the end Golding was swapping him and Clardy between O and D.

We really could use Kennedy, his D and boards.  We need some beef inside.  Sibley needs to find a couple cheeseburgers.


I would estimate physical crowd around 2000, Miners contingent around 250.  Typical years in the past (pre-covid) I'd say about 3500 fans max, with about 1000 of those Miners fans.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 08, 2022, 08:54:17 AM

The Miners would have probably won if they cut the turn overs in half. That UNT defense was good & forced UTEP to make mistakes. You are right, Sisy, Kennedy would have been a big help.
If he comes back this year, he will be super rusty.
As I have said before, Kennedy should Medical Red Shirt & stay for another 3yrs.
Now, off to play Marshall at home. If UTEP plays like they have been this past month, they will beat them handily.

Go Miners

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 08, 2022, 09:04:25 AM

Kennedy and Agnew are the only two defenders that can consistently stay between their guy and the basket.  Boum not bad but does get beat sometimes.  Bienemy hit or miss.  Seems to have the capability, but maybe loses focus or something?

Kennedy out and Agnew a huge liability offensively.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 08, 2022, 03:22:18 PM

And having watched a game in person, I hate CUSA officiating

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 09, 2022, 08:48:15 AM

Saw recruit chatter on other site.
4☆ 6'5" Che Evans SG will have all 4yrs & 2☆ 6'7" dos Santos SF will be a Soph.
All hoping & praying KJ Lewis considers UTEP. Well, he won't come here. He will more than likely go to Ŧ. Why, because he has had 2 unofficial visits & will ha e his 1st official visit this week.
Also talk about 6'9" Khalfani Hill. He was a CRT recruit & with his disconnect with social media & the UTEP program, I don't think he'll come.
CJG doesn't show any recruiting that we know of.
Scolly's opening up I see 3 possibly 4. Maring, Giffa, & Hollins look to be the 3 out. Not sure about White.
Anyway, hope CJG find that big manly man he's looking for. I don't think he'll have an issue finding Guards & Forwards.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 09, 2022, 11:00:00 AM

I think we tend to see recruiting as it used to maybe have been.  College coaches knew high school coaches and AAU teams and all of that and built relationships to land commitments and those commitments solidified (or not) those relationships.  Some of that is still very true, but some of it has changed dramatically.  Up and down movements from cartels and the lower level conferences has become perhaps the more important relationships.  If you are Golding and have three scholarships available do you retain one in case either a lower level player or a cartel that needs to land somewhere falls into your lap?  Do, you let some players find a place, maybe help them in lower division schools to finish up to open up spots?  As fans do we look for those kinds of players to become available to become potential Miners?  The transfer portal?  There are a couple of forwards at Tech and I think they owe us one.  One already spent his first year at utsa and maybe he would like to come back down and play and the other might get a real chance to play immediately.  I am somewhat tongue in cheek but in a way that is now how we have to look.  Efe Odigie?  Would it be a trade up or down from Troy?

Also, we do still have to maintain academic progress standards, right?  Cam Clardy was a damned good player in an area full of damned good players.  Expect him to be fine.  He is a Business major and was on the Commissioner's Honor Roll 20-21.  I would expect that he is a player who will want to get the degree.  Bonke Maring is from the same high school and is 6' 11".  He should be working on his rebounding and stuffing.  That should be his new nickname, Bonke "No Turkey, Just the Stuffing!" Maring.  He is 6 feet and eleven inches tall.

Gilles isn't moving up or down.  Smart kid.
C-USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (2019, 2020, 2021)
NABC Outstanding Academic Achievement (2020) 

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 09, 2022, 07:48:15 PM

I think you are on to something about recruiting.  Things are different now and I'm not sure we understand what's changed but the coaches that can figure it out faster will benefit.

I haven't talked much about Clardy but I think he has a shot at being a solid player.  He has good handles and good D.  No clue if he can score.

Not so sure about Maring.  He has pretty good vision for passing when he gets the ball up around the elbow.  But he's not much good at anything else it seems. 

100% Giffa won't be here next year.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 10, 2022, 08:03:26 AM

I think that there is a subculture based on basketball around the country and even the world that those who live in it understand in ways we don't even know to think of.  There are players who are actual students, looking to get a college degree and there are players who are honing their games for the pros.  Then there are those who are at the edge.  Even the big cartels have to make academic progress, too though.  When I mentioned the forwards from Tech those are very likely needed to keep grade points up for their team.  There are players who play and players who practice and get straight A's.  And the people in that subculture know who are which.  They are moving and staying based on much different criteria than what we fans look at.  The French kid is a coach's son.  Is he here as a conduit, to learn the game to join his father in the business of coaching, or is he a serious student looking to get a degree in the field of his choice.  I will bet $5 that he gets good grades.

So, I think we look at our players as to which group they fit in.  The grades players, those who practice and keep academic progress high, those who play to become players or coaches in the future-those who see basketball as their future, and pros honing their games.  We usually don't have to worry too awfully much about these players anymore.  Not like when Haskins was in his glory days.  This is a new world.  All of Haskins greats would have played a year or two  and transferred to cartels.  Williams is Brandon Wolfrum(sp).  So if we look at JB, I would guess that he wants to stay in basketball.  His good year may be enough to see about playing in the cartels again or maybe he needs another year. I think Boum is one of the players at the edge.  Basketball could be his life or he could realize that the degree is his key to the future. 
So, look for those who want basketball enough to move up.  Look for A students.  Do we need any or are we good academically.  They stay for that reason.  Then we look at the players that are playing basketball to get degrees and the players at the edge.  Also, keep it in mind for future.  For instance, Maring is 6'11" tall.  I think it may be safe to say that he is looking at basketball as maybe his future.  Is that pros or coaching.  Size is size.  He is head and shoulders ahead of most players just by being that tall.  If he were to get any good at all-he's gone.  I think we learn that if UTEP has a good big man he will be harvested quickly by the cartels.  Guards are so plentiful that the cartels don't need ours.  JB might have trouble moving back up. 

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 13, 2022, 03:57:33 PM

Not much to report. The only kids that did wortha damn were Boum & JB. All others, including Golding were terrible. Shame on them for losing against the worst team in CUSA.
All the more for Kennedy to stay out until next season & take a med redshirt.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 13, 2022, 05:12:04 PM

Thought TV had a really bad game.  Even though Onyema got lost a bunch, I might have played him more anyway.

Sibley had 10 boards.  Next closed, Bienemy at 4

really though, they shot 50% from 3 and we shot 22%.  Most of them weren't bad shots.

Boum doesn't have good handles, and turns it over way too much.  that's not gonna change

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 13, 2022, 08:32:08 PM

Could it be that Marshall was allowed to concentrate on perimeter defense because they didn't have to worry about the paint?  Seems that their big man had everything under control just by himself;
o/d  reb     pf     a      to     blks  stl     pts
3-8   11   1   1   2   0   0   17

TV, Hollins, Kalu, Onyema, and Sibley;
4/13  17    8      5      4       0      4      17

Free Throws;
Mar  15-23   UTEP  20-23    but remember that 8 points UTEP got were technical foul gifts.  Take away those and we shot just 12 of 15 free throws. 

I think this was a bad loss and may hurt our chances for an at large invitation to the big dance. 

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 13, 2022, 10:06:55 PM

No way are Miners ready for an at large invitation for the big dance. Maybe in a few years with some help with a couple of bigs.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 14, 2022, 07:05:23 AM

That was supposed to be a joke. lol

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 14, 2022, 08:02:10 AM

Yeah, I agree, at this point we will need to win the CUSA tourney to get an invite...  ;)

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: zyxwvutsru on February 14, 2022, 10:33:50 AM

I am disappointed, but not surprised, that both our bb teams lost. I thought the ladies were better than this.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 14, 2022, 12:03:29 PM

To me, besides the obvious lack of inside strength and the streakiness of our shooters, there is one main weakness that it appears to me Golding is trying to work on, and we are seeing some progress but not there yet.

That area is 40 minutes of intensity by all 5 players on the court.  I see 2-3 minutes of intensity at a time.  I see a couple players that play with a fair amount of intensity every minute they are in, and others that don't.  There's lots of times we jack up a 3 and everyone stands there watching it and some already start heading back on D.  It goes in or it doesn't.  Some of the back door cuts are because someone fell asleep

No question that Agnew plays intensely every minute.  Onyema plays intensely.  They just don't have what it takes in other aspects to get the minutes.
Boum doesn't take a lot of plays off on either side of the court.  Bienemy sometimes does take plays off defensively.  Everyone else that gets minutes takes more plays off than him.  Kennedy wasn't our leading rebounder because of his size, but because he played intensely.

I remember the intensity as being a characteristic of Gillispie's teams, here and at A&M.  I don't recall however whether that was a struggle in year 1.  Help me out here.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 15, 2022, 09:35:00 PM

Quote from: kyyote on February 14, 2022, 07:05:23 AM

That was supposed to be a joke. lol

Normally I recognize humor, but because I was so pist at the outcome, I didn't. My bad, KY.  Oth coaches have adds to make trip to Dallas to see them compete. It's very hard to book that reservation when both teams are playing like ass.
I'll still make the rest of the games, but to spend that money only to be disappointed is very tough.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 16, 2022, 07:01:09 AM

I understand completely. It is the reason for my joke. What is unfortunate is that my jokes and serious comments can?t be told apart from one another.  lol

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 16, 2022, 09:49:18 AM

i'm not necessarily saying CUSA should be a one bid league, or that we are tourney worthy, but it sucks in general just how many bids are given to P5 leagues.

I rant about this every year, and nothing changes, but still.  I would much rather see a G5 team with 2-3 conference losses than a P5 team with 8 conference losses.
You should have to finish in top 25% of your conference or 33% to get a bid no matter how strong the conference is perceived to be.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 16, 2022, 10:27:30 AM

The whole concept of seeding begins with the premise that one team is better than another based on whatever excuse is needed. Are they right?  Most of the time and when they are wrong it is supposed to be self correcting. The cartels are better. They and the ncaa use the non cartels teams like the trotters use capitals. Perhaps a better analogy would be the jackpot at at slot machine at a gas station in Elko. The rich aren?t just getting richer they are consolidating their power and duking it out for the biggest cut of the pie. What bothers me is not the game being played. It is pure Darwinism and capitalism at it?s best. Competition for the competition dollars, bragging rights and the perks that come with winning and fame. Our problem is our lack of effort to compete in the game. And worse than that it over decades is just who we are. Have you ever in your life heard anyone from UTEP speak about getting better and moving up. Keep in mind the number of times over these same years that our competition moved on and up from us. With the latest barely alive move to keep our conference alive what do we hear from UTEP?  We are hanging in there hoping for the best. Just like always. Same as it ever was. 
What I think the non cartel teams should do is form a sub cartel. It should maybe think about playing half as many cartel games. Make them play each other and let their records suffer. The non cartel cartel should schedule a pre ncaa dance tournament and use the results to field the top non cartel teams to fill the slots in the dance with the best of the non cartel teams competing. The pre tournament would be almost as big as the dance in draw and the extra exposure would help level the overall competition perhaps. Idk.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 17, 2022, 11:11:56 AM

we're beating a dead horse, but I'm a big believer in the idea that if the game is stacked against you the only way to win is to refuse to play.  Ideally you flip the table over and demand to play your own game by your own rules.  That takes both vision and balls, but it's the only way to break out of the cycle.  Right now I feel like all the non P-5 schools are in an endless Stockholm Syndrome, or beaten wife syndrome.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 17, 2022, 09:13:51 PM

Are you kidding me? What a win. Nothing pretty to see on either side of the ball, but the Miners won the dog fight.

Golding- called a great game defensively. Shut the big scorers down & made them play a scrappy game. It's this kind of blue collar win that the Miners were attracted to when they hired Golding. Ugly, but effective.
JB- once he settled down, he played well. Didn't go off for big points, but clawed his way to holding this team up.
Boum- Did his job despite Williams greqt defense. Rebounded like a BOSS. This kid needs help.
Jorrel- Golding was hoping he would be the one to step up. He needs work on both sides. I still like his potential.
Hollins- wasn't the 1 to step up, but played OK, especially with those 7 rebs.
Sibley- another guy Golding needs to step up, but didn't. He did play well on D, but not a factor.
Agnew- should not have even stepped on the court. He was a mess & Golding layed into him hard. So athletic, but not a smart player.
White- didn't make a mistake & allowed breathers. Wish he was a bit assertive, but you never know with role players.
Onyema & Kalu- still learning. I still like them both.
Verho- got outplayed, smarted, rebounded, &scored by a superior player. Still managed held strong & helped before fouling out with 9pts & 4rebs.
Maring- did we just have a Bonke sighting? Oh My! No one expected his grit in the paint. He had 5 tough rebs & 5pts. Come out player of the game.
What a great win. Golding expected help to come from the usuall suspects & gets it from an unexpected source. I'm not holding my breath on Maring, but that was a breath of fresh air in a barn burner. I hope that gave him confidence.
Anyone else have a different perspective?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 17, 2022, 09:44:08 PM

STARTERS   MIN   FG   3PT   FT   OREB   DREB   REB   AST   STL   BLK   TO   PF   PTS S. BoumG                                    1   11            12                                       28

UTEP                                13/17


LA TECH                            17/31  54.8%

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 18, 2022, 07:57:47 AM

Agree with Chanson

I thought TV did reasonably well against a much superior opponent.  A lot of Boum's boards were because TV had Lofton sealed off and couldn't release to the ball but Boum stepped in.  I assume that was game-planned because we haven't seen it before.

The Maring we saw last night would get meaningful minutes.

68% FT shooting would have had La Tech winning by one.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 19, 2022, 02:16:23 PM

Great win by the Miners. USM stayed close most of the game, but UTEP was too strong in the end.
Golding- Love this guy. Great plan to shut down there big guy. Admitted didn't play very well on D & I agree. Once again, we win because of another team's poor FT. Not an impose your Will kind of Coach, but very good at exposing another teams weakness. Just ask Shaka Smart.
I'm only going to respond to those who played more than 10min today.
Onyema- was in to fill time. Still lots to learn.
Verho- strong min & good scoring. Liked his D, but needs to work on rebounding.
Sibley- I think he got the concept that if you can't score, make it up. He did with 9 rebs. His scoring will come with confidence. Still a freshy.
Hollins- only 16min, but very important with 7pts. Golding has figured he is better with clutch min than extended play.
Agnew- finally played well. Best maxed min on the team with 15min & 11pts.
Saterfield- 12pts & 3rebs. That is a fantastic night for him. Just keep hitting 3s, mijo.
Boum- scored 12, but had 7rebs. When he's not scoring 20+pts, he does everything else. It's funny, because he missing a lot of layups & easy shots. While that & ball security are his weaknesses, his D, scoring, & rebs are strong.

On to MTSU. Hope those bad Marshall type games are behind us.

Go Miner

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 20, 2022, 06:52:26 PM

Looked at MTSU & they are on a roll like the Miners. The edge will probably go to MTSU, only because they are playing at home.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 20, 2022, 07:35:50 PM

I have been trying to get a handle on how I feel about Golding at this point.  Generally, I like that he has them playing great defense is a great foundation.  I have seen enough to make me believe that he can design and employ an offense to get open shots.  Player development is difficult to measure in one year, especially with covid and other health related things involved.  Of course, JB has gone from having arrived here because of his shooting to have become John Wesley Hardin of the Hardwood and if that is due to Golding he is a magician.
We are 9/5 at home and 7/5 away.  We aren't afraid to travel, including to the Eastern Time Zone.  I sorted our conference teams into  good, ok, and bad.  We are 1/3 against good teams, 3/1 against ok teams, and 4/1 against bad teams.  We have 4 games left and they are 3 goods and an ok.  How we do in these last four games will go a long way towards clearing things up.  When we began conference play i felt like we were probably a 17 win team.  Wild guess based on what I had seen at the time.  If we win seventeen it was a good season.  If we win 18, 19, or 20 with the teams remaining we might just win 23, or however many it takes to win the conference tournament.  That would be a great season and put Golding in the Cold Seat for Hot Coaches!  One or two more like it and he climbs a ladder.
So, we have a very exciting time coming up.  Gird your loins, buckle up, Buttercup, smoke 'em if you've got 'em, UTEP Basketball is about to get serious as a heart attack.

Go Miners!

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 20, 2022, 07:54:24 PM

AMEN brotha'.
I am ready to get The Don rockin again. It's electric when that place is packed.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 21, 2022, 07:29:51 AM

Consider that we are almost certain to have a better final record than any Terry year, and already have a better conference record than any Terry year.  Without Bryson Williams. 

Where CJG fits in the overall history of UTEP coaches remains to be seen, but I like what I see so far. 

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on February 21, 2022, 11:51:57 AM

Quote from: SisyphusMiner on February 21, 2022, 07:29:51 AM

Consider that we are almost certain to have a better final record than any Terry year, and already have a better conference record than any Terry year.  Without Bryson Williams. 

Where CJG fits in the overall history of UTEP coaches remains to be seen, but I like what I see so far.

I can only imagine how much better we could have been if Bryson had stayed. At least we would have had another rebounder. The scoring would have been a big plus. Too bad

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 21, 2022, 12:57:06 PM

That is very true. But I watch almost all of the Big12 games and Tech might win a championship this year with him as their TV star player.  Since he is a UTEP grad rooting for him is a two for one deal. He almost always wears orange shouts when he plays and I think it is a tribute to UTEP.
The ?ifs and butts? game is played, OU may be kicking themselves in the ass. Think how JB would have helped them this year.
I am forcing myself to take more of a mercenary fan view of the team. Players are more like foster kids. You love them and care for them but they aren?t quite the same as your own. A UTEP degree makes them family for sure.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 21, 2022, 02:56:08 PM

I like Tech and I don't begrudge BW.  Personally I was just commenting that current coach is doing more without him than previous did with him and that tells me something about coaching skills.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 21, 2022, 03:42:28 PM

That is a good point.  I was just kind of saying that there is going to be more and more of the moving of players. But the fact that CG has done better than Terry Minus BW is a strong point. I would say that Terry didn?t have a sharp shooting JB but that just adds to the strength of the point.  A win tonight will be big. Revenge wins against the ab and my would have me damned near jubilant.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 21, 2022, 04:47:05 PM

I also cheer on Ŧ for a few reasons.
1) they have always done UTEP right in the past. Beard scheduling them in pre-season after that near championship run, to Bobby Knight wanting to come down. Very respectful organization.
2) My son is a Soph at Ŧ & he is building some great memories. He got involved with a few school organizations & he feels like a valued student. Doesn't get better than that.

I never think twice if BW would have stayed. I think he made the right choice to prepare himself for the next level of competition. While I really like the defense our coach has brought to this program, Adams' is a master at it & BW is in good hands. Plus, BW loves El Paso. I bet you if BW wins a championship, he comes to EP to celebrate with his buds. I also think the smarter decision that he made was to separate himself from Rodney Terry. It was hard, but a good choice.

Lastly, I think we all agree that Golding is a much better coach than Terry & the last 4yrs of Floyd's career. Yes, it would be great to be on top his 1st year, but to see what this coach brings & has proven with results is really nice for me. For the 1st time in a while, I don't find myself deflated, because of another crappy year. I find myself surprised & longing for what Golding has in store for us next year.

Go Miners

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on February 21, 2022, 08:14:17 PM

Sorry for feeling this way but I'm like an elephant who never forgets. I don't hate players that abscond from UTEP but I do not hold them in high regard. I feel he did us wrong and for better or worst I won't be rooting for him. I'm like a scorned woman who was left at the altar.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 21, 2022, 10:30:05 PM

Not much to write about. Coaches & kids seemed tired. Boum was the only one with numbers. Everyone else seemed beat up. I only hope they are embarrassed & took this personal.
I know the Miners have a week to prepare for UAB, but that program is a bit more advanced than ours at this time.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 22, 2022, 05:08:34 AM

I don't feel like it was at all fair what the league did here.  MTSU cancelled the first game.  They can come to our place at a time that's convenient for us.

Oh, and BTW, I hate CUSA officiating.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 22, 2022, 06:23:29 AM

going back to the discussion of our record without BW, I should also point out that it has been without Kennedy for most of the season.  He had been our leading rebounder, best defender, and had found ways to contribute positively to the offense. 

You gotta like that Boum had 9 boards BTW.  Although TV shows no boards, a lot of the Boum boards were because TV had his man sealed off and rather than release to get the board himself, he maintained the blockout and let Boum get it.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on February 22, 2022, 09:09:11 AM

Our forwards played their forwards straight up. 
UTEP                MT

FG
6/13               5/11
3pt
0/2              3/5
Reb
12                  12
pts
16                  16

Guards were a different story.
fgs
13/39             21/42
3ptr
5/20                8/18
reb
12                    27
pts
44                    61

Our perimeter defense wasn't.  MT shot 11/23 47.8% from beyond the arc.  We shot 5/22 22.7%.  JB was held to seven points.  He was what is called locked down.  Credit MT's defense.  I am afraid that others will do the same.  Shut down JB or SB and we are down to one scorer.  Theoretically it would seem to me that if they took JB away there was openings inside that weren't exploited.  So, in a way, while our forwards held their own, they should have taken advantage of the effort spent shutting down JB.  Anyway, MT was he better team.  Not the end of the world.  We have three more very, very important games left in the season.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 22, 2022, 10:02:46 AM

As has been commented by everyone, most of our guards are middling at best at defense.  Agnew pretty decent but you just cringe every time he gets the ball in his hands.  Kennedy on the bench.  The rest, sometimes decent, often just awful.  Give and go killed us.

Kennedy's injury was his foot?  Hope that doesn't make him a half step slow.  Be prepared for the possibility he doesn't help us much on this year and needs the offseason to get back his proper quickness.


Anyone keeping up with the recruiting?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 26, 2022, 11:12:58 PM

We lost. I think we all knew that was going to happen.
Golding- did his best, but when players can't contribute, you can't win. Not Goldings fault. He needs help & I hope he has some bigs coming in.
JB- Crappy night. 9pts & 0 rebs. There are nights that he looks like he belongs at a big program, then you have nights like tonight. Yikes
Boum- Did his job as always. We might have been able to win if he hits free throws like normal, but we can't blame him for the loss.
Saterfield- Kid hasn't had a good night for some time. Wake up, son.
Agnew- Was a no show on O & couldn't defend. Just Ugh.
Kennedy- Great to see him back. Was very rusty, but had 10pts. He'll come around.
Hollins- only other player besides Boum that was worth a damn when it counted.
Sibley- Still waiting for this kid to grow a pair. Was a No Show (AGAIN).
Verho- Had 7rebs, bit was used as a rag doll. He needs help in the post.
Onyema- 1 great dunk & 3rebs. That's all.

I'd balme everything on the kids, but UAB is just a bigger, faster, stronger, & more talented team. I like out chances with a healthy Kennedy.
As always, it's not about regular season, but CUSA tournament.
I'd have to say that the 1st Q & the 1st half of the 2nd were great. Then you have the minutes that count late in the game & everyone decided not to show. Ugh.

On to Rice.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on February 27, 2022, 06:20:46 AM

Kennedy's return was a lot better than I thought it would be.  I figured he would need more time to get his feet back under him.  We got outrebounded by 17! 

Basically I felt like the guys played well and just got beat by a better team.  Sometimes jump shots aren't falling for everyone, and we just get beat by anyone with a solid interior. 

I think if CJG can ever get us solid players at every position -- don't need stellar play, just solid -- we will be very tough to beat.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on February 27, 2022, 11:30:01 AM

Agreed. That was a good team. My eyes were on the 7' kid they had. Big, strong, athletic, & unstoppable in the paint when he had the ball. His defense wasn't very good, but that is the kind of kid we need, along with a driving wing.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 01, 2022, 02:02:55 PM

A Booster buddy of mine at Ŧ said Williams got the biggest & Loudest standing O on Sr night.
He is there best player this year. He will go to the NBA.
In other news, I'm not sure if any of you watch NBA, but you need to YouTube Ja Morant with the Memphis Grizzlies. This kid is special.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 04, 2022, 10:02:55 AM

Last night against Rice was an odd game for the Miners. While we won, it was very ugly. That Pierre kid looked like he should have been playing for a Pro Team. It wasn't until the last 10min that the Miners decided to protect the perimeter. I will say this, that defense the Miners put forth in those last 10-15min was incredible. Rice depends on the Pick n Roll & the Miners were quick with transitions & pressuring the shooter. I just wish they could have figured it out sooner.

Golding- Did OK. He made changes just in time to secure a win, but should have recognized it starting the 2nd half. He'll need to make adjustment a lot quicker against N TX.
Verho- Rice's 7' had a dbl/dbl & gave him big problems. Barley contributing on O.
Onyema- so athletic & did more with less time. Had 2 monster dunks & a block or 2. Still learning. I like this kid a lot.
Maring- Yikes
Sibley- Still has confidence issues & seems confused at times. Golding coaching him a lot.  I need to keep reminding myself he is just a FR
Hollins- Great minutes used. He did the little things that counted (D, scoring, ast, Reb, etc.)
Kennedy- So glad he is back. This kid is out best rounded player.
Agnew- played hard as always, but needs to control his wrecklessness. Needs to stay under 10min a game.
Saterfield- D is getting better, but needs to shoot more. Needs to be much quicker & study how to get open by the likes of Curry, Reg Miller, etc.
Boum- needed to turn it on in late 1st half. He was defended well, because Rice has really quick guards. Was our savior once again.
JB- Great job. Kept the team together & was the difference maker.

Miners got outrebounded again, but won because of higher FG%, steals, & 5 blocks. This was a game where we could have used a decent Forward. Rice won in the paint, while out taller guards had the edge o there smaller quick guards. If Miners had forwards that could drive & hit from mid range, it would have been a 15pt win differential.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 04, 2022, 02:50:48 PM

Thanks for this.  There was no video and I only got to listen to about half.  I will also miss the Sat game

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 05, 2022, 04:07:48 PM

WOW!! The best Miner win of the season happened to be the last game of the regular season. What an effort. Miners were tied 0-0 & never tied or fell behind the rest of the game. In other words, it was a beat down. IMO, Kennedy was the missing link.
Golding- Refused to be outcoached. Had a great plan against the Pick n Roll & the 3. By the time UNT figured out how to slow UTEP down, it was too late. Fouling a bad FT team was a fantastic strategy.
JB- Once again held the team together. 8pts, 5rebs, & 4ast. He also controlled against the best defensive team in CUSA (IMO)
Boum- Took over in the end as always. Played killer D all day. Strategy is get Boum going w/10min to go. Other team is tired & has no choice but to foul. 22pts & tied for most Miner Rebs with JB at 5.
Agnew- Played 5min & was only in for D. He plays best in these situations. Any more than 10min & his wrecklessness is too much.
Saterfield- play 1min & did nothing. UNT would have chewed him up.
Kennedy- Bravo young man. 17pts & 4rebs. Was a beast on D & looked like the best player on the floor. Shut down the perimeter.
Hollins- Had some key rebounds, but UNT seemed too much for him. Had 1pt. Ugh
Sibley- Took him a while to settle down, but UNTs mistake was to play him small. Well...he got 11pts out of it & he's not known to do dbl figures.
Onyema- played hard & had 1 monster dunks. Played about 10min & he gets better every time he plays.
TV- I thought he played OK. Had 9pts & 3rebs, but Bell had his number even though he is a smaller player. Needs to clean up his game on O & take care of the freaking rock.

Because of this huge win, no one wants to play UTEP.
On to Old Dominion. Personally, I hope all the teams leaving CUSA lose. We shall see.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on March 05, 2022, 04:59:13 PM

A sweet little peck on UNT's cheek.  Bless your little hearts, and don't let the door hit you where the Lord split you.  So much for UNT's at large bid.  Now we just need to win the damned cusa tournament to set the stage for a new group.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 05, 2022, 05:10:48 PM

Seems like we are peaking at the right time
Who is the final four in CUSA tournament do you think?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: ATL-Miner on March 05, 2022, 05:18:54 PM

What a great win! It's been exciting watching this team grow as the season has gone on. Something we haven't seen here in years. Gotta love Golding and what he's done to get so many players involved and coaching them up to get the most out of them. Couldn't be happier for these players who stuck it out thru the Terry years and actually get a good coach to work with them. All these guys seem to have improved over the year and that's what you want is to get better during the season.

Our margin of error is still pretty small for us to win and a few need to shore up their game. Tydus still makes too many turnovers and not enough rebounds. But he did hit a couple of clutch free throws down the stretch. Sibley is gaining confidence. Hollins has made some significant contributions. Guys still need to fill their roles for us to win. Having Keonte back has been a huge lift for everyone. Let's hope they come out Weds and get a win.   

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 09, 2022, 09:54:21 PM

So...I was at a dinner with a client all night & couldn't check scores until I got in my car just a few moments ago. I am so pumped TV had his best game & was 1 rebound away from a dbl/dbl.
Sis or anyone who saw the game, please give a breakdown of the game, coaching, & players.
WE FREAKING WON.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 10, 2022, 05:16:54 AM

I did not get to attend, but I did watch the whole thing.  I hope to attend tonight

Golding put together a good game plan and the team executed.  In a surprising move, he started Z, who responded with an alley oop dunk to score our first points.  This set the tone.  We were never behind, I believe. 

Pretty much everyone played within themselves.  We defended better than usual for most of the game. Late, we got tired I guess and started allowing dribble penetration -- usual suspects defensively.  It certainly helped that ODU couldn't hit the ocean from a rowboat but I do think our D had something to do with that.  most shots were contested, not a lot of wide open 3s.

TV played with confidence, and it was really nice to see.  Offensively, defensively, rebounds, he had a solid game.
Boum was efficient but turnover prone as always. Box score shows 2 TO but it was at least 4.
JB was JB.  Just quietly and efficiently runs the team.  7 assists, 0 turnovers.
Kennedy played very well.  His addition has been the difference maker for us
Hollins had an off game.
Agnew didn't play much but contributed defensively.

Z is so athletic and has the mindset that the paint belongs to him and why are you in his house?  I think he contributed more than his stat line shows.  As he continues to learn and progress he could be a great one for us

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 10, 2022, 10:04:55 PM

It was a valiant effort. MTSU was long, fast, & didn't allow any lanes for driving or passing. I think the Miners put too much of a beating on them to advance.
Great season to the end. Golding builds his kids to fight & endure. Our future looks bright.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 11, 2022, 05:36:21 AM

I was at this one.  The arena was nice.  It's the Cowboys practice facility converted to allow two courts separated by a curtain.  All seating on one side.  Really no bad seats.

Lots of Miner fans, and a pretty decent MTSU turnout as well.

We came out flat, passive and tentative.  Lots of standing around, no movement.  Lots of one on five.  Basically, lots of CRT offense.  Our defense was good, sometimes very good. 

MTSU came out with a game plan to take Boum out of the game and it worked.  Our guys never gave up, they fought back.  At the end of the game it sure looked to me like Kennedy got fouled.

Officiating was awful as always.  Same thing I always complain about -- one minute they are calling a ticky tack foul, next minute some guy gets mugged and no call.  There's just no consistency.  For the last 5 minutes of the game our plan was for Boum Bienemy and Kennedy to drive and draw fouls and they totally swallowed their whistles.  I thought coach was gonna get teed up at the end of regulation.

Bienemy -- not a great game for him, but not horrible either.  He's a pretty consistent player.  Got beat sometimes.
Boum -- Really an awful game for him.  2 FTs all night.  1-6 from 3.  pretty poor defensively.  Basically did nothing the whole first half
Kennedy -- also shot poor but mostly played good D and teams leading rebounder.
Verhoeven -- Decent night but he's gotta stop dribbling so much in the paint.  If you can't get it in a couple dribbles it's time to pass.
Sibley -- hit a nice three and played good defense but didn't get rebounds.
Z -- decent defense, did not contribute in any other meaningful way
Hollins -- maybe needed more minutes?
Agnew -- totally out of control, didn't play great D either


Will be interesting to see who returns and who leaves.  For us to win with Golding's D, we have to have guards that can stay between their guy and the basket to prevent drives.  MTSU has them and Golding would have killed us with those guards.

I suppose with the extra year of eligibility the question for these guys is whether moving up or down helps them, or in the case of guys that have graduated, do they just go play overseas?

What do I hope happens?

Bienemy -- please come back. we need you
Boum -- TBH I'm kinda meh.
Kennedy -- Want to see more Kennedy
Verho -- Solid contributor, need his maturity inside. Saw him coaching up Z by the way
Z -- Think he has a great future if he keeps at it.
Sibley -- Look out next year.  Really want to see him as he develops.

Satterfield -- can shoot but that's it.  Does coach think he can learn to play within an offense and a defense?
Agnew -- would be best served by moving down

With the rest, I haven't seen enough to really have a strong opinion whether they have what it takes.  Obviously you have guys on the roster that are mainly there for practice purposes.




 

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 11, 2022, 09:21:11 AM

Couldn't have said it any better, Sis.
We couldn't hit any shots. Every Miner had their worst offensive game. MTSU had something to do with that. If there sharp shooter was playing, it would not have been close.
I would love to see all the starters come back, but that is not realistic.
To tell you the truth, no matter who leaves, the blueprint of this program is much stronger than any kid. CRTs only blueprint was to bring in talent. I'm glad he realized early that he would be best as an Assistant & a recruiter than a head coach.
The kids I really want to develop Herr are Onyema, Sibley, & Saterfield. Those 3 have a high ceiling. The kids at high risk of leaving are Boum, JB, & Kennedy. The tough one to lose would be JB, however, that position is the one there are lots of options for. The tough one to replace is the scoring talent & speed of Boum. If he goes, the strategy of the program must be tweeked on O. I'm really not all that worried. What I am worried about is if Golding can bring in some rebounders. I think this team would have been dancing if we had an OK rebounding system to go with our defense.

What ever happens, I know Golding will give us a good product.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 11, 2022, 10:53:09 AM

KROD  has a nice post-mortem

https://krod.com/grading-the-2021-22-utep-basketball-season-miners-achieve-milestones-in-year-one-under-golding/ (https://krod.com/grading-the-2021-22-utep-basketball-season-miners-achieve-milestones-in-year-one-under-golding/)

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 11, 2022, 11:15:58 AM

I'd have to agree with that article. In addition, I feel if players are going to stay, they will play some post tournament. If a few kids list in the portal, then Golding would rather use that time to recruit. Good to know where we stand early on.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 11, 2022, 03:23:01 PM

LA Tech beat UNT 42-36

I had to double check I wasn't picking up some old football score

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 12, 2022, 08:17:58 AM

Once again KROD has a nice article summing up best and worst case scenarios for transfer.

They seem to be of the opinion that Bienemy is staying in either scenario.

https://krod.com/exploring-the-best-and-worst-scenarios-for-utep-mens-basketball/ (https://krod.com/exploring-the-best-and-worst-scenarios-for-utep-mens-basketball/)

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 12, 2022, 09:26:39 AM

That was nice. I thought JB might be one of the 1st out. No one really knows what is going to happen. I remember players entered the portal & decided to stay. I like that Golding is open, excepting, & supportive of what ever these kids want to do. As long as kids are open, he knows ahead of time on planning for the future.
The funny thing is CRT came in and said he needed time to build a program, while Golding said we already have the kids for my program. Difference is the attitude & I love it. 
Golding knows we need a PG & a big grown ass man to control the paint.
The piece I am comfortable with is Golding can find offensive minded kids & has proven he can train them to play defense. Just ask Boum.
The future looks bright.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 18, 2022, 10:20:15 AM

I was looking at recruiting a bit. Golding is going after athletic & aggressive kids. I believe he has a skill in picking the right kids up & developing a defender. So, I'm not gonna get into defense at this time.

Evans- 6'5" Wing. From what i heard, the kid shoots lights out. I dont know about his driving to the hoop skills, but The kid is here sitting this year soaking up Golding's style of play.
Don Anjos- 6'6" from the vids I have seen, he is a slashing wing. He has an OK outside shot, but he likes to drive & create. Kennedy is also a driver, but doesn't do it enough. I like how this kid embraces contact & is just tough. All his vids he is wearing a knee brace, so I hope this doesn't bite us in the end.
Bell 6'10" (offer only) thick bodied bruiser. The kid doesn't have a good vertical, but he rebounds & clears the paint. He is very good at positioning & footwork. He reminds me of Ced Lang, but a little more aggressive. I hope we get him.
Bayela- 6'6" (offer only) JUCO slashing & shooting wing. Vids on this kid look fantastic, but each play shown is a different game. Most of the time I see vids it is about 4-6 plays of the same game. Does it mean he is only a 1 highlighter per game, I'm not sure. I will say this, the highlights look like this kid is Golding material. 
What I have not seen yet is recruiting for a PG.
Lots of time to fund one, though.

Lastly, I think it is safe to assume Boum, Kennedy, TD, & Agnew will be exploring Portal options. White, Bonke, Kalu might look for options as well.
JB, Onyema, Sibley, & Saterfield may choose to stay & want to play with a chip as if to complete unfinished business.
What ever the case may be in this Portal Era, Goldings job is harder, because he needs to recruit as if everyone is leaving.

Tough deal, but that is where we are at.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 19, 2022, 09:44:44 AM

I saw UTEP has offered Demari "Juice" Williams. He is a 6'6" 3☆ PG/SG that was at AZ St this year & didn't play in any games. Looking at vids he is an OK shooter that drives to the hole very well. He reminds me of Julyan Stone. Good handles, quick, & loves to drive & create opportunities. Stone was a better assist guy, buy this kid can score & will have 4yrs. I hope we get him. He would be JB's replacement.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 19, 2022, 07:05:00 PM

Listening to the post game show after the Miner win & they announced Derick Hamilton 6"10' 280lb JUCO committed to UTEP. I tried looking for vids & info search engines & I couldn't find anything. Anyone out there have anything?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 19, 2022, 07:15:34 PM

https://bpcc.prestosports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/hamilton_derick_8lgn

Apparently a smart guy, as he's an Electrical Engineering major

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 19, 2022, 07:29:26 PM

Nice find, Sis.
At least we have that bit of info, but I need to see some videos to see what kind of a project he is.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 19, 2022, 07:41:50 PM

I haven't had any luck there, but he did score 11 ppg, 5.6 rpg

https://www.njcaaregion14.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/players/derickhamiltonru7n

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 19, 2022, 09:09:42 PM

280 lbs shouldn?t get pushed around in the paint

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 20, 2022, 12:15:41 AM

It looks like we are playing Southern Utah. They are a guard strong team that shoots lights out. They also rebound well. Sounds like it's not a good match up.
I would beg to differ.
They don't play defense well, FT 60%, half of their points are off 3s, & they are turnover prone. They hit 12 3s against Kent St. That means Golding runs a strong perimeter D, look for steals, & don't be afraid to foul them.
We are a longer team with about the same speed.
Our length will be a problem for there shooting and Boum will be a big problem for them.

I just hope it pans out the way I wrote it.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 21, 2022, 11:56:00 AM

Anyone find video on Hamilton? Kind of weird in this day of videos & social media that there is no video on this big kid. The only player I can think of with same size is Big Ed at TCU. If he is anything like him, we will be hard to beat.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on March 21, 2022, 01:01:21 PM

Final Evaluation
Derick Hamilton, of Baton Rouge (LA) Broadmoor High, is a 6'11 268lb 2019 prospect from our Fall 2018 NO camp. College coaches on camp staff identified Derick as having division 1 potential. Derick has a great wingspan that gives the player the potential to be a lock down defender and can be even more effective with active hands/feet. Additionally, the prospect appears to have very good size for position when used properly remains advantageous on both sides of the ball. The talented passer, distributes the ball well seeing the floor and anticipating when and where teammates will be open creating easy buckets. In terms of ball handling, it was one of the strongest aspects of the player's game. The player makes great use of change of speed and change of direction. The prospect's Basketball IQ definitely stood out at camp and proved to be really good. Through continued emphasis on making the right play through watching/learning the game, it can be a big advantage in recruiting. A big part of IQ is shot selection. Derick does an excellent job of shooting the basketball with rhythm and possesses high-level knowledge between good/bad shots. This advantage will continue to develop by watching how this is done at various college levels. Making the extra pass and taking only open in-rhythm shots proved to be a very reliable asset for the prospect. The prospect was able to consistently knock down shots during camp showing to be a reliable asset. Shooting will continue to develop with form shooting and made game speed repetitions. We recommend making at least 500 game speed shots a day off the screen(curl/fades), off the bounce, spot shooting, etc. The talent did a tremendous job of finishing around the rim through various moves. The prospect showed great ability with both hands and has the potential to finish on any defense. The talented player has very good athletic ability for size and age. ScoutsFocus would like to see continued development in speed/agility and vertical development. Jump rope drills are great full body conditioning drill we highly recommend if not ready for a rigorous weight-training program. We determined the prospect's strength to be one of their best qualities. The college game is an entirely different beast so continued strength development is crucial to prepare going against 23-24 year-olds. Combined with the player's great frame, the player will be ahead of schedule in terms of being physically ready to play at the next level. The talent showed a very good motor (highly coveted skill by college coaches) that remained mostly active on possessions and from what we saw, the player had a physical and mental toughness that will be coveted at the next level. The player showed a great understanding and effort on the defensive side of the ball and should continue to focus on individual and team defensive concepts emphasized at camp. Derick has division 1 potential with continued hard work and development both in the classroom and on the hardwood. Can play the 3. AAU Team: .
video
https://youtu.be/7Py0NjZU3FA (https://youtu.be/7Py0NjZU3FA)

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on March 21, 2022, 01:28:41 PM

Per the video I wasn't impressed with him. He just stands around a lot and doesn't seem to have a feel for the game. Even in the times that they showed him with the ball he doesn't pitch it as well as the article said he did. I also saw that the shorter guys were vying for the rebound while he waited in the wings. The only positive is that he's tall because I didn't even see how high he jumps if he does at all. He is definitely a very high development project and I don't know if even Midas can improve his play because in my mind he needs it.

I give him a D.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 21, 2022, 02:17:46 PM

Yikes. Not a good video of the kid. Luckily this was when he was 15.
I'm curious to see what he has done in College. If he has Bonke Maring talent, then shame on Golding for not getting it right, again. IMO, I think he is just looking for a big defender. Someone to control the defensive paint. I also read he is a high IQ passer. If pass out & defend is what he does well, I love him.

Jury is out on this kid as of now. I do like the other recruits I am seeing. Lots of 6'6"-6'8" quick & shifty players. Very much like Ŧ, UAB, Houston, etc.
I'd like to see some shooters get picked up. We have Saterfield that only showed glimpses & we have Evans that has yet to play a college game. Having scorers is good, but doesn't complete what a team needs to make noise in post play.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on March 21, 2022, 04:46:31 PM

"...a 6'11 268lb 2019..."

He was just a kid in 2019.  You figure he is still growing and has topped 7 feet by now.  If he is coachable, Golding has 7 feet of what he wants.  Maybe even a replacement for TV.  Onyema is going to be a force to be reckoned with.  I hope he is here with us.  Kalu may be, too.  This kid may be the push needed for those two to take their place as the offensive force we have lacked on the front line.  Btw, are we assembling a very tall team?

I think Maring is the question.  He hasn't shown the growth in earning pt that I think Golding was looking for.  The Prices told me that coaches hope for about 50% return on juco's.  Half, get homesick, find the step up to be too tough, or other issues. 

The fact that Golding picked him means something to me.  I think he has very different ways of looking at players than Terry did.  He sees them as can he coach them and do they have the insane same desire and intensity that he has.  I do believe we got a teaching coach- a professor of basketball and not a recruiter as we had in CRT.  He will attract different kinds of players for different reasons.  I believe he will soon have, if not already, a steady que of players lined up wanting to play for the guy at UTEP.  He reminds me a bit of Billy Clyde.  If he works out like I think he will he will probably be here maybe three years.  The only thing that kind of might affect it is the damned realignment factors.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: ATL-Miner on March 21, 2022, 08:38:21 PM

Here's some other juco players and transfers Golding is targeting.

https://krod.com/utep-basketball-dips-into-recruiting-waters-for-2022-23-season/ (https://krod.com/utep-basketball-dips-into-recruiting-waters-for-2022-23-season/)

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 22, 2022, 10:44:15 AM

Golding is heavy on JUCO kids. I've been thinking about this new Era of the Portal & it might be in our best interest to not recruit Highschool. Think about it. Why pick up a 2☆ or 3☆ & train them for someone else's team. The portal offers kids that are already trained to play beyond High School. All our kids with the exception of Onyema are from the portal.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 22, 2022, 11:22:56 AM

I don't think I really understand the rules.

Kids that went to a D1 school can enter the transfer portal once, but can't transfer out from their new schools?
Juco kids that sign with a D1 can't transfer out?

Graduate transfer is unchanged from what it used to be?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on March 22, 2022, 03:37:48 PM

Good point Chanson and I agree 100% with you. It's totally unfair to the school (usually a G5) that trains an athlete and then taking that pedigree to a Cartel. Screw the Cartel just leave us the bench warmers for us to take. That's usually the way it works right. Many bench warmers are better than the first stringers in a G5 school. Now, that I think of it it works both ways, or am I wrong to assume that?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 22, 2022, 08:25:12 PM

This game is brutal. S. Utah is hitting 56% FG. Unreal. 8min mark. Doesn't look good

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 22, 2022, 08:31:17 PM

5min left. I'm leaving. Miners can't defend today.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 23, 2022, 05:38:22 AM

Well, we end with 20 wins.  Now we move to off-season drama of who's staying, leaving, and coming.  This could be an entirely different team next year.

I don't want us to have to start over, but these guys don't know how to run an offense, and get brutally beaten on back door cuts all the time.  At times you could see Golding O and D, and at times you saw Terry ball.   I'm looking forward to seeing 100% Golding ball and see how it looks.

Golding gets a B+ I think.  He took the Terry squad that went 12-12, only without Bryson Williams, and won 20.  Only reason I'm not giving him an A is he couldn't get consistency from these guys.  Not one guy was a consistent high level contributor.  Closest maybe Bienemy.

We really need Bienemy back, although I guess Kennedy could play point.  I'll be honest, I'm a bit down on Boum.  I think the team defers to him too much, and he scores on volume.  I love TV's heart, and we're better with him in, but he can't score or rebound, and that's kind of a problem.  Love Agnew's heart, and he had his best game of the year last night.  But he is a turnover prone role player.

So, I think of the guards we really need to keep Bienemy and I'd like to keep Kennedy.  I'd like to keep Onyema and Sibley for the future.  I'd be OK with keeping Kalu if Golding thinks he can develop and learn.  Beyond that, I'd just as soon start seeing Golding build a Golding team and see what happens.  If it's even possible to build more than a 1 year team anymore.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 23, 2022, 08:18:55 AM

Yup. Not very many set plays. For the faults KY mentioned, I would give Golding an A-. However, he lost to NMSU twice. That brings it down to a B+.
I think there are only 3 players that can get picked up by a good Cartel team. Kennedy, Boum, & JB. All others who want to go won't get into a program as nice as UTEP.
I agree with KY in that JB is the key. We really need him to lead this team next season & to train the newbie PG.
Boum is being pulled by overseas pro opportunities. I know he has a great relationship with Golding. This one is 50/50 in my book. He is a good option when No one else can produce.
Kennedy may be gone. I will miss his hustle & defending. I think he can develop into a good scorer, but he was inconsistent with that this year. With Golding calling the shots on D, I think we will be fine if Kennedy goes.
TV is a good defender. He had a couple of games where he scored some, but not enough.
I would be happy if the core of JB, Sibley, & Onyema stayed. Keeping Boum would be a bonus.
So get out there, Joe, & recruit your ass off.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 23, 2022, 08:58:20 AM

I loved that one play where Onyema got the ball in the paint, double teamed, and just powered up for the dunk.  We have been missing that for a long time, and I think it's a glimpse of his future.  Lots and lots of upside there in my opinion.  Sibley also has tremendous upside and could be a better 4 than BW by the time he's done if he can gain some confidence and some muscle.  Really excited about these two.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Minermojo on March 23, 2022, 04:10:33 PM

If we can get some good players that ARE CONSISTENT that will be the key to a successful season next year. I was very frustrated at how sometimes these kids could play lights out (by beating some of the best teams in Cusa) and then getting beat by the likes of Marshall. It was frustrating to see that they couldn't make some really easy shots like their layups and it seemed like they always got beaten in rebounding. If Midas can get those players I mentioned then he can develop them into his team.

I give him a strong B and his team a C because of how badly inconsistent they were. I can only imagine where they could have gone if in every game they played the same, not the bad same but the surprising same where it seemed that they just couldn't miss a shot.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on March 23, 2022, 07:30:31 PM

I think it is hard to imagine what kinds of problems and frustration CG was going through trying to find a team amongst the players at the same time he was dealing with a merry go round of illness and injury. Every day had to have begun with asking who was available. When we had two scorers in Boum and JB the team was scrappy. When Kennedy came back and added the third scorer we were downright dangerous. Not having all three killed us against SU.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 24, 2022, 07:47:42 PM

A buddy told me Golding is part of a short list for SMU position. Not sure what buy out is, but if he takes it, we lose kids to the portal & any recruiting that went on. It would really put UTEP in a hole. $2mil for the job. How does one not take that kind of money?

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 24, 2022, 08:51:27 PM

Yeah, I'd be disappointed but I wouldn't begrudge him.  And yes, we'd be in a lot of trouble.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 25, 2022, 08:35:04 AM

If he leaves, then I still have the same criteria as last time.  Replacement has to have been a head coach at college level.  There is too much that a college head coach needs to handle for anyone to be learning at UTEP. 

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on March 27, 2022, 03:53:40 PM

"Lesson 4.  If a coach leaves because he has been bought by a cartel member, the team should be in great shape and the new coach should be able to sustain at least and build upon the success.  There should be no backsliding."-me

Golding makes 700k/year and buyout is 1.5 million.  We found Golding for 700k.  We can't really do anything but take the money-a finder's fee basically.  We need to do two things with the 1.5 million.  One, we have to find another coach-preferably one that can make us money just like Golding did.  Secondly, we need to make the profit pay off for us and not squander it. 

We could look for another diamond in the rough.  I haven't really looked too hard, but I think Abilene Christian is pretty danged good this year, again.  I think that Golding may have taught me something about head basketball coaches.  Same as a guy named Haskins a long time ago.  Great old coaches get beat by great young coaches.  But that doesn't put that profit to work.  Don't forget that we are in a battle for our conference affiliation survival.  We need to double the salary we paid Golding.  It is free money we didn't have and we can't lose by spending it.  However, the minute we sign the 1.25million dollar coach it shows a commitment to improve.  The extra 250k can go to assistant coaches that come with the higher paid step-up coach.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: Chanson on March 27, 2022, 09:08:08 PM

Doesn't look like Golding will be leaving us at this time. He won't be here forever, so we need to support this guy while he is here.
I'll be doing my best to keep track of who is coming & going.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 28, 2022, 05:20:39 AM

Quote from: kyyote on March 27, 2022, 03:53:40 PM

"Lesson 4.  If a coach leaves because he has been bought by a cartel member, the team should be in great shape and the new coach should be able to sustain at least and build upon the success.  There should be no backsliding."-me

Golding makes 700k/year and buyout is 1.5 million.  We found Golding for 700k.  We can't really do anything but take the money-a finder's fee basically.  We need to do two things with the 1.5 million.  One, we have to find another coach-preferably one that can make us money just like Golding did.  Secondly, we need to make the profit pay off for us and not squander it. 

We could look for another diamond in the rough.  I haven't really looked too hard, but I think Abilene Christian is pretty danged good this year, again.  I think that Golding may have taught me something about head basketball coaches.  Same as a guy named Haskins a long time ago.  Great old coaches get beat by great young coaches.  But that doesn't put that profit to work.  Don't forget that we are in a battle for our conference affiliation survival.  We need to double the salary we paid Golding.  It is free money we didn't have and we can't lose by spending it.  However, the minute we sign the 1.25million dollar coach it shows a commitment to improve.  The extra 250k can go to assistant coaches that come with the higher paid step-up coach.

This is a pretty sound take on things, but raises a question.  As I understand it, football is the piggy bank of a D1 program, and the # 1, 2, and 3 things conferences consider when realignment happens.  Should the money be invested in football instead?  If Dimel is successful, he will be hired away.  If he is unsuccessful, he will be let go.  Unless he achieves solid mediocrity we will be looking for his replacement in 3-4 years.

I hate typing this because basketball is what I love.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on March 28, 2022, 08:23:56 AM

Attendance
Attendance
Index   Team   G   Total ATT.   Home ATT.   Home AVG/G
1   Old Dominion   32   152375   83215   5,943.0
2   Marshall   32   161155   90135   5,633.0
3   UTEP   33   149936   94886   5,271.0
4   WKU   30   128045   71304   5,093.0
5   Charlotte   29   104884   53276   3,551.0
6   Middle Tennessee   31   101182   51789   3,452.0
7   North Texas   31   113481   51895   3,243.0
8   Southern Miss   31   111711   44324   2,954.0
9   UAB   32   111958   46114   2,712.0
10   Louisiana Tech   30   116251   42225   2,639.0
11   Rice   32   85681   29746   1,983.0
12   UTSA   32   64120   16796   1,119.0
13   Florida Atlantic   32   74437   17915   1,053.0
14   FIU   32   77123   14211   1,015.0

Just based on attendance, we should be in damned good shape if anyone can be.  Just saying that our basketball is as well financed as any team in the conference and when the dust settles will be the flagship of C-USA.

Football
9. Conference USA
Attendance 5-Year Average: 19,593.21
1 Southern Miss
5-Year Average: 25002.80
2019 National Ranking: 81

2 Marshall
5-Year Average: 23997.20
2019 National Ranking: 83

3 UTSA
5-Year Average: 22696.20
2019 National Ranking: 86

4 Louisiana Tech
5-Year Average: 21945.60
2019 National Ranking: 88

5 Rice
5-Year Average: 20500.40
2019 National Ranking: 92

6 North Texas
5-Year Average: 20116.80
2019 National Ranking: 95

7 Old Dominion
5-Year Average: 19644.20
2019 National Ranking: 97

8 UTEP
5-Year Average: 19401.80
2019 National Ranking: 99

9 Tulsa?
5-Year Average: 18630.80
2019 National Ranking: 104

10 WKU
5-Year Average: 16158.60
2019 National Ranking: 114

11 Middle Tennessee
5-Year Average: 15980.60
2019 National Ranking: 116

12 FIU
5-Year Average: 15203.00
2019 National Ranking: 118

13 UAB
5-Year Average: 15078.40
2019 National Ranking: 119

14 Charlotte
5-Year Average: 12948.60
2019 National Ranking: 125

UTEP Football attendance still should be able to pay the bills if anyone can.  I don't think Dimmel is going anywhere.  UTEP was his Golden Parachute.  People with the big bucks don't do 6 year rebuilding plans.  Especially after a prior 6 year rebuild plan.
The thing is, if we can win, we will be the flagship of C-USA attendance numbers when it is all done.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 28, 2022, 08:37:48 AM

Since you seem to know where to find this stuff, do you have access to the best attended game last year for basketball and football?  I'm thinking that winning championships or at least challenging for them in both sports is not out of the question in the new lineup.  Average attendance could be somewhere between current and last year's best.

kinda related, I think goal should be to play two money games in football, one for pure payout and one theoretically beatable P5.
In basketball I'd like to see 4-5 upper tier road games.  Take the show on the road and play the big boys with confidence.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on March 28, 2022, 10:51:34 AM

UTEP best attended football and basketball games 21-22;

November 6   10:15 p.m.   No. 16 UTSA   UTEP   Sun Bowl ? El Paso, TX   ESPN2    UTSA 44?23     31,658
A televised game, btw.

September 4   9:00 p.m.   Bethune?Cookman   UTEP   Sun Bowl ? El Paso, TX   ESPN3   W 38?28     14,554
September 25   9:00 p.m.   New Mexico   UTEP   Sun Bowl ? El Paso, TX   ESPN+   W 20?13     15,069
October 2   9:00 p.m.   Old Dominion   UTEP   Sun Bowl ? El Paso, TX   ESPN+    UTEP 28?21     11,025
October 16   9:00 p.m.   Louisiana Tech   UTEP   Sun Bowl ? El Paso, TX   ESPN+    UTEP 19?3     18,468
November 6   10:15 p.m.   No. 16 UTSA   UTEP   Sun Bowl ? El Paso, TX   ESPN2    UTSA 44?23     31,658
November 20   4:00 p.m.   Rice   UTEP   Sun Bowl ? El Paso, TX   ESPN+    UTEP 38?28     10,097
Conference USA Championship Game
December 3   7:00 p.m.   Western Kentucky   UTSA   Alamodome ? San Antonio, TX   CBSSN    UTSA 49?41     41,148
Bowl Games
See also: 2021?22 NCAA football bowl games
Legend
    C-USA Win
    C-USA Loss
Bowl game   Date   Site   Television   Time (EST)   C-USA team   Opponent   Score   Attendance
Bahamas Bowl   December 17   Thomas Robinson Stadium ? Nassau, Bahamas   ESPN   12:00 p.m.   Middle Tennessee   Toledo   W 31?24   13,596
Boca Raton Bowl   December 18   FAU Stadium ? Boca Raton, FL   ESPN   11:00 a.m.   Western Kentucky   Appalachian State   W 59?38   15,429
New Mexico Bowl   December 18   University Stadium ? Albuquerque, NM   ESPN   2:15 p.m.   UTEP   Fresno State   L 24?31   16,422
Independence Bowl   December 18   Independence Stadium ? Shreveport, LA   ABC   3:30 p.m.   UAB   No. 13 BYU   W 31?28   26,276
New Orleans Bowl   December 18   Caesars Superdome ? New Orleans, LA   ESPN   9:15 p.m.   Marshall   No. 23 Louisiana   L 21?36   21,642
Myrtle Beach Bowl   December 20   Brooks Stadium ? Conway, SC   ESPN   2:30 p.m.   Old Dominion   Tulsa   L 17?30   6,557
Frisco Bowl   December 21   Toyota Stadium ? Frisco, TX   ESPN   7:30 p.m.   UTSA   San Diego State   L 24?38   15,801
Frisco Football Classic   December 23   Toyota Stadium ? Frisco, TX   ESPN   3:30 p.m.   North Texas   Miami (OH)   L 14?27   11,721

C-USA Home team attendance;
October 2   7:00 p.m.   Liberty   UAB   Protective Stadium ? Birmingham, AL   CBSSN   L 12?36     37,167
November 20   3:30 p.m.   UAB   No. 15 UTSA   Alamodome ? San Antonio, TX   ESPN+    UTSA 34?31     35,147

21-22 Basketball Attendance 1   Old Dominion   32   116036   69741   4,981.0 2   UTEP   35   146053   88125   4,406.0 3   Marshall   33   129039   71148   4,185.0 4   WKU   32   139138   69078   4,063.0 5   North Texas   32   109390   60469   3,779.0 6   Middle Tennessee   37   96744   49418   3,294.0 7   UAB   35   119626   58108   3,228.0 8   Southern Miss   33   87710   42208   3,014.0 9   Louisiana Tech   34   107463   43256   2,703.0 10   Charlotte   31   90519   37979   2,531.0 11   Rice   33   63001   26778   1,785.0 12   Florida Atlantic   34   74776   26605   1,400.0 13   FIU   33   62133   21055   1,315.0 14   UTSA   32   52894   15712   872.0

UTEP 10/12/2019   Texas Tech   W 70-60   4604 11/05/2019   New Mexico Highlands   W 93-70   3738 11/12/2019   NM State   W 65-50   8993 11/15/2019   ENMU   W 71-57   4476 11/19/2019   New Mexico   W 66-63   6171 11/27/2019   East Central   W 91-71   5531 12/03/2019   at New Mexico St.   L 56-59   7048 12/07/2019   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   W 59-50   4928 12/16/2019   North Carolina A&T   W 72-54   5969 12/17/2019   UC Irvine   W 67-61   6934 12/19/2019   at Houston   L 57-77   6470 12/22/2019   at Hawaii   L 63-67   6179 12/23/2019   Ball St.   W 71-70   5757 12/25/2019   Boise St.   L 67-72   5608 01/02/2020   * at FIU   L 67-69   525 01/04/2020   * at Florida Atlantic   L 56-59   830 01/09/2020   * Southern Miss   W 76-64   4622 01/11/2020   * Louisiana Tech   L 61-64   5731 01/15/2020   * UTSA   W 80-77   4442 01/18/2020   * at UTSA   L 70-86   1684 01/23/2020   * at Rice   W 72-64   1518 01/25/2020   * at North Texas   L 57-67   4092 01/30/2020   * Middle Tennessee   W 67-66   4471 02/01/2020   * UAB   L 55-69   6234 02/06/2020   * at Charlotte   L 64-68   2828 02/08/2020   * at Old Dominion   L 53-72   6820 02/13/2020   * WKU   L 62-67   4504 02/15/2020   * Marshall   L 61-71   4424 02/22/2020   * Rice   W 68-62   4139 03/01/2020   * Southern Miss   W 75-56   4975 03/04/2020   * at Middle Tennessee   W 60-56   2022 03/07/2020   * at Rice   W 77-72   1608 03/11/2020   at Marshall   L 78-86   2061 * = Conference game

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: SisyphusMiner on March 28, 2022, 01:13:54 PM

Thanks.  Just by not sucking I don't see any reason we can't average 7500 and 25000.

With all the discussion about seat pricing, seems like we can do a hybrid.  Bad seats (ends of field/court) real cheap -- like $5.   Highest several rows on the sides, like $10.

Good seats $30 and up.

Title: Re: basketball
Post by: kyyote on March 28, 2022, 08:14:15 PM

Football

It shows UTEP's 5 year average and it is almost middle of the conference in attendance.   Think back how bad we have been during those years and we still did alright.  Last year with a surprisingly good team-just hoping and crossing fingers we were probably near the top.  After a winning past season, expect UTEP to either lead C-USA or be right behind the Blazers in their new stadium.

Humor me.  If we are selling tickets for the same price(ballpark) as other C-USA teams, and we are getting in the top quarter of the conference in attendance, we should be in good shape comparatively.  I don't think Dimmel is in the top quarter of salaries.  This says to me that this should be a good money year for UTEP football.  An improvement upon last season would earn him a raise of 100-200k.  Ticket sales pay that in increased attendance.  Start(should already be happening)preparing for the next head coach.  How much will be needed to keep up, increase the momentum?  Two million?  Three?  Are we planning for it and what steps are being taken.  Are we acting or waiting to see what happens next with our thumbs up our butts?  Conference news?  Anyone in charge at C-USA?  It's like nothing is going on at all.  Just another Spring.  Then a Summer slumber before waking up from our hibernation to WHAT?  We have no idea what the actual schedule will be.

Basketball
This season was a "We'll see", season.  We saw.  We saw what we wanted and have wanted to see.  I believe the team could easily get back to averaging 8500 a game easily and quickly.  Win the Conference regular and tournament championships and it would start selling out.  As would football, btw.  That's right.  If UTEP won the conference championship home games to follow would remain sold out until we lost at home and that might not bring it to a stop.

So, both football and basketball should have great years coming up-financially.  Seriously, we may be sitting atop of a financial boom that could be very useful if a buy-in situation were to come about.

I think C-USA has the potential to be a very interesting television draw this year-MAYBE!  Depends on who the teams are.  But, Sam and the other new members each have great stories they will bring to a conference that seemed to be so badly wounded that it would surely  bleed out.  Instead it looks like it is poised to be getting an infusion of Tiger Blood!

This year there is no time for any Summer Slumber.  It is a critical time for UTEP and C-USA, but especially for UTEP.  Rarely do the planets align as they seem to be for UTEP for once in a generation.  We need this one.

Finally, I have to say, after all of my rants and ravings it appears that Senter and Wilson must get the credit they deserve.  I don't know how much was just luck, but people who are blamed also deserve credit for successes.  If we could win on all of the chances we have within our reach we have a chance to make great progress.  We have a chance to become a "Darling".