Week of Reckoning for The Birds

[V Boy]

This is going to be the week of reckoning for the Redbirds.

Yarbrough and these seniors ran their mouths about "unfinished business" after getting blown out by Loyola in the title game last year.

So far they have gotten blown out again by Belmont and Georgia and barely got by Chicago St., Akron and Boise (without its best player). They also have struggled to get separation against D2 teams at home.

In not one game has this group of seniors and JUCOs looked anything close to a Top 50 team. They look more like a Top 150 team to me. And the worst part is that they don't look like they are getting better to me. They don't look committed to getting better. In terms of the returning players, only Fayne looks like he has improved to me. Tinsley looks exactly the same. Evans looks slower (probably because he was hurt). Yarbrough looks (and more importantly....acts) the same.

This week ISU will play two home games: BYU without one of its best players (and just lost by 14 pts at home to Houston) and a San Diego St. team that just lost to Iowa St. by 30 pts. Should ISU lose these two games, we could be looking at a .500 team that had EVERYONE back from last year.

And if that happens.....you have to ask the question.....how could that possibly happen? You have your ENTIRE TEAM back including like 95% of your scoring and you have 4 seniors starting.

Bottom line is that these seniors need to win both of these games and they need to win them in convincing fashion. Anything less than that would be a huge disappointment to a fan base waiting for everyone to wake the $%#! up and start taking every possession on both ends seriously.

 

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

110% correct with everything you said.

 

[Tpguy]

I'm anxious to here what Hulka and Cpacmel's opinions are on the state of the team because they are the level headed ones on this board.

 

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

I'm anxious to here what Hulka and Cpacmel's opinions are on the state of the team because they are the level headed ones on this board.

:lol:

 

[Bird Friend]

Two things . . .

How come we never give ISU credit for wins against teams missing their best player, but always say we should do well even when our best player is out? We have a next man up mentality for our guys but not for other teams.

Winning by "convincing fashion" is overrated. Just win.

 

[ISU86]

I do wish the overall play was more advanced/consistent at this point, especially given the experience returning ...

... but I also did not see any preseason prognostication where they were forecast top 50 (75-80 seemed to be the area, which is squarely NIT bubble (not to mention Loyola-Chicago was consistently chosen to be the better MVC team))

The two opponents coming in (Brigham Young, San Diego State) were projected better than us as well; losing to both should not necessarily result in a so-called "week of reckoning". Disappointing, yes, but not the end of the world

 

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

I do wish the overall play was more advanced/consistent at this point, especially given the experience returning ...

... but I also did not see any preseason prognostication where they were forecast top 50 (75-80 seemed to be the area, which is squarely NIT bubble (not to mention Loyola-Chicago was consistently chosen to be the better MVC team))

The two opponents coming in (Brigham Young, San Diego State) were projected better than us as well; losing to both should not necessarily result in a so-called "week of reckoning". Disappointing, yes, but not the end of the world

what color is the lipstick youre putting on your pig?

 

[HT59]

:? :text-+1:

I do wish the overall play was more advanced/consistent at this point, especially given the experience returning ...

... but I also did not see any preseason prognostication where they were forecast top 50 (75-80 seemed to be the area, which is squarely NIT bubble (not to mention Loyola-Chicago was consistently chosen to be the better MVC team))

The two opponents coming in (Brigham Young, San Diego State) were projected better than us as well; losing to both should not necessarily result in a so-called "week of reckoning". Disappointing, yes, but not the end of the world

what color is the lipstick youre putting on your pig?

 

[SgtHulka]

Two things . . .

How come we never give ISU credit for wins against teams missing their best player, but always say we should do well even when our best player is out? We have a next man up mentality for our guys but not for other teams.

Winning by "convincing fashion" is overrated. Just win.

Excuses are like assholes. Everybody has one. The same poster would never cut his own team any slack for their injuries, and last year every player but one was out at some point. I see no reason to cut an opponent any slack for the same. Anyone who's paid attention to the game of basketball over a course of a few years should be able to agree that player injuries sometimes do, and sometimes don't mean squat. Other players rise up.or they don't. Next man up, play on dot dot dot


And I agree, just Win baby

 

[SgtHulka]

I'm anxious to here what Hulka and Cpacmel's opinions are on the state of the team because they are the level headed ones on this board.

I try not to be in the drama queen of Pollyanna camps. We've got more than our fair share of those. Currently the drama queens are dominating the conversations.

Are we where i expected this team to be? No. For all of the returning talent I expected us to be more well oiled. And given last year's injury riddled team i think HCDM put too much of his recruiting efforts into guys wearing street clothes on the bench. Chastain seems to be a season ending injury in waiting. Hein must have hurt his achilles tendon. I had always assumed that our early season struggles could be attributed to the 6-7 new faces and 4 new starters. This year shows that there are other issues causing or helping to cause that

This team goes as MY goes. When he struggles the team struggles. I don't expect that problem to be magic wanded away.

Our worst possessions, outside of the ones where we turn it over, are the 0 pass ones where a guard shucks and jives and then launches. We can be really good when we pass the ball well.

I still think this team can do great things. Scoring isn't an issue with this bunch if they run the offense and don't rely on one on one\many street ball.Commitment on the other end of the floor is our weakness, along with free throws. Key seems to be struggling to get back to 100 buy looked much better yesterday.

I've never been fully in the HCDM camp. As with every opening the ISU boners always rise up here. Even the Debbie Downers mention nothing but ISU alum when they bring up options. I wanted an outsider when he was hired. Having watched Jimmie Worthless yet railed in by badley fans who used to love him sold me on the non alum path. He's done a good, but not great job here. Hoping this is the year he gets us off the schneid.

 

[CaliRdBrd]

I’ll be shocked is we’re within 10 of BYU.

 

[cpacmel]

I'm anxious to here what Hulka and Cpacmel's opinions are on the state of the team because they are the level headed ones on this board.

I try not to be in the drama queen of Pollyanna camps. We've got more than our fair share of those. Currently the drama queens are dominating the conversations.

Are we where i expected this team to be? No. For all of the returning talent I expected us to be more well oiled. And given last year's injury riddled team i think HCDM put too much of his recruiting efforts into guys wearing street clothes on the bench. Chastain seems to be a season ending injury in waiting. Hein must have hurt his achilles tendon. I had always assumed that our early season struggles could be attributed to the 6-7 new faces and 4 new starters. This year shows that there are other issues causing or helping to cause that

This team goes as MY goes. When he struggles the team struggles. I don't expect that problem to be magic wanded away.

Our worst possessions, outside of the ones where we turn it over, are the 0 pass ones where a guard shucks and jives and then launches. We can be really good when we pass the ball well.

I still think this team can do great things. Scoring isn't an issue with this bunch if they run the offense and don't rely on one on one\many street ball.Commitment on the other end of the floor is our weakness, along with free throws. Key seems to be struggling to get back to 100 buy looked much better yesterday.

I've never been fully in the HCDM camp. As with every opening the ISU boners always rise up here. Even the Debbie Downers mention nothing but ISU alum when they bring up options. I wanted an outsider when he was hired. Having watched Jimmie Worthless yet railed in by badley fans who used to love him sold me on the non alum path. He's done a good, but not great job here. Hoping this is the year he gets us off the schneid.

Not a ton to disagree with here. I think not having Taylor B has hurt some. He was a consistent outside shooting threat and a guy who would help defensively on the inside, which is the reason I felt we were outmatched vs GA. Even with Taylor though, I think Muller miscaulated the Bigs situation. As we could really use one more big body.

Getting Key back to his old form will help too. Honestly though, it comes down to defense. This group forte isn't man to man and their zone principles aren't great. Coach Muller continues to try and find the best combinations and alignments that suit this years squad. It's not like he is sitting back and doing nothing to get the boys out of their funks.

Best basketball is ahead. Too much talent for it to not me. Winning ugly won't help the negative nellies. But anyone who has every competed knows that winning is winning.

 

[The Beak]

This is going to be the week of reckoning for the Redbirds.

Yarbrough and these seniors ran their mouths about "unfinished business" after getting blown out by Loyola in the title game last year.

So far they have gotten blown out again by Belmont and Georgia and barely got by Chicago St., Akron and Boise (without its best player). They also have struggled to get separation against D2 teams at home.

In not one game has this group of seniors and JUCOs looked anything close to a Top 50 team. They look more like a Top 150 team to me. And the worst part is that they don't look like they are getting better to me. They don't look committed to getting better. In terms of the returning players, only Fayne looks like he has improved to me. Tinsley looks exactly the same. Evans looks slower (probably because he was hurt). Yarbrough looks (and more importantly....acts) the same.

This week ISU will play two home games: BYU without one of its best players (and just lost by 14 pts at home to Houston) and a San Diego St. team that just lost to Iowa St. by 30 pts. Should ISU lose these two games, we could be looking at a .500 team that had EVERYONE back from last year.

And if that happens.....you have to ask the question.....how could that possibly happen? You have your ENTIRE TEAM back including like 95% of your scoring and you have 4 seniors starting.

Bottom line is that these seniors need to win both of these games and they need to win them in convincing fashion. Anything less than that would be a huge disappointment to a fan base waiting for everyone to wake the $%#! up and start taking every possession on both ends seriously.

" ... unfinished business" is what has stuck with me as well. Those then juniors were embarrassed by Loyola and implied they were going to learn from it and come back smarter and hungry.

Yet just seven games in and already after at least two different games players have said they took their opponent lightly or weren't mentally ready for the game, and coach has said his star player everyone else feeds off was un-coachable.

How these players didn't digest how Loyola got to the Final-4 with team play on both offense and defense is mind boggling. We're as head-shaking to watch as Loyola is fun to watch. The talent is there.

Something else is missing.

 

[Tpguy]

Coach needs to show films of Loyola's NCAA run last year at every practice.

 

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

Coach needs to show films of Loyola's NCAA run last year at every practice.

They all say it. Didn't sink in then it won't now

 

[RedBirdYogaGirl4Life]

Coach needs to show films of Loyola's NCAA run last year at every practice.

Not sure who I want to go on a date with you or V Boy. The sexy strong take no prisoners chit chat is kinda exciting! Just win. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kw34]

Great original post. I think the thing that has been most disappointing to me is how out-classed the team looked against a middling SEC team. In recent years, when we played the big boys I felt we could compete and never looked like our roster was lacking. This still could be a top MVC team, but needs to show something when stepping up in class. I hope something clicks and we show up this week.

 

[Redbird28]

Two things . . .

How come we never give ISU credit for wins against teams missing their best player, but always say we should do well even when our best player is out? We have a next man up mentality for our guys but not for other teams.

Winning by "convincing fashion" is overrated. Just win.

:text-+1:

 

[V Boy]

Two things . . .

How come we never give ISU credit for wins against teams missing their best player, but always say we should do well even when our best player is out? We have a next man up mentality for our guys but not for other teams.

Winning by "convincing fashion" is overrated. Just win.

:text-+1:

I'm a little confused. Why would we give ISU credit for beating similar teams missing their best player? Wouldn't we expect that since we have a huge advantage?

I think what I am saying is that.....if BYU comes in here and beats ISU missing one of its best players......and ISU basically has everyone back (missing Bruninga hurts a little), then.....sure I give BYU the extra credit......but the main point is that for ISU it looks extra worse to lose to a team missing one of their top players on your home court in what I would consider to be a marquis game.

There is extra pressure for ISU to win the game because BYU is depleted. All the more reason to play with extra urgency, step on necks, add in your preferred cliche of choice.

 

[Tpguy]

Coach needs to show films of Loyola's NCAA run last year at every practice.

Not sure who I want to go on a date with you or V Boy. The sexy strong take no prisoners chit chat is kinda exciting! Just win. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To help you compare me to V boy:

ME:
71 years old
6-2, 240
married 43 years
2 chins
1 lame leg, wear brace from knee down through inside of shoe
Parkinson's disease
kind of an asshole, for sure a smart ass
only 2 or 3 board members like me (a little)
:lol:
semi-retired toilet paper salesman