Good game. Good season Tops. Tough end but you guys represented well.

Congrats on a fine run, Western. You represented the conference well.

Crap - good game and nice run in the tourney WKU

WKU was better than that and you guys had a great season. Thanks for repping CUSA in MSG.

What a terrible way to end the season! When you know you can play so much better than you do is frustrating. Darius and Taveion seemed to be no shows for the game. Jake needed to stop shooting the ball! We let Utah dictate this game and lost because of it. I can't help but think they would have set the record for turnovers if we had applied pressure defense more often.

That being said...this was an incredibly fun year! This team was fun!! I'm bummed it's over.
GO TOPS!!!

For how good Darius can play he vanishes on the big stage. Completely shrinks in the limelight.

Tough ending but I’ve enjoyed the hell out of this season. A really fun squad to watch. I’ve never really liked Utah’s coach. I always thought he got more press than he really deserved but he did a good job zoning the whole game. All he had to do was watch a couple tapes on us against the zone this year.

What’s sad is we had a guy that would have shot every single one of those teams out of a zone in Brangers but he was a dumbasss. He probably still is a dumbasss but he could flat out shoot a 3. But if he was on the team we might not have made it this far. Could have been a chemistry/cancer type player.

Good job by Stans. Good job all year by the 3 seniors. It was just a really fun group to follow.

With only one returning player I in no way expected this season. I thought we’d do well to finish over .500 but then we did pretty good in the Bahamas tourney.

(03-27-2018 08:29 PM)dahbeed Wrote:  Tough ending but I’ve enjoyed the hell out of this season. A really fun squad to watch. I’ve never really liked Utah’s coach. I always thought he got more press than he really deserved but he did a good job zoning the whole game. All he had to do was watch a couple tapes on us against the zone this year.

What’s sad is we had a guy that would have shot every single one of those teams out of a zone in Brangers but he was a dumbasss. He probably still is a dumbasss but he could flat out shoot a 3. But if he was on the team we might not have made it this far. Could have been a chemistry/cancer type player.

Good job by Stans. Good job all year by the 3 seniors. It was just a really fun group to follow.

With only one returning player I in no way expected this season. I thought we’d do well to finish over .500 but then we did pretty good in the Bahamas tourney.

.
Very well said Dahbeed, I was disappointed with losing but did not have the feeling of dejection since anything at this point was not even expected. Just didn't seem shots were falling, missed a bunch of easy one they usually make. Credit Utah for the zone strategy. Looks like, right now at least, next years team will be even better.

FYI... Saw on Twitter today that Brangers... wait for it.... is declaring for the NBA draft.
This was an extremely fun season. JJ has been a pleasure to watch for 4 years. He’s the poster boy for getting better every year. That little pg for Utah was hard to stop. That zone hurt us. It was their only chance to beat us and it worked.

We have a couple guys that does not like playing defense as hard when their offense is off and one is a damn good defensive player....

it made their guards kook better than than they should have. No I'm not talking JJ, he doesn't like to play defense most of the time. But with that if we had passed the ball like we did in the other 3 NIT games, this game would not have been close. Too much one on one and jacking up 23fters. The disappointment comes from knowing if you halfway played your game, you win and move on to the championship game.

The two charges at the end are plays both players make all the time and score on, just better defense reading the move on the plays....its also two plays that could have been Coleby dunks if they looked for the pass.

This game changed when we subbed 4 starters up 11 and had the flow to the way we wanted it. I'm not saying it was a bad coaching move....Stansbury usually subs 3 at some point, around 5 to 7 minutes into the game most of the season. I just don't like it because most of the time it breaks the flow.

Great season and on to the next...a bigger unknown than this one.

Too bad you guys weren't playing BYU. If they finished with 69, they'd have been expelled and you'd be heading to the final.

(03-27-2018 08:59 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  We have a couple guys that does not like playing defense as hard when their offense is off and one is a damn good defensive player....

it made their guards kook better than than they should have. No I'm not talking JJ, he doesn't like to play defense most of the time. But with that if we had passed the ball like we did in the other 3 NIT games, this game would not have been close. Too much one on one and jacking up 23fters. The disappointment comes from knowing if you halfway played your game, you win and move on to the championship game.

The two charges at the end are plays both players make all the time and score on, just better defense reading the move on the plays....its also two plays that could have been Coleby dunks if they looked for the pass.

This game changed when we subbed 4 starters up 11 and had the flow to the way we wanted it. I'm not saying it was a bad coaching move....Stansbury usually subs 3 at some point, around 5 to 7 minutes into the game most of the season. I just don't like it because most of the time it breaks the flow.

Great season and on to the next...a bigger unknown than this one.

That’s a pretty bold statement. We only returned ONE player this year and he was playing football until August. Next year we return an entire starting backcourt and a SF that got lots of minutes. The front court will be an unknown, but I’m not sure it’s a bigger unknown than this year.

(03-27-2018 10:11 PM)Hilltopper413 Wrote:  

(03-27-2018 08:59 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  We have a couple guys that does not like playing defense as hard when their offense is off and one is a damn good defensive player....

it made their guards kook better than than they should have. No I'm not talking JJ, he doesn't like to play defense most of the time. But with that if we had passed the ball like we did in the other 3 NIT games, this game would not have been close. Too much one on one and jacking up 23fters. The disappointment comes from knowing if you halfway played your game, you win and move on to the championship game.

The two charges at the end are plays both players make all the time and score on, just better defense reading the move on the plays....its also two plays that could have been Coleby dunks if they looked for the pass.

This game changed when we subbed 4 starters up 11 and had the flow to the way we wanted it. I'm not saying it was a bad coaching move....Stansbury usually subs 3 at some point, around 5 to 7 minutes into the game most of the season. I just don't like it because most of the time it breaks the flow.

Great season and on to the next...a bigger unknown than this one.

That’s a pretty bold statement. We only returned ONE player this year and he was playing football until August. Next year we return an entire starting backcourt and a SF that got lots of minutes. The front court will be an unknown, but I’m not sure it’s a bigger unknown than this year.

We actually returned 2 starters...Bearden would have been the best guard on last years team. While we had new players we had Sr's and a JR (Bearden) coming in. And it wasn't like Bearden and Darius Thompson were unknown. Both had started and played major minutes or key roles for former teams. Then you have a pre-season bonding trip.

So yes next season will be a bigger unknown....

As of now we have MOO who looks like a 4 minute a game bench player and no one else thats played a NCAA D1 game up front.

Other than Tay and JA not one of the freshmen looks anything but role players. But most freshmen look like that. You might be willing to dismiss how important JJ was but with him it made it a lot easier for our guards. The same can be said for Coleby.

So again Western basically had 3 known Sr-Jr starters coming into the season. Two guards and a double inside. I do not see that right now on this team. There might be a recruit or two or three that takes up what we lose inside....

JJ, Bearden, and Thompson were all known players...3/5 of the starters. As good as Tay played and the flashes of greatness from JA...I would not trade them for JJ and Thompson

(03-27-2018 10:28 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(03-27-2018 10:11 PM)Hilltopper413 Wrote:  

(03-27-2018 08:59 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  We have a couple guys that does not like playing defense as hard when their offense is off and one is a damn good defensive player....

it made their guards kook better than than they should have. No I'm not talking JJ, he doesn't like to play defense most of the time. But with that if we had passed the ball like we did in the other 3 NIT games, this game would not have been close. Too much one on one and jacking up 23fters. The disappointment comes from knowing if you halfway played your game, you win and move on to the championship game.

The two charges at the end are plays both players make all the time and score on, just better defense reading the move on the plays....its also two plays that could have been Coleby dunks if they looked for the pass.

This game changed when we subbed 4 starters up 11 and had the flow to the way we wanted it. I'm not saying it was a bad coaching move....Stansbury usually subs 3 at some point, around 5 to 7 minutes into the game most of the season. I just don't like it because most of the time it breaks the flow.

Great season and on to the next...a bigger unknown than this one.

That’s a pretty bold statement. We only returned ONE player this year and he was playing football until August. Next year we return an entire starting backcourt and a SF that got lots of minutes. The front court will be an unknown, but I’m not sure it’s a bigger unknown than this year.

We actually returned 2 starters...Bearden would have been the best guard on last years team. While we had new players we had Sr's and a JR (Bearden) coming in. And it wasn't like Bearden and Darius Thompson were unknown. Both had started and played major minutes or key roles for former teams. Then you have a pre-season bonding trip.

So yes next season will be a bigger unknown....

As of now we have MOO who looks like a 4 minute a game bench player and no one else thats played a NCAA D1 game up front.

Other than Tay and JA not one of the freshmen looks anything but role players. But most freshmen looks like that. You might be willing to dismiss how important JJ was but with him it made it a lot easier for our guards. The same can be said for Coleby.

So again Western basically had 3 known Sr-Jr starters coming into the season. Two guards and a double inside. I do not see that right now on this team. There might be a recruit or two or three that takes up what we lose inside....

but right now its a unknown

I’m not arguing that next year isn’t an unknown. I agree. I certainly think there is a possibility that we take a step back next year if we don’t get some help on the inside, but I still don’t think it’s as big of an unknown as this year. This year turned into a success that most didn’t see coming. Hopefully we can build on that next year, but I agree with you that some of our fans are dismissing what we’re losing.

(03-27-2018 10:33 PM)Hilltopper413 Wrote:  

(03-27-2018 10:28 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(03-27-2018 10:11 PM)Hilltopper413 Wrote:  

(03-27-2018 08:59 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  We have a couple guys that does not like playing defense as hard when their offense is off and one is a damn good defensive player....

it made their guards kook better than than they should have. No I'm not talking JJ, he doesn't like to play defense most of the time. But with that if we had passed the ball like we did in the other 3 NIT games, this game would not have been close. Too much one on one and jacking up 23fters. The disappointment comes from knowing if you halfway played your game, you win and move on to the championship game.

The two charges at the end are plays both players make all the time and score on, just better defense reading the move on the plays....its also two plays that could have been Coleby dunks if they looked for the pass.

This game changed when we subbed 4 starters up 11 and had the flow to the way we wanted it. I'm not saying it was a bad coaching move....Stansbury usually subs 3 at some point, around 5 to 7 minutes into the game most of the season. I just don't like it because most of the time it breaks the flow.

Great season and on to the next...a bigger unknown than this one.

That’s a pretty bold statement. We only returned ONE player this year and he was playing football until August. Next year we return an entire starting backcourt and a SF that got lots of minutes. The front court will be an unknown, but I’m not sure it’s a bigger unknown than this year.

We actually returned 2 starters...Bearden would have been the best guard on last years team. While we had new players we had Sr's and a JR (Bearden) coming in. And it wasn't like Bearden and Darius Thompson were unknown. Both had started and played major minutes or key roles for former teams. Then you have a pre-season bonding trip.

So yes next season will be a bigger unknown....

As of now we have MOO who looks like a 4 minute a game bench player and no one else thats played a NCAA D1 game up front.

Other than Tay and JA not one of the freshmen looks anything but role players. But most freshmen looks like that. You might be willing to dismiss how important JJ was but with him it made it a lot easier for our guards. The same can be said for Coleby.

So again Western basically had 3 known Sr-Jr starters coming into the season. Two guards and a double inside. I do not see that right now on this team. There might be a recruit or two or three that takes up what we lose inside....

but right now its a unknown

I’m not arguing that next year isn’t an unknown. I agree. I certainly think there is a possibility that we take a step back next year if we don’t get some help on the inside, but I still don’t think it’s as big of an unknown as this year. This year turned into a success that most didn’t see coming. Hopefully we can build on that next year, but I agree with you that some of our fans are dismissing what we’re losing.

I guess we are just disagreeing on how we view the unknown from last year. I viewed them as 2 5th year Sr's and a 4th year Jr and a double double 3 year player...

To me the biggest hurrle was how they play together and the trip helped on that. I guess I just viewed it different than others. Going into the season I said (on HH and this board) I thought we had the talent and right pieces in the top 5 players to compete for the top of the conference. But didn't know how they would play as a team and no ideal on wins or losses

I'm going into next season just as this one but for different reasons. I'm not as sure on the talent or pieces...

win or lose, as long as the effort is there, and growth is shown...its a win. I expect a rebuild with the following year as the key season.

Hope I'm completely misreading it and the inside recruits step up. But to 'me' its a bigger unknown

Great run, Tops and congratulations on an awesome season!

We saved our worst shooting performance for the last game....Utah did a good job switching defense, but we still had open shots...We looked very timid/passive last night....Not sure if it was the grand scheme of it all, NYC, MSG, nerves of trying to win a championship or what, but certainly we played out of character last night compared to how we have played all season.....Not sure where Thompson was last night but he missed about 4 point blank layups that had nothing to do with Utah's defense....In fact UTAH had zero really physical shot blockers, we should have an easy time getting into paint and finishing...Oh well I guess we were due to have an off game...

Next season is nowhere near being finalized so its silly to even discuss next season until we see who we are add this spring and then again see whose left in Sept, then we can dive into next season...I just hope we don't wait again until Jan. to get all of our players eligible...

I was at the game and the two charge fouls was a tough way to end a game.

Anyway, that was my first time in MSG and here are a few of my random thoughts:
-MSG is basically located above Penn Station so getting there was very easy. We stayed in NJ and took a 30 min train ride in for $26 round trip.
-Getting through security was pretty fast and easy. I've had more issues getting into the Ryman than MSG.
-Inside MSG in the main concourse is a giant video screen on the ceiling that was showing videos which was cool.
-The game started at 7pm and they didn't open up the gates into the seating until 6:30. We almost missed the player intros and stuff because of this. Thousands of people were all just standing there in the concourse waiting to get up to our seats. I'm sure they have their reasons, but this was very frustrating and stupid to me. Open the gates an hour before the event starts.
-None of the stores inside MSG were open. This was annoying for me and probably other WKU fans since WKU alumni, Courtney Lee, plays for the Nicks. I'd like a CLee Nicks tshirt.
-I'll never complain about prices at Titans or Preds games again after seeing $12.50 for a Bud Light. Glad I had my adult beverages before the game started.
-The sound system was great considering the size of the venue and the center scoreboard was awesome with stats including FG, 3 and FT %'s which is something I like to see and usually have to go online to check. The center scoreboard also had another large screen on the inside for the people on the lower deck to see since you can't really see the main one above.
-All along the outer concourse of MSG they have plaques that shows all of the shows that have been there. They also have other displays there as well showing things like Wayne, The Great One, Gretzky's retirement and Hulk Hogan.
-I was impressed by the turn out of Hilltopper Nation at MSG. Lot more Topper fans there than I was expecting.
-Saying I've been to MSG was a bucket list thing for me, however not sure I would go back unless something special like seeing WKU play there or something like that.

(03-29-2018 11:52 AM)topper1296 Wrote:  I was at the game and the two charge fouls was a tough way to end a game.

Anyway, that was my first time in MSG and here are a few of my random thoughts:
-MSG is basically located above Penn Station so getting there was very easy. We stayed in NJ and took a 30 min train ride in for $26 round trip.
-Getting through security was pretty fast and easy. I've had more issues getting into the Ryman than MSG.
-Inside MSG in the main concourse is a giant video screen on the ceiling that was showing videos which was cool.
-The game started at 7pm and they didn't open up the gates into the seating until 6:30. We almost missed the player intros and stuff because of this. Thousands of people were all just standing there in the concourse waiting to get up to our seats. I'm sure they have their reasons, but this was very frustrating and stupid to me. Open the gates an hour before the event starts.
-None of the stores inside MSG were open. This was annoying for me and probably other WKU fans since WKU alumni, Courtney Lee, plays for the Nicks. I'd like a CLee Nicks tshirt.
-I'll never complain about prices at Titans or Preds games again after seeing $12.50 for a Bud Light. Glad I had my adult beverages before the game started.
-The sound system was great considering the size of the venue and the center scoreboard was awesome with stats including FG, 3 and FT %'s which is something I like to see and usually have to go online to check. The center scoreboard also had another large screen on the inside for the people on the lower deck to see since you can't really see the main one above.
-All along the outer concourse of MSG they have plaques that shows all of the shows that have been there. They also have other displays there as well showing things like Wayne, The Great One, Gretzky's retirement and Hulk Hogan.
-I was impressed by the turn out of Hilltopper Nation at MSG. Lot more Topper fans there than I was expecting.
-Saying I've been to MSG was a bucket list thing for me, however not sure I would go back unless something special like seeing WKU play there or something like that.

Yeah we had easily the second largest fanbase in the seats at MSG, which is saying a lot because penn state is basically the home team.

(03-29-2018 11:52 AM)topper1296 Wrote:  I was at the game and the two charge fouls was a tough way to end a game.

Anyway, that was my first time in MSG and here are a few of my random thoughts:
-MSG is basically located above Penn Station so getting there was very easy. We stayed in NJ and took a 30 min train ride in for $26 round trip.
-Getting through security was pretty fast and easy. I've had more issues getting into the Ryman than MSG.
-Inside MSG in the main concourse is a giant video screen on the ceiling that was showing videos which was cool.
-The game started at 7pm and they didn't open up the gates into the seating until 6:30. We almost missed the player intros and stuff because of this. Thousands of people were all just standing there in the concourse waiting to get up to our seats. I'm sure they have their reasons, but this was very frustrating and stupid to me. Open the gates an hour before the event starts.
-None of the stores inside MSG were open. This was annoying for me and probably other WKU fans since WKU alumni, Courtney Lee, plays for the Nicks. I'd like a CLee Nicks tshirt.
-I'll never complain about prices at Titans or Preds games again after seeing $12.50 for a Bud Light. Glad I had my adult beverages before the game started.
-The sound system was great considering the size of the venue and the center scoreboard was awesome with stats including FG, 3 and FT %'s which is something I like to see and usually have to go online to check. The center scoreboard also had another large screen on the inside for the people on the lower deck to see since you can't really see the main one above.
-All along the outer concourse of MSG they have plaques that shows all of the shows that have been there. They also have other displays there as well showing things like Wayne, The Great One, Gretzky's retirement and Hulk Hogan.
-I was impressed by the turn out of Hilltopper Nation at MSG. Lot more Topper fans there than I was expecting.
-Saying I've been to MSG was a bucket list thing for me, however not sure I would go back unless something special like seeing WKU play there or something like that.

To be fair, it was for a giant 25 oz can, so $6.25 for a regular size beer isn't too terrible.

Agree with you on everything else, though. The audio/visual system was fantastic. I especially loved how quickly they showed a replay. It was within seconds of the play being complete. The turnout of Hilltopper fans at Brother Jimmy's made for a really fun pregame atmosphere, too. I found it interesting that most of the WKU fans filled up one whole section in the arena, while the Utah fans were spread out in small clusters throughout the whole lower bowl. Not sure why there was a difference there; maybe each school's ticket office sold them differently?