WSU - VCU Bracketbuster Game Thread

[AndShock]

VCU fans are on their board complaining about how bad the officiating was (in favor of us.) I don't like them. I would've rather lost to Mason by 20.

[GarH]

10,000 very loud fans cheering them on and the players still can't get it up to out hustle the other team. What is it that people think HCGM could do to get the players ready? I'm sorry but if the players can't get it going with that support, it's on the players.

[ShockerFever]

The shot at the buzzer goes in and out.

The Shockers just lost their elimination game. :cry:

Win or go home.

[kochHead]

10,000 very loud fans cheering them on and the players still can't get it up to out hustle the other team. What is it that people think HCGM could do to get the players ready? I'm sorry but if the players can't get it going with that support, it's on the players.

+1

[ShockerFever]

That Marshall had to demand crowd involvement is sad. I miss the old days.

The crowd was fine and Marshall did not have to demand any involvement. The crowd was already doing fine when Marshall did his antics.

Although the crowd was the best of the year, I was disappointed in the crowd the last minute or so of the game (it was great up until then).

It was a very close game and we should have gotten very loud, instead it seemed like the crowd gave up and wasn't nearly intense enough at the end.

How many games have we won this year at Koch that involved the outcome being decided by 3 points or less? I think it's finally wearing on some folks, myself included.

The last thing you should be blaming is the damn crowd. My God, does the team and coaching ever get any accountability from you?

[ShockerFever]

The last foul call was probably an anticipation call. The ref anticipated it, therefore he called it.

From an unbiased source. OK not TOTALLY unbiased :) I WAS pulling for the shox but I agree. It looked like he was going to foul him but he basically went straight up and Rodriguez was going away from the hoop.

At first replay I could see he didn't get him with the arm and thought..OK maybe a 'body" foul...ummmm NOPE no body contact worth blowing a whistle. In fact it was very good defense and exactly how you would want it played.

Again it sure appeared that he anticipated a foul instead of actually looking to see if he got him.

Tough break....

I love seeing opinion's of neutral fans in cases like these. Whether you thought it was a foul or not, I value a neutral fan's opinion more than our own. I also saw the replay and considering how the refs were letting the guys play, to call a ticky tacky "bump", if you can even call it that, with under a second remaining in favor of the road team is mind-boggling. Let's face it. It was a **** call. We got robbed again. I was pissed initially but then I thought about everything that transpired in the game leading up to that point. Shouldn't even have been in that situation to begin with.

I'm curious to see the resident experts, ShockRef, and shockerfanmas's opinions of the final whistle. Hell, even the ESPN guys thought it was a lame bailout.

[ShockerFever]

There is absolutely no reason in hell for Murry to ever be in a game within 10 points, and less than 10 minutes left. I'm tired of it, and it's starting to piss me off to no end.

Rodriguez is the best point guard I've ever seen, or we just made him look that good.

After that halftime, I just can't get near as upset about this game as I normally would.

Even with the loss, today was great. Best crowd of the year by far, students obviously put in some effort. VCU actually played a fun style of basketball (in the first half, at least.) If Kyles shot had went in, this certainly would've been one of my most memorable games ever.

+ 1 on all accounts. I'm really perplexed about the Murry lovefest that goes on. He cannot make a mistake and get yanked, while anyone else on our team gets pulled if they bat their eyes the wrong way. Murry will make a good play or two and then totally cancel it out a minute or sometimes a second later (steal and then out-of-control turnover late when we had the lead). I've never seen a guy fumble so many balls in the chest or in his hands before. He just can't handle it and needs to be given the backseat for a bit. That's all on Marshall though, not Toure.

[ShockerFever]

VCU fans are on their board complaining about how bad the officiating was (in favor of us.) I don't like them. I would've rather lost to Mason by 20.

Laughable.

Take the gift throws and move on.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

This game was lost on one bad decision, and it wasn't the ref, Coach Marshall, or Toure Murry.

It was on Joe Ragland and his dumb decision in the first half picking up his 2nd foul and sitting most of, if not all, the rest of the 1st half.

The thing separating this team from the next level is a PG. Coach Marshall's system is heavily dependent on PG play. You look at the games we have given away this year (I consider SDSU a loss) and it comes down to PG play.

I think we may over achieve next year if Joe Ragland and Demetric Williams get it finally. If not, we'll watch another "good" Shocker team disappoint with its lack of an onn ball leader.

[ShockTalk]

This game was lost on one bad decision, and it wasn't the ref, Coach Marshall, or Toure Murry.

It was on Joe Ragland and his dumb decision in the first half picking up his 2nd foul and sitting most of, if not all, the rest of the 1st half.
The thing separating this team from the next level is a PG. Coach Marshall's system is heavily dependent on PG play. You look at the games we have given away this year (I consider SDSU a loss) and it comes down to PG play.

I think we may over achieve next year if Joe Ragland and Demetric Williams get it finally. If not, we'll watch another "good" Shocker team disappoint with its lack of an onn ball leader.

Actually, I blame Ellis for not taking more than 2 shots. If he'd only taken 1 more stupid shot, we'd won by 1. :roll:

[SHOXAAC]

I can't remember what thread it was, but someone posed the question "where would WSU finish in the Big East?"

A better question is "where would WSU finish in the Colonial?"

I have seen George Mason, Old Dominion and VCU play. I understand James Madison, Hofstra and Drexel are no pushovers.

[DCduckVCU]

VCU fans are on their board complaining about how bad the officiating was (in favor of us.) I don't like them. I would've rather lost to Mason by 20.

Laughable.

Take the gift throws and move on.

I don't mean to talk for all the VCU fans, but there were some questionable calls on both sides. For example, the one end-game foul that was called on our Ed Nixon when he jumped straight up, your player ran into him as he was coming down and drew a foul for three shots at the line. There was the no-call late in the game on Brandon Rozzell's 3-point shot, and one foul call on Bradford Burgess to put your guy on the line late in the game, where Burgess didn't touch your player.

Overall I thought the game was officiated pretty consistently. Had you been able to pull out the win, we at VRN probably would have pointed to any of those three as "terrible calls". I agree the foul on Rodriguez late to put him on the line was questionable (I think I saw a hand on his arm on the way up, forcing him to alter the shot and lean backwards for separation), but as for that being the sole deciding factor, I don't buy it.

As I said, it was a great game to watch for anyone other than a VCU or WSU fan. I was still holding my breath even after the game was over.

As for losing to Mason by 20 on your own home floor, been there, done that. And I must say the experience is vastly overrated.

[shox1989]

This game was lost on one bad decision, and it wasn't the ref, Coach Marshall, or Toure Murry.

It was on Joe Ragland and his dumb decision in the first half picking up his 2nd foul and sitting most of, if not all, the rest of the 1st half.

The thing separating this team from the next level is a PG. Coach Marshall's system is heavily dependent on PG play. You look at the games we have given away this year (I consider SDSU a loss) and it comes down to PG play.

I think we may over achieve next year if Joe Ragland and Demetric Williams get it finally. If not, we'll watch another "good" Shocker team disappoint with its lack of an onn ball leader.

And Joe didn't pick up his third one until there was .8 second left in the game on that last phatom foul call.

Joe missed over 13 minutes of the first half because coach decided to sit him that long after he picked up his second foul.

If Joe is that valuable to running the offense, if I were coach, I would NOT sit him for 13+ minutes to finish the half.

I blame coach for that.

[ShockerFever]

VCU fans are on their board complaining about how bad the officiating was (in favor of us.) I don't like them. I would've rather lost to Mason by 20.

Laughable.

Take the gift throws and move on.

I don't mean to talk for all the VCU fans, but there were some questionable calls on both sides. For example, the one end-game foul that was called on our Ed Nixon when he jumped straight up, your player ran into him as he was coming down and drew a foul for three shots at the line. There was the no-call late in the game on Brandon Rozzell's 3-point shot, and one foul call on Bradford Burgess to put your guy on the line late in the game, where Burgess didn't touch your player.

Overall I thought the game was officiated pretty consistently. Had you been able to pull out the win, we at VRN probably would have pointed to any of those three as "terrible calls". I agree the foul on Rodriguez late to put him on the line was questionable (I think I saw a hand on his arm on the way up, forcing him to alter the shot and lean backwards for separation), but as for that being the sole deciding factor, I don't buy it.

As I said, it was a great game to watch for anyone other than a VCU or WSU fan. I was still holding my breath even after the game was over.

As for losing to Mason by 20 on your own home floor, been there, done that. And I must say the experience is vastly overrated.

I agree that overall the officiating was fine. There were the typical blown calls both ways. Every team's fans are usually gonna get pissed at the officiating, no matter what. I just find it funny that it was a call with under a second left that ultimately gave you the W. I must say, with the way the officials were calling the game (loose), that certainly wasn't the type of foul that was called over the course of the game. To make that call at that juncture was a bit of a stretch.

However, the call was made and the game was decided on plays throughout it. Again, the better team won IMO.

I'm sure if the roles were reversed, the message board opinions would be reversed as well. It's just the way it is.

Thanks for your respectable opinions to the board though. I hope you guys make a run to the dance.

[wu_shizzle]

And Joe didn't pick up his third one until there was .8 second left in the game on that last phatom foul call.

Go watch the replay on ESPN3, it'll help you sleep.

It looks to me like Joe gets the inside arm on the way up.

But, I agree with you, more Joe please.