Game Thread Shox vs Evansville

[GoShockers89]

Teams that go 12-6 in the Valley don't dance.

They have before. Many times in the last 10 years.

I'm as mad as anyone but guys, the bubble sucks this year and we still have an RPI of 36 w/an 8-3 record against the RPI top 100. 3-0 against RPI top 50.

We are still in good shape to make it but our level of comfort is diminishing by the hour.

[ShockRef]

There is never a good time....

...to **** the bed.

But they sure picked an even worse time tonight.

The ability to focus on the task at hand with this team is frustrating.

But give UE credit; a good coach with a super player found a way to make it happen.

That is all.

[Aargh]

That was probably one of the worst inbounds plays I've ever seen drawn up. Throw it to Hall and have him hand it off in the corner? There needs to be more than one option, and Hall can't touch the ball ever. Awful coaching to end the game.

Something gives me the feeling the ball wasn't supposed to go to Hall. If it WAS supposed to go to Hall, then someone was supposed to be coming open off a screen for a quick pass.

I watched it again a couple of times. Looks like Cotton was supposed to break out and use a screen by Hall to get open at about a 45 degree angle for the shot, but he forgot to make the move immediately. When he finally got to the spot he was open, but it was too late.

I'm more concerned about the play with 19 seconds left. I don't think the plan was to have no screens at all and have guarded guys go one-on-one to get a look from 3.

[XManCometh]

Teams that go 12-6 in the Valley don't dance.

Not in most years, but college basketball as a whole is down this year. A 12-6 Valley team can certainly get into the dance. However, that 12-6 Valley team better make it to the Conference tourny finals to pad the overall win totals though, then put on a nice show on CBS on national television.

[Aargh]

The Shox are trying to work their way out of that dreaded 8/9 seed and into that coveted 12 seed.

[SB Shock]

WSU just went from being a MVC champion, to now being a lock for the NIT

[jdmee]

WSU just went from being a MVC champion, to now one loss away from finishing 3rd in the conference and a lock for the NIT

Shocks can only finish 1 or 2. UNI lost tonight.

[GoShockers89]

If you would have told me after the Creighton win that we'd lose 2 home games this year, I would have laughed in your face.

[garylee]

cotton played ryan well but ryan just abused DW. our guards showed up for one
five minute stretch and that was it. they beat us at home starting three freshman.
i will be ready for FVV and RB next season. having said that, nothing would make
me happier than our sr guards to turn it around and make me eat a large dose of crow
the rest of the way. hope RB is ready in a few days

[SB Shock]

Shocks can only finish 1 or 2. UNI lost tonight.

yeah, I was thinking UNI was 1 game behind, but they lost. My bad.

[KC Shox]

Oh well, we lost to a Horizon League caliber team, it happens. I'm actually not too afraid of Creighton's game. They're struggling really bad right now, and if the Shox were finishing the season in the fashion CU is, well, I'm glad they aren't.

The perfect storm has occurred, and it's rather fitting that CU and WSU will be playing for all the marbles this weekend.

[XManCometh]

Something gives me the feeling the ball wasn't supposed to go to Hall. If it WAS supposed to go to Hall, then someone was supposed to be coming open off a screen for a quick pass.

I watched it again a couple of times. Looks like Cotton was supposed to break out and use a screen by Hall to get open at about a 45 degree angle for the shot, but he forgot to make the move immediately. When he finally got to the spot he was open, but it was too late.

I'm more concerned about the play with 19 seconds left. I don't think the plan was to have no screens at all and have guarded guys go one-on-one to get a look from 3.

Here's how the play went down:

Cotton immediately threw it in to Hall, who was posting up, when the ref gave him the ball. Then Cotton faked inside and tried to use Hall as a screen WHILE Hall had the ball. Evansville took it away and Hall had to shoot because time was running out. When Cotton FINALLY got open there was 1.2 seconds left and about 3 Evansville players in between him and Hall. There was no 2nd option from what I could see. It was "throw it in to Carl who will be big and put up a screen leaving Cotton open for 3". That was the play and that play was pathetic. Why was Hall even in the game when we were down 3 with 4 seconds left? Why was Carl the first to touch it seemingly as the first option?? That was a play a coach in middle school draws up. That play didn't lose the game for us, there was a lot more stupid stuff that went down, but it didn't even give us a shot to have a chance to tie.

[BAShocker]

What bugs me...our in bounds plays under our own basket, usually result in throwing the ball into the backcourt. Seems like we have very few that we try to score.

[forevershockerfan]

The Aces had lost here 11 times in a row. They were missing a key starter. We were pulverizing them on the boards. It was 3G's 50th bd. Time to bet the farm? Not so fast. Too many times with us on Offense, We would foul Them with silly fouls. They outscored us 18 points in the 1st half from the 3 point line. We just could not get the ball inside in good spots in the 1st half, just like the game at Evansville.
Colt had 29 and his pinpoint shooting reminded me of Oscar Roberston in the 1st half.

In the 2nd half, we scratched and clawed ahead to 53-49 but we went 1-13 at the end when all of the chips were on the table. We were hustling hard and our efforts were there. However, our execution was lacking with poor passing, trying to force the ball inside, and our shooting became horrible at the end.

It was a tough loss to swallow for us all. No time to lick our wounds. Now we play for the gold at Omaha. We will have the "eye of the tiger" and a win will be well within our grasp as we play now for all the marbles. LET's do it Shocks!!!!!!!

[GoShockers89]

What bugs me...our in bounds plays under our own basket, usually result in throwing the ball into the backcourt. Seems like we have very few that we try to score.

Yeah, that started about 12 games ago and has been embarrassing ever since. I honestly think we had 2 sets coming into the year, and MVC teams figured both of them out.

Solution: throw it 50 feet into the backcourt like a Biddy basketball team.