Game Thread Shox vs Evansville

[RomeoCrennel's Belly]

It's the morning after and I feel worse about this game. How do we lose at home on senior night to freeeeeaaaking Evansville?!?! Man...

We have to play 5x better to have a chance to win on Saturday.

[Shockeriffic]

I was disapointed that Ehimen didn't play more. He was pretty solid, provided great energy and was fairly effective. If you doubled his minutes, and stats, he out played Hall and would have finished with 12 and 8 with 4 blocks. I know that's no guarantee, but I was surprised he wasn't in more. Especially when they started driving to the basket. When teams start penetrating, how do we not have our biggest defensive weapon for that in?

And on the last inbounds, there was no reason for Carl to be in. Should have been Wiggins, Mal, DWill, Early and Cotton/FVV. Or hell, it was only for 5 seconds, put Baker in. Everyone on the floor should have been a threat to shoot that shot.

The problem is that Orupke and Hall playing at the same time has been terrible on offense. Orupke is holding down Hall's stats because his man is just standing in the lane waiting to double team Hall. Hall's man is fronting him and the guards can't throw the lob pass because Orupke's man is camped out in the lane.

[WstateU]

To Jump or not to Jump, that is the Question…

[1972Shocker]

Shocks lead 53-49 with 8 minutes to go. They hold Evansville to 7 points over the final 8 minutes and they still lose.

1-13 from the field and 1-4 from the line after that point.

Really a collapse that you would not expect from a team that has shown the toughness and resiliency that this team has shown for the most part this year. Really a headscratcher. Hopefully, it will prove to a one-off aberation and not turn into another 3-game losing streak.

Fortunately, opportunity awaits the Shocks in Omaha. Hard to be very optimistic after last night, but these guys haven't made it this far by being a bunch of wussies.

Go Shocks!

[jdmee]

To Jump or not to Jump, that is the Question…

Just don't make this into a laying a turd thread.

[SubGod22]

The problem is that Orupke and Hall playing at the same time has been terrible on offense. Orupke is holding down Hall's stats because his man is just standing in the lane waiting to double team Hall. Hall's man is fronting him and the guards can't throw the lob pass because Orupke's man is camped out in the lane.

Then feed Ehimen the ball more. They couldn't stop him and he was getting GREAT position on the block. Don't treat him like he's not part of the offense and those issues for Hall go away. Ehimen may not be a threat to score 20+, but he still makes over half his shots and does a good job of not forcing too many attempts. And again, they had nobody to keep him off the block or keep him from being a threat. The only thing that does that is our offense.

[mjbaker84]

I noticed Ehimen Looked slow and like he was limping a couple of times. He walked very slowly off the court when Hall was subbed in for him.
He also had gauze or whatever sticking out of his nose in the game, maybe from a bloody nose or a hit to the face?

[vancedave56]

I too, think Hall functions better with EO in the game. Look at it this way - the other team's biggest defender covers EO, and Carl gets the next biggest which he overmatches. If EO isn't in the game, Carl draws the biggest defender (and doubleteams) which Carl is not as affective against. Carl is not a threat from outside, so it's not like he will bring the other team's biggest man outside and beat him to the basket with his quickness. Carl is better off being able to overpower a man that is his size or smaller.

I was hoping we would be seeing Cle at the 3 some with this combination by now also. Cle likes to hang around the outside like a 3 anyway, and if he is matched up against a 3, he can shoot over him or take him to the hoop.

When EO is in, we also get more steals/rebounds and layups = easy offense. The guards can overplay more, and we can press more.

[vancedave56]

Yes, I believe he did come out once for a bloody nose.

[CBB_Fan]

Honestly, Orukpe was our best senior last night. Hall tried hard, and Armstead had moments, but Orukpe put in the best minutes. You can literally see when Orukpe is about to do something good; he moves with a different type of energy. After he gets a block, he goes pushes a lot harder to get the ball on the offensive side. I think Marshall is still more comfortable with a smaller line-up, but Orukpe does his part.

[Shockeriffic]

I too, think Hall functions better with EO in the game. Look at it this way - the other team's biggest defender covers EO, and Carl gets the next biggest which he overmatches. If EO isn't in the game, Carl draws the biggest defender (and doubleteams) which Carl is not as affective against. Carl is not a threat from outside, so it's not like he will bring the other team's biggest man outside and beat him to the basket with his quickness. Carl is better off being able to overpower a man that is his size or smaller.

I was hoping we would be seeing Cle at the 3 some with this combination by now also. Cle likes to hang around the outside like a 3 anyway, and if he is matched up against a 3, he can shoot over him or take him to the hoop.

When EO is in, we also get more steals/rebounds and layups = easy offense. The guards can overplay more, and we can press more.

That would be true if Orupke's man wasn't cheating over towards Hall before he even got the ball. With Orupke in the game it was impossible to pass Hall the ball. That's probably why all of Hall's shots and free throw attempts happened when Orupke was sitting on the bench.

That being said, I'm not against playing Orupke more. I just think that the Orupke/Early and Hall/Early combinations are much more effective than Orupke/Hall.

[WstateU]

Just don't make this into a laying a turd thread.

I hear ya’, but I can’t think of a better way to summarize what I (we) witnessed last night…

[Rosewood]

More like

[vancedave56]

That would be true if Orupke's man wasn't cheating over towards Hall before he even got the ball. With Orupke in the game it was impossible to pass Hall the ball. That's probably why all of Hall's shots and free throw attempts happened when Orupke was sitting on the bench.

That being said, I'm not against playing Orupke more. I just think that the Orupke/Early and Hall/Early combinations are much more effective than Orupke/Hall.

Then pass EO the ball. What is his FG pct? I think I would take my chances if his man is doubling off of him versus Carl double teamed or a desperation shot with 1 second on the shot clock.

[Rlh04d]

The sky is falling. Falling, falling.

Meanwhile, Evansville is now a borderline top 100 RPI. ESPN has them as a 99, Realtimerpi a 104. Nolan a 103.

If Evansville finishes the season in the top 100, we have one bad loss on the entire season. SIU.

We are not a bubble team, despite what the whiners on here that seem to enjoy nothing more than WSU losing would like to argue. We are playing for seeding. Our seed has taken a hit with this loss. It would probably recover with a win over Creighton.

A win over Indiana State to close out the season likely locks Evansville in as a top 100 RPI team, and doesn't knock ISU out of the top 100.