Wichita State - Miami Game Thread.

[Ta Town Shocker]

Thought it was interesting Roy Williams was complaining about UNC's time slot. http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/s...e67072337.html

[Singeril]

Hard to watch that post-game press conference with HCGM, Ron, and Fred. The video of Evan in the dressing room was also hard to watch. As they all sat there, in their jerseys, it was just hard to think that in a few minutes they would be taking them off for the last time...I don't think they wanted to pull them off over the heads.

As always, the young gentlemen conducted themselves with class and showed all who watched just how you should conduct yourself in a presser following a loss. Pure class even though the tears were hard to hold back. I gained even more respect for these guys (if that was possible) after something like this than I did watching them play a good game at any time during the season.

And, it sure wasn't easy on HCGM either. You could tell he was just trying to hold it together at times---and he knows he is losing a great group of young men.

He was asked about the legs being tired....he didn't make any excuses and said that this probably wasn't the case...you couldn't have tired legs for the first 10 minutes and then be fine the next 30. He acknowledged what a good team we played today and what a good coach they had. Class abounded.

So PROUD to be a Shocker alum and fan. I only wish I could be at the arena tonight when the team returns.

[Topshock]

I don't care what any one says, RKelly really disappointed in moments when we had momentum, he easily could have passed the ball back out at least three times, but played a little hero ball, almost felt like he wanted to get his moment to shine, either on a lazy drive to the bucket, trying to thunder slam a outback or basically just doing the right thing by getting the ball back to a ball handler, for a sophomore he really showed his lack of basketball IQ... Vent over, great season great seniors, great time to be a shocker

This is wrong on several levels. Kelly has improved all year and I suspect he will continue to. If I were to start listing disappointing plays by player from today's game this would be very, very long post. If I had written that post Kelly would be no where near the top of that extensive list.

[engrshock]

The Shockers were 0-5 this season in games that started before noon. I did not like the start time for the game for more reasons than just a very short turn around.

[choida]

I disagree. No one player is responsible for the loss. Kelly had a couple of offensive rebounds in the second half that gave us extra possessions, he had a steal on Rodriguez around the five minute mark, and he made two big free throws toward the end of the second half that kept the game within reach. Our poor three-point shooting down the stretch hurt us as much as anything else. We took a 43-42 lead at 10:29, right after Ron Baker made a big three. After that, we were 1-8 from three for the rest of the game. Miami was 3-4 from three during the same stretch. We missed several crucial threes that would have either tied the game or brought it within one or two points. We still had momentum until late in the game. The score was 53-55 after Baker made a layup at 2:43. Rodriguez scored on the next possession, then VanVleet missed a crucial three that would have cut their lead to one, then Rodriguez scored again with a three. That gave them a seven point lead with one minute to go. We went from potentially being down one point to being down seven with one minute to go.

I'm sad that I'll never see Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet play again in Shockers uniforms. 2013-2016 was the best four-year span in this program's history. I know we have good players coming back next year and I know there will always be new players and new teams. But this feels like the end of an era. It feels like the Final Four era for Wichita State is ending. I really thought they could make it back to another one. The 2014, 2015, and 2016 teams could have made it back. They were all good enough. We just didn't get the right breaks. It sucks. But I'm grateful that we did make it to the Final Four in 2013. Those memories and experiences will live on forever for the players and fans. Here's to next year!

Go back and watch the game sober, you will see for yourself, the negatives outweighed the positives... You can see the look on 3G3M 's face... He did stupid **** that messed the momentum up...

[AndShock]

We should be playing MTSU tomorrow. Just saying.

[ShockerFever]

This is wrong on several levels. Kelly has improved all year and I suspect he will continue to. If I were to start listing disappointing plays by player from today's game this would be very, very long post. If I had written that post Kelly would be no where near the top of that extensive list.

lol ok

[ShockerFever]

We should be playing MTSU tomorrow. Just saying.

SUCK FYRACUSE

[Singeril]

Is there any kind of welcoming party tonight at Koch? I see the plane isn't arriving until 10:03. Haven't heard whether the "celebration" will be tonight or at some other time---or if there is one for sure.

[Topshock]

This is wrong on several levels. Kelly has improved all year and I suspect he will continue to. If I were to start listing disappointing plays by player from today's game this would be very, very long post. If I had written that post Kelly would be no where near the top of that extensive list.

lol ok

Glad you approve!

[ShockerFever]

Glad you approve!

How can you say Kelly has improved all year? In what ways? If he improved over the year, then he must've started at rock bottom.

I get it. The kid is a Shocker and tries really hard. I applaud him for his effort. But his hands are softer than Charmin and he absolutely cannot finish at the rim. He has to have a 20% conversion rate on layups. He probably shoots better from 3 than from point blank range, if that's somehow possible. And he coughs up more balls than Jamaal Charles.

He might have been better as a freshman than as a sophomore.

His minutes would be more limited if we had some help at the front court spots. If we had more depth there, I don't see how that guys minutes go anywhere but down from this year.

[WuDrWu]

What does it say about the NCAA's seeding process that the 11 seed is favored by 2 over the 3 seed? How many times do you think that has happened in the history of the NCAA tournament? I wonder how Miami would have played today if they had played Ariziona and Vanderbilt with the same schedule we had. Maybe they would have been just as fresh as they looked today.................. Maybe not.two games.

It's happened once. Washington was a 2 point favorite over #3 New Mexico a few years ago.

Also 46 #11 seeds have won a first round game. 18 went on to win again, but 5 of those were against 14 seeds. The Zags are about to make it 19 and UNI will try to make it 20 tomorrow.

[WillieJeffJeffries]

It's happened once. Washington was a 2 point favorite over #3 New Mexico a few years ago.

Also 46 #11 seeds have won a first round game. 18 went on to win again, but 5 of those were against 14 seeds. The Zags are about to make it 19 and UNI will try to make it 20 tomorrow.

The Zags were a 1 point fav tonite vs #3 Utah

[WillieJeffJeffries]

How can you say Kelly has improved all year? In what ways? If he improved over the year, then he must've started at rock bottom.

I get it. The kid is a Shocker and tries really hard. I applaud him for his effort. But his hands are softer than Charmin and he absolutely cannot finish at the rim. He has to have a 20% conversion rate on layups. He probably shoots better from 3 than from point blank range, if that's somehow possible. And he coughs up more balls than I have.

He might have been better as a freshman than as a sophomore.

His minutes would be more limited if we had some help at the front court spots. If we had more depth there, I don't see how that guys minutes go anywhere but down from this year.

Fixed it for you.

[Topshock]

How can you say Kelly has improved all year? In what ways? If he improved over the year, then he must've started at rock bottom.

I get it. The kid is a Shocker and tries really hard. I applaud him for his effort. But his hands are softer than Charmin and he absolutely cannot finish at the rim. He has to have a 20% conversion rate on layups. He probably shoots better from 3 than from point blank range, if that's somehow possible. And he coughs up more balls than Jamaal Charles.

He pretty much did start at rock bottom as far a finishing at the rim is concerned, but he did get better as the year went along and I think he is getting much closer to solving that problem. Not disputing that he had a couple of bad plays today, just that he had a lot of company, including the 8 turnovers by Baker and Van Vleet that were more costly than Kelly missing a couple shots at the rim.