hoyarad
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 521
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Post by hoyarad on Mar 14, 2012 20:06:04 GMT -5
+2
I'm on board!
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MCIGuy
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Anyone here? What am I supposed to update?
Posts: 9,551
Member is Online
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Post by MCIGuy on Mar 14, 2012 20:08:41 GMT -5
Why are we getting so worked up over this? Many of the media types don't have faith in the Hoyas. Fine. So what? They didn't have faith in the Hoyas BEFORE the season either. If it didn't make a difference then why should it make a differece now?
Look, the Hoyas do have a bit of a monkey on their backs and will have to get past the first round (at least) to knock it off. There are people out there who don't think they will do it and we can debate the reasons why that is or isn't fair until we are blue in the face. None of that matters, though. All that matters is what happens on the court.
There are people on this board who bemoan that the Hoyas have to play Belmont. That's absurd. But then again it wouldn't have mattered who the oppoenent was; many Hoya fans would have been in a state of panic if they had to play DeMatha. That's just how many folks roll on this board. That may be justified but personally speaking I for one love the Hoyas' chances. I'd rather be playing Belmon than be in Florida's place and having to face a team like Virginia. Can the Hoyas lose to Belmont? Of course. Should they lose to Belmont? Heck, no. Belmont is the type of midmajor that III has been scheduling the Hoyas to face ever since he took over as GU's head coach. His Hoyas have faced such mid majors at home, on the road and in early season tournaments. When it comes to these type of teams the Hoyas have dominated them during regular season play with the exception of Old Dominion. So why haven't such domination carried over to the post season over the past four years? There may be variable answers for that one, but a possible reason may be a bit of choking by the Hoyas.
Regardless the point is the Hoyas were going to have to confront these demons of theirs eventually. So here they are. About to play against another gritty mid-major. They can either be scared about that (like half of their fans it seems) or embrace the moment to prove that they are the better team. There is no running away from it.
Edited to add:
Oh, well. My post became automatically pointless just by the fact that it followed HoyaChris' superior plea for sanity. Great job, Chris.
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TC
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 9,480
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Post by TC on Mar 14, 2012 20:15:40 GMT -5
Take for example SFHoya99, each of whose 15,000 or so posts I have appreciatively perused in my time on this board. He gives the Hoyas a 70% chance of victory over Belmont which is actually better than the Pomeroy calculation. <one-upping>I give the Hoyas a 101% chance of victory and am guaranteeing a win.</one-upping> |
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DanMcQ
Moderator 
Posts: 32,455
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Post by DanMcQ on Mar 14, 2012 20:29:04 GMT -5
Enough. This board is exhibiting all the symptoms of battered wife syndrome (note: first Syracuse reference) in the way that it is assessing our prospects against Belmont. I am aware – and if by some miracle of denial I had managed to forget, pretty much every poster on this board would remind me – that our recent tournament performances have been less than stellar. I am further aware that Belmont is a crafty mid-major (since when is the Atlantic Sun Conference a mid-major?), possessed of indomitable will, senior leadership, the offensive firepower of the 1993 Bulls (Chicago not South Florida), and the cuddliness that will grab at America’s heartstrings. And I am also aware that Pomeroy calculates us to be only a two point favorite over Belmont, which I would guess is the lowest 3-14 spread ever recorded. What I am mostly aware of, however, is how EVERYBODY is picking us as the chic upset choice of the first, oops second, round. And by everybody I mean more than just Seth “Georgetown has no quality Big East wins” Davis and Dougie “Visa” Gottlieb. I mean more than the legion of pundits that CasualHoya cited in a list of quotes that was way too long. I mean more than my staff in the United Kingdom whose instinct for self preservation (I have known to be cranky after Hoya losses) caused them to ask me if I thought the Hoyas had any chance to beat Belmont. I mean the posters on this board whose angst is palpable and whose judgment has been clouded by a combination of traumatic post season fiascoes and over-reliance on computer stats. Take for example SFHoya99, each of whose 15,000 or so posts I have appreciatively perused in my time on this board. He gives the Hoyas a 70% chance of victory over Belmont which is actually better than the Pomeroy calculation. I am guessing that he wants to say 90% but that he is transfixed by Belmont’s 23 Pomeroy ranking. And, normally, that would be a source for concern. But in this case, that ranking is a statistical anomaly, overwhelmingly composed of blowouts against Pomeroy 150-250 teams, teams whose defenses are not in the same area code as that of the Hoyas. Belmont’s best win during the regular season was against Pomeroy #61 Middle Tennessee State (they actually split their two games). Their second best win was by 5 at home against #74 Marshall (against whom they also split). And their best win after that was against #110 Mercer. But wait you say, what about that 1 point loss to Duke at Cameron in their opening game of the season, a game in which Duke showed less commitment to defense than Fab Melo has to classes (note: Syracuse reference 2). I mean, Belmont lost to Lipscomb at Belmont (Pomeroy #210). Can you imagine the meltdown on this board if we lost to Lipscomb? Which is really the point. Belmont, despite its gaudy offensive statistics, has put up its numbers against bad defensive teams. The Hoyas are a far better defensive team than anything that Belmont will have seen. And we are superior in a way that low majors never see because of our length and athleticism. Belmont shoots a lot of threes and makes a high percentage of those they take. Their leading 3 point shooter – the leading three point shooter in the nation – is five foot eleven, extremely unathletic and shoots a push shot from his chest. We lead the nation in defending the three. After each of our last three NCAA losses this board has bemoaned our lack of perimeter defense. Now that we have a great perimeter defense and too many among us assume it is irrelevant. Belmont does not have Yancy Gates or Kevin Jones or Jae Crowder. Belmont does not have Andre Drummond or Fab Melo (Note 3: Syracuse no longer has Fab Melo). The type of physical players that has beaten us this year does not exist on Belmont’s roster. On Friday, we will beat Belmont because Belmont will not be able to score – enough. We will beat Belmont because they will not be able to rebound. We will beat Belmont because we are simply a far better team than they are. Of course, it would also help if we made a few free throws. The Hoyas have been a pleasant surprise this year, but this board keeps expecting the team to revert to the board’s lower pre-season expectations. We need to embrace the reality that we are a very good basketball team who will club Belmont like baby seals on Friday. I strongly believe a 20 point win is far more likely than a loss. If we cannot enjoy the leadup to this game then why are we fans of the Hoyas? Friday will be fun. Who’s with me? Word. Are you joining skyhoya courtside? I hear Columbus is particularly fabulous this time of year. Sadly, I will only be able to enjoy its charms vicariously. |
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Post by ZackMorrisHoya on Mar 14, 2012 20:30:37 GMT -5
Enough. This board is exhibiting all the symptoms of battered wife syndrome (note: first Syracuse reference) in the way that it is assessing our prospects against Belmont. I am aware – and if by some miracle of denial I had managed to forget, pretty much every poster on this board would remind me – that our recent tournament performances have been less than stellar. I am further aware that Belmont is a crafty mid-major (since when is the Atlantic Sun Conference a mid-major?), possessed of indomitable will, senior leadership, the offensive firepower of the 1993 Bulls (Chicago not South Florida), and the cuddliness that will grab at America’s heartstrings. And I am also aware that Pomeroy calculates us to be only a two point favorite over Belmont, which I would guess is the lowest 3-14 spread ever recorded. What I am mostly aware of, however, is how EVERYBODY is picking us as the chic upset choice of the first, oops second, round. And by everybody I mean more than just Seth “Georgetown has no quality Big East wins” Davis and Dougie “Visa” Gottlieb. I mean more than the legion of pundits that CasualHoya cited in a list of quotes that was way too long. I mean more than my staff in the United Kingdom whose instinct for self preservation (I have known to be cranky after Hoya losses) caused them to ask me if I thought the Hoyas had any chance to beat Belmont. I mean the posters on this board whose angst is palpable and whose judgment has been clouded by a combination of traumatic post season fiascoes and over-reliance on computer stats. Take for example SFHoya99, each of whose 15,000 or so posts I have appreciatively perused in my time on this board. He gives the Hoyas a 70% chance of victory over Belmont which is actually better than the Pomeroy calculation. I am guessing that he wants to say 90% but that he is transfixed by Belmont’s 23 Pomeroy ranking. And, normally, that would be a source for concern. But in this case, that ranking is a statistical anomaly, overwhelmingly composed of blowouts against Pomeroy 150-250 teams, teams whose defenses are not in the same area code as that of the Hoyas. Belmont’s best win during the regular season was against Pomeroy #61 Middle Tennessee State (they actually split their two games). Their second best win was by 5 at home against #74 Marshall (against whom they also split). And their best win after that was against #110 Mercer. But wait you say, what about that 1 point loss to Duke at Cameron in their opening game of the season, a game in which Duke showed less commitment to defense than Fab Melo has to classes (note: Syracuse reference 2). I mean, Belmont lost to Lipscomb at Belmont (Pomeroy #210). Can you imagine the meltdown on this board if we lost to Lipscomb? Which is really the point. Belmont, despite its gaudy offensive statistics, has put up its numbers against bad defensive teams. The Hoyas are a far better defensive team than anything that Belmont will have seen. And we are superior in a way that low majors never see because of our length and athleticism. Belmont shoots a lot of threes and makes a high percentage of those they take. Their leading 3 point shooter – the leading three point shooter in the nation – is five foot eleven, extremely unathletic and shoots a push shot from his chest. We lead the nation in defending the three. After each of our last three NCAA losses this board has bemoaned our lack of perimeter defense. Now that we have a great perimeter defense and too many among us assume it is irrelevant. Belmont does not have Yancy Gates or Kevin Jones or Jae Crowder. Belmont does not have Andre Drummond or Fab Melo (Note 3: Syracuse no longer has Fab Melo). The type of physical players that has beaten us this year does not exist on Belmont’s roster. On Friday, we will beat Belmont because Belmont will not be able to score – enough. We will beat Belmont because they will not be able to rebound. We will beat Belmont because we are simply a far better team than they are. Of course, it would also help if we made a few free throws. The Hoyas have been a pleasant surprise this year, but this board keeps expecting the team to revert to the board’s lower pre-season expectations. We need to embrace the reality that we are a very good basketball team who will club Belmont like baby seals on Friday. I strongly believe a 20 point win is far more likely than a loss. If we cannot enjoy the leadup to this game then why are we fans of the Hoyas? Friday will be fun. Who’s with me? This is the best post I have ever read. |
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hoyatables
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,605
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Post by hoyatables on Mar 14, 2012 20:34:07 GMT -5
HoyaChris for President, MCIGuy for Veep. I will follow you both into battle. Hoyas by 15.
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gahoya
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 621
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Post by gahoya on Mar 14, 2012 20:37:40 GMT -5
While I agree with every thing HoyaChris said, if we had beaten VCU or Ohio none of this conversation would be taking place.
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Post by HometownHoya on Mar 14, 2012 20:51:43 GMT -5
the lack of respect we've received this week has been disgusting Wilbon chose us to win the SW bracket on PTI today. |
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Post by hoyas big supporter on Mar 14, 2012 20:55:18 GMT -5
the lack of respect we've received this week has been disgusting Wilbon chose us to win the SW bracket on PTI today. Is that a part of a post post-season tournament or what? Summer tournament? |
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Post by cuvahoya on Mar 14, 2012 20:56:26 GMT -5
HoyaChris for President!
Even if we had beaten VCU or Ohio, people would still be picking Belmont. Kansas has a worse track record than we have and people aren't generally picking them to lose.
Because people perceive us as a finesse team and don't generally respect our style of play, we will always have haters, even after we win another National Championship one of these years.
What's past is not always prologue. Forget the experts. Don't sweat the referees. Brush off the haters. Have faith in your team. On Friday, we're going to win, win, win no matter what!
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Post by HometownHoya on Mar 14, 2012 21:10:46 GMT -5
Wilbon chose us to win the SW bracket on PTI today. Is that a part of a post post-season tournament or what? Summer tournament? SouthWest? Pardon The Interruption? |
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Post by hoyas big supporter on Mar 14, 2012 21:23:31 GMT -5
Is that a part of a post post-season tournament or what? Summer tournament? SouthWest? Pardon The Interruption? Who's in that bracket? |
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Post by HometownHoya on Mar 14, 2012 21:56:48 GMT -5
SouthWest? Pardon The Interruption? Who's in that bracket? Sorry, meant MidWest  |
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hoyaLS05
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,652
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Post by hoyaLS05 on Mar 14, 2012 21:56:54 GMT -5
Cal, currently trailing USF by 28, is KenPom's No. 27, barely behind Belmont. If we're screwed, it is NOT because we're playing a team that fares well in Pomeroy's evaluations.
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gahoya
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 621
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Post by gahoya on Mar 14, 2012 22:03:35 GMT -5
Any bracket that has a Pac-10 (Wait what the hell is it now?) team winning any game is bad.
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Post by hoyas big supporter on Mar 15, 2012 0:50:45 GMT -5
Sorry, meant MidWest No worries. Just making sure I didnt miss a PTI special |
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AvantGuardHoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
"It was when I found out I could make mistakes that I knew I was on to something."
Posts: 1,488
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Post by AvantGuardHoya on Mar 15, 2012 5:20:23 GMT -5
[quote author=hoyachris board=general thread=25535 post=488369 time=1331772768 Who’s with me? [/quote] Was that a question?!  |
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HoyaPride
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Posts: 484
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Post by HoyaPride on Mar 15, 2012 6:39:13 GMT -5
FBelmont and the horse that they will be leaving on!
Bring on one of those St. teams, Kansas and Carolina!
See you on Bourbon St.!!
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Post by bigelephant on Mar 15, 2012 7:17:32 GMT -5
My prayer is that III doesn't revert to the last game stratergy where he played 6 guys in a double overtime game! Jabril,Nate and Mikail sat on the bench. One of our great strengths is our deep bench where we can wear other people out and that's what should have been done in a double overtime game. I am not a BB guru like some of you guys but I attribute a good part of the loss to this plan(?) of attack.
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Post by petabdoubleg on Mar 15, 2012 7:53:02 GMT -5
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