One MVC game tonight - Friday

[tornado]

Evansville (4-1) plays at ISU (3-2) in a battle to stay close to league leader Wichita (5-0)

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/scoreboard/_/group/18/date/20160115

Here's something Evansville does as a promotion...
They host an OFFICIAL Watch Party at one of their popular local restaurants...

http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2016/1/14/MBB_0114163143.aspx

Saturday's games include-
Loyola at Northern Iowa 3pm
Missouri State at Bradley 7pm

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/scoreboard/_/group/18/date/20160116

then Sunday's games-
SIU at Drake 3pm
Indiana State at Wichita 3pm

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/scoreboard/_/group/18/date/20160117

BTW- the official Missouri Valley site's featured highlights are Bradley's win at Loyola

[SycamoreFanatic]

Indiana State Watch Party

http://www.gosycamores.com/pdf9/4328908.pdf?ATCLID=210618889&SPSID=88027&SPID=10501&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=15200

[tornado]

individuals have held watch parties at BWW & other places...but I would love to see some Ken-Goldin-type organized watch parties

[Da Coach]

One interesting twist in the ESPN2 broadcast of the Illinois State-Evansville game tonight- the ESPN broadcasters are Rich Hollenberg and Mark Adams. But they are not at the game, and never even planned to make the trip to Normal, IL..
They will be calling the game remotely from the ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut!

https://twitter.com/Pg_Benson/status/688177688847073280

Interesting that when the game came on the air, the 2 announcers introduced themselves, but did not say anything about where they were, leaving the impression that they were at the game. I guess ESPN wants to save money on travel expenses, but don't really want the viewers to know the announcers are not at the game.

[tornado]

late in 1st half
Evansville 33 - ISU 27
Balentin already has 15 and Mockevicius already 1/2 way to a double double

[Da Coach]

Halftime score-
Evansville 35
Illinois St. 29

Two things that stood out-
1) ISU is the most undisciplined team in the MVC. They have possibly as good a talent level as anyone but Wichita State, but they play selfishly and stupidly much of the time. What is with Deonte Hawkins launching three pointer after three pointer and often missing by a mile? ISU creates a lot of mismatches with their big athletic frontcourt players being guarded by much smaller, less athletic Evansville players, but instead of taking advantage of the mismatches, they keep firing up fall-away three point shots.
Between their big men- 6'8" Deonte Hawkins (0-4), 6'7" Mikyle McIntosh (0-2), 6'5" DeVaughn Akoon-Purcewll (0-1), 6'8" Nick Banyard (0-1), and 6'8" Quintin Brewer (0-1), those big guys are a combined 0-9 from three! Those possessions are like turnovers! Let the guards shoot the threes and use their size and athleticism to play an inside game! By the way, their guards are 3-4 from three!
I have to think this drives the ISU fans crazy. If that is the way Dan Muller is coaching his team, it is insane. If it isn't, then he is still a poor coach because he can't coach his players.

2) The other notable thing, beside the fact the announcers are still pretending to be sidecourt at the game instead of 1000 miles away, was that it looks like Marty Simmons has gained even more weight since I last saw him.
But Evansville's players have played very well, especially their stars, and they are shooting the ball well (59% overall, 43% from three). If not for 10 turnovers, many of them unforced, they would have a much bigger lead.

[tornado]

they are undisciplined ....and it's odd that after several years already -- not one of them seems to have yet been taken aside by Dan Muller and told to be a little more selective with the choice of shots - or told to stop jacking up wild, off balance, driving fade-away playground shots...
They definitely - as has been said time and again - are one of the most physically talented teams and athletic teams but sometimes just don't get a anything out of it...
when their shots are falling they can hang with ranked teams...but otherwise - it's gotta be frustrating

[Da Coach]

Dan Muller must have gotten into his players' heads at halftime. 9 minutes into the 2nd half the just now attempted their first 3-pointer (another miss by one of their big men- now 0-10), after launching up 14 of them in the 1st half. They are actually passing a bit better and getting closer shots. But they aren't falling, and Evansville still holds a 46-37 lead with 11 minutes left in the game.

Edit: Deonte Hawkins just made a 3-pointer, after missing his last 8, to pull ISU to within 6 points 46-40. with 10 minutes to go.

[tornado]

Final Evansville 66 - ISU 55

ISU just kept trying what was not working...
shot 31% from the field & 6-31 from the arc

amazing discrepancy - ISU attempted 75 FG's, Evansville far more efficient - attempted just 44

Mockevicius 13 pts, 20 rebs - Balentine 25 pts,

[Da Coach]

Well, in the end, the 2nd half went just like the first. ISU, which went 3-14 from three in the first half, reverted to launching numerous low-percentage perimeter shots as Evansville continued to play their usual game and slowly pulled away for the 66-55 road win.
ISU finished the game 6-31 (19%) from three. They were 17-44 from 2-point range (39%), but they kept firing the lower percentage threes. Mystifying.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400843844

[tornado]

The Fire Dan Muller threads & sky-is-falling threads have begun in earnest

http://redbirdfan.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8467

http://redbirdfan.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8465&start=60

[tornado]

Saturday's games include-
Loyola at Northern Iowa 3pm
Missouri State at Bradley 7pm

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/scoreboard/_/group/18/date/20160116

Tough draw for Loyola - gotta go to UNI but if they can upset the Panthers and
.. if BU can pick up a win vs. Missouri State, can you believe that Bradley will pull into a TIE for 6th place in the Valley and only ONE game behind ISU who sits in 5th..

GO Braves!!!

Note- Bradley's overall STRENGTH of SCHEDULE is now #40 in Division I...
this is the best in the entire MVC but will take a little hit with today's game.. !!


ps- one other matchup of former teammates...
Liberty plays at Winthrop today - Anthony Fields vs. Jimmy Gavin!