MVC games Saturday, Nov. 10

[Da Coach]

Here is the schedule for MVC games today, Sat. Nov. 10-

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/scoreboard/_/group/18/date/20181110

There is one game in progress now is Evansville at Xavier-

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401083363

After getting annihilated by Illinois on Thursday night, one might expect the Aces, who were picked 10th in the MVC preseason poll, to struggle at Xavier. But they have hung close in a high scoring first half. Xavier is leading 49-45 at halftime. Xavier is outrebounding Evansville 24-12, but the Aces have only 2 turnovers in the first half and they are shooting over 53% on threes.
Go MVC!

2 games tonight-
UNI at UT-Arlington - UNI was picked 5th in the MVC preseason poll, and UT-A was picked 11th out of 12 teams in the Sun Belt Conference preseason poll.
And Illinois State at Belmont. ISU was picked 2nd in the MVC preseason poll, and Belmont was picked #1 in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll.

[Da Coach]

The other MVC games today- The MVC looks like it will go 1-3-

Evansville hung with Xavier until the end, but Xavier won 91-85

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401083363

UNI loses to Texas-Arlington 74-65-

http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=235929

Illinois State loses in a high-scoring game at Belmont 100-89-

http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=240178

[tornado]

Pantagraph article

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-state/hot-shooting-belmont-races-past-redbirds/article_eb96a242-a775-56c0-abcb-f9f48eb2e1f0.html

ISU gave up 62 points in the first half then never caught up..
Everyone on Belmont shot the lights out -
so I guess Dan Muller emphasizing offense is now coming back to haunt him...

but here's the most incredible aspect -- there's already multiple guys calling on the ISU message board to fire Dan Muller (and their AD)!! ** - along with guys unloading on their preseason Player of the Year candidate Yarbrough.

also-- the Pantagraph quotes Muller as saying their practices this week were bad - but THEY LACK DEPTH contrary to claims, he had little choice but to play the guys who didn't deserve to play. So their short bench is already hurting them so early in the season. Muller himself says "We don't have enough guys who are committed..." and "we are soft - we're really a soft team right now, and I have to figure out a way to change that."

UNI's starters were 1-18 from the arc...but even worse - their 4 big men & frontcourt players combined for 6 pts & 5 rebs.
UT-Arlington was picked to finish 11th in the 12 team Sun Belt

[tornado]

more on what I was saying above from the Pantagraph article..

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-state/hot-shooting-belmont-races-past-redbirds/article_eb96a242-a775-56c0-abcb-f9f48eb2e1f0.html

Dan Muller says this about Milik Yarbrough, who has been touted as an NBA Draft Pick next year...
"He just doesn't compete and he's not coachable. That happened last year a bunch of times.
I'll do it again,” said Muller of benching Yarbrough for long stretches."

wow- that sure helps your draft stock when your own coach publicly calls you UNCOACHABLE.

not that Yarbrough has had a selfish streak...or a bad week ... or was going thru a tough time...
BUT THAT HE IS UNCOACHABLE!! But then what does that say about Muller who recruited the guy there and despite all the arrests, booze and other issues, still plays him as much as anyone else ?

Keyshawn Evans even called out Yarbrough with this comment to the media:
"We're going to have to fix it if we all want to go where we say we want to go."

[Da Coach]

Muller only played Yarbrough 4 minutes in the 2nd half (17 minutes total), apparently because he was upset with his selfish play, lack of defense, and "poor attitude"-

???He just doesn't compete and he's not coachable. That happened last year a bunch of times. I'll do it again,??? said Muller of benching Yarbrough for long stretches.

???I'm just trying to play guys who were trying to fight with great attitudes"


But we've seen that Muller's concept of discipline is ignoring it altogether or throwing a brief tantrum, then forgetting everything and allowing the player to start the next game. ISU's next game is at home against lowly Chicago State. It would be a good opportunity for Muller to impose a meaningless suspension, but based on Muller's past history of lack of discipline, I expect all to be forgotten, and Yarbrough to rewarded by starting and playing his usual number of minutes.

[tornado]

but even the discussion of "...where we say we want to go" is a pretty thinly veiled reference to his selfish attitude...
as if Milik is only interested in padding stats that he thinks will help him get a better draft spot next June...thinking only of where he wants to go and not where the rest of the team would like to be right now.

One more Muller quote in the Vidette:
"We have no physicality on either end of the court. We have certain guys who are supposed to go
to the offensive boards. Milik’s one of them, he never goes."


UNI's game must have been ugly...low shooting pcts and almost 60 FTs...
their starters went 16-43 with AJ Green shooting 17 times to go with 1 assists & 5 turnovers..

[PhiAlphaBoy]

Milik is only interested in padding stats that he thinks will help him get a better draft spot next June...

I don't think there's much chance of him being drafted even if he ends up MVC POY. He'll likely get a free agent tryout and end up in the NBA G-League... At best.

[tornado]

...I guess Dan Muller emphasizing offense is now coming back to haunt him......

......Dan Muller was not happy with the sloppy play, poor defense, poor free throw shooting (14-24 with several missed front ends of 1 and 1's) and 19 turnovers.

so finally, after several months of practices....and watching some game video, Muller concedes that his team is terrible at defense...
so now he has inserted practicing defense into his game plan...

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-state/isu-hoping-early-morning-practices-make-for-better-defense/article_8460a09a-072b-53ab-b954-11b9446058b8.html

[Bradleyfan1]

I don??™t like running down the players in the paper. It??™s the coaches job to get the best out of his guys. I respect Dan and he??™s my favorite birds coach. I think he will get them right and our two programs will be battleing for MVC championships. This year and going forward. Birds 150 CSU 20 lol statement . I remember a less extreme rant similar to this last year, maybe later in the season. I??™d love to see Wardle Vs Dan.

[tornado]

so "Wardle vs. Muller" will become the "Versace vs. Donewald 2.0"? I would love to see it...
and I think Muller is naming names and downgrading his players as a very last resort - he must believe nothing else has worked because I also agree it is a very risky thing to do...
other coaches will surely use it against you as NEGATIVE RECRUITING...

Remember when all the sports media praised and worshipped Barry Hinson for his classic post-game rant where he called his team out as "soft" and "a bunch of mama's boys" and proclaimed that even his wife was better at shot faking than anyone on his team?

Well - he was the darling of DI for a while but check what happened back then and right after that....
Starting that season and over the next year's time multiple players & starters quit & transferred elsewhere...including the ones he called out by name in his rant..
Nobody knows for sure if it was directly related to that rant - but you can decide for yourself...
They've really never recovered the loyalty of their fan base - despite finishing in the upper half
(Dantiel Daniels, Fillyaw, Goodwin, Olaniyan, Pendleton, Caroline (who will be an NBA Draft pick next spring at Nevada), Glotta, Lavender, Leek)