New starting line-up

[buballer82]

Da Coach, I don't think people (myself included) are thinking that Singh, Austin, and Collins have done much to deserve more playing time. I thinks its more of a feeling they should get a chance to play because Egolf and Salley just aren't getting it done. Sometimes practice players aren't good game players. Just like JJ's first few years here, he was great in practice but didn't show it on the floor. Obviously, he turned out to be a key player his junior and senior years and that game time experience helped. In that sense I can understand Egolf playing. But Salley is a senior whose eligibility is running out and he still doesn't show me anything. I just want to see something different in all honesty. As a fan, I'm frustrated.

[BradleyBrave]

I think before we start pointing fingers at those who 'hyped' this team, it should be noted that Van Coleman, Bob Gibbons, ESPN, Sportsline, Sporting News, and the MVC coaches all thought that we had a great recruiting class and would contend for an NCAA bid and an MVC title.

We all had high expectations, and the national experts thought the same thing. If we're going to be upset about people 'hyping' this team, we should be upset with all of the national pundits who hyped this team as well.

[tornado]

...posters felt duped by the hype. ....

what????

seems like you give "posters" little or no credit for thinking for themselves...

Either they are smart like you (because you don't seem to be including yourself with the term "other posters") or they have no mind for themselves and are duped by something they read.
Even if they do get duped, they are free to believe or disbelieve.

I read hype on every message board for every team, every year...and I don't just believe everything I read. But then I don't take the evidence seen in one game and extrapolate that into the rest of the season being hopeless.

Seems like we have been right here before, Feb. 8, 2006.

[patrick_o'brian]

For the people that think Sam Singh should be starting. Please tell me why? He has been here for 6 years and has never had a double digit rebounding game that I can remember. Why all the love for Sam Singh? If Sam Singh is a starter on this team then maybe that is why we are in trouble...............lack of talent, but I know that is not the case.

[InMnBob1]

New Lneup

I would start:

Scott-Cole at Point
Warren at the 2
Theron--Forward
Collins--Center
Austin--Forward

Bring Crouch in for the much needed 3 at "those" times in the game.

[BradleyBrave]

I would start:

Scott-Cole at Point
Warren at the 2
Theron--Forward
Collins--Center
Austin--Forward

Bring Crouch in for the much needed 3 at "those" times in the game.

Maniscalco's out of your rotation? He's the only guy that showed up yesterday.

[brocks]

For now, Salley and Crouch should be out. JL should be sending a message: This is your senior year, and it's been on you to carry this team to new heights. You haven't done it, and if you're not going to carry this team in YOUR year, then I'm going to start looking toward the future. We're gonna get some minutes for guys who need the experience when THEIR senior years roll around.

[ER3]

what????

seems like you give "posters" little or no credit for thinking for themselves...

Either they are smart like you (because you don't seem to be including yourself with the term "other posters") or they have no mind for themselves and are duped by something they read.
Even if they do get duped, they are free to believe or disbelieve.

I read hype on every message board for every team, every year...and I don't just believe everything I read. But then I don't take the evidence seen in one game and extrapolate that into the rest of the season being hopeless.

Seems like we have been right here before, Feb. 8, 2006.

Give us a break, t...
All of us 'non-insiders' were sitting at home/work all summer with absolutely ZERO first-hand access to the super-secret BU practices that were going on, and had no way to make our own objective assessments of all of these newcomers...but yet we were supposed to somehow be "smart" and "think for ourselves" and draw our own conclusions about how this team and these new players were going to be? How exactly were we supposed to do that?

"We"...(the alleged uninformed, lemming faction on this message board...as you have so kindly labeled us...) were told by Les that this was the most talented team he's ever had here...we were told by Snell over and over again how Matt Salley was dominating in practices...how it was staggering how much talent this team had...it was a special team, an NCAA team...blah blah blah...The Valley coaches picked us 2nd in the preseason poll...Van Coleman and a handful of other people that get paid to evaluate talent told us this was a quality group of new recruits...We were told over and over again by the special 'connected' posters on this board...(who did have the luxury of having access to watch this team practice) how Matt Salley was a dominating force in practice...how Egolf was the best outside shooter we had...how he was a Dirk Nowitzki clone...how David Collins was P O'B...TCS was WF with much more athleticism...how we were 11 deep...how Les was going to have problems getting minutes for all of these uber-talented players...and so on and so on...

And yet, you are going to tell "us" that it is our fault for having high expectations for this year's team? That we should instead have all 'thought for ourselves' and assumed that Les, Snell, the Valley coaches, Van Coleman, and all of those that had direct access to see these players practice were selling us a red kool aid laced bill of goods?

Whatever. I feel duped after watching this team now for 13 games. For anyone to say this current team is more talented than the Sweet 16 team is utterly laughable....and insulting. Hence, my feeling of being duped.

[ER3]

Maniscalco's out of your rotation? He's the only guy that showed up yesterday.

Completely agree with you, BB...Maniscalco absolutely has to be the point guard with Ruffin out. He was the only guy that played a solid game against UNI.
Cole-Scott could not run the point for this team. That would be a complete disaster.

[squirrel]

For the people that think Sam Singh should be starting. Please tell me why? He has been here for 6 years and has never had a double digit rebounding game that I can remember. Why all the love for Sam Singh? If Sam Singh is a starter on this team then maybe that is why we are in trouble...............lack of talent, but I know that is not the case.

I can think of a multitude of reasons:

For starters, Singh logs the least % of the teams available minutes at 16.4%

Despite that:

-has teams highest offensive efficiency rating at 115.7

-accounts for 10.8% of the teams offensive rebounds (3rd)

-accounts for 21.4% of the teams defensive rebounds (2nd to Collins)

-only Theron Wilson (90th best in the country at 65.3 per 100 touches) is more likely to draw fouls than Singh (57.1 per 100 touches), 3rd is Collins at a rate of 10 less. Singh is also a decent FT shooter.

[dogsrus]

Give us a break, t...
All of us 'non-insiders' were sitting at home/work all summer with absolutely ZERO first-hand access to the super-secret BU practices that were going on, and had no way to make our own objective assessments of all of these newcomers...but yet we were supposed to somehow be "smart" and "think for ourselves" and draw our own conclusions about how this team and these new players were going to be? How exactly were we supposed to do that?

"We"...(the alleged uninformed, lemming faction on this message board...as you have so kindly labeled us...) were told by Les that this was the most talented team he's ever had here...we were told by Snell over and over again how Matt Salley was dominating in practices...how it was staggering how much talent this team had...it was a special team, an NCAA team...blah blah blah...The Valley coaches picked us 2nd in the preseason poll...Van Coleman and a handful of other people that get paid to evaluate talent told us this was a quality group of new recruits...We were told over and over again by the special 'connected' posters on this board...(who did have the luxury of having access to watch this team practice) how Matt Salley was a dominating force in practice...how Egolf was the best outside shooter we had...how he was a Dirk Nowitzki clone...how David Collins was P O'B...TCS was WF with much more athleticism...how we were 11 deep...how Les was going to have problems getting minutes for all of these uber-talented players...and so on and so on...

And yet, you are going to tell "us" that it is our fault for having high expectations for this year's team? That we should instead have all 'thought for ourselves' and assumed that Les, Snell, the Valley coaches, Van Coleman, and all of those that had direct access to see these players practice were selling us a red kool aid laced bill of goods?

Whatever. I feel duped after watching this team now for 13 games. For anyone to say this current team is more talented than the Sweet 16 team is utterly laughable....and insulting. Hence, my feeling of being duped.

I think "duped" would be if I got all this info and plopped down thousands of dollars expecting some return on my investment. This is college hoops....its entertainment.....kind of like going to a movie that some raved about and walking out feeling you didn't get your dollars worth. It happens.

No matter what I am told or who tells me at the start of the year I understand its "fan beware". I don't form my opinon until I actually see the movie or in THIS case watch the team. Were they "over-hyped".....I suppose one could draw that conclusion but 12 games into a class is not really giving them much time to show what they are. Was the sweet 16 team over-hyped when they were sitting at something like 2 games over .500 ? .

I've seen this team play good...in fact real good like the first half against MSU and the 2nd against Vandy and I've seen em play bad. Most recently with their starting "QB" out. It may continue to be bad or they may start to develop....one game is too early to tell IMO.

If you or anyone feels duped I put that on you. If you buy into preseason hype you'll often get burned.

[shaunguth]

I want to see the team turn things around as much as anyone, but let's get realistic.
Egolf is not eating up anyone else's minutes. As the coach has said many times, minutes are earned in practice. What have Collins, Singh, and Austin done to deserve more minutes?
Collins plays 12 min a game, as much as any other non-starter, and hasn't scored a point in the last 3 games. Singh and Austin have been even less productive.

You question Collins, Singh, and Austin, but not Egolf?

While Collins is in fact averaging 12 minutes a game for the season, he is only playing 5 minutes/game over those last three games. Egolf has averaged 9 minutes/game over that same stretch and has no points to show for his time either. It's my personal belief that Egolf is indeed eating up minutes that should be afforded DC.

[Beninator]

I can think of a multitude of reasons:

For starters, Singh logs the least % of the teams available minutes at 16.4%

Despite that:

-has teams highest offensive efficiency rating at 115.7

-accounts for 10.8% of the teams offensive rebounds (3rd)

-accounts for 21.4% of the teams defensive rebounds (2nd to Collins)

-only Theron Wilson (90th best in the country at 65.3 per 100 touches) is more likely to draw fouls than Singh (57.1 per 100 touches), 3rd is Collins at a rate of 10 less. Singh is also a decent FT shooter.

Squirrel,
These stats that you use to support Singh as a starter are a bit skewed (imo)as Singh has accounted this year for only 86 minutes out of a total of 2,625 possible minutes. 3% of all possible minutes.
Furthermore the rebound efficiencey percentages you site for Singh sound fine, but Singh only has 8 offensive rebounds and 16 defensive rebounds for the year. (24 total rebounds) I would bet that Singh's statistics would decrease if he were to start. All this being said, Singh is a role player who has worked very hard over the off season and certainly deserves more pt.

[Beninator]

You question Collins, Singh, and Austin, but not Egolf?

While Collins is in fact averaging 12 minutes a game for the season, he is only playing 5 minutes/game over those last three games. Egolf has averaged 9 minutes/game over that same stretch and has no points to show for his time either. It's my personal belief that Egolf is indeed eating up minutes that should be afforded DC.

Agree for the most part shaunguth... Egolf's minutes should be given to either DC or Austin.

[patrick_o'brian]

I can think of a multitude of reasons:

For starters, Singh logs the least % of the teams available minutes at 16.4%

Despite that:

-has teams highest offensive efficiency rating at 115.7

-accounts for 10.8% of the teams offensive rebounds (3rd)

-accounts for 21.4% of the teams defensive rebounds (2nd to Collins)

-only Theron Wilson (90th best in the country at 65.3 per 100 touches) is more likely to draw fouls than Singh (57.1 per 100 touches), 3rd is Collins at a rate of 10 less. Singh is also a decent FT shooter.

He plays the least percentage of the minutes because he has the least amount of talent. He can't, jump, he can't shoot and he is slow. He sets multiple moving screens ans gets tired too quick. Just an honest assessment.