MVC games Saturday 1/26

[cpacmel]

I don't always understand Dana Altman, but in the final 7 or 8 minutes, his point guard Dotzler never got off the bench, and Creighton turned it over a bunch of times. The guards he had in the game couldn't get the ball up the court or get it to anyone who could score. Stinnett, who was having a bad game, kept launching shots. A very strange lineup that cost Creighton the game.

I say this respectfully, but did you watch the game? Dotzler played quite a bit down the stretch. (He didn't play well, but he did play in crunch time):

DOTZLER subbed in at 7:06 left in the game

DOTZLER subbed out at 4:59 left in the game

DOTZLER subbed in at 3:11 left in the game

DOTZLER subbed out at :33 left in the game

Of the last 7 minutes and 6 seconds, Dotzler played all but 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

http://siusalukis.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2007-2008/siu20.html#GAME.PLY

[Da Coach]

Yes, I watched the game, and the game was lost because Creighton turned the ball over several times down the stretch while Dotzler was out.
I stand corrected about the total time Dotzler was on the bench. In the time that Dotzler was out 8:35-7:06, Creighton had 2 crucial turnovers (Witter once, Stinnett once). There was a media timeout while Dotzler was on the bench, and he still didn't return until the next stoppage after the media timeout. Then Stinnett had another turnover handling the ball against pressure. Is that what you want when your lead is evaporating? A freshman who plays a bit wild handling the ball on multiple possessions against pressure? Maybe Altman doesn't trust Dotzler? But I don't know why he trusts Stinnett to handle the ball.

The game was lost in that stretch between 8:35 when Dotzler left the first time, to 3:11 when he came back in again. Creighton went from up 5 to up 1 because of the turnovers, but SIU had the ball and immediately scored a three to take the lead by 2. Even when Dotzler was in the game, Creighton had Witter, Woodfox, or Stinnett doing most of the ball handling.

Why was he on the bench in crunch time? He wasn't in foul trouble, and would have had plenty of rest with the media timeout. And he only played a total of 24 minutes. Creighton's inability to handle the ball cost them the game, and Dotzler was either on the bench, or not handling the ball when SIU's pressure turned the game around.

Bradley would never leave their #1 point guard on the bench in a situation like that. This game was lost because Creighton had poor ballhandlers on the court when SIU put extended pressure on the ball, and they couldn't handle it.

[tornado]

SIU got uncharacteristically hot from the outside down the stretch and closed a 10 point deficit late.
This is what good teams have to do at home, and it shows SIU will be a force to reckon with in the tourney.
They don't have the resume for an at large bid so you know they (like BU) will be laying it all on the line in St. Louis.
Stinnett is a good player and he's all over the floor, but in the end only 6pts, 1 assist, 4 turnovers.
Josh Bone, SIU's supposed designated 3-point shooter was again 0-4 (1-7 overall) and looked like he's in over his head.
C-Fay, had he gone to BU would be cleaning up with 25 minutes per game!!

Same with Wade Knapp who isn't doing much at MSU.

At Drake, Josh Young had an off night (11 pts) but Klayton Korver was 7-8 from beyond the arc, 23 pts.
UNI does not have a shooting guard! Dunham, Viet, Haak, Montgomery, and Reed COMBINED in a total of 89 minutes played (45% of all the minutes played on the floor) went 6-19, 4-15 from 3-pt, only 16 points combined, and just 3 assists between the five of them! Travis Brown did not play, so maybe they need him!


In some other good games.....
Indiana lost at home and their 29 game home unbeaten streak is history.

Anyone see the Kansas/Nebraska game yesterday? Nebraska has one or two real D-I caliber players, then it really drops off from there.
Poor Shang Ping, isn't going to be seeing the floor much, but in yesterday's 35 point blowout, he got about 10 minutes of deep garbage time against the scrubs and walkons of Kansas, and struggled. He even missed all his FTs (0-3).

Ex-BU recruit Mareceo Rutledge (from Yuba) a fine scoring guard, is only getting about 1 minute of playing time at UNLV.
Sure would have loved to see him come to BU.

UTEP beat Tulsa and ex-BU recruit Manuel Cass didn't even get off the bench again. He hasn't played in 5 of their last six.

Eddie Sutton again denied what some call his 800th win, but it really isn't