To Frank, one of my loyal readers.
The game is changing my friend. The time will come when centers as we once thought of them are completely a thing of the past and just about every team goes small or fast. Big men nowadays want to shoot, too. For every Duncan or Thabeet there are three Dirk's or Patrick Ewings now.
It's nice to have bigs, but guards and wings are where basketball seems to be heading. You just have to avoid getting killed on the boards. That's why I've been so adamant about the fact that Central doesn't need to necessarily recruit big, the 6-5 bangers can get the job done in today's game. The most dominant center in 20 years didn't win the title last year.
Now, if you're in the Big East or SEC where the wings are 6-8 and the bigs are 7 feet, that's a different story. The premise is the same that you need the athletes first in most case, but then you do need some more height.
As for your other theory about playing for non-conference games, I couldn't disagree more strongly. CCSU gets into the tourney by winning the NEC. That's its only way in, so that's the league it has to win. You can't plan your team around games in December. If CCSU wins every one of its non-conference games and doesn't win the NEC Tournament, it doesn't go to the NCAAs. That's why leagues like the NEC are called "one-bid." So in the grand scheme of things, those games aren't big deals. They're nice if you want to talk 15 seed vs. 16 seed, but they won't get you to the dance in the first place if you don't win 3 games in March.
Mail time!
My apologies to the PTI guys, but I've always wanted to say that.
Anyway, Big Blue sent me a host of questions, so I'll take a stab at some of them.
First off, David Simmons. There was a rumor going around that he was ahead of schedule (I've added it to my list of things to check on this week). Now, remember that ahead of schedule would be end of season or NEC tournament time. But that's cleared to play. He then has to get back into game shape. Even if he were to do that, he'd be rusty as all heck. Could he concivably play in the NEC's? Yes. Would I be surprised? Yes.
As to guys coming back too soon: First, that decision is made more by doctors and trainers than coaches. A doctor or a trainer wouldn't let a kid play if he was risking further injury by playing. And no, Howie wouldn't do that to a player, either. He cares about the kids. He's hard as heck on them, but it's tough love. Trust me, I've heard him speak about them in ways that convince me he's much more interested in them than stats. He wouldn't let a kid do something truly risky.
Now for recruiting. I'll touch on this in general terms, since I'm still cultivating the sources to know more about these things ahead of time (one of the last things a young reporter gets, extra sources), so I'll just speak generally for now.
I doubt they'd sign a kid just to sign one. When they bring a kid in, it's because they think he can help the program in some form or another. If it means waiting to find the extra guy, then that's what you do.
Now my favorite part of these discussions. Believe me, no one at Central has anything against centers. If a 7-footer with skills is available, he'll be chased. The debate I had not long ago with my friends over on the CCSUfans board was this: You don't get a 6-8 kid just because he's 6-8. We've seen in recent games some teams that were taller, but whose bigs weren't anything special. At this level, it's better to have kids a couple inches smaller who are warriors like Obie and Simmons than 6-9 guys who don't rebound or go to the hole on offense.
The question was asked about height for recruiting and about next year, and they kind of meld into one. My theory is that the Blue Devils will actually be fairly deep up front next year. You'll have Tamir, Marcus, Simmons and Baskerville to go along with Horton, who can slide over (and is a block machine). If 3 of those 5 are effective on a given night, that's a frontcourt my friends.
Being that deep with gritty interior guys (assuming Baskerville is a beast like I think he will be) negates the need for a "true 5".
By the way, a thought on Marcus: he's close. One of these days he's going to get an offensive rebound and go back up hard with it and realize that he's strong enough to do that with regularity. Once that happens, and he combines inside play with his perimeter game, he'll be a force in this league. I still think it can happen for him. He seems like he's coming out of his shell.
My thoughts on the needs for next year: Shemik grows further into the PG role, Joe improves defensively (he's already becoming a good rebounder), Simmons gets healthy and the frontcourt is as deep as I think it will be, which means the young guys get better and the frosh contribute.
CCSU will be loaded on the wings, especially if Johnson is as good as advertised when he gets here. Coach could have more problems deciding who to play than finding someone to play next year, which is never a bad problem to have.
The biggest questions will be guards off the bench (I'm assuming Joe is the 2 next year). Who will they be? Hall should be one, but can they get a fourth guard? Also, can Joe prosper as the main perimeter scorer? His main issue will be avoiding trying to be Tristan. He can't be, that's why Tristan is who he is. But if Joe plays like he can, he and Shemik will be a solid backcourt.
In terms of the team philosophy: I can't imagine it changing. Coach's teams will play defense first, they'll work for good shots, and they'll scrap. There might be some tinkering with the best offensive players being on the wing instead of in back with Tristan, but the basic systems and ideals will be the same.
I hope I covered all of those to at least some level of satisfaction... the email if you have a question is mstraubblog@hotmail.com or just post them as comments here. I check this thing just about every day, even if I don't post anything, so if there's something there I'll try and get right back to you with answers. Sometimes I collect them and do a bunch at once, but if there's a few there I'll do them right away.
Glad to be back in the swing of things, I'll let you know what's coming later in the week. And as always, if something should happen, you'll have it as soon as I do.
Anyway, Big Blue sent me a host of questions, so I'll take a stab at some of them.
First off, David Simmons. There was a rumor going around that he was ahead of schedule (I've added it to my list of things to check on this week). Now, remember that ahead of schedule would be end of season or NEC tournament time. But that's cleared to play. He then has to get back into game shape. Even if he were to do that, he'd be rusty as all heck. Could he concivably play in the NEC's? Yes. Would I be surprised? Yes.
As to guys coming back too soon: First, that decision is made more by doctors and trainers than coaches. A doctor or a trainer wouldn't let a kid play if he was risking further injury by playing. And no, Howie wouldn't do that to a player, either. He cares about the kids. He's hard as heck on them, but it's tough love. Trust me, I've heard him speak about them in ways that convince me he's much more interested in them than stats. He wouldn't let a kid do something truly risky.
Now for recruiting. I'll touch on this in general terms, since I'm still cultivating the sources to know more about these things ahead of time (one of the last things a young reporter gets, extra sources), so I'll just speak generally for now.
I doubt they'd sign a kid just to sign one. When they bring a kid in, it's because they think he can help the program in some form or another. If it means waiting to find the extra guy, then that's what you do.
Now my favorite part of these discussions. Believe me, no one at Central has anything against centers. If a 7-footer with skills is available, he'll be chased. The debate I had not long ago with my friends over on the CCSUfans board was this: You don't get a 6-8 kid just because he's 6-8. We've seen in recent games some teams that were taller, but whose bigs weren't anything special. At this level, it's better to have kids a couple inches smaller who are warriors like Obie and Simmons than 6-9 guys who don't rebound or go to the hole on offense.
The question was asked about height for recruiting and about next year, and they kind of meld into one. My theory is that the Blue Devils will actually be fairly deep up front next year. You'll have Tamir, Marcus, Simmons and Baskerville to go along with Horton, who can slide over (and is a block machine). If 3 of those 5 are effective on a given night, that's a frontcourt my friends.
Being that deep with gritty interior guys (assuming Baskerville is a beast like I think he will be) negates the need for a "true 5".
By the way, a thought on Marcus: he's close. One of these days he's going to get an offensive rebound and go back up hard with it and realize that he's strong enough to do that with regularity. Once that happens, and he combines inside play with his perimeter game, he'll be a force in this league. I still think it can happen for him. He seems like he's coming out of his shell.
My thoughts on the needs for next year: Shemik grows further into the PG role, Joe improves defensively (he's already becoming a good rebounder), Simmons gets healthy and the frontcourt is as deep as I think it will be, which means the young guys get better and the frosh contribute.
CCSU will be loaded on the wings, especially if Johnson is as good as advertised when he gets here. Coach could have more problems deciding who to play than finding someone to play next year, which is never a bad problem to have.
The biggest questions will be guards off the bench (I'm assuming Joe is the 2 next year). Who will they be? Hall should be one, but can they get a fourth guard? Also, can Joe prosper as the main perimeter scorer? His main issue will be avoiding trying to be Tristan. He can't be, that's why Tristan is who he is. But if Joe plays like he can, he and Shemik will be a solid backcourt.
In terms of the team philosophy: I can't imagine it changing. Coach's teams will play defense first, they'll work for good shots, and they'll scrap. There might be some tinkering with the best offensive players being on the wing instead of in back with Tristan, but the basic systems and ideals will be the same.
I hope I covered all of those to at least some level of satisfaction... the email if you have a question is mstraubblog@hotmail.com or just post them as comments here. I check this thing just about every day, even if I don't post anything, so if there's something there I'll try and get right back to you with answers. Sometimes I collect them and do a bunch at once, but if there's a few there I'll do them right away.
Glad to be back in the swing of things, I'll let you know what's coming later in the week. And as always, if something should happen, you'll have it as soon as I do.
Tamir question
Since it was asked.... he didn't play at SFPA because of what was reported on TV to be an ankle sprain suffered in practice the day before. That's one of the things I'm gonna look into this week.
I'm alive!
First off, it was very sweet of those of you who noticed I was gone.
I don't mean it in any way to sound egotistical, but it is very cool to know that people read you enough to know when you're missing. I truly appreciate the readers we have at the Herald, and I want you all to know that, whatever you think of us professionally, we take the privilege that is your readership and trust very seriously and bust our backsides to get you every bit of info we can.
Just to touch base... no, I didn't make the trip to PA. Usually the way it works is, reporters like myself or Tom Yantz will either ride down with other media, or for a day trip by ourselves. But for actual road trips, where it requires being away for more than 1 day (going to Pittsburgh to New Britain then back to Pittsburgh isn't practical), it's harder to get away. For me, I have other duties in the office on certain days, so I can't always get away for three or four days straight. I think the team left Tuesday (I could be wrong on that) and got home sometime early Sunday. That's a lot of time to be away from my desk for my other duties.
The other thing, to be honest, is that scheduling quirk like that allow for breaks. I wouldn't trade the "job" of getting paid to cover basketball for anything, but when you work at a job that keeps you out until midnight and requires your week to be based around a team's schedule (meaning it's very rarely a routine) it's very easy to lose touch with your friends. I've been incredibly fortunate to see some of my friends this week, and have a couple of more I need to see soon for my own sanity (I'm not even done exchanging Christmas presents yet to give you an idea of how hectic things get.)
Believe me, I know how lucky I am to do what I do, but it's very therapeutic to get away for a couple days. By the way, stop what you're doing right now and go see "The Bucket List". A big thank you to a particular dear friend who got me to go to it this week.
Anyway, this blog is supposed to be about CCSU, so let's talk some hoops.
I saw the game on Fox Sports something or other on Saturday afternoon, so we'll start there. Ah, the ups and downs of youth. In the end it's a bad loss, it's hard to call it anything else, especially when there were so many good signs. Marcus Palmer is finally asserting himself, and Shemik is finding his place. He's not shy about making a play late, but he's not someone who feels the need to be the hero all the time. That's a heck of a combination. And, as I've said all year, if Marcus decides to become a rebounder and boxes out, watch out.
But still, blowing a double-digit lead to a team near the bottom of the standings is bad. SFPA is starting to roll, and when you play a team is often as important as where, but man a split in PA would have been nice. The defense hasn't been good enough at times, and it has helped waste two good shooting efforts. If CCSU's offense is starting to click as it appears to be, however, that will help. Assuming this defensive slide is a hiccup and not a trend, I still think the Blue Devils will be fine. I still like them somewhere around five or six in the league by March.
The good news is that the coveted four-spot isn't out the window yet, and that CCSU still plays the teams it will have to catch. This weekend was a huge downer. Now it's time to come home and have some more ups. It's also time to make a statement. Want to be considered among the best teams in the league? Beat them. Simple as that. Wagner, QU and RMU are all on the schedule. Now is your chance.
I'll give them a couple days to get home and settled, then I'll see if I can find out anything about Tamir's status as well as just get you some general insight into the mood of the Devils and the stretch ahead. By the way, this is the time for the fans to step up, too. Huge home games coming, time to put some butts in seats.
So thanks for letting me vent and as always for the chance to work for you guys. Fire me off some questions and I can check up on things that you're interested in this week, as they don't have many games coming up for awhile in DevilLand.
I don't mean it in any way to sound egotistical, but it is very cool to know that people read you enough to know when you're missing. I truly appreciate the readers we have at the Herald, and I want you all to know that, whatever you think of us professionally, we take the privilege that is your readership and trust very seriously and bust our backsides to get you every bit of info we can.
Just to touch base... no, I didn't make the trip to PA. Usually the way it works is, reporters like myself or Tom Yantz will either ride down with other media, or for a day trip by ourselves. But for actual road trips, where it requires being away for more than 1 day (going to Pittsburgh to New Britain then back to Pittsburgh isn't practical), it's harder to get away. For me, I have other duties in the office on certain days, so I can't always get away for three or four days straight. I think the team left Tuesday (I could be wrong on that) and got home sometime early Sunday. That's a lot of time to be away from my desk for my other duties.
The other thing, to be honest, is that scheduling quirk like that allow for breaks. I wouldn't trade the "job" of getting paid to cover basketball for anything, but when you work at a job that keeps you out until midnight and requires your week to be based around a team's schedule (meaning it's very rarely a routine) it's very easy to lose touch with your friends. I've been incredibly fortunate to see some of my friends this week, and have a couple of more I need to see soon for my own sanity (I'm not even done exchanging Christmas presents yet to give you an idea of how hectic things get.)
Believe me, I know how lucky I am to do what I do, but it's very therapeutic to get away for a couple days. By the way, stop what you're doing right now and go see "The Bucket List". A big thank you to a particular dear friend who got me to go to it this week.
Anyway, this blog is supposed to be about CCSU, so let's talk some hoops.
I saw the game on Fox Sports something or other on Saturday afternoon, so we'll start there. Ah, the ups and downs of youth. In the end it's a bad loss, it's hard to call it anything else, especially when there were so many good signs. Marcus Palmer is finally asserting himself, and Shemik is finding his place. He's not shy about making a play late, but he's not someone who feels the need to be the hero all the time. That's a heck of a combination. And, as I've said all year, if Marcus decides to become a rebounder and boxes out, watch out.
But still, blowing a double-digit lead to a team near the bottom of the standings is bad. SFPA is starting to roll, and when you play a team is often as important as where, but man a split in PA would have been nice. The defense hasn't been good enough at times, and it has helped waste two good shooting efforts. If CCSU's offense is starting to click as it appears to be, however, that will help. Assuming this defensive slide is a hiccup and not a trend, I still think the Blue Devils will be fine. I still like them somewhere around five or six in the league by March.
The good news is that the coveted four-spot isn't out the window yet, and that CCSU still plays the teams it will have to catch. This weekend was a huge downer. Now it's time to come home and have some more ups. It's also time to make a statement. Want to be considered among the best teams in the league? Beat them. Simple as that. Wagner, QU and RMU are all on the schedule. Now is your chance.
I'll give them a couple days to get home and settled, then I'll see if I can find out anything about Tamir's status as well as just get you some general insight into the mood of the Devils and the stretch ahead. By the way, this is the time for the fans to step up, too. Huge home games coming, time to put some butts in seats.
So thanks for letting me vent and as always for the chance to work for you guys. Fire me off some questions and I can check up on things that you're interested in this week, as they don't have many games coming up for awhile in DevilLand.
Around the NEC
Or as I'm thinking of renaming this series of posts, "You figure this league out."
Sacred Heart goes to Robert Morris and wins, then gets dangerously close to blowing an 11-point lead with four minutes left at home against FDU.
The fighting DeMario's are playing well. That was a big win at the Hockey Rink in Hamden against LIU. The Bobcats trailed with less than five minutes left, but finished the job. That was their gut-check, and they passed.
Those two teams meet at Sacred Heart in a few days, should be interesting.
On the 24th, Wagner is home for the Mount. That's a big game for the league standings, obviously, but it's another chance for the Seahawks to show that their start was real. Four of their six wins are against the bottom of the conference, so they'll need to beat some of the top teams in the weeks ahead to keep this pace.
I still think the Mount is the team that will mess with both the standings and the tournament in March. If it can stay in the middle of the pack, it can cause some reseeding in March, I'll say that much.
A team that fits two of these descriptions is Central. Like the Mount, CCSU will be a very dangerous team to face in the first or second round that could end up in the middle of the pack. But like Wagner, the Blue Devils have had rather predictable results this season. They've beaten the teams they were supposed to and lost to the teams they were supposed to. What will they do in the next 10 games? That's when we'll know if they've improved or if they're a .500 team.
New York's loss to Monmouth in OT hurt the Terriers, but they're still among my favorites to make the playoffs, I like Hines and their grit a little too much to count them out. That probably leaves LIU for the final playoff spot. They get their share of shots up, you have to give them that.
Who do you all think will make the Tournament?
Sacred Heart goes to Robert Morris and wins, then gets dangerously close to blowing an 11-point lead with four minutes left at home against FDU.
The fighting DeMario's are playing well. That was a big win at the Hockey Rink in Hamden against LIU. The Bobcats trailed with less than five minutes left, but finished the job. That was their gut-check, and they passed.
Those two teams meet at Sacred Heart in a few days, should be interesting.
On the 24th, Wagner is home for the Mount. That's a big game for the league standings, obviously, but it's another chance for the Seahawks to show that their start was real. Four of their six wins are against the bottom of the conference, so they'll need to beat some of the top teams in the weeks ahead to keep this pace.
I still think the Mount is the team that will mess with both the standings and the tournament in March. If it can stay in the middle of the pack, it can cause some reseeding in March, I'll say that much.
A team that fits two of these descriptions is Central. Like the Mount, CCSU will be a very dangerous team to face in the first or second round that could end up in the middle of the pack. But like Wagner, the Blue Devils have had rather predictable results this season. They've beaten the teams they were supposed to and lost to the teams they were supposed to. What will they do in the next 10 games? That's when we'll know if they've improved or if they're a .500 team.
New York's loss to Monmouth in OT hurt the Terriers, but they're still among my favorites to make the playoffs, I like Hines and their grit a little too much to count them out. That probably leaves LIU for the final playoff spot. They get their share of shots up, you have to give them that.
Who do you all think will make the Tournament?
Quick update
Before I get the rare pleasure of watching a game as a fan. Little feature tonight (I think for Tuesday's paper) about surviving without Tristan for a stretch and what it means for the future. Shemik got NEC rookie of the week, well earned.
As for depth... it's NEVER a bad thing to have depth. Assuming you have guys to fill every role as Central now does, it never hurts to have backups. And a year of practice experience and limited game play can be very valuable down the line. You don't want a kid starting from scratch in year two, especially next year when CCSU will need every backcourt body it can get its hands on.
As for depth... it's NEVER a bad thing to have depth. Assuming you have guys to fill every role as Central now does, it never hurts to have backups. And a year of practice experience and limited game play can be very valuable down the line. You don't want a kid starting from scratch in year two, especially next year when CCSU will need every backcourt body it can get its hands on.
A couple quick responses
Three... thanks for the kind words.... I think it's just a numbers game right now. Shemik has earned his way into the lineup and has been playing really well, and he has a certain toughness that makes him valuable.
Oh, that other kid, 35, is pretty good too. Throw in Joe and there really isn't much room, and when they do need another guard, Dannie's experience makes him the guy they'll go to I think. Next year there will be more room in the backcourt for guys like Brian to earn playing time.
X.... if the money was there, they would. It's not. And trust me, most schools would rather go to the NCAAs once very few years than be D II.
Oh, that other kid, 35, is pretty good too. Throw in Joe and there really isn't much room, and when they do need another guard, Dannie's experience makes him the guy they'll go to I think. Next year there will be more room in the backcourt for guys like Brian to earn playing time.
X.... if the money was there, they would. It's not. And trust me, most schools would rather go to the NCAAs once very few years than be D II.
10 to go
Can you believe we're actually nearing the halfway mark of the NEC slate? I swear I was just at the Blue Devil Run.
Some random thoughts... we'll do another Around the NEC thing probably on Monday. If it gets some feedback, we'll keep it going.
As for some responses to things I've seen online or been asked about: Yes, Shemik is the big favorite to be the point guard in the post-Blackwood era. In fact, unless someone has a huge training camp next year, I can't imagine who else it would be.
I happen to really like him, by the way. He's rough around the edges, yes, but he has two qualities I think are critical in the floor general. First, he's not selfish. He's not shy about shooting, but he doesn't strike me as a guy who's going to be upset if Horton is the star of this team in two years. Secondly, he's tough as nails. He played through a painful injury, and has been greatly improved now that his ankle is better. From what I can tell nothing bothers the kid, and I doubt he'll be scared of anything that comes in March this year, never mind in the future. I'm not saying he's Bob Cousy, but I think he'll be solid.
Marcus is starting to get tougher. He faded in the second half against FDU, but he showed some mettle inside. If he does that (and boxes out), you'll see much more of him in the coming months.
I don't know enough about the rest of campus (I spend my time in the athletic offices, at Detrick or on the old fields) to comment much, but if things are in as bad shape as some of you say, then I support fixing those first, before we even talk about a field house. Not to start the whole fight again, but I think the crop of young studs that is emerging at Central shows that the program can survive in the old building for a few years at least.
The more I think about it, the more I like my "Historic Detrick Gym" approach." It wouldn't cost much but could pay big dividends.
As for the football activity... To be perfectly honest, with everything going on during this busy stretch in basketball (there's been a TON of games of late) and my other responsibilities in the office, I simply haven't had the chance to look into any of it or get you details. Hopefully I can soon.
What else can I do for you, our loyal readers? I await my next assignment from the masses.
Some random thoughts... we'll do another Around the NEC thing probably on Monday. If it gets some feedback, we'll keep it going.
As for some responses to things I've seen online or been asked about: Yes, Shemik is the big favorite to be the point guard in the post-Blackwood era. In fact, unless someone has a huge training camp next year, I can't imagine who else it would be.
I happen to really like him, by the way. He's rough around the edges, yes, but he has two qualities I think are critical in the floor general. First, he's not selfish. He's not shy about shooting, but he doesn't strike me as a guy who's going to be upset if Horton is the star of this team in two years. Secondly, he's tough as nails. He played through a painful injury, and has been greatly improved now that his ankle is better. From what I can tell nothing bothers the kid, and I doubt he'll be scared of anything that comes in March this year, never mind in the future. I'm not saying he's Bob Cousy, but I think he'll be solid.
Marcus is starting to get tougher. He faded in the second half against FDU, but he showed some mettle inside. If he does that (and boxes out), you'll see much more of him in the coming months.
I don't know enough about the rest of campus (I spend my time in the athletic offices, at Detrick or on the old fields) to comment much, but if things are in as bad shape as some of you say, then I support fixing those first, before we even talk about a field house. Not to start the whole fight again, but I think the crop of young studs that is emerging at Central shows that the program can survive in the old building for a few years at least.
The more I think about it, the more I like my "Historic Detrick Gym" approach." It wouldn't cost much but could pay big dividends.
As for the football activity... To be perfectly honest, with everything going on during this busy stretch in basketball (there's been a TON of games of late) and my other responsibilities in the office, I simply haven't had the chance to look into any of it or get you details. Hopefully I can soon.
What else can I do for you, our loyal readers? I await my next assignment from the masses.
Big night and my plan to promote the building
Had a preview in Thursday's paper (including some love for Aaron Hall, who's getting a fan base it seems.)
CCSU won here last year, but it was a different team. Can CCSU win? Yes. Is Monmouth's record indicative of its season? I'm not so sure. Many of their losses came to good teams, so we'll see. The other big key is how the kids react to their first trip to the Dungeon.
Speaking of the Dungeon, I had two thoughts: 1) For CCSU's last trip there next year, the Blue Devil fans should unite and make a group trip up there to totally change the atmosphere. A bus trip is in order if any higher ups are listening.
2) I was giving more thought to the arena thing, and while I was reading through the historical data for something else I arrived at an idea. Since we've determined that a new building for basketball isn't coming soon, CCSU should promote what it has. Detrick Gym has been home to some great teams and some of the area's biggest games over the last half-century or so. Let's focus on that, not the negatives.
Boston Garden was a rat hole, literally, but it was also THE place to watch basketball for decades. Madison Square Garden isn't exactly new anymore (though I still think it's a tremendous place to watch a game), but it's still the best place to watch or play college hoops.
I'm not saying Detrick is either of those places, but its niche is its history. I'd put old framed photos of legendary players or games above the doors, or at least on that open wall space next to them. CCSU should refer to it as "historic" Detrick Gymnasium as often as possible. The pitch would then be this: You could play in a nice new building with no atmosphere or history, or you could come into a storied building and make the next bit of history here.
But that's just my 2 cents, which are actually worth just under a penny.
CCSU won here last year, but it was a different team. Can CCSU win? Yes. Is Monmouth's record indicative of its season? I'm not so sure. Many of their losses came to good teams, so we'll see. The other big key is how the kids react to their first trip to the Dungeon.
Speaking of the Dungeon, I had two thoughts: 1) For CCSU's last trip there next year, the Blue Devil fans should unite and make a group trip up there to totally change the atmosphere. A bus trip is in order if any higher ups are listening.
2) I was giving more thought to the arena thing, and while I was reading through the historical data for something else I arrived at an idea. Since we've determined that a new building for basketball isn't coming soon, CCSU should promote what it has. Detrick Gym has been home to some great teams and some of the area's biggest games over the last half-century or so. Let's focus on that, not the negatives.
Boston Garden was a rat hole, literally, but it was also THE place to watch basketball for decades. Madison Square Garden isn't exactly new anymore (though I still think it's a tremendous place to watch a game), but it's still the best place to watch or play college hoops.
I'm not saying Detrick is either of those places, but its niche is its history. I'd put old framed photos of legendary players or games above the doors, or at least on that open wall space next to them. CCSU should refer to it as "historic" Detrick Gymnasium as often as possible. The pitch would then be this: You could play in a nice new building with no atmosphere or history, or you could come into a storied building and make the next bit of history here.
But that's just my 2 cents, which are actually worth just under a penny.
Sweeeeeep
I went to high school with a kid that ended up getting drafted by the Astros as a pitcher. One day, after he'd battled through a tough game to beat one of our big rivals, he asked me if I thought he'd pitched well. I said absolutely. I added that I was more proud of him during that game than I was during a 10 K performance against some other team the week before.
He was surprised because his stats in the more recent game weren't that impressive. I told him that battling to beat a good team when you don't have your best stuff is infinitely more impressive than dominating a bad team when you're on your game.
Tonight's game made me think of that story. CCSU played well the other day against SFPA (who is struggling to say the least), but this effort was a more satisfying win. CCSU didn't play terribly well, particularly in the first half. But the Blue Devils fought their way through the rough start and kicked it into a higher gear in the second half.
Even then, it wasn't easy, but this team has the ability to create enough havoc on defense to keep itself in the game no matter how poorly things are going on offense, which is a special trait to have.
They won't win every game the rest of the way, but they won't be blown out too often either. They're too good at staying close. By the way: That makes the Blue Devils VERY dangerous in March.
Great win for the women, who put two halves together and played well enough to win. I'm not saying they'll win the NEC, but this team is very close to figuring things out. Mark my words, you're going to start seeing some very competitive games from this team.
If you go to the men's game on Saturday, stick around for the women's game. Trust me, you'll see vast improvement.
PS: Just in case some of the players read this blog, Happy Birthday Tristan. I'm jealous, that cake looked pretty tasty.
He was surprised because his stats in the more recent game weren't that impressive. I told him that battling to beat a good team when you don't have your best stuff is infinitely more impressive than dominating a bad team when you're on your game.
Tonight's game made me think of that story. CCSU played well the other day against SFPA (who is struggling to say the least), but this effort was a more satisfying win. CCSU didn't play terribly well, particularly in the first half. But the Blue Devils fought their way through the rough start and kicked it into a higher gear in the second half.
Even then, it wasn't easy, but this team has the ability to create enough havoc on defense to keep itself in the game no matter how poorly things are going on offense, which is a special trait to have.
They won't win every game the rest of the way, but they won't be blown out too often either. They're too good at staying close. By the way: That makes the Blue Devils VERY dangerous in March.
Great win for the women, who put two halves together and played well enough to win. I'm not saying they'll win the NEC, but this team is very close to figuring things out. Mark my words, you're going to start seeing some very competitive games from this team.
If you go to the men's game on Saturday, stick around for the women's game. Trust me, you'll see vast improvement.
PS: Just in case some of the players read this blog, Happy Birthday Tristan. I'm jealous, that cake looked pretty tasty.
Here we go
I'll write more about the big win by the suddenly improved women later tonight, just wanted to check in from courtside. All notable Devils are accounted for, and the lineup is the new Iron 5 (with Tamir in David's old role).
Let's do this.
Let's do this.
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