“Snap shot” of the MAC rankings (not standings) at the conclusion of the Out Of Conference schedule:

80 Toledo 7-3
86 Ohio 8-2
95 Buffalo. 4-4
162 Kent St. 3-5
168 Akron 5-3
192 Miami (OH) 3-5
201 Bowling Green 5-4
236 Eastern Mich. 4-6
260 Ball St. 4-6
304 Northern Ill. 3-7
329 Western Mich. 2-6
342 Central Mich. 1-10

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball...t-rankings

And EMU’s OOC opponent rankings and game results:

@Indiana ( 45 ) LOST 68-62
Illinois St ( 223 ) WON 103-98
@Northern Kentucky ( 268 ) LOST 74-73
@Michigan State ( 11 ) LOST 83-59
Western Illinois ( 124 ) WON 72-68
@DePaul ( 57 ) LOST 101-63
@UC- San Diego ( 222 ) LOST 83-74
North wood (NA) WON 79-57
Niagara ( 139 ) WON 60-58
Florida International ( 191 ) WON 92-88
@Valparaiso ( 197 ) LOST 67-55

It would’ve been so nice to beat NKU. That one hurt. But some solid wins in there, and the “bad” losses can be attributed to injuries. Hard to be disappointed heading into MAC play.

As always, good post EMURamy.

Last season, Spottsville made less than 40 percent percent or his fga’s in only 9 of the 17 games he played-in. This season he’s shot less than 40 prrcent on FGA’s in 2 of the 11 games he’s players in.

Last season, McBride made less than 40 percent or more of his FGA’s in 9 of the 18 games he played-in. This season, he’s made less than 40 percent of his FGA’s in only 3 of the 10 games he’s played-in.

Noah’s made less than 40 percent of his FGA’s in 4 of the 9 games he has played in.

I agree. NKU was the only game I really did not like the result for. I did not like the margin of defeat against DePaul either, but we were without Noah our best player (or should I say our leading scorer to avoid conflict with Miggy)- and things just fell apart in that game. I think our ranking is probably skewed low by those two games. In reality, EMU is probably more in the mix of Kent St/ Akron/ Miami/ Bowling Green grouping than the Ball St/ NIU/ WMU/ CMU grouping.

Unfortunately, it is also a reality that EMU is definitively below the Toledo/ Ohio/ Buffalo grouping. Which is unfortunate because we have such an impressive 4 player rotation in the backcourt, half of which leaves next year. I like EMU’s Frontcourt players too, I just don’t think any of them are dominant/complete enough to put EMU into MAC elite.

EDIT: my agreement was in reference to Sam’s post above.

(12-23-2021 10:23 AM)Miggy Wrote:  As always, good post EMURamy.

Last season, Spottsville made 50 percent or his fga’s in only 8 of 17 games he played in. This season he’s shot 50 percent on FGA’s in 8 of the 11 games he’s players in.

Last season, McBride made 50 percent or more of his FGA’s in only 5 of the 18 FGA’s, this season, he’s made 50 percent or more of his FGA’s in 6 of the 10 games he’s played in.

Noah’s made 50 percent or more of his FGA’s in 2 of the 9 games he’s played in.

Miggy, I totally value your opinions, knowledge, and contributions to this board. But Noah is the best player on this team.

(12-23-2021 11:01 AM)Miggy Wrote:  

(12-23-2021 10:47 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  

(12-23-2021 10:23 AM)Miggy Wrote:  As always, good post EMURamy.

Last season, Spottsville made 50 percent or his fga’s in only 8 of 17 games he played in. This season he’s shot 50 percent on FGA’s in 8 of the 11 games he’s players in.

Last season, McBride made 50 percent or more of his FGA’s in only 5 of the 18 FGA’s, this season, he’s made 50 percent or more of his FGA’s in 6 of the 10 games he’s played in.

Noah’s made less than 50 percent percent on FGA’s in 2 of the 9 games he’s played in.

Miggy, I totally value your opinions, knowledge, and contributions to this board. But Noah is the best player on this team.

Depends on how you define “best” player. Yes, if you consider more points scored per game. If Scott shot as much as he Noah does, he’s be scoring most points. EMU needs that to happen in MAC play. Scott also better on higher fG percentage. assists, steals, and fewer turnovers and fouls. Noah better so far on rebounds and foul shots.

Monty is a great player too!

(12-23-2021 10:23 AM)Miggy Wrote:  As always, good post EMURamy.

Last season, Spottsville made less than 40 percent percent or his fga’s in only 9 of the 17 games he played-in. This season he’s shot less than 40 prrcent on FGA’s in 2 of the 11 games he’s players in.

Last season, McBride made less than 40 percent or more of his FGA’s in 9 of the 18 games he played-in. This season, he’s made less than 40 percent of his FGA’s in only 3 of the 10 games he’s played-in.

Noah’s made less than 40 percent of his FGA’s in 4 of the 9 games he has played in.

McBride and Spottsville are benefitting from finally playing in a structured offense. I knew McBride would improve under Heath, but I’m pleasantly surprised with what I’ve seen from Spottsville, especially having the confidence to take jumpers. Murphy must’ve explicitly told him not to shoot. Glad both guys came back after the coaching change.

(12-23-2021 11:08 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  

(12-23-2021 11:01 AM)Miggy Wrote:  

(12-23-2021 10:47 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  

(12-23-2021 10:23 AM)Miggy Wrote:  As always, good post EMURamy.

Last season, Spottsville made 50 percent or his fga’s in only 8 of 17 games he played in. This season he’s shot 50 percent on FGA’s in 8 of the 11 games he’s players in.

Last season, McBride made 50 percent or more of his FGA’s in only 5 of the 18 FGA’s, this season, he’s made 50 percent or more of his FGA’s in 6 of the 10 games he’s played in.

Noah’s made less than 50 percent percent on FGA’s in 2 of the 9 games he’s played in.

Miggy, I totally value your opinions, knowledge, and contributions to this board. But Noah is the best player on this team.

Depends on how you define “best” player. Yes, if you just consider scoring more points per game. But Scott would average more ppg if he took as many FG’s as Noah does. Noah has only a 38 percent FG percentage. Not only does Scott shoot a much higher FG percentage (47.9 percent) , he also leads Noah in assists, steals, and committing fewer turnovers. Noah has better stats in rebounds, taking more foul shots, and committing fewer fouls.

Monty is a great player too!

We agree to disagree.

(12-23-2021 10:43 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  I agree. NKU was the only game I really did not like the result for. I did not like the margin of defeat against DePaul either, but we were without Noah our best player (or should I say our leading scorer to avoid conflict with Miggy)- and things just fell apart in that game. I think our ranking is probably skewed low by those two games. In reality, EMU is probably more in the mix of Kent St/ Akron/ Miami/ Bowling Green grouping than the Ball St/ NIU/ WMU/ CMU grouping.

Unfortunately, it is also a reality that EMU is definitively below the Toledo/ Ohio/ Buffalo grouping. Which is unfortunate because we have such an impressive 4 player rotation in the backcourt, half of which leaves next year. I like EMU’s Frontcourt players too, I just don’t think any of them are dominant/complete enough to put EMU into MAC elite.

EDIT: my agreement was in reference to Sam’s post above.

It may be that we’re not in the category of Buffalo, Toledo, and Ohio, but it won’t be because our players are not better. We’ll be able to judge that when we face each team.

My problem is that EMU is running a low-post offense, not playing above the three point line on defense., it pressuring opponents, and rarely fast-breaking.

If EMU had done that would not have lost to UCSD and Valpo.

(12-23-2021 10:09 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  “Snap shot” of the MAC rankings (not standings) at the conclusion of the Out Of Conference schedule:

80 Toledo 7-3
86 Ohio 8-2
95 Buffalo. 4-4
162 Kent St. 3-5
168 Akron 5-3
192 Miami (OH) 3-5
201 Bowling Green 5-4
236 Eastern Mich. 4-6
260 Ball St. 4-6
304 Northern Ill. 3-7
329 Western Mich. 2-6
342 Central Mich. 1-10

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball...t-rankings

Here is more up to date information. All the MAC teams have played 11 non conference games with the exception of Akron and NIU each with one game cancelled.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basket...nce/MIDAM/

(12-23-2021 11:30 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(12-23-2021 10:09 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  “Snap shot” of the MAC rankings (not standings) at the conclusion of the Out Of Conference schedule:

80 Toledo 7-3
86 Ohio 8-2
95 Buffalo. 4-4
162 Kent St. 3-5
168 Akron 5-3
192 Miami (OH) 3-5
201 Bowling Green 5-4
236 Eastern Mich. 4-6
260 Ball St. 4-6
304 Northern Ill. 3-7
329 Western Mich. 2-6
342 Central Mich. 1-10

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball...t-rankings

Here is more up to date information. All the MAC teams have played 11 non conference games with the exception of Akron and NIU each with one game cancelled.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basket...nce/MIDAM/

The computer rankings only include the record against division 1 opponents- so what I listed is up to date information. Again, I am looking at rankings, NOT standings. The standings are easy, everyone is tied for 1st at 0-0 as Super joked previously.

In 11 non-conference games, Monty had 16 steals and 11 of those steals were converted into EMU scoring 22-points. The reason EMU was a able to make so many steals and EMU scored so many points off of Monty’s steals
is that he anticipated opponent passes he could steal, and in transition knew when to pass or go take the ball himself to the hoop.

Spottsville, playing in all 11 non-conference games, had 14-steals and 6 of those steals were converted into EMU scoring 12-points.

McBride, playing in 10 games, had 11 steals and 5 of those steals were converted into EMU scoring 10-points

Noah, playing in 9 games, had 9 steals and 4 of those steals were converted into EMU scoring 8-points.

EMU has a tendency not to pressure opponents and force turnovers. EMU players force turnovers on their own. Shouldn’t be that way.. EMU needs to change that dynamic. It has the players to do so. As all EMU players are capable of forcing more opponent turnovers than they have.

Portland State applied a pressure defense more often and that’s why Monty had more steals per game playing fewer minutes in conference play.

EMU can force more opponent turnovers so by picking up opponent PG as he crosses mid-court and force longer passes that can be intercepted, off trap and intercept passes off the traps, or individual players should get into the grill of perimeter players and stealing their dribble.

EMU can also win a lot of conference games by playing perimeter defender three feet above the three-point line. If so, will see opponents shoot a very low-percentage on three’s.

EMU has four terrific guards in Noah, Monty, Damion, and Bryce, as they commit few turnovers and their turnovers that are of such a nature that EMU opponents score few points off the turnovers they do commit.

I looked at their turnovers in non-conference games, in order to get an idea as how the four are likely to perform in conference games.

In compiling stats, I cherry-picked and subtracted out the two back to back games in which Monty committed 6-turnovers in each game, and the FIU game in which Noah committed 9-turnovers.

I did so not only because those turnover stats are not representative as they performed in other non-conference games. Plus, both have been told what adjustments they needed to make in their respective games to avoid turnovers, and they have done so. As Monty has committed but 1turnover over his last 109 minutes of playing time. His assist to turnover ratio is almost 3-1 over that time.

What we find for Monty is that in his remaining 9-games, Monty has committed a total of only 13-turnovers, and EMU’s opponents have scored but 10-points off all his turnovers.

In Noah’s 8-games (he missed two games due to an injury) he has committed but 15-turnovers. EMU’s opponents have scored but 8-points off his turnovers.

Damion Spottsville has played in all 11 non-conference games, and has committed only 17-turnovers. EMU’s opponents have scored 12-points off his turnovers.

McBride has played in 10 non-conference games and has committed only 15-turnovers. EMU’s opponents have scored 10-points off his turnovers.

The above bodes well for EMU’s back-court going into MAC play. One can only hope the team recovers soon, and that there will be MAC games to play in January and beyond.,

Great analysis, Miggy! I do think this is a special backcourt. And probably not the Trio I always call them but the Trio+1. I tend to overlook Spottesville because he does not score nearly as much.- though he is by no means a good offensively. Anyway, I am not envious of any other MAC team when it comes to the backcourt… hoping the frontcourt will perform well enough for a run at the conference title.

I guess we’ll have to wait a little longer to see…

(12-27-2021 11:56 PM)RamyEMU Wrote:  Great analysis, Miggy! I do think this is a special backcourt. And probably not the Trio I always call them but the Trio+1. I tend to overlook Spottesville because he does not score nearly as much.- though he is by no means a good offensively. Anyway, I am not envious of any other MAC team when it comes to the backcourt… hoping the frontcourt will perform well enough for a run at the conference title.

I guess we’ll have to wait a little longer to see…

You sum up the state of EMU’s backcourt perfectly. All four guards have areas that Heath can get more ( forced turnovers) from, and there are other areas they can improve upon. The backcourt could thrive even more if EMU plays a spread offense with no big down low.

Heath has gone big at times in games with Nije and Okongo down low. Both turn the ball over and foul excessively. Rather see him play small ball with N.Scott and Yusef Jihad at the Center position, and the whole team playing a pressure defense that forces opponent turnovers. N.Scott needs to be on the court 30 mpg. Try

The later two players provide EMU with both a better offense and interior defense. Hope the last few games has convinced him of the same.

Since EMU has time till it’s first MAC game, will take the time to discuss in depth some EMU players.

Will start with Darion Spottsville. Spottsville has averaged28.9 mpg in all 11 non-conference games. He doesn’t shoot often (once every 6 minutes, and when he has the ball he turns the ball over on 25 percent of his possessions. That’s very high. Haven’t watched closely so I don’t know the nature of his turnovers.

He’s second on the team with 14 steals in 11 games which is not as high as it should be. Would be higher if Heath has the team trap and play a pressure defense that would force more opponent turnovers.

He has a weird jump shot in which he places his hand behind his head when shooting. It it works for him as he gets a nice on the ball. Oscar Robertson of the University of Cincinnati and the NBA’s Milwaukee Busch’s also placed the ball above his head as was a good shooter as was Keith Wilkes of UCLA and the LA Lakers.

Spottsville had not shot well in past seasons, but so far this season has improved his shooting considerably. As it was pointed-out to him that he was to erect when taking jump shots, and that he should dip his upper torso slightly when bringing the ball up like Steph Curry does, so his knees will be bent so he’ll shoot with his legs, not his arms. When he shot erect, he shot with his arms and shot poorly. Noah has also started to dip his upper torso so he wouldn’t shoot erect on jump shots.

Both sometimes forget to dip.

He’s taken few foul shots and has only hit them at 28.6 percent (2-7). He’s improved his foul shooting before the DePaul game by looking at the hoop from when he first starts to shoot a foul-shot. Didn’t do this early in the season. He’s also shot his foul-shot with a slower pace so he avoided hitting the back-iron, and missing his foul-shot. But he returned to his old form in the FIU game and missed all three foul-shots.

Spottsville’s shooting stats are very good. As he’s shooting 50 percent on two’s, and 37.5 percent on three’s (3-8). He should be shooting more three’s.

As for his two-point shooting he mostly drives to the hoop, followed by him shooting two point jumpers, followed by shooting three’s that he shoots well. . His order of FGA’s reversed from what it should be.

His two-point shooting percentage could be higher if he would just stop drivving so fast to the rim, when he should be altering his speed so he could change directions or decide to stop and pop, or stop and pass the ball. The later is one reason only 12 percent of his possessions are assists. He simply limits his options by driving so fast.

By driving so fast he also doesn’t look to see if their are open players to pass the ball to, and his going so fast also results in him crashing and burning and committing both an offensive foul and turnover on the same play.

So it’s no surprise that at the rim, he’s shot just 44 percent (9-27). He’s taken fewer two-point jumpers but has hit them at 64 percent (9-14) He’d be far better off taking more two-point jump shots than going to the rim. But if he would just slow down early in his drive so that he could change direction or accelerate later in his drive, he should score more often T the hoop. Would also have far fewer contested shots at the rim.

If he makes the changes suggested above, he should shoot more often.

McBride has the same problem going full blast to the hoop.

Spottsville defense is good he did a great job holding Oakland’s Cain, whose taller, to shooting a low percentage in a pre-season exhibition game. He does need to run fast to the hoop for every defensive rebound to help Yusef Jihad (EMU’s best rebounder), Nate Scott, and Golson, who are all good rebounders upfront.

The lessons to be learned from EMU’s non-conference play is that the time for experimentation is over, and that the rotation needs to be tightened and EMU needs to play small ball, and far more aggressively on defense
than it has.

HC Heath realizes the challenges EMU faces going forward. He’s played small ball a lot in non-conference play. He now needs to make hard choices. He’s seen what hasn’t worked.

Seven EMU players should be in tbe rotatio-Noah, Monty, Spottsville, McBride, Golson, N.Scott, and Jihad, with Rice and Luca getting limited playing time. It’s important for EMU just put athletic players on the floor. This rotation will see EMU’s offense shoot over 50 percent on two’s. M.Scott, Spottsville, and N.Scott already doing so. Golson has shot 55 percent on two’s his last four games, and McBride is approaching that. Noah is coming on as well. Both McBride and Noah shoot three’s well.

EMU can’t continue to only shoot 46.7 percent on two’s and allow opponents to shoot 48.1 percent on two’s as occurred in non-conference play. EMU has far too many athletic players for opponents to take slightly more foul shots than EMU did in non-conference play.

Don’t want to also see repeated EMU making less steals and fewer forced opponent turnovers as opponents did in non-conference games.

EMU’s poor shooters-Ballard and Njie should play no more than 5-minutes per game, not the 18 and 11 mpg they’ve averaged so far. Can’t afford to play Njie and Okong so much when they turn the ball over once every 5 or 6 minutes of playing time. Okongo and Binelli should play unless EMU has a substantial lead.

Such changes will greatly increase EMU’s two point shooting, reduce EMU’s turnovers and fouls. EMU’s low-post offense is a relic that must be discarded if EMU to succeed in the MAC. EMU has better shooters than Njie and Okongo. Both keep EMU’s offense from finding a rhythm. eMU’s defense will vastly improve playing small ball, as Njie and Okongo have shown they simply cannot move their feet and guard any athletic opponent forward.

At the same time, EMU has to play far more aggressively on defense to force opponent turnovers both outside and inside. Perimeter defenders must play three feet beyond the three-point line to lower opponent three-point percentages, disrupt opponent offensive plays, and to force more opponent turnovers. EMU must use their athleticism to fast-break st every opportunity. EMU has only occasionally employed some of the above, needs to do so far more.

EMU has the players, just needs to tweak the offensive and defensive schemes.

EMU should follow HC Buzz Williams’ Texas A & M model. They’re 10-2. A&M’s starting line-up goes 6 feet , 6’2,” 6’2,”and the two tallest players are 6’5” and 6’7.” It’s small line-up holds opponents to shooting just 45.3 percent on two’s, not the 48.1 percent that EMU’s opponents average with EMU playing tall ball.

No surprise that Texas A & M has such a good record as it’s 7th in the country averaging 10.1 steals per game, and forcing 5.4 more opponent turnover per game than A&M commits.

EMU has only averaged 6.8 steals per game, and has committed 1.2 more turnover per game than it’s non-conference opponents do. If EMU plays an aggressive small ball line-up, they have a chance to win the MAC. Playing big too often may result in EMU barely winning more than half their games.