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Post by LIONS90045 on Jan 7, 2015 22:41:21 GMT -5
Where do we rank in the WCC? Team Stats: Scoring offense: #9 63.1ppg (BYU tops the WCC with 88.3) Scoring defense: #9 69.7 ppg (Gonzaga #1 at 61.5) Scoring margin: #10 (-6.6) Gonzaga #1 at +21.0 FT %: #5 72.8% FG %: #8 43.6% (Zags 52.8%) FG Defense: #10 44.6% against us 3-pt %: #10 33.2% (Zags 39.3%) 3-pt Defense: #9/10 37.5% Rebounding Offense: #9 Rebounding Defense: #5 Rebounding margin: #7 +2.0 (SMC +10.6) Blocks: #3 Assists: #10 Steals: #8 Turnover margin: #10 -3.6 (BYU +2.06) Assists/Turnover: #10 Offensive Rebounds: #7 Defensive Rebounds: #8 Defensive Reb. %: #9 69.6% Offensive Reb. %: #7 32.8% 3-pt FG: #10 54.3 (BYU 9.2) Individual: Scoring: Evan Payne #2 20.5 (Tyler Haws 21.6) Rebounding: Godwin #11 5.9 FG %: Payne #14 48% Assists: not in top 15 FT %: Payne #10 82.2%, Deji #11 82.1% Steals: Godwin, Simon #13 1.0 3-pt FG %: none in top 15 3-pt FG Made: #15 Payne 23 (1.5 pg) Blocks: #2 Mornar 1.5 pg, #4 Siame 1.1 pg Assists/turnover: not in top 15 Offensive boards: Godwin #4 2.6 Defensive boards: not in top 15 Quick assessment: defense weak especially defensive boards and FG %. Exception: blocks from Mornar and Patson. Too many turnovers vs assists. Weak playmaking: #10 is assists Offense weak excepting Evan. www.wccsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2014-2015/confldrs.html
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Post by husky on Jan 7, 2015 23:01:23 GMT -5
At least we are not last in every category.
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Post by ALioninWinter on Jan 7, 2015 23:39:13 GMT -5
Not very impressive stats. Just like it's hard to get much out of a car with a broken starter, it's hard to generate an offense in basketball without a point guard. The lack of a quality PG isn't our only problem, but it's certainly a big issue. Frankly, there's not a lot Coach D can do about that right now. I really think we are better off with Chase running point right now.
I also think Coach D needs to do more to facilitate scoring by a couple of the guys who have shown at least some potential for putting the ball in the hoop. We're going no where until we find some offensive options besides Evan and put backs.
Our defense has been little short of horrible .... and for that I do have to lay a good part of the blame at the feet of Coach D. We've given up a lot of points and a lot of really easy baskets. We may not be Kentucky, but we've got enough skill to play pretty solid defense. I'm having a hard time accepting our defensive schemes to date.
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Post by thx4leavinjimlynam on Jan 8, 2015 2:00:26 GMT -5
In regards to an assessment, LMU is 4-11. If you assume we were favored against San Diego Christian, we would have been favored 4 times and the underdog 11 times.
The only game we have won as an underdog was the DePaul game. We lost to Pacific when we were favored.
So we are 4-11, and Vegas essentially predicted we would be 4-11.
I just hope we improve as the season progresses. Maybe going on the road will galvanize the team.
Go Lions!
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Post by slblions08 on Jan 10, 2015 14:05:59 GMT -5
I was looking back through old comments. I said LMU had a chance of starting of 0-12. Another one of you said that at a minimum they would be 4-8. Most people here felt that finishing 8th or 9th in the conference was a joke, that we'd be middle of the conference. Others said that aside from Gonzaga, we'd compete in every game.
I think what to draw on here is that it has been a little bit of everyone's prediction. They did manage to win 3 games at home during non-conference, they won a game in Hawaii. However they are thus far winless in conference looking none to impressive in any game with no real chance of winning. Dunlap's presence has been noticeable...in the fact that our offense has to be one of the worst for a true mid-major conference. The defense seems to be picking up here and there, but our offense remains held up by Payne and his health and energy.
As far as our program, it was exciting with an ESPN article and a good sign that our university administration decided to speak. It looks bad that Dunlap seems his cop out is blaming the facilities and the cafeteria for his players' lack of development, and not himself. We've recruited internationally and extended the recruiting base....but not recruited impact talent at the WCC level. Dunlap's hiring brought buzz in terms of media, but all the losing and snoozefest type of play has left us playing in an empty Gersten. Dunlap has put our name with some decent recruits....and gotten none of them.
I'd say that currently we are no better than we were with Good, and no worse. With Good we had much more talent, but still not close the NCAA touranment because of lack of direction and organization. With Dunlap there the perception of organization and discipline but our talent is way worse and none of that has translated to the court as our players are basically the same.
Long story short...mid season (15 games in) we are at a status quo for LMU...still a program on life support.
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Post by husky on Jan 10, 2015 16:05:57 GMT -5
Very good analysis, unfortunately. I am far from surprised at where we are; however, since predictions are recorded in the archives I am forced to admit being enraptured by the resumes of Dunlaps recruits and predicted we might win at least 10 games which of course is probably going to happen. Like almost every year since the Gathers/Kimble era, about all we can do is continue to hope for the best and that the next game will be what has become, a rare win. Bradley and Tension each lasted 3 years; unless there is significant improvement by 2016 or sooner this forum will get very lively. There are already rumblings of mutiny.
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Post by LIONS90045 on Jan 10, 2015 20:13:19 GMT -5
Our success to date is due to Good's players: Payne, Godwin, Deji (who is slumping lately on offense), Mornar, Siame and Flint. Three of them (at least) leave the program next season and then it's all on Dunlap and "his" players. He needs a very good recruiting year to improve on this team's poor record.
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Post by ALioninWinter on Jan 10, 2015 21:41:53 GMT -5
I wasn't expecting miracles this year but I did expect us to be competitive against the WCC's second division teams. I wasn't sure where we would finish but I did expect some of Dunlap's "magic" to help pull off a few victories that might move us up the escalator a few notches if only because the lower half of the WCC isn't very strong.
So much for Dunlap "magic." We are 0-4 in league play with only one game against a top half team and we haven't been in any of them.
So far none of his recruits have produced. Petr certainly has some physical attributes but he's been dismal in games. I thought Matt could be a producer but Dunlap keeps him on the bench. David has some potential but I don't see Dunlap helping him exercise that potential. I don't think Simon has the tools and Joshua rides the bench. We can defend Coach by saying he didn't have time to recruit stronger players, but he had more time to recruit than most people realize. 90045 is right. Dunlap needs some strong replacements for next year. Of course, so far, all we've heard is possible recruits going elsewhere. At this point I shall remain (somewhat) positive and assume he will bring in some strong international players.
As far as in game performance I think things look even worse. I disagree that the defense has been good. It's more a case of playing crummy offenses. For the most part I think the players are playing pretty good defense. Money has been very good. Patson is starting to become a defensive force. Godwin tries but just can't seem to get thow to anticipate what the other team is going to do. Most of guys are slow but they hustle well. But Dunlap's schemes have been leaving holes all over the floor.
The offense is morbid. Tons of useless passes. Last second desperation heaves to the basket. Tons of screens but most of them simply open a guy to receive a pass rather than put him in a position to take a good shot.
I keep listening to analysts who proclaim what a great job Dunlap is doing. Maybe they're right, but I'm not seeing it.
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Post by ironlion on Jan 10, 2015 22:00:42 GMT -5
Dunlap was allegedly recruiting in Australia in February ... I don't buy this didn't have time to recruitt bs...look at the players Bayno brought in about two months.
He has to step up recruiting or hire a assistant that can recruit or it's going to be some dismal years ahead. I heard dunlap's contract is 8 years.
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Post by slblions08 on Jan 10, 2015 23:47:55 GMT -5
If anyone was going to save LMU it was going to be Bayno. He brought in a ton of talent in the few months he was here. Had he stayed I have no doubt LMU would be near what St. Mary's is now. He probably would have continued to recruit even better and we'd still walk away with Good's players and some guys who went to UNLV, UCLA or USC. Sure is a shame that he left. But can't knock his coaching. Just look everywhere he goes, he makes guys better. Look at Portland and Toronto, two places where he has made a huge impact. Couldnt help myself but scream boo Bayno while at the Lakers-Raptors game earlier this year but probably out of spite and jealousy.
What concerns me about this Dunlap thing is that since Husask doesn't have to be accountable and just picks whoever, this was an easy choice and he went with a safe pick. The problem now is that if this Dunlap thing goes to hell and this program loses Evan next year (huge possibility) we will be stuck with basically DII talent and the perception that nothing works at LMU and that its a hopeless case. I mean, I got that impression from Bove's comments that nobody really knows what they're doing.
And please nobody take anything offensive, but I got to a lot of home games, and I'm a young alum. There are hardly anybody my age or 10 years older than me that go to games. most people going are 20 to 40 years older than me. What's going to happen when that fan base starts to dwindle. I seriously praise any of you that belong to this group of diehards. My wife and I hope to be one day like you guys that are so dedicated, as we fawn at those nice jackets with the baby blue and the maroon and the Loyola University sweatshirts. but that can't be the only fan base going to games. The young people in the crowd are usually family members, some traveling basketball teams that get tickets and fans of the opposing schools.
I just hope Dunlap doesn't become the straw that breaks the camel's back.
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Post by ALioninWinter on Jan 11, 2015 0:18:43 GMT -5
For the life of me, I can't figure out why the school doesn't give away tickets to every school kid in Westchester .... And why do they keep raising ticket prices? There are ways to increase attendance and build a fan base.
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Post by golions1444 on Jan 12, 2015 13:35:34 GMT -5
I would consider myself to fall more on the side of supporting the (Max) Good regime. He brought in great talent and his players played their tails off for him. However, I also believe that we can't let ourselves fall victim to the status quo bias. Yes injuries negatively affected Good's tenure, but with back to back last place finishes and never any consistent success, I was open to the coaching change, as I believe we needed to do something to make LMU a top tier program. It's easy to quickly forget the past Coach's flaws as we watch this year's inferior talent keep us again in last place. I would be lying if I didnt wish i was watching Cartwright and Stewart out there over Humphries and Simon. Sure Max Good was bringing the talent to Westchester, but was he ever developing that talent and best utilizing it? Many of us on this board constantly complained how players never got any better under Good at LMU and there was no offensive strategy to get this guy a good shot. So I'm hoping that this turns out to be the case...Dunlap sees players he can devleop and fit into the team he is trying to build, and the program he is trying to develop...He realizes this is a learning year and the first phase of the rebuilding project, he realizes it won't be pretty, but he knows, one off-season with these guys and finding a few more pieces he needs, he will max out the potential of these guys and build a true team that plays smart, disciplined, and effective basketball that will make LMU a top WCC team. The announcers and other's in the basketball world I've talked to all praise Dunlap for a reason. I follow St John's closely as well and they loved Dunlap when he was their assistant and interim coach...they constantly wish Lavin was more like Dunlap and if we read their message board they thought we got a steal of a coach by hiring him. I'm reserving judgement on the Dunlap hire until the start of next season, until I see who else he brings in, how much the players develop and improve and how the team looks when they step on the court next season. I don't care how bad this season goes...An empty dirty lot with a bunch of steel bars sticking out of the ground is not a pretty site, but that's what it looks like when you're building a foundation, a foundation to a build something great on...which is what I hope Dunlap is doing.
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Post by LIONS90045 on Jan 19, 2015 22:20:19 GMT -5
As of Jan 19, 2015
WCC Standings
Team/Record WCC Overall Gonzaga 7-0 1.000 18-1 .947 Saint Mary's (CA) 7-0 1.000 15-3 .833 Pepperdine 5-2 .714 12-6 .667 BYU 5-3 .625 15-6 .714 Santa Clara 3-4 .429 9-10 .474 Portland 2-5 .286 11-8 .579 Pacific 2-5 .286 10-9 .526 San Francisco 2-5 .286 8-11 .421 San Diego 2-6 .250 9-11 .450 Loyola Marymount 1-6 .143 5-14 .263
What a surprising season! There is a genuine dog fight (I hate that term but it fits) for fifth place as well as for the bottom of the WCC! I'll concede the top four spots to Gonzaga, SMC, Waves and BYU but after that, it's anyone's brass ring for the grab. Admittedly, the Lions have not distinguished themselves vs USD or Pacific but we beat Portland soundly and have winnable games this week against SCU and USF. Winter thinks the USF game will be the bigger challenge and is probably right but they have shown the ability to lose on any given night.
My assessment, given the Lions continue to play inspired ball and no further unexpected self-inflicted wounds hit the team, is that LMU has a shot at 5th or 6th place in the WCC. A winning season is lost already but, at least in theory, we could still sweep in Vegas and play in the NCAA tourney. Call me an optimist (or an idiot, as my wife does), but it's there for the Lions' taking.
Will Evan finish the season as the productive force he can be? And Patson? Without these two keys, we are a bit of toast but with them we are competitive. And we also need Petr, David and Matt to continue to show on offense along with Deji. Godwin's play on defense is beyond question. Mornar has the potential to be a game changer as we have seen. A healthy and "learned," i.e. non-turnover, Simon would help but Flint will be the glue at point.
Go Lions! All is not lost!
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Post by LIONS90045 on Jan 22, 2015 21:52:42 GMT -5
Lots of talk on the basketball broadcast of Gonzaga getting a #1 seed in one region. If they run the tables in the WCC, its a done deal and they won't meet Kentucky until the finals or semi-finals. A nice boost for the WCC. In the meantime, they need to get past Saint Mary's tonite to start their run.
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Post by LIONS90045 on Apr 22, 2015 13:59:42 GMT -5
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