MBB vs Northeastern - 2/21

[EvanJ]

It looks to me like Hofstra has clinched the 3 seed or better. Hofstra is 2 games ahead of James Madison, William & Mary, and Towson with 2 games left. James Madison goes to Towson and hosts William & Mary. Towson goes to UNC Wilmington. William & Mary goes to Elon. Hofstra has clinched over Towson and William & Mary because of the head-to-head sweeps of both of them. Towson won both games against William & Mary, so Towson would be the 3 seed, William & Mary the 4 seed, and James Madison the 5 seed in that case. James Madison is the only team who can catch Hofstra from behind. Therefore if Hofstra and James Madison lose on Thursday, Hofstra's Saturday game will be irrelevant to their seed, which would be 2.

Edit: http://gonu.com/news/2016/2/21/MBB_0221 ... ath=mbball is Northeastern's recap titled "Hofstra Escapes Huskies 65-60."

[daHUPride]

God solid win against a tough team...band was awesome, they all showed up...crowd over 3000 for the first time this year but still no student section to speak of...why can't they get behind this team? 20 win season, exciting basketball good kids and students! I just don't get it! Their loss!

Agree HUSID80, exciting game(s) also thought band was really good - even saw a few student enjoying the weather and tailgating -dont see why they wouldn't want show bait of school spirit

[EvanJ]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... =400833345 is the Associated Press recap titled "Hofstra holds on for 65-60 win over Northeastern."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwAta8RKhCU has highlights.

[Wags]

Hofstra is not only the CAA's hottest team, but the only hot team in the league heading into the final week. Obviously lots of work left, but if they can win out in that week and in Baltimore, they could get some good attention in the NCAAT, at 25-9, while riding a 9-game winning streak, coming out of a top Top 10 league (with at least 3, and maybe as many as 5 20-win teams), with a good PG, a good big man and some other nice complementary pieces. That's the opportunity before this team right now, which was once at just 4-2 in the CAA, with people here saying the season was over.

[Cards]

You are correct Wags - they are hot and appear to be peaking at the right time. Certainly 25-9 is not out of the realm of possibilities, but we have work left to do.

As we get further and further through the season, the chance for a devastating injury is becoming less and less, so the depth issue as it relates to injury diminishes. That being said, anything can happen, both good and bad.

I am optimistic, but 3 in 3 will still be a tough road. We certainly have the talent, the drive, and the heart......hope we have the stamina. Go Pride!!

[Wags]

You are correct Wags - they are hot and appear to be peaking at the right time. Certainly 25-9 is not out of the realm of possibilities, but we have work left to do.

As we get further and further through the season, the chance for a devastating injury is becoming less and less, so the depth issue as it relates to injury diminishes. That being said, anything can happen, both good and bad.

I am optimistic, but 3 in 3 will still be a tough road. We certainly have the talent, the drive, and the heart......hope we have the stamina. Go Pride!!

The one thing I'll say on that is that lately, this team has shown that different guys can take the lead. Usually, it's Green. Another time it's Gustys. Often, it's both. Another it could be Bernardi after some tough games prior. Today it was Koon (this was his first time leading Hofstra in scoring, by the way; he went 3/6 from 3 while the rest of HU was only 2/12 from there).

That's exactly the way you can overcome a tough 3 games in 3 days test, especially when you have depth issues. Because maybe on the one day or the one important stretch of one game, when Green or Gustys are gassed, Bernardi, Tanksley or Koon get them by until Green and/or Gustys summon the energy to carry them further later on, to a title. We'll see, but that was the big takeaway I took from Koon being the latest of several to shine in that one moment today.

[richs]

I'm disappointed to say that I was one of those who thought the season was over after those two devastating losses. I'm thrilled that they turned things around. I should have had more faith. I was at todays game and it was great to see such a large crowd. It was a thrilling game. go Pride !!

[Wags]

http://gohofstra.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbball&id=7005 is the box score. Hofstra was favored by 7.5 and didn't cover. The total score of 125 was way under the over/under of 149. Hofstra made exactly 35 percent of their field goals, which was their worst percentage in a win since January 3, 2015 at UNC Wilmington. That was 48 games ago. Northeastern made only 2 free throws, which was the second fewest by a Hofstra opponent in Hofstra's last 175 games. Elon made 1 free throw at Hofstra 24 days ago. For the season, Hofstra has a -21 differential on points from field goals and a +176 differential on points from free throws. The free throw differential leads the CAA, with Northeastern second at +126

First of all, although Hofstra does a very good an thorough job of putting together game notes and stats, they still need to hire you as some sort of assistant with that, because you come up with additional stuff that even they don't have sometimes.

Second, what you said above is exactly why I've been saying all season that they can't fall in love with the 3 too much or even just jumpers in general too much, because they are always at their best and their most dangerous when they attack the hoop and get to the free throw line. And the great stats you point out above show that.

The other stat that shows that was this one from today: while they only had 3 FGs in the final 10:03, they hung on to win because they made 11/12 FTs in that final 10:03.

[Wags]

I'm disappointed to say that I was one of those who thought the season was over after those two devastating losses. I'm thrilled that they turned things around. I should have had more faith. I was at todays game and it was great to see such a large crowd. It was a thrilling game. go Pride !!

It's not too late, Rich. If even the crowd finally got over 3K and was loud today, anything's possible for the team as well!

[Wags]

We know what the goal is with this year's team, especially being the preseason pick to win the CAA, but while we have a few days before the showdown at CAA, let's take a moment to recognize something that was clinched today, which hasn't been done in a while around here:

The last time Hofstra posted consecutive 20-win seasons was nine years ago, when they went 22-10 the year after the 26-7 team got snubbed for the 2006 NCAA tournament.

[Cards]

You are correct Wags - they are hot and appear to be peaking at the right time. Certainly 25-9 is not out of the realm of possibilities, but we have work left to do.

As we get further and further through the season, the chance for a devastating injury is becoming less and less, so the depth issue as it relates to injury diminishes. That being said, anything can happen, both good and bad.

I am optimistic, but 3 in 3 will still be a tough road. We certainly have the talent, the drive, and the heart......hope we have the stamina. Go Pride!!

The one thing I'll say on that is that lately, this team has shown that different guys can take the lead. Usually, it's Green. Another time it's Gustys. Often, it's both. Another it could be Bernardi after some tough games prior. Today it was Koon (this was his first time leading Hofstra in scoring, by the way; he went 3/6 from 3 while the rest of HU was only 2/12 from there).

That's exactly the way you can overcome a tough 3 games in 3 days test, especially when you have depth issues. Because maybe on the one day or the one important stretch of one game, when Green or Gustys are gassed, Bernardi, Tanksley or Koon get them by until Green and/or Gustys summon the energy to carry them further later on, to a title. We'll see, but that was the big takeaway I took from Koon being the latest of several to shine in that one moment today.

You bring up a very important point Wags, in that HU is not trying to win 3 in 3 by relying on the same one or two stars to carry the team through the CAAT. Any one of the starters on the team can be the star for the day. And that is simply true - we have seen it all year. Of course its some more than others, but any one of the guys can (and has) put the team on its shoulders on any given day. I don't really think that there are other teams that can say the same. The HU starting 5 is solid.

[Polito]

Agree 100% on the analysis above. I haven't really seen many teams beat HU at their best this yr, I've seen HU take themselves out of games and literally create and/or extend scoring droughts by going 3 bananas - and they don't need to do that, they have guards and forwards who can drive and finish or draw the contact - raining 3's all game long has become unnecessary, and ineffective, for this club - they should definitely maintain a healthy mix, but they have plenty of guys who can drain them, but take them as the D gives them more than force things...

The one area that is clear is that this squad seems to struggle right now with any press - it's a major hinderance - exactly how UNCW made their come back and stole a W - it rattled our guys, a lot - I don't really get it, HU has enough ball handlers who should be able to break it... maybe just a practice / focus thing?

But it's the primary opponent-based issue I see, and for any team that has the depth (UNCW, JMU) to do it right, it's been a challenge - HU best learn to handle it asap! I imagine they'll see it in a major way come CAAT time

[stuball888]

Polito that why late in the game use Buie and Green together to beat the press. At the end of the first half if we have fouls to give I want Buie Green and JWF on the court and as Donald Trump would say press the crap out of them.

[EvanJ]

http://gohofstra.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbball&id=7005 is the box score. Hofstra was favored by 7.5 and didn't cover. The total score of 125 was way under the over/under of 149. Hofstra made exactly 35 percent of their field goals, which was their worst percentage in a win since January 3, 2015 at UNC Wilmington. That was 48 games ago. Northeastern made only 2 free throws, which was the second fewest by a Hofstra opponent in Hofstra's last 175 games. Elon made 1 free throw at Hofstra 24 days ago. For the season, Hofstra has a -21 differential on points from field goals and a +176 differential on points from free throws. The free throw differential leads the CAA, with Northeastern second at +126

First of all, although Hofstra does a very good an thorough job of putting together game notes and stats, they still need to hire you as some sort of assistant with that, because you come up with additional stuff that even they don't have sometimes.

Thank you. Although I don't want to take anybody's job away, I could offer Hofstra to get first dibs on my statistics research in exchange of $5 or $10 per thing I find out. I could even link to this board and use people here as references. If you want more rare events I found, you can search my posts at http://www.nyyfansforum.com/search.php? ... howposts=1

[Wags]

http://gohofstra.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbball&id=7005 is the box score. Hofstra was favored by 7.5 and didn't cover. The total score of 125 was way under the over/under of 149. Hofstra made exactly 35 percent of their field goals, which was their worst percentage in a win since January 3, 2015 at UNC Wilmington. That was 48 games ago. Northeastern made only 2 free throws, which was the second fewest by a Hofstra opponent in Hofstra's last 175 games. Elon made 1 free throw at Hofstra 24 days ago. For the season, Hofstra has a -21 differential on points from field goals and a +176 differential on points from free throws. The free throw differential leads the CAA, with Northeastern second at +126

First of all, although Hofstra does a very good an thorough job of putting together game notes and stats, they still need to hire you as some sort of assistant with that, because you come up with additional stuff that even they don't have sometimes.

Thank you. Although I don't want to take anybody's job away, I could offer Hofstra to get first dibs on my statistics research in exchange of $5 or $10 per thing I find out. I could even link to this board and use people here as references. If you want more rare events I found, you can search my posts at http://www.nyyfansforum.com/search.php? ... howposts=1

Oh no, I didn't mean in place of someone (since they do a very good job now), but rather, in addition to (since you come up with some other extras that even they don't at times, just because whoever does it, can't find everything all on their own, with all of the different ways we can look at data today). I guess you could always ask them if they need a helping hand.

[RollPride15]

Lol for real though Evan folks at ESPN pay good money for people who can find or recall weird/obscure stats. I saw a job posting the other day asking for exactly that.

[EvanJ]

Lol for real though Evan folks at ESPN pay good money for people who can find or recall weird/obscure stats. I saw a job posting the other day asking for exactly that.

I searched ESPN and I found a Research/Statistics job, but it's in Los Angeles. Ideally I would like to work only online for Hofstra, ESPN, or anybody who wanted my statistics. I can't guarantee I would have a notable statistic at a required frequency because it depends on what happens in games. I would want to be paid per statistic I found, and probably only make a tiny bit of money that way. For example, if I worked for Hofstra and got paid $10 per Men's Basketball game, my annual salary would be about $340, which is 1 percent of the salary of an employee making $34,000. I have a file titled "Rare Events In Sports" with 223 items I researched from February 13, 2011 through the present. I can use that to show a possible employer what I have done. I have also been cited by ESPN's Jayson Stark, and he might be willing to serve as a reference for me. Evan Jones (that's where EvanJ comes from) is a fictional name, by the way. Before I created the "Rare Events In Sports" file, I noticed that Darren Oliver, who wasn't usually a closer, got a save on April 22, 2010. I looked at his game-by-game statistics, and his previous save was on July 25, 1994. It turns out his gap of 15 years and 271 days between consecutive saves was an MLB record.