Wichita State Shockers at Evansville (Wed, Jan 4th)

[purple&orange]

Perspective is a funny thing. I was traveling over the New Year's weekend and listened to the first half of the Louisville at Kentucky game. The UK radio crew mentioned over and over both in pregame and during the game that Louisville plays the hack, grab, hold, foul on every play style of defense. According to them Pitino had thought up this grand scheme over the past couple of seasons while at UofL as they never once mentioned he had his UK teams play a very similar style some 15 years ago while he was the head coach at UK. I'm sure that the same style 15 years ago that was "great UK D" in their eyes was this abomination of the game this past weekend. But to be fair my thoughts on that outfit and their head coach are that he is everything that's wrong with college basketball and after leading two final four teams to probation has no place in the game, even if he wasn't directly tied to it.

I do agree with others that the physicality of the game gets out of control more times than not, however if that's how the modern game is going to be called and you are at a disadvantage athletically (can't tell you how many times I heard people around me comment about how big/strong the WSU players looked out there) you are going to be at times out of position and resort to using your hands as well as being a bit more physical to counter those disadvantages.

Give WSU credit for playing through it, hanging on after UE made the runs to get back in it from being down 10 twice and doing what they needed to do to survive and put up a victory.

Quick edit: Not surprised about MSU. Lusk was at Purdue and that's what they do, a shining example of the physical rough and tumble Big Ten. PU has always defended and been a pest with the way they play D, sprinkling in a couple of really good offensive weapons over the last few years to be a constant top 25 team. so it wouldn't surprise me if MSU molds themselves under that same physical defense mold that Lusk saw as an assistant at PU.

[Ace Dad]

Basketball, like soccer, is a beautiful sport as you watch the movement of the players, the ball, and the spacing. The physical play takes away from the game.

The problem I have (and I know nobody cares) is that nowadays coaches are teaching the "defend by impeding, grabbing, bumping, clawing, pushing, sleight of body/leg bump" and when referees allow this, the beauty of defense by "getting to the spot", "moving your feet", "occupying your man's space with your hand" dies. Defenders can defend by body placement, foot movement, and taking advantage of angles. Nothing wrong with "slightly touching" your man for positioning or to know where he is as you gaze around. Today, players are physically grabbing hold of body parts and the uniform. Nothing beautiful about that technique.

I do know that big men have to battle to get position.

I do know that a guard may have to push off to protect his position.

The referee gets paid to make sure that one team's defensive approach does not give them a marked advantage.

Off soapbox.

[WuShockNation]

[sixth ace]

If the ball would have been tip in the court might have been rush. UE allow WSU to get a 8-10 point lead too many time only to come back and make it close or take the lead. Harris's missed free throw gave us an opportunity to tip it in but I feel the Shockers are glad to snatch a 1 point victory and leave town quickly. I just heard their plane overhead.

Every game has a winner and an also ran. Tonight UE will look forward to Witchita and mark a X on their calendars. Revenge is SWEEEEET

Great game Congrats to the Shocks and the Aces for a well played game.

Go Aces !

PS Baller, you wouldn't of like the seat...much orange and purple there

UE didn't "allow" WSU anything. WSU is better, period. The Aces played hard, but even a number of stupid decisions by Ragland and Stutz, atrocious officiating down the stretch and 53% 3 point shooting wasn't enough to hold serve at home for the Aces.

I look forward to the Aces circling the calendar for their return trip. Your program brings nothing to the table. Your teams are not competitive with the best....the Aces are a drain on the programs in the Valley that are striving for something else.

WSU will show them what a big time program is when they come to ICT.

Mark that X buddy. Can't wait to see the Aces back in Wichita.

Marked it in Purple and Orange. If you have the problem with the word 'allow' that a issue for you to deal with
I thought the referees were terrible also. I was there but you apparently saw it different than I or you wouldn't have brought it up.

Baller I may take you up on coming West and watch the Aces at the ICT

[2livewu]

Not sure to whom you are referring that choked but if it's directed at the Ace's players, I don't think that's true or at all fair.

Those were tough FTs, made even more difficult when #2 was out of rhythm.

That reminds me of the OT game 2 seasons ago with the AWFUL call near the buzzer giving the Aces 3 FTs to win the game.

It was slightly loud in the Chuck at that point. Making 2 of 3 was a borderline miracle. Several support beams had to be check for their structural integrity after the crowd died down that night.

[Ace Dad]

========================================================
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJvLwSf0Xi8

I guess none of your players have missed game changing FTs?

Are you "The Man in the Arena" or are you the "timid soul":

It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds;
who knows great enthusiasms,

the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst,
if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls
who neither know victory nor defeat.

[sect.3purple]

I absolutely cannot believe that there is a complaint from some WSU fans about the calls last night. If anything I thought that Stutz got away with at least two uncalled fouls. Actually, there were very few calls for either side, which I found refreshing because so many Valley games have way too many whistles.

I think this whine about fouls is simply to cover up the fact that even though the Aces were a 13 -14 pt. underdog, and WSU fans were saying prior to the game that anything less than a 20 pt. win would be embarrassing, UE played a great game and came within one point of beating the Shockers.

I think WSU has a good team...and a 7-footer who can stand flat-footed against our guys and make shots. We knew that we were playing a good team and that a win would be hard to come by...what gets me is the disrespect shown to other teams, like the Aces, even when they almost defeat your team.

There are all sorts of basketball qualities that make for a good team...skilled athletes, the bigger the better in basketball, offensive and defensive threats, speed, etc. Included in winners' programs are heart, intensity, team play, and confidence......our Aces team does not have a 7 ft. center (wish we did - maybe soon) and we have to compete to bring in good athletes to our small school, but we have all the intangibles and you may see those intangibles beat a lot of teams that smugly ignore them....plus we have some dead-eye shooters, including Colt Ryan, who the rest of the conference likes to put down also....he is a super player that, on one of the "elite" teams would be heralded after every game! I'm glad he's wearing purple!

I am proud of my team. They deserve respect. I know they have to keep on earning it. I think that they will. And I look forward greatly to it. I think the whine coming from some WSU fans last night about the calls is simply a smoke screen to cover up their surprise at not beating us by 20 pts.

[Wufan]

Not sure who "choke man" is, but he just registered 2 days ago. Please pay no attention. I think almost every educated Shocker fan was impressed by the Aces, but also quite disappointed in the recent effort from our boys.

[Ricardo del Rio]

No team in the Valley is better at grabbing, holding, pushing, shoving, pinching, etc. than the Aces. When a team plays the Aces, they had better have both straps on - chin and jock. The Aces might not be able to throw the ball in the hoop, but they can play defense.

I have not seen them this year, but I imagine nothing has changed.

Just wait until you play MSU.

SIU had this reputation "back in the day" and I did not realize that we are now considered "dirty" defenders.

"Dirty?" I don't think so.

[WSUbballer]

I absolutely cannot believe that there is a complaint from some WSU fans about the calls last night. If anything I thought that Stutz got away with at least two uncalled fouls. Actually, there were very few calls for either side, which I found refreshing because so many Valley games have way too many whistles.

I think this whine about fouls is simply to cover up the fact that even though the Aces were a 13 -14 pt. underdog, and WSU fans were saying prior to the game that anything less than a 20 pt. win would be embarrassing, UE played a great game and came within one point of beating the Shockers.

I think WSU has a good team...and a 7-footer who can stand flat-footed against our guys and make shots. We knew that we were playing a good team and that a win would be hard to come by...what gets me is the disrespect shown to other teams, like the Aces, even when they almost defeat your team.

There are all sorts of basketball qualities that make for a good team...skilled athletes, the bigger the better in basketball, offensive and defensive threats, speed, etc. Included in winners' programs are heart, intensity, team play, and confidence......our Aces team does not have a 7 ft. center (wish we did - maybe soon) and we have to compete to bring in good athletes to our small school, but we have all the intangibles and you may see those intangibles beat a lot of teams that smugly ignore them....plus we have some dead-eye shooters, including Colt Ryan, who the rest of the conference likes to put down also....he is a super player that, on one of the "elite" teams would be heralded after every game! I'm glad he's wearing purple!

I am proud of my team. They deserve respect. I know they have to keep on earning it. I think that they will. And I look forward greatly to it. I think the whine coming from some WSU fans last night about the calls is simply a smoke screen to cover up their surprise at not beating us by 20 pts.

Whoa, slow your roll there cowboy.

Who on here called for 20 point WSU victories? I haven't found any. And secondly, Vegas had this one pegged as 13 point WSU favorites, as you mentioned. So don't peg predictions from WSU fans for a blowout as being far-fetched. Vegas felt the same way and so did those betting on the game as the line grew throughout the day.

The officiating situation was poor at the end. You being an Aces fan did not focus in on the 2 or 3 over-the-backs the Aces committed on the last WSU putback by Stutz. You also didn't realize that Stutz was smashed in the eye on the putpack which should have been a 3 point play. Add those facts with Evansville coming down the floor in the final seconds and a very late, phantom foul call was called on WSU with 1 second remaining. I realize nobody televises Aces games because there's no market for them, but having it on replay here, the last sequence was quite obvious. Stutz got hammered with a no call. Harris got 2 free throws with 1 second remaining on a scrum play with 5 players going for a rebound. Don't even go there buddy.

I know for your fanbase just "being there" at the end on your home floor, and 1 point losses are victories. But respect won't be totally earned until those turn into wins. That didn't happen. That didn't happen at home against Tennessee Tech or at Illinois-Chicago either. That's why you shouldn't expect people to bow down to your greatness for wins over Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa. No consistency = no respect.

Some of these Aces fans are starting to remind me of Sycamore fans last February and March and all summer.