2024-25 PSU MBB Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
Baldwin is playing off the ball and not running the offense. I assume he's avoiding the paint/contact because of his back. Maybe he should sit.
50% of Baldwin + Puff injured isn't a formula for beating MSU on the road.
I think Kern missed 5 FTs which really hurt.
50% of Baldwin + Puff injured isn't a formula for beating MSU on the road.
Some of those turnovers were players like Dillione and Kern forcing things with Baldwin playing off the ball.
I think Kern missed 5 FTs which really hurt.
Got one we REALLY needed that could have slipped away. Konan stepped up, we hit outside shots (especially Dilione), Ace was a bit more like himself, got the turnovers and FTs we needed to supplement our offense, etc. Harper a little hobbled and Bailey gave us some free points when we needed them. Good win…nothing will come easy, but need to keep pulling games like that out.
We appear again in Lunardi's Bracketology, as the 8th team out. Since we're getting into late January, we're starting to get enough data for it to start meaning something. We're sitting at 13-6 (3-5) today. I feel like we need to be 20-11 (10-10) heading into the Big Ten Tournament to be squarely on the cut line. If we're worse, things aren't looking good...better, and we've got a good shot of dancing.
Using Pomeroy's numbers, here is the path to 20-11. For every game we lose above the line, we'd need to pick up a win in a game below the line. And FWIW, Ken projects us to go 19-12 (9-11).
Date - Opponent - Pomeroy % of winning
2/4 - Minnesota - 82%
2/15 - Washington - 81%
2/19 - Nebraska - 62%
2/22 - at Minnesota - 62%
1/30 - Ohio St - 57%
3/1 - Maryland - 50%
2/11 - at USC - 49%
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2/26 - at Indiana - 44%
1/24 - at Iowa - 40%
2/8 - at UCLA - 30%
3/8 - at Wisconsin - 23%
1/27 - at Michigan - 19%
As you can see, the next two road games (Iowa and Michigan) both fall below the line...but getting a win in one of them would be huge so that we don't have to run the table on those games above the line (especially if we want to push it to 11-9 in conference to make us feel safer).
Using Pomeroy's numbers, here is the path to 20-11. For every game we lose above the line, we'd need to pick up a win in a game below the line. And FWIW, Ken projects us to go 19-12 (9-11).
Date - Opponent - Pomeroy % of winning
2/4 - Minnesota - 82%
2/15 - Washington - 81%
2/19 - Nebraska - 62%
2/22 - at Minnesota - 62%
1/30 - Ohio St - 57%
3/1 - Maryland - 50%
2/11 - at USC - 49%
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2/26 - at Indiana - 44%
1/24 - at Iowa - 40%
2/8 - at UCLA - 30%
3/8 - at Wisconsin - 23%
1/27 - at Michigan - 19%
As you can see, the next two road games (Iowa and Michigan) both fall below the line...but getting a win in one of them would be huge so that we don't have to run the table on those games above the line (especially if we want to push it to 11-9 in conference to make us feel safer).
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Rutgers is the case study in my response to all of the posters throughout the years that talk about how easy it should be to turn around a basketball program, since "all you need is 1 or 2 great players". They've got two guys that are locks to be lottery picks (and potentially the #2 and #3 players taken in the draft), and the bubble they find themselves on is trying to play their way into the top 15 in the conference to make the Big Ten tournament.
Harper has an underwhelming game last night, but he's awesome. And Ace Bailey is unstoppable at the offensive end. But our depth and experience won out against their two stars.
Harper has an underwhelming game last night, but he's awesome. And Ace Bailey is unstoppable at the offensive end. But our depth and experience won out against their two stars.
Important for PSU. The team lost a couple of winnable home games (Indy & Oregon) and now has to claw its way back. After this game they play @ #21 Michigan. Lose this one and they could be 1-6 in their last 7.
Iowa has lost 3 in a row so this is a good chance to pick up a road win.
Iowa leads by 5 at half. PSU is lucky to be that close. Out rebounded and giving a lot of fast break pts.
PSU hasn't been the same with Johnson out and Baldwin playing hurt.
Kern has some amazingly athletic moves but he also forces things and turns the ball over. Dillione has shown some athleticism. Still they miss Puff's steady hand and things aren't the same with Baldwin playing off the ball.
We'll need Baldwin to fight through his issues and get Konan more involved in the second half in order to with this one.
PSU hasn't been the same with Johnson out and Baldwin playing hurt.
Kern has some amazingly athletic moves but he also forces things and turns the ball over. Dillione has shown some athleticism. Still they miss Puff's steady hand and things aren't the same with Baldwin playing off the ball.
We'll need Baldwin to fight through his issues and get Konan more involved in the second half in order to with this one.
Poor 3-point shooting once again (5 for 22). Hicks had plenty of time to take the ball to the hoop instead of throwing up a difficult shot from the corner.
Baldwin's 3 was wide open but I would have preferred something going to the hoop. Maybe Rhoades should have called a time out to set up something.
Baldwin's 3 was wide open but I would have preferred something going to the hoop. Maybe Rhoades should have called a time out to set up something.
I don't think Baldwin planned to shoot a 3. It looked to me that he picked up his dribble, and panicked with time running down. I'm confident that a healthy Baldwin would have taken the ball into the paint so he could kick it out or get fouled.
Need a shooter or two…can’t run the shot clock down looking for a drive every possession because no one can shoot consistently from outside. And too many turnovers.
Up 72-67 with 1:50 left, only to lose 76-72. Tournament chances non existent at this point.