Game Thread - Gardner-Webb @RC - Sat Nov 22, 7pm - ESPN+

[Fatherspider]

In this era of college basketball where u can add quality transfers and fix positions of need every season, you 100% should be focused on getting at large bids every season and making an OOC schedule every season that gives you a chance for an at large. We were also picked 11th a couple seasons ago and finished 15-3 A-10. That year, we had the OOC schedule to get an at large, but lost too many games OOC, but at least the schedule gave us a chance if we went 15-3 A-10. This year, our chances were 0% for an at large before we played our 1st game, whether we go 15-3 or not. That sucks!!!

Exactly, but it seems many here are just happy to schedule and win games that are basically irrelevant to feel good about the team and make Mooney look good. Sad that much of the fanbases expectations are that low for the once very respected Spiders.
So will it be next year that CM thinks his team will be good enough to schedule a meaningful OOC schedule?

 

[Spider17]

Exactly, but it seems many here are just happy to schedule and win games that are basically irrelevant to feel good about the team and make Mooney look good. Sad that much of the fanbases expectations are that low for the once very respected Spiders.
So will it be next year that CM thinks his team will be good enough to schedule a meaningful OOC schedule?

At this point, I’ve come to terms that it is what it is regarding our schedule. I’m glad that a) we’re winning these games so far when last years team and prior Spiders team would’ve lost some by now b) we’re dominating the bad teams and c) we’re playing with a new identity of aggression, physical, drive to the lane and get rebounds brand of basketball, which I’ve been begging us to do for over 10 years. Regardless of the cupcake schedule, this team looks good. Plus we’re building confidence, team chemistry, and a winning mentality for conference play where there will be several Q1 & Q2 opportunities.

 

[*23*]

Yep, unfortunately both are right. You kind of have to have rose colored glasses - it's been fun to watch this team and offense, and hope this is building to an A10 reg season and tourney run. We can hope.

Fatherspider, you are correct too - it's a crime how Moon and Hardt have lowered expectations. Years and years and years have taught me - with the real Triumvirate in charge (PQ/Hardt/Mooney) there will be no change. AD leaves - interim extends moon for no reason. Lose, lose, lose - there is always another excuse. NIL comes along just in time to provide another one. Scheduling. Check. Whereas we still see motivated mid majors scheduling good games, enough are crying so we can join the chorus instead of just saying, hey let's beat the system. The beat goes on.

But this start to the season is giving me some hope. Can't wait for that Belmont game.

 

[PhillySpider]

But this start to the season is giving me some hope. Can't wait for that Belmont game.

And here it is a nutshell- what Moon has done (with Hardt and PQ enabling) to UR basketball. The one and only OOC game that even slightly matters and can tell us at least something about who we are and what we might be. Literally we could 11-1 OOC (lose to Belmont) and know nothing about our team!

At this point, I believe we can safely say - - well, we aren't horrible. Anything beyond that, we have no basis to say and outside of the Belmont game, that won't change.

I will concede that its more fun to watch this though. Maybe less fun when we play real teams and try to play this way and end up on the short end of scores like these!

 

[Fatherspider]

And here it is a nutshell- what Moon has done (with Hardt and PQ enabling) to UR basketball. The one and only OOC game that even slightly matters and can tell us at least something about who we are and what we might be. Literally we could 11-1 OOC (lose to Belmont) and know nothing about our team!

At this point, I believe we can safely say - - well, we aren't horrible. Anything beyond that, we have no basis to say and outside of the Belmont game, that won't change.

I will concede that its more fun to watch this though. Maybe less fun when we play real teams and try to play this way and end up on the short end of scores like these!

Thanks for the post. I understand, as a die-hard Spider fan you must look at some positives to keep the faith alive because you will still root regardless. I kind of feel the same way but the enthusiasm is so much less than I felt 5-10 years ago. I watched the W&M game because ut was a decent opponent and was happy with the squeaked out victory. Then St Johns had them up 45 after 25 minutes a few nights later.
Belmont might be a test but not sure. They have also played no one decent and not winning big. But Mooney’s road record is atrocious and I expect to hear his after gane interview start with… “it’s tough to win on the road.”

 

[Fatherspider]

And here it is a nutshell- what Moon has done (with Hardt and PQ enabling) to UR basketball. The one and only OOC game that even slightly matters and can tell us at least something about who we are and what we might be. Literally we could 11-1 OOC (lose to Belmont) and know nothing about our team!

At this point, I believe we can safely say - - well, we aren't horrible. Anything beyond that, we have no basis to say and outside of the Belmont game, that won't change.

I will concede that its more fun to watch this though. Maybe less fun when we play real teams and try to play this way and end up on the short end of scores like these!

And why do we think Belmont is a test? They beat Lipscolm by 7 at home and TN State by 8. With that said, I will be pleasantly surprised w a Spider win because Belmont on the road is too big of a win for Mooney to pull off. “It’s very tough to win on the road” he will probably say before the game even starts.

 

[Fatherspider]

You’re totally losing what college sports is about if the only way you derive meaning is by impressing an algorithm.

You’re forgetting that we went 8-22 last season! 8-22!! On this date last year, 11/20, we won our first D1 game and had already lost to Marist, Charlotte, and Bucknell. We didn’t get our 2nd D1 win until after Thanksgiving! After a 8-22 season every game has meaning.

We’ve already matched last year’s OOC wins against D1 teams. And against equally mediocre opponents. Remember that last year’s OOC schedule also included losses to Louisiana Tech, Belmont, W&M, and Florida Gulf Coast. We didn’t have a bad year and then schedule light to trick fans with easy wins. We scheduled light last year and were still bad. 20% of our total wins were against D2 teams!

I don’t think one person was going into this season before our OOC schedule thinking about earning an at-large bid. If you’re watching the games then you’ll see why we’re excited. This team looks nothing like the team we were forced to endure last year.

Oh yea Im losing what college sports is all about… OMFG. Really? What is it about… making a great effort and trying your best? The coach makes $2.5 M a year and so, if that algorithm you speak is what determines whether a team has a chance to dance come March, that $2.5M coach better be trying to impress that algorithm.
So because Mooney’s team was so inept last year, he gets a pass to try to schedule a competitive schedule, and we have to celebrate meaningless wins. No thanks.

 

[Urmite]

I now expect the same score against the next GWU team we play, because all GWUs are the same…

 

[MrTbone]

Exactly, but it seems many here are just happy to schedule and win games that are basically irrelevant to feel good about the team and make Mooney look good. Sad that much of the fanbases expectations are that low for the once very respected Spiders.
So will it be next year that CM thinks his team will be good enough to schedule a meaningful OOC schedule?

Go back and reread the threads on the OOC schedule, no one was much of fan, with very few exceptions.

You’re confusing people being happy with winning with being happy with the schedule. These things can coexist.

 

[RichmondNative]

Go back and reread the threads on the OOC schedule, no one was much of fan, with very few exceptions.

You’re confusing people being happy with winning with being happy with the schedule. These things can coexist.

Totally agree.

Go read the margin of victory thread I started too. I don’t think many are being fooled. Still nice to see the effort and athleticism from the team regardless of opponent.

But I guess @Fatherspider simply likes to make the same point over and over.

 

[97spiderfan]

I HATE the schedule. It is an abomination. Hardt and Mooney should rightly be questioned incessantly (they won't be, but that is another topic) about it. Our MBB program is supposedly our flagship program and one that should be competing at the highest level, this schedule makes a mockery of that. Based on the attendance at the Robins Center, it appears that they have turned off our fan base and our students by playing this rinky dink schedule.

With that said, this team is both exciting and has potential. They are playing with energy and have the true depth that we have talked about every year but this year the team finally has it. We are led by a freshman who brings a level of skill that we have not seen don the Spider uniform since Gilly left.

Are they good enough to make this a really exciting year, I don't know, but I'm also now interested enough to find out.

 

[SpiderLaw05]

I HATE the schedule. It is an abomination. Hardt and Mooney should rightly be questioned incessantly (they won't be, but that is another topic) about it. Our MBB program is supposedly our flagship program and one that should be competing at the highest level, this schedule makes a mockery of that. Based on the attendance at the Robins Center, it appears that they have turned off our fan base and our students by playing this rinky dink schedule.

With that said, this team is both exciting and has potential. They are playing with energy and have the true depth that we have talked about every year but this year the team finally has it. We are led by a freshman who brings a level of skill that we have not seen don the Spider uniform since Gilly left.

Are they good enough to make this a really exciting year, I don't know, but I'm also now interested enough to find out.

Yeah, the schedule is gross. Starting with a D2 team made me really angry. But, here's the thing, as a die hard, I have a choice. I can watch and root or not. So, while we all decry the schedule, we can also be happy that the guys are playing hard and winning.

 

[carolinaspider]

Yeah, the schedule is gross. Starting with a D2 team made me really angry. But, here's the thing, as a die hard, I have a choice. I can watch and root or not. So, while we all decry the schedule, we can also be happy that the guys are playing hard and winning.

A key for me is they are not playing down to level of the competition and have looked more cohesive and comfortable
with each ensuing game.

 

[sman]

Yeah, the schedule is gross. Starting with a D2 team made me really angry. But, here's the thing, as a die hard, I have a choice. I can watch and root or not. So, while we all decry the schedule, we can also be happy that the guys are playing hard and winning.

the team is playing hard, having fun, and gaining confidence. they can only play who's on the floor with them. the schedule wasn't their making. we'll never know how they would have handled a tougher early schedule so to me it doesn't matter.

no, I don't believe that if they aren't great in-conference that it's because the soft schedule didn't prepare them. for year, high majors (Syracuse for example) played nobody all OOC. they still were ready for the Big East. if you're good enough, you're good enough.

we'll see if we're good enough in January.

 

[Spider17]

no, I don't believe that if they aren't great in-conference that it's because the soft schedule didn't prepare them. for year, high majors (Syracuse for example) played nobody all OOC. they still were ready for the Big East. if you're good enough, you're good enough.

Agree and disagree with you here.

Agree that if teams are good enough, they’ll do well in OOC and conference play. So if Florida had our OOC schedule this year, they would still do well in SEC.

I disagree that it doesn’t prepare to play better teams. When playing teams like Gardner Webb or VMI if there moments where we didn’t box out properly or close on an open 3 point shooter quick enough, could hide those deficiencies more because they those teams aren’t talented enough to capitalize the opportunities, whereas a VCU, Dayton, or SLU will be. So that’s what I mean with false confidence. We can beat the lesser teams even if we have a bad shooting night, have several lapses in defense, turn the ball over 10+, etc but that doesn’t mean they’re preparing us adequately for the games against teams where if we do have a bad shooting night, play poor defense, and turn the ball over, will lose the game.

 

[sman]

maybe. but we can also play a tough OOC schedule and still lose to VCU, Dayton and SLU. we've been practicing since June. that's like 150 days in the gym. I don't think 2 or 3 nights against the ACC is going to drastically change our preparation for the A10 season.

if we're good enough, we'll do fine.

 

[97spiderfan]

Yeah, anyone who plays competitive sports, knows that blowouts and playing inferior opponents, does not allow you the same in game stresses and situations as playing high quality competition. You can make mistakes, play looser, go for the highlight play when you know the score is settled.

It is not just the competition is bad, but laughingly bad that is the problem. Yes, getting high majors to play us is challenging but we could have chosen to schedule good mid majors to play. We literally picked some of the worst teams in D-1 to play this year.

 

[RichmondNative]

A key for me is they are not playing down to level of the competition and have looked more cohesive and comfortable
with each ensuing game.

I agree that this is the most important part of the outcome to date. The players are definitely putting in the work and are giving their best effort every game. I am sure part of it is that so many players are playing. If you don’t play your best you surely aren’t going to get any additional time.

The danger is always overconfidence, but one would think that the players know tougher competition lies ahead.

 

[vt4700]

Agree and disagree with you here.

Agree that if teams are good enough, they’ll do well in OOC and conference play. So if Florida had our OOC schedule this year, they would still do well in SEC.

I disagree that it doesn’t prepare to play better teams. When playing teams like Gardner Webb or VMI if there moments where we didn’t box out properly or close on an open 3 point shooter quick enough, could hide those deficiencies more because they those teams aren’t talented enough to capitalize the opportunities, whereas a VCU, Dayton, or SLU will be. So that’s what I mean with false confidence. We can beat the lesser teams even if we have a bad shooting night, have several lapses in defense, turn the ball over 10+, etc but that doesn’t mean they’re preparing us adequately for the games against teams where if we do have a bad shooting night, play poor defense, and turn the ball over, will lose the game.

Also, we will likely have a lot of games in conference where things are close with 4 minutes left. The more of these you play OOC, the better. But, you said it best...it is about the competition preparing you. We will face more athletic and much bigger teams in the A-10. We will just not have any experience playing against these teams in OOC play.

 

[Gallipoli]

When do we actually have a game that will be challenging and meaningful?

Every game we play will be meaningful.