Game Thread - GMU @ RC Tuesday 2/10 7pm ESPN+

[gospidersgo]

It seemed like a concerted effort from the start last night to get up shots earlier in the shot clock, push tempo, double team on D, etc. Not sure if this was a Mooney decision or just the players motivated to pull out of a slump but clearly it worked. Mason was on their heels from the first minute and never really recovered. I know most of us badly want a new coach (and last night's result doesn't change that one bit for me), but it felt good to see the players pull together for a surprise win like that.

Sidenote - that alley-oop from Johnston to Robinson was wild. We could see the play developing and I was thinking there was no way he could get to it as the pass was being thrown. JRob has elite athleticism that we rarely see at UR.

 

[*23*]

In regards to the offensive strategy. That is what we saw in the OOC, and even worked vs Belmont. Why did we stop in conference play. My assumption was better competition made it hard to implement. Or was it Mooney reverting to the mean and a magnet to bad decisions making?

 

[MrTbone]

In regards to the offensive strategy. That is what we saw in the OOC, and even worked vs Belmont. Why did we stop in conference play. My assumption was better competition made it hard to implement. Or was it Mooney reverting to the mean and a magnet to bad decisions making?

They missed a ton of shots, so being able to run is easier for sure when that happens.

There’s zero chance that the guys just went out and free wheeled the game plan.

 

[carolinaspider]

Also beagle gotta be smarter. That flagrant was so unnecessary

Glad we had good lead and he could be bench disciplined.

 

[Kneepad McKinney]

Not really, mostly schedule is worse. We will see how it plays out. We were on the bubble for an at large once in 15 years. Let that sink in dudester.

I get the point of what you are saying, but you can get the point across while also being factual. We were on the bubble Covid year, and we were literally the first team left out TJ's final year.

Again, I understand and agree with your point, but what you are saying is inaccurate.

 

[Kneepad McKinney]

Terrible attitude. Are you even watching?? We play like this rest of year, watch out. We'll knock off a few in A-10 tournament AND beat VCU Saturday just watch.

SpiderWill has never steered us wrong...

 

[Kneepad McKinney]

Thoroughly enjoyed that win. Said "great job" out loud to the television multiple times while we were playing defense, and I can't remember doing that more than once or twice this year prior to last night. Fought to get around screens and avoid bad matchups, guys moved feet laterally better, we generally actively went for rebounds. The difference in level of sustained effort was obvious.

Great job by coaches and players yesterday.

 

[*23*]

Yes, great job. So that leads me to believe A) Our players do have the physical ability to

I get the point of what you are saying, but you can get the point across while also being factual. We were on the bubble Covid year, and we were literally the first team left out TJ's final year.

Again, I understand and agree with your point, but what you are saying is inaccurate.

Thanks for your daily corrections, I will try to be better.

 

[*23*]

Thoroughly enjoyed that win. Said "great job" out loud to the television multiple times while we were playing defense, and I can't remember doing that more than once or twice this year prior to last night. Fought to get around screens and avoid bad matchups, guys moved feet laterally better, we generally actively went for rebounds. The difference in level of sustained effort was obvious.

Great job by coaches and players yesterday.

This leads me to believe: A) The players on this team do have the physical ability to play good defense B) the point i have been trying to drive home the last 10 years: Mooney does not enforce the defensive attitude, and does not scheme well when he does have weak areas.

That has been the biggest complaint, he really really just ignores major parts of the game (like his idiotic comments about watching Florida offensive rebound and ***light bulb** thinking hmm that is a good idea) , just fluffing them off - and not correcting poor defense.

It's like a football team that is good on offense and special teams but gives up 35 points on defense. Why not try at everything?

 

[97spiderfan]

I'm sure it felt good for the players to finally win one, so congrats to them. Felt like this was one of those games where we came out incredibly hot and Mason was incredibly off their game. We fulfilled Mooney's typical postgame analysis of we need to hit more shots really well last night.

The Robins Center might have been as empty as I ever saw it for a conference game against a high quality opponent.

 

[ManiBenton]

I'm sure it felt good for the players to finally win one, so congrats to them. Felt like this was one of those games where we came out incredibly hot and Mason was incredibly off their game. We fulfilled Mooney's typical postgame analysis of we need to hit more shots really well last night.

The Robins Center might have been as empty as I ever saw it for a conference game against a high quality opponent.

yeah i made a note of that, Nobody was there man

 

[97spiderfan]

Also beagle gotta be smarter. That flagrant was so unnecessary

Agree if this was a close game but it wasn't. Don't know what if anything precipitated him doing that but it was out of character for him, so I assume he was on the receiving end of something.

I personally don't mind, players mixing it up, so long as it doesn't cost us the game. I do wish Mooney wouldn't have benched him the rest of the game for showing some fire out there.

 

[CityStadiumFan]

I also predict we won't be in the play in round/pillow right. Bookmark it

What goals!

 

[97spiderfan]

yeah i made a note of that, Nobody was there man

Have to wonder what the VCU game is going to be like. I suspect it is 50-50 at best and perhaps not a sellout, unless VCU fans buy up all of the remaining tickets.

 

[sman]

bump.
I don't understand trap games, but I can spot them.
I doubt the book lost even one bet on this game.

 

[*23*]

Wow, just looked at the official site. Crazy how many seats are left

VCU

VCU

richmondspiders.evenue.net

I know attendance is down (I think in college sports in general - though like I relied on Bstone for my bubble stats knee - I am not positive about that stat), but for this game this is wild. I mean it was just a couple years ago that you had to buy one in a multi game package, and then the cheapest on re-sale market was over $100. A reflection on VCU too - but again the game just doesn't mean as much when so one sided.

 

[sman]

guess vcufan can stop buying our season tickets.

 

[gospidersgo]

FMRick hardest hit

 

[*23*]

Agree, it did not seem like we heard about as many targets this last offseason. Buddy Simmons is one we could have used. Yes, another smaller guard, but from what I have seen he is much more adept at creating shots - closer to a Jordan King than the guys on our roster.

The year before that we missed out on Chris Manon to Vanderbilt. He was a role player there -but he is a strong athletic two way player that again could help in more than offense.

Hmm, I think AI just trolled me, hadn't thought about Manon in a minute and then this came through my X feed:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021457073826038262

 

[carolinaspider]

Agree if this was a close game but it wasn't. Don't know what if anything precipitated him doing that but it was out of character for him, so I assume he was on the receiving end of something.

I personally don't mind, players mixing it up, so long as it doesn't cost us the game. I do wish Mooney wouldn't have benched him the rest of the game for showing some fire out there.

97 if we had not had such a large lead, CM might have let him go back in at one point. Bob Black said Mooney was close to getting Teed up! What Beagle did was pretty blatant and something could have happened earlier that had really frustrated Beagle. Still no excuse for a dumb retaliation.