Men's basketball

WYCAT · Post by **WYCAT** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 12:01 pm

I was on the MSU athletics website looking for some scoop on tonight's game and found nothing. Looks like we don't even have a basketball team. I had to go over to Utah Valley State's website to get some information on their team, scedule, etc. I know basketball plays a lot more games than football and lately our BB team hasen't given us much to cheer about but a simple write-up about tonight's game isn't too much to ask is it?

By the way, this team beat Boise State by 19 points so they may not be the cupcake I was hoping for. But then again, I don't know that much about Boise State either.

El_Gato · Post by **El_Gato** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 12:27 pm

The only teams this depleted Cat squad could consider cupcakes would have to include the initials H.S. in their name...

Don't mean to be too negative but can anyone remember the BB outlook being as gloomy 3 weeks into the season as this year is?

Post by **kmax** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:11 pm

Amazing how fast things change isn't it. Pre-season after we won the two exhibition games I was pretty excited for this season. I wasn't exactly harboring thoughts of a Big Sky crown or anything, but I felt at least for the first time in a couple years we would have an exciting BBall team that would remain competitive from start to finish and start to get people interested in Cat Basketball again. In the short few weeks since then, between injuries, a couple hard to swallow come from ahead losses, and some bad off-court happenings and the team is suddenly pushing towards a new low. I hope the Cats can pull off some magic and turn this thing around, but it just doesn't look good right now.

El_Gato · Post by **El_Gato** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:18 pm

And the real scary part is that under Durham, we ALWAYS perform better in the first half of the season than in the second...

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:26 pm

I am willing to give the team a chance. The team has a lot of new players give them a chance too gel before pissing and moaning about them, this team will be alright.

Post by **kmax** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:28 pm

El_Gato wrote:And the real scary part is that under Durham, we ALWAYS perform better in the first half of the season than in the second...

Don't remind me. At this rate of injuries/losing players would it be a surprise to find Durham scouting the MSU intramural games for some bodies come February?

Just kidding of course, but at this point that is about how bleak my current outlook is on Cat BBall. This program needs the same type of shot in the arm the football program needed in the late nineties, tear it down and completely rebuild it.

WYCAT · Post by **WYCAT** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:29 pm

El_Gato wrote:And the real scary part is that under Durham, we ALWAYS perform better in the first half of the season than in the second...

Now you have me really depressed!

Post by **kmax** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:30 pm

mslacat wrote:I am willing to give the team a chance. The team has a lot of new players give them a chance too gel before pissing and moaning about them, this team will be alright.

The team may well be alright, but will it ever be great or even consistently good or exciting as things currently stand? That is the question we need to be asking.

WYCAT · Post by **WYCAT** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:48 pm

Based on attendance this season and lack of interest from the newspapers, school athletic websites, boards such as this one, etc. those of us that are down on the program are not alone.

You are right KMax, it does resemble the football program of the late 90's. I was beginning to wonder if that program could be raised and look where we are now. Not where any of us want it to be but miles ahead of that era. Basketball needs a similar change - whether or not that requires a change of coaches that is above me, but a change is drastically needed.

El_Gato · Post by **El_Gato** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:49 pm

kmax, I know what you are politely getting at and my answer is that competing for a conference championship once every 5 or 6 years (or worse) is BELOW my expectation level for our basketball program. I am confident that Mick is doing his best & working hard & earning his pay, etc. etc. but I will also state that I feel it's time we got a fresh start.

Mick, from what I know of him & have observed, is a good man and runs a clean program. His athletes are generally good students and prior to last week, I don't remember any of them really bringing any negative press to the program.

That being said, however, I haven't felt any REAL enthusiasm for Bobcat Basketball since the days of Nico & Quadre and that is WAY too long ago for my tastes. Yes, we had the great run a few years ago that unfortunately ended with a griz dunking us out of our own gym, but seasons like that one have been rare. I want to feel about Bobcat Basketball the way Kramer makes me feel about Bobcat Football...

I will go on record as stating that I don't think it would hurt our BBall program to look in a new direction (and yes, I realize that this is "anonymous"; but enough of you know who I really am). As long as Mick is our coach, however, I will continue to support him & hope that we go undefeated each & every year. I will also state that the ONLY game I've attended in the last few years was that infamous semi-final loss to the griz; it's like anything else, success breeds both interest & support.

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 2:00 pm

I knew the minute I posted, " the team will be alright" I would get the comments like, is alright good enough. Well I am not going to play word games with you, but give this team a chance before you condemn it. This thread was about "this years" team playing a game tonight, and that is what i was addressing. As far as the long term health of the team. Last year i was in the group talking of doom for the future of the team. I was critical of Durham and the descitions he made. Since then the rules have changed back to favoting Durham's way of running a team. This years team is the first step in getting us back to where we need to be. I never thought this years team would be all world, but I also never thought it was a last place team. What I want to see is a team pointing towards the 2005-2006 season where I want it to be a team that WILL contend for a leage title, that is my hope for this team. Nothing has changed. I still fell we can accomplish this.

WYCAT · Post by **WYCAT** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 2:05 pm

That is fair enough MslaCat. I will say that Mick has had some bad "luck" the past few seasons. Losing Damir Latovic and then Shea Washington in back to back seasons really hurt us. I think the next two seasons are critical to his staying around though. He better get us headed in the right direction this season - above .500 and at least into the conference tournament, and then next season we better be contending for the crown. Not making a 6 team field in an 8 team conference two years running is pathetic.

El_Gato · Post by **El_Gato** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 2:08 pm

msla,

I'm not condemning this team. I'm using the opportunity this thread provided to state my view of our program. I can honestly say that even if this team runs the table in the Big Sky and makes it to the Big Dance, I'd still say it was time for a change...

By the way, the rules were the same for ALL coaches; you make it sound as if Mick had no choices about how he dealt with them. I'm sorry, but if they change the rules on you & you don't change accordingly, you lose...

CARDIAC_CATS · Post by **CARDIAC_CATS** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 2:11 pm

Its still a little too early to get down on the team. Yes, if you look on paper we could be down again this year maybe (especially with the Brown fiasco), but if Durham can get this team playing as a TEAM they should be competitive enough to play with anyone in the Big Sky I think. The next 3-5 games should tell us I think where we are I would think. Basketball is a little different than football where you can still have a decent team even with inferior talent if you get all 5 players on the same page as a team. Chemisty is very important in hoops.

This all saying, I'm not going to annoint this team Big Sky Champs just yet, but our remaining players need to buckle up and get ready to bust their butts for the 'TEAM' concept. Also, if they aren't as good as some teams talent wise, we need to excel at the little things ... .FREETHROWS/NOT TURNING THE BALL OVER/ASSISTS/STEALS etc. Those small things can really add up and help your team.

I watched Wyoming play against Arizona. While they will have the size advantage over MSU overall, I was not impressed with their big men's skills at all .... .especially their rebounding skills (defensive especially). I also didn't like how they run their offense as well. Too much dribbling up top by the guards and no offside cut throughs/penetration at all. Way too much standing around. This is not to say I don't like Wyoming (WYCAT

). If MSU can run the court, block out and get some offensive rebound (which I think they will) they might stand a chance in this one. I'm looking forward to watching the Dissly/Levens matchup as they are both about the same size similiar athletic ability.

Post by **kmax** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 2:14 pm

msla, my apologies for using semantics to further my point, but as gato said I am trying to state my view of things overall. Something needs to change to get the program kickstarted again. I will refrain from saying that needs to be a coaching change because I have the utmost respect for Durham and what he means to Bobcat Basketball, but some sort of change is needed to get things going again. If it is the repeal of the 5/8 rule then great I hope we see it in the next few years. But if it is not are we prepared to have this same conversation for the next three years?

WYCAT · Post by **WYCAT** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 2:15 pm

Glad you mentioned the Wyoming game Cardiac. I am looking forward to that one - I will get to see the Cats on TV for the first time. I think it should be a close game at least - Wyoming had a lot of roster turnover from last season as did we. They are still working out the kinks so I don't see us getting blown out at all. For once I would like to beat them - it is tough living here as a Cat fan. The football loss a couple of years ago cost me plenty. I have quit wagering as much on the BB team.

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 3:00 pm

OK three games into this season, we hung with Washington State, Took SMU into over time and lost to San Jose State by one. 6 newcomers. lets not start the gloom and doom ............ yet.(':roll:')

Cat Pride · Post by **Cat Pride** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 3:22 pm

mslacat wrote:OK three games into this season, we hung with Washington State, Took SMU into over time and lost to San Jose State by one. 6 newcomers. lets not start the gloom and doom ............ yet.(':roll:')

I am willing to give Mick and these kids the benefit of doubt, but I am also a realist. My guess is 6 of the 8 teams in the Big Sky would be 2-1 or 3-0 against those 3 teams. Wazzu being the only team that should give BSC teams any trouble, and I'd wager on the BSC team in most of those contests - even if played in Pullman.

Saying all that, I still say go Cats. I will still make the Border War in Billings, plus the 4-5 Saturday (and Sunday) conference home games this season to show my support. I know its not much, but Thursday games are a b*#%! to get to. Thank God for Omega on Thursdays.

velochat · Post by **velochat** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 4:35 pm

There was a story in today's paper:

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articl ... uhoops.txt

MSUcantouchus · Post by **MSUcantouchus** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 9:57 pm

the bball team may or may not stink but one thing is for sure, CHAMP STINKS.

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