MBB vs. Portland Pilots

[BelgradeBobcat]

I know it's hard to think about hoops right now with the overwhelming excitement about the football team. But today at 2PM we have the rare opportunity to see a non-conference home game. We'll be playing the Portland Pilots of the WCC. UP is coached by former EWU coach Shantay Legans. The Bobcats already have beaten UP this season in a close one at the UIW tournament. Come to campus, revel in the energy created by the football team and cheer on Coach Sprinkle and the MSU hoops team.

[MSU01]

Oh.my, Cats are shooting 1-15 so far and 0-8 for three. Lucky to be behind by only 9.

[MSU01]

This has to be a historically bad shooting performance. 3-22 and two of the makes are dunks.

Now 3-27!! I have never seen anything like this before.

[GavinDonos]

I’m trying really hard to think of an uglier first half of men’s college basketball… can’t.

[nevadacat]

Has to be one of the worst halves of basketball I’ve ever seen, and that goes for both teams.

[Rich K]

Heaving the ball at the basket from half court on every possession ought to create more than 16 points.

[MSU01]

It looks like both teams are playing blindfolded.

Watch them both come out and shoot 60% in the second half...

[Rich K]

Wow great second half and fantastic shot for the win! One hell of a weekend for the Cats!

[MSU01]

Cats may have gotten lucky there with the foul not called on the last play, but we'll take it! Ugliest win you'll ever see but they fought their asses off through a historically bad shooting performance in the first half and kept it close enough to come back with defensive effort throughout.

[HelenaCat]

Portland is the most obnoxious and cocky team I have ever seen, but maybe I am just forgetting how obnoxious EWU was under Legans. It was so much fun to come back and beat them. We had the lead during this game exactly the last 10 seconds. Probably very fortunate to win, but couldn’t happen to a better and more classy coach than Legans (sarcasm button is on).

[Ilikecats]

Portland is the most obnoxious and cocky team I have ever seen, but maybe I am just forgetting how obnoxious EWU was under Legans. It was so much fun to come back and beat them. We had the lead during this game exactly the last 10 seconds. Probably very fortunate to win, but couldn’t happen to a better and more classy coach than Legans (sarcasm button is on).

Got no problems with Legans. He’s a helluva coach and knows how to win. I thought he made a bad move to Portland, but he’s quickly turning that program around. Is he cocky? Absolutely! Is his teams always cocky? Of course they are, but the confidence that the team and program has seems to positively impact everyone. I hate playing against his teams, because the players are well coached and act like they’re going to win every game.

I got a feeling he’s going to improve the Portland Pilot program. He’s a winner, I’m just glad it wasn’t against the Bobcats!

[BelgradeBobcat]

Wow-both teams were absolutely awful in the first half. Especially the Bobcats who were close to not hitting double figures. Sprinkle said there was some flu running through the team. Certainly Patterson appeared to be an unhealthy shade of gray. Portland was coming off a busy stretch of games and maybe didn't have their legs. I guess it all evened out.

Legans is crafty. The last play was designed to draw a foul and it almost worked. He had the in-bounder run the baseline. Mohamed shadowed him. Then a UP player set up a screen. Mohamed bumped him but the player setting the screen wasn't really set and he flopped. Fortunately, the refs swallowed their whistle and UP's shot fell harmlessly. Legans was pissed and chewed on the refs while the handshake lines formed. He and Sprinkle hugged each other afterwards.

As I've said before, this is the most talented Bobcat men's team in a generation-but they'll probably still end up in the middle of the pack in the Big Sky. They're prone to long stretches of incompetence on the offensive end. They're not clutch at the free throw line, and they miss a ton of close in contested shots that D-1 players should make to draw three-point play opportunities. They do play good defense, which kept them in a few games until their offense came around. Xavier Bishop continues to confound me. He does so many brilliant things but turns it over too much and takes too many circus shots.

[WalkOn79]

Cats may have gotten lucky there with the foul not called on the last play, but we'll take it! Ugliest win you'll ever see but they fought their asses off through a historically bad shooting performance in the first half and kept it close enough to come back with defensive effort throughout.

Watched the replay. Really good no-call on the inbounds on what was an obvious flop.

[BelgradeBobcat]

[MSU01]

Cats may have gotten lucky there with the foul not called on the last play, but we'll take it! Ugliest win you'll ever see but they fought their asses off through a historically bad shooting performance in the first half and kept it close enough to come back with defensive effort throughout.

Watched the replay. Really good no-call on the inbounds on what was an obvious flop.

I agree, total flop but the Big Sky refs quite often fall for them and blow the whistle.

[GrizgradCatFan]

I will say it again I think next year they are a better team. I know it sounds odd to talk about it now, but I like the bench and a couple of the guys who will be around again next year.

[aucat]

Regarding Legans and his players, I swear in the first half I thought they were all on something. Legans and the players were acting absolutely crazy insane. There was one kid on the bench, number 10, who would jump up and scream and go crazy when one of their players would simply make a free throw; or one of our players would miss a free throw. Legans was screaming, running up and down the bench, going nuts.

But then the second half they all calmed down and acted normal. SO WEIRD