Just got back from the basketball game. One thing sticks out.

[gravedigger]

This team plays basketball the way it's supposed to be played.

They aren't nearly as talented as any of Richard Williams or Stansbury's teams, but they play the game hard. I only saw a few instances of us not crashing a board. We play tough defense and prevent penetration. We pressure the ball out front.

Id say Ray is doing the best right now with what he has to work with and sure, he has to recruit, but I have no doubt that he can do the job. Those who have equated him to Croom are just dead wrong. Our kids are giving the effort that, had the previous kids played with, we'd have been sweet 16 easily.

Beat Ray up late next year or the year after if he hasn't raised the level of wins and competitiveness against good teams, but this is year two and he's doing fine. Sure the competition tonight was not that good, and we didn't shoot the ball all that well in the beginning. But I was watching for hustle away from the ball and team chemistry. We certainly have kids that understand and give their best to execute what he's teaching.

That's my rah, rah for the night.

Oh, I overheard something tonight that was surprising. Both Clemson and Central Florida are struggling to sell their 13,000 tickets to their bowl games. Central Florida has barely sold 5000.

[601Dawg]

Playing the game hard don't get you wins against the Kentuckys and Floridas of the SEC heck it doesn't get us wins vs LSU, Bama or Vandy

Ray needs more size and talent and if he doesn't it's gonna cost him his job.

[BogeyGolfer]

Oh, I overheard something tonight that was surprising. Both Clemson and Central Florida are struggling to sell their 13,000 tickets to their bowl games. Central Florida has barely sold 5000.

That's surprising from Clemson, they usually travel really well no matter the bowl. I'm not surprised by UCF, imagine the cost of traveling from Orlando to Arizona and to watch Baylor... I know they are tough this year but I bet it would cost nearly $2000k easy to make that trip. That's why an eight team playoff is needed.

[rabbitthedawg]

I'll give Rick Ray a leash this year, but if he doesn't start recruiting, it won't be pretty down the road.

[RC3]

I too have seen enough to be convinced that the guy can flat out coach a good game. But he is going to have to get some players in here to be successful. Complete opposite of stans. I'm hoping he can pick it up a bit in recruiting and I believe he will have success

[maroonmania]

This team plays basketball the way it's supposed to be played.


I'm certainly glad that we looked that way last night, granted against a bad team. The only game I've been able to watch was the TCU game on TV and I definitely didn't come away with that impression that we were "playing the game the way it's supposed to be played". Hopefully we are slowly and steadily improving. One thing about last night from the boxscore that made me feel better is we shot free throws reasonably well.

[smootness]

One thing about last night from the boxscore that made me feel better is we shot free throws reasonably well.

We shot FTs very well for a college team last night. It'll come back down because Sword isn't going to hit 10-12 maybe ever again, but last night was a great FT shooting night.

But again, this has little to do with coaching. I'm not going to criticize Ray when we struggle from the line, and I won't praise him when we don't.

[HoopsDawg]

You are supposed to play hard. Every team plays hard. Stansbury's teams played hard with the exception of 1 player.

[MadDawg]

TCU game on TV and I definitely didn't come away with that impression that we were "playing the game the way it's supposed to be played".

I had the same impression. Diffucult to watch would be the way I'd describe it. A team made for the radio is another apt description.

[gravedigger]

no they didnt. It wasnt called the motionless offense for no reason. They took turns shooting.

This team actually gets after it.

[Big4Dawg]

Didn't watch game, but looked at box score. How bad is Fred Thomas playing right now. 2-11? 0-6 from 3?

In his last 3 games, he has shot 12/43 for 28%. and 2/18 from 3.

[maroonmania]

Didn't watch game, but looked at box score. How bad is Fred Thomas playing right now. 2-11? 0-6 from 3?

In his last 3 games, he has shot 12/43 for 28%. and 2/18 from 3.

How does a guy that was a very good shooter and scorer in HS just all of a sudden lose it in college. I know there is more defensive pressure at the college level but it has to be mental at this point with him. The extra weight likely hasn't helped either but he struggled shooting the ball a lot last year.

[MadDawg]

People see what they want to see.

[thf24]

People see what they want to see.

The irony here is almost unbearable.

[hailmari]

I don't know what's up with Fred, I thought he was the best of the freshman last year but now he can't even buy a bucket.

I've always liked how Ray's team gets after it and stay scrappy, but man did losing Wendell Lewis hurt.. I'm not sure what he did to get cut but Lewis hurt this team bad. Just one extra legit big man would've made a huge difference this season.

[ED_Walk_On]

Playing the game hard don't get you wins against the Kentuckys and Floridas of the SEC heck it doesn't get us wins vs LSU, Bama or Vandy

Ray needs more size and talent and if he doesn't it's gonna cost him his job.

No shit. All the OP was saying is that Ray is doing a good job. You think he should already be awesome?

[ED_Walk_On]

How bad is Fred Thomas playing right now.

Seriously. What's up with Fred?

[Irondawg]

i think we all need to see this team play more. For most of us the TCU game as the only time we've watched and honestly that was basically unwatchable basketball. And it wasn't just a lot of scoring talent - we didn't look good in a lot of fundamental areas.

But i don't think we're that bad all the time so I'm reserving judgement until i see them play at least 3 times.

Personnel wise though the only people playing better than last year are Sword, Johnson and maybe Bloodman.

[Coach34]

They said he was defending hard and he was hitting the boards- but he just cant shoot for shit right now. He needs to spend some extra hours in the practice facility working thru it

[MadDawg]

The irony here is almost unbearable.

Yet it's probably one of the most accurate statements ever made on this, or any, sports message board.

[TopDog58]

People see what they want to see.

Do you and Bury still get together, wrap yourselves in those SEC West banners and have a good cry?

[MadDawg]

[delete]

[Coach34]

Do you and Bury still get together, wrap yourselves in those SEC West banners and have a good cry?

post of the day- now that was funny...sorry MD

[MarketingBully01]

Yeah, the TCU game was shit. They were a shitty team and we were down by 16+ to them. What I took from last night looking at the box score is it looked like Borchet finally was starting to hit. If we only have Sword scoring, we will be a very shitty team. Kudos to beating a team that has lost a lot of close games. Right now I think we are better then Georgia, USC, and Auburn. We should be able to beat teams like A&M, LSU, Arkansas, and Ole Miss at home. We should be able to get 6-8 wins in conference if we can get contributions from Borchert, Ware, and a few points from Thomas. Everything else is gravy. We are a semi talented middle of the pack SEC team. We should expect 6-8 wins in the SEC with that schedule as bad as the SEC is. As far as Frank Martin going to USC Coach, that was a career killer for him. He won't win there. No one has with any consistency and no one will because they are shit in basketball. Georgia and Auburn are similar hell holes.

[gravedigger]

Colin had a decent game but applewhite was our player if the game. Ware put in a good effort too.

Again it was weak competition but I wasn't looking for great individual performance as I was chemistry and hustle away from the ball.

I encourage state fans when they watch a game to focus on the paint and the non ball side of the half court. You will notice a Stark difference from 2 plus years ago.

[gtowndawg]

All kidding aside, I'm not necessarily for Ray or against him. I just don't seem to care anymore. But 10 years ago it was probably my favorite sport. I just can't understand why I don't care. And not just us, I haven't watched more than 15 minutes of college basketball combined this year. Duke, UNC, etc.

Maybe if we got competitive again, it would make me care more about the sport as a whole?

[drunkernhelldawg]

All kidding aside, I'm not necessarily for Ray or against him. I just don't seem to care anymore. But 10 years ago it was probably my favorite sport. I just can't understand why I don't care. And not just us, I haven't watched more than 15 minutes of college basketball combined this year. Duke, UNC, etc.

Maybe if we got competitive again, it would make me care more about the sport as a whole?

That's me too. And the idea that we've ever had a team that didn't "play hard" shows an incredible lack of understanding of competitive sports. It happens, but it is so rare as to be almost nonexistent at the SEC or professional level. No player stays on the court if he doesn't "play hard."

But great win yesterday. Hope we can find a way to compete against mid-level SEC teams. It could happen.

[TopDog58]

All kidding aside, I'm not necessarily for Ray or against him. I just don't seem to care anymore. But 10 years ago it was probably my favorite sport. I just can't understand why I don't care. And not just us, I haven't watched more than 15 minutes of college basketball combined this year. Duke, UNC, etc.

Maybe if we got competitive again, it would make me care more about the sport as a whole?

I'm the same way. If I see that we are playing on TV and I have nothing else going on ill glance at it. But other than that ESPN is basically unwatchable for me this time of year.

I was in school during from 92-96 and I never missed a game. Even during Bury's early tenure it was the same way. But since we never made a deep run or were always sweating out an NCAA bid I lost interest in the tourney altogether. I just don't care for the sport of NCAA basketball anymore.

[smootness]

That's me too. And the idea that we've ever had a team that didn't "play hard" shows an incredible lack of understanding of competitive sports. It happens, but it is so rare as to be almost nonexistent at the SEC or professional level. No player stays on the court if he doesn't "play hard."

But great win yesterday. Hope we can find a way to compete against mid-level SEC teams. It could happen.

I agree with this for the most part, but there are certainly different levels of what 'playing hard' means. There are a lot of teams who want to win and compete to do so. There are some teams who play with urgency all game long and never stop coming at you with everything they have; not every team plays that way. Then there are some teams, on rare occasions, that just show up and are not into it.

Stans' last team was pretty darn close to that last example. You can't tell me that Sidney played hard, but he definitely kept playing.

[ED_Walk_On]

And the idea that we've ever had a team that didn't "play hard" shows an incredible lack of understanding of competitive sports. It happens, but it is so rare as to be almost nonexistent at the SEC or professional level. No player stays on the court if he doesn't "play hard."

The teams thought they were playing hard. The coaches probably thought they were playing hard. So it wasn't like they weren't trying. Stansbury teams weren't really ever taught what playing hard on defense was. And on offense it just looked like they weren't playing hard because no one taught them how to play without the ball in their hands.