GSC Basketball

[urban legend]

Maybe TreyUCA can help me out or somebody else, but just how good is UCA's men team? Right now, I think Delta State and UAM are probably 1-2 in the West, with UCA, OBU and HSU closely behind. I would put Harding up there, but without Matt Hall, I can't see them finishing ahead of the others.

[D-way Trey]

I've only seen them play one game and that was against OBU on Saturday. I won't be at the Tech game tonight, but I'll be at HSU on Thursday (in Conway).

Here's my summary of the team:
Darryl Jones is the lone returner from last year - and I don't just mean starter.
Jones is the top scorer and is good.
LeMar Phillips has really stepped up recently and is a huge part of why UCA beat OBU.

UCA won despite shooting 19% in the first half. What doesn't make much sense is that such poor shooting from the floor didn't transfer to the line where the Bears shot 90% for the game.
The game tonight could show a lot because of ATU's inside game/size that UCA may not be able to match up with. UCA doesn't shoot a ton of 3's (and against OBU they actually shot a better % from long range).

Anyway, UCA is a better team than OBU. Although the Lions played tough defense - which also sent UCA to the FT line 27 times - I think UCA wins that game 7 out of 10 times.

I can't comment much on other teams until I see more I guess. I'll be back Friday to talk about the HSU game in Conway. Until then, I think it's safe to say DSU and UAM are considered the front runners right now. UAM's pre-GSC schedule could certainly be a big advantage down the road.

[zpp]

I BELIEVE THE GSC WILL END UP LIKE THIS: 1. DELTA  2. UCA 3. UAM 4. OBU 5. HARDING 6. HSU 7. CBU 8. ATU 9. SAU

[urban legend]

You're right. ATU's inside game is pretty salty, with the 6-7 guy from Ivory Coast. But I think UAM showed that as long as you front the big men and rely on back side help, you can quickly turn a size disadvantage into an advantage. They did it against ATU (won by 19) and they did it against HSU (won by 9 after leading by 23). ATU's got a really good transfer guard and a point guard that's decent, but the team appears to get rattled easy. But I guess we'll see.

[R. A.™]

I think it will finish  UCA, Delta St, UAM, HSU, OB?

Uam is the only team other than HSU I've seen play. Stop Nate Newell and you have stop UAM, especially since the big man was kicked off the team.

[SouthpawSensation]

Newell kicked Billy McDaniel off the squad?
If that's the case, then whatever the over-under is for four-letter words Newell will say during a basketball, take your money and go over. You'll finish well ahead on that.

[R. A.™]

Newell kicked Billy McDaniel off the squad?
If that's the case, then whatever the over-under is for four-letter words Newell will say during a basketball, take your money and go over. You'll finish well ahead on that.

I don't think it was him, but it was someone that they were counting on. Said that they are going to red-shirt him

Your right about Newell and the 4 - letter words. We played them Saturday night and UAM fans complained about the music (ESPN Jock Jams) being played during the game as being very unappropriate , but denied that there was a problem with the language on the sideline of the men's game from their bench....go figure!

[SouthpawSensation]

I know what you mean concerning the music. I remember the last time I was at "The Pit" that the music was blaring, and it was sort of cold in there.

[herws]

Billy McDaniel is still there. UAM will end up 3rd or 4th when season ends. Delta State is the cream of the crop right now. They are national championship contenders along with Montevallo in the GSC East.

[Yee-Haw]

Jonathan Holland was the big fella that was kicked off the team. Something fishy there. This is UAM we're talking about. He must have murdered somebody for Newell to cut him loose

HSU is way off the map this year. 0-3 and sinking like a stone.

[urban legend]

Holland was actually kicked off for what was termed as "conduct detrimental to the team".... translation: smoking weed. That's not opinion, that's fact. But they are trying to redshirt him.

[herws]

I can confirm that also.

[R. A.™]

I know what you mean concerning the music. I remember the last time I was at "The Pit" that the music was blaring, and it was sort of cold in there.

I'm talking about our place ( Wells Center) The UAM fans were complaining about HSU's music

[sportscaster]

I would not count out harding even without Matt Hall. The still beat Alabama Huntsville and have already beaten Monticello . Even with a 1-2 record to start conference play, they should be a top three contender in this division.

[urban legend]

I think that aside from Delta State, the other four tournament spots are up for grabs. SAU, which no one figured would contend, beat Harding last night and Henderson State, which was 0-2 or 0-3 in GSC play, beat UCA. Go figure.

[R. A.™]

The tournament spots for the West probably won't be decided until the end.

[urban legend]

The very end. But I do think a team like Henderson State can get on a roll. They're too big, and too talented to be near the bottom. But I also think that a team like Harding, UCA or even UAM, can dwindle down the stretch. But there isn't a game where anyone can say that this team is going to beat that team. Delta State is beatable, but it'll take a great effort from someone to do that.

[SouthpawSensation]

I know what you mean concerning the music. I remember the last time I was at "The Pit" that the music was blaring, and it was sort of cold in there.

I'm talking about our place ( Wells Center) The UAM fans were complaining about HSU's music

Oh, please. I've been at Wells before, too, and it's been a class act every time I've been there. It's Monticello where I can't wait to get out the moment I arrive.

[trojanman]

after watching uca play about 4 times i can say that they have got to be one of the most unfundemental team i have seen joey cortez is the bright spot idc how much jones scores.  their leading rebounder averages 5.5 a game or something like that.  my question is y didnt they play bigger and better schools in the non-conference schedule i mean we are bumping up next year u would think that we would try to prepare for it playing people better than u makes u better.  when i was in high school my coach would schedule 10 games or so against AAAAA teams and we were only AAA and that made it alot easier when conference came around.  if uca gets 2nd or 3rd in the GSC then we are just in a super weak conference or D2 in general doesnt have good ball players. 

[D-way Trey]

I don't know about all of that. I think the GSC is a pretty good conference this season. Three teams are in the top 25.  Just look at teams like UAM who was 7-4 (against some pretty good competition) who's now just 3-3 in the GSC. Or Tech who started 9-2 and is now 10-7 after the GSC started. I know both of those teams lost key players, but still only two GSC teams have losing records on the entire season, meaning that they preconference games by these teams were mostly wins.

Joey Cortez plays very well at times, but he has spurts of bad decisions. Overall, a good pickup for UCA who has 22 more assists than turnovers this season.
Daryl Jones is the leading scorer and has only been held to single-digits once in conference play.
UCA's main weakness personel-wise is the lack of an inside game on offense (the two big guys average a combined 10 points/game).

Their main weakness as a team is not being able to close out games. They were up 10 vs. Delta State and lost. There were up 11 vs. UAM and escaped with a one-point win.
I think the team takes a few breaks throughout the game, but when they finally turn up the intensity, they can play. And they should easily finish 2nd or 3rd in the West Division.

In my opinion, UCA's better than Henderson, but was outplayed by them the first game. They were down only two with 10 minutes left and then went scoreless for the next four minutes. The same thing in the games above. They have trouble from minutes 30-40 and that will kill you.
The key game in the second half of the conference season will be @ Delta State. DSU has some tremendous inside players (built like Glen Davis of LSU) - two of them - and if UCA can find a way to win that game, they might end up the top team in the West.

[herws]

I think UCA is very much a good team. They are the second best team in the West. Delta State is head and shoulders above everybody else. There have been some teams play them close, but they are deep and strong at every position and have D 1 like size like they did in the late nineties. They might get beat a few games between now and the tourney b/c it is hard to run the table in the toughest league in the nation in D 2, but they are a pretty salty team.

UCA is gonna be there, Chappell can coach, and they have some talent. They played thi ssame way last year as well.

[urban legend]

Agree with boys of you guys about UCA. The lack of a true inside threat is really the main thing that's hindering them right now. That's the same with UAM and Harding. But on the flip side, teams like Henderson have the big guys inside, but have got too many "wanna be stars" on the outside that have a hard time sharing the ball. On paper, HSU should be the most intimidating team in the league. During pre-game warm-ups, they look like they should roll over any and everybody they play. But once the game starts, it's easy to see their problems. But the GSC is a very good conference and the parity between the teams is unbelievable. DSU is the best team in the league, with Montevallo and Alabama-Huntsville right behind them. But all three can be beaten and all three have survived a bunch of close games.

[herws]

I can't wait to go to Tupelo. I am hoping for a DSU/Montevallo match-up sometime during the tourney.

[urban legend]

Honestly, I think everyone that follows GSC basketball is hoping that'll happen in the title game. But with the way the year has gone, you could have a Valdosta State-UCA match-up in the finals; a West Georgia-UAM game; a Alabama-Huntsville-HSU game. But the DSU-Montevallo is what everyone's pointing towards.

[SouthpawSensation]

I can't wait to go to Tupelo. I am hoping for a DSU/Montevallo match-up sometime during the tourney.

Tupelo is a pretty good place to have a basketball tournament. I really like the city, but the turnout there isn't that great from the local people. Simply put, there's no interest in Tupelo. That's why the GSC is moving the basketball and softball tournaments.

[R. A.™]

Tupelo is a pretty good place to have a basketball tournament. I really like the city, but the turnout there isn't that great from the local people. Simply put, there's no interest in Tupelo. That's why the GSC is moving the basketball and softball tournaments.

Tupelo is alright place, but it isn't good. I never have understood why there is an arena there! There is nothing to attract people there. Southhaven maybe better, I would prefer to see it in Hot Springs.

[SouthpawSensation]

Tupelo is a pretty good place to have a basketball tournament. I really like the city, but the turnout there isn't that great from the local people. Simply put, there's no interest in Tupelo. That's why the GSC is moving the basketball and softball tournaments.

Tupelo is alright place, but it isn't good. I never have understood why there is an arena there! There is nothing to attract people there. Southhaven maybe better, I would prefer to see it in Hot Springs.

Hot Springs hosting the GSC tournament is never going to happen because the East Division schools would have a fit, although GSC Commissioner Nate Salant wouldn't mind (any place where there are horses is a good place for Nate!). In fact, the East schools didn't like the fact of having the tournaments at a neutral site. They would much rather have it like the old days, when one division champion would host the men's tourney and the other host the women's tourney and alternate ever year.
As far as Tupelo and the arena, it used to host a minor league hockey team there (Tupelo T-Rex). That, however, faded in time.

[herws]

Southaven will be a great location. Memphis and Tunica being the big attractions, and the Desoto Civic Center is a great facility.

[urban legend]

I second that. The DeSoto Center is a great facility, but I think the proximity to Memphis and Tunica is what sold them on it.

[herws]

There is no question about it. 

[wawa111]

did you see the thumping UAM put on Harding last night...GO WEEVILS!

[urban legend]

I felt that UAM would beat them in the rematch, but not the way they did. Whenever McDaniel is playing like that, it's tough for anyone to beat UAM. They've got Delta State on Thursday and I've got a hunch that UAM will win it.

[herws]

Delta is due to get beat. They have won 16 in a row and have had to pull out a few tough ones in the last two weeks. 

[urban legend]

I just talked to Newell and apparently, he's either kicked his other 6'7 guy off the team (Ron McGrew) or he's majorly in his doghouse. And that's not at all good, considering they've got no size at all, aside from McDaniel. Holland's gone (6'11), Goodwin's gone (6' and McGrew's either gone or not playing, that's tough any way you spin it.

[herws]

Was he smokin too?

[urban legend]

Nah, not yet. But Newell didn't play him against Harding for what he officially called a coaches decision. But when you've fouled out of games where you're playing an average of about 11-12 minutes, something's wrong. But he and Newell bicker all of the time during practice. McGrew's got some skill and aside from Mayweather, is probably the most athletic guy on the team. He hasn't offficially been kicked off because Newell knows he needs his size if they want to make a run in the GSC Tourney.

[urban legend]

Oh yeah, the Delta State-UAM game was one of the best in the GSC this season. In all actuality, UAM should have won the game if they'd went to McDaniel more. He dominated the first half, but didn't get many looks in the second. DSU has the looks of a national championship team, but doesn't have the type of guard play that a UAM, or a Montevallo has.