Miller is fine.

Hodgkinson fouled him out. Great game by Hodgekinson and an excellent win for the big red. Can you say bandwagon for GoBigRed and the Big Red. At 2-8 if you told me they'd be .500 at some point I'd laugh hysterically.

Good game fellas - let see how the momentum does against the Tigers.

Go Big Red!

One word for Denison's coaching strategy - bizarre.

I'm done with the posts, fellas, if ever there was a broken record...

I truly think Ghiloni and company have abandoned all attempts at winning games, and its about getting the guys to play whatever it is he's trying to do. Now they do the 5 sub line change, its just getting worse. Its like they wont mold an offense for what they have, they want what they have to conform - and I dont think he has the players to do it. God forbid he change his philosophy.

Maybe the players all got worse over the summer, but they only lost one starter. Then you have to address all these guys quitting. Ghiloni has lost his mind, it defies explanation and I don't want to rack my brain trying to rationalize what Ive determined is irrational behavior.

Coach Ghiloni, if you ever read this, will you please just run pick and rolls with Hern and Hodgekinson, get your guys to look into the post and if the big guy doesnt have it have those freshman (the ones only you see promise in) ready to shoot.

I keep saying the same thing after every game, and I dont wanna waste my time anymore.

I wish the Big Red luck the rest of the year, and I wish Coach Ghiloni luck at his next job.  

At half-time of the Denison game i was actually thinking about the possibility of posting something positive and congratulatory, and it almost happened, but the same issues still exist, and as long as they do, Denison will continue to lose by 10+.

I agree, there was more energy and they hit some big shots, but the inexperience and system for winning will not work until maybe next year. DenisonFan is right, their #30 shot it A LOT, and didnt make that many, even a few of the ones he made were anything but in the flow of the offense. I thought he'd be disciplined at half-time for his selfishness, but he was just as trigger-happy in the second half.  I guess he shot it more than Hern and Hodgkinson combined, and to me thats inexcusable. Maybe Ive got the wrong idea, but do you guys think Witt's coach stresses getting the ball to Russ and Borchers, does Woo's coach stress getting Port involved, does OWU's coach stress getting their post player involved? Why dont these Denison coaches stress getting the ball to Hern and Hodgkinson. Dont you dance with the girl that brought you?

I say that because Ive watched these guys play for two years and have seen how good they are, and to see them be put on the back burner for some selfish freshman is disappointing. I contend that Denison goes as Hodgekinson and Hern go, so its not a surprise that as they are underacheiving, so is Denison. They're Denison's best chance at scoring, yet the perimeter players dont look inside all that much, and I dont know why.

The last thing I want to mention is that I was wondering where #23 was, he wasnt on the bench so I figured a family emergency or something. But by reading these posts am I to understand he quit? Like Kramer said, is that now the 3rd junior to outright quit? The third junior who wouldve been a big contributer, so I look at Ghiloni again on that regard. Why do impact players quit the team? From what Im watching, its because once you become an upperclassman, Ghiloni disregards you for the underclassman. He'll give you two years, and then he trades you in for a younger model.

I know I'm complaining a lot, but you just have to see the games to know what Im talking about. Inexperience is destroying this team's chances, it seems like its a repairable thing, but how many games wil l they have to lose before any repairs are made?

Bishopsfan, your comments are preposterous. Idiots? I myself disagree with some of the systematic decisions that Denison's coaches are making, so where better than here to do put it out there and say, "this is what I'm seeing, I think this is hurting the team, can someone explain this, and so on." I would still classify inquiring about the rationale for playing 11 guys as talking about the game of basketball. So coaches are off limits because we couldn't do a better job? Can't discuss bad acting in a movie because we couldn't act any better? Can't discuss a player performance because we couldn't play any better? Would you like the only posts on this forum to be happy and positive, and no one should complain because no one can do it better? Never did I, nor anyone in any of the posts Ive read, say that they'd do a better job. Its about expressing opinions and sharing insight. Do me a favor, if you're so upbeat all the time and don't want to hear criticism, just skip my posts.

Waterboy -

Thanks for the insight, and i certainly get where youre coming from and pulling the big guy out for a possession or two might shake it up a bit and open up a backdoor or something. The problem is that he's out there all the time. Youd have to see the games to know what I mean, but trust me, he's a first team all conference player taken out of way too many plays to try and open it up for some freshman.

Earlhamalum/Smedindy -

Sean Oreily, I remember you on your trips to Granville, you were a solid player so Ill give you the benefit of the doubt on your basketball-related comments. I was born in Granville and went to high school there, I live in Alexandria and try to frequent as many games as I can. I didnt play college hoops and have not played for Coach Ghiloni at any time. Must I be an ex-Brown to say Romeo Crannel shouldve been playnig Frye all year? I can't speak for everyone who makes Denison posts, but even if these guys are ex-players, which under Ghiloni narrows it down to like 10, does it still change the things Ghilonis doing? My posts, and posts like mine, arent personal vindictive statements, no one's said that Ghiloni and his coaches are bad people - Ive never met him, I assume he's nice - we're simply questioning his decisions in a forum that allows us to do so. I think some of the players need to knock down some open shots, Hodgkinson needs to make his free throws, Hern needs to pass, their #30 REALLY needs to pass, but they have talent. However, that talent has to listen to a coach that is so quick to replace, and having two of the conferences best players (Hodgkinson and Hern) is questionable situations (not in the post, not starting) is outrageous.

Smedindy, have you seen a Denison game yet? Are you going to the one this week? Maybe that craziness did work for Kalamazoo but at 2-6 and losing by a ton every game, it aint working for the Big Red. "Time to experiment?" What are practices and scrimmages for? Shouldn't Ghiloni start "experimenting" with trying to win games? So he waits til game 9 or 10 to get a rotation going and playing his players, getting them familiar with each other? That sounds kinda late in the year to me. I appreciate your comments on Hodgkinson at the outside, but you said "big guys start outside," implying they eventually get inside. Maybe its his fault and hes not being assertive enough, but Hodgkinson stays outside (which appears fine to Ghiloni) and is consequently removed from 10-12 possessions a game.

I have all the confidence that the Big Red can bounce back, I really do, and I kinda expect it, but the players cant do it all themselves. I'm not so dumb as to think that the starting five (when its the right five, which is another issue) needs to play all 40 minutes, I know the big guy needs a breather, but all this subbing means: 1, ...that for stretches in the game - no one can score. 2, ...the unfamiliarity and inexperience is adding to the TO total, and 3, ...that the right combination is out there for too little a time. They'll continue to struggle if they dont get the best players out there for most of the game, and players can only play with who they're on the floor with. Who determines that?

I call it like i see it guys, if I'm wrong, fine, but if I thought this was all on the players then I'd be saying that. In two months, if the 8-9 guys who should play are the only ones playing, if the set plays dont repeatedly take the conferences best post out of his area, stuff like that, and they're still losing, then I'll say Ghilonis doing all he can and I'll say Im disappointed in the players. The only thing is that if those type of things are happening, they probably wont be losing.

Anyone see the Witt-Woo game? How'd that turn out? Geez guys.

Just commenting on statements made by DenisonFan a few days ago. I totally agree. Would someone who is more versed in basketball strategy than I, mind explaining to me why Coach Ghiloni would ever have Hodgkinson (arguably the best post in the conference) out of the post? I'm trying to rationalize it and I can't, can someone with a higher bball IQ try and explain that to me? I've determined that Hern not starting is maybe to give strength to the bench, a spark maybe, thats all I can come up with for that one.

All the players who play (all 11 of them) look dead because they know their coach hasn't given them a chance to win. These coaches must be hypnotized thinking that the 6th man down on the bench can replace one of their starters without missing a beat. But thats what they do. Mistake - sub. Turnover - sub. Its really just sad. I thought they were gonna be good, too, but I didnt see this coming.

I get trying to develop underclassman, but isnt that what JV games are for? I feel horrible for Hern, Hodgkinson, and the rest of the upperclassman on that team because Ghiloni's attempt to "develop" these younger guys is costing them games and getting them accustom to losing, it will cost them the rest of the upperclassman's careers, and if he isnt careful, wont it eventually cost him his job? I'm certainly not calling for Ghiloni's head, but he's gotta figure out that what he's doing isn't working. Right?
   

Smedindy -

Were you in attendance? The rotation had EVERYTHING to do with it! Their big guy is their best player and one of five or six guys who could be conference POY, and they start him at the top of the key?

When you refer to Wabash's 5-out (because even though I don't have that big a bball IQ I know you couldnt possibly be serious about a 5-in, that sounds like 3sec waiting to happen), did they have a big man of this caliber who they all but disregarded for the sake of developing a freshman?

Denison has 6 talented kids, I wont name names because maybe someones parents will get their feelings hurt, but if you go 11 deep, that means theres 5 guys who shouldnt see the floor. And sure enough there were stretches in the game tonight when those excess 5 were in the game together. Im not saying those kids wont be good in a year or two, but theyre not ready. If I know that, then how come Denison's coaches dont know that? 

They need to play those 6 30 minutes a game, and if youre gonna play the other guys, switch the other 5 in two per game to fill the other 20 minutes. Maybe I just gotta stop going to their games, they were 2-1 before I started going.

Final from Granville

Buffton 76
Denison 53

Let me just share a few things I was scratching my head about as I watched this game. I'll start with the good news:

Denison's gym looks nice, I had committed to the bleachers before I noticed that the seats behind the benches were individual seats, now I know for next time.

And the bad news:

Denison has arguably the best post player in the conference, but they ran this 5 out running around thing for most of the game and the big guy couldn't play his game (I think he almost hit a 3). I'm looking at the box score, and again, 11 guys play 10 minutes or more. The complete lack of continuity is probably why they turned the ball over 26 times (watchng it I thought they had 40). That Hern kid didnt even start, he mustve been late to a practice or something. I guess Ghiloni thinks this is gym class and everyone needs to play, by doing this they're going to lose by 20 every single game, he might as well literally play everybody.

Its bad, folks. I just dont understand what goings on. They've got a week before their next game, and unless they cut the rotation in half and get the big kid on the block, Wabash is gonna kill 'em   

I agree, Dave, I'm just letting out my frustrations with what Ive seen.

I didn't expect them to beat Wooster, and I didn't think they'd win @ Witt, so we'll see how they do against the teams that, on paper, they "should" beat. Refer to my last post to get the vaildation for saying "on paper."

I'll see how they do in these two home games and I'll let you know.

Go Big Red!

I would like to comment on Denison, also.

I am severely disappointed with what I've seen out of the BIg Red, so far. But you know what, not really so much from a players standpoint.

I saw the Marrieta game (brutal), the Witt game (Brutal except for their big man), and I ventured up to Akron because I thought it'd be cool. Let me tell you guys, these guys don't have a chance because they aren't being given a chance.

Now I don't know the ins and outs of basketball strategy, but I gotta believe these coaches down there in Granville are killing this team. They play way too many guys, in the first half against Akron, when maybe they could hang around and be entertainging, all five starters were on the bench. They should never EVER do that against Oberlin, but they did it against Wittenberg too, on your so called "death stretch," and thats why they get killed.

That big guy of theirs is tremendous, Witt had no answer for him, but he isn't even their focus, apparently they hope the big guy will get the rebounds if Rob Hern misses his fade-aways. Or this freshman #30 they got, he's a liitle trigger happy, he shoots it more than the big guy. Ive never seen that good a player be such a little focus. I almost feel sorry for him. Aren't these the same Denison coaches that saw him play for two years? 

I don't get it guys, I think Coach of the Year has gone to Ghilonis head, he thinks he can play all these guys when their maybe 6 or 7 deep.  Then thay play all these freshman and sophomores who just llok scared out there to me. I'd understand it if I was new to college hoops and had to play Wooster, Witt, and Akron, but I was at the Marietta game, they don't know what their doing, they couldn't even get the ball past half-court to even give the big guy a chance.

For all you other teams, you wanna know how to beat the Big Red? Press 'em, because of the 7 guards they play, 2 are good. And don't worry about the big guy, he'll get his by picking up a loose ball or getting an offensive rebound,  they wont pass it to him, and the coaches sit there and watch it like their not dropping the biggest ball ever.

Whatever, I've griped, I'm just upset because I thought they were going to be good this year, and maybe Im wrong because I dont have the basketball knowledge that I'm hoping Ghiloni has, but "back on track" seems like a stretch at this point. I've already jumped off the Browns bandwagon and on to Cincy's I don't wanna have to change my name to GoLords, too.