MBB: USA South Conference

[CaptJ]

23 offensive rebounds by the Marlins and there is over 6 minutes remaining.  Pathetic.

[CaptJ]

Conley Taylor just had a 1 on 4 "fast break" on the Marlins.  Of course he was stopped.  Two questions... why didn't he wait for his teammates and where were his teammates?

[CaptJ]

Another loss to Va. Wesleyan.  I "watched" this one through the eyes and words of the CNU announcers but it was obvious that the Captains were looking forward to their turkey and stuffing on Thursday.  Very weak effort.  You would think that after a tough, close loss to open the season they would play with a little intensity.  Could it be that they were convinced that they couldn't beat these guys?  I hope not.  For 20 minutes and 30 seconds of this game they were pathetic.

[CaptJ]

Starters Going, Taylor and Baker combine for 6 points in 68 minutes.  Xavier Parham played a decent game with 8 off the bench.  Those starters should be looking over their shoulders. 

Captains are 1 of 16 from 3-point range.  6%!!!  BOUNCE THEM IN GUYS!

Outrebounded by 20.  We are a much bigger team and they just killed us on the glass.

To add injury to insult, Blasingame turned his ankle.

[CaptJ]

I have been a CJ supporter for a very long time but I am finding it very difficult to stay on that bandwagon.  Maybe it's because we have now lost EIGHT STRAIGHT YEARS to Va. Wesleyan.  I think it is time for CJ the Athletic Director to evaluate the performance of CJ the Head Basketball Coach.  Let's face it, in spite of our facility advantage (and others) he isn't even the best coach in his very own neighborhood.  He is either being out-recruited or out-coached VERY convincingly by the Marlin's Macedo. 

I know that this is just the second game of the year and that there is a lot of hoops yet to be played but I am not satisfied being a pretty good team in a weak conference.  It seems that things that worked for CJ in the past just aren't working any more.

Maybe we need a fresh perspective and effort. 

[hasanova]

Guilford over Averett tonight in Greensboro, 81-56.  AU led 2-0 and 5-3, but otherwise it was all Quakers.  It was tight until 17-16 GC and then the Quakers went on a run to open up a 37-22 halftime advantage.  The lead was 31 in the second at 77-46 before the freshmen and sophomores finished it out.

Huge game for Sanborn with 19 points and 18 rebounds.  Tyler was 9/12 from the floor while Henson and Bonner had off nights shooting.  I think Clay had 12 and Rhett 8, but Gabriel Lowder chipped in 14 off the bench.  As you might expect, the Quakers won the boards by a 51-39 margin.

Pagentine and Hart with 11 and 9, respectively, for AU, but all in all the Cougars were outmanned tonight.

[CaptJ]

More thoughts from looking at the box score -

Paul Going played 25 minutes and attempted ONE SHOT (and missed it).  He never made it to the free throw line so... ZERO POINTS.  Two assists and two turnovers.  NO rebounds, steals or blocks.  And oh yeah, NO personal fouls also.  IMHO, if you play 25 minutes and don't commit a single personal foul, you aren't playing hard enough.  IS PARHAM A POINT GUARD?

Theo Baker was 1 of 10 for 2 points.  Zero 3-pointers in 5 attempts.  Also never made it to the free throw line.

Mike Green had his usual solid game with 22/11 but it really hurt when he missed a dunk when down by 10 and time enough on the clock to make a comeback.  Sometimes style points arent worth going for.

Blasingame statistically solid with 14/8 but the announcers were all over him a couple times for lack of effort.  Maybe the turned ankle was the reason why.  I'm still a huge 'game fan.

Here is the big one... we had 17 defensive rebounds and they had 23 offensive rebounds.  So, under their glass we were outrebounded 23-17.  Yikes.  And we were beaten under our own boards as well,

[hasanova]

I was just looking at the USASAC standings and noticed an overall 4-23 record.  Four teams have one win each and three are yet to break into the win column.  Is this just a really bad start or is it going to be a down year for the league?

[CaptJ]

I was just looking at the USASAC standings and noticed an overall 4-23 record.  Four teams have one win each and three are yet to break into the win column.  Is this just a really bad start or is it going to be a down year for the league?

I think it speaks for itself.  There are some very good teams sprinkled among those losses but you can't overlook that we've won less than 15% of our games.  When was the last time that a USASAC team won a NCAA tournament game?

[hasanova]

I was just looking at the USASAC standings and noticed an overall 4-23 record.  Four teams have one win each and three are yet to break into the win column.  Is this just a really bad start or is it going to be a down year for the league?

I think it speaks for itself.  There are some very good teams sprinkled among those losses but you can't overlook that we've won less than 15% of our games.  When was the last time that a USASAC team won a NCAA tournament game?

Well, Averett beat Centre last March - but a lot of talent on that team graduated (especially Rumley).

[CaptJ]

I was just looking at the USASAC standings and noticed an overall 4-23 record.  Four teams have one win each and three are yet to break into the win column.  Is this just a really bad start or is it going to be a down year for the league?

I think it speaks for itself.  There are some very good teams sprinkled among those losses but you can't overlook that we've won less than 15% of our games.  When was the last time that a USASAC team won a NCAA tournament game?

Well, Averett beat Centre last March - but a lot of talent on that team graduated (especially Rumley).

Yeah, that is true.  How quickly one forgets.  But to find another win you have to go back to the 00-01 CNU team that made it to the Elite-8.  Those days are long gone.

[CNU85]

Nah - it's all part of my plan! Makes it look like CNU is going to have a rough year. Then, shabam! 13 wins in a row!! I love it when a plan comes together!

[CaptJ]

Nah - it's all part of my plan! Makes it look like CNU is going to have a rough year. Then, shabam! 13 wins in a row!! I love it when a plan comes together!

I wouldn't be hitting the panic button so soon if it weren't for one thing.  WE HAVE LOST TO VWC EIGHT YEARS IN A ROW!  Think about that just for a moment.  I don't think we have that kind of record against Maryland Bible.  And once again, CJ isn't even the best coach in the Hampton Roads area.  That would be Macedo.  I'm sorry, Captains fans, but this losing streak to VWC has me riled.  I know what the REAL Christopher Newport would say about CJ.  "Cut off his ears."

[CaptJ]

Then, shabam! 13 wins in a row!!

If that's going to happen it will be in conference play and I'm very doubtful that it is possible.  It is certainly unlikely.  No longer should we accept being good in a weak conference.  Maybe I'm just irritated because I will be having fish and rice for Thanksgiving dinner today.

[CaptJ]

Here is another thing that I noticed in the stats.  The total minutes for all 3 of our big guys (Blasingame 34 + Green 35 + Preston 11) equals 80 minutes.  That is TWO FULL TIME PLAYERS.  That means that at no time in this game did CJ have 3 big players on the court.  We get dominated on the glass in the first half (31-12) and you don't try something else?!  In the first half they had more offensive rebounds (14) than we had total rebounds (12).  Where was Brian Herrman?  I thought he would be a starter this year and he didn't even get off the bench in this one?  Why did we have to stay with a small lineup when it was obviously not working?  News flash to CJ; Theo Baker is NOT going to get rebounds.  He might be 6-3 but he plays 6-0.  A good coach sees what works and what doesn't and makes adjustments.  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.  If CJ continues to be the CNU coach we will have the same results again and again.