Moleman

Expect maybe Skerry will do something to shut Anderson's 3-point proliferation down?

Where was McNeil - injured?.. Tunstall continues to outshine Big Al.. Guessing assists will come as team gells.. Not as bad as I thought it might be. But ideally had hoped for 20pt+/- difference..

If some guys can step up a little more (Thomas particularly), or the team can gell in upcoming 2-3 weeks, i feel they'll have a chance to be competitive.

I'm assuming this game was already scheduled before the UMBC upset, and before we knew two of our (potentially) best returnees would bolt. Like having to enter a paper shredder, with us as the paper..

The only suggestion I can think of is to try to stay loose; play for the fun of it, if at all possible. Anyone can see it's a David versus Goliath scenario, so nobody expects Towson to win. Please try to avoid doing anything that will be embarrassing - it will only fire up the home crowd, for one thing. Try to keep TOs down. With the athleticism these tigers reportedly have, they may get their share of steals, and rebounds. Maybe a Georgetown approach and slowing it down might work. The fear is that as soon as the 'Hoos walk out and see that black & gold and think "Baltimore" or "Baltimore County", they'll go on a rampage. It's just a gauntlet this team will have to do their best with, and to take away from it as much as they can learn.

40-36, UDel 😖

I like that we're continuing to drawing freshmen from some of the traditional hotbed schools, esp (my alma mater) Calvert Hall, but also Boys Latin and AA Co schools.. MOST imperative in 2019 will be to boost output on offense! Increased scoring is needed, and not simply because of Mazza's departure.. The defense should be pretty solid with plenty of experience on the field. Of the keys to success next season, goal will likely be among the most important. We lost Cocci's great coaching as D coordinator, but the new coach sounds like he could hardly be topped, pedigree-wise.. That's a killer schedule; it's gonna be tough. But on the bright side, plenty of top-notch competition to build us up, and we should certainly be seasoned for tournament play come May. Plus, high school seniors who seeing the big-time schedule we've been playing the last 4-5 years, HAVE to be impressed, which should translate into a magnet for recruiting.. As I see it, everything rests on the ability of the offense to assert themselves; everything else will follow.

Like to point out something that's become an issue for those who DID make it inside the stadium, @ least in the last couple games which I came to:   Too Few Game Programs!

Had to search all around at the start of the SBU game for one. After I asked about 10 people on both sides of the stadium, somebody on the north side had a box w about 8 left.. I was lucky then, because ditto for the Bill & Mary contest. I was seated for 10 minutes; the national anthem had just played. Since I gave my last hard-won program to a fellow TU alum @ my work, I now wanted another one; the search commenced. But after checking on both sides of stadium w another ton of people again this time, apologies instead of a game program...

Is that how it goes at (relatively) big college football games these days? @ Navy? Villanova, Kennasaw St or Maryland?.. I feel that's messed up..

1 hour ago, mat1992 said:

Towson has 12 for next season

PG Prophete, Dottin

SG Zane, Ingram, Betrand

SF McNeill, Drayton

PF Gorham, Solomon U.

C Sanders, Thomas, Tunstall

I was thinking combo forward. A scorer from the 3 spot but apparently we are looking at another point guard. Ricky Torres, a 6-3 point guard from Pinnellas Park, Fla., , is a juco from Missouri State University-West Plains. You can never have too many point guards though.

Question: Is Sanders predicted 2B that good that he moves up past Thomas & Tunstall?! In that case, we're pretty well set w a promising front court!

On 12/14/2017 at 0:53 PM, TSU88 said:

I hope you’re right 

..Ditto.. I'll drink to optimism, TSU88, Tualum & CD ! ;-)

Saw a picture of Oakland's arena (or as they put it, O'rena), & it's reminiscent of the ol' Towson Center except it seats 4K. The long layoff is worrisome to me. Have to wonder how the Tigers will react. They should be rested, but 10 days untested  :0  

..If Mike can just get his A-game back for this one...

3 hours ago, TSU88 said:

Might be our toughest game of the season, C of C notwithstanding. They have THREE guys averaging 19ppg or more. 

In their recent loss to E Michigan, Oakland's top 5 scorers were composed of 4 redshirt seniors & 1 sophmore, so they're a seasoned group. Three of these 5 avg 6'7" height. This will likely translate into Thomas, Gorham & Tunstall being tested more than usual, & trying not to fall into foul trouble. Seems like they're good three point shooters, maybe because they haven't met the likes of us yet. They pulled down 35 RBs in the E Michigan loss - not too shabby there. Does not appear they have much depth, unlike the Tigers.. They'll have home team advantage, though often the Tigers aren't phased by that dating back to last season. Hoping for even-handed officiating this time around. Looking like one of Towson's toughest opponents this season, a true measuring stick.

2 hours ago, TigerFan54 said:

We're lucky to have kept him -- he could have had his pick of other jobs these past two seasons. But he'll have his work cut out for him this year with all the key losses to graduation and a very tough schedule.

Certainly agree.. But we had some substantial shoes to fill this past season, especially at goal. I'm still amazed he got so much success from the way the team looked in February..

In terms of rising to the occasion for getting the right personnel and doing the right coaching, he's kinda like this Tiger MBb team: at times, you wonder how a successful outcome ever be achieved; but somehow, magically, things just fall into place.. But yeah, if ever there was a season coming with innumerable concerns, this would be the one I'd choose.

Speaking of EK, he had quite a rough night, ultimately fouling out. He can be the proverbial 'bull inna china shop', and really looked it in this one. But he hit (?) 2 3's at nice times in the game, did some rebounding & other good things. But really brings energy and that special.. something; spark! 

Seems like before impressing the Sunpapers, we first hafta do more to capture some fan support on the board here.  :0

For my part, I never gave / meant to give any guarantees of success. Rather this is clearly the best this program's looked since Benimon was last here, possibly better (more depth & wider variety of options), and I believe we're headed in a good direction. And I also believe the media has been (in the last week or so) slow to tune into this Tiger MBb ascent this season (..so far).. Just feelin' optimistic as the dice are thrown, that's all.

Going + my lucky hat w the "TS" on it, which Mike Gottlieb sold me in '91..

1 hour ago, TSU88 said:

John Feinstein is the person who voted for us in the AP top 25. The Sun has a whiny article about how we got a vote & MD didn’t. The author laments the fact that we don’t have impressive wins over Butler & Bucknell, like MD does (conveniently leaving out MD’s loss to St. Bonaventure) & that MD is ranked 40th in some analytics poll, while we’re not in the top 100. 

To this I submit the following rejoinder: Boo freaking hoo for those poor turtles. 

A-men!!! - We win a 2nd tournament in 2 weeks, and the Sunday Sun gives us a dinky headline topping the Small Fry Report. Maryland by contrast was given a nice fat write-up on improving players, etc.. The Sun could've done us better..

Guess it's up to the Tigers to put on a further display of skill & accomplish a 10-1 record - wonder if THAT will be cause enough for a little higher media profile?

My prayer is that these next five days we'll have the Tigers tuning up  to terrorize opponents in their visits with Oakland and to Pittsburgh.

While I agree re a possible let-up of effort after so many victories plus the travel fatigue factor, I've another worry. We're doing pretty well, in fact one of the best starts as you all are doubtless aware. And other HCs / teams likely have our prominent stature in mind as they face us; & they'll be gunning for us, wanting to be the one who'll gain recognition in toppling us; the "team to beat", if you will..

That said, I feel Skerry & Co will be motivating these Tigers. He knows he's got them on a roll...

Hope we get a good jump against MSU, which will give the bench valuable playing time.. Would like to also see a return to confidence and productivity w the 3-pt shooting..

They find a way, you gotta give them credit! And Morsell absolved himself at the end

Keep it goin' Pat McSkerry!!

Speaking of EK & scoring, what's up w his offense. That's something we may need down the stretch. If a guy built like a tank can't successfully drive & score on a smaller (albeit quicker & very opportunistic) team or get some kind of field goal; but not even a point tonight in 18 minutes. Is he sick, distracted, or just in Slumpsville?..

And that fast break outlet pass wasn't smart. It was difficult at best, given the distance and the melange of traffic it was lobbed into.. With any luck (& a Guinness) he'll snap out of it this weekend, I hope..

While I DO agree he (?) is over the top with his sophisticado banter, I confess I find some of it funny, or at least whacked out to the point of humor..

Maybe Tom Judd in a new role for Tiger athletics?

Shades of Don Stanhouse!.. "Not pretty, but gritty!" Winning this little tournament is arguably the biggest leap forward since the win over Louisville, IMO. A foundation block was laid tonight for building up to a return to The Dance, which we were last in way back in '91. True about there being some faulty aspects to this team that need 2B addressed. But I'm very proud of this team, and pleased w what Skerry's done in (?) 6 years. Happy for the players who are obviously busting their butts to have improved so much. 

Not sure about quality, but the Quakers can boast of depth numerically as they list 21 players in their roster.. They lost two close games earlier this month, to Fairfield and LaSalle respectively. LaSalle doesn't appear to have one of their better teams this year; don't know about Fairfield.. They hit 13 of 24 from deep. Two of their bigs were their leading scorers, connecting for a combined 47 of the 93 points they scored last night.. Wondering if they're up-tempo; if they live  (or die ;-) ) by the 3 - ie, what they're like..

I was at the game at the Towson Center in '96, when they were coached by Fran Dunphy (now @ Temple). I remember one of their fans yelling, "This is your house!!" late in the game. It was a heartbreaking loss. I would sure like to read about a huge win tomorrow! Especially true if Morsell can wake himself out of the average-player rut he's stuck in so far; he's gotta get hot sometime..

Can anybody assess what the Tigers got with this signing? I can't tell much from the videos. Looks like a tough kid coming in as a freshman @ 6-2 / 210; but that by itself doesn't automatically translate into a success story..

1, 2, 3 star rated? Does it sound like he's a real PG? Sounds like he got some looks from a few decent schools.

So far, EK has been very quiet, at least offensively. Hoping he'll show is he's still got "it". We'll need his impact and for him to give that spark to the engine when the other plugs aren't firing so well..  Like to see a sign that his abilities are still there.

3 hours ago, TigerFan54 said:

This game worries me. Loyola isn't bad and will be hungry for a win in their home opener. Then we hit the road in FLA against better competition for three straight nights. Would be nice to get a W heading into that stretch.

"Don't worry, be happy"

Matt, any word yet on "secret recruit" coming in?..

Also, I take it Allen Bertrand isn't a PG..?