ED & Duq81 thanks. The doubleheader idea is a really good one and has been hopefully gaining some traction. It's tough for both RMU and ourselves to get home games. I know the last thing we want is to help them gain traction but we sure won't get any help out of Oakland. I noticed that Miss. Valley State is playing RMU also when they come in to play us. There are teams that still want to come into the area be it recruiting, alumni or whatever we just need to find the reason. The A-10 could be benificial here also if I'm not mistaken a couple of years ago Pitt was featured in a SEC / Big East doubleheader at Consol. I think Harper is willing to step outside the box to get things done.
Yes CLK that is concerning to me. Especially with a 3 games in 4 days coming up.  We all know the results of tired legs.

Last edited by The Dome (11/21/2015 10:09 am)

CLK - in regards to Castro hardly playing, I am going to presume you know he isn't good enough to play yet, and you are concerned will he be good enough (not trying to put words in your mouth).   He definitely isn't ready - dribbles toooooo much, moves tooooo slow, and his passes are suspect.  But with DC all year, I am hoping another year behind him will help.

rittersdiner wrote:

duq81 wrote:

rittersdiner wrote:

Someone explain to me why this game was played at Consol. There were 3,500 people, which would not even fill Palumbo. The 15,000 empty seats are an advantage for Penn State, from the noise factor to the different venue for the Dukes.

As usual, nothing positive to say. If you want to play P5 teams, and they say Consol or else, you play at the Consol. The days of Pitt, PSU, and WVU playing at Palumbo are over. If we get this train rolling, we need to quit making regular trips to Loretto. One trip there, for every 3 trips here. If they don't like it, they get dropped from the schedule. We can play YSU if we need another local game.
 

They make those demands to get an advantage. I was on campus when 1,500 people would be in the Civic Arena. You could hear the coaches yelling instructions. That was not a home game Friday night. It was like a neutral site setting, and that's fine for Pitt, wVU or a program that will bring 5,000 fans. If we are going to be a major program some day, the first step is telling teams Consol is not an option. If that is not OK with them, then let them go schedule the New Jersey Institute of Technology.That's the first step to turning the culture.
 

But, the only way to be a top program is to beat those teams, and in a few years when the big game at the Consol produces more that 5,000 DU butts in seats then those 5,000 travelling fans are just more revenue for the program. I have no problem with the Consol for big games.
 

CLK wrote:

Anyone notice that Colter played 36 minutes, Mason 35 minutes and Castro only 2 minutes.  This to me is a little concerning.  Any thoughts? 

No, not at all. Next question? 

He's shaking off the rust of not having played competitively in over a year!  And from what I saw of him in garbage time last night, I was not impressed. Earn your playing time kid.

Castro isn't ready to handle the point. He's having trouble with the speed of the game. Steele might end up being the third guard. Colter, and Mason can play major minutes right now, bur Ferry will need to use those cupcake games in December to get some combination of Steele, and Castro ready to play 20 minutes a game.

VBC wrote:

I thought it was wise to play both Colter and Mason so many minutes yesterday.  They were both playing at a very high level and by doing so never allowed PSU to make a serious run in the second half.  Keeping the team's foot on Penn State's throat was very important for the team's confidence going forward.  As you say, duq81, Castro and other subs should have plenty of opportunities in December. 

 

Hear hear, seconded

Board members have to write about SOMETHING. Otherwise, there's nothing to read.

WEB wrote:

Kind of funny...we've gone from we won't win 10 games, to Ferry isn't a good coach, to show me more on defense to...our best players play to much.

I've always felt that year 4 was the year where we needed to see where the team was going. Too many were judging Ferry against the quick turnaround that Ron engineered. That was wrongheaded. Ron came when things were desperate. The team had posted one winning season in the last 20 years. We needed to turn it around badly, which Ron did very quickly. Ferry was brought in to try to take us beyond where Ron had us. He hasn't done it yet, but that is what he was brought here to do. That takes an entirely different approach. The change in expectations is apparent if you objectively look at the worst coaching job Ron did, vs his best coaching job. Ron's worst coaching job was in his second year. The team won their first 6 games, then played losing ball the rest of the year, despite what was probably Ron's best roster. Yet we saw this season as a big positive. Why? Because we finished above .500. We were so desperate for a winner, that we were satisfied, despite the fact that the team underachieved. Compare this to Ron's last year. I think that Ron squeezing a winning season out of that roster was by far the best coaching job he did while he was here. TJ, and BJ, and pretty much nothing else. The previous years recruiting class never made it to campus, leaving the team woefully shorthanded. Yet the team fought hard, and was way more competitive than it should have been with such a thin roster. Despite this, the knives came out for Ron, and he was fired. Strictly a change in expectations. Cheered for a barely over .500 season with a deep roster, but booed for similar results with a thin roster 4 years later. This is what Ferry walked into. Knowing that it would be years 4-5-6 that determined his future, he was willing to take his lumps early, in the belief that it was in his best interests to be good late rather than early. So far, it looks like he had the right idea. Shame that if we keep winning, he'll be coaching Seton Hall next year.
 

WEB wrote:

Kind of funny...we've gone from we won't win 10 games, to Ferry isn't a good coach, to show me more on defense to...our best players play to much.

WEB, I don't know if you are taking a shot at me with this comment, but Ferry himself stated that he did not want Colter or Mason having to log those types of minutes.  It is still too early to make any definitive comments about how good this team is or how good any specific player is.  I have only seen Castro play three times and have come away unimpressed for a guy who was as highly hyped by some on this board.  He has 7 turnovers in 33 minutes of play, and does look to be very fast.  He may turn out to be all conference (who knows) but for him only to log 2 minutes in garbage time raised a question mark for me.  That was why I raised the question for the board.  Clearly (based on Ferry's comments) Colter & Mason playing those kind of minutes is not desired or sustainable.  As for your other comments the coach's statistics speak for themselves.  I have said this many, many, time this is the year for him to prove his team can play defense and win at Duquesne, no excuses.  So far he is doing that. 
 

Actually WEB, my exact comments were:
1. I predicted they WOULD win 10 games.
2. I said I have no confidence in Ferry as a coach, his record at Duquesne is pretty much all I need to point to. I'm entitled to that position.
3. I complained last year already about kids playing too many minutes, both because you want them fresh at crunch time and because you want to develop younger players. Otherwise, Ferry shoots a wad this year and we don't win again until Smith and Castro and Steel are seniors. It's ok that people disagree, but in the A-10 tourney last year we all saw the harm that overplaying guys can do to a team.

Plus, Ferry recruited all these guys, he's coaching all these guys, have some confidence.

As for Castro and the speed of the game ... Weren't the first two against a DII and the 400th ranked DI team? They play at my pace. : o)

Geez, I finally show a little interest in the program, and you guys want to hammer me.

Absolutely great win. Disappointed at the crowd but 1) what idiot scheduled this game for light-up-night (oh he's gone, sorry) 2) PSU had no one there possibly because they played Michigan at noon today and that might have been too much to ask of their students to double-up. Now some thoughts. If Colter and Mason end up playing over 35+ minutes per game they will be gassed by the end of February regardless of how great their conditioning is. If we were a slow plodding team, maybe. But we are not. Does anyone have any idea of Powell's status? He will be needed when the conference schedule begins. He has been in street clothes at each game and each game I hear that he is out for one more game. 

ED - I think your points are worthwhile. I just am happy to be discussing actual concrete thoughts as opposed to whether someone is "next level".  The minutes played discussion can be a fruitful one. I see the argument for needing to trust guys and let them grow. But, I do think we will have quite a few wipe outs where we can rest guys and see others develop.  But...also he is definitely letting Nakye cut his teeth v. the other teams top guns. That is encouraging.

ElDuque wrote:

I don't get the Powell message .... What'd I miss?

He tweeted "back" last night a few hours after the game. The tweet was deleted an hour or two ago. I was just wondering if it meant that he was back in the lineup. Strange that it was deleted though.