• Hi Guest,

    We've updated the site to combine all the forums that were part of the Big Sky Fans Network into one location. This will make it easier to navigate and participate in all the discussions for each school without having to have multiple accounts, etc. We are still working out some tweaks but please let us know if you notice anything.

    With the migration, in some circumstances, your username could have been merged with one of your other usernames from the other forums. If this is the case, you can request to change your username in your account details page of your profile.
  • Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your eGriz.com experience today!
  • Guest, do want an ad free experience on BigSkyFans.com among other benefits? Upgrade your account today!

    Simply click your profile name > account upgrades > BigSky Club > choose between the year long subscription (two free months) or month to month

    Thanks for the continued support. Cheers!

Does Martin not know how to substitute players?

Why play 3 guys for 40 minutes, they were exhausted at the end of the Portland State game. He didn't use any of his players that are over 6'7" consequently the Bengals got crushed inside and on the rebounds. I know Chase is hurt. Why isn't he using the Freshman Swanson? Is he hurt too?
 
Sad, sad game! Tough to watch a team that was showing so much promise lose a game they should have won. They needed this game to keep the momentum up after the tough loss to Montana. I blame the coach. He stuck with a squad that was outsized and it wasn't working. Since when does McGowan get the green light to shoot off one foot flying sideways from 5 feet behind the 3 point line. It makes no sense to stick with a game plan that is failing. I feel sorry for the players. They deserve better. Go Bengals! Keep playing hard!
 
Kidding? Did you watch the game? ISU continued to do the same thing for the entire game and it wasn't working. Tough and frustrating to watch. Can't win with 4 guards and Abner out there. Koster hardly played! Didn't make sense.
 
I was just wondering if you noticed that on our best day if we played six players we would have a hard time beating Portland State. They are a much more athletic team. They are a much bigger and stronger team. We have few players who are not division II or low mid major players (God bless 'em). It wasn't coaching that lost that game. It is not a game we should have won (not one). That is why I thought you were just funnin' us all. I don't want to argue the point. I appreciate your opinion and will fight to the death your right to express it. I just don't think you have any idea what you are talking about.
 
I agree with pocatato.. We do not match up with PSU, and they'd beat us with our current roster, 8 out of 10..
 
I find it ridiculous that a coach would take credit for the wins then blame his players for the losses and his decision not to play them. Coach pocatato, Is PSU "more athletic, stronger and bigger" than Weber State? The answer is NO! Please don't allow ISU to be defeated before the game begins by sticking with a bad game plan that doesn't work. That simple minded type of strategy might work at a JUCO coaching level but not in D1.
 
Actually, Weber is bigger, stronger and more athletic than ISU. We had no business beating them. I am glad that we did. Montana and Portland State are bigger, stronger and more athletic than Weber. I have doubts that Portland State is very well coached given their record. I fully expect Montana to win the league. Chase Grabau is the only player that gives ISU even a chance to beat upper level Big Sky teams. Kenny McGowen to a lesser extent is another player who plays way above his head most nights. Morgan is average at best but usually plays hard. Hatchett is beginning to show some skill but he is used to being the biggest fish in the pond. He can't beat anyone off the bounce and doesn't shoot it very well. He is a slasher that can't slash. Kostur is a non-producer. He at least looks like an athlete but, as they say, "looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane". Swanson will be a decent player when he puts on muscle and learns how to play physical. Other than that, who would you put in who would have made any difference in the Portland State or Montana games? I imagine we all have some coaching selection agenda that we would like to promote on this board. However, the decision will not be made here and should not be. Jeff has a tough decision to make and I hope it isn't overly influenced by the committee he has selected. I have little confidence in that group.
 
Not taking sides here...just posting some information to consider.

- Before it was learned that Chase Grabau would not play, ISU was favored by 1.5 points. He's averages just under 18 pts. a game in conference play.

- Portland State and Montana are the two worst physical matchups for ISU.

- We lost to Portland State by 12 at their place. Chase scored 18 in that game. Please explain how without Chase, that makes it a game we should have won at home without him. His substitute played 33 minutes and had 5 points.

- PSU has the 3rd highest RPI in the Big Sky behind only Weber and Montana, and that was before our game with them.

- PSU's Odum averages 18.6 a game...he had 18. Tapscott averages 14 pts and leads the league at 9.3 boards a game...he had 15 and 16. PSUs McMullin and Harthun avg. 9.5 and 9 a game respectively. We held them to 5 and 2. Their center, Lozeau had 10 and backup center Parker had 11. We gave up 40 in the paint.

- Offensive efficiency was our main problem...37% shooting, we only got 8 points from 14 PSU T-Os, and only got 8 second-chance points from 12 O-boards.

- With Chase playing, we had just gone through a "perfect storm" between the two PSU games 4 wins in 5 games).

- It's the coaching staffs job to find ways to win without Chase. They didn't do it vs. PSU. Could Randy Rahe, or Wayne Tinkle, or even Mike Krzyzweski been able to win that game without Chase? All we can do is speculate. Tonight's game here at NAU will be a much more accurate assessment of their ability to do so.

- Are there any other issues you have at play here (for instance...are you worried Coach Martin could be hired ahead of your favorite candidate...or are you championing more PT for any players in particular)? I have no idea. But you're right...Coach Martin only used 7 players in that game...3 playing a full 40 minutes. Your point is well-made. But would more liberal substituting have turned that game into a win? All we can do is speculate.
 
I lament the fact that this board has no "like" button like facebook because i "like" your post, voice man.
 
No agenda here. I just want to see ISU basketball win. It's been a long time since we have done well and I was starting to get excited again. I simply didn't understand why we go super small against a team that is bigger and stronger, when we have bigger players sitting on the bench. I watch other teams substitute players more frequently to keep the players fresh or adjust when things aren't working. So was curious about what other's thought about it. I agree that we need Chase on the court, I hope he can recover and return soon. He is fun to watch and he makes the team better.
 
Please don't take my comments for lobbying for a coach. I have been very pleased with the Bengals play and give credit to Coach Martin and the players for three great games. The team as a whole was looking competitive. They have progressed under Coach Martin. I am just frustrated because the team looked horrible. I don't want to see them regress to how they played earlier in the season. They played PSU close in Portland. I'm just disappointed, cuz I believed the Bengals could get back on track. Montana is tough and that would have been a miracle! I think we are good enough to beat PSU, but agree that Chase was a factor; however, I think it was still possible after leading with ten minutes to go in the first match up. Then the Bengals gave up an 11 point run by sloppy play. Turnovers had nothing to do with size!
 
Anyone remember the good old days with Newlee on the bench? Anybody remember him substituting a player? Yeah, I don't either.
 
Portland State's big guys were dominant. I think Martin thought that our big guys on the bench would not be able to play with them so he went with the small line up. It did not work but without Grabau that was a tough game to win anyway.
 
Newlee's won what, 4 or 5 games this year up at Idaho? If he loses his job at the end of the year then it will serve him right for thinking he's too good for ISU by going up to Moscow.
 
Great win last night for the Bengals over NAU. I think it was helpful that coach Martin did a much better job of substituting players. Playing at that high altitude can take a toll on players and he redeemed himself from the PSU disaster. Nice job coach Martin and Bengal players.
 
Big game for the Bengals tonight! Coming down the stretch...Coach Martin is sticking with a 6 man line up. I hope those guys have enough "Bengal" (not Tiger) left in the tank to pull out a couple more wins.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top