ewu vs. georgetown...in portland

[LDopaPDX]

Go to casualhoya.com - that's where the real discussion and analysis (this for instance http://www.casualhoya.com/2015/3/17/8228595/eastern-washington-eagles-georgetown-hoyas-ncaa-tournament-game-review" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false is happening.

This article brings up the scariest aspect of the game that hasn't been talked a whole lot about.. And that is that we haven't faced too many great big men this year and even a mediocre one like Robert Upshaw just killed us. Take Upshaw away- as he was kicked off the team a couple of weeks later- and we probably beat UW by 10 or more. Simply having that single piece of the puzzle caused us to lose. Although I'd also add UW was playing great ball going into that game and was still full of confidence. If we played them two weeks ago, we might win by 25.

I think the ability to get by Georgetown solely rests on our ability to get hot from 3 land. We need Von Hofe and Harvey hitting everything that isn't 100% contested. There are a lot more ways for Georgetown to manufacture a win in this game, but if the guys shoot like they did against Idaho and Sac State, we'll have an opportunity.

 

[clawman1]

 

[Rafter_Reese]

Go to casualhoya.com - that's where the real discussion and analysis (this for instance http://www.casualhoya.com/2015/3/17/8228595/eastern-washington-eagles-georgetown-hoyas-ncaa-tournament-game-review" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false is happening.

This article brings up the scariest aspect of the game that hasn't been talked a whole lot about.. And that is that we haven't faced too many great big men this year and even a mediocre one like Robert Upshaw just killed us. Take Upshaw away- as he was kicked off the team a couple of weeks later- and we probably beat UW by 10 or more. Simply having that single piece of the puzzle caused us to lose. Although I'd also add UW was playing great ball going into that game and was still full of confidence. If we played them two weeks ago, we might win by 25.

I think the ability to get by Georgetown solely rests on our ability to get hot from 3 land. We need Von Hofe and Harvey hitting everything that isn't 100% contested. There are a lot more ways for Georgetown to manufacture a win in this game, but if the guys shoot like they did against Idaho and Sac State, we'll have an opportunity.

There is no doubt that this is going to be a very tough game for EWU. I stated early on that I thought it was a great draw for the eags. That is only in comparison to who we would have drawn had we gotten a #15 seed like many expected. I respect Georgetown and their team but I would rather be playing the Hoyas over a team like Arizona, Gonzaga, Virgina, etc. That's why I stated it was a great draw. That being said, there isn't going to be anything easy about this game. Their players are bigger, stronger, faster, and I'm sure can jump higher. Eags won't lay down and die though. They are going to come out firing and work through all of their deficiencies. I'm sure there will be points in the game where it seems like the game is over. But we're used to that. Shoot, we were down 11 or 12 to Indiana with 8 or 9 minutes left and they found out the hard way that the eags don't quit and have a bunch of guys that can play and score IN A HURRY. It's going to take one of our best games, but I think we're just starting to hit our peak. Heard it was almost sold out in Portland. Can't imagine most of the fans won't be rooting for a small-town school from the west coast. I expect a great fight no-matter who comes away victorious.

Almost time to rock-n-roll.

From the Rafters....
go eags!

 

[EWU98]

Love this but hate this as well. Seriously this is why I dislike both WSU and GU why do we only get what a 15th of the billboard in red. Why not half and half? Yes I know when was the last time we made the tournament???? And yes why don't you float the bill then?
But seriously tired of people treating us like the little stepchild that no one wants to acknowledge. Give us equal billing.
Go Eags

 

[Sylvergunsuperman]

One day away!! I'm so exited for our team and our community. I know Hayford will have the game plan to beat the Hoyas. Do we have the physicality to hang with them the whole game? That is the question that is causing me doubt. We are the underdog for a reason. We have got to be hitting from outside to stay close enough to steal a win. Venky has got to hit his free throws. They have seemed to be foul happy from what everyone is saying. Overall we have a pretty good FT% around 72% I think.
Like I said, I'm so exited for our guys to have this experience. This is good for recruiting and the moral of the team. I know the crowd will be behind us. And I know our boys will not fear anything. Go Get 'em Eags.

Question for the Hoya fans here. What scares you the most about our team? I'm not too scared about J. Smith he'll get his points. I'm more worried about your point guard DSR. Very physical and he can create his own shot.

 

[hoyaguest]

Question for the Hoya fans here. What scares you the most about our team? I'm not too scared about J. Smith he'll get his points. I'm more worried about your point guard DSR. Very physical and he can create his own shot.

Obviously the 3-ball looms large, particularly if EWU goes on some kind of run and it gets in our guys' heads based on recent history. I'm concerned about fouls neutralizing our size advantage, although we've got a bunch of guys at the 3-4 position who are skilled and athletic, so part of me wonders if a smaller line-up would actually be a good thing for the Hoyas (at least in stretches).

We should be able to score on EWU's defense. So I think my other big concern is that if/when EWU does go on one of its runs, our guys start to panic and heave desperation threes and quick shots, rather than taking the points available.

 

[Nervous_Hoya_Fan]

What scares us the most? Most Hoya fans are a ball of anxiety because of their recent issues with double digit seeds in the NCAA Tournament. When we drew you guys and the first thing we learned about the Eagles is they shoot 48% as a team and have a bunch of guys who can shoot well from 3, they score points in bunches and they have THE number one scorer IN THE COUNTRY we were instantly beside ourselves with terror because we could envision another terrible disaster. But thats anxiety talking its not reality. Its relieving that a lot of that came against teams worse than any the Hoyas played all year. But still...

What really scares us is that Georgetown has had issues defending the three all year so if that continues with the Eagles it could be dangerous. We can only hope thats been a clear focus in practice the last few days and youll see a defense from us that will take this into account. But lapses that lead to leaving people HAS been an issue for us and you can be sure its on the mind of many Hoya fans.

You are wise to worry about Smith-Rivera. When he's on he's really tough to stop. He can shoot from three and he's also adept at driving and scoring or getting fouled where he shoots 87%. With your size limitations I think that he will be a real problem for the Eagles to contain him. Watch out for Copeland and Trawick as well. And all this talk about getting Smith in foul trouble. Bear in mind the guy who comes in for him (Hopkins) can make scoring in the lane very difficult. So good luck to you guys but you do have your hands full. And if the Eagles end up winning that smell you smell ill be the smell of hundreds of Hoya fans from our blog setting ourselves on fire...

 

[sammamisheag]

Love this but hate this as well. Seriously this is why I dislike both WSU and GU why do we only get what a 15th of the billboard in red. Why not half and half? Yes I know when was the last time we made the tournament???? And yes why don't you float the bill then?
But seriously tired of people treating us like the little stepchild that no one wants to acknowledge. Give us equal billing.
Go Eags

If you want to be on par with a Top 20 program START DONATING. When I was a student in the mid to late 80s GU bball wasn't very competitive in their own conference. In fact my soph year (1985) EWU smoked GU in their building. They turned it around with finding the right coach and alumni then got on board.

EWU can do the same thing but it will take time. The academic donations are just as important as athletic. Better academic programs will produce higher income alums who can donate at higher levels.

Now's the time to do this with Baldwin and Hayford at the helm. BUT, they won't be in Cheney forever. There will be larger schools that will pay them $1M+ per year. Through donations facilities can be upgraded to continue to attract the talent to keep EWU at the top of the BSC.

These are great times to be an Eag, but all of us want this to last and each of us needs to do our part.

See you in Portland!!!!!

 

[EagerEagle]

If you want to be on par with a Top 20 program START DONATING. When I was a student in the mid to late 80s GU bball wasn't very competitive in their own conference. In fact my soph year (1985) EWU smoked GU in their building. They turned it around with finding the right coach and alumni then got on board.

EWU can do the same thing but it will take time. The academic donations are just as important as athletic. Better academic programs will produce higher income alums who can donate at higher levels.

Now's the time to do this with Baldwin and Hayford at the helm. BUT, they won't be in Cheney forever. There will be larger schools that will pay them $1M+ per year. Through donations facilities can be upgraded to continue to attract the talent to keep EWU at the top of the BSC.

These are great times to be an Eag, but all of us want this to last and each of us needs to do our part.

:notworthy: :clap:

See you in Portland!

 

[EWU98]

If you want to be on par with a Top 20 program START DONATING. When I was a student in the mid to late 80s GU bball wasn't very competitive in their own conference. In fact my soph year (1985) EWU smoked GU in their building. They turned it around with finding the right coach and alumni then got on board.

EWU can do the same thing but it will take time. The academic donations are just as important as athletic. Better academic programs will produce higher income alums who can donate at higher levels.

Now's the time to do this with Baldwin and Hayford at the helm. BUT, they won't be in Cheney forever. There will be larger schools that will pay them $1M+ per year. Through donations facilities can be upgraded to continue to attract the talent to keep EWU at the top of the BSC.

These are great times to be an Eag, but all of us want this to last and each of us needs to do our part.

:notworthy: :clap:

See you in Portland!

Totally agree....can we do anything about our State giving us our COLA that they haven't for the last 6 years? I would be more than happy to contribute more :kisswink:

 

[Jwp91]

I think Nervous Hoya Fan describes our situation well.

As a fan base, we have a bit of PTSD from playing and losing to under-seeded teams.

As you may recall, we played a team in 2008 named Davidson. They had a guard who sounds a bit like Harvey from the headlines. Fast forward 7 years and Steph Curry is an NBA MVP candidate. Is Harvey Steph Curry? Probably not....but what if he is.

Or maybe you have heard of another program that made its name in part by taking down Georgetown. Have you heard of an obscure coach named Shaka Smart and his little school VCU?

As I said before, we have a talented team that could take down almost anyone (outside of Kentucky). But we have been inconsistent, and as we have seen it is possible that we could lose to anyone. In most cases, the Cinderellas who beat us go on to continue to do quite well in the tourney.

 

[LDopaPDX]

I spent all morning downtown and at the Lloyd Center. SFA is really well represented in Portland... LOTS of purple people. I saw quite a few Utes, and only one Eastern guy. Strangely, not a single Arizona or Georgetown person.

 

[Jwp91]

Well, we have to thank your coach and team for all the smack talk.

Our biggest fear is that we come out flat. All the talk has received the attention of the team and the coach.

“I heard about that,” Thompson said. “We’re going to show up, and we’re going to play tomorrow. We’ll see on the court.”

That is the most competitive comment we have ever heard JT3 make. He does carry his father's DNA....and damn he was one of the most competitive SOBs to ever coach.

DSR won't say anything. He will internalize it.

Now Jabril Trawick...the likely primary defender to Harvey....he will have quite a bit to say. I think we will see him filling your players ears.

 

[Sylvergunsuperman]

Well, we have to thank your coach and team for all the smack talk.

Our biggest fear is that we come out flat. All the talk has received the attention of the team and the coach.

“I heard about that,” Thompson said. “We’re going to show up, and we’re going to play tomorrow. We’ll see on the court.”

That is the most competitive comment we have ever heard JT3 make. He does carry his father's DNA....and damn he was one of the most competitive SOBs to ever coach.

DSR won't say anything. He will internalize it.

Now Jabril Trawick...the likely primary defender to Harvey....he will have quite a bit to say. I think we will see him filling your players ears.

What else would you want your coach to say? I thought it was awesome. EWU's name is being mentioned all over the country. If we don't win, I still love Hayford saying that.

Our local guys were trying to get the Hoyas to do interviews in the locker room and they (our media guys) said they've never been in a locker room that quite before. I'm sure they are super focused, and they should be. They don't want to go out again to a double digit seed. Is this normal for the Hoyas, to be so reserved?

 

[Sylvergunsuperman]

From Hoyatalk.

Over on the EWU board they are overconfident about winning. They think they have it in the bag and also they were insulting Georgetown's football program for some reason. They think we are just Joshua Smith and DSR but don't even know about our secret weapon so they will be in for a rude awakening.

We're gonna shock the world and prove all the analysts wrong when we beat them on Thursday Night. Shock the world!

I don't think anyone over here is being OVER confident about winning. We believe our guys can win, period. Will they? Who knows. I think we've got a shot. How would beating a 13 seed as a 4 'shock the world'? You're supposed to win.

 

[hoyaguest]

What else would you want your coach to say? I thought it was awesome. EWU's name is being mentioned all over the country. If we don't win, I still love Hayford saying that.

Our local guys were trying to get the Hoyas to do interviews in the locker room and they (our media guys) said they've never been in a locker room that quite before. I'm sure they are super focused, and they should be. They don't want to go out again to a double digit seed. Is this normal for the Hoyas, to be so reserved?

Yeah, I don't really fault him for saying that. I'm sure it was as much for the benefit of his players as anyone else - get in their heads that they can do this.

And yes, it's typical for the Hoyas to be reserved. Insofar as a team takes on the personality of its coach, JTIII is about as reserved as they come. Probably even to the point of frustration for fans over the years - sometimes you need some fire. This year we've got some players who bring that (Trawick, Bowen), and our other successful teams did too (Patrick Ewing, Jr. is probably the prime example). But it's not coming from the coaches, so when we don't have the energetic players, the whole team can have a tendency to be a bit flat. Again, not as huge an issue this year (on the court), but not atypical for the Hoyas either.

 

[LDopaPDX]

From Hoyatalk.

Over on the EWU board they are overconfident about winning. They think they have it in the bag and also they were insulting Georgetown's football program for some reason. They think we are just Joshua Smith and DSR but don't even know about our secret weapon so they will be in for a rude awakening.

We're gonna shock the world and prove all the analysts wrong when we beat them on Thursday Night. Shock the world!

I don't think anyone over here is being OVER confident about winning. We believe our guys can win, period. Will they? Who knows. I think we've got a shot. How would beating a 13 seed as a 4 'shock the world'? You're supposed to win.

Insulting Georgetown's football program "for some reason?" Because that football program is fucking terrible! Seriously, it's as bad as a D1 program can get. I'd be happy for Chaves to get on the phone and schedule home-homes for both football and basketball... Id love a little rivalry! Hell, I'd give them a basketball road game for free in exchange for a football home game!

 

[Rjones61]

Love this but hate this as well. Seriously this is why I dislike both WSU and GU why do we only get what a 15th of the billboard in red. Why not half and half? Yes I know when was the last time we made the tournament???? And yes why don't you float the bill then?
But seriously tired of people treating us like the little stepchild that no one wants to acknowledge. Give us equal billing.
Go Eags

Look closer. EWU and Gonzaga are represented with the same amount of space. The far left is the blue with a purplish hue that is signature for Gonzaga. The middle is NCAA blue. The right is red. It's just that Gonzaga's colors are so close to that of the NCAA blue, that it looks like Gonzaga dominates the board. Really, it was just a poor graphic design and not done in poor taste.

 

[Jwp91]

Well, we have to thank your coach and team for all the smack talk.

Our biggest fear is that we come out flat. All the talk has received the attention of the team and the coach.

“I heard about that,” Thompson said. “We’re going to show up, and we’re going to play tomorrow. We’ll see on the court.”

That is the most competitive comment we have ever heard JT3 make. He does carry his father's DNA....and damn he was one of the most competitive SOBs to ever coach.

DSR won't say anything. He will internalize it.

Now Jabril Trawick...the likely primary defender to Harvey....he will have quite a bit to say. I think we will see him filling your players ears.

What else would you want your coach to say? I thought it was awesome. EWU's name is being mentioned all over the country. If we don't win, I still love Hayford saying that.

Our local guys were trying to get the Hoyas to do interviews in the locker room and they (our media guys) said they've never been in a locker room that quite before. I'm sure they are super focused, and they should be. They don't want to go out again to a double digit seed. Is this normal for the Hoyas, to be so reserved?

Your coach can spend his moment in the spotlight any way he wants. The more he talks, the less anxious I feel The Hoyas can play...they just sometimes lack inspiration. The last game we played where the team was highly focused.....we ran Villanova off the court destroying them for one of their two losses on the season.

 

[clawman1]

Love this but hate this as well. Seriously this is why I dislike both WSU and GU why do we only get what a 15th of the billboard in red. Why not half and half? Yes I know when was the last time we made the tournament???? And yes why don't you float the bill then?
But seriously tired of people treating us like the little stepchild that no one wants to acknowledge. Give us equal billing.
Go Eags

Seriously?
You get a gift and complain that it is not enough??????
hno: hno: hno: