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PSU VS Cal Poly

http://www.bigskyfans.com/2007/12/11/psu-vs-cal-poly

PSU VS Cal Poly (12/12) Preview

Cal Poly finished second in the Big West last season, posting a 19-11 mark. They beat the Vikings in a BracketBuster game 92-87 last year in San Luis Obispo. This season, they have had trouble shooting, and as a result, trouble winning. So far this season, they are .500, and 2-4 on the road. The Mustangs are coming off an 85-51 loss to NAU on Sunday. In that game, they shot 32% to bring their season average to 38.5%. The Mustangs distribute the scoring very evenly with 7 players averaging 6 points per game, and none averaging more than 10. They are lead by sophomore Lorenzo Keeler, who only plays 19.6 minutes per game, but averages 9.6.

The Vikings are happy to return to the “friendly” confines at the Stott Center after the water damaged court left them without a home for the last two weeks. In the last week, the players went from a solid team that had won two road games in a row over teams it was supposed to beat to one that barely held on against a team they should have beaten by 40. Sunday night’s game against Washington State saw the team take some steps back in the right direction, especially on the part of D-Huff. He returned to the form of late last season, which could spell doom for opponents. He was already a complete player save for on the ball defense, but with a shooting touch he is next to unstoppable. Jeremiah Dominguez also showed some life after a terrible performance against the Pioneers. On the other hand, some players were nowhere to be found. Scott Morrison only had 5 points on three shots, leading many Viking fans to question Coach Bone’s play calling, and Morrison’s positioning. Sunday was his second opportunity against a bigger opponent, and both opportunities have shown Scott’s weakness. Both Kevin Love and Aron Baynes have been able to get inside and score, as well as keep Scotty away from the basket with their wide bodies, and he’s been unable to answer. The other major question is whether or not Justynn Hammond will be available for his first action as a Viking on Wednesday. He arrived as a recruit last fall, but was unable to qualify academically, so he’s been working the last year to do it.

Match-Ups
Center
CP: Titus Shelton PSU: Scott Morrison
Shelton scored a career-high 20 points in the game against the Vikings last year. He went on to become the Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 1.48 blocks per game. If he is to replicate that success against the Vikings, something will have to go wrong. If the team speed of the Mustangs or foul trouble forces them to go small, it could happen. Otherwise, Morrison should win this match-up. He should be strong enough to deal with Shelton down low, and has a 4 inch height advantage. Morrison has done well against smaller defenders this season, scoring in double figures in every mismatch contest except IUPUI. Shelton’s production has dwindled in the last two games, but he should get the nod here with his success last year, and his larger size.
Advantage: Vikings

Power Forward
CP: Matt Hanson PSU: Alex Tiefenthaler/Tyrell Mara
This is an interesting position choice for the coaching staff: Do they go with the bigger guy to save back-court depth against a guard-heavy team, or do they go with the guy who’s been starting all year? I think they go with Mara to start off because Tief didn’t play big minutes against Wazzu. However, if he doesn’t wear down, he may see a majority of the minutes, especially if Hammond is eligible. Hanson has been very inconsistent this year for the Mustangs. He began the season averaging double-figures, but hasn’t done much recently. His production on the boards has also seen a significant decline over the same time period. When he’s on, Hanson can be a difficult match-up because he has a good shooting touch outside, and soft hands inside. He is also a tough defender. I doubt we’ll se much point production from this position on Wednesday because neither team will have much of an advantage.
Advantage: Push

Guard/Forward
CP: Dawin Whiten PSU: Deonte Huff
After a solid beginning to his career at Poly, Whiten’s production is down significantly. Across the board, he’s worse at everything. 3 less points per game, 1 less rebound, and a 3 point percentage that’s gone down from 36 to 27%. He will need to find his touch from the outside, and make better passes if the Mustangs are going to have a chance in this one. What can be said about Deonte Huff? Eventually you knew he’d find his stroke. Unlike Lucas, he is able to get to the rim and free throw line, so he’s been scoring 10+ without jump shots. With the jump shot, he’s a very dangerous player. Look for the Vikings to try to run the high-low with Huff and Morrison and create some fluidity, because they should both have success on Wednesday.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
CP: Chaz Thomas/Lorenzo Keeler PSU: Dupree Lucas
Though he probably won’t start, Keeler’s scoring ability warrants him mention as part of the starting lineup. Like Whiten, Thomas has seen a drop-off in the numbers as the team shooting percentage has gone down. He was a very important part of the offense in the first 5 games, and has been less utilized since. If he is ineffective, the Mustangs will go with Keeler who got stuck with the bagel on Sunday night on 0-6 shooting. The production here can only go up for them, so the Vikings better be prepared. Until Andre Murray’s ankle allows him to play, this is once again Dupree’s position. He was very good in Alaska, but dreadful after that until Sunday. With improved shot selection and patience he can be a very effective player, especially when others are shooting the ball well. I expect Lucas to have a good game after the success Huff and Dominguez enjoyed on Sunday. If eligible, Justynn Hammond will probably see some minutes here. Hopefully he can get a few looks at home.
Advantage: Mustangs

Point
CP: Trae Clark PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
Clark is the one guy for Cal Poly who has really stepped up his game this year. He has taken on an increased scoring load while passing and rebounding better too. Like JD, he’s a small guy who likes to shoot the 3. Jeremiah is back after a bad game against Lewis & Clark. He should excel in a game like this because he likes to run and snap off quick passes.
Advantage: Push

Bench
The two guys who see a lot of minutes off the bench for the Mustangs are Keeler and Dreshawn Vance, a 6′7″ forward. In this game, they may also give wide-bodied center Zach Thurow some minutes. He has only seen action in two games, but as the only center on the roster, might warrant some time against the sizable Morrison. At 6′9″, 270 you have to wonder why he chose basketball over football after high school. For the Vikings, Julius Thomas will definitely see considerable minutes, as will Tiefenthaler. Depending on the need for shooting, Kyle Coston may also see extended time. With their newfound depth, the Vikings should have some really serviceable guys available at every position.
Advantage: PSU

The Mustangs are prone to turnovers and bad shooting. On the road, these problems should only be accentuated. Add this to the fact that they’re not a particularly good defensive team, and this should be a contest that favors the Vikings. The outcome will depend on how well the teams shoot, and whether or not Poly can defend Morrison inside. I think that they may do well at the 2 guard, but I don’t think this team is built to win on the road.

Prediction: PSU 78-66
 
You'd hope so. I think that if PSU dictates play, it should be an easy victory. However, if key players get in foul trouble, it might be a tough game.
 
As I recall, Vance transferred from UP after his freshman year. It was too bad, because he looked very promising and UP is always in need of help in the post.
 
Some very questionable coaching decisions in tonight's win. Anybody listen to the game? Anybody want to confirm my fears about Dominguez?
 
PSU 74 Cal Poly 66
This game had disaster written on it from the beginning. Jeremiah Dominguez was out in street clothes, and it looks like he may be out for academic reasons which would likely be a season ending suspension. The pay seats were almost empty. Those in charge of marketing at the athletic department have a lot of work to do to make the Stott Center an intimidating place to play. On the bright side, both Andre Murray and Justynn Hammond were in action tonight, and the Vikings would need both their contributions to pull off a victory.

First Half
Play began dreadfully for the Vikings. Their game plan was to feed Scott Morrison in the post to take advantage of the size discrepancy. Much to the chagrin of Tyler Geving, Morrison turned the ball over the first two touches he got. Then he was yanked and he sat and sat and sat. The Viks played over ten minutes without Morrison on the floor, and his replacement was the offensively-limited Julius Thomas. How you can bench your biggest mismatch in the game for ten minutes over two turnovers is incomprehensible. The Viks struggled offensively without Dominguez and Morrison, and they sputtered along for most of the half save for the efforts of Deonte Huff and Andre Murray. Then, to the surprise of most fans present, the Vikings found a serviceable backup at small forward. Out was Kyle Coston who has struggled all year, and in was Justynn Hammond. He provided great energy off the bench and hit two big 3 pointers. He looked a little uncomfortable on defense, and looked lost without the ball, but was magical with it in his hands. Then, another screwed up coaching move occurred. Alex Tiefenthaler was subbed out after a long stretch at the four and Tyrell Mara came in. After Mara didn’t rush the shooter on a made 3 ball, Geving pulled him out and put back in the exhausted looking Tiefenthaler. Ken Bone finally put a leash on his power hungry assistant and chewed him out. The entire half was dominated by great shooting by the Mustangs. They seemed to make every outside shot they took, led by Trae Clark. Dupree Lucas looked in control for the Vikings all half, and played well while at the same time providing much-needed leadership. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stay out of foul trouble, drawing three in the first half. The Viks were able to cut the lead to one point at the end of the half due to strong play by Murray, Polis, Huff, and Morrison.

Halftime 37-36 Cal Poly

Second Half
The Viks came out with a completely different energy level in the second half. They finally got the crowd into the game by throwing down some dunks, and hitting some big outside shots. Though he turned the ball over a few times on bad passes, Polis played a very solid game in place of Dominguez. He was able to make most of the shots he took, and did not have the ball stolen on the dribble. Charles Anderson led the Mustangs offensively, and without his effort, they would have been blown out of the building. Their leading scorer, Lorenzo Keeler, did absolutely nothing all night, hurting their chances. Down the stretch, they were unable to hit outside shots, and big outside shots by Lucas and Tiefenthaler sealed the deal.

Final Score: PSU 74-66

Everybody is healthy now, but the Vikings’ success will center around whether or not Dominguez plays the rest of the way. If not, Polis will have to run the show, and work on making better passes. Hopefully Justynn Hammond will be the long term solution to the problems of the bench. The result is unsatisfactory after the whooping the Mustangs received from NAU, but the win is the most important thing at this juncture.
 
As I put in the post game blog, I'm worried he's done for the season. It's tough to lose the most consistent player.
 
I'm not sure what happened at NAU, but to me Cal-Poly looked like a fair team. Very athletic, with pretty good guard play. I really liked when Morrison and Teifenthaler were in the game together, it gave the Viks an decisive advantage over the Mustangs. Free throw and turnovers almost cost PSU this game. Let's hope Dominguez becomes eligible, otherwise, the BSC title is out of reach. Hammond has a lot of potential.
 
The loss of Dominguez would be huge, although not that surprising. I've been very surprised over the last few years to see how little help and attention the coaches pay to player's academics. I know this school doesn't have much money, but I was always under the impression there would be tutoring help, support, etc. I realize ultimately it is the young student athlete's responsibility to perform, but many of them do need help and structure, and the coaches need to identify problems early and help out. But not this arrogant staff.

I can't see how we could win the Big Sky without Jeremiah.

I'll say it again. Bone should have fired Geving after last season. He is universally despised by the players, and Bone, although relatively benign, loses a great deal of respect from the team for doing nothing - and by so doing effectively condoning Geving's attitude and lack of respect for the players as people and young men. It's likely okay for a head coach to be aloof and uncommunicative with his players (he can be the "bad guy"), if he has an assistant or assistants that the players can respect and get along with, and talk to. So here we have a really bad guy (Geving) with no redeeming (good) guys whatsoever.

If their plan is to unite the players by making the staff their common enemy, well.........this may work, but I doubt it. This team (with Dominguez) should win it all in the Big Sky, but will likely end up like last year's team - not achieving their potential due to poor coaching and being completely out of touch with their players.

Nice to hear WiViking's comments that Bone may actually have the "back-Bone" to do something about Geving. Geving's approach and attitude (like the power trips he plays on a four year starter like Scott) shouldn't even be permitted on a Grade 10 high school basketball team. These players all sit and seethe silently, like they did last year, but it is so demotivating, not only for the starters, but for the rest of the players, who often get treated even worse in practice.Last edited by on 2007-12-13, 00:19; edited 2 times in total
 
"junior point guard Jeremiah Dominguez was ruled academically ineligible prior to the game on Wednesday. It is not certain if or when he will be able to return to play this season."

Dang. I feel like I was just punched in the stomach. :-(
 
martymoose said:
"junior point guard Jeremiah Dominguez was ruled academically ineligible prior to the game on Wednesday. It is not certain if or when he will be able to return to play this season."

Dang. I feel like I was just punched in the stomach. :-(
Click to expand...

We won dude?!?!
 
He is the grease on that keeps the pistons moving. Without him, the offense is stagnant 60% of the time.

I wouldn't be sad if Geving moved on, he could probably get a head coaching position at a lower level by now. He basically runs the team as it is. It's tough seeing a guy like Tyrell who leaves his heart on the floor getting almost no playing time.

Oh, I saw three unofficial visitors sitting in the general admission section, one of whom goes to Southridge.
 
I have no idea why JD's grades dropped below passing. He presumably had the same problem at UP. I might gently suggest that all the tutoring in the world might not be enough for some. Yes, I know that the "Big Powers" in collegiate sports have very large academic staff dedicated to making sure that their team members pass their courses. This includes placing them in pre-selected classes known to be easy, working with them individually in exam time. We have only three-four such people. They do what they can. Remember that athletes are ordinary people - some very bright, some very...slow. They really shouldn't be in college, but coaches bent on winning (and keeping their jobs) entice them, figure out ways to slip them in under NCAA rules. But once they're in.....

I assume you're in regular contact with the team. You talk as if you were, refering to their "universal" disrespect of one of our coaches. Are you?
 
We sit on the other side near the visitors bench, so I didn't get to see Bone chewing out Geving, but I sure wish I had. You can put me on the 'Geving could leave and I wouldn't care' group as well. Benching Morrison for those two early turnovers was such a horrible job of coaching. Pull him out, remind him that he should keep the ball up as to avoid it getting knocked away, and get him back in there. Just like WiViking said, we take our biggest mismatch and park it on the bench. Geez.

Anyone catch that nutcase of a coach for Cal Poly? Geving looks like a saint compared to that guy. He was so mad at his player he threw his coat down and his pen flew up into the fifth row and just about hit some girls. What an idiot.
 
The drumline was a welcome addition to the Stott Center. It added some noise and excitement to what was a relative quiet crowd.
 
One thing I forgot to mention about something I noticed....

Alex was wide open on some cuts to the basket last night where if an easy pass was made, he'd probably been able to score. These cuts were missed by the ball handler at the time. Did anyone else notice how quick he was getting to the basket and the possible opportunity for this?
 
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