Forum › Forum › Lehigh Sports › Lehigh Men’s Basketball › Villanova – Game 1
This topic contains 38 replies, has 11 voices, and was last updated by RichH 10 years, 2 months ago.
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November 11, 2014 at 2:58 pm #16618
Game Notes
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Lehigh
We await
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Villanova
We await
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What Coach Reed and Captain Schaefer Had to Say Yesterday (Nov. 10th)
http://www.lehighsports.com/news/2014/11/10/MBB_1110140550.aspx
Kenneth Pomeroy’s …………..
Patriot League Projections
Yeah, yeah I know it’s too early – way too early – to put faith in any one’s call of a winner – particularly at this time of year – no less by how many points. But, as many of you know, I’m a big believer in KenPom and the metrics he employs. So, here goes. I give you Mr. Pomeroy’s projections of opening weekend in the Patriot League.
(Kenpom.com…………the best $19.9 a basketball junkie can spend each year)Conference Pre-season Rankings
Patriot League = 19th out of 33. Ahead of the NEC and AE but behind the IVY, MAAC and CAAOpening Weekend
Villanova (0-0) Ranked 9th
@
Lehigh (0-0) Ranked 223rd
Villanova wins 78-64 (90% chance)Other Games Involving PL Teams
LaSalle by 9 over Colgate
Army by 6 over Air Force
Harvard by 10 over Holy Cross
Michigan State by 13 over Navy *
Bucknell by 7 over Marist
Temple by 6 over American U.
Robert Morris by 6 over Lafayette
Texas Tech by 11 over Loyola (MD)
Northeastern by 3 over Boston U.*Navy gets home game vs. Michigan State
• http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/cct-arc-de0dfa74-c5f4-5cc9-9b55-2b9ae6e0d1c8-20140609,0,1774782.storyConference Wins
Apparently, we’re in for quite a year if you buy into Pomeroy………..
10: Bucknell, BU, AU, and HC
9: Army, CU, LC, and LU
6: Loyola (MD) and Navy2 Reports on Villanova’s Nov. 9th Exhibition Win over Nyack
http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/110914aaa.html
Grandland’s Big East Preview and a Report on Bethlehem’s Own, Darrun Hilliard……..Named Best Pro Prospect
Odds and Ends
Early “measuring stick game for Lehigh? – Villanova will host Bucknell on Thursday, Nov. 20
Lehigh’s “home opener” is next Tuesday vs. Canisius
What our freshmen are tweeting
@brandonalston42
@iBJenks
@byanymeans_3Roll Call
Who’ll be at the game? Post here! Plan to meet as a group 30 minutes before tipoff behind the LU bench. See you there!
November 11, 2014 at 3:13 pm #16619I’ll be there, and would love to put some faces to some handles! My seat is up in 205 – if they let me downstairs pregame, I’ll see ya there!
If not, I’ll be the guy yelling at an official who can’t hear me from upstairs, over a meaningless call!P.S. That Harvard-Holy Cross matchup might be interesting. Harvard is, once again, the clear favorite in the Ivies, and I’ve seen at least one site calling Cross the favorite in the PL. Might be an interesting measuring stick.
November 11, 2014 at 4:06 pm #16621Hey Todd….anxious to meet. I’m downstairs in Section 106 / Row 4 / Seat 6.
November 11, 2014 at 4:08 pm #16623I too will be at the game, although I have no idea where my tickets are..likely the upper level. I will look for both of you.
November 13, 2014 at 3:33 pm #16662November 13, 2014 at 6:11 pm #16663Hoop Hype! I’m pretty eager…
November 13, 2014 at 7:47 pm #16668I expect Villanova to pressure on the ball relentlessly and test KR the moment he touches the rock. It’s a tactic, i.e., ¾ trap, they employed a week ago in their last exhibition game against Nyack. The Result: 21-2 points of turnover edge in favor of the Wildcats with Nyack coughing it up 13 times in the first 20 minutes. Such numbers bring to mind our matchup with VCU some 22 months ago when we gift-wrapped 19 points for the Rams while turning the ball over 22 times. Last year (2013-’14 season), the Wildcats ranked 60th in the nation at doing the same, i.e., forcing turnovers. How well we withstand the expected onslaught will go a long ways in determining our ability to keep this one close – say a single digit loss or dare I say a hard fought win. Welcome Kahron to D-1 basketball. If KR struggles early on, don’t be surprised if you see CS (career A/TO number of 2.21) take over PG duties – even if for a minute or two – in what will be the Captain’s 97th game at Lehigh.
Equally concerning – besides our height disadvantages, the teams’ comparative strengths of schedules, our overall talent levels, and the homecoming (Bethlehem) turnout expected for the Wildcat’s 6’6” senior Guard, Durran Hilliard, would be our ability to rebound the ball whether on “O” or “D.” Last season, we ended the year ranked 317th on the offensive board and 234th on the defensive end. Villanova excelled – particularly on “D” – last year coming in 52nd best in the nation. Oh yeah, Villanova’s junior forward, 6’11” / 245 lb. Daniel Ochefu pulled down 20 boards in that Nyack game. Ochefu and front court mate, Jay Pinston, led the team in rebounds last year while Ochefu stood alone as their top shot-blocker with 52 rejections on the season. Like Kahron, Mr. Kempton should have his hands full tomorrow night.
Basketball is back!!!!
November 13, 2014 at 10:46 pm #16669Well, if their game notes are any indication, ‘nova are completely looking past us. We are barely mentioned. Man, I hope we can give them a good run and a scare.
November 14, 2014 at 5:35 pm #16679Really excited about the game tonight. Right off the bat we get our first look at some interesting things, including these:
1.) Kempton versus a BCS front line. How much does his reshaped body hemp him tonight. Has he gotten more consistent with his face up game and jumper as we have been led to believe. This will be fun to watch, hopefully we see signs that TK is about to dominate the league and be a legit POY guy.
2.) Ross: he is starting. The buzz and hype is large. I have not seen him in person yet but I hve watches a ton of video to know we are going to be happy with him. The prototypical floor general, head on a swivel, and a phenomenal passer….wait until you see him work the ball in and through tight spots on the bounce…tonight, will be interested to see how he handles nova experienced guards. Nova guards are pretty big, can Kahron penetrate and keep dribble alive when pressured. I don’t know, I think so, and can’t wait to find out.
3. Growth from yr 1 to year 2: already talked about TK but as curious if not more about growth of ap, JC, and ms as they move into year 2 of their college hoops careers. The jump between year 1 and 2 can sometimes be rather significant, and hopefully this group has grown. Ms by the way gets no mention, I like this kid a lot, probably our best athlete on the team super quick, hopeful he gets more time this year an a consistent role off bench.3. Bench – to start anyway I think we have an improved depth this year with ms ba and JG as my first three off bench after KR ap CS JC TK. Our 9-12 has depth and options with CB TJ and then JRG and km.
4. Front court: the nucleus of TK JC and JG if healthy and improved could be a very formidable, athletic group at Mid major level and one that has shots to keep us in games like tonihjt. Can they improve rebounding and combined with our guard and wing support on boards can we do better then last year minus 3 differential. Interested to see how we hit glass tonight.
Fires up.
November 14, 2014 at 6:26 pm #16680Hoops00…….did you purposely leave Mr. Blue Shoes (SC) off your report? Hey, he was the team’s #1 three-point shooter last year @ .417, a solid FT shooter (.833), a frequent shot in the arm off the bench and a guy good for a couple of boards each game. With 84 games under his belt and with improvements (ever so slight but there) in his “D”, he may surprise us all a bit this year. For sure he’s someone the newcomers can look up.
So much to watch tonight, I don’t know where to begin. Perhaps unfair knowing the caliber of the team we’re about to face, but let’s hope we see the beginnings of improvement in our board play. If we hope to content for a title this year, we must see TK, JC and JG average more (far more) than a combined 16 boards/game (2013-14 numbers).
November 14, 2014 at 6:32 pm #16681Left him off because we know what we have in mr reliable mr dependable aka the captain! Love me some corey!
November 14, 2014 at 7:09 pm #16682Oops yes oversight on sc my bad
November 14, 2014 at 10:16 pm #16683Hilliard is a matchup nightmare for us, but it is great to see a local kid who has worked so hard do well. I hope he has a great season … After tonight.
I will be in the Nat Penn box tonight. I had to give a sister 29 years ago to get these seats.
November 14, 2014 at 10:31 pm #16684Just donned my Lehigh sweatshirt. Waiting for wife to return and then off to PPL. Very exciting night. As mentioned above KR’s handle against obvious athleticism of Cats will be crucial. They want this game over well before half time by keeping us from bringing the ball up as they score off steals. Just like their exhibition games. This facet will tell us a lot about our the biggest unknown, our freshman class.
Overall I see a 40% chance we get blown out against a top 10 team, 45% chance we keep it within hailing distance late into the 2nd half, 13% chance we lose in a nail bitter, and 2% chance we win and Jay Wright goes ballistic in the locker room after the game. He’s actually secretly please it happened so he can get them to stop reading their press clippings.
November 14, 2014 at 11:41 pm #16685Doyle just tweeted Vegas line. Nova -27.5.
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