UNF Basketball Thread: 2015-16 Season

spuwho · March 04, 2016, 11:36:34 PM

FYI: Stetson split the season series with FGCU this year. They beat FGCU in Deland just a week and a half ago.

If FGCU wins and takes the automatic NCAA berth, UNF then takes the automatic NIT berth as the regular season champions.

spuwho · March 05, 2016, 08:50:55 PM

For you Gator fans......

The updated predicted brackets came out for the NIT and it has the Gators playing the Ospreys at UNF Arena in the first round.

That should be an interesting game. Ospreys would be seeded 8th in the South bracket, Florida #1. Think that game will sell out?

The Ospreys losing to FGCU completely has changed the bracketology for the NCAA Tourney. With FGCU's much lesser RPI now predicted to be in the bracket, they now get a slot in the First Four in Dayton.

Lehigh took UNF's place as the 16th seed, and this pushed some lower RPI's up into the lower seeds.

The brackets will churn even more as the different conference tourneys come and go over the next week, but UNF's loss was definitely the first shakeup in the lower seeds.

spuwho · March 06, 2016, 08:05:50 PM

Stetson is up on FGCU 35-30 at the half down in Ft Myers.

spuwho · March 06, 2016, 09:02:29 PM

Stetson 69 - FGCU 69

Looks like overtime.

spuwho · March 06, 2016, 09:10:17 PM

FGCU's Marc Eddy Norelia just fouled out. He is their top scorer.

Stetson 72 - FGCU 73

less than 3 min left in OT

spuwho · March 06, 2016, 09:23:13 PM

Stetson 78 - FGCU 80

Final OT

FGCU goes to the NCAA

UNF goes to the NIT

Dapperdan · March 07, 2016, 12:59:12 PM

I still can't believe the loss to FGCU. Its not just the loss but how they lost. No one played any defense at all and FGCU had easy bucket after easy bucket. What a huge disappointment. They just had to win that game and they were in. I guess someone forgot to tell them that.

spuwho · March 07, 2016, 01:49:05 PM

Quote from: Dapperdan on March 07, 2016, 12:59:12 PM
I still can't believe the loss to FGCU. Its not just the loss but how they lost. No one played any defense at all and FGCU had easy bucket after easy bucket. What a huge disappointment. They just had to win that game and they were in. I guess someone forgot to tell them that.

Lack of defense, mostly in the paint is what hurt them, but 2 things hurt more.

Missing shots and poor rebounding.

I watched the second half of the Stetson/FGCU game to pick up on anything that might help understand that crushing loss.

FGCU plays a very physical game, they generate alot of fouls quickly. Stetson was making their free throws. FGCU missed alot, especially near the end. It kept the Hatters in the game.

But the final Stetson shot in the paint at 3 seconds left in OT was symbolic of FGCU's play. They blocked the shot at the rim and the game ended. They just defend the paint well.

I talked with some coaches about that loss to FGCU, and while some werent very diplomatic, the common theme they all saw was that FGCU started doing better at contesting UNF shots. This created more misses and fed the rebounding.

The less diplomatic felt UNF lost their nerve and refused to go inside because they are a bunch of wimps (harsher terms were used here)

Davenport, Daniels or Beech couldn't stop Marc Eddy Norelia. Shifting the defense to stop him left Terrell wide open at some key times.

Having watched them the whole season, many teams have tried to stop the Ospreys through a tougher perimeter defense to keep the threes from setting up the inside game. Some have been successful (Saint Louis, Louisville, VCU) and they beat the Ospreys. Some have failed (Illinois, Austin Peay, LSU) and only LSU was able to outscore them.

All that being said, sometimes I see moments where they are plumb tired. That 4 game losing streak had some qualities of fatigue around it. That is why I kept asking if they were sick. Duke deals with this every year. Everyone gets up for them. UNF is the defending champ, everyone was getting up for them too.

Dapperdan · March 07, 2016, 03:29:38 PM

Maybe the NIT is a better fit for them. They likely would have been blown out in the first round to a 1 seed. I think they may have missed the play in game and gone straight to 16 seed. They might have a chance against Florida.

pierre · March 08, 2016, 08:00:08 AM

It will be interesting to see who UNF is matched up with. I doubt FSU or UF makes the NCAA tourney and each would be likely matchups for the Ospreys.

Florida is doing major renovations to the O-Dome and cannot host a game. So maybe they can play that here.

JaxJersey-licious · March 08, 2016, 09:23:14 AM

Quote from: pierre on March 08, 2016, 08:00:08 AM
It will be interesting to see who UNF is matched up with. I doubt FSU or UF makes the NCAA tourney and each would be likely matchups for the Ospreys.

Florida is doing major renovations to the O-Dome and cannot host a game. So maybe they can play that here.

I think if that's the case they should move it to the Arena if it's available. The Gators probably being the higher seed can host wherever they want when they're home is unavailable and the massive crowds from both sides would be an excellent setting for the Ospreys to make right from the disaster that was the FGCU playoff game, particularly for the seniors.

Dapperdan · March 08, 2016, 10:02:52 AM

I would actually prefer the UNF arena. A nice compact college atmosphere.

spuwho · March 10, 2016, 06:18:16 PM

Here is the current projected NIT Brackets based on current standings and places in conference tourneys. (March 9)

Graphic courtesy of the NIT Bracket Project:

http://bracketmatrix.com/nit

Reminder: Regular season champions that do not win their conference tournament get an automatic bid to the NIT. This season so far, Belmont, Bucknell, High Point, Hofstra, IPFW, Monmouth, North Florida, Valparaiso and Wagner have automatic bids to the NIT.

tufsu1 · March 10, 2016, 11:30:11 PM

^ The idea that Temple (14-4 in the American Athletic Conference) is projected as a 3 seed in the NIT is laughable. If the Owls best USF tomorrow, they are fairly solidly in the Big Dance. If they lose, I submit they still rank higher in NIT brackets than FSU (see playing no favorites with my two schools), and UF.

spuwho · March 11, 2016, 08:59:04 PM

Funny thing, when I note to some friends who are Gator fans that they might be playing UNF in the NIT, they all scoff at me and say "not possible"...."we deserve to play someone better than them"...."not in the same league"....."what a joke".

I was like whoa, don't get too uppity or anything, after all it is the NIT.

Its almost like 2 thirsty wolves and one doesn't want to have to drink from the same pond as the other.

But they didn't hesitate to want tickets if it really happens.