SFA (3-0) vs. Howard Payne (0-0)

WHEN: NOV. 18 (SAT.) 4:00 P.M.
NAC
FACEBOOK LIVE

More Yellowjackets and these were picked 5th in the preseason poll in the ASC West.

We are their first game of the season.

6'8, 6'6, and 6'5 are their bigs everyone else under 6'4

8 freshmen
3 sophmores
5 juniors
4 seniors

Maybe it was an exhibition, but Howard Payne got brutalized by Abilene tonight for a 50 point loss. Traveling halfway across the state to play us two days later can't be good.

I honestly would like to see non-starter development and starter rest in this game in prep for the rest of noncon play.

Ready for this week to be over with. The schedule picks up significantly next week with the trip to Starkville...

Yeah if they could do that, I would love to see it too. I have no confidence that they can keep focus when they feel like they have nothing to lose.

I think we are more than capable of reducing the turnover margin. With massive improvements in the PG position with Augustine and John, we should be expecting pretty clean sheets. The team just needs to work on their movement away from the ball.

This team is in big trouble if it cannot clean up the mistakes. It's not rocket science. This team needs three things to improve, and improve immediately if they want to make any noise this year:
(Disclaimer: I'm using our three games versus a complete season 2015-16, but am doing so to drive the point)
1. Cut down on turnovers. If you cannot control the ball against D3 competition, what do you think taller, longer more athletic players will do to our team? Two years ago, we averaged 12 turnovers per game. 12-15 is acceptable, but right now we're averaging 21. We will need those extra 6-9 possessions to compete against better competition.
2. Find capable 3 point shooters. You cannot shoot 27.5%(our current percentage) against stiffer competition and expect them to honor your outside game. The lack of ability to stretch the floor will make it impossible to use our athleticism via slashes to the hoop or interior ball movement when the competition knows to go downside on every screen. Two years ago, we weren't a great three point shooting team (36.3%), but our outside game had to be honored. Hitting just one more "three" out of 10 makes this team very scary.
3. Share the ball. We're assisting on only 34 of our 92 buckets. That's pathetic. A little over 11 assists per game against inferior competition. Assist to turnover ratio is 0.54. That's not team basketball, it's organized chaos. Two years ago, our ratio was 1.55. In order to compete against better competition, that number has to be north of 1.00, and preferable closer to 1.2.
What we should be looking for over the next few weeks is improvements in these numbers. If they don't improve, we will repeat last year. It's really that simple.

Again I wonder what's the purpose of scheduling these games?

Aren't we supposed to be a program that shouldn't have to schedule MULTIPLE D-3 schools?

One, sure. But come on, what's the point?

Keller maybe thought we would have slow start. Oh and may turn the turn the ball over 20 plus times. Look at last years early schedule. Playing all those big teams can U say it actually help us? No. They way we are turning the ball over I'm kinda glad for the easy start. Bc any decent D1 team would have probably already shredded us. Plus who want to come to nac. We get north dokota state n rice at. That is good enough

Not sure if we even won 4 games in a row last year. Let's take these wins and see what we do in Mississippi

I respect your point, but what's the point of playing sloppy against D3 teams and playing sloppy against power 5 teams?

If we want our guys to play big time basketball, Howard Payne and LeTourneau aren't exactly what I had in mind.

And, isn't it a huge downer to watch is play so sloppy against bad teams? It's depressing to see, it scares me for what we will play like against legit competition.

I'd rather us play big time teams and get beat than play sloppy against D3 teams.

I guess my point is that when we play a legit team, and (if) we get completely overwhelmed and look lost, I'm going to look back and say:

"What exactly did our games against D3 help us accomplish?"

I just don't see the point of glorified practice.

It makes our program look like we're out begging for wins. I think we're are a better program than that.

I love the fact we are playing Rice and NDsU and LSU and Mizzou, I want a whole pre-conference if that.

To me, that's where you learn how to play "big boy" basketball.

Not pummeling no-bodies from a directional D3 conference

MasterAxe said:

---

I guess my point is that when we play a legit team, and (if) we get completely overwhelmed and look lost, I'm going to look back and say:

"What exactly did our games against D3 help us accomplish?"

I just don't see the point of glorified practice.

It makes our program look like we're out begging for wins. I think we're are a better program than that.

I love the fact we are playing Rice and NDsU and LSU and Mizzou, I want a whole pre-conference if that.

To me, that's where you learn how to play "big boy" basketball.

Not pummeling no-bodies from a directional D3 conference

---

. I for one don't have an issue with us playing a few D2 and D3 schools if we show clear improvement. Right now we look better than last year but not nearly as crisp as a Danny or Brad coached team. Those guys played together hand in glove. An earlier poster made a great point regarding assists. We are not moving the ball well enough to consistently beat the top 2-3 teams in the conference. That means we'll probably split those games. To me that points toward a 14-4 conference season. That will be good for 2nd or 3rd. Hardly what you'd expect in a league largely devoid of talent with the exception of SFA and possibly Lamar. Let's hope for real improvement over the next 8 games. Otherwise I think we'll have a sour taste come March.

While I get Master's point, I can't go along with it completely. While 3 D3 teams may be a bit too many I like the idea of opening/early season games with 1 or 2 D2 type teams to give our team a chance to play together, try different lineups, tune up for the tougher non con games ahead. I don't see it as begging for wins but as a good way to help prep the guys for the long haul.
IF SFA played only D1 teams in non con (let's say 12 games) them 8-9 of them would be on the road as few schools will come here and the very real possibility that we would go something like 3-9, maybe 4-8 depending on opponents. While it might show us about big boy BB it would not inspire the average fan to hear that we are 3-9 going into conference, it would have half the folks on this board calling for the coach to be fired....no matter who the coach is....and I don't think it would get us any better seeding if we made the big dance because the amount of losses would outweigh the SOS, especially as a SLC team.

Totally respect your point, but i think it will be much harder for us to play at a certain level to beat D2/D3 schools and then realize we have to ratchet it up, as opposed to knowing what it takes to play at a high level and then facing a lesser squad in conference, where we would be playing a a level far superior.

And everyone is like "yeah, but we look better now than we did last year,"

I sure freaking hope so, we're playing teams that barely have scholarship players!

I guess we will find out, but I stand by my original point, I see no validity to playing FAR inferior opponents.

I only hope we don't get anyone hurt.

I have to side with Isaac on this. It's obvious that the Jacks are not where they need to be as a team, but these games allow them a chance to get the kinks out and gel, while still getting a morale boost from several "W"'s.

In spurts we've played well enough to beat D-1 teams, wouldn't you agree? So, the possibilities are there, although maybe buried a bit by the turnovers. We have several legitimate D-1 players on this team, wouldn't you agree? So, let's give these legitimate D-1 players a chance show what they were recruited for.

I think the Jacks will show themselves quite well when they go up against Mississippi State next week... Maybe or maybe not come away with a "W". Anyway, I say, that's enough with the pessimism for now (including from me!). Axe 'em!

I sure hope Keller's recruiting pitch wasn't

"You're a legit D1 player and you're going to be able to prove it...against multiple non D1 teams"

Again, I may be totally wrong, but these games seem totally pointless to me

I remember Kaspar saying how he would always schedule cupcakes to start the season because he wanted his teams to get a feel for winning. He also seemed to consider getting physically manhandled early usually led to problems later on. Now I don't remember a week quite like this one before, but the rest of our non conference schedule is as strong as anything ever scheduled before (last year excepted). So we have an easy first two weeks. We've got a tough five coming up. I know there's no such thing as premature pessimism, but I'm sure there will be plenty of time for realistic pessimism coming soon.

Again, it totally respect your viewpoint, but, do you really feel better about our team after three cupcake wins?

Again, it's just me, but I'd rather play up in completion then pretend to learn anything from playing way down.

I think we will get some of our answers next week. Not all of the answers but just few.

I don't want to change your opinion. This fan base (and site) needs the backslappers and the forehead slappers.

I don't think these games have revealed to us how we're going to handle true competition. I do think they have revealed some strengths (Kevon, Bogues, and Augustin) and some weaknesses (forcing offense, poor possession management, and moments of laziness). I personally don't mind that we' going to win four in a row doing it given that if we can correct any of the weaknesses and win the SLC tourney, we'll look much better to the selection committee as a 23-6 team than a 19-10 team.

I completely understand and agree with a lot of what you said, but I still think we have a beast of a non conference ahead. Coming out with three or four losses means an all star year. 6-8 losses, not so much. We know what happened last year; let's see if it's different.

PurpleOut said:

---

How do you suggest we go about being able to get real D1 games, at home, all the time? Because since I started school in 2002, that's the way it's always been. 9 times out of 10 you have open dates in your schedule where virtually nobody is available to play other than these teams. It's the same reason everyone in our league has a similar schedule. High major schedules all have a chunk of low majors schools from the worst conferences.

---

Purple is dead on. I had a direct conversation with Brad (at a soccer game) about scheduling. He said he called 30 - 40 schools. All big whopping "NO!!!" or we'll come to you but you have to play 5 at our place...... UGH UGH. It's frankly just BS. That's part of the reason I don't have an issue playing Howard Payne. It's that or Savannah St. and instead of paying a few grand we'd have to pay Savannah 20k to come to Nac.

BigJack85 said:

---

All big whopping "NO!!!" or we'll come to you but you have to play 5 at our place......

---

How many years did we play Texas Tech before they embarrassed us at home? I believe we've been working out some great home and home's lately. UAB, Rice, ULM, Northern Iowa, Long Beach St. have all been nice gets in the last five years. I bet we'v got people trying to keep that model going. My guess is they would like two to three new home and homes to not lock up the schedule and then try to score the money away games like Keller has done with the SEC.

Let's just hope that the NCAA's never abandon the semblance of amateurism. If they decide - like many in the sports media world are pushing - to pay athletes and make it a "pro" system, no one will ever come to Nac again.

Edit: Answered my own question about Tech. Played them five years (2007-2011) they came here in 2009. 4 away/1 home. Played them 1997-2000 (4 years) home game in 99. 3 away/1 home. Upset them in 98.

nacluth said:

---

BigJack85 said:

---

All big whopping "NO!!!" or we'll come to you but you have to play 5 at our place......

---

How many years did we play Texas Tech before they embarrassed us at home? I believe we've been working out some great home and home's lately. UAB, Rice, ULM, Northern Iowa, Long Beach St. have all been nice gets in the last five years. I bet we'v got people trying to keep that model going. My guess is they would like two to three new home and homes to not lock up the schedule and then try to score the money away games like Keller has done with the SEC.

Let's just hope that the NCAA's never abandon the semblance of amateurism. If they decide - like many in the sports media world are pushing - to pay athletes and make it a "pro" system, no one will ever come to Nac again.

Edit: Answered my own question about Tech. Played them five years (2007-2011) they came here in 2009. 4 away/1 home. Played them 1997-2000 (4 years) home game in 99. 3 away/1 home. Upset them in 98.

---

I remember Tech beating us at the buzzer with a put back I believe. I think Knights son was the coach????

You're right. I retract my embarrassed statement...I'm now pretty sure I was thinking of the girls Tech home game. Though the 1999 game was more lopsided. I was at that one too.

Makes me think of a topic for a new thread...best home court win?

nacluth said:

---

You're right. I retract my embarrassed statement...I'm now pretty sure I was thinking of the girls Tech home game. Though the 1999 game was more lopsided. I was at that one too.

Makes me think of a topic for a new thread...best home court win?

---

NWST or Sam in 2008

In the coliseum for this one. Girls put 105 on HPU. We definitely won the warmups for the boys. Let's see if it's the same for the game. There are a ton of fans dressed as purple seats.

The look as fired up to play a D3 team on Saturday at 4 as you would imagine. Getting out hustled all over the place. We have the athletes, but our play scheme does not complement them.

Seems like a relevant game to play. Seeing as out players barely want to give it a 100%.

Sleepwalking.

This is a bad start. Keller is making a huge mistake by keeping Ivan on the court. So lazy and undisciplined.

Honestly, this is embarrassing, too. It's like Keller didn't have them ready to play and there's no fire in the court or the bench or from the coach. HP only down 7 with the ball. Really? I'm not under the illusion Walkup is suddenly going to appear, but we must think being told we're good automatically makes us good. Where is a team leader? And....Canete misses a layup and walks back down the court. This will end up a blowout because we're deeper and in much better shape, but the final score can't cover up some of the mistakes that shouldn't be happening even this early- the main one being coming out ready to play no matter who you are playing. This is Howard Painful.