The men's basketball team (3-9) fell 84-52 to Kentucky Monday night at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Junior Jacolby Hardiman led CMU with 12 points, while senior forward Marcus Van and junior guard Jordan Bitzer each grabbed eight rebounds.
CMU began the game on a 13-4 run with three consecutive 3-pointers from Bitzer, Robbie Harman and Jeremy Allen. CMU continued to lead, 17-16, with 9:46 left in the first half. But the Wildcats ended the half on a 26-6 run and led 42-23 at the break.
"We just weren’t able to sustain that start," said CMU coach Ernie Zeigler. "We continued to get similar shots, but their length and athleticism started to give us problems. They started to get out on transition on us. We did a really good job of limiting their transition to begin the game, but they have such great depth, they just kind of wear you down."
Both sophomore Antonio Weary and Harman fouled out for Zeigler.
"I think we’ve definitely gotten better since that display against Robert Morris," Zeigler said. "I think the effort today, particularly in the first 10 minutes of the game, is something for us to build on as we take these next 12 days or so to prepare for conference play."
There wasn't much contribution from the bench, with only one player (Weary) scoring (7 points). The starters (Van, Bitzer, Harman, Allen and Hardiman) played 82.5 percent of the minutes for Zeigler, with only Harman playing less than 30 minutes. Bitzer played 38, Van played 37, Hardiman played 32 and Allen played 30.
"It’s definitely a concern," Zeigler said of the team's depth. "But it’s just the hand that we have to play with right now. Antonio Weary is our (sixth) guy, and we just have to try to rotate in those guys and continue to develop the other guys so they can take on some of the load."
Poor shooting again doomed Central as it shot just 18-of-58 (31 percent). Harman was just 3-of-13 and Van was 3-of-12. Van's numbers are particularly alarming because he does most of his damage around the basket.
"They were mostly inside shots," Zeigler said of the shooting woes." We really got the ball into the paint, but struggle in there because of their length and their athleticism really bothered us. We just struggled to finish around the basket."
Meanwhile, the Wildcats were led by Jodie Meeks' 23 points as he shot 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Michael Porter (right) scored 12 points and dished three assists for the Wildcats.
Kentucky shot 30-of-56 (53.6 percent) and made 10-of-22 (45.5 percent) of its 3-point attempts. CMU shot only 5-of-18 (27.8 percent) from long range.
14 Wildcats played in the game, while CMU played 11 in front of 22,944.
"When you have 23,000-strong pulling for you, at some point it definitely helps the momentum," Zeigler said. "Basketball’s a game of momentum. It’s a great atmosphere really what college basketball is all about. As we continue to develop our program, hopefully we can get an opportunity to play in that type of atmosphere again."
Zeigler on what the team must work on as it approaches conference play (Western Michigan comes to Rose Arena on Sunday, Jan. 11):
"We need to continue to work on sustaining a high level of intensity, irregardless of how many minutes each guy has to log. We’re really going to use these next 12 days to really work on getting better as a team. If we can do that it’ll put us in a position to compete in our division and our conference."
Zeigler on senior forward Chris Kellermann, who remains out with a fractured ankle:
"It’s indefinite right now. A little more than two weeks since he injured it. He’ll be reevaluted at the three-week point. Hopefully we’ll have a more definitive status on him by the time we start back at school on (Jan.) 13th."
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
FINAL: Detroit 67, CMU 55
The men's basketball (3-8) team lost again Tuesday to former head coach Jay Smith (now an assistant with Detroit), 67-55, this time three days after an embarrassing loss to Robert Morris at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Simply put, things don't look good for coach Ernie Zeigler and Central's chances in the Mid-American Conference this season.
It was another loss that saw the Chippewas commit 30 personal fouls, which is pretty ridiculous. That is enough fouls for six players to foul out. Jordan Bitzer (8 points) and Jeremy Allen (5 points) fouled out of this game, and by the looks of two technical fouls, Zeigler and company weren't very happy about it. Marcus Van picked up a technical, and so did Zeigler. Since its opener against Princeton, when it committed 17 fouls, CMU has not committed less than 20 fouls in any of its games. Seven of its 11 games saw at least one player foul out. Either CMU players can't stay with the opposition and are forced to foul, or the team simply doesn't have enough discipline on defense. You're not going to win very many games with that many fouls, especially when you're only playing four or five guys off the bench. Either let the opponent get the shot off (hey, they might even miss!) or put yourself in a better position. But this many fouls not only makes games boring to watch (there's a stoppage of play it seems every posession), it's not good strategy.
And it's not like these fouls are picked up as CMU fouls near the end of the game. These are totaled throughout the game, being overaggressive on defense.
The team continues to struggle behind the 3-point arc, shooting 5-of-19 (26.3 percent) against the Titans. Robbie Harman, who scored a team-high 16 points, shot 0-for-5. That won't cut it if CMU wants to stay in games.
Central now has six days off before traveling to Kentucky (9-3) on Dec. 29 in Lexington. The Wildcats started slow before winning nine of their last 10 games, including wins over West Virginia and Kansas State.
It was another loss that saw the Chippewas commit 30 personal fouls, which is pretty ridiculous. That is enough fouls for six players to foul out. Jordan Bitzer (8 points) and Jeremy Allen (5 points) fouled out of this game, and by the looks of two technical fouls, Zeigler and company weren't very happy about it. Marcus Van picked up a technical, and so did Zeigler. Since its opener against Princeton, when it committed 17 fouls, CMU has not committed less than 20 fouls in any of its games. Seven of its 11 games saw at least one player foul out. Either CMU players can't stay with the opposition and are forced to foul, or the team simply doesn't have enough discipline on defense. You're not going to win very many games with that many fouls, especially when you're only playing four or five guys off the bench. Either let the opponent get the shot off (hey, they might even miss!) or put yourself in a better position. But this many fouls not only makes games boring to watch (there's a stoppage of play it seems every posession), it's not good strategy.
And it's not like these fouls are picked up as CMU fouls near the end of the game. These are totaled throughout the game, being overaggressive on defense.
The team continues to struggle behind the 3-point arc, shooting 5-of-19 (26.3 percent) against the Titans. Robbie Harman, who scored a team-high 16 points, shot 0-for-5. That won't cut it if CMU wants to stay in games.
Central now has six days off before traveling to Kentucky (9-3) on Dec. 29 in Lexington. The Wildcats started slow before winning nine of their last 10 games, including wins over West Virginia and Kansas State.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Final recap: Robert Morris 73, CMU 60
AUBURN HILLS — Last season, Ernie Zeigler called his team out for not being tough on Jan. 22 in Kalamazoo after a loss to Western Michigan.
This season, it came much earlier. The CMU men’s basketball coach said he will get back to instilling his tough philosophy within his team after a 73-60 loss to Robert Morris Saturday at the Palace.
“We are not where we need to be as a program in this process of building,” Zeigler said. “We have to go back and build toughness. We have to start putting guys on a daily basis through different things to build their toughness.”
CMU never led after losing its early 3-0 lead with less than two minutes into the game. RMU imposed its will, drawing foul after foul — 28 total — and shot 42 free throws. It took a 41-33 lead into halftime after shooting 72.2 percent.
Things didn’t get much better to start the second half. The Colonials opened up with a 7-0 run to take a 48-33 lead, and CMU would never get closer than 13 the rest of the way.
“We showed periods of trying to battle and show small snippets of toughness, but it was not enough to put ourselves in a position to be successful,” Zeigler said.
Senior forward Marcus Van, CMU’s lone threat in the post, scored 22 points to become the fifth CMU player to score 20-plus points this season.
But he got into foul trouble, sitting out the majority of the second half after scoring 12 first-half points.
“I tried to play the whole game without making dumb fouls, but sometimes it happens, you just have to keep your head up and continue to play,” he said.
Also in foul trouble throughout the game was sophomore guard Jeremy Allen, who scored just six points in only 20 minutes.
Allen fouled out with 7:16 remaining.
Junior guard Robbie Harman played a team-high 39 minutes and finished with 12 points.
“I think right now, with what we’ve got, we have to find within us when things get tough or aren’t going our way, we have to battle through,” Harman said. “And right now, we don’t have that.”
CMU shot just 39.7 percent, while RMU shot 60 percent. Zeigler said the only thing he could take away from the game is that the program is not doing well.
“When you have the opportunity to be in these types of venues in front of alumni and friends and family, you would hope that you would be inspired to come out with a better effort,” he said.
sports@cm-life.com
This season, it came much earlier. The CMU men’s basketball coach said he will get back to instilling his tough philosophy within his team after a 73-60 loss to Robert Morris Saturday at the Palace.
“We are not where we need to be as a program in this process of building,” Zeigler said. “We have to go back and build toughness. We have to start putting guys on a daily basis through different things to build their toughness.”
CMU never led after losing its early 3-0 lead with less than two minutes into the game. RMU imposed its will, drawing foul after foul — 28 total — and shot 42 free throws. It took a 41-33 lead into halftime after shooting 72.2 percent.
Things didn’t get much better to start the second half. The Colonials opened up with a 7-0 run to take a 48-33 lead, and CMU would never get closer than 13 the rest of the way.
“We showed periods of trying to battle and show small snippets of toughness, but it was not enough to put ourselves in a position to be successful,” Zeigler said.
Senior forward Marcus Van, CMU’s lone threat in the post, scored 22 points to become the fifth CMU player to score 20-plus points this season.
But he got into foul trouble, sitting out the majority of the second half after scoring 12 first-half points.
“I tried to play the whole game without making dumb fouls, but sometimes it happens, you just have to keep your head up and continue to play,” he said.
Also in foul trouble throughout the game was sophomore guard Jeremy Allen, who scored just six points in only 20 minutes.
Allen fouled out with 7:16 remaining.
Junior guard Robbie Harman played a team-high 39 minutes and finished with 12 points.
“I think right now, with what we’ve got, we have to find within us when things get tough or aren’t going our way, we have to battle through,” Harman said. “And right now, we don’t have that.”
CMU shot just 39.7 percent, while RMU shot 60 percent. Zeigler said the only thing he could take away from the game is that the program is not doing well.
“When you have the opportunity to be in these types of venues in front of alumni and friends and family, you would hope that you would be inspired to come out with a better effort,” he said.
sports@cm-life.com
Palace live blog
FINAL: Robert Morris 73, CMU 60
See cm-life.com for full recap shortly.
2:59 remaining, second half
RMU 72, CMU 54
RMU has stymied all of CMU's comeback attempts with its continuous attack of the basket. The Colonials have 39 free throw attempts and are shooting 65.6 percent from the field. The Chippewas came within 13, 63-50, on a few steals with a full-court press, but eventually, the Colonials regained control.
11:48 remaining, second half
RMU 58, CMU 39
CMU still cannot get anything going on the offensive end, scoring only six points thus far. The fouls keep coming, nearly every offensive possession for the Colonials, as CMU has eight team fouls already. RMU? 1.
15:55 remaining, second half
RMU 50, CMU 35
CMU responded with a basket from Robbie Harman after the timeout, but RMU went back to offense. Senior forward Marcus Van committed his fourth foul with a hard foul underneath, for which the referees warned both Van and Zeigler.
17:01 remaining, second half
RMU 48, CMU 33
CMU continues to struggle to open the half, allowing uncontested layups up the middle to RMU sophomore guard Gary Wallace. Coach Ernie Zeigler had seen enough. He called timeout, took off his sportcoat and went off on his players. I've never seen him so heated.
18:30 remaining, second half
RMU 46, CMU 33
Less than two minutes in, Jeremy Allen already has four fouls and CMU has yet to score.
HALFTIME: Robert Morris 41, CMU 33
RMU shot a blistering 72.2 percent from the field in the first half, shooting 13-of-18 and 12-of-17 from the free throw line. CMU, meanwhile, made the same amount of field goals but shot 10 more times (13-for-28) and shot just 5-of-11 from the line. RMU is also outrebounding CMU 16-10.
Three players from Robert Morris score 8 points, including leading scorer Jeremy Chappell. Marcus Van leads CMU with 12 points, while Robbie Harman has 8 and Jeremy Allen has 6.
1:05 p.m.
3-0 CMU The game is underway, with Marcus Van hitting an inside layup and making the ensuing foul shot. The Palace is largely empty, with a smattering of fans in the upperdeck. The ends are closed with a black curtain in the upper deck.
9-11 Jeremy Allen over a RMY defender from outside
15:00 9-13 Jeremy Chappell runner in the lane over Van
11-13 Van inside jumper
11-15 RMU leads Foul on Van inside on blocking foul, basket's good.
14:36 remaining, first half
The teams look evenly matched thus far. Jordan Bitzer is on the bench with two fouls already, and CMU has six team fouls in about the same number of minutes into the game.CMU is looking to get the ball inside early, with a majority of the team's shots coming from there. RMU has opened up with two 3-pointers and is drawing fouls on a consistent basis. The refs are calling it tight.
13:12 remaining, first half
11-18 RMU guard Jimmy Langhurst has gone off, hitting a 3-pointer and a long two to lead RMU with five points.
11-19
14-19 Robbie Harman hits a 3-pointer
CMU 17, RMU 21
Marcus Van is establishing himself early as a threat down low for CMU, as he has 10 points. It's something CMU needs considering Chris Kellermann and Marko Spica, two of the team's big men, are out indefinitely.
6:49 remaining, first half
RMU 27, CMU 24
Central is staying in the game with some good execution in its offensive sets, along with some clutch shooting. Robbie Harman has 6 points, two 3-pointers that were much-needed boosts. Freshman forward Lawrence Bridges, from Detroit, is playing well inside. But fouls and free throw shooting continue to be issues. CMU is already over 10 fouls and is shooting poorly from the free throw line.
3:56 remaining, first half
RMU 31, CMU 26
3:18 remaining, first half
RMU 33, CMU 28
Robbie Harman is keeping CMU in the game. He drives the lane for a hard-fought layup, but CMU's defense continues to foul RMU and the Colonials are making them pay.
1:43 remaining, first half
RMU 35, CMU 31
CMU's full-court defense paid off in the form of Jeremy Allen's steal and lay-in to bring CMU within four. The team then stole the ball on RMU's next possession and Antonio Weary called timeout from the floor to secure possession.
1:55 p.m. Halftime
RMU 41, CMU 33
The Colonials closed off the first half with a 6-2 run. With about a minute left, Hardiman stole the ball and had a shot at a dunk. But he missed as a RMU defender contested and Harman missed the follow up.
Notes: Former CMU forward Nate Minnoy ius in the crowd, watching his old team in action.
See cm-life.com for full recap shortly.
2:59 remaining, second half
RMU 72, CMU 54
RMU has stymied all of CMU's comeback attempts with its continuous attack of the basket. The Colonials have 39 free throw attempts and are shooting 65.6 percent from the field. The Chippewas came within 13, 63-50, on a few steals with a full-court press, but eventually, the Colonials regained control.
11:48 remaining, second half
RMU 58, CMU 39
CMU still cannot get anything going on the offensive end, scoring only six points thus far. The fouls keep coming, nearly every offensive possession for the Colonials, as CMU has eight team fouls already. RMU? 1.
15:55 remaining, second half
RMU 50, CMU 35
CMU responded with a basket from Robbie Harman after the timeout, but RMU went back to offense. Senior forward Marcus Van committed his fourth foul with a hard foul underneath, for which the referees warned both Van and Zeigler.
17:01 remaining, second half
RMU 48, CMU 33
CMU continues to struggle to open the half, allowing uncontested layups up the middle to RMU sophomore guard Gary Wallace. Coach Ernie Zeigler had seen enough. He called timeout, took off his sportcoat and went off on his players. I've never seen him so heated.
18:30 remaining, second half
RMU 46, CMU 33
Less than two minutes in, Jeremy Allen already has four fouls and CMU has yet to score.
HALFTIME: Robert Morris 41, CMU 33
RMU shot a blistering 72.2 percent from the field in the first half, shooting 13-of-18 and 12-of-17 from the free throw line. CMU, meanwhile, made the same amount of field goals but shot 10 more times (13-for-28) and shot just 5-of-11 from the line. RMU is also outrebounding CMU 16-10.
Three players from Robert Morris score 8 points, including leading scorer Jeremy Chappell. Marcus Van leads CMU with 12 points, while Robbie Harman has 8 and Jeremy Allen has 6.
1:05 p.m.
3-0 CMU The game is underway, with Marcus Van hitting an inside layup and making the ensuing foul shot. The Palace is largely empty, with a smattering of fans in the upperdeck. The ends are closed with a black curtain in the upper deck.
9-11 Jeremy Allen over a RMY defender from outside
15:00 9-13 Jeremy Chappell runner in the lane over Van
11-13 Van inside jumper
11-15 RMU leads Foul on Van inside on blocking foul, basket's good.
14:36 remaining, first half
The teams look evenly matched thus far. Jordan Bitzer is on the bench with two fouls already, and CMU has six team fouls in about the same number of minutes into the game.CMU is looking to get the ball inside early, with a majority of the team's shots coming from there. RMU has opened up with two 3-pointers and is drawing fouls on a consistent basis. The refs are calling it tight.
13:12 remaining, first half
11-18 RMU guard Jimmy Langhurst has gone off, hitting a 3-pointer and a long two to lead RMU with five points.
11-19
14-19 Robbie Harman hits a 3-pointer
CMU 17, RMU 21
Marcus Van is establishing himself early as a threat down low for CMU, as he has 10 points. It's something CMU needs considering Chris Kellermann and Marko Spica, two of the team's big men, are out indefinitely.
6:49 remaining, first half
RMU 27, CMU 24
Central is staying in the game with some good execution in its offensive sets, along with some clutch shooting. Robbie Harman has 6 points, two 3-pointers that were much-needed boosts. Freshman forward Lawrence Bridges, from Detroit, is playing well inside. But fouls and free throw shooting continue to be issues. CMU is already over 10 fouls and is shooting poorly from the free throw line.
3:56 remaining, first half
RMU 31, CMU 26
3:18 remaining, first half
RMU 33, CMU 28
Robbie Harman is keeping CMU in the game. He drives the lane for a hard-fought layup, but CMU's defense continues to foul RMU and the Colonials are making them pay.
1:43 remaining, first half
RMU 35, CMU 31
CMU's full-court defense paid off in the form of Jeremy Allen's steal and lay-in to bring CMU within four. The team then stole the ball on RMU's next possession and Antonio Weary called timeout from the floor to secure possession.
1:55 p.m. Halftime
RMU 41, CMU 33
The Colonials closed off the first half with a 6-2 run. With about a minute left, Hardiman stole the ball and had a shot at a dunk. But he missed as a RMU defender contested and Harman missed the follow up.
Notes: Former CMU forward Nate Minnoy ius in the crowd, watching his old team in action.
Saturday at the Palace
The men (3-6) will face Robert Morris (5-5) for the second straight season, but this time, it comes at the Palace of Auburn Hills at 1 p.m. Saturday. The game will be followed by Michigan against Oakland at 4 p.m.
Some news:
-Senior forward Chris Kellermann is out indefinitely with a foot injury suffered in practice. He's had some trouble with this in the past, which caused him to miss 12 games during his sophomore year (2006-07). This puts more pressure on senior forward Marcus Van, who is averaging 9.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in his four games. In Wednesday's 72-69 loss to Illinois State at Rose Arena, the starting five (Van, sophomore guard Jeremy Allen, junior forward Jacolby Hardiman, sophomore guard Antonio Weary and junior guard Robbie Harman) played 81.5% of the minutes, with only Jordan Bitzer (who scored 10 points in his return) playing more than six minutes off the bench. The team is most definitely feeling Kellermann's absence, especially with junior forward Marko Spica still out with a knee injury.
-Speaking of Bitzer, although he only shot 2-for-10 from the field in his return Wednesday (maybe feeling some nerves), he will be able to either start for Weary or come off the bench and be instant offense. His shooting ability is second-to-none on the team and obviously, CMU needs scorers with Kellermann out.
Scouting Robert Morris:
CMU beat RMU 83-72 last season in Moon Township, Pa., behind Bitzer's career-high 18 points. The Colonials are led by Jeremy Chappell, a 6-foot, 3-inch shooting guard from Cincinnati who averages 16.6 points per game. Look for #21 to come out fast after missing last year's game because of academic suspension. The Colonials' top two scorers from the Dec. 5, 2007 game (Tony Lee - 18 points, and A.J. Jackson - 15 points) have graduated. Spica added 17 for CMU last season. RMU is coming off an 83-70 win against Lafayette.
A list of RMU's games thus far:
Shippensburg 69-34 W
at St. Bonaventure 62-72 L
Delaware 86-75 W
at Rutgers 55-69 L
vs. Marist 55-72 L
Youngstown State 74-72 W
at Iona 70-62 W
St. Francis (N.Y.) 79-87 L
Long Island 81-70 W
at Miami (Fl.) 62-70 L
at Lafayette (Pa.) 83-70 W
Coach Mike Rice, in his second season at RMU's helm, was impressive in his debut last season as he guided the Colonials to a 16-2 Northeast Conference record and a regular-season championship. However, the Colonials lost in the conference tournament to Mount St. Mary's and lost to Syracuse in the first round of the NIT. RMU finished with a 26-8 overall record, and at one point won 14 consecutive games. Rice has previous ties as an assistant at Fordham (1991-94), Marquette (1994-97), Niagara (1997-98), Chicago State (1998-2001), Saint Joseph's (2004-06) and Pittsburgh (2006-07).
Watch out for RMU's defense. The Colonials had 11 steals in their loss to Miami (Fla.) on Dec. 14, with Chappell finishing with six. Also, down low, the teams match up pretty well — like CMU, RMU is small. The team has no player taller than 6-8, while CMU has just one active — Brandon Ford, who is averaging just 0.4 points per game in 11.2 minutes.
I will be there blogging from the Palace, and will stay for the Oakland-Michigan game as well. Should be a good day of basketball. Stay tuned for more as I will be posting more in coming days.
Some news:
-Senior forward Chris Kellermann is out indefinitely with a foot injury suffered in practice. He's had some trouble with this in the past, which caused him to miss 12 games during his sophomore year (2006-07). This puts more pressure on senior forward Marcus Van, who is averaging 9.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in his four games. In Wednesday's 72-69 loss to Illinois State at Rose Arena, the starting five (Van, sophomore guard Jeremy Allen, junior forward Jacolby Hardiman, sophomore guard Antonio Weary and junior guard Robbie Harman) played 81.5% of the minutes, with only Jordan Bitzer (who scored 10 points in his return) playing more than six minutes off the bench. The team is most definitely feeling Kellermann's absence, especially with junior forward Marko Spica still out with a knee injury.
-Speaking of Bitzer, although he only shot 2-for-10 from the field in his return Wednesday (maybe feeling some nerves), he will be able to either start for Weary or come off the bench and be instant offense. His shooting ability is second-to-none on the team and obviously, CMU needs scorers with Kellermann out.
Scouting Robert Morris:
CMU beat RMU 83-72 last season in Moon Township, Pa., behind Bitzer's career-high 18 points. The Colonials are led by Jeremy Chappell, a 6-foot, 3-inch shooting guard from Cincinnati who averages 16.6 points per game. Look for #21 to come out fast after missing last year's game because of academic suspension. The Colonials' top two scorers from the Dec. 5, 2007 game (Tony Lee - 18 points, and A.J. Jackson - 15 points) have graduated. Spica added 17 for CMU last season. RMU is coming off an 83-70 win against Lafayette.
A list of RMU's games thus far:
Shippensburg 69-34 W
at St. Bonaventure 62-72 L
Delaware 86-75 W
at Rutgers 55-69 L
vs. Marist 55-72 L
Youngstown State 74-72 W
at Iona 70-62 W
St. Francis (N.Y.) 79-87 L
Long Island 81-70 W
at Miami (Fl.) 62-70 L
at Lafayette (Pa.) 83-70 W
Coach Mike Rice, in his second season at RMU's helm, was impressive in his debut last season as he guided the Colonials to a 16-2 Northeast Conference record and a regular-season championship. However, the Colonials lost in the conference tournament to Mount St. Mary's and lost to Syracuse in the first round of the NIT. RMU finished with a 26-8 overall record, and at one point won 14 consecutive games. Rice has previous ties as an assistant at Fordham (1991-94), Marquette (1994-97), Niagara (1997-98), Chicago State (1998-2001), Saint Joseph's (2004-06) and Pittsburgh (2006-07).
Watch out for RMU's defense. The Colonials had 11 steals in their loss to Miami (Fla.) on Dec. 14, with Chappell finishing with six. Also, down low, the teams match up pretty well — like CMU, RMU is small. The team has no player taller than 6-8, while CMU has just one active — Brandon Ford, who is averaging just 0.4 points per game in 11.2 minutes.
I will be there blogging from the Palace, and will stay for the Oakland-Michigan game as well. Should be a good day of basketball. Stay tuned for more as I will be posting more in coming days.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Starting off right
Both the men's and women's basketball teams started off their respective seasons with a win.
The men beat Princeton 55-53 Friday night in New Jersey, while the women edged out an 84-83 win against Indiana State Saturday at Rose Arena.
Some highlights from the men's game:
Chris Kellermann: career-high 28 points and 13 rebounds. His first double-double of his career.
Jacolby Hardiman; game-winning steal with less than 10 seconds left.
Robbie Harman: 3-for-4 from the free throw line with less than one minute remaining.
Princeton's freshman point guard Doug Davis: 25 points in debut.
I talked to coach Ernie Zeigler and Kellermann after the game.
Kellermann on the environment: “It was pretty neat playing there. They’ve got a good fanbase. There wasn’t as many many students as I thought there was going to be, but it’s a great tradition and a pretty good basketball environment overall.”
Zeigler on his team's performance: “It was a total team effort. Robbie Harman was a rock down the stretch, going to the foul line. Good teams win one-possession games. We battled through adversity during the game. We struggled with handling the ball and making free throws, but we did not wilt.
“It’s very gratifying. I’m just really more pleased for my players, because they’ve been dealing with adversity off the court in terms of some of the issues with their teammates. Rough start for these guys. But these kids came prepared to execute. They came prepared to battle and I’m just really happy for all 10 guys that came on this trip and battled for us.”
Stay tuned for a preview of Monday's home opener against Missouri State, which begins at 7 p.m. at Rose Arena. Kellermann on the game: “We definitely owe them one from last year. Especially since we’ve got the “Rock the Rose” on Monday too. Hopefully that’s going to get everybody fired up to come to the game. I think everybody’s feeling really good coming into this one and a lot of guys from last year are looking for revenge on them. So it should be an exciting game and a good environment.”
-Dan
The men beat Princeton 55-53 Friday night in New Jersey, while the women edged out an 84-83 win against Indiana State Saturday at Rose Arena.
Some highlights from the men's game:
Chris Kellermann: career-high 28 points and 13 rebounds. His first double-double of his career.
Jacolby Hardiman; game-winning steal with less than 10 seconds left.
Robbie Harman: 3-for-4 from the free throw line with less than one minute remaining.
Princeton's freshman point guard Doug Davis: 25 points in debut.
I talked to coach Ernie Zeigler and Kellermann after the game.
Kellermann on the environment: “It was pretty neat playing there. They’ve got a good fanbase. There wasn’t as many many students as I thought there was going to be, but it’s a great tradition and a pretty good basketball environment overall.”
Zeigler on his team's performance: “It was a total team effort. Robbie Harman was a rock down the stretch, going to the foul line. Good teams win one-possession games. We battled through adversity during the game. We struggled with handling the ball and making free throws, but we did not wilt.
“It’s very gratifying. I’m just really more pleased for my players, because they’ve been dealing with adversity off the court in terms of some of the issues with their teammates. Rough start for these guys. But these kids came prepared to execute. They came prepared to battle and I’m just really happy for all 10 guys that came on this trip and battled for us.”
Stay tuned for a preview of Monday's home opener against Missouri State, which begins at 7 p.m. at Rose Arena. Kellermann on the game: “We definitely owe them one from last year. Especially since we’ve got the “Rock the Rose” on Monday too. Hopefully that’s going to get everybody fired up to come to the game. I think everybody’s feeling really good coming into this one and a lot of guys from last year are looking for revenge on them. So it should be an exciting game and a good environment.”
-Dan
Thursday, November 13, 2008
A conversation with Coach Zeigler...
Tim and I had a chance to sit down with Coach Ernie Zeigler on Tuesday afternoon. The team is on its way to Princeton, N.J., for its season opener, which takes place Friday night at 7 p.m Some highlights from the conversation:
On what has changed since last season:
“The biggest thing I learned from last year is that we spent so much time trying to be a dynamic offensive team. Some guys had mixed signals about what was most important. We didn’t start to actually defend until the fifth loss. But we started off with 85 points, then 81 to Hillsdale. Offensively, we were really good to start, but defensively we never got off to a good start. What pleases me is the defensive effort we had in this exhibition game.”
On the four players who are out because of injury and suspension (Adrian Hunter: suspended two more games. Marcus Van: Suspended five more games. Jordan Bitzer: Academically ineligible until Dec. 14. Marko Spica: Out indefinitely with a knee injury.):
“You have to play the hand you’re dealt. That’s what I’m telling our guys. It’s unfortunate we have some of the situations we’re dealing with in terms of some of our veteran players, but there’s still a game to be played. We can’t be thinking woe is us, we’re going to be competing to win. The guys that are going to get opportunities, be it freshmen or be it newcomers, are guys that we recruited. That’s why you have 13 scholarships to recruit to have guys that can step in during any circumstance that comes about.”
On the turnover from last season (seven players gone, six new players this season):
“I kind of look at that group last year. What happened last year for us is nothing that doesn’t happen throughout college basketball. There’s always attrition for one reason or another. I kind of like to compare this building process to building a home. You start with the foundation, and if you’re doing it yourself you go to Home Depot, and you try to get the best pieces of wood. That’s kind of how we looked at that first recruiting class. Unfortunately, there was a couple of guys in there that we went to Home Depot and we bought the ply wood and we got them and we got them in there and there were some holes in it. We tried to sand them down, we tried to get it to fit, to change and unfortunately we weren’t able to. But we have to keep building and replace those pieces. I’m very confident that they guys we have are a much better fit for the program, for the house that we’re building. It has definitely been great fit in terms of chemistry and personality here during our fall workouts and now entering our fourth week of workouts. This group isn’t one that me or my coaching staff is trying to beg effort from or trying to convince them of our style of play and what our program is going to stand for.”
On junior forward transfer Jacolby Hardiman, who is likely to start:
“Jacolby is very versatile. He has the ability to put pressure on the defense to attack the basket off the dribble and he has a very innate ability to offensive rebound. Those two things are going to put him in a position to be a big scorer for us. And I think he has the opportunity to be one of our best defenders in terms of matchups.”
On freshman point guard Adrian Hunter (from Grand Blanc), who is suspended two games for a violation of team rules:
“I think he’s definitely understands the point that I was going to get across to him. Adrian’s a very tough kid. And just like most freshmen, you come in, and sometimes you’re not aware and sometimes you may try to do certain things to see if there’s bark behind the voice. But Adrian is definitely going to have the opportunity to contribute early.”
On the criticism for giving Marcus Van another chance after dismissing him:
“It comes with the territory. If I spend every waking hour responding to negativity or negative comments — or in those people’s minds they’re positive comments — Ultimately every decision I make is for the best interest of this program and for each kid in the program. And I have a responsibility that I have put upon myself to help every kid to become a successful adult in our society… The easiest thing to do that takes no effort at all is to quit. Quit on the game, quit on someone, it takes no effort. The pressure, where it really comes, is if you can stick with someone through the tough times and help them see the light and what direction they should be going. That’s how I’m going to try to go about this. At the same time, once you’ve shown that you can’t be helped, then those guys will not continue to be there. Thus far I’ve had three of those situations, and so far I’m sitting 1-for-2. So hopefully now Marcus Van is going to keep me batting .500 with this chance he’s getting.”
On Chase Simon and Nate Minnoy, who both left the program after last season:
“Those kids are good kids. Unfortunately, upon getting here and seeing how they’re going to be pushed and seeing what I expect, they weren’t able to sustain those things. I’m a firm believer in those situations to help kids change. But when kids don’t want to change, there becomes two options. You’re either going to change, or you’re going to leave.”
On so many players being out to start the season and if there is going to be a slow start because of it:
“The great thing about college basketball is that there’s three seasons. Every team goes through some adversity during one of those parts of the season. Last year, we went through it during the conference season when we had issues. And it ended up keeping us from being a winning program last year when we were right on the threshold and had some really good moments but kept teetering and tottering. The teams that end up dealing with their adversity and then overcome it end up being the most successful during the end of the season, which is where you want to be. For us, I look at it as we’re dealing with it right off the jump. Going through these situations here early and going through these games is hopefully going to put us into a position where we’re going to be much stronger mentally and really help us start to gel come conference season.”
On what has changed since last season:
“The biggest thing I learned from last year is that we spent so much time trying to be a dynamic offensive team. Some guys had mixed signals about what was most important. We didn’t start to actually defend until the fifth loss. But we started off with 85 points, then 81 to Hillsdale. Offensively, we were really good to start, but defensively we never got off to a good start. What pleases me is the defensive effort we had in this exhibition game.”
On the four players who are out because of injury and suspension (Adrian Hunter: suspended two more games. Marcus Van: Suspended five more games. Jordan Bitzer: Academically ineligible until Dec. 14. Marko Spica: Out indefinitely with a knee injury.):
“You have to play the hand you’re dealt. That’s what I’m telling our guys. It’s unfortunate we have some of the situations we’re dealing with in terms of some of our veteran players, but there’s still a game to be played. We can’t be thinking woe is us, we’re going to be competing to win. The guys that are going to get opportunities, be it freshmen or be it newcomers, are guys that we recruited. That’s why you have 13 scholarships to recruit to have guys that can step in during any circumstance that comes about.”
On the turnover from last season (seven players gone, six new players this season):
“I kind of look at that group last year. What happened last year for us is nothing that doesn’t happen throughout college basketball. There’s always attrition for one reason or another. I kind of like to compare this building process to building a home. You start with the foundation, and if you’re doing it yourself you go to Home Depot, and you try to get the best pieces of wood. That’s kind of how we looked at that first recruiting class. Unfortunately, there was a couple of guys in there that we went to Home Depot and we bought the ply wood and we got them and we got them in there and there were some holes in it. We tried to sand them down, we tried to get it to fit, to change and unfortunately we weren’t able to. But we have to keep building and replace those pieces. I’m very confident that they guys we have are a much better fit for the program, for the house that we’re building. It has definitely been great fit in terms of chemistry and personality here during our fall workouts and now entering our fourth week of workouts. This group isn’t one that me or my coaching staff is trying to beg effort from or trying to convince them of our style of play and what our program is going to stand for.”
On junior forward transfer Jacolby Hardiman, who is likely to start:
“Jacolby is very versatile. He has the ability to put pressure on the defense to attack the basket off the dribble and he has a very innate ability to offensive rebound. Those two things are going to put him in a position to be a big scorer for us. And I think he has the opportunity to be one of our best defenders in terms of matchups.”
On freshman point guard Adrian Hunter (from Grand Blanc), who is suspended two games for a violation of team rules:
“I think he’s definitely understands the point that I was going to get across to him. Adrian’s a very tough kid. And just like most freshmen, you come in, and sometimes you’re not aware and sometimes you may try to do certain things to see if there’s bark behind the voice. But Adrian is definitely going to have the opportunity to contribute early.”
On the criticism for giving Marcus Van another chance after dismissing him:
“It comes with the territory. If I spend every waking hour responding to negativity or negative comments — or in those people’s minds they’re positive comments — Ultimately every decision I make is for the best interest of this program and for each kid in the program. And I have a responsibility that I have put upon myself to help every kid to become a successful adult in our society… The easiest thing to do that takes no effort at all is to quit. Quit on the game, quit on someone, it takes no effort. The pressure, where it really comes, is if you can stick with someone through the tough times and help them see the light and what direction they should be going. That’s how I’m going to try to go about this. At the same time, once you’ve shown that you can’t be helped, then those guys will not continue to be there. Thus far I’ve had three of those situations, and so far I’m sitting 1-for-2. So hopefully now Marcus Van is going to keep me batting .500 with this chance he’s getting.”
On Chase Simon and Nate Minnoy, who both left the program after last season:
“Those kids are good kids. Unfortunately, upon getting here and seeing how they’re going to be pushed and seeing what I expect, they weren’t able to sustain those things. I’m a firm believer in those situations to help kids change. But when kids don’t want to change, there becomes two options. You’re either going to change, or you’re going to leave.”
On so many players being out to start the season and if there is going to be a slow start because of it:
“The great thing about college basketball is that there’s three seasons. Every team goes through some adversity during one of those parts of the season. Last year, we went through it during the conference season when we had issues. And it ended up keeping us from being a winning program last year when we were right on the threshold and had some really good moments but kept teetering and tottering. The teams that end up dealing with their adversity and then overcome it end up being the most successful during the end of the season, which is where you want to be. For us, I look at it as we’re dealing with it right off the jump. Going through these situations here early and going through these games is hopefully going to put us into a position where we’re going to be much stronger mentally and really help us start to gel come conference season.”
Friday, November 7, 2008
Van back...
Just after dismissing Marcus Van from the team, head coach Ernie Zeigler has changed his mind. This makes little sense except for the fact that now with Marko Spica out indefinitely, there is little or no presence in the post. It's kind of disappointing to see from Zeigler, but there may be more to it than we know. If he would just say what that was...
But onward we go. Tomorrow is the team's first exhibition game, and it starts at 4:30 p.m. at Rose Arena.
However the suspensions of Van (6 games), junior Jordan Bitzer (academics until Dec. 14) and Spica's injury has left the team with 10 active players. My projected lineup/bench is as follows:
PG Robbie Harman
SG Jeremy Allen
SF Jacolby Hardiman
PF Lawrence Bridges
C Chris Kellermann
And the bench:
PG William Eddie
C Brandon Ford
G Adrian Hunter
F Zach Saylor
G Antonio Weary
Kind of a small lineup, but it looks like that'll be the case for the first six games at least, until Van is back.
Marygrove, CMU's opponent tomorrow, went 3-23 last season. But coach Glen Donahue is one of Michigan's coaching legends. His more than 40 years of experience can't be overlooked. He mentored Ernie Zeigler, as you can read in today's CM Life.
We'll see you Saturday as the season starts.
But onward we go. Tomorrow is the team's first exhibition game, and it starts at 4:30 p.m. at Rose Arena.
However the suspensions of Van (6 games), junior Jordan Bitzer (academics until Dec. 14) and Spica's injury has left the team with 10 active players. My projected lineup/bench is as follows:
PG Robbie Harman
SG Jeremy Allen
SF Jacolby Hardiman
PF Lawrence Bridges
C Chris Kellermann
And the bench:
PG William Eddie
C Brandon Ford
G Adrian Hunter
F Zach Saylor
G Antonio Weary
Kind of a small lineup, but it looks like that'll be the case for the first six games at least, until Van is back.
Marygrove, CMU's opponent tomorrow, went 3-23 last season. But coach Glen Donahue is one of Michigan's coaching legends. His more than 40 years of experience can't be overlooked. He mentored Ernie Zeigler, as you can read in today's CM Life.
We'll see you Saturday as the season starts.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Injuries...and more
Junior forward Marko Spica...out indefinitely because of injury? That's what I've been hearing. If true, it could definitely hinder CMU's chances this season. After the departure of Marcus Van, the team was counting on Spica to fill in the post spot. The bad news just keeps coming for coach Ernie Zeigler, who already dealt with the losses of Nate Minnoy and Chase Simon before the Van situation.
This puts all the more pressure on news guys to step up — 6-foot, 8-inch freshman Zach Saylor (Lansing Waverly) may have to step in and eat up some minutes. Other than Saylor, Central has 6'8" senior forward Chris Kellermann and little-tested 6'11" junior center Brandon Ford as its tallest players.
Zeigler may need to switch up his consistent strategy of slowing the pace and setting up an offense. Sure, it'll still be important to show some offensive prowess, but a faster, more up-tempo squad may need to take the floor at Rose Arena.
Exhibition action begins Saturday at 4:30 p.m. against Marygrove, and don't forget to check out the women at 2 p.m., also against Marygrove.
Both were picked third in the MAC West, which seems appropriate. But rankings really don't mean too much, as Central finished one above its projected place in Zeigler's first two seasons.
This puts all the more pressure on news guys to step up — 6-foot, 8-inch freshman Zach Saylor (Lansing Waverly) may have to step in and eat up some minutes. Other than Saylor, Central has 6'8" senior forward Chris Kellermann and little-tested 6'11" junior center Brandon Ford as its tallest players.
Zeigler may need to switch up his consistent strategy of slowing the pace and setting up an offense. Sure, it'll still be important to show some offensive prowess, but a faster, more up-tempo squad may need to take the floor at Rose Arena.
Exhibition action begins Saturday at 4:30 p.m. against Marygrove, and don't forget to check out the women at 2 p.m., also against Marygrove.
Both were picked third in the MAC West, which seems appropriate. But rankings really don't mean too much, as Central finished one above its projected place in Zeigler's first two seasons.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Van officially gone
Well, men's basketball isn't looking so good heading into the first few weeks of games after senior forward Marcus Van was officially dismissed Friday by coach Ernie Zeigler. Van had some problems over the summer, as he was charged, along with three others, in a debit card conspiracy. He was sentenced to 15 days in jail, probation, restitution and community service. For that, he was given a three-game suspension to begin the year.
I just got off the phone with Coach Zeigler a few minutes ago and he said the incident or incidents that caused the dismissal were totally unrelated to the arrest . I've been hearing rumors about why he was dismissed, but I can not responsibly publish those on here until they are confirmed. But it does come from a pretty reliable source. It's a shame Van didn't do what was necessary to keep his spot. I remember one game last season — Feb. 20 against Ball State — when Van hit five straight field goals and seven of nine to close the half with 16 points. And you can't forget his jumping ability — he had the swagger to make even Rose Arena seem loud after an alley-oop dunk.
I knew Marcus from having a class with him last spring semester and from covering the team. He never seemed like the type who was all-trouble, all-the-time. He was always a cool guy to be around. Unfortunately, these kind of events just showed that Marcus wasn't serious about representing the program in a good light. It's a shame, but CMU has to move on.
I just got off the phone with Coach Zeigler a few minutes ago and he said the incident or incidents that caused the dismissal were totally unrelated to the arrest . I've been hearing rumors about why he was dismissed, but I can not responsibly publish those on here until they are confirmed. But it does come from a pretty reliable source. It's a shame Van didn't do what was necessary to keep his spot. I remember one game last season — Feb. 20 against Ball State — when Van hit five straight field goals and seven of nine to close the half with 16 points. And you can't forget his jumping ability — he had the swagger to make even Rose Arena seem loud after an alley-oop dunk.
I knew Marcus from having a class with him last spring semester and from covering the team. He never seemed like the type who was all-trouble, all-the-time. He was always a cool guy to be around. Unfortunately, these kind of events just showed that Marcus wasn't serious about representing the program in a good light. It's a shame, but CMU has to move on.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Counting it down...
Hey everyone. There are still about two weeks until the men's basketball team takes the Rose Arena floor in its first exhibition game against Marygrove. As I mull over the first month's schedule, here it is:
Sat., Nov. 8 Marygrove ROSE ARENA
Fri., Nov. 14 at Princeton
Mon., Nov. 17 Missouri State ROSE ARENA
Thurs.,Nov. 20 at Chicago State
Sat., Nov. 22 Wright State ROSE ARENA
Sat., Nov. 29 at Illinois-Chicago
Some news concerning the first half of the season:
-Junior guard Jordan Bitzer, who is expected to start, will be out because of academics.
-I am also hearing that senior Marcus Van may be done because of some other issues. Stay tuned for more on this.
Stay posted to this blog throughout the season as it provides the latest news, results and insight into Central Michigan basketball.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)