Game Daaaaay!! UL vs ASU

[RaginCajunFan]

My adrenaline is still going strong! What a game! Many Cajuns came through tonight but boy was Stove huge tonight! Makes me happy when players take advantage of open lanes. : ) My one concern was in the first half. During the win streak, we have seen Long double-teamed and had Bryce Washington on the other end to finish. That was absent for the most part tonight. Long being overaggressive in first half makes me think maybe ASU was disrupting what Bryce has done well the past 9 games when Long is double-teamed.

While there were times we didn't guard well, boy, ASU made some well contested shots. I mentioned to my Dad, "When will they miss?"

I was highly impressed with both ASU Men and Women's defensive play.

Speaking of the Women's game, ASU ladies can guard! ASU played most of the game in 2-3 Zone and I kept telling my buddy... This is the time for Taylor Washington/ Okde to hit some 3's. Problem was, Cajuns couldn't get anyone open on the perimeter... vs a 2-3 zone! Very impressed! Okde was on bench until late in the game. It wasn't until ASU switched to what it seemed to be a 1-2-2, that the cajuns were able to penetrate inside. Tough loss for the Women. I felt Broadhead's gameplan focused on having his best defensive players on the court, just didn't have enough offense to win. 3-point battle hurt badly. I really thought Broadhead was going to ride the defensive lineup until the final stretch and then put his offensive weapons in. I was wrong. Maybe Veal and Wilridge fouling out disrupted the second half gameplan. Surely didn't help. I could be wrong, but I think only 6-7 girls saw action this afternoon; another reason to believe Coach wanted his best defensive players in the game.

Going back to the Men, I was also very impressed how well ASU defends. Like Jay mentioned above, great job by the Cajuns making the extra pass and knocking down those huge 3's. Boy I'm fired up! Well guys, many have complained about not having many "meaningful" games in the Cajundome, well, we have one Saturday! #noexcuses #turnup

[Ned Clampett]

Damn fine first post!

[Hudsheen#Fired]

Kasey Sheppard is one of the best spot up shooters I have seen.
If he has his feet set when he catches the ball, its almost always going in

[chiefsfan]

I thought ARkansas State played their butts off tonight.

Props to Boucoum who didn't back down from Shawn and ASU's gameplan to not let Shawn beat them in the second half.

But Kasey, Shep, Hedge and yes, Eli made them pay by making big shots and we did a great job during that stretch of making the extra pass.

And, tho Shawn didn't score a bucket til the end he really was great on the boards and inside in the final ten minutes.

We took their two best guards and slowed them down.

NICE performance and good job by the fans when the Cajuns needed them.

I was on a Jonesboro station and they asked about the crowd. I predicted 4500.

If anyone needs Powerball numbers, call me.

It's typical of this team, we try hard, but usually can't get over the hump because of reasons unrelated to the current guys on the team.

I know your perspective Jay, but I'm tired of going into games in Lafayette and hearing "We're not expected to win, so nothing to lose tonight" out of our coach. That's ultimately why fans have abandoned the team...we've fallen so far that it's hard to even accept what is a good team that tries hard because it reminds us of the fact that we've dropped to a point that we must suddenly accept a team like this.

Good news is Livingston, Carter, and Thomas are all back next year as part of only 5 returning players, so there will be some talent, but also a blank canvas to build this team around. Hopefully we get back to where we should be soon enough.

[chiefsfan]

My adrenaline is still going strong! What a game! Many Cajuns came through tonight but boy was Stove huge tonight! Makes me happy when players take advantage of open lanes. : ) My one concern was in the first half. During the win streak, we have seen Long double-teamed and had Bryce Washington on the other end to finish. That was absent for the most part tonight. Long being overaggressive in first half makes me think maybe ASU was disrupting what Bryce has done well the past 9 games when Long is double-teamed.

While there were times we didn't guard well, boy, ASU made some well contested shots. I mentioned to my Dad, "When will they miss?"

I was highly impressed with both ASU Men and Women's defensive play.

Speaking of the Women's game, ASU ladies can guard! ASU played most of the game in 2-3 Zone and I kept telling my buddy... This is the time for Taylor Washington/ Okde to hit some 3's. Problem was, Cajuns couldn't get anyone open on the perimeter... vs a 2-3 zone! Very impressed! Okde was on bench until late in the game. It wasn't until ASU switched to what it seemed to be a 1-2-2, that the cajuns were able to penetrate inside. Tough loss for the Women. I felt Broadhead's gameplan focused on having his best defensive players on the court, just didn't have enough offense to win. 3-point battle hurt badly. I really thought Broadhead was going to ride the defensive lineup until the final stretch and then put his offensive weapons in. I was wrong. Maybe Veal and Wilridge fouling out disrupted the second half gameplan. Surely didn't help. I could be wrong, but I think only 6-7 girls saw action this afternoon; another reason to believe Coach wanted his best defensive players in the game.

Going back to the Men, I was also very impressed how well ASU defends. Like Jay mentioned above, great job by the Cajuns making the extra pass and knocking down those huge 3's. Boy I'm fired up! Well guys, many have complained about not having many "meaningful" games in the Cajundome, well, we have one Saturday! #noexcuses #turnup

Our women were playing very shorthanded tonight. Our top post player has missed the last 4 games with an ankle sprain, and you guys got our 2nd leading scorer in foul trouble early. Thankfully, Aundrea Gamble just as a unique ability to take a game over when she needs to.

Decent chance our women will clinch the league title with three weeks to go in the regular season...that's insane.

[CRAWFISH61]

Our women were playing very shorthanded tonight. Our top post player has missed the last 4 games with an ankle sprain, and you guys got our 2nd leading scorer in foul trouble early. Thankfully, Aundrea Gamble just as a unique ability to take a game over when she needs to.
Decent chance our women will clinch the league title with three weeks to go in the regular season...that's insane.

We were short handed also as our leading scorer is indefinitely suspended. Astate is a really good woman's team. They do everything well. I thought we played very well but Astate is better.

[BirdofParadise]

It's typical of this team, we try hard, but usually can't get over the hump because of reasons unrelated to the current guys on the team.

I know your perspective Jay, but I'm tired of going into games in Lafayette and hearing "We're not expected to win, so nothing to lose tonight" out of our coach. That's ultimately why fans have abandoned the team...we've fallen so far that it's hard to even accept what is a good team that tries hard because it reminds us of the fact that we've dropped to a point that we must suddenly accept a team like this.

Good news is Livingston, Carter, and Thomas are all back next year as part of only 5 returning players, so there will be some talent, but also a blank canvas to build this team around. Hopefully we get back to where we should be soon enough.

Where is that "where we should be"?

Program has only had back to back 19 win seasons once...and that was under Brady.

Only NCAA trip was 17 years ago.

It's always been my opinion that men's basketball coach in the Sun Belt is the toughest gig there is around here.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you shouldn't strive to be better. And, hopefully your new coach will be able to make the climb.

But at Arkansas State, the climb is steeper.

[chiefsfan]

Where is that "where we should be"?

Program has only had back to back 19 win seasons once...and that was under Brady.

Only NCAA trip was 17 years ago.

It's always been my opinion that men's basketball coach in the Sun Belt is the toughest gig there is around here.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you shouldn't strive to be better. And, hopefully your new coach will be able to make the climb.

But at Arkansas State, the climb is steeper.

Typical perils of football success. When your football program grows at the rate ours has, fans begin to wonder why the basketball program can't do the same. Especially with the rise we have seen out of our Volleyball and Women's basketball programs the last couple years.

Basketball used to be the big thing here. 8,000 fans at each game, big name schools coming in regularly, program making at least NIT fairly regularly. Now we are struggling to get 1,000 fans to games, and almost every piece of news out of the basketball program over the years has been negative. I don't think any of us expect miracles, but if ULM can turn the utter disaster that was the Orlando Early era over there into a team that finished runner up in the CBI, we're left wondering what we could do given we've got a lot more money available than they do.

[scotto_25]

Couldn't say it better...

I was thinking after reading that, I don't remember Arkansas State ever really being THAT good. I can't remember any real consistency either...?

[VObserver]

stAte's women are just better. I know everyone here [including me] loves Kia and Kiki and Silk, but they will get handled by good big guards every time out. And stAte has very good big guards. We couldn't get an outside shot off because stAte's perimeter defenders are all 5-9 or taller and long, and just as quick as Kia and Kiki. Aundrea Gamble should be illegal, and the other 3 or 4 girls who play guard for stAte are all excellent players as well. Those are the type of players Brodhead needs to be recruiting if he wants to get better.

That being said, I like the tweener bigs that we have signed the last two years, especially Simone Fields and Jordan Alexander.

I agree with Crawfish that we played well. I hope Garry looks at the video from last night and uses it as a recruiting guide for guards.

[CajunEXPRESS]

I'm very confident he knows how to build a team. Wanting and getting specific talent are two different animals. He's doing a great job.

[Boomer]

Kasey Sheppard is one of the best spot up shooters I have seen.
If he has his feet set when he catches the ball, its almost always going in

It is a thing of beauty to watch Kasey float in the air on a drive but he needs to dunk the ball---I have watched more and more of his open layups get swatted away----I told him one day about 3 years ago that he could be as good as EP----now his height defense and strength aren't there but he was quicker, handled the ball as well, and was a MUCH better shooter (think he is rated in national stats on his % in FGs and FTs)---Just disappointed in his lack of added muscle and strength ---- Waiting for that dunk!!!