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| Anthony Mitchell and LeShaun Murphy on the bench during SIUE's game against MacMurray Saturday. Photo by Allan Lewis. |
Heading into halftime, you couldn't help but notice the emotionless faces of the SIUE players.
They didn't look to be winning, losing or even playing basketball for that matter. This team plays like its coach. Calm and collected under most circumstances, just trying to get better, as Coach Forrester is often known for saying. Regardless, the Cougars were, indeed, playing basketball for the fourth time this season. It actually counted. While SIUE held a substantial talent gap, a sizable advantage inside and home court, still, the scoreboard read MacMurray 38, SIUE 34.
I couldn't help but thinking "hear we go again," and as I exited towards the media room at halftime to grab a water. I had to get the noises out of my head and try and collect my unbiased self. It has become a custom for me to just walk my way across the court and just shake my head and roll my eyes at those I know in the athletic department or other local media folk when SIUE is trailing. I stopped and talked for a bit with local ecougarzone reader/commenter @abizzlecougar (I know your real name, but abizzlecougar just sounds so much more badass to put here.) You can imagine what was going through our heads. The Cougars were losing to a team they should have beat by say...30?
To make matters worse, MacMurray had the "Best."
Wait, does that make any sense?
Let's recap here. If you happened to stumble upon the coveritlive feed during the game you know what I am talking about. Behind the baseline media table located just in front of the student section with temporary obstruction via cheerleader there was a group of about 5 fans from MacMurray. Every opportunity they had was "GO CODY!!!!," not to be confused with our late mascot Cory, who has since been replaced by some impostor to later be known as Eddie or Champ.
They were taking about Cody Best, who has got to be the best player MacMurray had, or just a guy who had friends in the area, or just obnoxious friends in general. His name implied it, and his cheering section was determined to improve MacMurray's all-time regular season record against SIUE to 3-1. Division III or not, somehow, they were the loudest fans in the VC, and screaming right into my eardrums.
Cody Best started the game for MacMurray. He was 1-3 from the field for two points, along with one rebound and three assists. We get it, go Cody, whatever. Get out of my student section.
Luckily, by the end of the game, they didn't have much to cheer about, as SIUE dropped 54 in the second half, en route to an 88-73 victory. Play like that the whole game, you're talking 108-70 and a fan base charged with new found optimism.
Either way, who was to say SIUE would have made the comeback they did. What if Nik Bundalo didn't go for 25 and 13, or if LeShaun didn't throw down the sickest dunk I have seen all year, TV included. It made my heart stop, but @abizzlecougar left early and missed it. (sorry buddy.)
After all, SIUE learned this sobering lesson before. You play up to your competition, no matter what the name on the front of the jersey says. Millikin in 08, Illinois College in 09...could it be MacMurray in 10?
Although the answer was no, it was stil too close to call.
I asked coach Forrester how he gets his team to develop this mindset. Just play basketball. Night in, night out. Iowa or MacMurray. This is a very different team from last year. You have two JUCO transfers playing significant minutes and making solid contributions. The big men seem to be getting better, including Zeke Schneider, who got a lot of flack last season. Dob Mavrak is becoming an internet celebrity! (Okay, maybe not, but @heyericiscool is working on it.) For Forrester, execution isn't as simple as just going out and playing basketball. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but somewhere in between he had to have given a hell of a halftime speech.
The problems SIUE had against MacMurray were the same, but less magnified because of the scale of competition. You want to talk slow starts, shot selection, poor free throw shooting and your best player sitting on the bench wearing a shirt and tie, SIUE is where you would start.
Once this team learns how to play without Mark Yelovich and can establish a tough 40 minute gameplan, it will all work out fine. Right now, we have to realize we are going through the toughest part of our transition to Division I, and these things happen. It is frustrating to lose, and it is frustrating to not beat the living snot out of a school like MacMurray. The wins will come, and Yelovich will be back when the games actually matter. Let's try and have some fun the rest of the way. It's more frustrating to watch South Dakota beat Minnesota in football and Seattle host and defeat Oregon State in basketball. North Dakota is still annoying, but we seem to be falling further and further off the pace set by our transitional siblings.
I still expect us to play our best game of the year Friday at Iowa, and could almost guarantee it. As much of a mess this is in Edwardsville, Iowa is just as bad. Fran McAffery is having a hell of a time with the 2-3 Hawkeyes, who have lost to two non-power conference schools already, South Dakota State (which teaches the BigTen network to not make fun of their JACKRABBITS nickname,) and Long Beach State in Puerto Rico. We may not win, but we will come to play.
First though, it's Kyle Korver's brother and the UMKC Kangaroos, a game we won two years ago and one we should have won last year. This week is going to test how far SIUE has come.
Other notes:
Abel Tillman and Gerald Jones did not play again against MacMurray. The duo of newcomers is not redshirted, but rather suspended until Forrester deems they are done being suspended. Yelovich told me he thought they would have been back for MacMurray, but they obviously were not. When will they be ready to play? No one, not even their coach knows.
LIVE CHAT: Friday, 5:30 p.m., doubleheader, SIUE vs. Iowa, SIUC vs. Purdue on the Big Ten Network. That's the tentative plan atleast, I can't afford the road trip to Carver-Hawkeye, and could possibly watch from a bar or something instead, but maybe a chat!
2 comments:
The above picture should have a caption. Murphy looks to Mitchell and says "man what the hell is Forester doing?" Mitchell looks out on the court and says "Fuck, I don't know."
You stated it best. Just too many people on our team has lost passion to play, coach, or even just watch. It's like they are zombies. I don't think they will be awake for Friday's game. I want to be hopeful, but I just dont see us doing better than a 30 point loss. I just haven't yet seen any effort or awareness. But you got to give it to Forrester. He can play the coaching part. Maybe we will see him in Air Bud 4 as the coach for the red squad. I have made the conclusion that he can't coach.
Alex and Allan, bizzle in the house. I agree fully on everything. I am intrigued at what is going on with this team. You are right about the emotionless part. I see no excitement and def no team togetherness. Its like no one likes each other on the team...THat was the difference last year and the year before it seemed like at least the guys could talk to each other. I guess its hard to be excited when they know there is nothing to play for.
I told Allan the other night that I really thought that Lennox was a great recruiter but just does not have it as a coach. I like the firey coaches....I want a guy slinging his suit coat and his tie off when something goes wrong (ALA Marty when he would stomp his feet, yell, and once in awhile i saw him tugg at the sweater vest like he was going to rip thing off too).....I want a guy getting in the players faces....THey need to act like there is something to play for....
Abel and Gerald must have done something more than just get caught partying there must have been something more serious or Lennox is trying to be a hard ass.....I dont know but I really think those two could provide a difference maker unlike Alex I really think Gerald Jones has somehting and loved his aggresivenes at the Haunted Hoops night he routinely schooled people left and right and finished very well....Abel was very athletic and would give SIUe a nice big in the post who can move not just dunk but move around and give them some versatility.....but obviously they dont deserve to play or Lennox maybe blowing something out of proportion.....
I love the caption quote that was hilarious....
Also is it just me but it seems like the admin has lost the passion as well.....maybe this whole process has drawn the energy but I looked at the admin and they looked tired and not very happy.....I think we will either see SIUe fail at this process (which I dont think would be the worst thing) or the admin will see a big shakeup.......
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