Princeton Game Thread == 11-15-2024

[classof63]

Before the game Princeton had a slightly better KenPom rating and had beaten another A-10 team.

[RamblerRagas]

Great game. Couldn't tell whether we were good and brought our best (didn't seem that way), or if Princeton did their best or had an off night.

We don't win without Sheldon and Miles giving extra effort in the final 4 minutes. Sheldon is a leader and warrior.

As Drew stated in the postgame presser, we have 10 guys on this roster who would qualify as starters. 10 starters!
I don't think any LUC team has ever had this, unless we want to count the loaded and special 2020-21 squad.

Seeya this week !!!!!!

[01grad]

The thing about Rubin is it’s not just the shots he blocks, but also the shots that he forces other teams to either alter or just not take. There were a lot more than 4 of those, as there are every game. He’s a presence inside that we’ve rarely had

[goramblers2011]

The thing about Rubin is it’s not just the shots he blocks, but also the shots that he forces other teams to either alter or just not take. There were a lot more than 4 of those, as there are every game. He’s a presence inside that we’ve rarely had

Good point. I remember one in particular where the Princeton player was driving late in the game, big possession, and instead of going hard to the hoop, he attempted a floater layup from 6ish feet out--rimmed out and missed. He made that alteration 100% because of Rubin's presence.

[Cruyff]

I was impressed with the Ramblers performance against Princeton. That's a tough place to play and an above average team with a history of claiming some big wins. Their guards were good and caused problems. I was not impressed with the Ramblers against Chicago State and UofD, so I was glad to see them step up on Friday. This was a gritty road performance. Other than the way they handled the 1-3-1 trap and shot 3s, it was a good outing. I liked DeLoach. He was aggressive and had some good looks. Dawson gave us a man-of-the-match performance. Someone made a point about Ruben putting fear into the other team getting a multiplier effect off his blocked shots in the number of altered shot or decisions not to even go to the rim. He was a major deterrent. Let's hope Des Watson finds his stroke. The next two games are at home and it's important to get these. Southern Utah is 4-0 and Tulsa at 3-1 has been a real thorn in our side, frankly, giving us a sever beat down two years in a row. I feel like these are winnable, but by no means walkovers. Go Ramblers. Keep up the good work.

[natetheskate]

lot of whining by the Princeton coach
https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/artic ... icago-loss

[Mudville21]

Hi All:

Sorry for not being as active as I am normally, but been a hectic couple of weeks.

I won't go in as great of detail as I normally do as we are on the eve of another game tomorrow, but here are a few thoughts:

1. I am not sure how we won the game against P. We shot the ball terribly from the floor and the FT line. The good news is we dominated the glass and only turned it over 10 times. We did not get a lot of steals, but had 9 blocks. It certainly was not pretty, but a win on the road against a KenPom tier B opponent is always good.

2. My original thought from earlier this fall was that Jayden Dawson might be the most important piece for this team. Through the 4-0 start that is playing out as Jayden has scored, hit 3's, and defended. Miles also has been important and his play the last 4 minutes against P was inspired with the blocks and buckets he got. He was fired up, reminded me of the end of the Dayton game last year in the Joe.

3. We are not shooting the 3 well and our FT shooting the last two games has deteriorated. My original concerns about shooting the 3 are also starting to come to the forefront. Jayden has been solid. Sheldon has been hitting some big ones, but he has been hyper streaky. Des seems a bit lost on offense and has not provided any help from the arc. Justine has not chipped in much. I was waiting to see who would step up as an additional 3 shooter and so far no one has.

4. I made the comment earlier after the open scrimmage that I thought our backcourt would be a strength this year. Right now, Justine and Jaylen have not be quite as good as I had hoped. They both need to pick it up. Both are missing shots on drives to the hoop and at times were shaky handling the ball against P.

5. 4-0 looks good, but there are issues lurking. We caught a break that the officials allowed the game to be physical against P. With a different crew it would have been a different result. On the road, you normally don't a game officiated like this going in our favor. Our shooting across the board needs to be better. We keep missing layups and shots in the paint. We took some very quick shots and launched some quick off balance 3's that not just missed, but missed badly. Our defensive intensity was good and we showed signs of getting better.

6. I will take the 4-0, but I am not fooled into thinking we are anywhere near where we need to be to repeat in the A-10 or get into the Dance. We have the ability, but we have a lot work to do.

Go 'Blers

[goramblers2011]

Our "big win" here took an immediate hit. Princeton getting wallopped by 20+ vs mediocre Wright St in the first round of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. So much for being a Q1 win.

[01grad]

Braden Norris’ brother Keaton with 11 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds for Wright State

[LasRamblas]

Our "big win" here took an immediate hit. Princeton getting wallopped by 20+ vs mediocre Wright St in the first round of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. So much for being a Q1 win.

We’ll be lucky if it ends up being a Q2, and eeking out a close win against a subpar teams puts the team in a new perspective, especially when the other teams in the A10 look a lot better.