Re: 2014-15 Opponents Thread: How are they doing?

[DoubleDipper]

Rex can't be happy his Dons have now lost two straight at home.  After losing to a very good EWU team last Thursday, they lost tonight to not so good Cal Poly.  Favored by 11 going into the game, then #126 USF just couldn't get enough rebounds or sink enough free throws to beat the #263 Mustangs, and lost 78-71.

USF is now LAST in the nation in free-throw percentage: 55.8%.

USF should get back to winning ways when the host PSU on Thursday.

[pilotdad1]

Hey DD have I told you how much I have enjoyed your posts over the last four years? I say that in all seriousness, your love for UP is obvious but you always have good stats and info to share and I just wanted you to know I appreciate it!

[DoubleDipper]

Hey DD have I told you how much I have enjoyed your posts over the last four years? I say that in all seriousness, your love for UP is obvious but you always have good stats and info to share and I just wanted you to know I appreciate it!

Thanks, PD1....yeah, love UP and try to keep expectations real....it's a tough balance at times.

I'm certainly not the best stats guy on PN, but I do try to stay a step ahead of Geezer and Deaner while posting heart-warming pictures such as this Christmas fantasy:

Please give a Christmas shout-out to Rhino from all of us at PilotNation.....

[DoubleDipper]

USF is now LAST in the nation in free-throw percentage: 55.8%.

USF should get back to winning ways when the host PSU on Thursday.

USF smashed PSU tonight, 77-40, without the need for great free-throw shooting (9/16).

Tim Douglas had 2 points and 1 assist.....Dorian did not play.

[pilotdad1]

[quote="DoubleDipper"]

USF is now LAST in the nation in free-throw percentage: 55.8%.

USF should get back to winning ways when the host PSU on Thursday.

USF smashed PSU tonight, 77-40, without the need for great free-throw shooting (9/16).

Tim Douglas had 2 points and 1 assist.....Dorian did not play.[/quote]

According to ESPN, Dorian played 11 minutes. He had 4pts and 3rbs. In fact I was amazed that Rex played 17 different players. Thats a lot of walk-ons.

[DoubleDipper]

According to ESPN, Dorian played 11 minutes. He had 4pts and 3rbs.  In fact I was amazed that Rex played 17 different players. Thats a lot of walk-ons.

You are correct, Dorian DID play!  Good to see he's finally able to get some minutes....I can only imagine how frustrated he must be to have injuries affecting two years of his playing career.

[DoubleDipper]

Pilots fans have some idea how the SMC Gaels fans feel tonight after their team squandered a 15 point halftime lead at #20 St. John's before losing 53-47.  Brad Waldow with 26 points and 11 rebounds was the only Gael in double figures.

It was a very good game to watch...but now SMC has lost 3 of its last 4 games after losing at home to Boise St. and Northern Arizona, and beating Creighton on the road in overtime.  SMC started its season 5-0.

[Guest]

Several close games for WCC teams tonight. SCU lost to Northeastern 78-72, and are now 5-5. Pepperdine lost to Richmond 65-63, and are now 7-3. Pacific needed a late 3pt to beat a 4-8 Fresno St team 71-68; they are now 8-4. And BYU beat Stanford 79-77 to get to 9-3. Meanwhile, Gonzaga played Cal Poly in Seattle, and won 63-50. CP is only 5-5, and gave GU trouble for a while.

For the other WCC teams, SMC is 6-3 and plays Northeastern on Monday. USF is 6-5 and plays Cleveland St tomorrow. USD is 6-5 and plays San Diego Christian tomorrow. Meanwhile, LMU is only 3-6, and while others are playing "cupcake" games, they play #11 Wichita St Monday in Hawaii.

UP's 8-3 record looks good relative to many other WCC schools, but the strength of schedule (@ #234) is weaker than everyone except Pepperdine and Pacific. USD and BYU really challenged themselves, with top 40 SOS's, while everyone else (except GU, obviously) is middle of the pack ranging from 98 to 184.

SOS link

[DoubleDipper]

The recent losses or less than stellar performances by WCC teams has knocked the conference down to 8th in the nation behind the Atlantic 10 Conference, but UP is still well ahead of the American Conference that includes a number of big basketball schools.

With all the realignments of recent years, there are now 33 conferences and only 1 independent school.....New Jersey Institute of Technology....NJIT.  A check of NJIT's schedule shows they play only 3 games at home through their first 14 this year.

[NoPoNeighbor]

A check of NJIT's schedule shows they play only 3 games at home through their first 14 this year.

It also shows a victory on the road at Michigan!

[DoubleDipper]

Rex's boys lost another one today on the road to #118 Cleveland St., but it was close, 69-65 in OT....something Pilots fans know something about.

With their 6-6 record KenPom ranks the Don's just ahead of UP because of their tougher schedule...but it's close: UP-136 & USF-129.

At least UP won't have to face Cody Doolin again when they play USF on January 10th.

[Geezaldinho]

Here's one.

ISE won a game!  Now 1-7.

Only one goose egg left on the ledger, San Jose State. They are 0-10.

But unless things turn around drastically with that program, they have already missed their winnable games.


They have only Fresno State and Nevada left as teams with losing records. But they have won games.

http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_27171968/san-jose-state-basketball-team-gets-help-from

[DoubleDipper]

Only one goose egg left on the ledger, San Jose State. They are 0-10.

San Jose St. has not won a D1 games since they beat Nevada in Reno on February 18.  Before that their last D1 win was a 3 OT thriller over UC Davis at home on December 18, 2013.

Luckily, UP did not keep the Spartans from breaking that streak.

[Guest]

Remember that UNLV team the Pilots had beat but lost to in OT? They just beat UA. That would be the #3 U of AZ Wildcats. The ones who beat GU.

[DoubleDipper]

Remember that UNLV team the Pilots had beat but lost to in OT?  They just beat UA.  That would be the #3 U of AZ Wildcats.  The ones who beat GU.  

In some ways UNLV's win over Arizona makes the Pilots failure to hold the lead down the stretch in the OT game even more difficult to swallow, but it also suggests that on any given night......

UP moved up the various national ranking a bit as a result UNLV's win....the Pilots RPI is 133; UNLV is 35.

[PilotNut]

LMU and Nebraska headed to OT in an offensive thriller, 35-35. LMU with a couple attempts to win it at the end of regulation, but could not get a shot to fall.

While it is nice to play on Oahu in the Diamond Head Classic... the timing of a 3-game tournament right before league play is less appealing that a month earlier around Thanksgiving. (LMU has a WCC bye on Saturday, 12/27, and plays Pepp on 12/29).

[PilotNut]

LMU has looked better than I thought they would so far... but ran out of gas tonight, losing 50-42 in OT. (Nebraska scored 14 points in the second half, and then 15 points in OT!)

[DoubleDipper]

With the preseason over (except for LMU playing DePaul on Christmas Day and PU playing IUPUI on Saturday).....it would appear there is going to be a real battle for spots 3 - 6 which include the all-important first round byes in Las Vegas when the WCC regular season begins on Saturday.

KenPom rates the WCC as follow:
7.    GU
44.  BYU
81.  USD
98.  SMC
126. PU
129. USF
134. UP
196. SCU (dropped 30 positions after losing yesterday to Cal Poly at home)
202. UOP
261. LMU

Jeff Sagarin’s Rankings:
5.    GU
56.  BYU
90.  USD
97.  SMC
124. USF
126. PU
136. UP
204. UOP
228. SCU
275. LMU

Real-time RPI:
7.     GU
38.   BYU
91.   SMC
133. UP
155. USD
169. UOP
208. PU
227. SCU
230. USF
261. LMU

[Guest]

So, we open conference play with the three toughest opponents, two of them on the road. Will be a challenge to build momentum.

[pilotdad1]

So, we open conference play with the three toughest opponents, two of them on the road.  Will be a challenge to build momentum.

I have faith!!!!!!! Go Pilots

Merry Christmas to everyone

[NoPoNeighbor]

The next three games will actually be the three best teams we play all season long, non-conference or conference, per KenPom's current rankings.

Merry Christmas! And Go Pilots!

[DoubleDipper]

Merry Christmas, everyone.....

LMU stopped their 6 game losing streak and extended DePaul's losing streak to 6 today with a win in Honolulu.  LMU "leaped" from 261 to 259 on KenPom's naughty or nice list.

Four WCC games being played on Saturday....3 of them are on TV:

SCU @ SMC on ROOT @ 1  (SMC favored by 12)
GU @ BYU on ESPN2 @ 3   (GU by 8 )
USF @ UOP on ROOT @ 3   (USF by 2)

UP @ USD will be streamed on W.tv @ 6  (USD by 10)

[Guest]

SMC beat SCU 73-60, met expectations.
GU beat BYU 87-80, but it was not easy. BYU played them tough after getting down in the first half by 16.
USF beat UOP 77-71, but UOP led much of the game. Turnovers killed the Tigers; they should have won.
And PU lost at home to a 4 and 9 IUPUI.

[DoubleDipper]

Happy New Year, everyone.....

All 10 WCC teams are in action tomorrow (Monday) and four of the five games are on TV (with KenPom prediction).

UP @ BYU on BYUtv @ 6 (BYU by 11)
PU @ LMU on ROOT @ 6 (PU by 1)
USF @ SMC on ESPNU @ 6 (SMC by 6)
GU @ USD on ROOT @ 8 (GU by 7)

SCU @ UOP streamed on W.tv @ 7 (UOP by 4)

[Guest]

GU by 7? Based on what I saw yesterday of both teams, I'd give the points.