2024 Pilot Non-Conference Games

The Big Ten is celebrating Oregon as the nation's only school that is undefeated in football, men's basketball and women's basketball.  So darn close.    

up7587 wrote:Oakman did not play, anyone know why?

As you know, it is often about matchups as to who plays, and there are just so many minutes to go around for the forwards.

On Saturday there were nine players in the rotation that included, forwards Jones, Rapp, Ballisager Webb, and Dengdit, so it now up to Mezz to fight his way back into the rotation.

Up next is the Myrtle Beach Invitational.  This tournament in South Carolina is an ESPN event.  It isn't actually played in Myrtle Beach, a well known resort area; it is played in a 3,370 seat multi-sport arena on the campus of Coastal Carolina Univ. in Conway, about 15 miles inland from the beach.

The Pilot's first game is Thursday at 11:30am (2:30pm local time), against the South Florida Bulls.  The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.  What's the over/under on number of fans for a mid-day week day game in a neutral venue?

USF is from the Tampa area and plays in the American conference.  They are 2-2, losing by 15 to Florida and Charlotte, and beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff 85-69 and West Georgia 74-55.  They have had a different high scorer in each game.  Eight of their top 10 players in minutes per game are listed as guards, the other two are listed as forwards. Their primary big guy is Jamille Reynolds, a 6'11" 275# 5th year player at his 4th school (i.e. a typical college player these days).  Eight players average between 8.5 to 12.3 ppg, Reynolds has the highest game score YTD with 17 against Florida.  As a team they average 42.7% on all field goals, 29.6% on 3P FGs, and 74% on FTs.  For reference, the Pilots average 40.5% on FGs, 33.3% on 3P FGs, and 63.9% on FTs .

ESPN analytics says USF is an 88.3% favorite to win.

Another note, tragically USF coach Amir Abdur-Rahim passed away right before the season started 3 weeks ago. The team is currently being coached by interim coach Ben Fletcher. Very sad situation unfortunately.

Looks like the bus got in an accident on its way to the arena. Everyone ok had to take Ubers though!

https://x.com/other26hoops/status/1859671128010260584?s=46&t=0PJAFLJIXEYbMwGQFBXAMA

up7587 wrote:The Pilot's first game is Thursday at 11:30am (2:30pm local time), against the South Florida Bulls.  The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.  What's the over/under on number of fans for a mid-day week day game in a neutral venue?

Game is currently scheduled on ESPN2 with a tip-off of 11:52 PST.

Pilots opened with hot shooting, then had a scoring drought to lose the lead. Currently being outhustled.

Refs a factor now. They see that Rapp is not a good low post defender, so when he does make a good play, he's called for a block instead of the obvious charge. Then they don't award a time out and allow USF a steal.

Refs with some questionable calls at the end…

So close again we had it there

Next up...Ohio U. at 8:30 am PST ... IN THE MORNING!!

Ohio lost on OT thriller to Middle Tennessee St. in the earlier game today.

Ohio is favored to beat UP by 6 points...

Currently the game is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPNU, but ESPN has a tendency to move its games around...

Defense missed the early wake-up call.

Ugly ugly defense Ohio shooting 71% from three. Soft closeouts on shooters

They played really well the last 5 min of the game and made a bit of a run but there wasn't enough time left. Kelson Gebbers came in and knocked down a three and forced a turnover. Mezz also got a block and a dunk and also hit one freethrow.

So far, it seems to me that teams are using the formula Oregon used at the end of regulation, play tough physical defense, keeping a body on everyone. Pilots don't react well to it, and refs seem to reward that style of play by not calling a lot of fouls while calling the reach and grab fouls when the defender is late getting there, which is the Pilots a lot of the time.

UP24 wrote:They played really well the last 5 min of the game and made a bit of a run but there wasn't enough time left. Kelson Gebbers came in and knocked down a three and forced a turnover. Mezz also got a block and a dunk and also hit one freethrow.

For now, these bright spots are what we have left to enjoy while waiting for the team to play a complete 40 minutes...or 45 minutes in the case of the UO game.

Middle Tennessee St., the team that beat Ohio in OT to open the Myrtle Beach Tournament, opened up an 18 point lead by halftime against Univ. of So. Florida, and beat them by 7.

Next up for the Pilots is Princeton in a 7th place face off....

According to ESPN's original TV schedule, this game is supposed to be on ESPNU at 7:30 Sunday MORNING PST, but the current programming shows that slot being filled by the Championship game (which makes no sense) with no current listing for the UP/Princeton game.  So, standby for clarification.

Regardless, I believe Princeton could be the toughest opponent the Pilots will face in the Myrtle Beach Invitational.  The early odds show the Tigers winning by 10.

Per the official bracket, the championship game is 2:30pm Sunday afternoon.

https://espnevents.com/myrtle-beach-invitational/bracket/

DoubleDipper wrote:Next up for the Pilots is Princeton in a 7th place face off....

According to ESPN's original TV schedule, this game is supposed to be on ESPNU at 7:30 Sunday MORNING PST, but the current programming shows that slot being filled by the Championship game (which makes no sense) with no current listing for the UP/Princeton game.  So, standby for clarification.

Regardless, I believe Princeton could be the toughest opponent the Pilots will face in the Myrtle Beach Invitational.  The early odds show the Tigers winning by 10.

I’ve been following Xavian Lee the G for Princeton for a while. He just put up 30 against TXST and is a shifty guard who can shoot the three. If we don’t play some good defense against him he could torch us.

DoubleDipper wrote:Next up for the Pilots is Princeton in a 7th place face off....on ESPNU at 7:30 Sunday MORNING PST...I believe Princeton could be the toughest opponent the Pilots will face in the Myrtle Beach Invitational.

Too early in the morning for the Pilots, I am afraid.

Final: UP 67 - Princeton 94

Call me an optimist if you like, but I did see some bright spots for the Pilots as the freshmen gained valuable experience while learning they are going to have to be a lot more physical if they are going to find a way to win.

Next up is Denver on Sunday December 1 at 2pm.

I think it’s time we address the elephant in the room. It’s year four. And I don’t want to hear about NIL, a young team, a new roster needing to gel. Every small team in the country has to deal with the same said problems. By year 4 we need to see improvement and that has not been the case. I saw it first hand on Friday morning, and saw it first hand for 4 years from 2015-2019. These teams are the same, poorly coached with effort/turnovers/offensive scheme/defensive rotations and close outs. We make every team look like a tournament team. It’s time we talk more about Legans being on the hot seat and a new regime rather than how he’s gonna build something going forward because he’s had the opportunity to build, and has not produced an ounce since year 1. If this team doesn’t begin to show some life soon, it’s time some pressure begins to be applied by the Athletic Department, show us you care, we suffered for far too long through Porter and in my eyes right now they are one in the same. Tough weekend to be a Pilots fan, and from what I saw I don’t see it changing before March.

As much as I hate to say it, I'm starting to become increasingly frustrated with coach Legans as well. While he has managed to regularly bring in talent we have consistently underperformed-to the point that the highlight of the 'Legans Era' may very well be our most recent appearance in the Phil Knight Invitational.

Aside from Legan's tendency to fail to make adjustments going into the second half of crucial games, and the issues addressed by Pilotalum19, there's also the elephant in the room of the example that Legans sets for his players. I love a high-energy coach as much as anyone, but I can't imagine his outbursts helping calm down a team primarily comprised of 18 year olds. I venture to guess that he isn't much better behind closed doors, or during practice.

Beyond this, I sincerely believe that he wears out whatever benefit of the doubt that can be granted by referees for 50/50 calls. By the end of most games it feels like the refs are just trying to go home, and teach our coach a lesson about composure. To that end, I wonder how much longer he is going to last as a head coach at the division one level.

I appreciate the posts from rosecitypilot and pilotalum19.  I'm not the expert or historian that several on this site demonstrate, but I had a couple thoughts to add:

- First off, you can't be a fan without second guessing the coach (and sometimes the athletic director).  It comes with the territory.  Even Mark Few gets torn apart on the fan board when Gonzaga loses.  The Pilots have been losing and they're gonna lose some more.  Criticism and doubts are going to be common.

-  Second, I'm not close to being ready to call for Legan's to be fired.  Yes, I expected more at year four, but I see a lot of talent on the floor and they will get a lot better with time.  I remember last year how they talked about it was the first year Lorenzo Romar had an entire team of men he recruited.  And his record sucked - and he got fired.  I was shocked.  Anybody that watched a game could tell Pepperdine had an amazing roster.  They just needed some experience.  I think (or at least I hope) we're in a simiar position.  I don't want to start over.
 
- Interesting comments about Legan's behavior during the game.  Honestly, I don't see him behaving any differently than any other coach.  They all do it.  In all the years I've been watching basketball, the only coach I can think of that paid no attention to the refs was Eddie Sutton when he went to USF in 2008 to win his 800th game.  I loved it.  Frankly I wish they'd just outright ban any communication between the coach and the referees.  Rather than both sides trying to work the refs to their advantage, they could instead focus just on the team.  

That's all I got.  Thanks for posting.