Students disappoint in somewhat impressive Griz hoops win
Because this game was a comlpete blowout (72-47 Griz), let's start with the students' perfomance tonight. It was God awful. Really. The south student section (why the student section is split up into two halves is beyond me) sat the entire game and made zero noise. None. Wonder why the game was so close in the first half (29-27 Griz)? It's probably because the Lights were going at the end completely devoid of any activity.
The second half, the Lights were going at the north end (bleacher side) of the student section. I'm not sure how they could've possibly been rattled because we didn't make much noise. Maybe they were just intimidated by anyone that stood. If that's really all it takes, this shouldn't be too difficult. Case in point: when the Lights were going at a dead student section they were -2; when they were going at a somewhat active student section they were -23.
I want to get this across. The north end was standing the entire game but made almost no noise. Things finally got going when a few rowdy kids walked in with five minutes left and the Griz already up twenty. When we start playing better teams, the students cannot wait til the end of the game to make noise. We also can't wait til we face the good teams to be loud the entire game. Teams practice before they play anyone and we should get this cheering thing down before we play half-decent teams.
Oh, yeah, and almost no one wore the student shirts. I saw less than 50. The marketing department gives out a thousand student shirts and more than half the students show up in ridiculous looking non-Griz attire. You know when you try and look good by wearing Abercrombie and Fitch or Hurley to a sporting event? Yeah, it doesn't look good at all. It's like trying to wear fancy fake athletic shoes to go work out. You're trying to look stylish but the look is doing the exact opposite of what's intended. You know, at most other schools students have to pay for the shirts and they still all wear them. Unbelievable.
Onward with game-relevant material. Martin looked amazing. He drained shot after shot and finished with 13 points. The Griz were led by Hasquet, who was his usual self. His line: 19 points, 8 boards and 4 assists. Tonight the reboarding looked solid, especially from players coming off the bench. Both Qvale and Sharp finished with 10 boards while neither could've played more than 15-20 minutes. Qvale also finished with 8 points on 4 of 6 shooting. Other scoring notes: Drew had 12 and Cam had 13.
While the numbers don't really show it, Zach Graves also impressed tonight. He's easily one of our most athletic players. When he gets in, he puts forth more effort than anyone, as evidenced by his 3 steals (leading the team) in 13 minutes. He finished with 4 points and 1 assist on 2 of 3 shooting.
Back to the crowd thing: besides the students, there was no one there. The official attendance:3,334. Come on. Seriously? We can get behind a football team that plays down to every opponent and has players who terrorize the town but we can't draw 7k for hoops? I'm not saying people should follow basketball more than anything else or that people should abandon our football team. I'm saying anyone who calls themself a Griz fan should actually be a Griz fan, not a Griz football fan.
Edit: the directions were off. The south side is the chair side, the north side has bleachers. Thanks Mr. Gregory McDonald, who apparently hates Griz basketball.
i have to say the support was pathetic tonight, not just the students but the community as well. Im glad we won but we are going to need the fans going into conference play.
Couldn't agree more.
- Colin
i stood the whole game and tried 2 get people into it but it seems like people care more about showing up 2 the game and having a conversation over what happened to them during the week and whatever...and honestly what people don't understand is that our basketball team is way better than our football team because think about it even though we are ranked 3rd in the nation in football we are truly ranked like 120 something if you count the 119 D1-A teams ahead of us...and we beat Colorado State our football team would defintely lose to CSU without question...Griz football blows in my opinion i don't support them that much because i don't want to put forth the effort to get a ticket to watch Fort Lewis or Portland State or any of those garbage D1-AA schools...Support Griz baskeball because they actually step up and play the big boys
Another solid comment. This idea that basketball (and at times other sporting events) are mainly social activities is a joke. It's just about as bad as not coming. On the topic of not even showing up: sure, you have homework or you're tired or whatever. These athletes have the same exact crap. On top of that, they put forth this much time and more EVERY SINGLE DAY and we can't get students to spare two to four hours a week supporting them. That's ridiculous.
- Colin
You are right on about Graves. He totally shut down MSU-N's big gun, who killed the Griz early in the game. There could not have been more than 1800 people actually at the game.
With the exceptional, first 9 minutes of the, second half Martin was having, WHY WOULD TINKLE, pull him out of the game? Especially after Martin just saved our butts by giving us a big enough lead for the other guys could finally settle down and play solid ball.
Martin plays only six minutes in the first half, and we are up only two points.
Second half starts, Martin plays nine minutes, scores 13 points, delivers a beautiful assist, and gets pulled after doing all the heavy work to give us a good lead.
What's up with that? Eighteen minutes of play time, is ridiculous, for the man who had just pulled Tinkle's butt out of the fire.
I think Tinks was just trying to give experience to some other guys. Once Martin went on the run he did the game was over. We won, Tinks knows what he can get from Martin, let's move on. If he's on the bench when games are in question, then we have a problem. Right now we're alright.
- Colin
Colin, I don't know what's up with the lack of support for the team, but you keep up the good work, I wish we had more fans like you.
Also,
I am with you gar. I thought benching the senior # 22 Martin, right in the middle of the great run he was having, was just plain stupid. No one, with a functioning brain, pulls a man that is making things happen like that.
The man had a hot shooting hand, was passing and assisting great, basically running the team the way it should be run.
He had 13 points, 2 assists and a rebound in 8 stinking minutes. What the "bleep" does Tinkle want from a guy? Remember, we were up only 2 points before Martin took it to them.
I don't think Tinkle knows what the heck is happening half the time.
"players who terrorize the town"?? Most of the players don't terrorize and you seem to be lumping them all together. If I was a Griz FB player, I would not appreciate that comment. I don't think a continuation of this negativism really helps. It's not basketball versus football. As for Martin, he was pulled when the game was basically over. We don't have many opportunities to get new guys experience. Tinks rightly took advantage of the opportunity once Northern was put away.
"has players who terrorize the town but we can't draw 7k for hoops? I'm not saying people should follow basketball more than anything else or that people should abandon our football team.
I didn't say the whole team was comprised of thugs. I'm saying the team "has players," I guess it's 'had' now, who terrorize the town. I don't think I'm wrong. Like I said, I'm not trying to turn people away from football. I'm saying it's not that difficult to support two sports.
I agree with you on Martin. We won the game and young guys got experience. Looks like he knew what he was doing.
- Colin
You are both wrong about pulling the guy who started the run.
If it were only about getting the new guys a little playing experience, then why not pull Rundles, who had 31 minutes, or Hasquet who had 29, or even Strait who had 24?
Why pull the guy who only had 6 minutes in the first half? Tinkle didn't know Martin's lead would hold. For all he knew, as soon as he pulled Martin, it would turn back into the first half. There is something else going on there. You don't reward the guy who gets the ball rolling, by benching him. Give someone else's minutes to new guys, not the guy who just busted his butt to get you a nice lead.
Tinkle did the WRONG thing, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT !!
We won so you can't really say he did the wrong thing. He leaves Martin in and we may not see how good graves is. Instead of him struggling for minutes, we now may see him as a defensive stopper.
Here's an interesting comment from Zirg on egriz on this martin thing:
"In reponse to why Martin was pulled after scoring 9 quick points, it was becausse he stopped and popped from 35 feet early in offense with no one there to rebound. If Tinks doesn't keep a tight rein on him, he will shoot shoot shoot, like a cow eating until it explodes."
he will shoot shoot shoot
...................
When they are falling, that is a GOOD THING.
You put the breaks on a guy when he puts up three BAD shots, NOT when he makes 3 good ones.
Fair enough. We're lucky to have his skills and I think we'll really have a problem if he isn't in the game when it's on the line.
- Colin
I am sorry I could not have been at the game last night, but if I was I guarantee you I woulda wore the shirt! Anyways, I did listen to the game, start to finish, and in the post game I believe Holien asked Tinks about pullin Martin out and Tinks was not too happy bout the long ass shot Martin threw up. It wasn't to harshly discipline himi, but just kinda reminding Matt to take some smarter shots.
Oh wow, I wish I woulda read ALL the posts. Sorry for contributing nothing.
naw, it's great hearing from people. I hadn't heard that Tinks actually said the long shot was the reason why.
- Colin
There is something else going on.
If Kevin Criswell, and now Cam Rundles got pulled every time they put up a shot most people thought was a bad shot, they would have never seen the floor at all.
Matt Martin is absolutely critical to the Griz success, you can tell that he knows the offense and he is a leader out there. Personally I think he always picks them up with a timely three pointer when it seems like the other team goes on a run. Also we gotta get Zach Graves some more minutes i think hes the best athlete on the team and is extremely explosive and lastly Brian Qvale has really impressed me as a true freshman hes gonna be an all conference player within a year or 2. Things look good for the Griz this year i'd like to see us return to the tournament and bounce a big powerhouse team and maybe roll 2 the sweet 16. And Props to you Colin for showing the up to all the games its fans like us that can help bring back the old "Zoo" atmosphere to the Dahlberg Arena
I am with you on ALL that Devin, and props to BOTH you and Colin for being motivated, interested, and informed fans.
Colin,
Is the picture in the middle at the top of this page, the old #22 Roy Booker? I don't remember his hair like that, but I can't imagine who else it could be.
Nah, it's #23 Stu Mayes. We could use him at the 3 this year.
- Colin
Don't you think that the second half bulge has more to do with the Griz
players performance than it does with your cheerleading on the side line.
Give me a break, get over yourself.
I do think it has more to do with the players, but if you think the crowd and home-court don't have any effect on the game, you know nothing about sports...which I'm going to guess.
Here's an example: UW loses to OK ST on the road, very tough place to play, by like 25. They come home (Hec Ed...another tough place to play) and only lose to top 10 Pitt by 1 after a game-winner is waved off. Random example, i know, only thought of it bc Pitt is playing OSU today.
- Colin