Eastern Michigan Update

[sutomcat]

Watched some of the EMU game last night. They played Buffalo in a very empty Alumni Arena on the UB campus. Attendance was announced at 2154. Looked like 54. Maybe.

Alert board enthusiasts will remember we played EMU early in the season (blew them out) and that they are coached by 1st year HC Rob Murphy, a long time assistant at SU. Further Murphy took Dash Riley with him to Ypsilanti. Watched mostly to see what Dash would do. He started and played 33 minutes. Went 2-4 from the field, got 8 rebounds, had 3 turnovers and 7 blocked shots. Still completely clueless on how to play basketball on the offensive end but he was solid in the middle of the EMU 2-3 zone. He missed 10 games this season (I think it was because he transferred out for the winter semester) but in the games he has played, he is averaging 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds a game.

UB was led by Javon McCrea, who had 17 points. He is a fine player from Newark NY that we have talked about a number of times on the board. Was one of the top frosh in the country last season, is avarging 16.6 ppg and 7.2 rpg and will probably be the MAC player of the year down the road.

EMU is 9-11, was picked to finish last in their division of the MAC but has been a big surprise in conference play. They are 4-2 in the MAC so far, playing great 2-3 zone defense and winning games by scores like 48-43. Murph is off to a really good start.

 

[Antiprodigy]

Way to go Murph! I really think he will end up being successful. It's great to hear that he is already making great strides. That will only help on the recruiting trail in the future.

I always wondered if Dash would amount to anything. Maybe, by his senior season, he will become a dominant force for them.

thanks for the update!

 

[pfister1]

Unfortunately, Buffalo won yesterday's game 65-47. I didn't think you mentioned the final score.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Watched some of the EMU game last night. They played Buffalo in a very empty Alumni Arena on the UB campus. Attendance was announced at 2154. Looked like 54. Maybe.

Alert board enthusiasts will remember we played EMU early in the season (blew them out) and that they are coached by 1st year HC Rob Murphy, a long time assistant at SU. Further Murphy took Dash Riley with him to Ypsilanti. Watched mostly to see what Dash would do. He started and played 33 minutes. Went 2-4 from the field, got 8 rebounds, had 3 turnovers and 7 blocked shots. Still completely clueless on how to play basketball on the offensive end but he was solid in the middle of the EMU 2-3 zone. He missed 10 games this season (I think it was because he transferred out for the winter semester) but in the games he has played, he is averaging 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds a game.

UB was led by Javon McCrea, who had 17 points. He is a fine player from Newark NY that we have talked about a number of times on the board. Was one of the top frosh in the country last season, is avarging 16.6 ppg and 7.2 rpg and will probably be the MAC player of the year down the road.

EMU is 9-11, was picked to finish last in their division of the MAC but has been a big surprise in conference play. They are 4-2 in the MAC so far, playing great 2-3 zone defense and winning games by scores like 48-43. Murph is off to a really good start.

I watched on the DVR as well last night. It was kind of interesting. He just stood there on offense, not even trying to present himself in the post, while the guards ran a 3 man weave without any really purpose or intent to penetrate the lane, but as you said, he was much more active on defense and did a fairly good job. Best of luck to them both.

 

[stuckinbig11]

I watched part of the game also to see how Dash was doing. My take-away opinion was that he was slow and inactive in the zone and would not have played much if he had stayed at SU. EMU is probably a good fit for him, and I surely wish him well.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Agreed on all points. From all accounts he's a good kid and I wish him and Murph all the best.

 

[AccuRater]

One of Rob's guards is Quinten Dailey, Jr. Turns out he is the son of a player who was with the Chicago Bulls in the mid to late 80s. I lived in Chicago for several years and became a fan of the Bulls as well as the Cubs, Bears and Blackhawks. (But not DePaul). Quinten Dailey, Sr. had enormous potential and had a couple of stellar years for the Bulls. He came up around the same time as Michael Jordan. For a couple of years before Michael Jordan's arrival he was the main offensive threat for the Bulls. Jordan pushed him to the bench. Then drugs got to him. He hung around the league for a few years but couldn't clean himself up well enough to continue to excel. I often wondered what happened to him. I feared the worst. After watching portions of the Eastern Michigan game and seeing his son I googled him. Evidently he had turned his life around and became a solid and productive citizen. Then, without any warning, he died in his sleep in 2010 at the age of 49. A poignant story. Here is a link.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/columns/story?columnist=isaacson_melissa&id=5810529

 

[Garbs]

he missed 10 games because he was waiting for a waiver to play this year, since transfers usually have to sit out a whole year

 

[orangesoulja]

Do we lose at ND if he was still here ?

 

[AccuRater]

Yes.

 

[OrangeMojo]

Agreed on all points. From all accounts he's a good kid and I wish him and Hop all the best.

Hop?

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Hop?

Lost my train of thought there. Mixed the names up. Meant Murph obviously.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

I still say, if we left Dash in for the last 3 minutes and didn't sub Ricky back in...we win that Butler game.