** LU at #22 SMU **

[coachacola]

Friday's game against the Mustangs is slated to tip off at 8:30 p.m., and will be televised on ESPN3 - the network's online platform.

 

Lamar Game Notes http://grfx.cstv.com/graphics/icon-acrosmall.gif | SMU Game Notes http://grfx.cstv.com/graphics/icon-acrosmall.gif | ESPN3 | Audio | Live Stats

 

he Lamar Cardinals will step on the court Friday to open the 2014-15 season with a new head coach, completely new staff, new uniforms and seven new players. But, for a Cardinals team that is looking to overcome back-to-back losing seasons, first-year head coach Tic Price has thrown his youthful squad into the fire to start the season against the nation's 22nd-ranked team.

 

Price was brought on staff as the interim head coach with five games remaining in the 2013-14 season, and had the interim tag removed shortly after the season was over with the charge of turning the ship around. The Cardinals have won only seven games in the past two seasons, and open the year against an SMU squad that won 27 games last season, and advanced to the finals of the NIT before bowing out to Minnesota.

 

While the Cardinals enter the year with only six returning players from last season, SMU returns a veteran-heavy lineup that consists of seven seniors, two juniors, five sophomore and no freshmen. The Mustangs also return their top two scorers from a team that averaged 71 points and shot nearly 50 percent from the field.

 

http://www.lamarcardinals.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111214aab.html

[coachacola]

[coachacola]

Probably starters according to the Lamar game notes:

 

Quan Jones

Anthony Holliday

Preston Mattingly

Donovan Ross

Tyran de Lattibeaudier

[Big T]

Why Preston Mattingly?

[coachacola]

The day after winning National League MVP, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is going to a Lamar basketball game.

 

In an interview with ESPN Thursday, the ace explained that he is going to SMU tonight to support his friend Preston Mattingly, Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly’s son, in the Cardinals’ season-opener. Preston is a sophomore guard. Watch for the question around the 3:50 mark.

“I’m pretty pumped to watch him play,” Kershaw said. “27-year-old sophomore, best in the country.”

 

http://blog.beaumontenterprise.com/inthecards/2014/11/14/day-after-mvp-kershaw-to-lamar-game/

[coachacola]

[tweet]533325932606812160[/tweet]

[cardinal]

Congratulations price on your great recruits! A bunch of small crappy players who can't shoot!!!

[cardinal]

Congratulations price on your great recruits! A bunch of small crappy players who can't shoot!!!

 

At least we are plating great d.! Held en to 46 pts at half!!

[Sweet T]

The shooters are not getting any playing time. Why is a 6'7 playing center Edited November 15, 2014 by Sweet T
mispelledb words

[Sweet T]

Wow, LU has some loyal fans. Ready to turn on them after the first game.

[geezer]

Assuming your talking about Tyran, he is the best rebounder on the team and probably is a stronger defender than either of the bigger post players.

[geezer]

Give em a little break Cardinal. We are ranked at the bottom of D-1 and are playing a top twenty five team. LU has many players playing their first D-1 game. Edited November 15, 2014 by geezer

[cardinal]

Give em a little break Cardinal. We are ranked at the bottom of D-1 and are playing a top twenty five team. LU has many players playing their first D-1 game.

 

We played Kentucky and Louisville better than this under freaking knight!! This is what happens when you let an egomaniacal a hole run ur program/university! Let's just go ahead and name it Umphrey university so I can get on with life and root for an sec or acc team!!!!

[lu cards]

about what i expected.if anyone thinks a team that won 7 games the last 2 years is going to impress in there first game under a new coach,with 1 starter back and playing a bunch of freshmen is crazy.im not going to even critique this team until theyve played 5 or 6 games.

[geezer]

At least LU scored more in the 2nd half than the first while giving up about the same points. I will agree it wasn't very good but it was the first game of the year against a much more seasoned SMU team.

[Sweet T]

geezer you are taking this way too seriously Did you think they would win? Tic Price said they had to take the stairs to the top; not the elevator. They were out manned period.

[Sweet T]

I meant cardinal

[LAZEEK]

Game went exactly as I expected, and anyone that expected anything different is foolish. LU is much improved, but all that means is that LU will do good to win double digit games this year. Still a young team (inexperienced), and a team that has 7 newcomers which means no time to mesh just yet. Only thing I was a little disappointed in was the FT shooting in the 1st half, and thought that LeMon Gregory would of played more. But I realize that LU had to go small to push the rock to try to get baskets. LU got nothing in the half court sets, and only had 14 points in the paint. All of these games will make us better for conference.

[coachacola]

The Lamar Cardinals had no answer for the height advantage of the 22nd-ranked SMU Mustangs as Lamar dropped its season opener, 93-54, in front of a packed house Friday night at Moody Coliseum. It marks the third-straight season that Lamar has started the year with a loss.

 

The Cardinals struggled offensively from the field finishing the night 16-of-51 (.314), and 5-of-20 (. 250) from three-point range. While the Cardinals were struggling to find the range, SMU was at the opposite end of the spectrum. The Mustangs shot better than 50 percent in the opening half, and picked up the pace in the final 20 minutes knocking down 33-of-54 (.611) attempts for the game.

Despite the notable height advantage for SMU, the Cardinals hung tough on the glass. Big Red was only outrebounded by three, 38-35.

 

http://www.lamarcardinals.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111414aaa.html

[eagle eye]

Okay, so Lamar got waxed. Did you expect any different. I make the comparison to Lamar's football team playing Okla State or TAMU. These schools just have better athletes so the result is going to be ugly. There are some points we can take from this game that give hope for the Cardinals. How about the rebounding job Lamar did. SMU had 38 and Lamar 35. We obviously battled in the paint. A group of freshmen in their first college action against a ranked team shot poorly. I have no doubt the shooting percentage will not be .314 total and .250 from the 3 point line. Nobody gave the football team for getting blown out by TAMU why is everyone's panties in knot over this outcome? Lamar is home tonight and we may see a totally different team on the floor and a lot of what was wrong on Thursday had a lot to do with SMU. Today's game is more evenly matched so let's calm down. I would say wait for at least 10 games before we start judging this team. If I didn't have to work today I'd be at this game but I'll have it on the radio for sure.

[Big Red Pride]

Great post Eagle Eye!!!

[Sweet T]

Lamar only has two freshmen on the team. Bosha and Booze.

[LUSportsFan]

Lamar only has two freshmen on the team. Bosha and Booze.

 

Correct

 

And four junior college transfers taking the place of four players who transferred to other programs in the off-season as well as one player who had to sit out all of last season.

[Sweet T]

Yep

[Sweet T]

Correct

 

And four junior college transfers taking the place of four players who transferred to other programs in the off-season as well as one player who had to sit out all of last season.

Wow, that is a lot of new players. I never thought about it like that.