Up next: at ETSU

[loosha's lad]

I believe that DeChelis pulled him after he got a technical foul in an encounter with a Davidson player (Matt, I'm pretty sure).

As a player, Matt was the Michelangelo of provoking opponents in subtle and nearly invisible ways, and getting under their skin to decrease their effectiveness. A handful of not-so-invisible ways, too.

[TheJaffe]

I believe that DeChelis pulled him after he got a technical foul in an encounter with a Davidson player (Matt, I'm pretty sure).

As a player, Matt was the Michelangelo of provoking opponents in subtle and nearly invisible ways, and getting under their skin to decrease their effectiveness. A handful of not-so-invisible ways, too.

I've always considered Matt to be one of the smartest basketball players -- even accounting for the usual "coach's kid" bump -- I've ever seen. To loosha's point, he was a true master of the dark arts.

[MikeMaloy15]

It probably deserves a separate thread, but Matt is in the discussion for Davidson's all-time All Chippy Team, on which Wayne Bernard and T Jay Pecorak come to mind as possible first teamers. Some old timers might suggest Steve Kirley.

As a general rule, it seems like wild unpopularity in opposing gyms would be an objective indicator of eligibility for the team. Fans and the hometown announcers at SW Missouri State (now Missouri State) would nominate B Winters, but that game might have been something of a one-off. Team concepts of omerta in the face of direct questioning have prevented a definitive confirmation.

[Airball50]

Kirley for sure. Doug Cook was no slouch.

[i77cat]

Was it at Chattanooga or Georgia Southern where Wayne got a T for inbounding the ball off of a guy's head? After being warned not to do it again?

Grant Billmeier had reason to suspect that Matt played dirty. So did a Princeton point guard. Poor kid spent the rest of the game with a bag of ice down the front of his shorts.

Love those guys.

[JerseyLawyer]

People were so terrified of Kirley that he didn't have to be chippy.

[MLC67]

Having been in attendance in Charlotte for one of Doug Cook’s best power moves against the Davidson of the North, Princeton, I witnessed a PU forward go over Doug’s back trying to knock away a rebound that Doug was in the process of grabbing. Doug used his elbow, placing it onto the opponent’s nose, breaking it cleanly, while the ref blew his whistle, calling an over the back foul against the broken and bleeding Tiger. Pete Carril, (sp?), the Princeton coach did a backflip out of his folding chair while ripping his sports coat in half to demonstrate his displeasure with that particular foul call. Cats won this game going away. Doug is the toughest, most physical, bb player I have ever had the privilege of being a live fan of. I know that I should not end a sentence with a proposition, but this post is too long already.

[MikeMaloy15]

I'll guess at Chattanooga, in 2001, for Wayne's head-bop T.

[MikeMaloy15]

Doug Cook told a couple of stories about Kirley from which you could imply that he'd put Kirley on the first team, and we all agree that Cook has standing to opine on this topic.

[MLC67]

Brain freeze meant to say preposition, not proposition.

[collegecoach8502]

Friday's game may be a strong indicator of what this team may look like.

Splitting this past weekend might not be as pleasing as winning both games, but I think it inspired many as it exposed some answers to the many questions we all had.

Winning at ETSU would help solidify the positive gains made this past week. Doing so might conjure up a notion that we could finish the non-conference season at 10-2...giving a game at St. Mary's against a top opponent after a long left coast flight.

We can only hope. I look forward to watching their potential. I have no doubts that there will be some bumps along the way.

[raptorcat]

I attended yesterday's practice, as I occasionally like to see how the sausage gets made. Even though I don't know all the ingredients or machinery, I can form overall impressions. The guys were high-spirited as they took warm-up shots before practice. When practice got underway, the hijinks were replaced by a high level of intensity. Individual players worked on parts of their game afterward, such as put-backs after rebounds, extra free throw practice, etc. My impression is that this is a team where TCC is in abundance; they believe in themselves, both individually and collectively. There was no negativity at all, and the coaches had to do little to no correcting them as they ran through their drills.

When I watch practices, I try to be unobtrusive, since I am essentially an interloper. I sit in the corner, keep my mouth shut, and don't interact with anyone unless they come up and say something to me. I did speak with Matheny, Gibbs, and Reigel while the players were warming up. Matheny said ETSU is a hard team to scout since it is still so early in the season and the Buccaneers have 11 new players. Connor Kochera came up to me and we spoke. What an engaging young man! He will do well in life outside of basketball. The biggest thing I enjoy about watching practices is this: it gives me hope that the world will be in good hands as my generation fades from view.

[Sir Walter Cat]

First line I’ve seen is ETSU +5

[i77cat]

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... /401597831

Trap! Most important game of the season. Etc.

Raptorcat is right. Time spent interacting with Davidson students is refreshing, rejuvenating, and uplifting.

[cat44]

First line I’ve seen is ETSU +5

Did not see a line but espn has etsu with a 60% chance to win, so shouldn't we be getting points, not etsu?

Hearing "Johnson City" always reminds me of the trucker headin' west from the Cumberland Gap to Johnson City...........Tennessee. Ketch Secor sang it best.