MVC commissioner Doug Elgin will address last night’s clock controversy and show the tape before today’s second game, probably around 4:05 p.m. on Fox Sports. Whether or not you agree with the explanations, you have to get the MVC credit for doing its best to answer questions and explain. There is no way to satisfy everybody and no way to know what might have happened. But the commissioner Doug Elgin is doing his best to be accountable and explain how things unfolded.
Just watched Elgin’s explanation on Fox Sports. It seems reasonable. Again, you have to credit the Valley for being transparent. When I talked to WSU coach Gregg Marshall earlier today, he disagreed with the Valley’s timing and explanation.
After watching replays on ESPN this morning, it appears the real killer from a WSU perspective is the rebound after Antoine Young’s shot. Clevin Hannah appears to have it, with no interference, and then he doesn’t. It goes out of bounds, setting up the Woodfox winner.
WSU coach Gregg Marshall’s comportment is under the microscope quite often, so let’s give him some credit for his behavior in the immediate aftermath of the drama. He waited while Creighton coach Dana Altman, quite understandably, sprinted on to the court and celebrated. Marshall shook hands calmly. In the news conference, he was emotional, also understandably, but not whiney or pathetic. He’s not happy with the way things unfolded. He’s not the type to let it pass without comment.
The Shockers won two of those and lost one this season in Valley games. Not a bad outcome. Creighton outplayed the Shockers for about 35 minutes. That doesn’t make the outcome any easier to take for WSU. Indisputably, however, WSU did itself in with a poor first half and a bad start to the second half. Play better and the final 1.9 seconds might not matter so much.
In all, I would think WSU took mostly positives out of the tournament. The Shockers won a game. They got a taste of Friday and experienced a range of emotions. That can only help next season, when they plan on starting on Friday and staying a little longer. WSU’s bench played deep during the tournament. Creighton gave WSU a great lesson in the intensity needed in March – and what happens when that focus and resolve slips away.
Did Creighton’s performance reveal any fatal flaws? Probably not. The Bluejays remain the favorite. Their rebounding is a concern, but it’s been that way most of the season.
The best thing about Friday is how it sets up the future rivalry between the two teams. Creighton will be the favorite in 2009-10. WSU should be picked in the top half and expectations will be high. Lawson and Durley have two more seasons to go at it. Murry and Young have three more. There are some good matchups to watch in future years.
Ha, ha. I called that one good. Look at yesterdays comment section on Shockwaves, and you’ll read my comment. “I guaranteed that Creighton would lose today’s game, because the Shox wore them out, and physically beat them up too hard, Creighton’s not used to that, and it showed today, getting blown out by Illinois State. The Shox would have had a better chance at beating ISU playing a third straight day of basketball, I think the Shox are a little tougher and more conditioned, that’s how they were able to stage a comeback yesterday, and why Creighton wasn’t able to today.
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Ha, ha. I called that one good. Look at yesterdays comment section on Shockwaves, and you’ll read my comment. “I guaranteed that Creighton would lose today’s game, because the Shox wore them out, and physically beat them up too hard, Creighton’s not used to that, and it showed today, getting blown out by Illinois State. The Shox would have had a better chance at beating ISU playing a third straight day of basketball, I think the Shox are a little tougher and more conditioned, that’s how they were able to stage a comeback yesterday, and why Creighton wasn’t able to today.