• BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    Wins have been far and few between for the Aggies this year. They hit the road tonight for a 6 pm start at UC Riverside in a game which will be televised live on ESPN3.

    Both teams are coming off disappointing performances in their last games. The Ags did not play well in the 80-60 loss at Hawai'i and Riverside had a terrible game in their lose at home to last place Cal Poly 71-45. The Highlanders had defeated Poly on the road 74-51 just a week earlier. UCR also has a very nice road win over Hawai'i 75-71 and beating the Warriors on the island is impressive.

    The Ags want to turn things around in the worst way and they need to start tonight if they're going to have any chance to be relevant in the Big West this season.

    Live TV broadcast on ESPN3 at 6 pm: http://www.espn.com/watch

    Go Ags!
  • Zander
    193
    9-0 start for the Ags with a TJ-less and Siler-less lineup. This is some of the best I've seen the Ags play in almost a year
  • Oldbanduhalum
    599
    Well just when you thought you’d seen everything. No tj Goode or siler to start and they are playing really well.
  • Russ Bowlus
    337
    What the heck?
  • Oldbanduhalum
    599
    Hopefully we get some sort of explanation
  • Russ Bowlus
    337
    That was more of a reaction to the score than the lineup, but yeah, it'll be interesting to find out what coach was doing.
  • AggieMWfan
    5
    Too much “me” and not enough “we”.
  • Russ Bowlus
    337
    I was thinking too much standing around waiting for them to score, but your theory is just as likely.
  • Zander
    193
    Aaandd today I learned Siler's name is actually Joe
  • Oldbanduhalum
    599
    Very solid win. 23-23 from the line. Amazing
  • Toke69
    328
    Wish I'd watched this. From my understanding of what some coaches will do, I'm guessing that coach Les started the players who did well in practice, showing that they wanted to compete. It also sends a message to the regular starters that they need to play better. I see that at least TJ got the message with 23 points and 11/11 from the foul line. I wonder if this game will turn their season around?
  • DrMike
    744
    Wish I would have watched this one!
  • Oldbanduhalum
    599
    It was a good one to watch especially the first half. Good solid defense and a lot of ball movement on offense. Of course it helps that we were hitting just about everything. Neufeld has really established himself as a legitimate threat down low. And the dual outside threat of Mooney and Gonzalez is very exciting to see. We’ll see this lineup a lot next year.
  • MTBAggie
    119
    What's the deal with TJ's knee? It looks like he's limping around on it quite a bit. Why not pull him out earlier and let him rest?
  • Oldbanduhalum
    599
    I’m wondering if part of the reason tj didn’t start was to limit his minutes. He played 25 mins which is a lot less than what he normally does. Squire had 24 mins.
  • DrMike
    744
    This was a GUTSY decision to not start those guys. If we lose, that could really derailed the rest of the year. But with a solid win, maybe they all get untracked and finish strong. I think we have 6 of the final 8 at home after the central coast trip. Beat Poly next week, and guy out another 5 wins down the stretch?
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    On the radio post-game interview Les said that he needed to "mix things up." He said it wasn't any sort of punishment to the usual starters; he just needed to try something else with the team and all the players have taken it well.

    Les started Squire, Mooney, Neufeld, Printup and Gonzalez and they came out firing on all cylinders. They had excellent ball movement, scoring inside and out and were playing tough defense. It turned out to be an excellent coaching move by Les.

    I agree with Oldbanduhalum that Les may have been limiting TJ's minutes a bit. He's a little banged up right now. He was hobbling a couple of times in the last game.
  • DrMike
    744
    The playing time numbers that jumped out were Silar (7 minute) and John (4). Are those correct? That seems like more than a shakeup
  • movielover
    536
    4 or 5 wins, try something new. I've previously thought TJ gets worn down.
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    Yes, that's accurate. Siler seemed a bit subdued and didn't really get into a flow when he was in the game. I don't think we'll see him sit that much again though.
  • DrMike
    744
    I was surprised by that. He’s really struggled this season but I don’t think it’s been a lack of effort. Maybe sit and observe and come back strong. I really root for him; he’s really evolved into a complete player
  • AggieMWfan
    5
    Don’t be surprised to see much of this game’s line ups and playing time ongoing for the much of the rest of the season. Seems like a pivot has occurred.
  • AggieMWfan
    5
    Siler is wildly inconsistent. Far too much for supposed senior leader.
  • Oldbanduhalum
    599
    obviously silers minute decrease is at least partially due to the maturity of Mooney’s game. Joe is no longer just a catch and shoot guy. He can create off the dribble, passes well and his defense has really stepped up. Hopefully siler, whether he starts or not, can get his game going.
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    Siler is a warrior; he gives you 100% every game and has done so throughout his career here. He can be inconsistent and a streaky shooter but you can never fault his effort. He's a crunch time player also...fearless and tough...and he isn't afraid to have the game on his shoulders when it counts. I hope he finds a rhythm and tears it up the rest of the season.
  • Toke69
    328
    I don't disagree that Siler is a real effort guy. My problem with him is that he acts too impulsively, driving into lanes without a good option, making erratic passes, and showing poor judgment on shot selection. In some games, his good plays are outweighed by his bad plays. Even on his good games I've seen him do this. It's disappointing in the sense that he should have matured beyond it by now. Looking at his 4-year stats, it seems like his best season was in his sophomore year when he won the 6th man award.
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