Also, CJ really did hurt with all those turnovers. Whenever he got the ball, it felt like DaJuan getting it - the whole world would stop, it seemed, while we wait for them to finish their offensive attempt; the expectation that they might pass it out again somehow absent. And CJ (as incredible and smooth as he could sometimes be at it) nevertheless made his living attempting the lowest % shots in the game - creating individual mid-range moves each time, which, more often than not, lead to either a turnover or a missed shot.
Tyler and Trevor (to a lesser degree) slowed it up too much, which meant SU had to settle for a low % shot rather than an extremely high one. The original point of having guards swipe the ball was to make the higher % shot. SU used to be virtually routine with that major game-changing run (which, I admit, was often fueled by bringing in 2 starter - quality players off the bench).
I really wish Coach B would inject just a bit more Pitino into the game and use multiple guards for more pressure more often. Excepting Joseph's need to learn it, the others will already have learned the zone, so it's not like Boeheim would have to abandon his comfort zone much. And Ennis' initially awesome assist/TO ratio seemed wasted on the extreme slowdown. If Boeheim is a man of playing percentages, then the combination of his defensive zone with the Ennis pullbacks evened out the overall probabilities in every single game. He essentially jettisoned/negated every individual advantage SU had as a team, and that shocked me. We knew he was conservative and stubborn, but that was in the context of hanging on to a specialized strategy that paid off when mastered properly. It's especially strange for someone who waxes nostalgic for the 98-95 final score days.
Still, I'm optimistic for next season - with or without Grant. Some disagree, but I feel Grant would score more per game than CJ, because with a small improvement in moves to the hoop, we'll see many more slams again, basically And his short range jumpers - while not as pretty as CJ's, seem somehow more efficient, and taken on an already created opportunity, rather than one that needs to be made. I have no clue why the Ennis-to-Rak thing never happened, but Joseph could single-handedly cure that, if Boeheim lets it happen. Oh, and Roberson - expect a jump in his game. He's SU's #1 offensive-minded big. Take away Boeheim's insta-hook (trademark's MINE - hands off!), and watch what he can do in 25-30 minutes. Remember, he had a 50 point game in HS. The other Tyler did, too, but he needed way more shots.
By the way, wouldn't it be cool if Tyler Lydon also has a 50 pt. game?
SU can still move into elite status with another NC (I'm one of those who have them in that really nice second-tier category just below elite, but that's because you people keep rejecting my idea of counting SU's 2 NC's 'round the time of people named Woodrow.
