Southerland

[jdubs30]

VO did a great job on him last night, James couldn't even get a shot off. But I loved how he played on the defensive end; 7 boards, 3 steals, 3 blocks (and only 3 fouls!).

Great to see that he can still contribute and stay engaged on the defensive end even if isn't getting his shots offensively.

This team loves to play defense.

 

[Gabjon]

Putting Victor on James was pure stupidity! See MCW's career night!

 

[jdubs30]

Putting Victor on James was pure stupidity! See MCW's career night!

Agreed, but Crean eventually switched it up and put VO on MCW. It didn't slow MCW though, he was an animal last night.

 

[Deano]

Agree about JS having a nice game. Thought JB made a great sub in the 2nd half pulling out JS with about 8-9 minutes to go (I think it was around that time) and put in Grant. Grant made that huge block and had a nice game too. Gave JS a nice break and was fresh when he came back. I hope Grant is getting his swagger back a little bit and hopefully Cooney can rebound from last night, we'll need some good minutes from him tomorrow.

 

[UnderHisOwnPower]

VO did a great job on him last night, James couldn't even get a shot off. But I loved how he played on the defensive end; 7 boards, 3 steals, 3 blocks (and only 3 fouls!).

Great to see that he can still contribute and stay engaged on the defensive end even if isn't getting his shots offensively.

This team loves to play defense.

You're right about James. He threw the ball away 2-3 times and I wanted to choke him, but he did have a nice floor game overall, despite the lack of shots available.

 

[Gabjon]

Agreed, but Crean eventually switched it up and put VO on MCW. It didn't slow MCW though, he was an animal last night.

Once MCW got it going there was no stopping him.

 

[Fly Rodder]

everyone was throwing the ball away during that 1-2 minute stretch, that was ugly basketball.

Southy forced VO to chase him all over the court and eventually wore him out. Boeheim gave James a chance to catch his breath, but Crean kept VO in the game because he couldn't take him out. James was a red herring on offense. Have him pull IU's best defender and let MCW and Triche abuse the smaller guards. Worked pretty well.

 

[Gabjon]

everyone was throwing the ball away during that 1-2 minute stretch, that was ugly basketball.

Southy forced VO to chase him all over the court and eventually wore him out. Boeheim gave James a chance to catch his breath, but Crean kept VO in the game because he couldn't take him out. James was a red herring on offense. Have him pull IU's best defender and let MCW and Triche abuse the smaller guards. Worked pretty well.

And everybody could see that except Tom Crean. Defense starts we guarding the ball!

 

[ImperialOrange]

VO did a great job on him last night, James couldn't even get a shot off. But I loved how he played on the defensive end; 7 boards, 3 steals, 3 blocks (and only 3 fouls!).

Great to see that he can still contribute and stay engaged on the defensive end even if isn't getting his shots offensively.

This team loves to play defense.

It's not that he couldn't get a shot off, he simply wasn't forcing the point and taking shots when others had easier matchups. He would just park homedepot 15 feet from the rim and watch others go to work.

 

[HarrisonJBounel]

Putting Victor on James was pure stupidity! See MCW's career night!

Yeah, but who else was he going to put on JS? One of the Munchkin guards?

 

[Gabjon]

Yeah, but who else was he going to put on JS? One of the Munchkin guards?

Sheehey and sit one of the small guards

 

[jdubs30]

Sheehey and sit one of the small guards

He could have, but Sheehey is slowwwww man. He had no chance against anyone last night. He was about as bad as Hulls was.

 

[Gabjon]

He could have, but Sheehey is slowwwww man. He had no chance against anyone last night. He was about as bad as Hulls was.

James rarely drives the ball. Letting MCW go to the hole is not a winning strategy

 

[HarrisonJBounel]

He could have, but Sheehey is slowwwww man. He had no chance against anyone last night. He was about as bad as Hulls was.

That's what is mystifying - IU really had no answers, and they really posed no questions either. They are good, perhaps very good, but I didn't see a team that was #1 for like half the year or more.

I think what really is the answer here is that when we are on our game, and MCW and BT are making shots, and in our defensive groove, we are as good, or dare I say, better, than any team in the country.

 

[SBU72]

Agree about JS having a nice game. Thought JB made a great sub in the 2nd half pulling out JS with about 8-9 minutes to go (I think it was around that time) and put in Grant. Grant made that huge block and had a nice game too. Gave JS a nice break and was fresh when he came back. I hope Grant is getting his swagger back a little bit and hopefully Cooney can rebound from last night, we'll need some good minutes from him tomorrow.

My thoughts exactly during the game. It did look like Grant was a littke down during the last minute or so, like he wanted to go back in for the end. About that time it look like I saw JB say something to him.

 

[jdubs30]

That's what is mystifying - IU really had no answers, and they really posed no questions either. They are good, perhaps very good, but I didn't see a team that was #1 for like half the year or more.

I think what really is the answer here is that when we are on our game, and MCW and BT are making shots, and in our defensive groove, we are as good, or dare I say, better, than any team in the country.

All about matchups. And the zone has matched up REALLY well against every team this year, sans Otto Porter (I'll throw Khalif Wyatt in there too).

And we look even better when our O is on.

 

[br801]

VO did a great job on him last night, James couldn't even get a shot off. But I loved how he played on the defensive end; 7 boards, 3 steals, 3 blocks (and only 3 fouls!).

Great to see that he can still contribute and stay engaged on the defensive end even if isn't getting his shots offensively.

This team loves to play defense.

James has been doing a lot more than hitting threes for a while now. He's extremely disruptive in the passing lanes and when trapping.

 

[HoustonCuse]

Funny how we saw the glaring weaknesses of man-to-man defense last night and nobody cries for those teams to switch to zone. Our game showed how a man to man defense is only as good as its weakest/smallest guy and they can be isolated all night. That can happen with a zone too but to no where near the extent as with man. We completely dictated to them everything about what they were going to do (even to extent offensively and substitution pattern wise) by simply having two mis-matches. Also you saw it in the Arizona game, where a missed switch lost them the game. Oh yeah and the OSU game last week where a switch puts a 7 footer guarding Aaron Craft 30 fee from the basket.

Why does nobody ever question a defense that routinely allows the offense to decide that you will have a 7 footer guarding your 5'11" waterbug PG out in space?

 

[Knicks411]

So I wonder if people are going to miss MCW next year now