Starting To Believe...

[HakAttack]

...That this team can cut down the nets on Monday night. Before you cry "jinx", hear me out.

The biggest thing that I love about this team right now and their chances to win two more games is that during each game of the tournament, they've played their best game of the season.

Dayton - best game to that point.
MTSU - better than Dayton.
Gonzaga - easily our best game.
UVA - topped them all.

This team is playing with so much confidence right now, and they're really firing on all cylinders. Why not us?

I believe. See you in Houston.

 

[Jasoncuse]

I wouldn't say any of the games were our best performances of the year. They've played some of their best ball in specific stretches of those games - basically all 4 second halves. We've seen Malachi be a 2nd half stud all season, now the entire team has adopted that. Let's hope we put together two excellent halves Saturday night, because to beat UNC, we'll need that.

 

[Brooky03]

We've yet to have a complete offensive game. Against UNC, we're going to need to hit shots from start to finish. Our defense won't shut them down as much as it has shut the other teams down in the tournament.

 

[longislandcuse]

I wouldn't say any of the games were our best performances of the year. They've played some of their best ball in specific stretches of those games - basically all 4 second halves. We've seen Malachi be a 2nd half stud all season, now the entire team has adopted that. Let's hope we put together two excellent halves Saturday night, because to beat UNC, we'll need that.

THIS is what gives me hope.

We have 4 guys who can shoot lights out. Nobodies really done that aside from Richardson for one half. It's been our defense keeping us in and winning games. If our guys ever start shooting well, watch out.. If G starts playing well again, yea, watch out..

 

[Marsh01]

If we beat UNC we are cutting down the nets regardless of who wins that first game.

 

[cybercuse]

If we beat UNC we are cutting down the nets regardless of who wins that first game.

Agree but it would be so much sweeter to do it against Nova!

 

[jgeorge322]

you missed the biggest thing about monday the game would be played on 4/4. thats 44

 

[Cuse House]

If we beat UNC we are cutting down the nets regardless of who wins that first game.

If we win, I want no part of Oklahoma. We are better than Oklahoma in my opinion, but Villanova doesn't have one guy who can take a game over like Buddy Hield. I want no part of Hield if we get there. Heck, we had this Villanova team beat last year and we are 10x better this year. They also have little down low presence. So give me Nova all day long.

 

[McNabb2Brominski]

If we win, I want no part of Oklahoma. We are better than Oklahoma in my opinion, but Villanova doesn't have one guy who can take a game over like Buddy Hield. I want no part of Hield if we get there. Heck, we had this Villanova team beat last year and we are 10x better this year. They also have little down low presence. So give me Nova all day long.

I would much rather face Oklahoma...Pretty sure they dont see much 2-3 zone in the Big 12 and we generally do well against Big 12 teams...Jay Wright knows how to beat the zone.

 

[UnderHisOwnPower]

...That this team can cut down the nets on Monday night. Before you cry "jinx", hear me out.

The biggest thing that I love about this team right now and their chances to win two more games is that during each game of the tournament, they've played their best game of the season.

Dayton - best game to that point.
MTSU - better than Dayton.
Gonzaga - easily our best game.
UVA - topped them all.

This team is playing with so much confidence right now, and they're really firing on all cylinders. Why not us?

I believe. See you in Houston.

From the rooftop, shout it out!

 

[Cuse House]

I would much rather face Oklahoma...Pretty sure they dont see much 2-3 zone in the Big 12 and we generally do well against Big 12 teams...Jay Wright knows how to beat the zone.

I think the "This coach knows how do beat the zone" narrative is way overblown. Jamie Dixon does not beat us because he knows how to beat the zone, it is because he has players who present matchup problems for the zone. Every coach knows how to beat a zone, having the personnel to do it is a completely different story. Tall and physical wing players who can get in the middle and make plays are the guys who give us the most trouble. Nova plays small ball for the most part. We have bigger guards than they do and they do not have a significant advantage in the paint like many of these teams do against us. The only thing about Nova that would concern me is their ball movement, they pass very well.

 

[Marsh01]

If we win, I want no part of Oklahoma. We are better than Oklahoma in my opinion, but Villanova doesn't have one guy who can take a game over like Buddy Hield. I want no part of Hield if we get there. Heck, we had this Villanova team beat last year and we are 10x better this year. They also have little down low presence. So give me Nova all day long.

no way. Give me a team that has zero familiarity with us (especially on a quick turnaround). Buddy Buckets or no Buddy Buckets.

 

[Day2]

Any time you're in an important game with Roy Williams on the opposing sideline, you have a chance.

You can almost throw out the first UNC game this season because it was JB's first game back and there wasn't a lot of time to prepare. The second game was there for the taking, in spite of the officiating. It's tough beating a team three times in one season.

All of the pressure is on UNC, and their head coach has a track record of not being able to handle that kind of pressure, especially against Syracuse.

 

[Cuse House]

no way. Give me a team that has zero familiarity with us (especially on a quick turnaround). Buddy Buckets or no Buddy Buckets.

Idk, I don't see it Marsh. We had this same Nova team beat last year if it wasn't for a late collapse. I think we can score easily on Nova because our guards are bigger and better. Nova would rely heavily on the outside shot. Our weakness is down low, although it has been much better of late. I do not think Ochefu would dominate down there. Spangler and Lattin are much more athletic and Spangler can step out and hit the three. I think both are better match ups than UNC but I would feel good about playing Nova.

 

[Marsh01]

Idk, I don't see it Marsh. We had this same Nova team beat last year if it wasn't for a late collapse. I think we can score easily on Nova because our guards are bigger and better. Nova would rely heavily on the outside shot. Our weakness is down low, although it has been much better of late. I do not think Ochefu would dominate down there. Spangler and Lattin are much more athletic and Spangler can step out and hit the three. I think both are better match ups than UNC but I would feel good about playing Nova.

We agree to disagree! Arch has killed us in the past and he has played against us to know what to do. I always favor the team that has not seen our zone especially with a less than 2 day turnaround.

 

[Jasoncuse]

I would much rather face Oklahoma...Pretty sure they dont see much 2-3 zone in the Big 12 and we generally do well against Big 12 teams...Jay Wright knows how to beat the zone.

Nova has two perfect players to beat the zone in Jenkins and Hart. Both can shoot lights out and are big enough to be effective at the FT line area.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Give me Oklahoma all day. I know Hield is the best player in college, but we've stopped great players before. Villanova is the best defensive team left outside of us, and I think we would struggle to score against them.

 

[sabach]

no way. Give me a team that has zero familiarity with us (especially on a quick turnaround). Buddy Buckets or no Buddy Buckets.

Kelvin Sampson and Hollis Price would agree with this.

 

[Townie72]

I am not there yet. All three of those teams are really good and when I look at SU I see all sorts of problems. That may be because of being familiar with the Orange or that the team I watched through the season has matured and gelled or that some key players have matured (e.g. Mal)

But if you want a reason to hope it's UCONN. If that team can win a NC, so can this edition of the Orangemen.

 

[MikeSU02]

We haven't had a TC or G 'on fire' game from three. I think we need that on Saturday. TC has to have one more big game in him (I know, this coming from me of all people). But I think he has it in him for UNC.

Then, I want Oklahoma. Give me a team that hasn't played our zone before. Buddy is fantastic, no doubt. He's a gamer. But he isn't Lew Alcindor. He alone can't beat us.

 

[SU2NASA]

Give me Oklahoma all day. I know Hield is the best player in college, but we've stopped great players before. Villanova is the best defensive team left outside of us, and I think we would struggle to score against them.

We rarely do well against teams that hack and flop. I want to see Oklahoma nuke Villanova.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I'll put it this way, I'd rather see UNC instead of Nova.

 

[Finwad32]

Buddy Hield would score 48 points against us.

 

[NineOneSeven]

If we play a good first half I'll be more concerned than if we don't.

Does that make sense?

 

[FrancoPizza]

We've yet to have a complete offensive game. Against UNC, we're going to need to hit shots from start to finish. Our defense won't shut them down as much as it has shut the other teams down in the tournament.

If we haven't had a complete offensive game in 36 attempts, then it probably is asking too much for everything to come together on Saturday. We don't need to play perfect, we just need to avoid long scoring droughts. Take our chances packing in the zone like we did in our 2nd matchup, and make UNC earn their points.