Your Official SU-Iona Game Thread

[orange79]

In other ACC action, Wake has now lost two home games. To Ga Southern and Liberty. Yikes.

 

[sugrad68]

Ugly. ugly, ugly. Take Battle off this team and it wouldn't win 10 games. A .500 season seems to be in the cards. Howard had a decent 1st half with, I believe, 10 points, 2 assists, 1 TO. Ended with 15, 4, and 5. More TOs than assists, both for him and the team. Does not bode well for the future. Dolezaj did have a nice streak at the end of the game but he doesn't have the body strength to battle ACC players inside right now. Chukwu did okay against a team with no center.

 

[bevosu]

Battle can hit from outside, drive to the hoop and finish, drive to the hoop pull up and make a 2. He's tough to defend.

 

[orangenirvana]

Wes couldn't dribble or create his own shot. Battle is much, much better IMO

He has the potential to be, but I'd tap the breaks a bit. Plus they're two completely different players with different roles so tough to compare.

 

[rocklloyd]

Ugly. ugly, ugly. Take Battle off this team and it wouldn't win 10 games. A .500 season seems to be in the cards. Howard had a decent 1st half with, I believe, 10 points, 2 assists, 1 TO. Ended with 15, 4, and 5. More TOs than assists, both for him and the team. Does not bode well for the future. Dolezaj did have a nice streak at the end of the game but he doesn't have the body strength to battle ACC players inside right now. Chukwu did okay against a team with no center.

Not 10?

 

[creatorsgam]

Based

Had a post that either never posted or was deleted, oddly.

The ups and downs and quirks of game threads.

Been there/done that. Now... gif away!

 

[creatorsgam]

In other ACC action, Wake has now lost two home games. To Ga Southern and Liberty. Yikes.

Danny Manning on the hot seat!

 

[Trueblue25]

Wes Johnson? Player of the year in the Big east and the 4th pick in the draft?

Give it a season then ill eat crow if need be

 

[dasher]

Ugly. ugly, ugly. Take Battle off this team and it wouldn't win 10 games. A .500 season seems to be in the cards. Howard had a decent 1st half with, I believe, 10 points, 2 assists, 1 TO. Ended with 15, 4, and 5. More TOs than assists, both for him and the team. Does not bode well for the future. Dolezaj did have a nice streak at the end of the game but he doesn't have the body strength to battle ACC players inside right now. Chukwu did okay against a team with no center.

Battle is on the team. It's a work in progress. I was happy with the game tonight.

 

[dasher]

Wes couldn't dribble or create his own shot. Battle is much, much better IMO

Number 4 pick in the draft. Player of the year in the conference. I hope Battle has that type of season.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Ugly. ugly, ugly. Take Battle off this team and it wouldn't win 10 games. A .500 season seems to be in the cards. Howard had a decent 1st half with, I believe, 10 points, 2 assists, 1 TO. Ended with 15, 4, and 5. More TOs than assists, both for him and the team. Does not bode well for the future. Dolezaj did have a nice streak at the end of the game but he doesn't have the body strength to battle ACC players inside right now. Chukwu did okay against a team with no center.

Seriously, not many people have high expectations for this team. Lots of new pieces, but it wasn't that ugly. Who cares how many games this team would win without Battle. I just care about how many we will win with him. Lets see some improvement the next few games and see how the team does vs Maryland. If it's competitive fans will be happy for the most part.

 

[sugrad68]

Battle is on the team. It's a work in progress. I was happy with the game tonight.

I will keep the faith and hope for improvement. I didn't mention in my earlier post that I was very disappointed with the defense at times. At least 5 times, Iona beat the SU defense down court after a made basket or FT. I can't remember that ever happening before that many times.

 

[Waltdods]

Wes couldn't dribble or create his own shot. Battle is much, much better IMO

I think wes is overrated. (Loved him as a player but as you say he had no handle, and fell into an absolute perfect situation.) And I love battle, who I expect to put up great numbers this year.

But people should temper the expectations and hyperbole some. Right now he's had one great game as the best player on the team, against a good mix-major. Hakim had probably thirty. Dion, wes, and even the string of four-year players who excelled as seniors - d Nichols, gbinje, xmas - showed more as college players than battle has so far.

If he can be as good as sophomore waiters or mcw, that's a great season. Those two guys were great! And proved it against the best.

 

[sugrad68]

Seriously, not many people have high expectations for this team. Lots of new pieces, but it wasn't that ugly. Who cares how many games this team would win without Battle. I just care about how many we will win with him. Lets see some improvement the next few games and see how the team does vs Maryland. If it's competitive fans will be happy for the most part.

My point with Battle is that this team is more dependent on one player than any SU team in a long time. I agree that expectations are not high this year. But there was little tonight outside of Battle's play that inspired confidence in me for a successful season, which to me means playing competitively against good teams.

 

[longislandcuse]

My point with Battle is that this team is more dependent on one player than any SU team in a long time. I agree that expectations are not high this year. But there was little tonight outside of Battle's play that inspired confidence in me for a successful season, which to me means playing competitively against good teams.

I think our defense has the ability to be really good. Iona shooters weren't wide open and our length is insane. They just happened to shoot like the Warriors to keep it close.

On offense, it's going to be a struggle unless Battle becomes Kobe and Frank, Brissett and Thorpe can hit threes consistently.

 

[hungrychuck]

Good job tonight.

I'm on the record not being optimistic about this season.

But the first step is winning the games you should win.

 

[jdubs30]

Ugly. ugly, ugly. Take Battle off this team and it wouldn't win 10 games. A .500 season seems to be in the cards. Howard had a decent 1st half with, I believe, 10 points, 2 assists, 1 TO. Ended with 15, 4, and 5. More TOs than assists, both for him and the team. Does not bode well for the future. Dolezaj did have a nice streak at the end of the game but he doesn't have the body strength to battle ACC players inside right now. Chukwu did okay against a team with no center.

UConn needed a 19-0 to end the game to beat Stony Brook by 8. Jalen Adams had 19 2nd half points including 12 in that 19-0 run. UConn does not win tonight without Jalen Adams.

See, the thing is, Jalen Adams plays for UConn and Tyus Battle plays for Syracuse. You can't "take players off the team" to create a falsified point.

 

[pearl31]

Dolezaj overwhelmed today, looks lost.

 

[pearl31]

Early season closer lineup is interesting:

Sidibe
Dolezaj
Brissett
Battle
Howard

Jimmy even let Dolezaj play through 3-4 big hiccups

eh that lineup was in at the very end for foul-shooting purposes - and even then Sidibe/Dolezaj going in out as offense/defense. JB's closer lineup for now is Tyus-Frank-Oshae-Moyer/Marek-Bourama.
I think (hope) Geno will round into form soon and the "real" closer lineup will be Tyus-Frank-Geno-Oshae-Bourama

 

[pearl31]

At least 5 times, Iona beat the SU defense down court after a made basket or FT. I can't remember that ever happening before that many times.

what have you watched SU play for like two years? Notoriously beat down court often thru the years

 

[Waltdods]

eh that lineup was in at the very end for foul-shooting purposes - and even then Sidibe/Dolezaj going in out as offense/defense. JB's closer lineup for now is Tyus-Frank-Oshae-Moyer/Marek-Bourama.
I think (hope) Geno will round into form soon and the "real" closer lineup will be Tyus-Frank-Geno-Oshae-Bourama

I thought that lineup was in for essentially the last eight minutes? Was Moyer in at all then?

Right now it feels like Moyer and md are bringing a lot of the same things - energy, rebounding - but mareks upside is a lot higher.

I thought before the season started we'd end up with the closer lineup you suggest with Thorpe. But I'm kind of rooting against it, first because I cringe at the thought of another season with a guard on the back line but also because Thorpe is not a long-termer and it'd be good to get the young guys high leverage experience.

 

[pearl31]

I thought that lineup was in for essentially the last eight minutes? Was Moyer in at all then?

Right now it feels like Moyer and md are bringing a lot of the same things - energy, rebounding - but mareks upside is a lot higher.

I thought before the season started we'd end up with the closer lineup you suggest with Thorpe. But I'm kind of rooting against it, first because I cringe at the thought of another season with a guard on the back line but also because Thorpe is not a long-termer and it'd be good to get the young guys high leverage experience.

Frontline was Sidibe, Dolezaj, Brissett down the stretch until last couple of minutes when Iona started fouling and JB took out Sidibe.
Hear what you're saying but I think Tyus would more than hold his own at one of the zone wings

 

[dasher]

I will keep the faith and hope for improvement. I didn't mention in my earlier post that I was very disappointed with the defense at times. At least 5 times, Iona beat the SU defense down court after a made basket or FT. I can't remember that ever happening before that many times.

That is a good point. The good news, that is something you can easily correct. This team can't be out hustled. This team has to bring the defensive effort every game. But i don't think we will be the awful team I feared we would be. I can see this team getting better and better as the season goes on. maybe not enough to win in some of those ACC games but still getting better.

 

[sugrad68]

I think our defense has the ability to be really good. Iona shooters weren't wide open and our length is insane. They just happened to shoot like the Warriors to keep it close.

On offense, it's going to be a struggle unless Battle becomes Kobe and Frank, Brissett and Thorpe can hit threes consistently.

You could be very right on your comments on both ends of the court. I was most disappointed with those 5 break aways after made baskets or FTs. No excuse for that.

 

[sugrad68]

what have you watched SU play for like two years? Notoriously beat down court often thru the years

The first time I saw them play this Boeheim guy wasn't the coach. You are right but never 5 times. Like someone else said, a correctable error.