19 days of Practice and 4 cupcake games to figure out out

[Niastri]

Lehigh, Colgate, Northeastern and Richmond are all games we normally mark down as "only depends how much we blow them out by." After that we start getting tougher games, including an early ACC start against Notre Dame December 3.

With our recent indifferent performance in the exhibitions, it is clear we have a lot of work to do.

We have no chemistry right now. The offense and defense are both a bunch of guys running around with no coordination. This is a problem JB can solve by paring down the rotation and choosing his best 7.5 to play the majority of the minutes. He's still making this decision, and right now, it's a mess. The real games against lessor opponents should give him all the information he needs.

The biggest problem that might not be solvable is the apparent issue with Mintz and Girard. Mintz seems to be looking only for his own shot, displaying no point guard's instincts so far and Girard seems frustrated with his play. The solution for me seems to be Mintz becoming a token starter and Torrence getting more time. Girard and Mintz both can be helped by playing beside a true point guard. Girard getting some rest each half will also help him finish games strong.

The chemistry really needs to come together.

I'm kind of at a loss that this team could look so badly coached at this point. I hope JB and co can work it out before we get into the heart of the schedule.

 

[MSOrange]

Lehigh, Colgate, Northeastern and Richmond are all games we normally mark down as "only depends how much we blow them out by." After that we start getting tougher games, including an early ACC start against Notre Dame December 3.

With our recent indifferent performance in the exhibitions, it is clear we have a lot of work to do.

We have no chemistry right now. There offense and defense are both a bunch of guys running around with no coordination. This is a problem JB can solve by paring down the rotation and choosing his best 7.5 to play the majority of the minutes. He's still making this decision, but right now, it's a mess. The real games against lessor opponents should give him all the information he needs.

The biggest problem that might not be solvable is the apparent issue with Mintz and Girard. Mintz seems to be looking only for his own shot, displaying no point guard's instincts so far and Girard seems frustrated with his play. The solution for me seems to be Mintz becoming a token starter and Torrence getting more time. Girard and Mintz both can be helped by playing beside a true point guard. Girard getting some rest each half will help him finish games strong.

The chemistry really needs to come together.

I'm kind of at a loss that this team could look so badly coached at this point. I hope JB and co can work it out before we get into the heart of the schedule.

Good post but as sad as it might be, I wouldn’t sleep on Richmond. I have them marked as my first possible WTH game. But we definitely need these first 3 games to figure some things out.

 

[RF2044]

Lehigh, Colgate, Northeastern and Richmond are all games we normally mark down as "only depends how much we blow them out by." After that we start getting tougher games, including an early ACC start against Notre Dame December 3.

With our recent indifferent performance in the exhibitions, it is clear we have a lot of work to do.

We have no chemistry right now. There offense and defense are both a bunch of guys running around with no coordination. This is a problem JB can solve by paring down the rotation and choosing his best 7.5 to play the majority of the minutes. He's still making this decision, but right now, it's a mess. The real games against lessor opponents should give him all the information he needs.

The biggest problem that might not be solvable is the apparent issue with Mintz and Girard. Mintz seems to be looking only for his own shot, displaying no point guard's instincts so far and Girard seems frustrated with his play. The solution for me seems to be Mintz becoming a token starter and Torrence getting more time. Girard and Mintz both can be helped by playing beside a true point guard. Girard getting some rest each half will help him finish games strong.

The chemistry really needs to come together.

I'm kind of at a loss that this team could look so badly coached at this point. I hope JB and co can work it out before we get into the heart of the schedule.

There is a LOT of raw talent on this team. This recruiting class -- while green -- might eventually live up to the billing as one of the top classes JB has ever brought in. Mintz, Copeland, Carey, Brown, and Taylor all look high-potential [I'm not sold on Bell]. That's a legitimate starting five, all in one class.

But those guys all probably need a year of seasoning to really maximize their potential, learn from mistakes, get acclimated to the college game, etc.

And based upon the two exhibition games, it appears like the talent probably isn't going to mesh. We have nice components, but they don't seem to fit together well in terms of skills / experience.

Is what it is -- that's the challenge of trying to integrate 7 new players with a nucleus of three more experienced players.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I like our players and think if they're given time to figure out the right ways to mesh the lineups and minutes that we could be decent, but I fear it won't be long before JB reverts to his tendencies and just anoints some guys to be big minutes players that shouldn't be, and buries some guys on the bench that are dead even in talent to some of the guys that see a lot of minutes.

I want this to be a fun year but fun will probably have to be defined by something other than winning.

 

[djorange1989]

Umm, wasn't Colgate a cupcake game last year? that worked out great. so was Georgetown. I am not throwing in the towel based on exhibition play, but there are a lot of questions to be answered with this team.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Lol cupcakes. No way. I’d guess Colgate beats us. And Richmond.

 

[Newhouser]

Mintz is not coming off the bench and Joe is playing 30 plus minutes. IF there is some relationship woes we may need an Edelin/Gmac type meeting. Those two are going to be on the floor together a lot, they need to figure it out

 

[two3zone]

Lehigh, Colgate, Northeastern and Richmond are all games we normally mark down as "only depends how much we blow them out by." After that we start getting tougher games, including an early ACC start against Notre Dame December 3.

With our recent indifferent performance in the exhibitions, it is clear we have a lot of work to do.

We have no chemistry right now. The offense and defense are both a bunch of guys running around with no coordination. This is a problem JB can solve by paring down the rotation and choosing his best 7.5 to play the majority of the minutes. He's still making this decision, and right now, it's a mess. The real games against lessor opponents should give him all the information he needs.

The biggest problem that might not be solvable is the apparent issue with Mintz and Girard. Mintz seems to be looking only for his own shot, displaying no point guard's instincts so far and Girard seems frustrated with his play. The solution for me seems to be Mintz becoming a token starter and Torrence getting more time. Girard and Mintz both can be helped by playing beside a true point guard. Girard getting some rest each half will also help him finish games strong.

The chemistry really needs to come together.

I'm kind of at a loss that this team could look so badly coached at this point. I hope JB and co can work it out before we get into the heart of the schedule.

After Colgate straight up embarrassed us last year, probably the worst loss in JBs tenure, it’s hard to consider any game a win.

Last year wasn’t good but there hasn’t been one thing that I’ve seen that says we’ll be better.

Awfully cocky calling any game a cupcake.

 

[Brooky03]

If you’re the type of person who has us as an underdog in any of these 4 games, then you have to think our ceiling is 3 wins.

That seems extreme. Thinking we COULD lose is different than thinking we WILL lose to probably not NCAAT teams.

 

[Dinkyspond]

Good post but as sad as it might be, I wouldn’t sleep on Richmond. I have them marked as my first possible WTH game. But we definitely need these first 3 games to figure some things out.

Reminder, Colgate beat us handily last year, they are the favorite in the Patriot but I don’t know how many significant players they've got back. I wouldn't sleep on them based on current stages of their program and ours. Might be a tussle again.

 

[MSOrange]

Reminder, Colgate beat us handily last year, they are the favorite in the Patriot but I don’t know how many significant players they've got back. I wouldn't sleep on them based on current stages of their program and ours. Might be a tussle again.

You’re right. I got mixed up whether it was Colgate or Cornell who beat us

 

[two3zone]

If you’re the type of person who has us as an underdog in any of these 4 games, then you have to think our ceiling is 3 wins.

That seems extreme. Thinking we COULD lose is different than thinking we WILL lose to probably not NCAAT teams.

I wouldn’t call us an underdog but I wouldn’t mark them down as victories before the season starts.

 

[Brooky03]

Reminder, Colgate beat us handily last year, they are the favorite in the Patriot but I don’t know how many significant players they've got back. I wouldn't sleep on them based on current stages of their program and ours. Might be a tussle again.

Based on some quick and sloppy analysis, they’ve lost 3 starters (their 3 top scorers), and their 6th man. Their backcourt will be new starters and new backups.

 

[Brooky03]

I wouldn’t call us an underdog but I wouldn’t mark them down as victories before the season starts.

That’s fair. Going into the games with uncertainty is definitely warranted.

 

[djorange1989]

After Colgate straight up embarrassed us last year, probably the worst loss in JBs tenure, it’s hard to consider any game a win.

Last year wasn’t good but there hasn’t been one thing that I’ve seen that says we’ll be better.

Awfully cocky calling any game a cupcake.

I think the Georgetown loss was even worse, their name and being a former rival is the only reason it doesn't sound worse. that team was straight up trash, Colgate was a legit mid-major who had a good showing in the tourney(lost to Wisconsin by 7) . to be clear, giving up 100 to them, at home, and losing by 15 was pathetic in its own right

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Reminder, Colgate beat us handily last year, they are the favorite in the Patriot but I don’t know how many significant players they've got back. I wouldn't sleep on them based on current stages of their program and ours. Might be a tussle again.

Colgate was better than us last year. They kicked our butt. They beat us as easily as anyone beat us.

 

[andyw715]

I'm not worried, JB said we are going to be in the NCAA tournament. I have faith.

 

[CardiacCuse]

Lehigh, Colgate, Northeastern and Richmond are all games we normally mark down as "only depends how much we blow them out by." After that we start getting tougher games, including an early ACC start against Notre Dame December 3.

With our recent indifferent performance in the exhibitions, it is clear we have a lot of work to do.

We have no chemistry right now. The offense and defense are both a bunch of guys running around with no coordination. This is a problem JB can solve by paring down the rotation and choosing his best 7.5 to play the majority of the minutes. He's still making this decision, and right now, it's a mess. The real games against lessor opponents should give him all the information he needs.

The biggest problem that might not be solvable is the apparent issue with Mintz and Girard. Mintz seems to be looking only for his own shot, displaying no point guard's instincts so far and Girard seems frustrated with his play. The solution for me seems to be Mintz becoming a token starter and Torrence getting more time. Girard and Mintz both can be helped by playing beside a true point guard. Girard getting some rest each half will also help him finish games strong.

The chemistry really needs to come together.

I'm kind of at a loss that this team could look so badly coached at this point. I hope JB and co can work it out before we get into the heart of the schedule.

80 guard minutes between 3 players shouldnt be hard to give all 3 a lot of time...but i agree judah is not a PG or at least isnt playing like one yet...and neither is JG3,...yet both basically are going to be starters no matter what so it creates a bit of a quandary...because with the way the team looks on offense...a PG is a necessity

 

[Niastri]

The four games I referenced as "normally" easy wins aren't sure things this season, but our talent level should get us through... If the games are tough, it's more of a learning experience.

 

[two3zone]

I’ve heard more people in the past 24 hours say that Judah isn’t a point guard than I’ve heard about Joe in 3 years.

You don’t have to have Tyler Ennis’s game to be a point guard.

 

[RF2044]

I’ve heard more people in the past 24 hours say that Judah isn’t a point guard than I’ve heard about Joe in 3 years.

You don’t have to have Tyler Ennis’s game to be a point guard.

But you have to show some aptitude.

Mintz has a good handle, but mostly to break his own man off the dribble to set himself up for shots. His passing thus far has been subpar. Just having a handle doesn't make you a lead guard, if you don't show the other skills needed to play the position at a high level.

Tyler Ennis had preternatural "feel" for the game. Doesn't mean that he didn't have other limitations, but as a playmaker he was pretty high on a scale of 1 to 10. Through the two exhibition games -- and granted, that doesn't mean he won't improve -- Mintz rates pretty low on that scale.

Exhibit A -- that horrendous pass he made in the first half that was easily intercepted.

 

[rrlbees]

I’ve heard more people in the past 24 hours say that Judah isn’t a point guard than I’ve heard about Joe in 3 years.

You don’t have to have Tyler Ennis’s game to be a point guard.

You must have missed about 1,000 posts.

 

[two3zone]

You must have missed about 1,000 posts.

About 1,001 in the past 16 hours about Mintz.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

But you have to show some aptitude.

Mintz has a good handle, but mostly to break his own man off the dribble to set himself up for shots. His passing thus far has been subpar. Just having a handle doesn't make you a lead guard, if you don't show the other skills needed to play the position at a high level.

Tyler Ennis had preternatural "feel" for the game. Doesn't mean that he didn't have other limitations, but as a playmaker he was pretty high on a scale of 1 to 10. Through the two exhibition games -- and granted, that doesn't mean he won't improve -- Mintz rates pretty low on that scale.

Exhibit A -- that horrendous pass he made in the first half that was easily intercepted.

I think for Mintz the plays are there. At some point hopefully the light bulb goes on and he realizes that sometimes when he sets a shot up for himself he has actually set up a better shot for another player and should make the pass.

He's just not there yet. I hope he gets there quick.

 

[HoustonCuse]

Can JB get back to 1k this season!?1!!