2 questions

[SBU72]

Before yesterdays game, I was wondering which of the 2 seniors was going to have the bigger impact on the team this year. Triche has always been a starter and many are expecting him to lead the teamin scoring. However Southerland could be poised to take a big step and while not leading the teamin scoring, be a huge contributer with points and rpg. However I think a little differently now. Based on the last exhibition game and the one yesterday, Cooney dosen't look to be ready and I'm thinking that MCW and Triche both may have to go 35+ minutes. If Cooney can't fit into a 3 man roatation, that is what is going to happen which then the answer to the first question is Triche. I know the arguement is going to be that Cooney was still out of shape for the prctice game and the conditions didn't fit what he does best yesterday, still when he was out there, he looked a little lost on "D".

 

[doitallpaul]

Cooney didn't look to be ready because his game is his shooting, you can tell everyone was uncomfortable almost yesterday.

That being said, James Southerland is going to have a huge impact this year, especially on rebounding form the guard position. We got beat on some offensive rebound on FTs, next thing I know I saw James snag back to back rebounds from the guard position off missed FTs

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

If MCW is going to reach and grab consistently on defense, constantly overplaying for steals.. we are going to have 4 or 5 games where we need Cooney or J South to play extended mins at the 2..and help bring the ball up when the other team goes to pressure us.

 

[hoopsupstate]

What was up with Southerlands hands yesterday? He dropped two or three balls yesterday unpressured.

 

[texascpa]

One game and we've already decided Cooney isn't ready? oy vey.

 

[SBU72]

One game and we've already decided Cooney isn't ready? oy vey.

Versus saying he is going to be in the regular rotation, getting 20 minutes a game and avg 9 ppg. And that without even seeing him on the court with his team! Given the two choices, the quick analysi based on visual evalutaion might have be a little more valid. Maybe not by a lot but at least a little. Conversely the evalutaion on Southerland after his point explosion during his first exhibition game his freshman year wasn't very close.

 

[HarrisonJBounel]

If Southerland adjusts to playing SG, and IMHO he will, Cooney's playing time will be significantly impacted, and likely virtually disappear during crunch time. In the big games, Triche and MCW will get 65-70 of the 80 available guard minutes, and Southerland will get the rest.

Nothing against Cooney, and I understand these were the worst playing conditions for him, but JB is going to go with the veterans when push comes to shove, like he always does, and should.

 

[pfister1]

I just don't see Dirty being a good enough ball handler to get anything more than occasional minutes at SG. I think it would put a lot of pressure on the other true guard that is in the game. I think JB will have no choice but to force feed Cooney minutes during the remainder of the OOC season. Seems to me that this is potentially a significant problem achilles heel.

You need a third guard and in order to determine if either Dirty or Cooney can be that guard you need to give them both significant minutes there before the speed of the games picks up. The problem in my view is (1) MCW is so inexperienced that the 3rd guard minutes shouldn't come at the expense of very many of his minutes; (2) You are really auditioning two new guys in this role, so you're trying to find double the minutes you might otherwise be looking for and (3) I think we need Triche to try to assume the star senior alpha player role and given his propensity to shrink from the spotlight I think he needs minutes in these early games to prove to himself that he can do that.

Not sure that 5-8 minutes per game at the SG position against the Monmouths, Alcorn States and Central Connecticuts of the world is really going to tell us who can give us minutes there when MCW or BT picks up two early fouls in the first half against Louisville, Georgetown or one of the other tough defensive foes we'll play this year. But maybe JB doesn't need to audition them, and already knows the answer.

 

[texascpa]

Versus saying he is going to be in the regular rotation, getting 20 minutes a game and avg 9 ppg. And that without even seeing him on the court with his team! Given the two choices, the quick analysi based on visual evalutaion might have be a little more valid. Maybe not by a lot but at least a little. Conversely the evalutaion on Southerland after his point explosion during his first exhibition game his freshman year wasn't very close.

Your visual evaluation is on the smallest sample size possible - one game. It's just as invalid.

 

[SBU72]

Your visual evaluation is on the smallest sample size possible - one game. It's just as invalid.

I was not really attempting to validate comments based on a sample sampling (2 games not 1 by the way) but in response to the "oy vey" which to me was saying "how can you evlauate a player on 2 games?" To me 2 games is better than none, the number of games use to say that Cooney will be part of a 3 guard rotation. Marginally,yes but still better. And I was also looking more at his play on the defensive end, not offensive. end. So you are right, the observaion is invalid but so is saying he will be part of a regular rotation.

 

[texascpa]

I was not really attempting to validate comments based on a sample sampling (2 games not 1 by the way) but in response to the "oy vey" which to me was saying "how can you evlauate a player on 2 games?" To me 2 games is better than none, the number of games use to say that Cooney will be part of a 3 guard rotation. Marginally,yes but still better. And I was also looking more at his play on the defensive end, not offensive. end. So you are right, the observaion is invalid but so is saying he will be part of a regular rotation.

I never said he would be part of the regular rotation, I just don't think "he doesn't look ready". I think he will be perfectly fine.

 

[realorange]

James may get some minutes at SG, but it won't be my favorite thing to see. I was disappointed in his play on Sunday. More than once he had the ball with no idea what he was going to do with it. If he is under pressure, it's not going to be a pretty thing to watch. Great athlete, but not the best of decision makers. I hope Sunday's game was not an indicator of how he'll play for the rest of the year. He just doesn't look like he has changed very much from last year. I truly hope I'm wrong.

 

[bozophobe]

Cooney will be fine, because he trained against Scoop and Dion. I don't recall hearing that they shamed him off the floor last year. Cooney just needs time to adjust (just like everyone, including possibly Boeheim).

JS at the 2 is never going to pan out. I recall the days of the Billy Owens and Stevie Thompson guard experiments, and that proved only guards are guards. Come to think of it, those teams remind me of this year's squad - lots of big athletes up front. But I'd rather have Cooney as a #3 rather than Michael Edwards or David Patrick or Michael Lloyd as our #1 or #2, so it's not so bad.

Boeheim knows best, obviously, but he never really explained how extensively he was going to use JS at the 2.

 

[orangefan13]

One game and we've already decided Cooney isn't ready? oy vey.

+1

We don't need james to be a point forward. We have CJ, MCW, Triche and our bigs passing to create plays. We need him to be a scoring forward or 2 guard that can make the occasional dish like Dion or Wes off of a few dribbles. He put up like 17 ppg in both exhibitions in probably around only 25 minutes. On 8-9 from three.

Cooney has shot in 1 college game thusfar a exhibition for limited minutes. That doesn't make him only good for 10 fill in minutes and 0 in big games. Cooney has played a total of like 14 college minutes.If were going to let Dajuan evolve for 8 games let cooney do the same.

Triche, CJ, and MCW and our bigs passing are the bread and butter of the offense. Becuase Triche and Mike are both guards, that makes things alittle tougher on Cooney then Southerland. Hopefully SOutherland or Cooney can use their shot to create for others some like Rautins and Wes could.
2 guards who look to score with some playmaking ability from their jumpshot.

 

[OttoMets]

James may get some minutes at SG, but it won't be my favorite thing to see. I was disappointed in his play on Sunday. More than once he had the ball with no idea what he was going to do with it. If he is under pressure, it's not going to be a pretty thing to watch. Great athlete, but not the best of decision makers. I hope Sunday's game was not an indicator of how he'll play for the rest of the year. He just doesn't look like he has changed very much from last year. I truly hope I'm wrong.

He looked very uncomfortable. Anything's possible, but I'd be surprised if he continues to play that way.

 

[Orangeman]

Iris