Ceerqqq
Scout Team
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Looking back on this season, has Boeheim developed this team, or what?
Two freshmen starters, second-tier underappreciated talents, nurtured into major performers at the end of the season. Paschal Chukwu, couldn't hit his free throws, little was expected of him. Not much more was thought of the starting point guard's potential.
I've always been mightily impressed with JB's ability to turn mostly inexperienced teams into competitive forces by the end of the season. He's a teacher. He did it again. If he can work another miracle on Sunday, there will be no doubt even in the minds of his many doubters that he's still got it.
His amazing Pressure-Zone Defense. I'm not sure how he pulled it off with this group, but once again his players are clicking on all cylinders, shutting down two of the tournament's best offensive teams in impressive fashion. We could see the potential, the athleticism early on, but could they be developed into a defensive force by tournament time? Well, I guess yeah...
TCU had what, four starters who shot around 40% from the three? TCU was, on paper, the worst possible match up for SU in the tournament, with an opposing coach who knew beyond any doubt how to defeat Boeheim's zone. But yesterday, while Frank and Tyus weren't putting up many points, they were still doing a hell of a job on defense, which was clearly a more important contribution in this game. Along with Oshae and Marek, they prevented another more than capable team from stealing this game away from them with open shots from deep.
I think they might be ready to take on Donte Grahm this time...
A lot of SU fans complain about Jimmy's short bench, cuz they're thinking from only one particular strategic POV. In my opinion, I think the reason JB plays his starting 5-7 so many minutes is because he's a teacher, who wants to develop the best five-player combination he can put together by the end of the season.
Short-bench complainers worry about the minutes of the 8th and 9th players, Jimmy's worried about the minutes of his best five, and then best seven players. Especially with a young team. As a teacher, he knows that players learn from repetition, from playing with the same guys day after day, week after week. There is no doubt in my mind that he would still have ended up with the same rotation even if injuries hadn't become a factor. He wants to play his best guys together a lot, cuz he knows that's the only way they're going to be as good as they can possibly be by the end of the year.
We've now seen the results of his 'short bench philosophy' in the last two games. I don't know what Jimmy and his staff say to the players at tournament time to get them to where they no longer want to take any plays off on defense. And this year he's got them rebounding like possessed men!
We don't need to know the outcome of the next game against MSU. Jimmy's already shown that he has masterfully pulled off his little magic trick over the course of a season once again.
Way to go, Jim Boeheim! Defensive innovator unsurpassed, now emulated by the guy who's acclaimed as the best college coach in the game. The way segments of the Syracuse fan base fail to appreciate this special aspect of your coaching talent just makes me shake my head...
Two freshmen starters, second-tier underappreciated talents, nurtured into major performers at the end of the season. Paschal Chukwu, couldn't hit his free throws, little was expected of him. Not much more was thought of the starting point guard's potential.
I've always been mightily impressed with JB's ability to turn mostly inexperienced teams into competitive forces by the end of the season. He's a teacher. He did it again. If he can work another miracle on Sunday, there will be no doubt even in the minds of his many doubters that he's still got it.
His amazing Pressure-Zone Defense. I'm not sure how he pulled it off with this group, but once again his players are clicking on all cylinders, shutting down two of the tournament's best offensive teams in impressive fashion. We could see the potential, the athleticism early on, but could they be developed into a defensive force by tournament time? Well, I guess yeah...
TCU had what, four starters who shot around 40% from the three? TCU was, on paper, the worst possible match up for SU in the tournament, with an opposing coach who knew beyond any doubt how to defeat Boeheim's zone. But yesterday, while Frank and Tyus weren't putting up many points, they were still doing a hell of a job on defense, which was clearly a more important contribution in this game. Along with Oshae and Marek, they prevented another more than capable team from stealing this game away from them with open shots from deep.
I think they might be ready to take on Donte Grahm this time...
A lot of SU fans complain about Jimmy's short bench, cuz they're thinking from only one particular strategic POV. In my opinion, I think the reason JB plays his starting 5-7 so many minutes is because he's a teacher, who wants to develop the best five-player combination he can put together by the end of the season.
Short-bench complainers worry about the minutes of the 8th and 9th players, Jimmy's worried about the minutes of his best five, and then best seven players. Especially with a young team. As a teacher, he knows that players learn from repetition, from playing with the same guys day after day, week after week. There is no doubt in my mind that he would still have ended up with the same rotation even if injuries hadn't become a factor. He wants to play his best guys together a lot, cuz he knows that's the only way they're going to be as good as they can possibly be by the end of the year.
We've now seen the results of his 'short bench philosophy' in the last two games. I don't know what Jimmy and his staff say to the players at tournament time to get them to where they no longer want to take any plays off on defense. And this year he's got them rebounding like possessed men!
We don't need to know the outcome of the next game against MSU. Jimmy's already shown that he has masterfully pulled off his little magic trick over the course of a season once again.
Way to go, Jim Boeheim! Defensive innovator unsurpassed, now emulated by the guy who's acclaimed as the best college coach in the game. The way segments of the Syracuse fan base fail to appreciate this special aspect of your coaching talent just makes me shake my head...