AO shooting >70% from the line???

[MeloMyMan]

So in his first 3 games with his new club in Lithuania, he's shooting 71.4% from the FT line.

He's also leading the team in rebounds per game and is second highest in points per game.

Miss you AO. Could have used that FT% while you were at the CUSE.

http://www.eurobasket.com/team.asp?Cntry=Lithuania&Team=1488

Edit: Actually, looks like it's more like 65% when combining it with his other games. His team plays in 2 different leagues? Weird.

 

[gilardino]

the injury to AO cost us r 2nd national title

 

[slidingdown]

just one more reason to hate Georgetown.

 

[longtimefan]

His team plays in 2 different leagues? Weird.

Like SU in the BE and ACC next season.

 

[Bayside44]

the injury to AO cost us r 2nd national title

Mythology.

 

[Janner]

Anyone know off hand how good that league is as far as Euro standards are concerned?

 

[MCuse44]

sample size?

 

[BlackSquirrels]

Anyone know off hand how good that league is as far as Euro standards are concerned?

I don't follow European basketball too closely, but from what I've read, the Spanish, Italian, Greek and Russian leagues are considered the top-tier European pro leagues. AO plays in Lithuania's top league, the LKL, which is a solid second-tier league in European hoops.

The tiers can be a little fuzzy because I'd guess the top Lithuanian teams could probably beat the doormats from the Greek league.

It can also be confusing because countries have multiple levels of leagues. For example, France has an A league and a B league.

Wikipedia's ULEB League Rankings page provides a good summary.

 

[stuckinbig11]

I don't follow European basketball too closely, but from what I've read, the Spanish, Italian, Greek and Russian leagues are considered the top-tier European pro leagues. AO plays in Lithuania's top league, the LKL, which is a solid second-tier league in European hoops.

The tiers can be a little fuzzy because I'd guess the top Lithuanian teams could probably beat the doormats from the Greek league.

It can also be confusing because countries have multiple levels of leagues. For example, France has an A league and a B league.

Wikipedia's ULEB League Rankings page provides a good summary.

Whatever level the Lithuania league is in, at least AO is playing basketball--unlike Melo, Hak, et al.

 

[dash-30-dash]

I don't know whether we would have beat Duke or not but I think we would have been favored and would have been playing in the game.

 

[SaintTristan]

Thats great work, AO. great SU player

spain and italy are by far the best two leagues. then there is a big gap that takes you to greece. then there are four leagues where you wouldnt be embarrassed to play in as a pro. Lithuania is one of those leagues. then there is a huge gap to everyone else. the rest of the leagues are pretty bad.

 

[Bayside44]

I don't know whether we would have beat Duke or not but I think we would have been favored and would have been playing in the game.

People talk about AO like we lost Carmelo Anthony. End of the day Rick didn't show up and Stevens could've given us a 4 hour game sending AO to the line 30x.

 

[SaintTristan]

People talk about AO like we lost Carmelo Anthony. End of the day Rick didn't show up and Stevens could've given us a 4 hour game sending AO to the line 30x.

Thats rough. he was a 4 year player who made big strides over his career.

he averaged 2 points and 3 rebounds as a frosh. and by his senior year he was doing and 5, but was severely restricted because of injuries (his soph yr was his best yr because he could play more mins). he was huge in that win against UNC.

and the guy had the biggest backside in the history of SU hoops.

 

[jordoo]

Mythology.

Yes, but I personally like to believe that as well. No guarantee but we came close to beating Butler (which came close to beating Duke in the NC game) in a game that was definitally officiated in a manor that favored them even without AO. Rick was lost without AO as well when it mattered. Tell me when AO went down in that Gtown BET game you didn't think What there gooes our NC chances. I know I did and then slowley fooled myself into thinking we would be fine although I knew the whole time we were screwed. Just like last season when I saw Marq in the second round I knew we would have a very hard time getting by them.
That AO, Jackson combo pounded other teams front lines the first 5-7 min of games.

 

[jordoo]

BTW great to see AO playing and getting paid. His post moves will earn him a pay check for amny many years.

 

[Bayside44]

Thats rough. he was a 4 year player who made big strides over his career.

he averaged 2 points and 3 rebounds as a frosh. and by his senior year he was doing and 5, but was severely restricted because of injuries (his soph yr was his best yr because he could play more mins). he was huge in that win against UNC.

and the guy had the biggest backside in the history of SU hoops.

I love the guy, but the way this is referred to by some is almost like the phantom foul that won Michigan the title in 88 (or was it 89). Four games in the bag is a lot to say.

 

[RF2044]

I love the guy, but the way this is referred to by some is almost like the phantom foul that won Michigan the title in 88 (or was it 89). Four games in the bag is a lot to say.

I agree. A final four / title run is more about matchups and requires a little luck. Even with a healthy AO--and as good as our team was that year--making the final four wasn't a lock.

 

[Bayside44]

Yes, but I personally like to believe that as well. No guarantee but we came close to beating Butler (which came close to beating Duke in the NC game) in a game that was definitally officiated in a manor that favored them even without AO. Rick was lost without AO as well when it mattered. Tell me when AO went down in that Gtown BET game you didn't think What there gooes our NC chances. I know I did and then slowley fooled myself into thinking we would be fine although I knew the whole time we were screwed. Just like last season when I saw Marq in the second round I knew we would have a very hard time getting by them.
That AO, Jackson combo pounded other teams front lines the first 5-7 min of games.

Of course our chances went down. But think about the 2003 run and all the things that had to go right to win it all. From matchups to critical calls all the way through. We needed 4 games, not a few minutes.

 

[Knicks411]

I love the guy, but the way this is referred to by some is almost like the phantom foul that won Michigan the title in 88 (or was it 89). Four games in the bag is a lot to say.

Agreed. A lot still would've had to go right for us to win.

 

[Fairlylegal]

the injury to AO cost us r 2nd national title

Seriously? Are people still dwelling on this.:bang:

 

[stuckinbig11]

End of the day Rick didn't show up and Stevens could've given us a 4 hour game sending AO to the line 30x.

Without AO, the whole game changed. Rick's game was taken away from him. It had nothing to do with showing up or not.

 

[OttoMets]

People talk about AO like we lost Carmelo Anthony. End of the day Rick didn't show up and Stevens could've given us a 4 hour game sending AO to the line 30x.

Or, better still, Stevens could've tried to give us a four-hour game by sending Onuaku to the line 30 times, but the officials swallowed their whistles and Butler won a hack-fest by 5.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

You have to think the NBA is keeping a very close eye on AO. If he gets healthy and in shape, he can be beast mode in the league.

 

[OttoMets]

Tell me when AO went down in that Gtown BET game you didn't think What there gooes our NC chances. I know I did and then slowley fooled myself into thinking we would be fine although I knew the whole time we were screwed.

That part is true.

But I'd also fooled myself into thinking that the DePaul game was an aberration, this Syracuse team was different, and we wouldn't have one of those classic Syracuse choke-jobs in which we slept through a Sweet Sixteen game.

We were worse off without Arinze, but we should've won without him. Butler was a no-show by darn near every active guy in our program, including the coaching staff.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

That part is true.

Butler was a no-show by darn near every active guy in our program, including the coaching staff.

Go back and watch the last 4 minutes and check Wesley, Brandon and KJo and their "desire" to go get the ball on offensive sets. Oh my. Andy's brainfarts didn't help... but... we had a lot of guys "shrink" in the moment.