"As good of a 5 as anyone left"

[Cuse House]

Steve Lappas said when we have Lydon in for Coleman, our five are just as good as anyone's best five.

 

[Townie72]

Lappa's is actually a credible source as opposed to the dozens and dozens chiming in who have no basketball credentials.

 

[BlackSquirrels]

How dare Lappas take a dump on Coleman like that?

Does the hate ever end?

 

[SU94]

How dare Lappas take a dump on Coleman like that?

Does the hate ever end?

I am not a LOL guy, but reading this rendered a quick chuckle in my empty office.

 

[Townie72]

I would have disagreed with Lappas's statement at the beginning or even half-way through the year. But I think that at this stage in the season, he has it right.

I don't know how much UNC has improved, but SU has made significant strides.

In no particular order:

1. Gbinje has gotten somewhat better during the season. But he was pretty good to begin with and he's an experienced player. Boeheim said that when he got to SU he had both shooting and ball-handling deficiencies. He has gotten steadily better at both of these critical skills. In a couple of games, he has shown he can be off-the charts good and can literally take over a game.

2. Lydon has improved. His skill set isn't radically different, but more frequently he is in the right spot at the right time. He knows when to shoot and he can defend without fouling.

3. Malachi is a much more effective player. He appeared to have great skills and now he is more confident in using these skills. He is, IMO, the SU player with the most upside potential

4. Cooney, who is now not required to bear the entire offensive load, can play more under control, take fewer forced shots and has learned when to go to the hoop.

5. Roberson appears to have woken up from a deep slumber. There were games where he was so far out of defensive position that I wondered, "How can that happen". Something --- maybe JB's comments to the press --- appears to have lit a fire under his butt.

In the interviews I have watched, it seems that the two seniors have 1.) Kept the season from tanking at the nadir. At 0-4 in the ACC it would have been easy to start thinking about next year.2.) Led by example and really are responsible for encouraging the two frosh and Roberson to improve.

 

[Orangemen]

That's the thing. Most people dont realize that our lineup is pretty stacked.

2 definite first round picks (hopefully next year) and another borderline one in G. A solid starter in Cooney, and Roberson who can get 20 rebounds in a game at duke. That's a very good team.

Our problem has always been consistency. We've had great stretches when everyone is on. And right now everyone is on. If the guys stay on and keep playing that way, this game is a near toss up. Our bad game is probably a lot worse than UNCs, so they deserve the statistical edge, but if we're on, I'll take our chances.

 

[721Comstock]

That's the thing. Most people dont realize that our lineup is pretty stacked.

2 definite first round picks (hopefully next year) and another borderline one in G. A solid starter in Cooney, and Roberson who can get 20 rebounds in a game at duke. That's a very good team.

Our problem has always been consistency. We've had great stretches when everyone is on. And right now everyone is on. If the guys stay on and keep playing that way, this game is a near toss up. Our bad game is probably a lot worse than UNCs, so they deserve the statistical edge, but if we're on, I'll take our chances.

AND - we've also added Frankie as an actual backup PG, who plays actual minutes and has an actual positive impact on games.

We were about a 5.5 player rotation for much of the season, but now have a legit 7 guys who can - and do - contribute.
BIG difference compared to a month or 2 ago.

We're also playing D on a different level the past few weeks.
Not quite to the vs. Indiana/Marquette level of a few years ago, but pretty good in its own right.

 

[HoustonCuse]

I disagree on Richardson and Lydon. Think back to Atlantis, both played incredibly well. I think Mali has improved mainly in the area of toughness but what he did against UVa wasn't totally unknown prior to that, he did similar things as far back as November. Lydon, on the other hand, has increased his abilities as a center in our defense about 20 fold. The fact that he is blocking shots at a pace greater than Patrick Ewing did in this tournament is beyond all contemplation. That improvement and the presence of beast mode Roberson have been some of the keys to this run.

 

[orange2win]

Our strongest line-up is with Coleman and Lydon on the floor at the same time. Check the scoring in the last game under this line-up.

 

[rrlbees]

Our strongest line-up is with Coleman and Lydon on the floor at the same time. Check the scoring in the last game under this line-up.

I like them on the court together some. But vs Uva they only played 6 mins together, all when Roberson was out. We scored 8 points in those 6 mins. One 3 pointer and 5 FTs, 3 of which came in the last 9 seconds. Nothing that says strongest offensive lineup.