At this point

[Capt. Tuttle]

how soon we forget 1996. Road to final four went 13, 12, 8, 2

Give me a John Wallace and I will join your optimism.

Sent from my SCH-I200 using Tapatalk 2

 

[UConn76]

For me it's not really a match up thing though. It's a style thing. College basketball is trending towards ugly. The Big East is leading that trend.

When I watch ACC games for the most part I see fast pace, high scoring contests. That's more fun to watch. Will I see more of that next season as a Syracuse fan following a new entrant to the ACC?

Oh, and .

We can always count on you guys for a kind word..

 

[realorange]

That was what I thought in '08 (was it '08?) when we had a terrible year-end slump and lost an afternoon game in the BET to 'Nova and we got shafted by the committee. If we lose to DePaul I am done with this team this year.

Sounds like a bandwagon fan to me.

 

[iommi]

Sounds like a bandwagon fan to me.

Not at all. The only way we lose to DePaul is if our team quits. That's how bad DePaul is. If the team quits, I'm not going to waste my energy on them.

 

[moqui]

we came into the season tied with Louisville and a game ahead of Pitt for most conference wins post-CUSA merger.

I want to finish a game ahead of the Ville and walk away the winningest BE team in all its incarnations.

Gotta win on Saturday.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We can always count on you guys for a kind word..

We want you to feel welcome.

It's a community, really.

 

[manleyzoo]

I remember last year we basically toyed with Louisville in the regular season finale. I remember thinking how Louisville was primed for a quick post season because Siva was playing the bad Siva role and they were a mess. Well that turned into a BET title and a FF bid. It can happen.

The Louisville comparison isn't accurate. You're right, we did toy with Louisville to end the season last year. But after that game Pitino said about the BE tourney, "I think we'll be a different basketball team then as we go in there, and we'll play a lot faster. We'll play faster against everybody and I think that will help us immensely. When you play slow and everything's a jump shot, that's difficult." In NYC, he completely altered the way his team had played the entire season and went back to their crazed ways, pushing the ball on offense, hawking on defense, running guys in and out, not relying on the one thing they couldn't do--hit jump shots. Imagine that, they changed. And you know what, it worked. JB lives and dies by not changing much of anything, and he certainly wouldn't change how his team plays this late in the season, even for short periods of time. He's resigned himself to losing if we shoot poorly and winning if we shoot well. Change things up to minimize your deficiencies and maximize your strengths? Nah, never. As a result, there's zero chance we duplicate Louisville's run last year, zero. Stubborn works sometimes, stubborn doesn't work sometimes.

 

[Marsh01]

The Louisville comparison isn't accurate. You're right, we did toy with Louisville to end the season last year. But after that game Pitino said about the BE tourney, "I think we'll be a different basketball team then as we go in there, and we'll play a lot faster. We'll play faster against everybody and I think that will help us immensely. When you play slow and everything's a jump shot, that's difficult." In NYC, he completely altered the way his team had played the entire season and went back to their crazed ways, pushing the ball on offense, hawking on defense, running guys in and out, not relying on the one thing they couldn't do--hit jump shots. Imagine that, they changed. And you know what, it worked. JB lives and dies by not changing much of anything, and he certainly wouldn't change how his team plays this late in the season, even for short periods of time. He's resigned himself to losing if we shoot poorly and winning if we shoot well. Change things up to minimize your deficiencies and maximize your strengths? Nah, never. As a result, there's zero chance we duplicate Louisville's run last year, zero. Stubborn works sometimes, stubborn doesn't work sometimes.

My whole point was that Siva woke up out of his coma that he was in and actually played to his ability which elevated that team to great heights. Am hoping MCW and Triche do the same.

 

[Townie72]

My whole point was that Siva woke up out of his coma that he was in and actually played to his ability which elevated that team to great heights. Am hoping MCW and Triche do the same.

Marsh ... I don't know what MCW's and Triche's ability level is. I am torn between visions of the routs earlier in the season and the recent debacles.

These are guys that need options. Places to go with the ball. They need defenses to be convinced that there are alternatives for them all over the floor.When they play badly, its not necessarily their fault. Because, neither one is good enough to do it by themselves. They need help.

And even earlier in the year --- when things were going our way in games --- both these guys went into periods in games when they were virtual turnover machines. Triche especially.

 

[Marsh01]

Marsh ... I don't know what MCW's and Triche's ability level is. I am torn between visions of the routs earlier in the season and the recent debacles.

These are guys that need options. Places to go with the ball. They need defenses to be convinced that there are alternatives for them all over the floor.When they play badly, its not necessarily their fault. Because, neither one is good enough to do it by themselves. They need help.

And even earlier in the year --- when things were going our way in games --- both these guys went into periods in games when they were virtual turnover machines. Triche especially.

I am strictly talking NCAA games. Big east, its a crapshoot. Get out of the conference and I can see these guys flourishing against the right teams. Not many teams are going to play defense like Pitt and Georgetown play.

 

[moqui]

These are guys that need options. Places to go with the ball. They need defenses to be convinced that there are alternatives for them all over the floor.When they play badly, its not necessarily their fault. Because, neither one is good enough to do it by themselves. They need help.

Exactly . . . they need forwards who are willing to at least take - and hopefully make - big shots during crunch time, and that will make things easier on the guards. James and CJ have not been producing late in games, and that puts everything on the guards. Yes, the defense is working to take those guys away, but they are going to have to find a way to keep involved on the offensive end.

 

[iommi]

What's most alarming to me is that we continue to struggle against physical teams. Hope our incoming recruits have some toughness.

 

[manleyzoo]

My whole point was that Siva woke up out of his coma that he was in and actually played to his ability which elevated that team to great heights. Am hoping MCW and Triche do the same.

Hard to argue that Siva made the difference for them in the end last year--they still were an awful shooting team that went long periods without making a jump shot even in the tournament. What did change was the pace at which they played. To the extent that Siva was a part of that, then yes, he made a difference. But the better argument still is that Pitino made a strategic change to minimize their liabilities and maximize their strengths. I don't see that going on with JB this year, at least not so far. Play MCW off the ball, which makes him a better shooter? Nah, he's the point guard. Spread the floor for Triche to drive the lane? Nah, he's the off guard. Post up Southerland? OMFG, he's the 3 pt shooter, can't do that. Position RAK for weak side put backs? Nope can't do that, it's not the way we use our centers. Change the offensive sets in the end of games to get the ball on clear outs for CJ? Nope, can't do that, it's too hard against a zone...Sounds to me like there's no shortage of excuses for JB's stubbornness. The point is, Pitino changed what wasn't working. Our guy, not so much.

 

[Marsh01]

Hard to argue that Siva made the difference for them in the end last year--they still were an awful shooting team that went long periods without making a jump shot even in the tournament. What did change was the pace at which they played. To the extent that Siva was a part of that, then yes, he made a difference. But the better argument still is that Pitino made a strategic change to minimize their liabilities and maximize their strengths. I don't see that going on with JB this year, at least not so far. Play MCW off the ball, which makes him a better shooter? Nah, he's the point guard. Spread the floor for Triche to drive the lane? Nah, he's the off guard. Post up Southerland? OMFG, he's the 3 pt shooter, can't do that. Position RAK for weak side put backs? Nope can't do that, it's not the way we use our centers. Change the offensive sets in the end of games to get the ball on clear outs for CJ? Nope, can't do that, it's too hard against a zone...Sounds to me like there's no shortage of excuses for JB's stubbornness. The point is, Pitino changed what wasn't working. Our guy, not so much.

I see your point. I was more referring to the BET and getting the hell out of the conference games as opposed to the NCAA games. If you look at his stats in the BET and the NCAA you will see a big time slide in production.

BET - 4 games

55 Total Points (13.7 ppg)
26 Total Rebounds (6.5 rpg)
25 Total Assists (6.3 apg)
14 Total turnovers (3.5 TO pg)

NCAA Tourney - 5 games

47 Total Points (9.4 ppg)
11 Total Rebounds (2.2 rpg)
31 Total Assists (6.2 apg)
15 Total turnovers (3 TO pg)

He did step it up in the conference tournament which was against competition that he had faced all season and played a big role in winning that championship. The NCAA's he did scale back but I think that was more due to what you are referring too in your post.