I think it is great for both teams to continue the series. Good for two NY teams to battle with a narrative. I will say though that I have read a ton here about how bad SJU is. I will agree that SJU has been real bad in some games, but you need to look at why SJU was bad early.
SJU has three freshman starters. Mussini is a SG and is playing out of position at the PG spot because Marcus Lovett is waiting on eligibility ruling. It has taken a while for Mussini as a freshman to get comfortable as a pg and he has had struggles but is getting better. SJU has two good players injured in Malik Ellison and Darien Williams on the bench.
In addition, Yankuba Sima and Khassoum Yakwe are both freshmen as well. That was Yakwe's second game in college, he just was cleared eligibility-wise. SJU has been bad but much of the reason is that the entire team is new to playing together and much of the talent are noobs.
SJU actually has some talent there. Sima and Yakwe are more talented than their counterparts on the Syracuse team in Coleman and Roberson IMO. In addition, while SJU shot lights out, it's not that out of character. SJU has at least 6 guys on the team that came in this season averaging over 40% from beyond the arc at their former schools.
I hear that tomorrow or Friday, SJU will likely get ruling that Marcus Lovett is also eligible which will move Mussini to his natural SG spot and make it much more difficult for teams to pressure us.
I agree that this wasn't Cuse's best team that SJU beat, but SJU used a solid game plan and executed well. SJU isn't as bad as people think, just a young team of mostly freshmen and a transfer or two that is starting to learn how to play together. I don't expect a heck of a lot out of this SJU team this season because we are extremely young and short handed. That said, kids like Sima, Yakwe, Mussini, Ellison and a few others are really talented and are going to be really good as time goes on.
SJU has three freshman starters. Mussini is a SG and is playing out of position at the PG spot because Marcus Lovett is waiting on eligibility ruling. It has taken a while for Mussini as a freshman to get comfortable as a pg and he has had struggles but is getting better. SJU has two good players injured in Malik Ellison and Darien Williams on the bench.
In addition, Yankuba Sima and Khassoum Yakwe are both freshmen as well. That was Yakwe's second game in college, he just was cleared eligibility-wise. SJU has been bad but much of the reason is that the entire team is new to playing together and much of the talent are noobs.
SJU actually has some talent there. Sima and Yakwe are more talented than their counterparts on the Syracuse team in Coleman and Roberson IMO. In addition, while SJU shot lights out, it's not that out of character. SJU has at least 6 guys on the team that came in this season averaging over 40% from beyond the arc at their former schools.
I hear that tomorrow or Friday, SJU will likely get ruling that Marcus Lovett is also eligible which will move Mussini to his natural SG spot and make it much more difficult for teams to pressure us.
I agree that this wasn't Cuse's best team that SJU beat, but SJU used a solid game plan and executed well. SJU isn't as bad as people think, just a young team of mostly freshmen and a transfer or two that is starting to learn how to play together. I don't expect a heck of a lot out of this SJU team this season because we are extremely young and short handed. That said, kids like Sima, Yakwe, Mussini, Ellison and a few others are really talented and are going to be really good as time goes on.
Last edited:
