So, just for the fun of it [and because it was so nice to have actual SU sports to focus upon yesterday], here are some observations about yesterday's game. In no particular order...
- This team really could have used Lydon and / or McCullough -- I give our players a ton of credit for managing Haas inside without having anybody foul out, but I think it was more about the lack of discipline on the Purdue team's part not pounding the ball inside for three quarters of the game -- because when they did [in the third quarter], we had no answer and Haas torched us. Could have used a bit more size -- but thankfully, we had Rayman as a 'break the glass' option at the 5. More on him later. Speaking of Haas...
- Issac Haas is freaking massive -- yes, we all know he's 7-3. And for those of us who watch a lot of college basketball, we were all familiar with him being a pretty good player. But seeing him in yesterday's game really puts in perspective how gigantic that guy is. Slow as molasses, but ripped for a guy that tall. Imagine if someone like Chukwu had some of Haas's muscle, how much more effective he might have been offensively.
- Same old Greene -- I want to be clear up front, I have never been the biggest Donte Greene fan. I know that he is a great kid, very intelligent, and bleeds Orange despite the feelings not always being reciprocated from our fanbase. For me, it was never about him leaving early, and more about frustration with him never showing the hoops IQ to match his athleticism / skill level. I'm going to talk about what he did right below -- but the litany of what he did wrong was on full display, and it was like watching an old tape from his freshman season. Ill-advised shots, settling for long jumpers, trying to do too much, etc. That said, he did as well as could be expected having to guard the substantially larger and heavier Mt. Haas -- he rebounded reasonably well, he exploited Haas's lack of lateral mobility and quickness by taking it off the dribble, and he hit his free throws. And there were several times down the stretch when Haas got back in the game late when Greene stripped him, creating a turnover. We needed those plays. But in watching Donte yesterday, I was struck by the realization that the only thing that's different about him is that he's bigger and more physically mature -- he still plays the same frustrating brand of basketball, and can hurt the team as much as he can help the team. Fortunately for us, he made several hustle plays when the game was on the line that helped us win. And that play where he drove in and drew Haas's fourth foul [which was a questionable call, IMO] had a huge impact on the fourth quarter. Ultimately, it is nice to see Greene out there, we just have to keep our fingers crossed that he makes more good plays than bad -- such is how things roll with Donte Kong.
- Rayman helped -- I have low expectations for Will Rayman as a contributor, but he absolutely helped the team yesterday, and we wouldn't have won without him. Guy was all over the ground for loose balls, and wasn't afraid to throw his body around. Those minutes he gave us in the pivot were VERY important, and he drew an important foul on Haas. I'm betting his jaw hurt today. Funny thing is, he looks exactly like what you'd expect a Colgate player to -- swoopy hair, awkward gait running the floor, etc. And I also need to point out that he needs to be "coached" by Blackwell after yesterday's performance to knock off trying to drive, trying to back guys down starting out at the three-point line, etc. because that led to turnovers. Just play within himself, and let the hustle create opportunities. Glad we had him yesterday.
- The third quarter was absolutely abysmal -- life as an SU fan is often about ebbs and flows, ups and downs. But after getting off to a slow start [another calling card of recent SU teams], we seemed to settle in and outplay the Men of Mackey in the second quarter, building a double-digit halftime lead... which we promptly pissed away in the third. I don't fault the squad for the MoM making their run -- they had some good players. But we had about 10 possessions in a row where we either settled for jumpers, took ill-advised shots, cranked up a shot 5 seconds into the possession, had guys attempt to drive to the basket who had no business driving to the basket, stepped out of bounds, etc. -- all of which really hurt us. There was a long stretch where we couldn't BUY a basket, until Devendorf hit something like three shots in a row to stop the bleeding. It is a minor miracle that we hung on, given how poorly we played for that entire quarter.
- That said, the Elam Ending segment, we played great -- I mentioned above that drawing the fourth foul on Haas was huge. It sent him to the bench at a time when the MoM were executing great and in a groove, and when he exited the game their momentum stalled. And when he came back in, the momentum was lost -- they tried to pound it inside, but we stole the ball, caused a few turnovers, etc. And that enabled us to build a little bit of a lead, which positioned us well for the Elam Ending. We closed them out STRONG. The announcers made a point of talking about how poised and mentally tough the MoM were -- but we big boyed them during the Elam Ending.
- A Syracuse team relied on free throws to win... whoulda thunk it? -- Yes, I still remember 2017, when we were lights out at the stripe. But in what was a close game for much of the contest, we did outstanding work at the line. And we needed every point. Kudos to our squad for capitalizing on the freebies.
- What's with the shooters? -- I know that these guys don't have much time to practice together, so some lack of crisp execution should be expected / forgiven. But I don't understand why they shoot so poorly. Some of it undoubtedly has to do with some players who have the ball more often than others cranking it up [Triche, Greene, etc.]. But on a squad that features Malichi Richardson, Andrew White, and Demetris Nichols, and Eric Devendorf -- we need to be running some plays to get those guys open looks. Too much one-on-one prevents that, which in turn also prevents players like White from getting into any sort of groove, because the ball never comes his way.
- We need more from Triche -- Triche sometimes gets a bad rap on our forum because of his inconsistency. Well, that was on full display yesterday. Had a nice first quarter, then was basically invisible for the middle two quarters, made some important plays in the fourth [including a gorgeous spin move for a layup], and then hit the game winning FTs to give Boeheim's Army the victory. I've come to terms with Triche never being a better perimeter shooter than what he is -- a 33% type of guy. I just wish that he could hit them more capably - because Greenberg was right: Triche is a guy with an NBA body, athleticism, and strength. He's got a decent skill set, but just can't shoot well enough. He's going to make a lot of money playing internationally, but is just a shade out of synch for what it takes to get to the NBA. And unfortunately, that's a big "gap" in his skill set. But I digress -- Triche got to the hole well, but we need to see him drive and set up his teammates with dishes more frequently. I'd love to see him assert himself, take control, and be the lead guard this team needs -- because it is sorely lacking.
- Rough outings for Nichols, White, and Richardson [to a lesser degree] -- Two years ago when we had that loaded TBT squad, I was really excited to see CJ Fair back in "orange." I figured that a guy like him with some versatility, who could defend "small ball" would thrive in this kind of tournament. Then, the games started and he didn't do much -- taking a back seat to other players [some of whom aren't as good, IMO] predominating the ball and shots. I saw a little bit of this yesterday, with some players like White and Richardson not being featured, to their exclusionary expense, while other guys cranked up shots. Ask yourself: who would you rather see the team setting up for a three point shot: Andrew White, or Donte Greene? And then ask yourself -- which of those two players comported themselves as if they had the Greene [pun intended] light? White did have that important offensive rebound / score late, and Richardson scored some points. But Richardson -- despite having played in the NBA for three seasons -- didn't seem to have improved his game, at least based upon what he showed. Please don't get me wrong -- I am thankful that he scored the way he did, got to the line, etc. But I feel like he is capable of much more, and yet... Nichols looks like he's getting long in the tooth. That would undoubtedly seem different if a few shots drop, but he was "off" yesterday, and the drives [when putting the ball on the floor is not his forte] didn't help.
- The enigma that is John Gillon -- I'm not sure that there is a bigger John Gillon fan on the board than me, but I fully acknowledge that he is wildly inconsistent. He can drop 30 literally any game, but can also have other performances where he doesn't do much [just like when he was at SU]. And when he doesn't, then his defensive liabilities become more pronounced. I think part of what holds him back is his lack of a lights out handle. Often times, small scoring guards are waterbugs, who dribble like the ball is attached to their hand on a string. Gillon isn't like that, and it holds back his playmaking. That said, he made a couple of nice passes yesterday, hit a few shots on drives, etc. but also drove a few times and got bodied, with no calls. We need the "good" Gillon to advance to the final four and beyond in this tournament.
- Saving the best for last -- Eric Freaking Devendorf. Still sporting the tats and talking trash, like some middle aged Keith Richards in basketball shorts. I know that he's worked as a S&C coach for part of his coaching career, but for him to be doing what he's doing after being away from competitive play for so long is nothing short of remarkable. His english off of the backboard conjures up Rod Strickland [who was the best I ever saw finishing off the window]. The left -- a thing of beauty. And he finished over a 7-3 guy right at the rim AT LEAST three times. For him to do it shooting something as efficient as 9-15 [or whatever, not looking it up, just going from memory] is amazing. Blackwell did a nice job managing his minutes, because he needs it at this age, but when he is out there he puts on a show. Yes, he is a minus-defender, but what an offensive player.
Ultimately, I don't think that this team is talented enough to win the entire tournament. But who knows? They are playing a team that was a underdog but upset the last opponent. Win one more, and they're in the Final Four. From there, anything can happen.
Can the squad put it together for three games?
Will a player like Greene, or White, or Richardon, or Devo, or Triche go off one game, and put the team on their backs?
Will the zone flummox some random opponent that is used to playing against M2M, as it so often does in the NCAA tournament?
Would be great, but ultimately that is secondary -- to me at least -- to just having some SU-related hoops to root for. I love TBT -- not because of the quality of play, but rather because it gives me a chance to see these guys in
ORANGE again, to see them represent Syracuse University and our program, and to give the fans a chance to help them relive their glory days. For some guys -- like Gillon, White, and Richardson, who were only here for one year -- this more deeply cements their bonds to the program, and gives the fans a chance to embrace them more / show them a little more love.
And at the end of the day -- in a world where sports stopped in March and haven't resumed outside of a few things [like NASCAR and golf] -- it was fun to have a "live" SU game, that was exciting, made me feel emotions, and ultimately -- to get the victory.
Win or lose, the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat -- TBT and Boeheim's Army couldn't have come along at a better time.
Let's Go Orange!!!
