Can we find a way to win 3 out of next 5?

[RF2044]

Nothing is going to be easy with this team, but at 14-6, an NCAA berth isn't outside of the realm of possibility.

But only IF we can find a way to get to 9 wins in conference play. After losing four consecutive games, we bounced back and are positioned well. We have a couple of games that are winnable coming up. Need to find a way to win at least 3 of them, IMO.

Doable, for sure. But will we get it done?

 

[Cusefan0307]

I certainly hope so considering we will be favorites in 3 of those games. I don’t want to get greedy, but I think we can beat UVA at home. We should win 4 out of the next 6 minimum. Sucks we have to go to Louisville this year because we are evenly matched this year.

 

[longislandcuse]

Pitt/GT need to be wins. If that happens, I think we may turn the corner.

I'll be at the GT game. Last time we played there, the atmosphere was electric. Really looking forward to it...especially if we can play anywhere close to the way we did tonight.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Nothing is going to be easy with this team, but at 14-6, an NCAA berth isn't outside of the realm of possibility.

But only IF we can find a way to get to 9 wins in conference play. After losing four consecutive games, we bounced back and are positioned well. We have a couple of games that are winnable coming up. Need to find a way to win at least 3 of them, IMO.

Doable, for sure. But will we get it done?

I was very impressed with the defensive tenacity by Cuse tonight. This could have easily been a game we sat back and watch them jack up 3's all night. In fact, that's how it started out and we were down I believe 14-7. Usually you haven't recently seen Cuse get jacked up against the BC's of the world but the guys were really into it and really wanted the crowd into it.

 

[Briancuse]

We have to get the next 2 no question about it

 

[nycfan]

Not only can we, but I also think we can win 4 of our next 6.

 

[NorSyr66]

....next two, 3 out of the next 5, 4 out of the next 6....lot of numbers here but let's stay with the coach's style. Win the next one!!

 

[Cusefan0307]

We will be about 10 point dogs at Duke when we go to Cameron, but we should have a legit shot in every other game the rest of the way according to KenPom. I don’t want to get greedy, but we are better this year on a possession per possession basis than we were last year.

 

[pearl31]

Don't see us winning at Ga.Tech.
But I do see us winning 4 of the next 6.

 

[blust2i3d4]

...next two, 3 out of the next 5, 4 out of the next 6...lot of numbers here but let's stay with the coach's style. Win the next one!!

Every thing needs to get just right to win the next two, 3 out of the next 5, 4 out of the next 6. The odds is not good for all three to come true, to be honest.

 

[jncuse]

Nothing is going to be easy with this team, but at 14-6, an NCAA berth isn't outside of the realm of possibility.

But only IF we can find a way to get to 9 wins in conference play. After losing four consecutive games, we bounced back and are positioned well. We have a couple of games that are winnable coming up. Need to find a way to win at least 3 of them, IMO.

Doable, for sure. But will we get it done?

There is a decent chance that 8-10 gets it done. If we simply look at win probabilities in every remaining game, we finish 8-10 with the following approximate resume. Yes 10-8 did not get it done last year (we were the first team out), but remember how big a hole we created out of conference. Those losses to St. John's have been killers.

Tools are out there to stop us from locking into absolutes. I am not saying 8 gets it done for sure as mix matters, but I would certainly not say something like only 9 would get it done either

EDIT - That being said I would certainly welcome 9 on Selection Sunday.

 

[pearl31]

thank you, jn - people get these narratives in their heads: "we have to win at GaTech or we have no chance" "we have to get to 9-9 or we have no chance"

 

[jncuse]

It's way too early to lock into an absolute, IMO. And over the years has always tended to overshoot what we needed to do at this point of the season.

In the last 3 years there was only one time when the board generally underestimate what needed to be done. And that is after we beat Duke late last year. But it was a good NCAA tourney week for the bubble and that hurt us.

 

[billsin01]

Nothing is going to be easy with this team, but at 14-6, an NCAA berth isn't outside of the realm of possibility.

But only IF we can find a way to get to 9 wins in conference play. After losing four consecutive games, we bounced back and are positioned well. We have a couple of games that are winnable coming up. Need to find a way to win at least 3 of them, IMO.

Doable, for sure. But will we get it done?

It's tough -- you always have what-ifs in a college hoops season b/c every team finds themselves in tight spots from time to time. But, man it would be nice to have gotten that Wake game or the FSU game. Even one of those (or the Bona game) and you're actually looking at a pretty solid resume to this point.

As to winning 3 of 5, I think it comes down to our ability to generate points late. We'll play well enough defensively to be in most of our remaining games but I think it's still a question of making shots. We've had a tough time doing that since the preseason.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Gonna be tough. Syracuse made some jumpers today. Literally the whole offense was ISO today. Like seriously. Boston College isn’t very good defensively but Syracuse made some shots. If they are going to play all ISO they will need to keep hitting shots. Will be tough against UL and others.

 

[SWC75]

Outscore them. it might work.

Why do you want to only win three of the next five?

 

[RF2044]

thank you, jn - people get these narratives in their heads: "we have to win at GaTech or we have no chance" "we have to get to 9-9 or we have no chance"

It's way too early to lock into an absolute, IMO. And over the years has always tended to overshoot what we needed to do at this point of the season.

In the last 3 years there was only one time when the board generally underestimate what needed to be done. And that is after we beat Duke late last year. But it was a good NCAA tourney week for the bubble and that hurt us.

Instead of "locking into absolutes," it is looking at our preseason record, and then trying to ascertain what we will need to do in the conference portion of the schedule to place our heads above water on selection sunday. OF COURSE who you beat matters, and where. I just don't think 8 wins and crossing our fingers is going to get it done.

Last year, we didn't get selected because we performed worse in the nonconferenceportion of the schedule than just about any other year under JB -- so despite having a respectable conference record with several wins over highly rated teams [Duke, UVa, and FSU were all top 10 teams when we beat them], we couldn't overcome the poor start or the lack of quality road wins. And despite the horrific non-conference performance, we still came within an eyelash of making the tournament.

This year's team had a decent nonconference performance. Pointing to 9 wins is just projecting what it will take to get us on the proper side of the line of demarcation. If you want to say that the number is 8 vs. 9, go for it. Although I happen to disagree, it really isn't worth splitting hairs over via statistical analysis, IMO -- we need to just keep winning. And when we were 1-4 in conference play a week ago, getting to 9 conference wins didn't seem likely. Would I prefer to win more, sure. But let's focus on what's going to get into the NCAA tournament first, and then worry about seeding second.

If we only win 8, I sure as heck won't feel comfortable watching the selection show.

 

[RF2044]

Outscore them. it might work.

Why do you want to only win three of the next five?

Have your sock puppet tell you to work on your reading comprehension.

 

[JeremyCuse]

It's tough -- you always have what-ifs in a college hoops season b/c every team finds themselves in tight spots from time to time. But, man it would be nice to have gotten that Wake game or the FSU game. Even one of those (or the Bona game) and you're actually looking at a pretty solid resume to this point.

As to winning 3 of 5, I think it comes down to our ability to generate points late. We'll play well enough defensively to be in most of our remaining games but I think it's still a question of making shots. We've had a tough time doing that since the preseason.

The game that will keep SU out of the tourney if they miss it will be the ND loss. SU had absolutely no business losing that game, NONE. The Wake game they hit shots down the stretch and while we should have won it we didn't completely blow it like we did that ND game. That and the Bonnies game will haunt this team.

 

[SWC75]

Have your sock puppet tell you to work on your reading comprehension.

He reminds me to retain my sense of humor so I can take a joke.

 

[SUFan44]

I think we do win 3 of the next 5.

At Pitt, at GT & Wake at home.

I think UVa at home is very winnable -- we played them tough at their place.

At Louisville is probably a 30-70 proposition, but I don't think they're the same team they were the last few years. Also, how will the new coach react to the zone?

Will be interesting. I think the practice time and off time helped this team a lot. Stinks Moyer sprained his ankle, but hopefully it's just a minor thing. Depth is a huge concern moving forward.

 

[OttoMets]

Gonna be tough. Syracuse made some jumpers today. Literally the whole offense was ISO today. Like seriously. Boston College isn’t very good defensively but Syracuse made some shots. If they are going to play all ISO they will need to keep hitting shots. Will be tough against UL and others.

Friendly rims last night, too - seemed like we had half a dozen shots that bounced high and dropped or rattled in. Wish we could have saved a few of those points for a close game...reminded me of one of those 13-1 baseball games where we keep scoring in the later innings.

 

[Knicks411]

We will be about 10 point dogs at Duke when we go to Cameron, but we should have a legit shot in every other game the rest of the way according to KenPom. I don’t want to get greedy, but we are better this year on a possession per possession basis than we were last year.

Through the first 7 games of ACC play, we have a net rating of +3.9. (so, we're outscoring teams by 3.9 per 100 possessions). Last year, in ACC play, we were +1.1. If you just look at conference play, we're actually sixth in the league in net rating. (Pitt is -28.5 per 100, my god) This isn't a 1:1 comparison, we've probably had an easier than average schedule, but still. It's something.

I think the Ga tech game will be tough. But really one we need to pull off. I think we'll have a chance to beat UVA at home, but would still pencil that in as a loss right now.

We have 5 home games remaining; Virginia, NC State, Wake, UNC, and Clemson. Can we get 4 there? If we win the next 2 on the road, and 4 of the 5 at home, that's 9 ACC wins right there

 

[RF2044]

I think we do win 3 of the next 5.

At Pitt, at GT & Wake at home.

I think UVa at home is very winnable -- we played them tough at their place.

At Louisville is probably a 30-70 proposition, but I don't think they're the same team they were the last few years. Also, how will the new coach react to the zone?

Will be interesting. I think the practice time and off time helped this team a lot. Stinks Moyer sprained his ankle, but hopefully it's just a minor thing. Depth is a huge concern moving forward.

Re: Depth -- it is CRAZY to think that we are down to Sidibe [who is far from 100%] and HW at this point, if Moyer can't go. Yikes.

HW almost has to get minutes, if for no other reason than to slide Battle to 3, so that they can steal some downtime for Dolezaj / Brissett. We're really scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of depth, for the second straight year.

 

[orangecuse]

thank you, jn - people get these narratives in their heads: "we have to win at GaTech or we have no chance" "we have to get to 9-9 or we have no chance"

I don't think it's necessarily narratives per se, but more of being in the moment and seeing how that is a more "winnable" type game then say at Duke, at UL, etc. Therefore, counting/projecting those future games as losses so that it's not foreseen anymore to realistically/probable to ever get to that minimal threshold of say 9-9.