Del St Postgame

[Orangezoo]

Houston has looked anything but dominant. They also got smoked in an exhibition game.

For the first time in their recent dominant run they don’t have a good facilitator and don’t have a go to option either. Plenty of talent but this team is much more beatable than the past few versions. Great opportunity with our new found commitment to defense and running.

 

[pearl31]

For the first time in their recent dominant run they don’t have a good facilitator and don’t have a go to option either. Plenty of talent but this team is much more beatable than the past few versions. Great opportunity with our new found commitment to defense and running.

yeah... at best tho it'll be an ugly halfcourt grinder against them, not sure that's a great scenario for our guys, but we'll just have to see

 

[phil77]

I’m in the same boat, after the exhibitions I was on the fire red train, now I’m on the “might we be back” train. Although I won’t call for a Kansas to be a “tournament or bust” decider considering their showing against UNC, so the Houston game and the third game will be huge

For me it isn't about wins or losses versus Kansas, Houston, and Tennesse it is how we play that matters to me. How does our offense look when we don't have the best athletes on the floor? How does our defense look when we dont have the best athletes on the floor? When we get behind will our effort change? Freeman still aggressive going inside when he isn't the biggest player on the floor? Do we have game plans, and look like we have things we want to accomplish? Double the hot guy? Take away their best player? Attack their weakness on defense etc...

 

[IthacaMatt]

Jae Crowder is 6’6”.

Kyle must have been swimming in really cold water to have that sorta significant shrinkage.

Crowder was 6-7 when he was younger - same as Kyle. He's 35 years old now, so he shrunk an inch. Even now, it's only an inch difference.

You don't think Kyle is 6-9, do you? Do you also realize that Crowder became a guy who could defend NBA 4 men. That's why he's still in the league.

Kyle jumps higher, but he's not really any bigger. It's not a knock. Dennis Rodman wasn't very big, either.

 

[IthacaMatt]

For me it isn't about wins or losses versus Kansas, Houston, and Tennesse it is how we play that matters to me. How does our offense look when we don't have the best athletes on the floor? How does our defense look when we dont have the best athletes on the floor? When we get behind will our effort change? Freeman still aggressive going inside when he isn't the biggest player on the floor? Do we have game plans, and look like we have things we want to accomplish? Double the hot guy? Take away their best player? Attack their weakness on defense etc...

I think we need to win at least 1, Phil, if we want to make the tournament.
Plus, 3 losses would be really deflating to these guys.

 

[IthacaMatt]

For the first time in their recent dominant run they don’t have a good facilitator and don’t have a go to option either. Plenty of talent but this team is much more beatable than the past few versions. Great opportunity with our new found commitment to defense and running.

Kansas, too. Imagine if we stole those 2 games. We might be on the verge of being ranked again. Big trip coming up.

 

[Starman]

Kansas, too. Imagine if we stole those 2 games. We might be on the verge of being ranked again. Big trip coming up.

 

[Orangezoo]

Kansas, too. Imagine if we stole those 2 games. We might be on the verge of being ranked again. Big trip coming up.

If we win those two games we will be ranked in the top 15.

 

[Niastri]

yeah... at best tho it'll be an ugly halfcourt grinder against them, not sure that's a great scenario for our guys, but we'll just have to see

With George we have a guy who can move the defense around and make things happen. We have the guys who can catch alley oops to get over and behind the pressure defense, and we have Freeman, who is starting to look like he might actually achieve my dreams of him becoming a First Team All American.

We have the tools to beat their physical pressure defense, if things go well. We could win a 65-62 type game.

That's the problem with crushing cupcakes, it is hard not to get a little emotional helium.

 

[Starman]

With George we have a guy who can move the defense around and make things happen. We have the guys who can catch alley oops to get over and behind the pressure defense, and we have Freeman, who is starting to look like he might actually achieve my dreams of him becoming a First Team All American.

We have the tools to beat their physical pressure defense, if things go well. We could win a 65-62 type game.

That's the problem with crushing cupcakes, it is hard not to get a little emotional helium.

They better start making their freethrows if they want to pull out close games like that.

 

[RedtheGOB]

I think we need to win at least 1, Phil, if we want to make the tournament.
Plus, 3 losses would be really deflating to these guys.

Deflating yes but tourney decider no. Depending on that 4th game which could also be a Q1, it's not a show stopper for the tourney. Obviously if we put up 4, 20 point blowouts will be different though.

Purdue seems like a good example last year and prob in the spirit of where we want to get back to. 16 in the Net and a 4 seed. 3-10 in Q1 games on the road. Even St Johns a 2 seed was 6-5 in Q1 and didn't win a Q1 noncon game last year.

There's alot of paths to the tourney especially if the ACC is looking better which they are so far.

 

[Niastri]

Deflating yes but tourney decider no. Depending on that 4th game which could also be a Q1, it's not a show stopper for the tourney. Obviously if we put up 4, 20 point blowouts will be different though.

Purdue seems like a good example last year and prob in the spirit of where we want to get back to. 16 in the Net and a 4 seed. 3-10 in Q1 games on the road. Even St Johns a 2 seed was 6-5 in Q1 and didn't win a Q1 noncon game last year.

There's alot of paths to the tourney especially if the ACC is looking better which they are so far.

Those might be good comps, but it is highly unlikely we'll have that many Q1 road games playing in the ACC. A lot will depend on the continued performance in nonconference games.