Digger says Southerland will take Fab's spot

[Noexcuse]

I guess enough absurd things have been said about the Cooney redshirt, that sarcasm is hard to detect.

Actually though, no team would have prepared for him . . . . . nah, j/k

 

[bpo57]

That'd be an interesting choice by JB.

Is he drinking again at lunchtime? He's got to stop doing that. 10 fouls with Keita and Christmas, no other option in my mind. I like the offense JS provides but he doesn't rebound and defend well as a forward. How the heck is he going to man the middle?

 

[pearl31]

Well, if nothing else the minutes and substitution patterns ought to be quite interesting now

 

[Nicknack]

Call me crazy, but I would almost go with Xmas at Center and start James at the 4. James seems to protect the rim better (a little like Wes in that respect), and quicker altogether on defense imo than CJ. He may not be the same rebounder - but you gotta give up something.

I don't know, tough call on what to do. We already jinxed the lineup by starting CJ, maybe we get some mojo back by having him start off on the bench. lol

In theory or on paper, that might look good but it really hurt my eyes to see him (x-mas) shoved around in the Cinci game basically at will when it got down low. I also remember the ND game very well (actually that's not true - I was drinking heavily to deal with the pain); however, I do remember just being absolutely over-powered down low. I don't recall their big guy, but he had a field day that game.

I'll tell ya', this one hurts badly. However, if we get an all out TEAM effort every game we play where no one disappears or takes the night off with crap play, who knows... anything is possible.

 

[pfister1]

First game? Sure, we're playing against little guys. I'd expect CJ in the middle and James at the 4 but we definitely could go small in the first game. After that? Doubt it...

Can't play the first game differently than we'll need to play the rest. It might be our only chance to get Rak and Baye used to having different roles.

 

[Noexcuse]

In theory or on paper, that might look good but it really hurt my eyes to see him (x-mas) shoved around in the Cinci game basically at will when it got down low. I also remember the ND game very well (actually that's not true - I was drinking heavily to deal with the pain); however, I do remember just being absolutely over-powered down low. I don't recall their big guy, but he had a field day that game.

I'll tell ya', this one hurts badly. However, if we get an all out TEAM effort every game we play where no one disappears or takes the night off with crap play, who knows... anything is possible.

About the best thing that can be said is that the team gets to regroup against a team they SHOULD be able to beat. The Cincy game after the Notre Dame loss was one of the best games they played the last half of the season and Xmas was a big part of that. Maybe history repeats itself.

 

[bpo57]

Can't play the first game differently than we'll need to play the rest. It might be our only chance to get Rak and Baye used to having different roles.

Definitely agree with that. A front line of JS, KS and CJ would get beaten up by the good teams. Every one has to pick up their games. It can be done. And everyone has to rebound.

 

[Nicknack]

About the best thing that can be said is that the team gets to regroup against a team they SHOULD be able to beat. The Cincy game after the Notre Dame loss was one of the best games they played the last half of the season and Xmas was a big part of that. Maybe history repeats itself.

I was referring to the most recent Cincy game (in the BE tourney) in which he was well over-powered when the ball got down low. Now... he didn't play much that game as I recall, but that's probably why among other reasons relating to inconsistency.

 

[pearl31]

I was referring to the most recent Cincy game (in the BE tourney) in which he was well over-powered when the ball got down low. Now... he didn't play much that game as I recall, but that's probably why among other reasons relating to inconsistency.

I'm pretty sure JB yanked him after the 2nd time down in which Yancy pushed him around, and he never went back in.

 

[dollarbill44]

What gives you this impression? There's probably 8 or 9 centers in our region who are better than Rak and BMK right now.

Most of the teams in our region don't even have true centers listed on their rosters. A handful of them have very good low-post players, but they play man to man on defense and don't have a true center on offense.

Two of the teams in our region we already beat without Melo (Cincy and WVU). Kilicli isn't better than what we have and Gates is a PF.

Teams that have an edge over us at C: Ezeli from Vandy is solid, Sacre from Gonzaga is solid, Henriquez from KSU is a hybrid. I would give those teams the edge over us at C.

Pushes are Wisconsin, Texas, OSU (Sully is a PF).

We are better at center than all of the others.

I haven't had a chance to look at the centers from the other regions to compare.

I'm not saying losing Melo isn't big, but I think we can hold our own against most of the teams in the tourney without him.

 

[RoysRunts]

Take that redshirt off Cooney, and lets go with a four guard lineup.

Only if they press end to end for 40 minutes

 

[RoysRunts]

Most of the teams in our region don't even have true centers listed on their rosters. A handful of them have very good low-post players, but they play man to man on defense and don't have a true center on offense.

Two of the teams in our region we already beat without Melo (Cincy and WVU). Kilicli isn't better than what we have and Gates is a PF.

Teams that have an edge over us at C: Ezeli from Vandy is solid, Sacre from Gonzaga is solid, Henriquez from KSU is a hybrid. I would give those teams the edge over us at C.

Pushes are Wisconsin, Texas, OSU (Sully is a PF).

We are better at center than all of the others.

I haven't had a chance to look at the centers from the other regions to compare.

I'm not saying losing Melo isn't big, but I think we can hold our own against most of the teams in the tourney without him.

They might not have true centers but they have true Power Forwards

 

[Nicknack]

I'm pretty sure JB yanked him after the 2nd time down in which Yancy pushed him around, and he never went back in.

I think you are exactly right. It was like me posting up against my three year-old son - it was absolutely no match that would have been exposed just about every time down the court the way the game was being played. Give Yancy credit though, he was playing very well. I attribute this not to just size (or lack thereof) but heart and hunger. He shouldn't get pushed around that much, but hell, what do I know.

 

[Ghost]

I think you are exactly right. It was like me posting up against my three year-old son - it was absolutely no match that would have been exposed just about every time down the court the way the game was being played. Give Yancy credit though, he was playing very well. I attribute this not to just size (or lack thereof) but heart and hunger. He shouldn't get pushed around that much, but hell, what do I know.

I only remember the one trip where Yancy got the ball on Rak, but I'm probably mistaken. Anyway, I'd have to rewatch, but it looked to me like Rak gave way on his own prior to a bump - not sure why, sometimes they do this to get the guy trying to lead with the posterior off-balance - and then they both went up and Yancy shot over him. Who knows, like I said, I'd have to rewatch.

He held his own against Drummond, he can't be that weak. Is he going to be able to hold his ground like Fab, nope, but I gotta hope he's more of the Rak we saw against UConn and that first Cincy game than the one we saw against ND or the second Cincy game - or we're toast.

I'm trying to stay positive.....lol