SWC75
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No Upside/Downside for an exhibition game, just some general observations
THE GAME ITSELF
Our defense was impressive early. Cal State tried to penetrate and found themselves confronted with a taller player every time. We were very active on the perimeter as well. The players were moving their hands and feet well. At the 6:10 mark before the half, Cal State had only 8 points.
The problem is, we weren’t scoring much either. We were playing like it was Midnight Madness, each player deciding to drive to the basket on his own and getting tangled up in their defense. Cal State packed it in the paint and force SU players to throw up wild floaters. We couldn’t make them pay from outside Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine were 1 for 7 in the first half and Kris Joseph was 1 for 4. The offense bogged down and Quinton Watkins started to hit some threes for State and by halftime it was an unimpressive 29-22.
The second half we played more team ball and went on an early run to blow the lead out to 20+ and it was garbage time after that. JB used multiple defenses. We played well early in man to man. The press was beaten easily. We will, of course. wind up in the Boeheim zone but this team should play it well. Everybody is long and quick, even the guards and they played a very aggressive zone tonight, forcing 21 turnovers, making 11 steals and blocking a dozen shots. My major concern after the game is whether we’ve got enough outside shooting in the starting line-up. But that’s a concern seemingly every year and it’s the same guys we had last year so I guess it won’t be any worse than last year. But when we go 3 for 16 from the arc, the game’s going to be a struggle on the offensive end. Our best shooters are on the bench when the game starts.
CENTERS
I remember viewing some early U-Tube clips of Fab Melo when we recruited him. Not just the practice one where he’s making the foul shots, but some real game action. He seemed to have plenty of baby fat and appeared slow. Then I saw him in the McDonald’s All-American game and he was slimmed down and much quicker and more athletic. He was all over the court, running, dunking, grabbing rebounds and blocking shots. Then we saw the disaster of last year: out of shape, huffing and puffing after a few minutes, in pain form a injury, having fouls called on him every time he moved, watching the game rush by him and not knowing what’s going on. Tonight he looked like the guy we saw in the McDonald’s game. He played 18 minutes and never seemed winded. He ran up and down the court, scoring 12 points, blocking 2 shots, grabbing 8 rebounds. He made one of those jump shots we saw on U-Tube and was 2/3 from the line. His form looks good. The AO/RJ days at the line are over. We have a big man who can make them pay at the line. Just a totally different player from last year.
Baye Moussa Keita also played well,. In 17 minutes he had 9 rebounds, two blocks and scored twice. I was looking or one of our big men- Melo, Keita or Christmas to show us some back to the basket moves like the ones we got used to with AO and Rick. Unexpectedly, it was Keita who did this. He got the ball with his back to the basket and a defender on his back. He dribbled twice and moved past the guy. He missed the shot and CJ Fair got some oohs and Ahhs with his follow shot but I was impressed that Keita not only could make such a move but did so with no hesitation. A lot of times when players are primarily asked to play defense and rebound, they hesitate to make offensive moves, as if that’s somebody else’s job or they are afraid of getting yelled at. Keita looked like a guy who had been working on that move and fully intends to make it a part of his game. In the second half he had a beautiful turn-around hook shot over two defenders several feet from the basket. Melo and Keita struggled painfully through much of last year. It’s payback time.
FORWARDS
Christmas played aggressively, getting 6 rebounds and 3 blocks in 19 minutes. He scored twice from in close but showed no real shot or offensive moves. He’s strictly an off the boards guy right now. He played center briefly late in the game. He started and will contribute but we’ll see a lot of CJ at the power spot. Fair was only 2 for 6 but made a three pointer, had 6 rebounds and two blocks of his own. Kris Joseph was Kris Joseph and scored 11 points. James Southerland was mostly ineffectual. He needs to shoot his way into the line-up and neither of this treys were close.
GUARDS
Scoop Jardine was effective with 9 points and 7 assists to 2 turnovers. Brandon Triche had a rough 2 for 11 night, 0 for 3 from the arc. He’s our best shooting starter and the game will be harder for the team when he shoots like that. He did have one nice steal where he poked the ball away and reached under the player’s legs a couple of times before tapping the ball to himself. Dion Waiters had a couple of tomahawk dunks but was also 0 for 3 from outside. I liked a second half play where he had the point and Carter-Williams was acting as the shooting guard. Waiters directed Carter-Williams where he wanted him to be. I got the impression he liked being in charge. He’s more than just a “2” guard. Carter Williams looks almost like a point forward with his height and long arms. He was pressing a little too hard in this game and had a long overthrow of a lead pass. He stood in the backcourt, grimacing. He did have 6 points and 5 assists in 20 minutes. I liked Trevor Cooney a lot. He came in late in the first half and seconds later found himself open for a long shot. He kind of fumbled the ball for a second but got it up and in. While it was in the air, Waiters threw his arms up to signal a “three” and Matt Park commented that he must have seem Cooney hit plenty of threes in practice. He scored twice more, once on a good move through the crowded lane. He’ll be a good one. Mookie Jones actually fouled out in this game. Even more amazingly, he didn’t shoot a couple of times when he was open. I thought I’d never live to see the day….
THE GAME ITSELF
Our defense was impressive early. Cal State tried to penetrate and found themselves confronted with a taller player every time. We were very active on the perimeter as well. The players were moving their hands and feet well. At the 6:10 mark before the half, Cal State had only 8 points.
The problem is, we weren’t scoring much either. We were playing like it was Midnight Madness, each player deciding to drive to the basket on his own and getting tangled up in their defense. Cal State packed it in the paint and force SU players to throw up wild floaters. We couldn’t make them pay from outside Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine were 1 for 7 in the first half and Kris Joseph was 1 for 4. The offense bogged down and Quinton Watkins started to hit some threes for State and by halftime it was an unimpressive 29-22.
The second half we played more team ball and went on an early run to blow the lead out to 20+ and it was garbage time after that. JB used multiple defenses. We played well early in man to man. The press was beaten easily. We will, of course. wind up in the Boeheim zone but this team should play it well. Everybody is long and quick, even the guards and they played a very aggressive zone tonight, forcing 21 turnovers, making 11 steals and blocking a dozen shots. My major concern after the game is whether we’ve got enough outside shooting in the starting line-up. But that’s a concern seemingly every year and it’s the same guys we had last year so I guess it won’t be any worse than last year. But when we go 3 for 16 from the arc, the game’s going to be a struggle on the offensive end. Our best shooters are on the bench when the game starts.
CENTERS
I remember viewing some early U-Tube clips of Fab Melo when we recruited him. Not just the practice one where he’s making the foul shots, but some real game action. He seemed to have plenty of baby fat and appeared slow. Then I saw him in the McDonald’s All-American game and he was slimmed down and much quicker and more athletic. He was all over the court, running, dunking, grabbing rebounds and blocking shots. Then we saw the disaster of last year: out of shape, huffing and puffing after a few minutes, in pain form a injury, having fouls called on him every time he moved, watching the game rush by him and not knowing what’s going on. Tonight he looked like the guy we saw in the McDonald’s game. He played 18 minutes and never seemed winded. He ran up and down the court, scoring 12 points, blocking 2 shots, grabbing 8 rebounds. He made one of those jump shots we saw on U-Tube and was 2/3 from the line. His form looks good. The AO/RJ days at the line are over. We have a big man who can make them pay at the line. Just a totally different player from last year.
Baye Moussa Keita also played well,. In 17 minutes he had 9 rebounds, two blocks and scored twice. I was looking or one of our big men- Melo, Keita or Christmas to show us some back to the basket moves like the ones we got used to with AO and Rick. Unexpectedly, it was Keita who did this. He got the ball with his back to the basket and a defender on his back. He dribbled twice and moved past the guy. He missed the shot and CJ Fair got some oohs and Ahhs with his follow shot but I was impressed that Keita not only could make such a move but did so with no hesitation. A lot of times when players are primarily asked to play defense and rebound, they hesitate to make offensive moves, as if that’s somebody else’s job or they are afraid of getting yelled at. Keita looked like a guy who had been working on that move and fully intends to make it a part of his game. In the second half he had a beautiful turn-around hook shot over two defenders several feet from the basket. Melo and Keita struggled painfully through much of last year. It’s payback time.
FORWARDS
Christmas played aggressively, getting 6 rebounds and 3 blocks in 19 minutes. He scored twice from in close but showed no real shot or offensive moves. He’s strictly an off the boards guy right now. He played center briefly late in the game. He started and will contribute but we’ll see a lot of CJ at the power spot. Fair was only 2 for 6 but made a three pointer, had 6 rebounds and two blocks of his own. Kris Joseph was Kris Joseph and scored 11 points. James Southerland was mostly ineffectual. He needs to shoot his way into the line-up and neither of this treys were close.
GUARDS
Scoop Jardine was effective with 9 points and 7 assists to 2 turnovers. Brandon Triche had a rough 2 for 11 night, 0 for 3 from the arc. He’s our best shooting starter and the game will be harder for the team when he shoots like that. He did have one nice steal where he poked the ball away and reached under the player’s legs a couple of times before tapping the ball to himself. Dion Waiters had a couple of tomahawk dunks but was also 0 for 3 from outside. I liked a second half play where he had the point and Carter-Williams was acting as the shooting guard. Waiters directed Carter-Williams where he wanted him to be. I got the impression he liked being in charge. He’s more than just a “2” guard. Carter Williams looks almost like a point forward with his height and long arms. He was pressing a little too hard in this game and had a long overthrow of a lead pass. He stood in the backcourt, grimacing. He did have 6 points and 5 assists in 20 minutes. I liked Trevor Cooney a lot. He came in late in the first half and seconds later found himself open for a long shot. He kind of fumbled the ball for a second but got it up and in. While it was in the air, Waiters threw his arms up to signal a “three” and Matt Park commented that he must have seem Cooney hit plenty of threes in practice. He scored twice more, once on a good move through the crowded lane. He’ll be a good one. Mookie Jones actually fouled out in this game. Even more amazingly, he didn’t shoot a couple of times when he was open. I thought I’d never live to see the day….
