honestly, was it just a chemistry issue?

[MartyMcFly]

This will be a long rambling stream of consciousness post, but I need to vent, so I applaud anyone who reads the whole post...

I've been lurking ever since the loss and I still cant put my finger on what drove this team off the cliff. They went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows almost in a blink of an eye. something was off, and we may never know the details, but I can't just chalk it up to being fatally flawed offensively, I just can't. It doesn't add up to me. How can a team that scored 91 against Duke #1 go into the crapper so quickly? It may be one of those board mysteries that never gets answered like where did Mantonio and his positive mojo go?

But that aside, what upset me more was reading a quote from Grant after the game saying (paraphrasing) that the team didn't show up and didn't play with any intensity. I get this is probably him just being frustrated, but I think there is at least a bit of truth there. If that's the case I ask: Isn't the tourney what its all about? If you aren't going to show up or play your hardest, why bother? I know its a bunch of kids playing ball, and all that goes along with it, but I assume they have invested a lot of blood sweat and tears, along with the university, fans, alums too. Heck we all pour our hearts and souls into every game (that's what makes the season so fun and painful all at once), and its more than disheartening to hear this from our potential lottery pick that they were so cavalier in how they approached this game. All I ever have asked of the team is to play their butts off, with hustle and determination. If you lose giving your all there is no shame in that.

I'm shaking my head as I write this recalling Boeheim himself constantly repeating the mantra: the regular season and acc tourney don't mean anything its all about the ncaa's that's all anyone remembers. Well part of his job, I would assume is to motivate his guys to want to play their best, so that when the ncaa's are remembered we at least played to our seed level or went out giving our all.

To me the biggest difference between this year and other years was the inability to get transition buckets. when our offense would stagnate you could usually almost always count on a few easy scores to buoy us offensively. I can't remember a 'Cuse team so poor at the transition game. I long for the days of the high flying alley-oops and easy run outs. ahh well maybe next year.

This post wasn't meant to be an attack on players or coaches just my honest opinion on a very sad way to end the season. I applaud everyone that can watch the rest of the tourney with more than just a fleeting interest of seeing upsets. I know I usually just root for all underdogs when SU goes down, somehow it helps me get over the loss when other big name programs lose too (thanks Kansas!)

Well that's all I got, so I'll end on a positive note: Let's circle the wagons, reload and win our 2nd championship next year! Go 'Cuse! no other team I'd ever root for!

 

[Eagles20]

This will be a long rambling stream of consciousness post, but I need to vent, so I applaud anyone who reads the whole post...

I've been lurking ever since the loss and I still cant put my finger on what drove this team off the cliff. They went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows almost in a blink of an eye. something was off, and we may never know the details, but I can't just chalk it up to being fatally flawed offensively, I just can't. It doesn't add up to me. How can a team that scored 91 against Duke #1 go into the crapper so quickly? It may be one of those board mysteries that never gets answered like where did Mantonio and his positive mojo go?

But that aside, what upset me more was reading a quote from Grant after the game saying (paraphrasing) that the team didn't show up and didn't play with any intensity. I get this is probably him just being frustrated, but I think there is at least a bit of truth there. If that's the case I ask: Isn't the tourney what its all about? If you aren't going to show up or play your hardest, why bother? I know its a bunch of kids playing ball, and all that goes along with it, but I assume they have invested a lot of blood sweat and tears, along with the university, fans, alums too. Heck we all pour our hearts and souls into every game (that's what makes the season so fun and painful all at once), and its more than disheartening to hear this from our potential lottery pick that they were so cavalier in how they approached this game. All I ever have asked of the team is to play their butts off, with hustle and determination. If you lose giving your all there is no shame in that.

I'm shaking my head as I write this recalling Boeheim himself constantly repeating the mantra: the regular season and acc tourney don't mean anything its all about the ncaa's that's all anyone remembers. Well part of his job, I would assume is to motivate his guys to want to play their best, so that when the ncaa's are remembered we at least played to our seed level or went out giving our all.

To me the biggest difference between this year and other years was the inability to get transition buckets. when our offense would stagnate you could usually almost always count on a few easy scores to buoy us offensively. I can't remember a 'Cuse team so poor at the transition game. I long for the days of the high flying alley-oops and easy run outs. ahh well maybe next year.

This post wasn't meant to be an attack on players or coaches just my honest opinion on a very sad way to end the season. I applaud everyone that can watch the rest of the tourney with more than just a fleeting interest of seeing upsets. I know I usually just root for all underdogs when SU goes down, somehow it helps me get over the loss when other big name programs lose too (thanks Kansas!)

Well that's all I got, so I'll end on a positive note: Let's circle the wagons, reload and win our 2nd championship next year! Go 'Cuse! no other team I'd ever root for!

It's funny that you bring up intensity. I'm sitting here watching the UNC game and I can't help to think back to when cuse played them in January. Syracuse that game was all over the court hustling for every lose ball. They hit the glass hard and got so many offensive rebounds for second opportunities. I also remember the players seemed to be having a ton of fun and team chemistry was so high. At some point the fun stopped and the intensity calmed down.

 

[RF2044]

I don't think it was chemistry, so much as non-complimentary personnel--at least offensively. We haven't had a consistent low post player since Onuaku [Rick had a very good senior year--helluva senior year--but he wasn't the offensive weapon that Arinze was]. When you can't rely upon getting some easier inside scores, it is tough to grind out tough games.

And we haven't had "great" shooting since 2010 [we were anemic in 2011 from outside, streaky in 2012, challenged last year, and subpar this year]. This year in particular, we were even more limited in that regard than usual.

Also, we lacked bench productivity would be a massive understatement--especially given the luxury of bench scoring we've enjoyed in recent years.

Last, our defense never came together. We were better earlier in the year than we are now--and our perimeter defense--which was practically impregnable in last year's NCAA tournament--was a sieve too often down the stretch this year.

No inside scoring + poor outside shooting + lousy bench + defensive woes does not = a formula for success.

 

[AZOrange]

I don't think it was chemistry, so much as non-complimentary personnel--at least offensively. We haven't had a consistent low post player since Onuaku [Rick had a very good senior year--helluva senior year--but he wasn't the offensive weapon that Arinze was]. When you can't rely upon getting some easier inside scores, it is tough to grind out tough games.

And we haven't had "great" shooting since 2010. This year in particular, we were even more limited in that regard than usual.

Also, we lacked bench productivity would be a massive understatement--especially given the luxury of bench scoring we've enjoyed in recent years.

Last, our defense never came together. We were better earlier in the year than we are now--and our perimeter defense--which was practically impregnable in last year's NCAA tournament--was a sieve too often down the stretch this year.

No inside scoring + poor outside shooting + lousy bench + defensive woes does not = a formula for success.

Ding ding ding...we had great chemistry. We stopped making shots.

 

[GardenOrange]

Ding ding ding...we had great chemistry. We stopped making shots.

Its so simple.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Ding ding ding...we had great chemistry. We stopped making shots.

Because we didn't have good shooters.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I don't think it was chemistry, so much as non-complimentary personnel--at least offensively. We haven't had a consistent low post player since Onuaku [Rick had a very good senior year--helluva senior year--but he wasn't the offensive weapon that Arinze was]. When you can't rely upon getting some easier inside scores, it is tough to grind out tough games.

And we haven't had "great" shooting since 2010. This year in particular, we were even more limited in that regard than usual.

Also, we lacked bench productivity would be a massive understatement--especially given the luxury of bench scoring we've enjoyed in recent years.

Last, our defense never came together. We were better earlier in the year than we are now--and our perimeter defense--which was practically impregnable in last year's NCAA tournament--was a sieve too often down the stretch this year.

No inside scoring + poor outside shooting + lousy bench + defensive woes does not = a formula for success.

The irony is that G, off the bench, played very well last night.

 

[CorduroyG]

It's funny that you bring up intensity. I'm sitting here watching the UNC game and I can't help to think back to when cuse played them in January. Syracuse that game was all over the court hustling for every lose ball. They hit the glass hard and got so many offensive rebounds for second opportunities. I also remember the players seemed to be having a ton of fun and team chemistry was so high. At some point the fun stopped and the intensity calmed down.

Yup, that Carolina game was unbelievable. We were fighting for every rebound, diving for every loose ball, just playing balls to the wall. We didn't see that team the last month of the season.

The best word I can use to describe the team since the first duke game is sluggish. I thought they'd get their mojo back starting with the ACC tourney but it never happened.

 

[jdubs30]

Yup, that Carolina game was unbelievable. We were fighting for every rebound, diving for every loose ball, just playing balls to the wall. We didn't see that team the last month of the season.

The best word I can use to describe the team since the first duke game is sluggish. I thought they'd get their mojo back starting with the ACC tourney but it never happened.

When we lined up to play another team it started to become clear we were playing the name on the front of the jersey. Duke. North Carolina. Villanova. Baylor.

 

[SUintheVille]

It was not a chemistry issue, it was a physics issue. The trajectory of the ball was off too much and never fell in the basket.

 

[RF2044]

The irony is that G, off the bench, played very well last night.

Seriously--an unlikely hero who played terrific last night. We wouldn't have been within 10 without him. Hope it is a sign of things to come next year. We need him to be more of a scoring threat.

 

[orangefan13]

Grant plays with more intensity and maybe he gets stripped and charges once or twice yesterday, he wasn't beating his man in isolation and we weren't creating half court tranistion for him yet. Hes not good sealing off with his body yet.

Fair has been shaky one game hes 3 for 16 then next 7 for 15, cooney offense has been 0 against good teams the last month and a half.
We just aren't a good team. We had to run everything through ennis yesterday if he couldn't set up a awesome pass we couldn't score.

Its called consistancy. At this point teams want it bad its harder to get motion baskets. Got to have consistant players and leaders. When fair isn't hot, nobody to shoot a jumpshot under pressure.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Seriously--an unlikely hero who played terrific last night. We wouldn't have been within 10 without him. Hope it is a sign of things to come next year. We need him to be more of a scoring threat.

He will be a big contributor. I've liked his game all year, just trying to carve out his role. Unfortunately Fair, Ennis, and Cooney combined to shoot 12-41.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

I don't think it was chemistry. This team just wore down physically. Lack of bench and rotation contributed to that.

There were some injuries: DC2, BMK, Grant, Cooney's ankle. It's no coincidence that we started playing bad when we wore down physically and also started getting injured more frequently. Shots stop falling when you don't have your legs.

You look at a team like Michigan State that went through a series of injuries. Izzo was forced to develop a bench (he usually develops a bench anyway). Now they are healthy and peaking as a team. Hell, they lost to a horrible Gtown team two months ago but they took their lumps and improved.

We had injuries but JB never developed his bench. He played 6 guys through a stretch in late January to early February. The team hit a wall physically during that time period and never recovered.

 

[Hoov50]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this but Coleman being out for the season really hurt this team. If nothing else he would have played 10-12 minutes a game and allowed Grant to come off the bench as "instant offense" like Joseph, Waiters, etc... did in recent years. Granted this wouldn't have helped us shoot any better since we literally had a single decent shooter, who teams had no trouble countering when they realized no one else could make a shot, but Coleman may have made a difference in a few of our losses simply from the aspect of taking up a few minutes.

 

[Exit9]

The Duke game was a fluke! This team overachieved and was flawed offensively from the beginning! Love CJ but he's no #1. Yes he's the reason that we were able to be on the situation to beat Pitt but he's a 2. Trevor is a bench player and Tyler and J are to inconsistent offensively. We overachieved this year and it fooled everyone. It was s great ride! No one here thought we would be ranked #1 this year at the beginning of the season! Now if TE and JG come back next year it's a different story!

 

[Dave85]

I don't think it was chemistry, so much as non-complimentary personnel--at least offensively. No inside scoring + poor outside shooting + lousy bench + defensive woes does not = a formula for success.

I got nothing. One night the team shoots 60%. The next night they shoot 15%. Zero for 10 from 3-point range. I got nothing.

The only thing I can say is at least we did not go down in the first round like Duke.

 

[Dave85]

Grant plays with more intensity...

It's nice to back after being banned again. I thought Grant not having a confident outside jump shot really hurt his ability to drive to the basket. All his defenders backed off preventing him from driving without being harassed. It pretty much nullified his game. Without a strong outside jump shot I just don't see how Grant will be a successful NBA player. I think based on the last 8 games he would be crazy not to come back for another year to improve his game. I have no doubt he will get drafted. I just don't think he's going to get much PT in the NBA.

 

[Bayside44]

Last night it was a shooting issue.

 

[Ghost]

Yup, that Carolina game was unbelievable. We were fighting for every rebound, diving for every loose ball, just playing balls to the wall. We didn't see that team the last month of the season.

The best word I can use to describe the team since the first duke game is sluggish. I thought they'd get their mojo back starting with the ACC tourney but it never happened.

Yeah, whatever mojo this team had died after the first Duke game. There were glimpses after that, but we just never looked like the same team.

We were always slow paced and boring as spit to watch, but CJ's shot went farther South than I thought possible, Cooney did nothing, no breakaway run-outs off of turnovers (remember the 3 dunks at BC), etc...to be honest Grant & Rak (Ennis to a slightly lesser extent) were the only ones that seemed to resemble themselves from that point (at least somewhat consistently) on.

Fair and Cooney dropped off the map.

It's hard to blame anything on tired legs, but they all came out and played HORRIBLY (other than Cooney) immediately after the Duke game. Then that became who we were. Nobody is ever happy hearing it, but utilizing the bench may have helped.

 

[AlaskaSU]

This will be a long rambling stream of consciousness post, but I need to vent, so I applaud anyone who reads the whole post...

I've been lurking ever since the loss and I still cant put my finger on what drove this team off the cliff. They went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows almost in a blink of an eye. something was off, and we may never know the details, but I can't just chalk it up to being fatally flawed offensively, I just can't. It doesn't add up to me. How can a team that scored 91 against Duke #1 go into the crapper so quickly? It may be one of those board mysteries that never gets answered like where did Mantonio and his positive mojo go?

But that aside, what upset me more was reading a quote from Grant after the game saying (paraphrasing) that the team didn't show up and didn't play with any intensity. I get this is probably him just being frustrated, but I think there is at least a bit of truth there. If that's the case I ask: Isn't the tourney what its all about? If you aren't going to show up or play your hardest, why bother? I know its a bunch of kids playing ball, and all that goes along with it, but I assume they have invested a lot of blood sweat and tears, along with the university, fans, alums too. Heck we all pour our hearts and souls into every game (that's what makes the season so fun and painful all at once), and its more than disheartening to hear this from our potential lottery pick that they were so cavalier in how they approached this game. All I ever have asked of the team is to play their butts off, with hustle and determination. If you lose giving your all there is no shame in that.

I'm shaking my head as I write this recalling Boeheim himself constantly repeating the mantra: the regular season and acc tourney don't mean anything its all about the ncaa's that's all anyone remembers. Well part of his job, I would assume is to motivate his guys to want to play their best, so that when the ncaa's are remembered we at least played to our seed level or went out giving our all.

To me the biggest difference between this year and other years was the inability to get transition buckets. when our offense would stagnate you could usually almost always count on a few easy scores to buoy us offensively. I can't remember a 'Cuse team so poor at the transition game. I long for the days of the high flying alley-oops and easy run outs. ahh well maybe next year.

This post wasn't meant to be an attack on players or coaches just my honest opinion on a very sad way to end the season. I applaud everyone that can watch the rest of the tourney with more than just a fleeting interest of seeing upsets. I know I usually just root for all underdogs when SU goes down, somehow it helps me get over the loss when other big name programs lose too (thanks Kansas!)

Well that's all I got, so I'll end on a positive note: Let's circle the wagons, reload and win our 2nd championship next year! Go 'Cuse! no other team I'd ever root for!

Its hard to win playing 2 against 5. Cooney was bad Cooney. Grant stopped playing offense after his pocket was picked on his go-to spin move. He realized that Dayton was prepped for his spin but he had nothing else in his tool bag except a short jumper. XMAS was his usual reserved self; not demanding the ball, not having the ability to drive - no quick first step that a center needs. Our bench, Silent G and Keita, were adequate but we had no spark plug in reserve, no Waiters. Patterson and BJ would not have made any difference. Losing DJC hurt as he was our best offensive center.

 

[Dave85]

Last night it was a shooting issue.

Every other night was a shooting issue. For the last 8 games the team would shoot 60% and then shoot 10%. The defense was great holding teams under 50 points. But how can the team not score 60 points in a game? I am not sure BJ or Paterson is the answer. We need a couple of 5-star shooting guards.

Aside from the worst first half shooting performance in the last 30 years (only 18 points), how about the referee call at the end. The Dayton guys was hopping on one foot three times. How can that NOT be a travel! Are you kidding me!!! And how about the guy calling timeout as he's falling out of bounds. Unbelievable that you have two blatantly bad calls on same sequence. But even if the referee did make the call. The very next play the Orange would have dinked the rim anyway.

 

[Bayside44]

Every other night was a shooting issue. For the last 8 games the team would shoot 60% and then shoot 10%. The defense was great holding teams under 50 points. But how can the team not score 60 points in a game? I am not sure BJ or Paterson is the answer. We need a couple of 5-star shooting guards.

Aside from the worst first half shooting performance in the last 30 years (only 18 points), how about the referee call at the end. The Dayton guys was hopping on one foot three times. How can that NOT be a travel! Are you kidding me!!! And how about the guy calling timeout as he's falling out of bounds. Unbelievable that you have two blatantly bad calls on same sequence. But even if the referee did make the call. The very next play the Orange would have dinked the rim anyway.

We had two clean shots to win. That shotmap was worse than the 8th grade girls I coached.

 

[SU2NASA]

I'm still wondering who knocked up who's girlfriend.

 

[Dave85]

We had two clean shots to win. That shotmap was worse than the 8th grade girls I coached.

I have to agree. Unbelievable shooting. How can a team go 25-0 best start in school history to 18 points in the first half the lowest point total by an Orange team in 30 years. I bleed Orange but holy moly that's a huge swing from up on high!!!!