How do you beat this team?

[twinight]

I certainly don't think this team is unbeatable, but they've won a lot of games playing not-great basketball.

I wrote in another thread yesterday that if I was an opposing coach I wouldn't watch their recent games and think, "They look vulnerable!" I would watch them and think, "Oh sh--, this team wins against good teams even when they're playing poorly."

So how would you gameplan against SU?

And if your answer is: "Slow down the game. Play tough defense. Outrebound them." Realize that that strategy is now about 0 for 15. And yes, I realize there are games we could have lost, but we didn't. Maybe that actually is the best way to beat us. But if the best way to beat us is currently 0-15 that's actually pretty good news.

So far the only proven strategy is to have our starting center flipping through flashcards and making dioramas instead of on the basketball court. But even that strategy is only 1 for 3.

I wouldn't be surprised if some computer simulation showed that you had a better chance winning against us if you kept the tempo up. Maybe if USF hadn't decided to hold onto the ball for 30 seconds before shooting they would have been up 35-10 after 10 minutes, rather than 20-7 or whatever it was. I don't know.

 

[All4SU]

-Take care of the basketball by not turning it over
-Make shots
-Dictate tempo (Note; I'm not a believer that you HAVE to slow it down. But you have to mix it up, run when you can, and slow it down a lot.

 

[EastCoast2]

Take it right at Fab. Even if he gets early blocks. Go right at him. Get him 2 quick fouls. then 3. Make him sit the bench. Then have a field day vs. Keita down low

 

[newmexicuse]

IMHO, it will take three things - one of which nobody has yet to do against us:

1. PROTECT the ball - if somebody can be even or better than us on TOs it will spell trouble. Nobody has been successful against us in doing that so far. Part of it is our pressure D and part of it is that most teams only have one or two guys who can really handle. On the other end of the court, so far, nobody has had a good enough on D to pressure our guys to turn the ball over w regularity. Scoop, in particlar, can really control the ball.

2. Out-rebound us - this is an achilles heel for us & it seems most foes can accomplish this. However, it has not resulted in more possessions for them (see above) to date.

3. Out-shoot us - this probably happens as often as not, but would be part of the equation in a given game.

Bottom line - items 2 & 3 happen w regularity against us. Item 1 relates to # of possessions, and any foe that can take away our advantage in that area will have at least a 50 - 50 chance to achieve one or both of the secondary items and come away w a W.

 

[CorduroyG]

so far the only team that beat us was hot from 3. so my gameplan would be "get hot from 3"

 

[strumpfasaurus]

End up with more points then us at the end of the game.

 

[jordoo]

Get us on the road, run the shot clock under 5 on every possession, hit 3's with nottime on the clock over and over again, outrebound us, have the refs call a game that is wildly in your favor and hope like hell Fab Melo is ineligable.

We would still be undeafeated and ranked noumber 1 if Fab had played every game.

 

[Upstate]

It's so annoying that the BE style of play against Syracuse has been to use 30 seconds on the shot clock and drive for a foul or kick for a 3. It really does make SU look bad, when they aren't as bad as this style of play makes them look. When SU is off to the ACC, there is no defense and there's actually an up and down flow to the game, which will benefit this team greatly.

 

[CorduroyG]

Get us on the road, run the shot clock under 5 on every possession, hit 3's with nottime on the clock over and over again, outrebound us, have the refs call a game that is wildly in your favor and hope like hell Fab Melo is ineligable.

We would still be undeafeated and ranked noumber 1 if Fab had played every game.

ohhhh i see what you did there.

 

[Orangemen]

Get us on the road, run the shot clock under 5 on every possession, hit 3's with nottime on the clock over and over again, outrebound us, have the refs call a game that is wildly in your favor and hope like hell Fab Melo is ineligable.

We would still be undeafeated and ranked noumber 1 if Fab had played every game.

Agreed.

Mainly, distract Fab Melo for the majority of a semester so he falls behind on course work.

It's call the Notre Dame method.

 

[CusefanATL]

I certainly don't think this team is unbeatable, but they've won a lot of games playing not-great basketball.

I wrote in another thread yesterday that if I was an opposing coach I wouldn't watch their recent games and think, "They look vulnerable!" I would watch them and think, "Oh sh--, this team wins against good teams even when they're playing poorly."

So how would you gameplan against SU?

And if your answer is: "Slow down the game. Play tough defense. Outrebound them." Realize that that strategy is now about 0 for 15. And yes, I realize there are games we could have lost, but we didn't. Maybe that actually is the best way to beat us. But if the best way to beat us is currently 0-15 that's actually pretty good news.

So far the only proven strategy is to have our starting center flipping through flashcards and making dioramas instead of on the basketball court. But even that strategy is only 1 for 3.

I wouldn't be surprised if some computer simulation showed that you had a better chance winning against us if you kept the tempo up. Maybe if USF hadn't decided to hold onto the ball for 30 seconds before shooting they would have been up 35-10 after 10 minutes, rather than 20-7 or whatever it was. I don't know.

you hit a relatively open 3 if you are wvu
dont throw the ball to dion waiters if you are peyton silva

 

[HoustonCuse]

Tis true - for all the gnashing of teeth about this team there are some insanely positive signs here:

1. We do not rely on the 3 point shot to win.
2. We do not rely on good shooting, period, to win.
3. We do not rely on good rebounding to win.
4. We do not particularly rely on getting to the FT line to win.

Realistically that means that we don't rely on any of the "random" factors in a game in order to win. That is good news in a single game out scenario like the tourney. There are many teams that will be done in the tourney on their first poor shooting night. If we shoot well, we are totally unbeatable. When we don't we are just unbeatable. Against very elite teams, I do think we will need the full package to beat them, but it is nice to have things that don't rely on a random chance (like getting a specific call or a hitting a minimum # of threes) in our tool bag.

 

[Rossco123]

Hit the boards and run the break past Dionne. He will be still floating around the 3 point line looking for that pass that will never come.

 

[ImperialOrange]

-Get Fab in foul trouble

- Drive and kick out and hit 3's or drive and/or dish baseline once melo steps out

- Guard KJ tight on the 3 point line and make him put the ball on the deck

-Keep Dion from running out

- Have the refs call a lopsided game in your favor

- Play off Scoop and hope his shot isn't on

- Grease the floor and hope CJ falls and isn't at full speed

Problem for other teams is that they will have to check multiple boxes off this list in the same game to get it done. If we are hitting from 3, we aren't going to lose.

 

[AZOrange]

1. Slow the pace to a crawl.
2. Zone us the whole game (and never switch to man).
3. Never turn the ball over.
4. Put your best shooter with size on the foul line.

 

[HoustonCuse]

1. Slow the pace to a crawl.
2. Zone us the whole game (and never switch to man).
3. Never turn the ball over.
4. Put your best shooter with size on the foul line.

So how do you get the win? This simply gets you a close loss - on your own floor. Even when SU shoots 1-29 outside the paint.

 

[Orangemen]

In all honesty, the best method is to get Fab in foul trouble. Without him, a lot of things change.

It's not without risks, though, Fab is pretty good at drawing charges, and foul trouble could swing the other way pretty quickly.

 

[Knicks411]

So how do you get the win? This simply gets you a close loss - on your own floor. Even when SU shoots 1-29 outside the paint.

Make your FT.

 

[AZOrange]

So how do you get the win? This simply gets you a close loss - on your own floor. Even when SU shoots 1-29 outside the paint.

Ville didnt do No. 4. That killed them in the second half.

 

[Hoov50]

Play physical like Pitt does. I call it dirty play in the paint, but since fouls are rarely called on them I guess it is good defense. Push, shove and hold this throws us off our game.

On defense I would run a 2-3. We tend to settle for jumpers too much against a 2-3. I wouldn't press unless desperation set in since that would allow SU to run.

On offense take care of the ball and limit turnovers. Don't fall in love with the three pointer since Fab has a tendency to get into foul trouble when team consistently drive at him. I wouldn't run the clock down every possession, but I would do it a lot. I would crash the boards as much as possible with my most physical player(s) but make sure I kept two guys back on defense. I would also play with a three G lineup and have my third guard flash to the foul line so SU had to respect his shot.

With that being said luck comes into play. My team would need to shoot well and SU poorly. Favorable officiating would also be needed.

 

[br801]

Easy. Hand the clipboard to Iggy or BlueCurtain.

Boeheim won't stand a chance.

 

[FortyFourCT]

This is a good topic. I would try to take advantage of our weaknesses. If I was the opposing coach, one obvious weakness that I would try to exploit is rebounding. On defense I would crash the boards hard, make a real effort to get every single rebound. Limit Syracuse to 1 shot and done. As soon as the rebound is secured look for the quick outlet passes, and push the ball up court. Fast! I want to avoid one of Syracuse's greatest strengths this year, the 2-3 zone, by getting down court before they can set up. I think there are a lot of easy baskets to be had here. If you don't beat it back, then set up your offense however you do it best. But take chances even on a 2 on 3. Certainly you can score just as often here as against a zone that is playing great that night and if not, you'll at least pick up a few fouls against Syracuse.

I don't think the final score matters to Syracuse. They can play games in the 50's or 80's and still win. So it is not a matter of running on them or playing stall ball. It is a matter of creating opportunities for yourself that plays to Syracuse's weaknesses (or avoiding their strengths).

What could really snowball for you is if you are dominating the boards, Boeheim is going to make adjustments, perhaps by encouraging his guards to get in deeper for boards, which could help us beat the zone back on offense.

Also, on defense, somebody else said it best. Play off of Scoop and Dion. Play tight on Kris. Play tight on CJ and put a body on him whenever a shot goes up. Melo is tough to deal with. I wouldn't worry about taking it at him and trying to get fouls on him, though that is a good strategy if you have the personnel. Stop and pop before he can come out to you.

 

[cusetown1]

Steve Lappas probably had the best blue print. Make 14 3's and pray.