I don't care what measure you use...

[A Clockwork Orange]

This team is playing very average basketball right now. I'm just hoping this is the typical February swoon, and the team is going to step it up in these next few games.

I'm thrilled they are winning, but teams know what to do against us to win, or at least keep themselves in the game. SU hasn't adjusted yet, and I'm concerned they might not.

Good for Scoop and Kris for making senior plays down the stretch, but this wasn't a game they should have had to do that.

Come on guys, wake up! It's almost March.

 

[dasher]

you are what your record says you are.

 

[HoustonCuse]

They are so strange to watch. They seem to play horrible but they win. Every single time. Just like you could say "our bad shooting isn't a fluke, its been going on long enough to be the norm," you have to say "us winning these games is not a fluke, its the norm."

 

[jdubs30]

28-1. 15-1.

26-0. 13-0. With Fab.


I'm ok with what's going on right now.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

you are what your record says you are.

And our record is great, no doubt about it. Do you truly see a championship caliber RIGHT NOW though dash? These last couple of wins (while a win's a win, I understand that) have not been impressive. I'm not looking for style points, I'm looking for a team that can put away teams when they have them down 8-12 points. Right now they just don't seem to have that killer instinct. As I said, I hope it's that February swoon, and this team is just so damn good it's still winning.

March is almost here, and this team needs to start playing championship basketball.

 

[Orangezoo]

we have gone from playing a desperate team to a team playing in front of a raucous home crowd to playing at the rac to again playing a team fighting for ncaa life .. we couldnt put away a pesky usf team needing a marquee win tonight. we are winning games... its not pretty but its winning.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

28-1. 15-1.

26-0. 13-0. With Fab.


I'm ok with what's going on right now.

Not.getting.the.point. I get that they're winning, and as I said, I'm thrilled that's the case. They need to start putting teams like USF away at home, in late February when they have them down 12. They're not doing that.

This is not directed at you jdubs, but so many people on this board can't take a candid discussion about the fact that while the team is still winning, it does not look like the team that was tearing opponents apart early in the season. The wins are great, but they need to start putting teams away when they have them down.

 

[orangefan13]

I felt they were fine tonight.
We were down 18-5
USF missed their last 9 shots of the half we took a 4 point lead at the half.

Then we got up 13 around the 12 mintue mark of the second half screwed around...
Triche forced 2 layups a jumper and dribbled one off his foot , Dion forced a layup, CJ forced a drive from the three point line(not his game), Melo(from beyond the free throw line), and Scoop trying to beat a clear double team.
Just a few bad plays put together.

Then we got up like 8-10 again and did the same thing only giving usf like 8 fast break points.

Tonight we could have blew this team out but forced transition shots drives, layups and didn't. Thats ok though we won comfortably.

 

[moqui]

you are what your record says you are.

so, I take it that means you are penciling in Murray St. as your third #1 seed?

 

[dasher]

And our record is great, no doubt about it. Do you truly see a championship caliber RIGHT NOW though dash? These last couple of wins (while a win's a win, I understand that) have not been impressive. I'm not looking for style points, I'm looking for a team that can put away teams when they have them down 8-12 points. Right now they just don't seem to have that killer instinct. As I said, I hope it's that February swoon, and this team is just so damn good it's still winning.

March is almost here, and this team needs to start playing championship basketball.

I really don't mind the way we are winning. The team has to have gained confidence in close games. And that is a good thing. We were never going to roll over big east team after big east team. It never happens in this league.

 

[dasher]

so, I take it that means you are penciling in Murray St. as your third #1 seed?

Did I say anything about Murray state? Last I looked, and I might be wrong about this, they don't play in a big 6 conference.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

I really don't mind the way we are winning. The team has to have gained confidence in close games. And that is a good thing. We were never going to roll over big east team after big east team. It never happens in this league.

But when they have them down 12 after a 26-0 run they should be rolling over them. Don't let off the gas pedal, and start playing the type of basketball that they were playing midway through this season. I don't expect easy win after easy win, but against a USF team at our place with all momentum firmly in SU's corner, this game shouldn't have ended this close.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

I felt they were fine tonight.
We were down 18-5
USF missed their last 9 shots of the half we took a 4 point lead at the half.

Then we got up 13 around the 12 mintue mark of the second half screwed around...
Triche forced 2 layups a jumper and dribbled one off his foot , Dion forced a layup, CJ forced a drive from the three point line(not his game), Melo(from beyond the free throw line), and Scoop trying to beat a clear double team.
Just a few bad plays put together.

Then we got up like 8-10 again and did the same thing only giving usf like 8 fast break points.

Tonight we could have blew this team out but forced transition shots drives, layups and didn't. Thats ok though we won comfortably.

I wouldn't call that winning comfortable despite the final score. Maybe I'm just more high strung then the rest of you!

 

[moqui]

Did I say anything about Murray state? Last I looked, and I might be wrong about this, they don't play in a big 6 conference.

you wrote, as I quoted, "you are what your record says you are." you didn't make any qualifications to that. and, since you are: USF and Rutgers just gave us all we could handle.

USF and Rutgers.

Every team likely to be lurking in the rounds of 32 and 16 is better than either of them.

 

[dasher]

But when they have them down 12 after a 26-0 run they should be rolling over them. Don't let off the gas pedal, and start playing the type of basketball that they were playing midway through this season. I don't expect easy win after easy win, but against a USF team at our place with all momentum firmly in SU's corner, this game shouldn't have ended this close.

I agree with you. and quite frankly, I think a lot of it was BT. He lost the ball for a breakaway that broke the scoring drought. And came back with back to back forced shots. I don't think we will do that against a blue chip opponent.

 

[Rossco123]

This is tournament style ball. Winning these rock fights by adjusting on the fly is the way you avoid early exits. Winning tonight’s game the way we did is a good thing.

 

[cusetown1]

They

Not.getting.the.point. I get that they're winning, and as I said, I'm thrilled that's the case. They need to start putting teams like USF away at home, in late February when they have them down 12. They're not doing that.

This is not directed at you jdubs, but so many people on this board can't take a candid discussion about the fact that while the team is still winning, it does not look like the team that was tearing opponents apart early in the season. The wins are great, but they need to start putting teams away when they have them down.

They.will.be.fine. What they are doing right now is incredible. This is a tremendous grind right now ,looking passed a team l

 

[STEVEHOLT]

for those of us that want to see the team win a championship, margin of victory and how well the team plays in its wins are important. for those of us that look at regular season wins as important and having their own innate value, we could not care less how we win.

these are two disparate yet equally valued view points. its simply individual preference.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

I agree with you. and quite frankly, I think a lot of it was BT. He lost the ball for a breakaway that broke the scoring drought. And came back with back to back forced shots. I don't think we will do that against a blue chip opponent.

Brandon did seem distracted tonight, and he visibly shook his head when he missed that lay up and he saw Dion at the scorer's table. He's so odd, I don't think he has a self esteem issue, but I do think he gets down on himself so much, that sometimes he take himself out of the game. Feel bad for him, you can see he's so much in his own head at times.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

This is tournament style ball. Winning these rock fights by adjusting on the fly is the way you avoid early exits. Winning tonight’s game the way we did is a good thing.

Do you believe we'll turn it on against better teams? I hope so.

 

[44cuse]

I agree with you. and quite frankly, I think a lot of it was BT. He lost the ball for a breakaway that broke the scoring drought. And came back with back to back forced shots. I don't think we will do that against a blue chip opponent.

Those "forced shots" were layups going to the hole that he just didn't finish. No problem with taking those shots at all. BT get's criticized for not going to the hole...and he gets criticized for going to the hole.

44cuse

 

[samspann1]

Hypothetically, let's say that the tourney starts this weekend.

All the "rah rah, we're 28-1" arguments aside, would people be confident going into the tourney with the team playing as they have been of late?

 

[HoustonCuse]

Not.getting.the.point. I get that they're winning, and as I said, I'm thrilled that's the case. They need to start putting teams like USF away at home, in late February when they have them down 12. They're not doing that.

This is not directed at you jdubs, but so many people on this board can't take a candid discussion about the fact that while the team is still winning, it does not look like the team that was tearing opponents apart early in the season. The wins are great, but they need to start putting teams away when they have them down.

Hey look, I get it. I am not thrilled with the offense either, but look at the facts: We just held a 10 win BE team to 48 points and beat them by a comfortable margin. They have the best defense in the league in terms of PPG. They are a team our fans couldn't care less about so there was no crowd energy. And we won. We win all these games where we look a little odd. Remember when the big question was "SU hasn't been tested, how will they react?" Well now the story is: SU has been tested and players have stepped up bigtime. We have a winning mentality. Scoop has been awesome. Joseph rises when the team needs a lift late in games. There are a lot of positives if you want to see them. Waiters and Triche will not stay in their funks.

 

[dasher]

you wrote, as I quoted, "you are what your record says you are." you didn't make any qualifications to that. and, since you are: USF and Rutgers just gave us all we could handle.

USF and Rutgers.

Every team likely to be lurking in the rounds of 32 and 16 is better than either of them.

So what? These teams are used top playing against us as well. Murray state was not in the conversation. I don't know why you brought them up. As for our recent games, Rutgers is tough at home. Ask Florida. They are ranked 11 and are the 2ud best team in the SEC. And bottum line, we won. Just as we have in every game where we had all of our guys. Is it always pretty? No. Do I wish it was by more? Yes. Am I satisfied? Yes I am. Might we lose in the NCAA in the second round? Sure. Or the third? Yep. Or the fourth? Yes. I don't look at us as this powerhouse that should blow everyone out. I just don't think the talent is all that much better than everyone else. We just have more good players than the rest. We wear teams down.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

They
They.will.be.fine. What they are doing right now is incredible. This is a tremendous grind right now ,looking passed a team l

What in the last couple of games has given you the impression that they'll be fine? I'm not trying to be combative, and I'm glad and relieved they are winning these games. I just can't see what it is that makes people so confident. They have played middling Big East teams (despite their record USF is a middling Big East team) to the wire. One at home, and one on the road. Two games don't make a season, but to me it's disturbing that they can't get out of their own way on offense, and need to be reminded throughout the game that they need to be rebounding the ball.

What it comes down to is the book is out on us. Teams know what they need to do to keep it close, and that's what they're doing. It's a testament to the team that they keep pulling these games out, but regardless of what people are saying, this type of basketball isn't what wins the tournament. The defense is great, the offense needs to start clicking.