I feel like I've watched this game before...

[OrlandoCuse]

We are a bad basketball team plain and simple.

Bad isn't the description I would use.

A better description is fundamentally flawed in several areas. We actually have some very good players. They are just playing out of position and being forced to do things they are not capable of doing.

 

[Ghost]

I think that is more an element of being gassed. Just being a little less active opens up everything -- makes the quick entry and snap pass inside that much easier.

Not sure if the man to man would work better when we are really tired.

I don't know even know about m2m - I know we make adjustments in the zone, to stop the entry pass, to hedge out more on shooters if they're knocking down shots...but we just can't afford to give up that baseline basket on 4 or 5 possessions in a row in crunch time. It just amplifies any mistake we make - we have to be almost perfect on offense down the stretch in a game like this because of that.

Hell, go 1-4 zone if you must. Just kidding. It just seems like at important parts of the game, we have no adjustment to make on the fly that can stop the bleeding. They just run the same thing over and over...and score. G and Cooney are trying to stop the entry to the high post, but it gets in, and once it does, we're toast.

I don't know what the option is...just wish there was one I guess.

 

[We Are Syracuse]

That's a bad post. This team battled their asses off tonight. The other squad was just better.

Team is absolutely not a bad basketball team. Talented offensively. Played well offensively. Defense is awful.

 

[Briancuse]

Team is absolutely not a bad basketball team. Talented offensively. Played well offensively. Defense is awful.

We are 10-7 with losses to Clemson, Wisc, St Johns, and Gtown, what would say this team is?

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I don't know even know about m2m - I know we make adjustments in the zone, to stop the entry pass, to hedge out more on shooters if they're knocking down shots...but we just can't afford to give up that baseline basket on 4 or 5 possessions in a row in crunch time. It just amplifies any mistake we make - we have to be almost perfect on offense down the stretch in a game like this because of that.

Hell, go 1-4 zone if you must. Just kidding. It just seems like at important parts of the game, we have no adjustment to make on the fly that can stop the bleeding. They just run the same thing over and over...and score. G and Cooney are trying to stop the entry to the high post, but it gets in, and once it does, we're toast.

I don't know what the option is...just wish there was one I guess.

We should have gone back to an actual 2-3 later in the game as someone else (maybe you) said. That 2-2-1 won't work against disciplined teams who can make that pass from the guard to the foul line to the baseline.

 

[Jack Hall]

Team is absolutely not a bad basketball team. Talented offensively. Played well offensively. Defense is awful.

It was awful in the 2nd half, no question. First half it wasnt so bad

 

[Briancuse]

If we played like we played tonight against those three teams, we would have won by 20 in each of those games.

If we played the way we did tonight against Clemson, we would have won, but we didn't. Its not hard getting up to play a top ten team in primetime in front of a great crowd.

 

[realorange]

Sure we battled, and yes Unc is better, it isn't just about tonight, its the Wisc game, the Clemson game, the St Johns game, we just aren't that good.

Could you be happy saying they played as well as you can expect tonight? They are a good group of players we just don't have a bench or especially bigs under the boards.

 

[two3zone]

There not a terrible team by any stretch but this team is staring down the barrel of 1-7 or 1-8 in conference.

What would be terrible? 0-8?

 

[jncuse]

I would just like to see a commitment by the coaches that not one outside player plays more than 32 minutes -- inside players capped at 28 minutes.

Sure it will hurt a bit in the first half, but we have to try something as depth is obviously killing us in the back end -- we have blown too many leads in the last 20% of the game.

We have played 2 solid road games for the first 80%, and played well against UNC. As someone above said, we are talented, and we have heart, but we have some big flaws. I would just like to try something different.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I would just like to see a commitment by the coaches that not one outside player plays more than 32 minutes -- inside players capped at 28 minutes.

Sure it might hurt a bit in the first half, but we have to try something as it is obviously killing us in the back end -- we have blown too many leads in the last 20% of the game.

Who did you want to see more of tonight? Did you want to see Joseph drive and get blocked again?

 

[two3zone]

Team is absolutely not a bad basketball team. Talented offensively. Played well offensively. Defense is awful.

We shoot 42% from the field, 35% from 3, and 67% from the line this season. That's a good offense?

We played like crap on offense today, we shot under 30% from 3 on THIRTY SHOTS.

We were in this game because we rebounded well and hit our free throws for a change. We hit our normal averages and we actually probably win this game. But no, this offense is really not that skilled.

 

[orangezen]

Its not just that they may be gassed at end its also several players playing with 4 fouls that cant be sat down long

 

[Briancuse]

Could you be happy saying they played as well as you can expect tonight? They are a good group of players we just don't have a bench or especially bigs under the boards.

They could have won the game, Gtech isn't as good as Uva but they won, Usc isn't as good as Arizona, but they won. Like I said before, its not just tonight, its the whole season. I wouldn't be as upset if we had beat Clemson or Wisc, games we should have won.

 

[jncuse]

Who did you want to see more of tonight? Did you want to see Joseph drive and get blocked again?

Yes -- more Joseph and more Howard (20 minutes total). It will hurt our efficiency a bit, but it should also improve our defence in the last 20% of the game. Kaleb does not need to play a primary offensive role -- we should always have 3 guys who can shoot or create on the floor. Just have him focus on defence. It may force Lydon to shoot the ball (or give him a little more confidence) which can't be a bad thing.

The 6 man rotation may have worked in the past when we have a lineup that fits the traditional roles. But we don't and it is getting really exposed at the end of games.

Do you think we should keep doing the same? If the late collapse had only happened in one game, or say once every 8 or 9 games, your point of keeping the same would be fine. This would merely be whining after losing a game. But it is a clear trend.

It was the same thing against Wisconsin, Clemson, Pitt, Miami. And we certainly made no run at St. John's or Georgetown in the back half of second -- it only got worse instead. We got tired -- our defence falls apart. We make more mental mistakes. It has happened for 2 coaches.

We have some good players who play with heart -- I would like to try something different anyway just to help them out. Have no clue if it will work, but as a fan I would hope we try it.

Just my opinion, please no "who are you to criticize".

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Yes -- more Joseph and more Howard (20 minutes total). It will hurt our efficiency a bit, but it should also improve our defence in the last 20% of the game. Kaleb does not need to play a primary offensive role -- we should always have 3 guys who can shoot or create on the floor. Just have him focus on defence. It may force Lydon to shoot the ball (or give him a little more confidence) which can't be a bad thing.

The 6 man rotation may have worked in the past when we have a lineup that fits the traditional roles. But we don't and it is getting really exposed at the end of games.

Do you think we should keep doing the same? If the late collapse had only happened in one game, or say once every 8 or 9 games, your point of keeping the same would be fine. This would merely be whining after losing a game. But it is a clear trend.

It was the same thing against Wisconsin, Clemson, Pitt, Miami. And we certainly made no run at St. John's or Georgetown in the back half of second -- it only got worse instead. We got tired -- our defence falls apart. We make more mental mistakes. It has happened for 2 coaches.

We have some good players who play with heart -- I would like to try something different anyway just to help them out. Have no clue if it will work, but as a fan I would hope we try it.

Just my opinion, please no "who are you to criticize".

I've got no problem giving our bench guys some run in the first half to spell our starters. If they don't contribute, or worse hurt the team, then they shouldn't see the floor in the second half. Joseph didn't do anything to warrant being used again, maybe this season. I've come around completely on this kid. I feel terrible to say this, but he just hurts the team when he's out there. I have a feeling we get more out of Howard as he recovers from whatever it was he had.

Lydon's shot is gone. He needs to find it and maybe having BC next is a great thing, because that's a game where he can find it.

Trust me, I hate JB's short bench, but I just don't think anyone else gives us enough to warrant using them.

 

[kirbivore]

It does seem to be a pattern - would be nice if we could sprinkle in a secondary defense at times. Just to give them a different look. They sliced up that zone, especially when Lydon was in.