I still think we have a lot of talent

[jgeorge322]

for whatever that is worth. Gotta get better.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Just no margin for error really. Limited team right now.

 

[Briancuse]

Talent doesn;t always equal wins, this is a very flawed team.

 

[retro44]

for whatever that is worth. Gotta get better.

They are just not on campus yet...

 

[NineOneSeven]

I see a lot of average players.

 

[Bayside44]

Hit free throws, finish at the rim, stick a couple of more jumpers.

Thing is the guys we have can generally do that, they just need to.

 

[Ghost]

for whatever that is worth. Gotta get better.

We need to show more flexibility - this isn't a normal team, doing the normal things may not always work.

You know from the scouting reports that Wisconsion and the Redmen both struggle against ball-pressure. We know the zone will give them too much freedom from pressure - so press a bit more. Maybe play man off as a wrinkle...but we all know that isn't happening. Try going big with Lydon/Roberson/Coleman, try going small and pressing w/ the bench guards playing more to keep G/Cooney fresh. I don't know - sometimes you have to be the one to adjust.

 

[jgeorge322]

I see a lot of average players.

I disagree. G above average. Mal is actually better driver, rebounder, defender then i thought he be but a worse shooter. Lydon is good all around but needs to look to take own shot more. Cooney can be better. So can roberson. Frank howard needs more run.

Not saying this team is top 10 but i actually think we have some decent talent out there.

 

[jgeorge322]

Hit free throws, finish at the rim, stick a couple of more jumpers.

Thing is the guys we have can generally do that, they just need to.

Yup. We missed a lot of wide open shots today which dug us a hole. If the team can continue to work and get better, they can play much better than this.

 

[BrookhavenCuse]

I was going to respond in a few of the negative threads but at least this one is somewhat more positive. We all know this team has multiple layers of dysfunction due to under recruiting, scholarship reductions and JB's suspension but we are talking about college age athletes so let's stay positive and see how things play out. Do changes need to be made, of course, but it's not out of question this team is capable of stringing a bunch of wins together against quality opponents. I'm sure my view will not be shared by the majority.

 

[Jasoncuse]

Do we though?

G is a stud and Lydon is a future one. Other than them, there's not a difference maker out there. Malachi will be good, but struggles with his shot and shot selection. Cooney is Cooney and we know what to expect. He's more role player than difference maker. Coleman has never been good at this level and I don't see it happening for him. Roberson can't finish consistently but is a good rebounder, though undersized.

Once again, a lack of competent PG play is killer. G is a fine ball handler but he's not a PG. Without a guy running an offense and setting others up, it can be tough.

 

[br801]

I was going to respond in a few of the negative threads but at least this one is somewhat more positive. We all know this team has multiple layers of dysfunction due to under recruiting, scholarship reductions and JB's suspension but we are talking about college age athletes so let's stay positive and see how things play out. Do changes need to be made, of course, but it's not out of question this team is capable of stringing a bunch of wins together against quality opponents. I'm sure my view will not be shared by the majority.

Post more often. Sane voices are always welcome.

 

[jgeorge322]

Do we though?

G is a stud and Lydon is a future one. Other than them, there's not a difference maker out there. Malachi will be good, but struggles with his shot and shot selection. Cooney is Cooney and we know what to expect. He's more role player than difference maker. Coleman has never been good at this level and I don't see it happening for him. Roberson can't finish consistently but is a good rebounder, though undersized.

Once again, a lack of competent PG play is killer. G is a fine ball handler but he's not a PG. Without a guy running an offense and setting others up, it can be tough.

You nailed it. Were not the 92 dream team.

 

[Shark58]

Do we though?

G is a stud and Lydon is a future one. Other than them, there's not a difference maker out there. Malachi will be good, but struggles with his shot and shot selection. Cooney is Cooney and we know what to expect. He's more role player than difference maker. Coleman has never been good at this level and I don't see it happening for him. Roberson can't finish consistently but is a good rebounder, though undersized.

Once again, a lack of competent PG play is killer. G is a fine ball handler but he's not a PG. Without a guy running an offense and setting others up, it can be tough.

^^

this 100%

we haven't had a pure 1 since TE PhD jumped and that is compounded by the total lack of quality depth down low

add Diange, McCullough and/or Bryant to the KJ we hope we were getting and things look much different

 

[VaBeachOrFan]

Start by running some punitive FT drills next practice with laps for punishment. Cuse's godawful start at the FT line put them behind when they didn't need to be and gave the Johnnies confidence that they turned into made shots. Once the Red Storm shots started falling, SU's outside game went to pot and the wrong guys were shooting. G and Lydon should have been taking the shots that Mal and Cooney were only too willing to take. Lydon should not be passing up open shots and deferring to Mal and Trevor -- he needs to be more assertive. G is the rock and foundation of this team, and Cooney should be thinking drive first and shot second; Mal likewise. We made a St. John's pickup team look like all-stars today. Good for them, and good for Mullins, but SU doesn't need to play that badly. Get the FTs, get the loose balls, and get the bunnies in the hole. . . all that takes is practice and determination, but they have the talent to be better, IMHO.-VBOF

 

[RF2044]

Do we though?

G is a stud and Lydon is a future one. Other than them, there's not a difference maker out there. Malachi will be good, but struggles with his shot and shot selection. Cooney is Cooney and we know what to expect. He's more role player than difference maker. Coleman has never been good at this level and I don't see it happening for him. Roberson can't finish consistently but is a good rebounder, though undersized.

Once again, a lack of competent PG play is killer. G is a fine ball handler but he's not a PG. Without a guy running an offense and setting others up, it can be tough.

Agree 100% about the issue at lead guard hurting this team. Good post.

Whatever talent level we have, we aren't playing as good as the sum of the individual parts--that's for sure.

 

[orangejunkie]

If Gbinije isn't at the point, who do you put there? Boeheim wants his 5 best players on the floor. Joseph and Howard our two other point guards come off the bench for a reason. I think in time Howard can be that guy, but certainly not this year. Joseph is a career back up...

 

[007]

Agree 100% about the issue at lead guard hurting this team. Good post.

Whatever talent level we have, we aren't playing as good as the sum of the individual parts--that's for sure.

It's not so much the talent of the players we do have, as it is the absence of specific talent. We lack an interior scoring threat and the inability to guard the post. Teams that emphasize in your face ball pressure and aggressive hedging are going to cause issues for us all year on the perimeter, and the perimeter is where all the real talent is.

 

[dasher]

We can't defend the post. Everything else is just talk.

 

[RF2044]

It's not so much the talent of the players we do have, as it is the absence of specific talent. We lack an interior scoring threat and the inability to guard the post. Teams that emphasize in your face ball pressure and aggressive hedging are going to cause issues for us all year on the perimeter, and the perimeter is where all the real talent is.

We are a sieve inside. Zero shotblocking outside of Lydon [who shows promise], but he's undersized to play 5 in our system.

 

[jgeorge322]

We can't defend the post. Everything else is just talk.

This is very true. Kind of ironic that last year this was our strength.

 

[orangefan13]

Just no margin for error really. Limited team right now.

This team is actually getting better in that department, the first 5 games of the season our opponents had more attempts every game.

Against Gtown we were plus 6(I think) in fg attempts today plus 11. and we equaled up in offensive boards.
What that means is we were more likely to win today and at gtown then our first 5, if you didn't know who would shoot better but knew rebounds and turnover numbers. Our first 5 games were the opposite.

Its head scratching, until you look at the shooting percentages. We shot 6 less then wisconsin and should have won thats a decent margin of error.

 

[FrancoPizza]

They are just not on campus yet...

You'll keep being disappointed if next year's potential is your recipe for suffering through the present. Team will still be quite flawed next year when everyone is semi seriously saying title or bust. The zone has been figured out by even the most pedestrian teams... and why are we pinning everything on 1 defense that requires personnel combinations that we rarely seem to collect? It's like the football team trying to run the Alabama offense.

 

[rrlbees]

You'll keep being disappointed if next year's potential is your recipe for suffering through the present. Team will still be quite flawed next year when everyone is semi seriously saying title or bust. The zone has been figured out by even the most pedestrian teams... and why are we pinning everything on 1 defense that requires personnel combinations that we rarely seem to collect? It's like the football team trying to run the Alabama offense.

If it's wildly figured out how are we 35th in the country at fg% defense with 38%? Or did you mean SJU figured it out and got insanely hot from 3?

 

[NineOneSeven]

If it's wildly figured out how are we 35th in the country at fg% defense with 38%? Or did you mean SJU figured it out and got insanely hot from 3?

Yesterday was one of the worst defensive games I've ever seen. There's getting hot from 3 and then there's getting open look after open look from 3.

Both occurred, but I'll credit our horrible defense for playing a larger role. It was a clinic.