If this team is going to win the NC Trevor Cooney must play better

[Alsacs]

I see people saying he played good/decent yesterday. Yes, he hit those 2 HUGE 3 point shots when were leading by only 1 point, but going 3 for 13 and 2 for 8 from 3 point range isn't going to beat elite teams come March. Yesterday we got NOTHING from the bench and got A games from Tyler Ennis, C.J. Fair(A+ game from Fair), and Jerami Grant.

If people think those three above are going to have "A" games 6 times in the NCAA tournament we are kidding ourselves. Cooney needs to give us 6 for 13, 3 for 8 from 3pt range in the Tournament and those 7 extra points can be enough to win the NC, but right now our shooting guard position is the biggest problem if Jerami Grant can stay healthy.

 

[kuethstheman]

Ya think?

 

[SoBeCuse]

JB has said it before but he has to do other things if the shot is not falling. UNC SUCKS behind the arc and FT's as well. A big factor for them is that Paige, Leslie McDonald, and Tokoto, can attack and get to the rim with no problem. Cooney needs to drive more.

 

[Trueblue25]

Cooney needs to put the ball on the floor.

 

[Dave85]

Cooney needs to put the ball on the floor.

Yeah, I like it when he drives to the basket. I think it forces the defense to give him a little more space.

 

[kuethstheman]

Cooney needs to put the ball on the floor.

It would be nice if some of the time he was thinking "drive" as he comes off low screens. If he could take the perimeter pass in stride, on the move, he'd be more likely to be able to get by his man. Since he's always thinking "shoot" he hesitates and wastes those opportunities.

 

[domestu]

Cooney is an extremely one dimensional player in our offensive sets. He is probably the poorest perimeter shooter we've had at the shooting guard spot since DeShaun Williams and he rarely creates anything for his teammates when he handles the ball. It is hard to believe that a guard can play so many minutes and average less than one assist in ACC games.

Syracuse is very good at the other four positions and we have been able to go 27-4 this season with hardly any scoring from our bench. It would have been very difficult to win a national championship without points from the bench in years past but with the constant player turnover in college basketball today, a team just might be able to ride its starting lineup to a national title. Every one of the top teams this year has some glaring weaknesses.

It would be nice to have better perimeter shooters and a great sixth man who could score as soon as he enters the game but our starting lineup has some real strengths that can carry us a long way in the Big Dance.

Go Cuse!

 

[jekelish]

Cooney is an extremely one dimensional player in our offensive sets. He is probably the poorest perimeter shooter we've had at the shooting guard spot since DeShaun Williams and he rarely creates anything for his teammates when he handles the ball. It is hard to believe that a guard can play so many minutes and average less than one assist in ACC games.

Syracuse is very good at the other four positions and we have been able to go 27-4 this season with hardly any scoring from our bench. It would have been very difficult to win a national championship without points from the bench in years past but with the constant player turnover in college basketball today, a team just might be able to ride its starting lineup to a national title. Every one of the top teams this year has some glaring weaknesses.

It would be nice to have better perimeter shooters and a great sixth man who could score as soon as he enters the game but our starting lineup has some real strengths that can carry us a long way in the Big Dance.

Go Cuse!

I'm going to level with you here, I wish I could give you a dislike for putting Cooney in the same sentence as Meshaun Williams. That's just uncalled for. This aggression will not stand.

 

[tino]

I see people saying he played good/decent yesterday. Yes, he hit those 2 HUGE 3 point shots when were leading by only 1 point, but going 3 for 13 and 2 for 8 from 3 point range isn't going to beat elite teams come March. Yesterday we got NOTHING from the bench and got A games from Tyler Ennis, C.J. Fair(A+ game from Fair), and Jerami Grant.

If people think those three above are going to have "A" games 6 times in the NCAA tournament we are kidding ourselves. Cooney needs to give us 6 for 13, 3 for 8 from 3pt range in the Tournament and those 7 extra points can be enough to win the NC, but right now our shooting guard position is the biggest problem if Jerami Grant can stay healthy.

Yes he needs to step up, I think more points closer in would give him more confidence

 

[Dave85]

It would be nice if some of the time he was thinking "drive" as he comes off low screens. If he could take the perimeter pass in stride, on the move, he'd be more likely to be able to get by his man. Since he's always thinking "shoot" he hesitates and wastes those opportunities.

Or just keep running after getting the ball off the screen a dribble or two towards the high post and take a pull-up 15 to 18 foot jump shot.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Cooney hater!

 

[HarrisonJBounel]

It would be nice if some of the time he was thinking "drive" as he comes off low screens. If he could take the perimeter pass in stride, on the move, he'd be more likely to be able to get by his man. Since he's always thinking "shoot" he hesitates and wastes those opportunities.

Would like to see him borrow Ennis's stop 'n' go move. Come off the screen, get the ball, an instant of hesitation, and explode to the rim.

 

[anomander]

there are streak shooters, and then there is Trevor Cooney.

If we would smart we would invest in a team psychiatrist just for him.

The kid has all you need to be an elite shooter, but his mind gets in the way

 

[DonLightfoot]

I've watched a lot of games this year and I must say, in the past month or so, very few outside shooters have guys stuck to them like flypaper as much as Cooney. Whether the problem is his movements or improper screens I don't know. For that reason I have given him some slack for the poor percentage. It just irks me when I see so many players on other teams keep getting wide open looks at threes. Are we doing something wrong?

Now having said that, I will mention that I thought he had more open looks versus FSU than I have seen in a while.

 

[OrangeDW]

The thing with Cooney driving more...he's not really much of a threat when he does. He's a below average finisher in traffic, and I would say a downright poor passer in those situations. Has he ever drove, drew the defense and dished for an easy dunk/layups? Has he ever drove and collapsed the D, and kicked to an open shooter? He generally tries to finish on the rare occasions he drives, and his success usually depends on how good the opponents interior D/ help D is.

Driving would open things up for him, and he needs to continue to pick his spots when he's really got an opening. But reality is, he's just not that great at it. There's more to it than just being willing to do it.

 

[baggerbob]

The thing with Cooney driving more...he's not really much of a threat when he does. He's a below average finisher in traffic, and I would say a downright poor passer in those situations. Has he ever drove, drew the defense and dished for an easy dunk/layups? Has he ever drove and collapsed the D, and kicked to an open shooter? He generally tries to finish on the rare occasions he drives, and his success usually depends on how good the opponents interior D/ help D is.

Driving would open things up for him, and he needs to continue to pick his spots when he's really got an opening. But reality is, he's just not that great at it. There's more to it than just being willing to do it.

He needs to work on driving, and pulling up for the jump shot, that would open up a pass, and driving to the hoop.

 

[OrangeDW]

He needs to work on driving, and pulling up for the jump shot, that would open up a pass, and driving to the hoop.

Agreed. That should be his bread and butter when driving. Not every 6'3 guard can can finish at the rim in traffic like Devendorf or Waiters. Unless the other team has scrubby big guys, or the lane is open enough for him to get all the way there, the pull-up J would seem to be his best option, and he should be able to score a lot of points off of it.

 

[mike32768]

Is anyone open for a pass when TC drives...or does he do that so infrequently that no one bothers to try to be open?

I too would love to see him switch it up more. .. the short hesitation/no hesitation drives and pullups. His play has been way too predictable. He's handed the ball dozens of times a game after all.

But I gotta believe if he's not thinking about that, the coaches are. .. so what gives?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Cooney is an extremely one dimensional player in our offensive sets. He is probably the poorest perimeter shooter we've had at the shooting guard spot since DeShaun Williams and he rarely creates anything for his teammates when he handles the ball. It is hard to believe that a guard can play so many minutes and average less than one assist in ACC games.

Syracuse is very good at the other four positions and we have been able to go 27-4 this season with hardly any scoring from our bench. It would have been very difficult to win a national championship without points from the bench in years past but with the constant player turnover in college basketball today, a team just might be able to ride its starting lineup to a national title. Every one of the top teams this year has some glaring weaknesses.

It would be nice to have better perimeter shooters and a great sixth man who could score as soon as he enters the game but our starting lineup has some real strengths that can carry us a long way in the Big Dance.

Go Cuse!

Really?!