I'm Disheartened

[Nicknack]

Well, apparently the team isn't disheartened but I'm certainly starting to be. To watch this display of basketball is really tough. This isn't just about getting better recruits. This isn't just about Virginia's defense being so good. This isn't just about a short bench. There are some fundamental flaws here that shouldn't exist with ANY team/talent level.

I fully admit, I'm one who often defends the program and coaches. However, I'm beginning to run out of steam doing this. The coaches HAVE to do better.

That all said, I'm still looking forward to the next game. Maybe like a wounded animal, we can pick off a Louisville team on the road tomorrow night.

 

[teamco]

Don't get me wrong, I love my team, watch them every chance I get, and still root for them! But damn, it is hard to get excited about our brand of basketball. Sanctions have apparently hurt the program, but it seems like more is wrong than that. We have been in decline- but this year in particular, we reek of running on vapors- very short bench with about two to two-and-a-half offensive weapons in Battle & Howard, no deep threat, no interior threat, little offense flow. Recently I've taken to watching Villanova play and fantasize about SU during our peak years . . . but then I feel guilty and dirty, like I've just cheated on my wife (I hear from others that is, what if feels like I mean ;-) Hoping next years incoming class brings some of the missing magic back because without it, winters have been feeling a lot longer.

 

[NorSyr66]

Don't get me wrong, I love my team, watch them every chance I get, and still root for them! But damn, it is hard to get excited about our brand of basketball. Sanctions have apparently hurt the program, but it seems like more is wrong than that. We have been in decline- but this year in particular, we reek of running on vapors- very short bench with about two to two-and-a-half offensive weapons in Battle & Howard, no deep threat, no interior threat, little offense flow. Recently I've taken to watching Villanova play and fantasize about SU during our peak years . . . but then I feel guilty and dirty, like I've just cheated on my wife (I hear from others that is, what if feels like I mean ;-) Hoping next years incoming class brings some of the missing magic back because without it, winters have been feeling a lot longer.

I agree up to the Villanova comment. Not sure I could go to that far. Always have been and always will be an Orange fan and will continue to watch the rest of the season, only I will adjust my expectations for this team. We are closing out the ACC season playing against teams with more scholarship players sitting on the bench, many not even getting into games, than we have available totally to play for us. Why keep criticizing the play of the 6+ players and the coaching staff? Several circumstances and turn of events got us to this point that I am certain no player or coach imagined preseason. Lets finish out with positive vibes supporting the team we have on the floor. They are trying their best, though they themselves are disappointed and frustrated. No competitor plays to lose. Lets go Orange.

 

[SBU72]

After the game yesterday, I watched my altematre, Bona. Great game. Great to see good offense. I've seen about 6 games this season and after yesterday, don't know which SU players I would take over Bonnies player. Really. No one, not enev battle over Mobley. Not saying Bona would do well in the ACC, but definitely better than Pitt, SU and BC.

 

[pearl31]

After the game yesterday, I watched my altematre, Bona. Great game. Great to see good offense. I've seen about 6 games this season and after yesterday, don't know which SU players I would take over Bonnies player. Really. No one, not enev battle over Mobley. Not saying Bona would do well in the ACC, but definitely better than Pitt, SU and BC.

well since they're not doing well in the a10 and they have the amazing players you're saying, the a10 must be the best league in the country

 

[SBU72]

Apparenly u did not read the whole thing. Never said A10 the best or Bona would be even middle ACC , but better than at least 3 teams i've seen, including SU.

Rhode Island 1st place with 19-3 and ranked in topn25. Bona is 3rd place with 6-4 record, 1 game out of 2nd. Wins over Maryland & SU (sic) on the rd.

 

[pearl31]

Apparenly u did not read the whole thing. Never said A10 the best or Bona would be even middle ACC , but better than at least 3 teams i've seen, including SU.

Rhode Island 1st place with 19-3 and ranked in topn25. Bona is 3rd place with 6-4 record, 1 game out of 2nd. Wins over Maryland & SU (sic) on the rd.

those amazing players losing to Dayton, st. joes, Davidson would appear to be massive underachieving

 

[SBU72]

Again u r not reading my post. I just said based on watching 95% of the SU games and about 6 Bona games, position by position, there is not a SU player i would take over a Bona player. Based on seeing Pitt twice (and their record) and seein BC play, I think Bona is better than those 3. And if the GT game is typical of GT, then include them. I NEVER said Bonnies were great, NEVER said they would be upper half ACC, NEVER said that the A10 was even equal to the ACC. But apparently because of ur persacution and inferiority complexes u read things that r not there.

 

[OrangeDW]

Again u r not reading my post. I just said based on watching 95% of the SU games and about 6 Bona games, position by position, there is not a SU player i would take over a Bona player. Based on seeing Pitt twice (and their record) and seein BC play, I think Bona is better than those 3. And if the GT game is typical of GT, then include them. I NEVER said Bonnies were great, NEVER said they would be upper half ACC, NEVER said that the A10 was even equal to the ACC. But apparently because of ur persacution and inferiority complexes u read things that r not there.

How did such a badly overmatched SU team manage to go to overtime against the Bonnies then?

As I saw it, both teams didn’t have much talent offensively. Their star guard played great for a half, and our star guard stunk. So they won a close one.

 

[SBU72]

Have u watched any other Bonnie games to make an evaluation? Like I said, based on watching all but 1 SU game, and about 6 Bonnies games, that was the evaluation I made. If u have seen a significant number of Bonaventure games (about 25%) and can make a different analysis, so be it.

 

[hoopsupstate]

I saw a poor Bonnie team score a whopping 13 points in the second half of the SU game. They were clueless. SU was just worse.

 

[GooseMutt]

We shouldn’t forget that some of our loses were very close games and winnable. But we are digressing and Washington injury doesn’t help

 

[KevMonstah]

What's disheartening is that one can go back to 13/14 or 14/15 seasons, both prior to being put
on sanctions, and find games such as: 11/2013 56-50 W over St Francis lineup: Ennis, Cooney, Fair, Xmas,
Coleman; or 1/2014 49-44 W over Miami same lineup; or 3/14 75-56 L to Virginia with Grant in
place of Coleman; or 3/14 55-53 L to Dayton; or 3/15 59-47 L to Virginia (MGB, Xmas, Cooney, BJ,
Roberson); or the most egregious: 1/15 46-45 W over GTech (Joseph, Cooney, Xmas, McCulloch, MGB). All
of these were pathetic offensive performances with lineups that were capable of doing much more,
yet we heard the same excuses then about the offense. Yes, I get the sanctions were an issue, but even
back then, it was clear that shooters were needed, that a better offensive gameplan was needed because
you could hear it in the postgame interviews: we had to change at halftime, cuz nothing was working.
It's been a problem for years. Why do you still run the same iso plays? Why do you still refuse to have
any semblance of a post game? Is it so hard to post Battle or Howard up? SU used to be a fun team to
watch on offense. Now they are not. That is why it is so disheartening. Going back to 13/14, yes they
won their first 25-0, but they were still boring as sin to watch. Once they got past Binghamton, they
had exactly one game, the 91-89 win over Duke, where they scored 80 pts, something that used to be
a regularity. I'm reminded of a Heartbreak Ridge quote by Clint: "... Just don't bore me." They are
boring. You can live with that if they're winning; but now they don't do that.

Kev

 

[Funk Doc]

Don't get me wrong, I love my team, watch them every chance I get, and still root for them! But damn, it is hard to get excited about our brand of basketball. Sanctions have apparently hurt the program, but it seems like more is wrong than that. We have been in decline- but this year in particular, we reek of running on vapors- very short bench with about two to two-and-a-half offensive weapons in Battle & Howard, no deep threat, no interior threat, little offense flow. Recently I've taken to watching Villanova play and fantasize about SU during our peak years . . . but then I feel guilty and dirty, like I've just cheated on my wife (I hear from others that is, what if feels like I mean ;-) Hoping next years incoming class brings some of the missing magic back because without it, winters have been feeling a lot longer.

Watching Nova only makes me even more mad! Their offense is exactly what every team, especially us, should be trying to achieve. Watching them play just reminds me, how far away we are from being a real competitive team.