Impressions vs. Southern Connecticut

[SWC75]

- We again got off to a lousy start: 0-11. Then we started to play basketball and it was 12-16. They we started to play Syracuse basketball and the rest of the game was 72-32. JB was disgusted with the effort, especially on the boards, (22-25 in the first half: 27-14 in the second. it was the same pattern in both exhibitions: we won 84-54 and 84-59 and the rest of the country won't see anything wrong but there is plenty wrong, as JB knows and we saw.

- A big part of the problem is that no one is in charge on the court. We were just jacking up threes (and were a combined 3 for 23 in the first half of these games). We needed someone to calm things down and get people organized so we can run our offense. No one was doing that. Frank Howard is playing more like a shooting guard. He's scoring well (34 points in 2 games) but he has 5 assists in 49 minutes. Geno Thorpe played 22 minutes and had 4 assists. Even that's not great but it's more like what we expect from a point guard. At one point in the first half we had 0 assists and 11 turnovers. How's that for a ratio?

- Paschal Chukwu isn't a stiff, (13 rebounds and 9 blocks in 36 minutes int he two games). But he doesn't score, (2 points on 1 for 3 shooting). On one play he got an offensive rebound right in front for the basket, unguarded. he tried to lay it in off the backboard and missed. he's 7-2.

- Bourama Sidibe, three years younger and two years of eligibility, is already a much better player. In two game she played 40 minutes, scored 18 points, had 20 rebounds and blocked 11 shots. To borrow a line from Dino Babers, he knows what he's doing out there.

- Tyus Battle scored 20 points in each game but was 10 for 28 from the field (35.7%) and 2 for 12 from the arc (16.7%). I think he's over-doing it trying to be the team's gunner. Last year the jump shot was just part of his game. He'll have help on this team from Brissett, Thorpe and even Howard and Sidibe. He needs to play more within himself.

- We are a long way from being a good team but so is everybody else. There used to be a local sports guy named Steve Hyder I didn't think all that much of. But he said one thing I thought was brilliant. Our 1998-99 team got off to a strong start, being Bobby Knight to win in Maui. But after a 6-0 start they stumbled to a 21-12 record and a first round loss in the NCAA tournament. People wondered why the team got worse as the season progressed. Steve suggested maybe they didn't get worse: Maybe the other teams did a better job of getting better. That's what this team needs: do a good job of getting better.

 

[CaptainJ]

- We again got off to a lousy start: 0-11. Then we started to play basketball and it was 12-16. They we started to play Syracuse basketball and the rest of the game was 72-32. JB was disgusted with the effort, especially on the boards, (22-25 in the first half: 27-14 in the second. it was the same pattern in both exhibitions: we won 84-54 and 84-59 and the rest of the country won't see anything wrong but there is plenty wrong, as JB knows and we saw.

- A big part of the problem is that no one is in charge on the court. We were just jacking up threes (and were a combined 3 for 23 in the first half of these games). We needed someone to calm things down and get people organized so we can run our offense. No one was doing that. Frank Howard is playing more like a shooting guard. He's scoring well (34 points in 2 games) but he has 5 assists in 49 minutes. Geno Thorpe played 22 minutes and had 4 assists. Even that's not great but it's more like what we expect from a point guard. At one point in the first half we had 0 assists and 11 turnovers. How's that for a ratio?

- Paschal Chukwu is to a stiff, (13 rebounds and 9 blocks in 36 minutes int he two games). But eh doesn't score, (2 points on 1 for 3 shooting). On one play he got an offensive rebound right in front for the basket, unguarded. he tried to lay it in off the backboard and missed. he's 7-2.

- Bourama Sidibe, three years younger and two years of eligibility, is already a much better player. In two game she played 40 minutes, scored 18 points, had 20 rebounds and blocked 11 shots. To borrow a lien from Dino Babers, he knows what he's doing out there.

- Tyus Battle scored 20 points in each game but was 10 for 28 from the field (35.7%) and 2 for 12 from the arc (16.7%). I think he's over-doing it trying to be the team's gunner. Last year the jump shot was just part of his game. He'll have help on this team from Brissett, Thorpe and even Howard and Sidibe. He needs to play more withing himself.

- We are a long way from being a good team but so is everybody else. There used to be a local sports guy named Steve Hyder I didn't think all that much of. But he said one thing I thought was brilliant. Our 1998-99 team got off to a strong start, being Bobby Knight to win in Maui. But after a 6-0 start they stumbled to a 21-12 record and a first round loss in the NCAA tournament. People wondered why the team got worse as the season progressed. Steve suggest maybe they didn't get worse: Maybe the other teams did a better job of getting better. That's what this team needs: do a good job of getting better.

Great write up as usual. Any chance that once Geno is healthy, he gets to do more time at point, at least in the 3 guard lineup? Do you think PC will get Boeheimed fairly quickly the way Fab used to, once we start facing tougher competition, like Colgate?

 

[SWC75]

Great write up as usual. Any chance that once Geno is healthy, he gets to do more time at point, at least in the 3 guard lineup? Do you think PC will get Boeheimed fairly quickly the way Fab used to, once we start facing tougher competition, like Colgate?

If things don't change we will see more and more of Geno and Paschal will actually or effectively be the back-up to Bourama.

 

[Newhouser]

IF Thorpe was obviously still not 100% why did we play him? We should be able to close out the first game without him and who knows what Iona will look like.

 

[RF2044]

IF Thorpe was obviously still not 100% why did we play him? We should be able to close out the first game without him and who knows what Iona will look like.

Probably because he'd missed the two previous scrimmage opportunities, and it was important to get him some PT to try to build some on-court game chemistry with his new teammates.

Seeing Thorpe out there last night, he didn't look anywhere close to 100%. Hopefully he can get there in the next week or two.

 

[OttoMets]

Probably because he'd missed the two previous scrimmage opportunities, and it was important to get him some PT to try to build some on-court game chemistry with his new teammates.

Seeing Thorpe out there last night, he didn't look anywhere close to 100%. Hopefully he can get there in the next week or two.

How does he usually look? I wasn't wildly impressed with Thorpe, but he did look (by far) to be our most active defender. Very instinctive and quick. If he was hobbled, I couldn't tell.

 

[bballbeadle]

- We again got off to a lousy start: 0-11. Then we started to play basketball and it was 12-16. They we started to play Syracuse basketball and the rest of the game was 72-32. JB was disgusted with the effort, especially on the boards, (22-25 in the first half: 27-14 in the second. it was the same pattern in both exhibitions: we won 84-54 and 84-59 and the rest of the country won't see anything wrong but there is plenty wrong, as JB knows and we saw.

- A big part of the problem is that no one is in charge on the court. We were just jacking up threes (and were a combined 3 for 23 in the first half of these games). We needed someone to calm things down and get people organized so we can run our offense. No one was doing that. Frank Howard is playing more like a shooting guard. He's scoring well (34 points in 2 games) but he has 5 assists in 49 minutes. Geno Thorpe played 22 minutes and had 4 assists. Even that's not great but it's more like what we expect from a point guard. At one point in the first half we had 0 assists and 11 turnovers. How's that for a ratio?

- Paschal Chukwu isn't a stiff, (13 rebounds and 9 blocks in 36 minutes int he two games). But he doesn't score, (2 points on 1 for 3 shooting). On one play he got an offensive rebound right in front for the basket, unguarded. he tried to lay it in off the backboard and missed. he's 7-2.

- Bourama Sidibe, three years younger and two years of eligibility, is already a much better player. In two game she played 40 minutes, scored 18 points, had 20 rebounds and blocked 11 shots. To borrow a line from Dino Babers, he knows what he's doing out there.

- Tyus Battle scored 20 points in each game but was 10 for 28 from the field (35.7%) and 2 for 12 from the arc (16.7%). I think he's over-doing it trying to be the team's gunner. Last year the jump shot was just part of his game. He'll have help on this team from Brissett, Thorpe and even Howard and Sidibe. He needs to play more within himself.

- We are a long way from being a good team but so is everybody else. There used to be a local sports guy named Steve Hyder I didn't think all that much of. But he said one thing I thought was brilliant. Our 1998-99 team got off to a strong start, being Bobby Knight to win in Maui. But after a 6-0 start they stumbled to a 21-12 record and a first round loss in the NCAA tournament. People wondered why the team got worse as the season progressed. Steve suggested maybe they didn't get worse: Maybe the other teams did a better job of getting better. That's what this team needs: do a good job of getting better.

I love your anecdote about our 99 team and the idea that we need to do a good job of getting better. In my profession, that is called a positive reframe, but it’s more than that because it suggests a framework within which to view this team. We know that they currently aren’t good, but they certainly can get better and that’s what we need to be rooting for. A “good” job is a reasonable expectation (not a “great” job) and perhaps can help us with our inevitable frustrations. Friend Gary said last night that in his 50 years of watching SU bball, this is the worst team he’s ever seen. Gary needs a positive reframe. I know we often knock the team because it cushions us from our disappointment - “they’re awful and I just don’t care anymore!” - but if we can see them as a young team who has a LOT to learn and probably won’t do it quickly, it may help us. I should say, it may help me.

 

[CaptainJ]

I love your anecdote about our 99 team and the idea that we need to do a good job of getting better. In my profession, that is called a positive reframe, but it’s more than that because it suggests a framework within which to view this team. We know that they currently aren’t good, but they certainly can get better and that’s what we need to be rooting for. A “good” job is a reasonable expectation (not a “great” job) and perhaps can help us with our inevitable frustrations. Friend Gary said last night that in his 50 years of watching SU bball, this is the worst team he’s ever seen. Gary needs a positive reframe. I know we often knock the team because it cushions us from our disappointment - “they’re awful and I just don’t care anymore!” - but if we can see them as a young team who has a LOT to learn and probably won’t do it quickly, it may help us. I should say, it may help me.

While reading this, I spent a moment thinking about what your profession may be. As I said before, I often dont look at the names when reading the post, and my original inclination changed once I saw who it was. I think I just wanted to ask whomever if they were a "closer" like in Glengarry, Glen Ross. Then I thought about a media disinformant. I saw your name(and cool avatar, btw!) either after that or the 3rd one, which was something to do with psychology or counseling. I guess reframing is used by many, including pickup artists. Maybe life is all about sales, in a sense? Hopefully this team can sell reality that they are winners. Stranger things have happened, and I agree with all this negative talk being a(n often unconscious) defense mechanism.

K-Cal to y'all: "These are the new recruits, these are the Glengarry recruits... and to you, they're gold, and you don't get them. Why? (Walks backwards slowly) Because to give them to you is just throwing them away. Theyre for closers. I'd wish you good luck, but you wouldn't know what to do with it if you got it".

 

[Dave85]

- Tyus Battle scored 20 points in each game but was 10 for 28 from the field (35.7%) and 2 for 12 from the arc (16.7%). I think he's over-doing it trying to be the team's gunner. Last year the jump shot was just part of his game. He'll have help on this team from Brissett, Thorpe and even Howard and Sidibe. He needs to play more within himself.

I don't have a problem with Tyus reaching at this point of the season. I want to see him become something way bigger. I think he's the teams best chance to have a player who can ball out, take over the game, and win games we are not supposed to win. If he can't become "the guy" then at some point he will have to get in line with the team effort.

 

[bballbeadle]

While reading this, I spent a moment thinking about what your profession may be. As I said before, I often dont look at the names when reading the post, and my original inclination changed once I saw who it was. I think I just wanted to ask whomever if they were a "closer" like in Glengarry, Glen Ross. Then I thought about a media disinformant. I saw your name(and cool avatar, btw!) either after that or the 3rd one, which was something to do with psychology or counseling. I guess reframing is used by many, including pickup artists. Maybe life is all about sales, in a sense? Hopefully this team can sell reality that they are winners. Stranger things have happened, and I agree with all this negative talk being a(n often unconscious) defense mechanism.

K-Cal to y'all: "These are the new recruits, these are the Glengarry recruits... and to you, they're gold, and you don't get them. Why? (Walks backwards slowly) Because to give them to you is just throwing them away. Theyre for closers. I'd wish you good luck, but you wouldn't know what to do with it if you got it".

Dear Captain, if you can learn to associate Beadle with “psycho” and “therapist” you will know the land upon which I stand.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Probably because he'd missed the two previous scrimmage opportunities, and it was important to get him some PT to try to build some on-court game chemistry with his new teammates.

Seeing Thorpe out there last night, he didn't look anywhere close to 100%. Hopefully he can get there in the next week or two.

Definitely. He looked around 70%, frankly. But he did some good things even at that level and without any action under his belt. Just has a better feel for the PG position than Frank. I guess he should since he is older. He definitely forced a few things but I didn’t mind that. Consistent good contribution from him is going to be vital since I think we can count on that from Battle/Oshae.