Is Boeheim Serious???

[Halfmooncuse]

It's JB's fault that Brissett threw it in to Chewy? Chewy came up to help out because nobody else did anything to get open.

O why was chewy there ! He just brought his defender and if I was defending him I would leave him wide open. He was the one they wanted to foul, not Howard not battle, and not OB even though JB thought as our best free throw player he was better inbounding ball. Not

 

[GardenOrange]

We gave up 56 to a team that scores 85 and people are complaining about the zone after this game?

If Battle and Howard didn’t get shutdown by a couple midget guards we win by 15 cause of the defense.

It's amazing we cannot adjust and try to have our guards take the midgets down low. We play right into their hands by playing a perimeter-oriented offense.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Top ten defensive efficiency. Top 130 offensive efficiency.

HEY BUMHEIM MAKE MY ZONE CHANGES U BUM

 

[OrangeDW]

It's JB's fault that Brissett threw it in to Chewy? Chewy came up to help out because nobody else did anything to get open.

Thing is, Chukwu has become a pretty decent FT shooter.

 

[PhatOrange]

O why was chewy there ! He just brought his defender and if I was defending him I would leave him wide open. He was the one they wanted to foul, not Howard not battle, and not OB even though JB thought as our best free throw player he was better inbounding ball. Not

chewy ran up from about half court if i recall correctly. had he not it would've been another 5 second call.

frank and tyus must never have been taught in their elementary school gym classes how a pick is used to get open.

 

[PhatOrange]

Thing is, Chukwu has become a pretty decent FT shooter.

yeah and lets be real, it wasn't even a foul.

they don't call hand checking but they called that? smh

 

[longislandcuse]

But you are wrong. That data does not support your argument. We are literally one of the best defensive teams in the country, and have been 4 out of the last 5 years (top decile in defensive efficiency).

Optically it may seem like we give up easier buckets or more uncontested threes than our opponents, but it isn’t true.

Again, nowhere do I say we play bad defense. We don't.

I'm saying we could play it much better, and even in a down year, not lose to BC and be in a nail biter against a terrible PAC team from a terrible conference, who's been terrible for the last few months.

Some of our defensive numbers are a result of dragging teams into an all out snail race rock fight every game. Some of our numbers are because we're a good defensive team. We could also be better defensively with two or three minor tweaks. Those tweaks would make it so perimeter oriented teams like ASU and BC don't get to capitalize on the only chance they have to beat us/give us a scare.

That's all I'm saying.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Again, nowhere do I say we play bad defense. We don't.

I'm saying we could play it much better, and even in a down year, not lose to BC and be in a nail biter against a terrible PAC team from a terrible conference, who's been terrible for the last few months.

Some of our defensive numbers are a result of dragging teams into an all out snail race rock fight every game. Some of our numbers are because we're a good defensive team. We could also be better defensively with two or three minor tweaks. Those tweaks would make it so perimeter oriented teams like ASU and BC don't get to capitalize on the only chance they have to beat us/give us a scare.

That's all I'm saying.

Who would've thought "a couple tweaks" would be the difference between a win and a 15 point loss?

 

[Lucid]

You know, I'm fine with the zone, but it doesn't even need modernization, go back to the Tark zone, defend the ball up top, I don't get why we don't, guess we need to make sure nobody is taking mid range twos.

I'm truly flummoxed. Did you watch the same game I did? Between our offense and our defense, you choose to complain about the defense? It boggles the mind.

All year, and last night was no exception, our defense has made it possible for us to stay in, and win, games we had no right winning with our offensive woes. Elsewhere in this thread you said that we held ASU so low because of the slow pace of our play. Well, isn't that part of the defensive strategy, a vital component of this year's strategy at least?

And you go on at great length about how many "open threes" we allow, but I just didn't see that many. Sure, there were a few, but many of those you call open were contested. ASU has some great 3-point shooters, and they made those shots. Part of the game.

I don't think JB's a "genius," but I think he's done a good job wringing what he can out of this team, at least defensively. Now, if you wanted to talk about offense, that would at least make some kind of sense.

Just not immediately following a great tournament win. After the season, sure. Timing, you know...

 

[longislandcuse]

Who would've thought "a couple tweaks" would be the difference between a win and a 15 point loss?

When a team beats us by shooting 52% from 3 and doesn't have much else in the way of talent besides a couple perimeter players...I think, yes, those tweaks I've outlined could make a difference.

 

[HOFCeluck]

When a team beats us by shooting 52% from 3 and doesn't have much else in the way of talent besides a couple perimeter players...I think, yes, those tweaks I've outlined could make a difference.

Or maybe not shoot 38 percent from the field? You know, the same issue we've had all year?

BC also shot 48 percent overall. So maybe your "tweaks" don't help at all.

Again, top ten defensive efficiency. But yeah. FIX THE DEFENSE!!!!ONE

 

[Jake]

Absolutely. As bad as we are offensively, only reason we almost lost was because of how we played the zone.

We held the PAC-12's leading scoring team 30 points under their average, but our defense was a problem?

 

[longislandcuse]

Or maybe not shoot 38 percent from the field? You know, the same issue we've had all year?

BC also shot 48 percent overall. So maybe your "tweaks" don't help at all.

Again, top ten defensive efficiency. But yeah. FIX THE DEFENSE!!!!ONE

If they shot 48% overall and 52% from three, that means they shot a slightly lower percentage from two...also those two point shots are only worth two points.

 

[HOFCeluck]

If they shot 48% overall and 52% from three, that means they shot a slightly lower percentage from two...also those two point shots are only worth two points.

My point is that they were shooting the ball well overall so maybe "tweaking" the zone wasn't the issue. Maybe they just make more mid range jumpers.

We cant get separation from mediocre teams because, get this, we are a mediocre team. Except for our defense.

 

[longislandcuse]

We held the PAC-12's leading scoring team 30 points under their average, but our defense was a problem?

Probably had zero to do with us running the shot clock down to 2 seconds every possession. You're obviously a Board legend but I'm not sure why this is the post you decide to make when defending our zone.

I also give our zone credit, and acknowledge it's good, but could use some modernization to the current game. Clearly PPG are all that matters and playing Butler '10 tournament style run out the clock basketball on offense has nothing to do with it

 

[longislandcuse]

My point is that they were shooting the ball well overall so maybe "tweaking" the zone wasn't the issue. Maybe they just make more mid range jumpers.

We cant get separation from mediocre teams because, get this, we are a mediocre team. Except for our defense.

That's fine. Take all the mid range jumpers they want. They're an awkward shot and even if they shoot them at a 52% clip like the did 3's, they're only worth 2 points. They made 14 threes. We lost by 15. That's 14 less points.

 

[dan7800]

Let's all just enjoy the win.

 

[chugg21]

The defense was absolutely fine though I was sure the Evans 3 was going to go down once he got himself a clean look.

I'm just still amazed that we are running the Chukwu PnR 90% of the trips down the court. We literally never hit him rolling and the other team does not switch it. I don't really understand what the thought process is behind using it as our primary set. Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to run it with Oshae and maybe be able to get pick and pop 3s out of it or would we just have 0 spacing for any kind of drive with Marek, Chukwu and their defenders all clogging the lane? Guess we might need a 4 in the corner that is even a little bit of a threat from 3 for that to really work.

 

[Pearl309]

Guys. Marek starts for this team and we’re in the tourney... JB did something right.
This thread is absurd

 

[kuethstheman]

Steven hawking was a genius. JB IS NOT. having the ball inbounded to Chewey when ASU needed to foul a poor free throw shooter. Then he gets mad at the inbounder. chewey should have been a 100 yds from ball

Much better to turn it over than to have a guy shooting 70% from the line over the last three months be in position to be a safety valve. Crazy stuff!

 

[cuseincincy]

Well, if that is the case, Jb needs to resign tonight. He can't add and that should be a requirement to coach. I had a high school coach that in a pre season jamboree, had our school play zone down 1 with :30 seconds left. the other team in bounded the ball and held it for the last 30 seconds. He thought we were up 1.

My assistant coach yelled at our players to foul with 4 seconds on the clock in a game this year...we were up 1! Kid missed the first...made the second. Length of court breakaway for a layup won us the game...it was funny then. It may have helped that my in bounder was an all-state QB.

 

[81South]

I was going to say that the ‘booze was talking after the game’ but given the fact this thread is still going probably proves that theory wrong.

The sky is blue!

 

[RF2044]

I don't like missing on purpose because you open up a the chance of a violation with an air-ball or missing the rim. Players don't practice missing free throws ( at least I hope they don't) so who knows what happens. Giving them the ball out of bounds with .4 and down 3 is about the only chance they have in that situation. A make or an organic miss seals it. It is minuscule in the big picture but it was an interesting segment.

I think it all depends on the situation. If you're only up 1, then missing is smart because making the free throw doesn't help you, and the odds are astronomically against them snaring the miss and then being able to get off a shot, let alone make one, 90 feet away with .04 to work with.

But in the situation we were in, making the free throw cements the win. No point in intentionally missing there, IMO.

 

[longislandcuse]

The defense was absolutely fine though I was sure the Evans 3 was going to go down once he got himself a clean look.

I'm just still amazed that we are running the Chukwu PnR 90% of the trips down the court. We literally never hit him rolling and the other team does not switch it. I don't really understand what the thought process is behind using it as our primary set. Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to run it with Oshae and maybe be able to get pick and pop 3s out of it or would we just have 0 spacing for any kind of drive with Marek, Chukwu and their defenders all clogging the lane? Guess we might need a 4 in the corner that is even a little bit of a threat from 3 for that to really work.

Complaining about the offense is probably misdirected complaining about recruiting. Which, hopefully, is fixed next year.

I agree that we should run PnR through Marek and Oshae. Also post them up as well but JB can't force people to make entry passes and Chukwu/Marek need to be somewhere on offense.

Bottom Line, you just can't run efficient offense with two guys who have minimal and zero post skills and can't step out to the 3 point line. 1 out of 5, is fine but 2 out of 5 makes it difficult. It's why we look like a functioning offense when Marek plays well offensively or Chukwu catches ball but look like we're playing 3 on 5 when they don't.

It's more players than scheme. Although, yes, the staple of our offense is a Chukwu high PnR which just seems like they're trolling us at this point.

 

[cusefan88]

I thought he was pissed at FH for posing after the made free throw.

100% my thought as well.