JB's Presser after UNCG

[OttoMets]

Unrelated, but I increasingly think Lydon HATES playing with Gillon. Like, HATES IT. More than I hate Georgetown even!

I think he would prefer Roberson as PG.

There was one possession in the second half where Gillon couldn't spot Lydon wide open on the baseline for several seconds and Lydon simultaneously threw up his arms and stomped both feet like a fussy child.

I know he's catching a lot of heat for inconsistent play, but I can't blame him for being frustrated with the situation.

 

[kmart128]

There is some truth to his post, though. Lydon gets called for at least 1 travel per game and he pump fakes so much even Bob Knight would tell him to stop.

Yeah i hate bashing a player but everyone in building sees the pump fake coming and he still does it. Its like he is scared to shoot 3s now. He shoots .404 from beyond the arc for his career and only attemps 3.4 a game. When your percentage is that high you have to take more open shots instead of pump faking when they give you that shot. Especially when it usually results in a turnover

 

[CuseTG2003]

Gillon's an OK scoring guard who's capable of going off every now and then. Perfect spark plug off the bench like OrangeDW said. He's a terrible PG. Just awful. It's not just Lydon he doesn't feed. There are multiple times each game when Battle or White is open coming around a screen and Gillon just stares at them while pounding the ball. Then he says F it, takes it to the hole against 5 defenders, and throws up some ridiculous circus shot at the rim where he's shooting like 5%. Not a very smart player, and that's putting it kindly.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

There was one possession in the second half where Gillon couldn't spot Lydon wide open on the baseline for several seconds and Lydon simultaneously threw up his arms and stomped both feet like a fussy child.

I know he's catching a lot of heat for inconsistent play, but I can't blame him for being frustrated with the situation.

I'm pretty sure Gillon saw him but still didn't throw the pass. That's where the frustration is coming from. Gillon either can't or won't make that pass. I'd slug him if I were Tyler.

There was a play, I think it was first half, where John was out by the tip off circle and was motioning for Tyler to come out to him to set the pick. And Tyler was motioning for John to come down closer to the 3 point line to run the pick. It was detente after that.

I think Lydon is just far more fundamentally sound than most of our other players. Half the pump fakes others here see are actually just him getting into triple threat position.

 

[cuseinseattle]

Agreed. Can't blame him either, nothing worse than playing with a PG that just doesn't hit you when you're open, doesn't get it to you in the right spots, doesn't get it to you in rhythm, dribbles too much, etc.

Gillon is a good player, but he's be best suited to coming off the bench as a spark, or playing alongside a Rautins type that handles a lot of the playmaking duties.

I agree that would be the best role for Gillon. I believe that was also the plan and they really wanted Howard to figure it out. Ultimately they waited to long.

 

[721Comstock]

I agree that would be the best role for Gillon. I believe that was also the plan and they really wanted Howard to figure it out. Ultimately they waited to long.

Yeah, except - Howard never figured it out, especially against decent opposition.
He had a few nice games when we played the cupcakes, but as soon as the level of competition increased, he disappeared.

You all seem to be conveniently forgetting that we were dead in the water, having gotten blown out by St Johns and BC, until Gillon was given the starting PG spot.

Am I the only one who watched this whole season?

Yes - Gillon has his flaws and limitations, but - we've been a better team with him in the lineup vs. Howard, and it's not even close.

 

[dollarbill44]

Shocker...JB doesn't like the foul segments...I kind of like it...

I don't understand why they don't just go to quarters if you're going to treat the game like it's quarters anyway. Men's college basketball is the only place where it's two halves.

 

[PhatOrange]

I'm pretty sure Gillon saw him but still didn't throw the pass. That's where the frustration is coming from. Gillon either can't or won't make that pass. I'd slug him if I were Tyler.

There was a play, I think it was first half, where John was out by the tip off circle and was motioning for Tyler to come out to him to set the pick. And Tyler was motioning for John to come down closer to the 3 point line to run the pick. It was detente after that.

I think Lydon is just far more fundamentally sound than most of our other players. Half the pump fakes others here see are actually just him getting into triple threat position.

If Gillon waved me to set a pick for him I'd wave back with a big middle finger. I think the locker has been a mess this year and not all the blame can be on Howard. Not when Lydon is visibly upset on the court with Gillon. We've seen a few tumultuous locker rooms over the years.

 

[Madbiker]

Agreed. Can't blame him either, nothing worse than playing with a PG that just doesn't hit you when you're open, doesn't get it to you in the right spots, doesn't get it to you in rhythm, dribbles too much, etc.

Gillon is a good player, but he's be best suited to coming off the bench as a spark, or playing alongside a Rautins type that handles a lot of the playmaking duties.

Ideally Gillon would come off the bench...IF we had another PG who was good. We don't. Howard is usually worse.

 

[OrangeDW]

Yeah, except - Howard never figured it out, especially against decent opposition.
He had a few nice games when we played the cupcakes, but as soon as the level of competition increased, he disappeared.

You all seem to be conveniently forgetting that we were dead in the water, having gotten blown out by St Johns and BC, until Gillon was given the starting PG spot.

Am I the only one who watched this whole season?

Yes - Gillon has his flaws and limitations, but - we've been a better team with him in the lineup vs. Howard, and it's not even close.

Who doesn't think we're better with Gillon? The point many have made is that ideally Gillon would be a spark off the bench type guard because he's not a very good floor general or distributor. Unfortunately Howard hasn't played well and we've got nobody else, so Gillon is the only option.

 

[LAOrange]

We should make Lydon the point guard next year.

 

[CaptainJ]

The height differential is a real factor.

Rumor is that his reach differential has come in handy(for him) too.

 

[realorange]

It's interesting to me that the only place I have seen comments about Howard leaving are on this board.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

It's interesting to me that the only place I have seen comments about Howard leaving are on this board.

I concur, but let's see what happens after the conclusion of SU's participation in the NIT tourney. I'm figuratively dying to see what's next with this saga.

 

[HoustonCuse]

I don't think Gillon is a horrible player, but he definitely struggles to see passes that are available. This has been the case all year. I don't think he is personally icing Lydon out, I think he just doesn't see the openings. They happen multiple times per game. He is still superior to Howard who is really lost most of the time. You can see the other team's guards hunting Howard, coming in from the back to pick pocket him regularly, and with good success. He's weak.

Back to Gillon. I want to talk about this quote from JB: "He was... terrible tonight. He might play better in the morning. Hopefully he will. We'll see."

What does that mean, exactly? Why would he play better in the morning? What would the morning have to do with anything? Does he simply mean that the next game is at 11am ("morning") or is implying something else?

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I don't think Gillon is a horrible player, but he definitely struggles to see passes that are available. This has been the case all year. I don't think he is personally icing Lydon out, I think he just doesn't see the openings. They happen multiple times per game. He is still superior to Howard who is really lost most of the time. You can see the other team's guards hunting Howard, coming in from the back to pick pocket him regularly, and with good success. He's weak.

Back to Gillon. I want to talk about this quote from JB: "He was... terrible tonight. He might play better in the morning. Hopefully he will. We'll see."

What does that mean, exactly? Why would he play better in the morning? What would the morning have to do with anything? Does he simply mean that the next game is at 11am ("morning") or is implying something else?

I think he was talking about the morning on Saturday.

 

[Ghost]

Yeah, except - Howard never figured it out, especially against decent opposition.
He had a few nice games when we played the cupcakes, but as soon as the level of competition increased, he disappeared.

You all seem to be conveniently forgetting that we were dead in the water, having gotten blown out by St Johns and BC, until Gillon was given the starting PG spot.

Am I the only one who watched this whole season?

Yes - Gillon has his flaws and limitations, but - we've been a better team with him in the lineup vs. Howard, and it's not even close.

I mean, Gillon got the majority of minutes in those games. G'Town was almost all him (he started), St. Johns (started) and played 30, BC he played the majority of minutes.

You could just as easily argue that it was just stability - Howard was fine at home, awful away from the dome. Those were usually better opponents though too. Gillon was kind of crap away from home as well to be honest until NC State, and then Pitt was his only other decent away game that I recall.

That being said, I don't question the move one bit. Howard proved repeatedly that he was just too erratic. There was a spell where he couldn't catch the ball or dibble - you can't have him on the court playing like that. It was a joke and somewhat painful watching him.

Gillon may have spent 84% of the offense pounding the ball needlessly, and not passing well, but he was far more stable out there and would occasionally go ballistic, something we would NEVER have gotten from Howard.