Josh Pace People forget that when Edelin came back
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JOC44
You know how Boeheim do sometimes
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when played at guard, Josh Pace was one of the five-best top-of-the-zone defenders I have seen at Syracuse. He fought over every pick.
The issue was that when played st the 2, our offense was dysfunctional, unless our PG and at least one of our forwards (preferably both) could shoot out to the three-point line
The issue was that when played st the 2, our offense was dysfunctional, unless our PG and at least one of our forwards (preferably both) could shoot out to the three-point line
PauliePeppas
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will always be one of my favorite players
SBU72
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And despite EVERYBODY knew it was his favorite/ best move and that he could only use his left hand, they couldn't stop him!
Ghost
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Yup - he had some big games early in the season as well - he was good in that Memphis game, etc...
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Yes it was
I'm always beating this drum too. Kids like Pace played their way into the lineup by doing good things almost every time they got minutes. It's a tough ask, especially of freshmen/sophs, but it's how JB operates. You can still hate that policy but it is what it is. Pace was a really underrated player here, IMO.
DilemaCuse
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I remember, nice 8 man rotation
it was hard to play Pace with Edelin, teams would sag off the both of them and dare them to shoot
it was hard to play Pace with Edelin, teams would sag off the both of them and dare them to shoot
SUFan44
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Could only do it with Duany at the 3 and Melo at the 4.
Ghost
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Okay, I don't entirely agree with this - I mean, he didn't "play his way into the lineup" unless you think he played his way out of it when Edelin returned.
The first game of the season he played 24 minutes, a game we lost, against Memphis, was 5-5 from the field, 10 points, 6 boards, 2 assists...
The last game before Billy returned he went for 6 points, 6 boards, 5 assists in 26 minutes.
He was a fairly decent stat stuffer who to the lineup returned at the end.
We lost a game when Billy returned, and within one game he was down to 0 minutes against Miami.
He wasn't having a bad season and resurrected himself, he was having a decent season, disappeared, and then a decent end to the season. What happens in the middle is Edelin getting acclimated, which was likely essential, but I'm not sure Pace played himself out of the lineup any more than he did play himself into it.
If you came out with a list of all time great su role players Josh is at the top of that list.
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Fair point. What I was meaning to say was he was so good every time he was on the floor he made it hard, if not impossible, to take him off the floor. But your point stands in terms of playing his way into the lineup.
Ghost
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Very true! I also think we had our hands tied a bit because of the Edelin situation, a very unique year where we really had to get him minutes to gel, but Pace was always a great stat stuffer and very versatile. One of my favs to watch.
Scooch
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I lost it on this board when he got that DNP vs
Miami. It was everything I hate about JB’s rotations. Glad he saw the light and got Pace back in the lineup.
SUFan44
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Or have a jump shot.
Hogtowncuse
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Slightly off topic but one of my favorite memories of 2003 was how Edelin...with virtually no jump shot and limited athleticism, could always find a way to beat his defender off the bounce and find someone for an open shot. I remember yelling at the TV to make sure he didn't pass the ball off too early and eliminate his drive and dish option. Why no one could really guard him is still a mystery.
Dmcnabbrules
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It’s funny that people think Billy wasn’t athletic. He couldn’t be guarded because he had a great handle with both hands.
OrangeDW
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Yup. And he was deceptive. He had that change of pace and hesitate and go stuff down pat. And I think he was more athletic than he gets credit for. He wasn’t a leaper, and also wasn’t blazing fast...but he was smooth. Kinda like Moten to an extent, though Moten was a better athlete.
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