Kansas Pre Game Thoughts

[bballbeadle]

Off of last year, it seems the committee pays more attention to your losses than your wins. A great win doesn't seem to negate the bad losses. We don't want to get blown out but what we do in the subsequent non-conference games may be more important.

Yes! The only thing we have to lose is the game! Keep it within 15 points, have moments when we scare Kansas a little, and the stupid NCAA committee will look at the loss with benevolence. But then we have to beat Gtown and UConn. We really really do!

 

[SoBeCuse]

I didn’t say anything about our offense. I know what Kansas advantages are. They will be favored by around 11 due to an incredible offense and solid defense.

I am pointing out our advantages according to Kenpom to offset the people who say we have no chance, but don’t say why. We have about a 20% chance to win. We need to slow the game down and we have a chance.

Unlike you, I hope they put Vick on Battle. Battle is taller and outweighs him by 30 pounds. I also think Oshae is going to have a big matchup advantage due to his size and athleticism. We are bigger at every position 1-4. We have to use our size to our advantage. This is all factual information spit out by Ken Pomeroy who is much smarter than me.

Yeah hard to say. I’m much more confident in the ability of our defense to contain them than the ability of the offense to score points. It would be a shame if we held them to 60-70 points but couldn’t score. I just don’t think Vick, Graham, and co. will have a problem keeping Howard/Battle in front of them. Oshae is good for sure and a talent but he’s not going to go for 25/15 to offset if/when Frank and Tyus are kept in check. Hope I’m wrong.

 

[CusefanATL]

3/18/01 Kansas 87 Syracuse 58

I dont think we got a single rebound that game.

 

[Dave85]

Kansas has really good 3-point shooters. It's going to be tough. They like to shoot 3 pointers on transition. We can't lose the guy with the weird name. He's shoot 56% from 3. Ouch!

 

[dollarbill44]

I am pointing out our advantages according to Kenpom to offset the people who say we have no chance, but don’t say why. We have about a 20% chance to win.

JB vs Self leads me to feel that we have a 50% chance of winning. Phook all the advanced stats.

 

[moqui]

4 of them are averaging 50% or better on 3's so far this season. <jaw drops>
The other 1.5 are both 30%+... which means one of them goes off against us, as is the custom.

they are racing up the court & getting wide open shots vs mid and low major athletes. against the only p5 team they've faced, they shot 28% from 3.

small sample size warning

 

[MSOrange]

I dont think we got a single rebound that game.

I looked at the stats last night - 55-19 on the boards! Having seen most games for both games that season, I remember reading the board leading up to the game. I normally try to keep things pretty optimistic but that was one of the few times I realized we just didn't flat out have a chance.

 

['72 Orange]

I forgot this: 12/14/68 Kansas 71 Syracuse 41. My description of that game in "From the Mists of Time":

"After a loss to Fordham came the trip to Kansas to play Kansas State and Kansas on successive nights. Both were national powers in those days. The Wildcats had no problem with SU, winning 68-88. But the real embarrassment came the next night when SU took on the Jayhawks for the first time ever. They were led by their star, Jo Jo White. Danforth decided the only way SU could stay in this game was with the stall. NC State had famously upset Duke in the ACC tournament the previous March by carrying the stall to its absurd end in a 12-10 win:
On March 8, 1968... - StateFans Nation

The thing is, they couldn’t even execute that properly. White and his teammates destroyed it with defensive pressure, running away from SU 41-71 while the crowd booed the Orange’s unwillingness to play normal basketball as well as their ineptitude at even executing their chosen strategy. This was the first of several games in this period that would contend for “The Bottom”- the time when the situation was as bad as it could be, with nowhere to go but up."

That’s the game where Tom Green picked up the nickname JoJo as he was assigned to guard the All American and got torched!

 

[Orangezoo]

if we can dictate tempo (i think we can), then we should be able to stay with them as long as boo & choo stay on the floor. but if our bigs foul out, it could get ugly fast.

kansas is running teams out of the gym, but kentucky was able to dictate tempo. and our guards are bigger & more experienced than uk'

it's true that we haven't faced anything like kansas, but on the other hand, they haven't faced anything like us. big, physical, experienced guards; a unique defensive scheme designed to slow tempo; athleticism at all 5 positions

in the prediction thread i'll pick kansas to win by 10-12, but i think we can play with them.

Agree 100 pct. Also Kansas has always done this... Even go back to the Roy days and the game vs Marquette before we beat them for the title. They are a different team when defended well and do not like to play a grinder.

 

[M2MPrinciples]

Kansas is absolutely lethal in transition, but we've been pretty good at making teams run offense with how well we crash the offensive glass and don't turn the ball over. If we keep that up, I think we'll have a shot, but getting out on their shooters will be key.

 

[supp]

They absolutely destroyed both Oakland and Toledo. That doesn't mean they'll do the same to us but it doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies either.

 

[tipphill]

Not to be Debbie Downer, but I’m just hoping we keep it within 20. KU looks like the best team in the country right now. They are destroying every team they play. The same teams we beat by 8 to 20 they are beating by 40+. Hopefully the zone slows them down.

we might have a better chance if we played them a month from now.

 

[sugrad68]

I live in Austin, Texas and recently an un-ranked U of Texas played heavily favored and #1 Duke. Texas was up by 16 I believe in the second half until the roof fell in. That loss was a win for UT. Hopefully the same will happen for SU. Even if they lose but play well against one of the top teams in the nation they can't lose. But getting blown out would not help.

 

[reedny]

The big win vs Maryland makes this game all gravy.

Agree. UM was a confidence builder. We have a young team. We're not beating MM's by 30 or 40 because our guys are still learning the zone, adapting to D-1/high major speed and developing their offensive games against better athletes. So KU's a way-too-early test, but if we can keep it competitive, even a loss could help us.

 

[JazzNC]

IMO, if Syracuse is to stand a chance against Kansas we need the following to play out:

1. Battle must be 100%
2. Chukwu and Sidibe must stay out of foul trouble
3. We need to win the rebounding battle
4. We need to hit a minimum of 5-6 three pointers.
5. We need to get back on defense
6. We need to have no more than 12-14 turnoves for the game.
7. We need to scrap and outhustle Kansas to loose balls.
8. We need Kansas to struggle shooting the 3 with our size on the perimeter.

We do these things, we have put ourselves in a position to have a chance. Would love to see us get a W, but realistically if we lose by less than 8-10 points and play well, that is a win itself. Let's Go Orange!!!!!

 

[SUskibum]

IMO, if Syracuse is to stand a chance against Kansas we need the following to play out:

1. Battle must be 100%
2. Chukwu and Sidibe must stay out of foul trouble
3. We need to win the rebounding battle
4. We need to hit a minimum of 5-6 three pointers.
5. We need to get back on defense
6. We need to have no more than 12-14 turnoves for the game.
7. We need to scrap and outhustle Kansas to loose balls.
8. We need Kansas to struggle shooting the 3 with our size on the perimeter.

We do these things, we have put ourselves in a position to have a chance. Would love to see us get a W, but realistically if we lose by less than 8-10 points and play well, that is a win itself. Let's Go Orange!!!!!

I like our chances with everything but #1 and #8.

For #1. I think Battle will be closer to 80% instead of the 60% he was at vs Maryland which could be good enough. I would substitute, 10-15 good minutes from Geno because there is a better chance of that than Battle being 100%.

For #3. I’m not sure we can get them to struggle on a % basis, but hopefully we can limit the volume by extending the zone and encouraging them to pass/drive back inside (where we force a turnover?)

EDIT: Apparently there is a better chance of Battle being 100% than getting 10-15 good minutes out of Thorpe!

 

[sutomcat]

Good stuff.

With Preston suspended, Kansas only plays 7. They have a 7'0 280 pound center from Nigeria named Udoka Azubuike who is their only center. I expect we will attack him and try to get him in foul trouble. If we do, they have the 6'8 foreign dude (Mykhailiuk) with the weird name and then 5 guards. That is it.

It should be pointed out though that Billy made the trip to Miami and Self is hoping he is allowed to play.

Anyway, Kansas is a small team and I think we can hurt them inside. Especially on the offensive boards.

Azubuike is going to be tough to stop down low. I hope PC and BS have been working on drawing charges.