SUMBA
2nd String
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2011
- Messages
- 869
- Like
- 1,860
What has been lost in all the "do they or don't they deserve to be in" talk is the improvement in our bigs. Early in the season most of us knew our perimeter guys could play. The middle was a question mark on both ends. Personally, I thought that this team could go as far as our bigs could take us. However, earlier this season that didn't seem to be very far.
Whatever the reason our bigs have improved tremendously, which I think is the single biggest reason for our tourney run. So here's to our big men!
Roberson- Has shown the consistency that we all knew he could provide. After that monster game at Cameron he disappeared for a while-long enough to draw JB's ire. During the tourney he has been a rebounding machine. Dare I saw he has been Rodmanesque (on the court!). If he can't secure the rebound he has often been able to tip it to a teammate to keep a possession alive or end one for our opponent.
Perhaps the biggest change in his game from earlier is that he can actually stay in contests. Earlier in the year he seemed to be over the back constantly. He has matured during the season and seems to understand that him saying on the court is more important than getting that rebound when an opponent has position (this is when he often tries to tip the ball in order to keep it alive) .
Offensively, he is playing within himself. He doesn't have to score bushels of baskets for us to win he just has to be enough of a threat for the opponents to guard him. Earlier in his career some teams would play man to man and leave him completely unguarded. They preferred to double one of our perimeter guys and take their chances with an open Robey. He since made them guard him and has also made some pretty passes out of the posts for open shooters. His offensive emergence has opened up the court for our perimeter players to show their stuff.
Kudos, Mr. Roberson!
DCII- What can I say about young Mr. Coleman? Nothing but respect for his dedication to his craft. The work it took just to get back on the court is amazing. As fans, I think we were unfair to DCII early in the season. We expected a guy who hadn't played in the better part of two years to play at his ceiling. DCII had some rust to shake off early but he improved as the season progressed. He has shown flashes of brilliance at times and it is good to see.
Like Roberson, DCII has improved on defense by eliminating unnecessary fouls. It may seem easy to stand straight up in the post, hands over head on defense, but anyone who has played the game can confirm this is not so. A typical player's first instinct is to go for the ball. More often, this leads to personal fouls than to blocked shots.
The importance of DCII remaining game eligible was clear on Sunday when he grabbed some critical boards late in the game after Robey had fouled out.
Kudos, Mr. Coleman!
Lydon- When I first saw Lydon play I was amazed at his offensive ability. I also thought that he would get pushed around by big centers when we got to the ACC part of our schedule. Turns out I was right-to a point. Give Tyler credit for figuring out how to compete with quickness and footwork in the post. It has been a while since I can recall him getting manhandled in the paint-perhaps that is the Rico effect!
Tyler's ability to block shots has been unbelievable during this run. That includes the second most important blocked shot in SU history.
Kudos, Mr. Lydon!
So, Saturday around 8:00 or so, when the first game can't end soon enough and you have started your (fill in the blank) _____ beverage of choice, raise your glass and toast our bigs!
PS. Let's Go Orange!!!!!
Whatever the reason our bigs have improved tremendously, which I think is the single biggest reason for our tourney run. So here's to our big men!
Roberson- Has shown the consistency that we all knew he could provide. After that monster game at Cameron he disappeared for a while-long enough to draw JB's ire. During the tourney he has been a rebounding machine. Dare I saw he has been Rodmanesque (on the court!). If he can't secure the rebound he has often been able to tip it to a teammate to keep a possession alive or end one for our opponent.
Perhaps the biggest change in his game from earlier is that he can actually stay in contests. Earlier in the year he seemed to be over the back constantly. He has matured during the season and seems to understand that him saying on the court is more important than getting that rebound when an opponent has position (this is when he often tries to tip the ball in order to keep it alive) .
Offensively, he is playing within himself. He doesn't have to score bushels of baskets for us to win he just has to be enough of a threat for the opponents to guard him. Earlier in his career some teams would play man to man and leave him completely unguarded. They preferred to double one of our perimeter guys and take their chances with an open Robey. He since made them guard him and has also made some pretty passes out of the posts for open shooters. His offensive emergence has opened up the court for our perimeter players to show their stuff.
Kudos, Mr. Roberson!
DCII- What can I say about young Mr. Coleman? Nothing but respect for his dedication to his craft. The work it took just to get back on the court is amazing. As fans, I think we were unfair to DCII early in the season. We expected a guy who hadn't played in the better part of two years to play at his ceiling. DCII had some rust to shake off early but he improved as the season progressed. He has shown flashes of brilliance at times and it is good to see.
Like Roberson, DCII has improved on defense by eliminating unnecessary fouls. It may seem easy to stand straight up in the post, hands over head on defense, but anyone who has played the game can confirm this is not so. A typical player's first instinct is to go for the ball. More often, this leads to personal fouls than to blocked shots.
The importance of DCII remaining game eligible was clear on Sunday when he grabbed some critical boards late in the game after Robey had fouled out.
Kudos, Mr. Coleman!
Lydon- When I first saw Lydon play I was amazed at his offensive ability. I also thought that he would get pushed around by big centers when we got to the ACC part of our schedule. Turns out I was right-to a point. Give Tyler credit for figuring out how to compete with quickness and footwork in the post. It has been a while since I can recall him getting manhandled in the paint-perhaps that is the Rico effect!
Tyler's ability to block shots has been unbelievable during this run. That includes the second most important blocked shot in SU history.
Kudos, Mr. Lydon!
So, Saturday around 8:00 or so, when the first game can't end soon enough and you have started your (fill in the blank) _____ beverage of choice, raise your glass and toast our bigs!
PS. Let's Go Orange!!!!!
