My Take

[sutomcat]

In order for a good but not great team to win an NC, you need some breaks with matches, some really inspired play and you need a year where there are no great teams to stop you.

Things were looking good until this game. UNC was clearly the better team. SU didn't play really well...Silent G struggled, TRob went back to bad TRob, and Lydon finally played like you would expect a freshman to play. Credit to the Tarheels for a lot of that. They defended Syracuse well, took care of business on the boards, and attacked the 2-3 far better than anyone else did during the tourney run. Man, they have a lot of players that can hit a mid range jump shot...

Earlier in the year, they were not a good defensive team and I think we had a much better shot at beating them. Not any more. The NC game should be a good one. I think Nova will probably win, as UNC's outside shooting problems might finally catch up to them, but it should close, exciting and high scoring.

Props to Trevor, who bounced backdrop that bad Pitt game in the ACC Tournament to have a great run in the Big Dance. Hope Mali decides to come back. If he does, the offense will be largely built around him and he has a great chance to really move up the draft boards. If not, it was fun watching him play, wasn't it?

Next year's team should be a good one. If Mali comes back, i would expect Syracuse to be a top 25 team in pre-season and I think we have a reasonable chance to win the ACC, which should be a wide open race. It isn't going to help that the team will return home to blizzard conditions...

It was a good run. You have to like any season where the basketball team is still playing after the Spring football game has been played. As it happens, today is the opening day for the Mets and we still have the women's game to look forward to.

War Damn Otto! Beat Washington!

 

[OrangeFoo]

Go Mets

 

[OttoMets]

In order for a good but not great team to win an NC, you need some breaks with matches, some really inspired play and you need a year where there are no great teams to stop you.

Things were looking good until this game. UNC was clearly the better team. SU didn't play really well...Silent G struggled, TRob went back to bad TRob, and Lydon finally played like you would expect a freshman to play. ...

Perhaps I'm analyzing this too deeply, but I'm surprised by this characterization - of all the players to single out as "bad," Roberson doesn't seem like that guy. Did he carry us over the hump? No. But he's not an option on offense, he did his job on the glass, and he made the best of a bad situation on defense (where he was put into a bad situation with our guards unable to prevent dribble penetration). He was there and he didn't hurt us.

 

[Orangemen]

If mal comes back pre season top 5 is very likely.

All you need for pre season top 5 is some buzz, and a final four run with mal and Lydon back gives us that and then some.

 

[JoeSU]

Perhaps I'm analyzing this too deeply, but I'm surprised by this characterization - of all the players to single out as "bad," Roberson doesn't seem like that guy. Did he carry us over the hump? No. But he's not an option on offense, he did his job on the glass, and he made the best of a bad situation on defense (where he was put into a bad situation with our guards unable to prevent dribble penetration). He was there and he didn't hurt us.

I saw it as a mixed bag. Roberson was our only consistent rebounder (9), but ont 3 were on the defensive glass. The UNC front court (Johnson, Meeks and Jackson) accounted for 48 pts., while Roberson had 0 blocks and only 1 PF.

 

[MadNY3]

Think Roberson description is a tad harsh. And if Mali is back next year, this is looking like a Top 15-type team.

So looking forward to next season. 2016-17 could have the least amount of clouds over the program since...2010.

 

[manleyzoo]

In order for a good but not great team to win an NC, you need some breaks with matches, some really inspired play and you need a year where there are no great teams to stop you.

Things were looking good until this game. UNC was clearly the better team. SU didn't play really well...Silent G struggled, TRob

Maybe you had a few too many ginger ales before writing this post...with all due respect, when Villanova won Georgetown was a great team. When NC St won Houston was a great team. Danny and the Miracles in 1988 beat a great 35-4 Oklahoma team with Harvey Grant, Stacy King and Mookie Blalock. This year our win against Virginia could easily be argued that we beat a great team. For the season, they shot 49 percent as a team and often looked just like the undefeated 76 Indiana team, one of the greatest teams in history that shot 52 percent for the season.

Don't quite get the TRob comment...he had 9 rebounds, 6 offensive, playing against a hundred guys who were taller than him and just as agile and active. With that level of effort against any other team he likely comes away with double that. As I recall bad TRob owed to his poor effort which dictated his results. That clearly wasn't the case yesterday.

 

[SBU72]

Think Roberson description is a tad harsh. And if Mali is back next year, this is looking like a Top 15-type team.

So looking forward to next season. 2016-17 could have the least amount of clouds over the program since...2010.

I agree, he was playing against 2 and 3 guys who were bigger, stronger and could jump. 9 rbs was above his season average. 2 points on 3 shots while low for him isn't worse than most of the team was doing.

 

[OttoMets]

I saw it as a mixed bag. Roberson was our only consistent rebounder (9), but ont 3 were on the defensive glass. The UNC front court (Johnson, Meeks and Jackson) accounted for 48 pts., while Roberson had 0 blocks and only 1 PF.

Yeah, not his best performance, for sure. And I agree that counting up total rebounds isn't the best way to judge production (it's entirely possible that a guy can grab 9 but fail to box out and miss another 9 that were available). UNC won the forward position yesterday, and it wasn't close.

He was on an island defensively, though - pretty poor showing by many of Roberson's teammates (though Coleman had some excellent defensive work for a few possessions). It's also worth noting that Carolina makes a ton of low-percentage shots from 15 and in; it's like watching a team from the '80s - these guys are really skilled.

 

[stuckinbig11]

They defended Syracuse well, took care of business on the boards, and attacked the 2-3 far better than anyone else did during the tourney run.

One way to beat the zone and get rebounds is to camp out under the basket and never get called for three seconds. For a while in the second half, I watched and counted. Five seconds was typical.

 

[JoeSU]

Yeah, not his best performance, for sure. And I agree that counting up total rebounds isn't the best way to judge production (it's entirely possible that a guy can grab 9 but fail to box out and miss another 9 that were available). UNC won the forward position yesterday, and it wasn't close.

He was on an island defensively, though - pretty poor showing by many of Roberson's teammates (though Coleman had some excellent defensive work for a few possessions). It's also worth noting that Carolina makes a ton of low-percentage shots from 15 and in; it's like watching a team from the '80s - these guys are really skilled.

I agree about Coleman.
If someone had told me that UNC would shoot 4/17 from 3-pont range, I would have predicted we would win (or at least the score would be close).

 

[LAOrange]

In order for a good but not great team to win an NC, you need some breaks with matches, some really inspired play and you need a year where there are no great teams to stop you.

Things were looking good until this game. UNC was clearly the better team. SU didn't play really well...Silent G struggled, TRob went back to bad TRob, and Lydon finally played like you would expect a freshman to play. Credit to the Tarheels for a lot of that. They defended Syracuse well, took care of business on the boards, and attacked the 2-3 far better than anyone else did during the tourney run. Man, they have a lot of players that can hit a mid range jump shot...

Earlier in the year, they were not a good defensive team and I think we had a much better shot at beating them. Not any more. The NC game should be a good one. I think Nova will probably win, as UNC's outside shooting problems might finally catch up to them, but it should close, exciting and high scoring.

Props to Trevor, who bounced backdrop that bad Pitt game in the ACC Tournament to have a great run in the Big Dance. Hope Mali decides to come back. If he does, the offense will be largely built around him and he has a great chance to really move up the draft boards. If not, it was fun watching him play, wasn't it?

Next year's team should be a good one. If Mali comes back, i would expect Syracuse to be a top 25 team in pre-season and I think we have a reasonable chance to win the ACC, which should be a wide open race. It isn't going to help that the team will return home to blizzard conditions...

It was a good run. You have to like any season where the basketball team is still playing after the Spring football game has been played. As it happens, today is the opening day for the Mets and we still have the women's game to look forward to.

War Damn Otto! Beat Washington!

TomCat. I've loved your reports for years. Thanks for another great season. Can't wait for DinoBall!!!

 

[SUMBA]

One way to beat the zone and get rebounds is to camp out under the basket and never get called for three seconds. For a while in the second half, I watched and counted. Five seconds was typical.

I did the same thing and came up with the same results. Refs rarely call three seconds anymore.

 

[kuethstheman]

Man, they have a lot of players that can hit a mid range jump shot...

I would put it this way: Man, they have a lot of players that didn't miss ANY mid-range jump shots!

 

[baggerbob]

I would put it this way: Man, they have a lot of players that didn't miss ANY mid-range jump shots!

Next year with 7-2, and Tyler on the wing, those shots aren't easy, some will be returned to sender.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Yeah, not his best performance, for sure. And I agree that counting up total rebounds isn't the best way to judge production (it's entirely possible that a guy can grab 9 but fail to box out and miss another 9 that were available). UNC won the forward position yesterday, and it wasn't close.

He was on an island defensively, though - pretty poor showing by many of Roberson's teammates (though Coleman had some excellent defensive work for a few possessions). It's also worth noting that Carolina makes a ton of low-percentage shots from 15 and in; it's like watching a team from the '80s - these guys are really skilled.

Your last statement is right on the money. Can't fault him for not getting rebounds on made shots. And that UNC team made a lot of shots yesterday. Especially the bigs.

 

[Madbiker]

Always enjoy your post game analysis. Thanks for posting these.

 

[OttoMets]

Your last statement is right on the money. Can't fault him for not getting rebounds on made shots. And that UNC team made a lot of shots yesterday. Especially the bigs.

They're so good, it's kind of refreshing. It's nicer to sit here today after losing to a team like that, much better than losing to one of those Butler types.

 

[LennX6]

If mal comes back pre season top 5 is very likely.

All you need for pre season top 5 is some buzz, and a final four run with mal and Lydon back gives us that and then some.

I believe we are top 5 with or without Malachi. Who else is there? Villanova, yes Louisville? probably? Kansas yep
I think this new rule with the draft will make it hard to tell the upcoming landscape for anyone.

 

[two3zone]

I believe we are top 5 with or without Malachi. Who else is there? Villanova, yes Louisville? probably? Kansas yep
I think this new rule with the draft will make it hard to tell the upcoming landscape for anyone.

Without Mali I don't think we're top 5 but top 20 for sure. With Mali it would be a travesty if we're not in the top 10.

Losing 2 starting 5th year seniors is difficult but I think we're in a better position to replicate their production with what's coming in than we were this year after loosing Rak.

 

[kuethstheman]

Next year with 7-2, and Tyler on the wing, those shots aren't easy, some will be returned to sender.

I agree but I'll say this. A lot of the shots they hit from 10-15 were well defended. It just didn't matter. 7'2" though is a whole different deal.

 

[two3zone]

Bad Trob? Dude had 9 rebounds against 3 monsters. Couldn't ask more than he gave during the tournament.

 

[LennX6]

Without Mali I don't think we're top 5 but top 20 for sure. With Mali it would be a travesty if we're not in the top 10.

Losing 2 starting 5th year seniors is difficult but I think we're in a better position to replicate their production with what's coming in than we were this year after loosing Rak.

Losing senior guards hurt but I'm not sure even JB know how much time at guard he was going to go with Michael for.