My Take

[sutomcat]

Disjointed thoughts as I try to get through the day short a couple of hours of sleep.

Thanks ACC for the late start. Thanks SU basketball team for a heart pounding finish that required too much time to come down from so I could sleep. Greatly appreciated. Sigh.

Attendance 7045. Clemson has a chance to win an NCAA bid. They have an AA caliber player and play in the best basketball league in the country. Maybe the best basketball league ever. For shame. For shame.

Thought Clemson's defense was good for long periods but the spurts this Syracuse team is now being known for hurt it badly. Not many teams are capable of scoring 10-12 points as quickly as this one.

Blossomgame is poison once he gets into the paint. Reminded me a lot of LoMo in terms of his ability to find space and get a shot off inside. Very smart player.

Good to see TT scoring points again, and kind of staying out of foul trouble. I think every time someone gets the ball near him and makes a move, TT has fouled him. That can't continue. The good news is that he is getting better at denying the ball and cutting off lanes. He isn't a good defensive player at all but he has moved from astonishingly bad and uninterested to not very good in a short time. Progress is good. Looks like he is showing more interest getting rebounds too.

Lydon was really flushed all game long. I wonder if he was ill? Just didn't seem himself. Still managed to put up good numbers, do a yeoman-like job on the boards and make the game winning pass. But he was off shooting and a step late on defense all game long. Had to go to work down low to get points, which he did with good success. Impressed with how much better he is with his back to the basket now. Hop has done a real nice job with him.

Gillon had 8 assists and 0 turnovers. Didn't have a lot of room to penetrate, was guarded pretty closely so he couldn't shoot much from the perimeter but still got 13 points and 2 steals. He might end up making 2nd team All ACC. Who would have thunk it a month ago?

AW3 looks close to a lock for making first team all conference. I would guess TL will make 2nd team. And TB has to be a lock for the all frosh team. Again, who would have thunk it a while ago?

Thought TR quietly had a fine game. No foul trouble for the first time in a long time, good rebounding, good defense, a couple putbacks and even 2 assists. 0-2 from the FT line as he continues on a path towards SU FT shooting history, but you have to take the bad with all the good he brings. When he gets in, it seems like the whole team gets inspired and hits the offensive boards. Offensive rebounds were a key to the SU victory...without those 12 extra chances, there is no way we can win.

Howard did a lot of good things and a lot of bad things in relatively small minutes. He is hitting the boards hard and always makes a couple of good passes. But also always has a couple really bad turnovers and his matador defense continues to kill us.

The bench coaches couldn't count to 7? Can you imagine if SU had lost the game and those 2 points they gave Clemson cost us the game?

A win at Pitt would give us 17 wins, which is all I wanted from this team at one point in the season (that should ensure a winning season no matter what). Very grateful the kids never gave up on the season and with the staff found a way to start winning games.

This team, with its wide open style of play and ability to even get some points in transition now and again, is fun to watch. Watching Syracuse consistently play bad defense is weird but the fast pace of play and the high scoring is refreshing. Hope it continues (playing fast; not playing bad defense) the rest of the season.

 

[Dave85]

Someone said Brownell called a timeout before our inbound pass with 6.7 seconds to go. He did not have any timeouts left so it should have been a technical. Has this been confirmed by anyone?

 

[JeremyCuse]

Someone said Brownell called a timeout before our inbound pass with 6.7 seconds to go. He did not have any timeouts left so it should have been a technical. Has this been confirmed by anyone?

Yes it was clear as day on the replay. The ref didn't not at first and then appeared to wave him off and his assistant grabbed him.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The bench coaches couldn't count to 7? Can you imagine if SU had lost the game and those 2 points they gave Clemson cost us the game?
.

I think some of the confusion was because the sideline display boards may have shown only 6 fouls committed at that point.

 

[Orangello]

Yes it was clear as day on the replay. The ref didn't not at first and then appeared to wave him off and his assistant grabbed him.

Clear as a bell. If we had lost on that non-call it would have been criminal it was so blatant. Plus, that creep Brownell was completely out of the coaches box and on the floor when he did it and still no call.

 

[AZOrange]

Good post. Really wish Lydon would stop bringing the ball down/power dribbling in the post. Terrible habits. Needs to watch TT.

 

[OttoMets]

Good post. Really wish Lydon would stop bringing the ball down/power dribbling in the post. Terrible habits. Needs to watch TT.

That and the Todd Burgan ball fake on the perimeter. Nearly every time he catches a pass, he fakes. And every time he fakes, the defender doesn't even flinch.

 

[AZOrange]

That and the Todd Burgan ball fake on the perimeter. Nearly every time he catches a pass, he fakes. And every time he fakes, the defender doesn't even flinch.

And he travels...nearly 90 percent of the time he fakes

 

[tbonezone]

"Lydon was really flushed all game long. I wonder if he was ill? Just didn't seem himself."

i wasn't sure if it was my tv or not but i also thought tyler lydon looked real pink right from the start. i was thinking maybe the team arrived early and he got too much sun out on the balcony. he's rather fair skinned.

 

[sutomcat]

"Lydon was really flushed all game long. I wonder if he was ill? Just didn't seem himself."

i wasn't sure if it was my tv or not but i also thought tyler lydon looked real pink right from the start. i was thinking maybe the team arrived early and he got too much sun out on the balcony. he's rather fair skinned.

Maybe.

The high temperature in Clemson the last 3 days has been 63, 66 and 66.

Greenville had highs of 61, 69 and 70. Based on what I have seen of Clemson, I would guess they probably stayed there.

No beaches to my knowledge. I couldn't get that sunburned in weather like that and I have never seen TL look like that. But it could be...

 

[Dave85]

He's stronger than he looks!

 

[kirbivore]

not really surprised about the attendance. Clemson is more of an SEC type school, they don't give a shlit about hoops

 

[SoBeCuse]

Still surprised that Blossomgame is only 6-7. I thought he was 6'9 or something like that. Certainly plays bigger. His size might hurt him on the next level since he is more of a PF but he's a very good player, regardless.

 

[iommi]

Still surprised that Blossomgame is only 6-7. I thought he was 6'9 or something like that. Certainly plays bigger. His size might hurt him on the next level since he is more of a PF but he's a very good player, regardless.

Yeah, he's a bit of a tweeter but I think he will be a solid NBA role player. He needs to expand his range a little at his size.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Maybe.

The high temperature in Clemson the last 3 days has been 63, 66 and 66.

Greenville had highs of 61, 69 and 70. Based on what I have seen of Clemson, I would guess they probably stayed there.

No beaches to my knowledge. I couldn't get that sunburned in weather like that and I have never seen TL look like that. But it could be...

Battle had a fever. Maybe there is a sickness going around the team.

 

[721Comstock]

Battle had a fever.

And the only prescription is... MORE WINNING.

 

[tbonezone]

heard cruz dropped the cowbell bomb with bernie. gotta like the beers at the bar post game attitude of that debate.

 

[SU94]

Good post. Really wish Lydon would stop bringing the ball down/power dribbling in the post. Terrible habits. Needs to watch TT.

Wow, I hear/read more complaints about this ("never bring the ball down low") than I do about the zone. I mean, this might have worked for Bob Cousy or George Mikan, but nowadays, it is called a power dribble. Its purpose is to gather (center gravity) and go up strong. Lydon is many many things, but he is not strong enough to keep the ball exposed/over his head. That will get swiped damn quick. Lydon's largely a finese player and frankly, I am elated when he powers up. Good things usually happen, often two free throws.

 

[AZOrange]

Wow, I hear/read more complaints about this ("never bring the ball down low") than I do about the zone. I mean, this might have worked for Bob Cousy or George Mikan, but nowadays, it is called a power dribble. Its purpose is to gather (center gravity) and go up strong. Lydon is many many things, but he is not strong enough to keep the ball exposed/over his head. That will get swiped damn quick. Lydon's largely a finese player and frankly, I am elated when he powers up. Good things usually happen, often two free throws.

I know what it's called (I mentioned it in my post) and amazingly I know why they do it. But it's a bad habit that they use too much and at unnecessary times (there's a reason we get stripped a lot). Watch Taurean play inside. He does it right inside and almost never brings it down (and when he does bad things happen). Lydons sweet missed dunk came off the power dribble. Most of Robersons do too.

 

[bballbeadle]

Great post, Tom! Sorry about your sleeping woes. Hopefully better now. I watched the game alone writhing in agony for all but the last two seconds. I found it terribly difficult to watch but blame it on a developing neurosis: Every game seems like life and death to me now. Life and death!

Re: Lydon. In my family, we have a genetic condition known as Red Cheek Syndrome. My kids get it if they're hot, have been drinking (not when they were children!), or are emotional about something. Their cheeks flush scarlet and the skin surrounding is fish dead white. I thought I noticed in the second to last game that Lydon's face looked a little RCS-y and I definitely noticed it in this game. Will we ever know the answer?

Re: Thompson. Does anyone else think he looks very bumbling/awkward when he is moving to make a basket? I am always surprised when they go in. Love the kid; just an observation.

I look forward to watching the Duke/Carolina game tonight, texting with my Duke & Carolina friends, and feeling relaxed about the outcome. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. . . . .

 

[SWC75]

Disjointed thoughts as I try to get through the day short a couple of hours of sleep.

Thanks ACC for the late start. Thanks SU basketball team for a heart pounding finish that required too much time to come down from so I could sleep. Greatly appreciated. Sigh.

Attendance 7045. Clemson has a chance to win an NCAA bid. They have an AA caliber player and play in the best basketball league in the country. Maybe the best basketball league ever. For shame. For shame.

Thought Clemson's defense was good for long periods but the spurts this Syracuse team is now being known for hurt it badly. Not many teams are capable of scoring 10-12 points as quickly as this one.

Blossomgame is poison once he gets into the paint. Reminded me a lot of LoMo in terms of his ability to find space and get a shot off inside. Very smart player.

Good to see TT scoring points again, and kind of staying out of foul trouble. I think every time someone gets the ball near him and makes a move, TT has fouled him. That can't continue. The good news is that he is getting better at denying the ball and cutting off lanes. He isn't a good defensive player at all but he has moved from astonishingly bad and uninterested to not very good in a short time. Progress is good. Looks like he is showing more interest getting rebounds too.

Lydon was really flushed all game long. I wonder if he was ill? Just didn't seem himself. Still managed to put up good numbers, do a yeoman-like job on the boards and make the game winning pass. But he was off shooting and a step late on defense all game long. Had to go to work down low to get points, which he did with good success. Impressed with how much better he is with his back to the basket now. Hop has done a real nice job with him.

Gillon had 8 assists and 0 turnovers. Didn't have a lot of room to penetrate, was guarded pretty closely so he couldn't shoot much from the perimeter but still got 13 points and 2 steals. He might end up making 2nd team All ACC. Who would have thunk it a month ago?

AW3 looks close to a lock for making first team all conference. I would guess TL will make 2nd team. And TB has to be a lock for the all frosh team. Again, who would have thunk it a while ago?

Thought TR quietly had a fine game. No foul trouble for the first time in a long time, good rebounding, good defense, a couple putbacks and even 2 assists. 0-2 from the FT line as he continues on a path towards SU FT shooting history, but you have to take the bad with all the good he brings. When he gets in, it seems like the whole team gets inspired and hits the offensive boards. Offensive rebounds were a key to the SU victory...without those 12 extra chances, there is no way we can win.

Howard did a lot of good things and a lot of bad things in relatively small minutes. He is hitting the boards hard and always makes a couple of good passes. But also always has a couple really bad turnovers and his matador defense continues to kill us.

The bench coaches couldn't count to 7? Can you imagine if SU had lost the game and those 2 points they gave Clemson cost us the game?

A win at Pitt would give us 17 wins, which is all I wanted from this team at one point in the season (that should ensure a winning season no matter what). Very grateful the kids never gave up on the season and with the staff found a way to start winning games.

This team, with its wide open style of play and ability to even get some points in transition now and again, is fun to watch. Watching Syracuse consistently play bad defense is weird but the fast pace of play and the high scoring is refreshing. Hope it continues (playing fast; not playing bad defense) the rest of the season.

Who is LoMo? Lawrence Moten?

 

[iommi]

Who is LoMo? Lawrence Moten?

Yep.

 

[realorange]

"Lydon-------Impressed with how much better he is with his back to the basket now. Hop has done a real nice job with him."

I thought we didn't have a big man coach!!

 

[Antiprodigy]

"Lydon-------Impressed with how much better he is with his back to the basket now. Hop has done a real nice job with him."

I thought we didn't have a big man coach!!

And I thought the coaches sucked and could do nothing good? That's right, it's the players, they do it all by themselves. Imagine what they could do if only SU had decent coaches. If only they didn't hire all alumni.

 

[OrangeDW]

And I thought the coaches sucked and could do nothing good? That's right, it's the players, they do it all by themselves. Imagine what they could do if only SU had decent coaches. If only they didn't hire all alumni.

It really is comical that so many people think they are coaching experts because they watch a lot of basketball on tv and played the sport as a kid.