My Take

[sutomcat]

Didn't attend the game and didn't even watch it game obsessively due to Halloween candy giving obligations. But I did watch is some.

Quick observations:

We pressed almost all game. If we are able to make the other team waste 10 seconds to get the ball over midcourt and start attacking the zone in earnest, it will make the zone a lot harder to attack. So many well executed scores against the zone end with someone taking a good shot with 1 second on the shot clock. Even a 5 second delay should make the SU 2-3 a lot more efficient, and with the full roster, we have the bodies to do it and not suffer major issues when subbing. Looks like this change might be sticking all season.

Buddy isn't perfect. He made a few bad decisions early and maybe was frustrated a little at the small but quick Dolphins nipping at his ankles and knees. LeMoyne made him run around on defense some and got him out of position a few times. But he still hits open jumpers and his pull up mid range jumper has been consistently good and something that will get him points a lot during his career here.

Marek was more involved on offense last night. Might have been a little more assertive, but I think Tyus is getting better running the half court offense too. He made a nice 3 and his form looks better than ever. Great defense and floor game and I think he might be our best passer too (though Frank is very good here too).

Hughes kept us in the game early, when LeMoyne hit 3 3s and looked like they might give Syracuse a real game. He makes basketball look really easy. No wasted motion, always seems to be in the right place, no seeing many bad decisions. He seems to do everything well and is one cool cat.

I thought Chukwu looked solid. Our defense is fundamentally better when he is i. He seems fundamentally more secure and solid. I think he is going to have a nice improvement across the board during his senior season.

Sidibe played okay but doesn't look as good as he should against these little guys. Might be lacking some confidence right now. Had a nice spin move and looks like he is not limping but I get the sense he is not going all out yet. LeMoyne got past him for lay ups too much, needs to get better fundamentals playing defense.

Brissett was like a man among boys. It was good to see him post up down low and take advantage of his size and strength. Shot it well from the 2 point circle and his defense was really good. Could we possibly have 2 All ACC players on this team?

I thought Battle did a nice job putting his aggressive driving urges on hold so he could focus on running the offense. He can pass it and understands the pick and roll. Ran a beautiful one with Marek.

Braswell got a far amount of playing time and finally took advantage of it, blew past his man on the perimeter and made a nice3 layup with a midge nearby. He played a lot with the walk-ons, where he was forced by the numbers to be more aggressive with the ball. It looks like his confidence level is not super high right now. Hope he finds his chi soon, but right now, it looks like it might be a good idea to redshirt him.

Who is the best walk-on on this team?

Ky Feldman, by a large margin. Good ballhandler, good passer, good athletic ability and it even looks like he can shoot. If only he were 7 inches taller.

LeMoyne has a lot of capable players, some solid shooters and I think they will have a very good team this year. Was impressed at how they attacked the zone and worked the ball. They battled for everything and despite the score, made Syracuse work.

What was up with all the weird beards? How hipster of them.

 

[reedny]

Hughes is better than I expected offensively, even with JB's praise. Where's the "rust" we usually see after a year not playing games? This is the kind of (strong/beefy) player that gives us fits defensively - a volume scorer that has to be played to shoot but then is too powerful to keep out of the lane. Will be fun to watch him this year and that block was evidence that he can contribute (at least against smaller teams) on the defensive glass.

Buddy is going to be a really good player for us and add lots of depth at SG. Not only can he stroke it, I thought he moved well laterally and looked aggressive in the press. Defenders counting on him to spot up for 3's will be disappointed that he can bounce it for a MR pull-up.

Totally agree on Sid being behind, and Chukwu looking stronger and more confident around the rim.

Our scoring diffusion impressed me. Yes it was a D-II team, but they're pesky defensively. We still showed good balance and racked up almost 90 points with our starting PG and his (talented) backup on the bench. Fasten your seatbealts ... this will be a fun year once we get healed up.

 

[CusefanATL]

Brissett was like a man among boys. It was good to see him post up down low and take advantage of his size and strength. Shot it well from the 2 point circle and his defense was really good. Could we possibly have 2 All ACC players on this team?

My question is can Oshae be a 1st team All American? And is he the reason Tyus ends up being 2nd team?

Oshae is a man among boys. I have made no qualms about my basketball crush on him. He is our best player. He is 1 of the nations best players. and he will have a heckuva NBA career.

Oshae is what makes this team a natty contender. I am either going to very very right (like the dude who said DUngey was going to EXPLODE on sat) or be very very wrong. But i am confident as hell in him and my prediction.

Same confiedence level i was with Dino when we hired him when we went 4-8, when we went 4-8 again, and now. That man is the man for this job. He will have a statue on the quad when its all said and done. I told him that in so many words during one of the bus tours in Rochester, i just hope he remembers it when USC comes calling. Because he and Syracuse are la familia ohana and USC is not.

 

[Waltdods]

My question is can Oshae be a 1st team All American? And is he the reason Tyus ends up being 2nd team?

Oshae is a man among boys. I have made no qualms about my basketball crush on him. He is our best player. He is 1 of the nations best players. and he will have a heckuva NBA career.

Oshae is what makes this team a natty contender. I am either going to very very right (like the dude who said DUngey was going to EXPLODE on sat) or be very very wrong. But i am confident as hell in him and my prediction.

Same confiedence level i was with Dino when we hired him when we went 4-8, when we went 4-8 again, and now. That man is the man for this job. He will have a statue on the quad when its all said and done. I told him that in so many words during one of the bus tours in Rochester, i just hope he remembers it when USC comes calling. Because he and Syracuse are la familia ohana and USC is not.

Plus one on this, maybe with a bit less confidence on the nba prediction. I think Brissett is going to be the best player SU has had since senior Hak. If he can just make layups there is essentially no hole in his game.

Think he will be one of the five best players in the conference and ten best in the country. Not sure that makes him an all-American, especially bc battle will put up numbers and he starts well behind on hype. Duke is basically guaranteed at least one slot before the season starts.

This is probably not the most promising statement, but he is the player I’m most excited for since the legend of Paul Harris circa 2006. Have a feeling this ones going to go a lot better...