My two cents

[cuseguy]

Many thought this was a team that could make a serious Final 4 run. After what happened last year, anything is possible. But unless there's a huge transformation from our two point guards, it's not happening.

Many underestimated what the team would look like with Howard and Gillon running the team instead of Gbinije. Others overlooked what the top of the zone would look like without Gbinije and Cooney. Yeah, we crucified Cooney at times, but you couldn't measure his intangibles and intensity.

By SU standards, this appears to be an ordinary team. At this rate, probably 20-22 wins in the regular season. The next eight games get easier and almost become must wins. One stumble and we'll find ourselves much like last year -- on the bubble.

Hopeful JB figures it out and the team begins to gel at some point. But concerned the pieces aren't there.

 

[pearl31]

But concerned the pieces aren't there.

so I get what you're saying and parts of your post are valid but this last statement is false, imo. The pieces most definitely ARE there - it's getting the right ones fitting together at the right times that is not there, yet

 

[cuseguy]

so I get what you're saying and parts of your post are valid but this last statement is false, imo. The pieces most definitely ARE there - it's getting the right ones fitting together at the right times that is not there, yet

I'm not convinced we're going to figure out the point guard spot.

You can move Battle to the 2, but your point guards are still Howard and Gillon. Neither has shined so far against good competition. Howard still seems to be feeling his way and lacks confidence, Gillon is limited because of his size. We're going to need to see a lot of growth from both before January.

There really was room here next year for an elite point guard.

 

[pearl31]

I'm not convinced we're going to figure out the point guard spot.

You can move Battle to the 2, but your point guards are still Howard and Gillon. Neither has shined so far against good competition. Howard still seems to be feeling his way and lacks confidence, Gillon is limited because of his size. We're going to need to see a lot of growth from both before January.

There really was room here next year for an elite point guard.

Frankie will be OK, imo

 

[RF2044]

Frankie will be OK, imo

Here's hoping.

 

[OttoMets]

Cooney was an offensive liability and Gbinije couldn't run the offense any better than Gillon or Howard. That's why they lost like 14 games last year.

I'm sure these guards will surpass that production in the next couple months. They could use some help from the staff, though. And White shouldn't be one of those guards.

 

[AZOrange]

Cooney was an offensive liability and Gbinije couldn't run the offense any better than Gillon or Howard. That's why they lost like 14 games last year.

I'm sure these guards will surpass that production in the next couple months. They could use some help from the staff, though. And White shouldn't be one of those guards.

Yeah JB has to stop toying with all the lineups. Run frank-battle-white-Lydon-D.C. Out there and be done with it. Rotate Gillon, Robey and TT in. Never play Chukwu again

 

[Rage4CUSE]

Yeah JB has to stop toying with all the lineups. Run frank-battle-white-Lydon-D.C. Out there and be done with it. Rotate Gillon, Robey and TT in. Never play Chukwu again

He'll get in when were playing the mid-majors again and he's playing against people a foot shorter then him.

 

[OttoMets]

Yeah JB has to stop toying with all the lineups. Run frank-battle-white-Lydon-D.C. Out there and be done with it. Rotate Gillon, Robey and TT in. Never play Chukwu again

I think the next three weeks will make or break Chukwu's season. Either he eliminates the crazy mistakes or Boeheim will have made his decision and he'll be playing for fun against Cornell and you'll get your wish after that. That'd limit the team's ceiling, I believe, but his recent play has been poor enough to merit dropping out of the lineup.

 

[AZOrange]

I think the next three weeks will make or break Chukwu's season. Either he eliminates the crazy mistakes or Boeheim will have made his decision and he'll be playing for fun against Cornell and you'll get your wish after that. That'd limit the team's ceiling, I believe, but his recent play has been poor enough to merit dropping out of the lineup.

I don't think it limits us at all. We need a shorter bench. TT and Lydon can spot the 5.

 

[AZOrange]

He'll get in when were playing the mid-majors again and he's playing against people a foot shorter then him.

This is why playing a deep bench for the sake of playing a deep bench is a dumb idea.

 

[OttoMets]

Also (ducking the rotten fruit that'll be thrown my way), I'm going to return to advocating for what I thought would happen all summer long: Lydon off the bench.

He's struggling badly. Bring him in as instant offense with Gillon and give him a chance to go against second-stringers or slightly tired starters. Howard/Battle/White/Roberson/Coleman with those two guys off the bench could shake things up in a good way and eliminate most of our personnel mismatches (if not our ineffective scheme).

 

[OttoMets]

I don't think it limits us at all. We need a shorter bench. TT and Lydon can spot the 5.

Eh, they can't. Lydon's such a liability there, and Thompson struggles enough at his natural position. A good team needs a good center. If we can't identify one, we're worse off for it.

 

[Rage4CUSE]

I think the next three weeks will make or break Chukwu's season. Either he eliminates the crazy mistakes or Boeheim will have made his decision and he'll be playing for fun against Cornell and you'll get your wish after that. That'd limit the team's ceiling, I believe, but his recent play has been poor enough to merit dropping out of the lineup.

His recent play merit's getting the Obokoh treatment. Now we should give him 2 years. But if he's still at Obokoh level of misperformance, he should spend his grad-transfer year at a mid-major.

 

[AZOrange]

Eh, they can't. Lydon's such a liability there, and Thompson struggles enough at his natural position. A good team needs a good center. If we can't identify one, we're worse off for it.

I don't think Lydons a liability there at all compared to what we have. Chukwu isn't the answer.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Also (ducking the rotten fruit that'll be thrown my way), I'm going to return to advocating for what I thought would happen all summer long: Lydon off the bench.

He's struggling badly. Bring him in as instant offense with Gillon and give him a chance to go against second-stringers or slightly tired starters. Howard/Battle/White/Roberson/Coleman with those two guys off the bench could shake things up in a good way and eliminate most of our personnel mismatches (if not our ineffective scheme).

It's still stupid. Lydon isn't playing his best, but he's still playing better than just about everyone else on the team.

 

[jr4750]

I don't think Lydons a liability there at all compared to what we have. Chukwu isn't the answer.

You're saying the the fast break play where PC let two UW players get behind him makes him a liability. Crazy talk!

Ugh, not sure what was worse, that, or when he didn't attempt to lay the ball in, with a 4 inch advantage on his defender and threw it out of bounds.

 

[AZOrange]

You're saying the the fast break play where PC let two UW players get behind him makes him a liability. Crazy talk!

Ugh, not sure what was worse, that, or when he didn't attempt to lay the ball in, with a 4 inch advantage on his defender and threw it out of bounds.

The pass out of bounds was worse imo.