Not surprised

[cuseguy]

When my brother-in-law texted me last night and wondered whether he should lay the 15 on the the game, I said, "Don't even think about it."

I figured it would be close, 8-10 points.

Tennessee beat UNCA by 4, UConn beat them by 10.

No Melo.

But what surprised is how well UNCA shot the 3. That wasn't in the scouting report. Had I known how well they can shoot, I would have been even more concerned.

JB said this was your typical 16 seed.

We shot 1 of 13 from the 3 in the first half when UNCA was killing it from 3.

We finally got smart and went into the lane for some baskets in the second half. Should have been our strategy from the outset.

It wasn't pretty, but at least we can enjoy the tourney for another day and a half.

 

[HoustonCuse]

Interestingly, we scored our season average and held them like 15 under theirs, yet I would still say this was the worst performance of the year BY FAR for us.

 

[44cuse]

Interestingly, we scored our season average and held them like 15 under theirs, yet I would still say this was the worst performance of the year BY FAR for us.

seriously? You thought this was the worst performance?

44cuse

 

[hungrychuck]

Interestingly, we scored our season average and held them like 15 under theirs, yet I would still say this was the worst performance of the year BY FAR for us.

The optimist view is that we dodged a bullet. This could have been Vermont or Richmond, but wasn't.

But we're not the same team without Fab. We're just not. It's going to take something special for this to last a lot longer.

 

[cuseguy]

The optimist view is that we dodged a bullet. This could have been Vermont or Richmond, but wasn't.

But we're not the same team without Fab. We're just not. It's going to take something special for this to last a lot longer.

But I'm not sure the outcome of this game today is a lot different with Melo.

 

[Bernie Heckerman]

Hate to say it. But not having Fab was not why we played so bad. It was the lack on the offensive side of the ball not recognizing that they could not guard us when we took it to the rim. Shot way too much from outside. We should have had double more points in the paint. Rak and Keita did pretty good holding down the zone.

 

[hungrychuck]

But I'm not sure the outcome of this game today is a lot different with Melo.

Maybe not "a lot" different, but different. They still got a fair amount of junk inside that probably would have been a no-go with him out there. His presence also allowed us to extend zone out a bit more on perimeter, and get the transition game going. And against this team, I think he would have done some low-post damage offensively as well.

 

[Madbiker]

If we have another 1-13 from three half, we're done.

 

[cuseguy]

SU has been playing not to loose for about 3 weeks now. Today was no different. This just isn't the same team from earlier in the season,with or without Fab.

 

[OttoMets]

seriously? You thought this was the worst performance?

44cuse

I ask this in a non-confrontational way (which can be difficult to convey in this medium), but I'm curious: which games do you think were worse performances?

Off-hand, I'd put this at the top of the list, well above the second tier of Notre Dame, Cincinnati Part II, Stanford, Virginia Tech, and a couple more.

 

[OttoMets]

But I'm not sure the outcome of this game today is a lot different with Melo.

Agreed. Maybe he'd have sent back a couple of their shots around the rim, but maybe he'd have goaltended a couple, failed to get a defensive rebound, or blown one of the shots that Keita and Christmas made.

The center was the least of our problems today. Dumb shot selection, tight substitution patterns, and somnambulant play at both ends were the culprits. We looked utterly unprepared to take the court and play a competitive basketball game. Perhaps I should be grateful that we didn't get the early game.

 

[44cuse]

I ask this in a non-confrontational way (which can be difficult to convey in this medium), but I'm curious: which games do you think were worse performances?

Off-hand, I'd put this at the top of the list, well above the second tier of Notre Dame, Cincinnati Part II, Stanford, Virginia Tech, and a couple more.

I don't take it that way at all. But thanks for caveating it. Not something you see here often. Being civil is good.

I could be wrong and I'm not in a place to check the numbers, but I will later. High level, just didn't feel like our worst performance and seemed like UNCA actual played pretty well. They had good interior passing against the zone at times and made some shots (some contested).

I watched at a bar so was hard for me to gauge defensive close outs, etc, but I'll check later and see if i was wrong.

44cuse

 

[OttoMets]

I don't take it that way at all. But thanks for caveating it. Not something you see here often. Being civil is good.

I could be wrong and I'm not in a place to check the numbers, but I will later. High level, just didn't feel like our worst performance and seemed like UNCA actual played pretty well. They had good interior passing against the zone at times and made some shots (some contested).

I watched at a bar so was hard for me to gauge defensive close outs, etc, but I'll check later and see if i was wrong.

44cuse

I'm thinking the same - I'm pretty sure I could cue up the DVR and research some of our worse games, but probably don't have the stomach for it right now.

 

[NKR1978]

I ask this in a non-confrontational way (which can be difficult to convey in this medium), but I'm curious: which games do you think were worse performances?

Off-hand, I'd put this at the top of the list, well above the second tier of Notre Dame, Cincinnati Part II, Stanford, Virginia Tech, and a couple more.

Marshall and Notre Dame.

 

[moqui]

UNCA is one of the best shooting teams in the nation. They came into the game averaging 52.9% on their two point shots, sixth best in the country. That is their main strength. Their other strength is drawing fouls - they free throws attempted/field goals attempted ratio was .485, third in the nation, and then they connect at over 77% from the line. Baiting them into taking almost half of their shots from three point land, robbing them of the their two strongest points, was the right strategy. Good on them for hitting enough of them to keep it close, but it was ultimately their undoing anyway.

 

[ORRange]

If we have another 1-13 from three half, we're done.

This team should never jack up 13 three point shots a half, especially against a team that small. It's what they wanted us to do.

 

[OttoMets]

Marshall and Notre Dame.

Marshall, eh? I don't have too much recollection of that. I think they wore green. Maybe we should put together a 1-34 ranking of our performances on the year. That'd be kind of fun. I think NC State would be pretty high, and I think today would be pretty low.

 

[NKR1978]

Marshall, eh? I don't have too much recollection of that. I think they wore green. Maybe we should put together a 1-34 ranking of our performances on the year. That'd be kind of fun. I think NC State would be pretty high, and I think today would be pretty low.

Marshall was a completely forgettable game. I'll take you up on that when the season's over.

 

[OttoMets]

Marshall was a completely forgettable game. I'll take you up on that when the season's over.

Deal. I'm sure I won't want to watch the Mets play this summer, anyway.

 

[44cuse]

I'm thinking the same - I'm pretty sure I could cue up the DVR and research some of our worse games, but probably don't have the stomach for it right now.

OK, so I just did a quick check with the Box Score from yesterday and the Box Score from the first Louisville game.

In yesterday's game:
3PT FG%: 13pts below season avg
FG%: 2pts below season avg
A/TO Ratio: 2:1 w/season avg of 1.5:1
Reb Margin: +2 season avg -1.33
Pts: 72 vs 74
FTA: 24 season avg 19

Against Louisville:
3PT FG%: 6.7%
FG%: 34.4
A/TO Ratio: 1.5
Reb Margin: -2
Pts: 52
FTA: 11

I did not go back and watch the game for the defensive stuff. But at least on the offensive side of the ball it would appear the Louisville game was worse. Not going to spend any time checking others, but figured I would at least check it since I said I would. But I think the main point is: considering the competition (and I actually think UNCA played pretty damn well with a good gameplan yesterday), it was ugly and we should have won by more.

44cuse

 

[OttoMets]

OK, so I just did a quick check with the Box Score from yesterday and the Box Score from the first Louisville game.

In yesterday's game:
3PT FG%: 13pts below season avg
FG%: 2pts below season avg
A/TO Ratio: 2:1 w/season avg of 1.5:1
Reb Margin: +2 season avg -1.33
Pts: 72 vs 74
FTA: 24 season avg 19

Against Louisville:
3PT FG%: 6.7%
FG%: 34.4
A/TO Ratio: 1.5
Reb Margin: -2
Pts: 52
FTA: 11

I did not go back and watch the game for the defensive stuff. But at least on the offensive side of the ball it would appear the Louisville game was worse. Not going to spend any time checking others, but figured I would at least check it since I said I would. But I think the main point is: considering the competition (and I actually think UNCA played pretty damn well with a good gameplan yesterday), it was ugly and we should have won by more.

44cuse

I agree with the main point. And Louisville was a nasty rock-fight - getting a win there outweighed everything else, but that was a very ugly performance.

 

[44cuse]

I agree with the main point. And Louisville was a nasty rock-fight - getting a win there outweighed everything else, but that was a very ugly performance.

In thinking about it, or reading the way you worded it, perhaps it was worse because Louisville was such a higher quality opponent. Either way, both bad that's do sure.

44cuse