On Benny Williams...I changed my mind...

[jdubs30]

Jd, your a reasonable observer, which is very refreshing on this board. So, I think the schedule isn't doing any favors for this team. This team needs to play together a while longer before they get the wrinkles ironed out, which won't be enjoyable, but I think they will get on track. Swider is too good a shooter to keep flailing, he is the key to things turning around.

I do agree. I think offensively we will figure it out enough to score points to win. Cole had a lot of open looks and wasn’t even close. If he hits those shots, we can wins games like this - if he doesn’t? Yikes

No matter how much we improve offensively, the defense just won’t ever be there. I don’t care if we perfect every rotation - we lack the athletes to be quick enough to force the other team into bad shots or turnovers. And to top it off, we won’t be able to rebound.

Our best case is the offense figures it out and most of wins come in high scoring games. We absolutely cannot rely on our defense to win games. VCU is less than pedestrian on offense, and even though they looked bad, I still had no faith we could stop them.

Even if catch another team on a bad shooting night, can we rebound enough to make it matter? I’m shocked we out rebounded VCU - but I think that’s more an indictment on them than it is a positive for us

 

[CousCuse]

I do agree. I think offensively we will figure it out enough to score points to win. Cole had a lot of open looks and wasn’t even close. If he hits those shots, we can wins games like this - if he doesn’t? Yikes

No matter how much we improve offensively, the defense just won’t ever be there. I don’t care if we perfect every rotation - we lack the athletes to be quick enough to force the other team into bad shots or turnovers. And to top it off, we won’t be able to rebound.

Our best case is the offense figures it out and most of wins come in high scoring games. We absolutely cannot rely on our defense to win games. VCU is less than pedestrian on offense, and even though they looked bad, I still had no faith we could stop them.

Even if catch another team on a bad shooting night, can we rebound enough to make it matter? I’m shocked we out rebounded VCU - but I think that’s more an indictment on them than it is a positive for us

The thing with the zone is that if there is a breakdown the whole zone falls apart. The guys on the floor have to play as a unit, that takes time to establish too. In past seasons the zone gets better as the season goes on so that should happen this year as well. The Colgate loss to me was a statistical anomaly. VCU, man they played D as good as the Houston Cougars team last year. When I saw the field for Atlantis, VCU made me scratch my head. All the other teams were bigtime, if they can shoot the 3 like they did yesterday, and play that D, they belong in that group. If our guys shot like their capable of and expected to, SU still wins. Have to get those guys going today.

 

[Cusesky8214]

I wish Benny was half as productive as Jabari Smith...I don't think that would be asking too much from a borderline 5 star. Maybe not even half but something...anything. Kid has absolutely no shot so far this year. Straight line drive!

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I wish Benny was half as productive as Jabari Smith...I don't think that would be asking too much from a borderline 5 star. Maybe not even half but something...anything. Kid has absolutely no shot so far this year. Straight line drive!

I maintain that we need to actually try to get him going.

We're not playing to his strengths at all. Dudes don't look for him.

 

[tptcuse]

I maintain that we need to actually try to get him going.

We're not playing to his strengths at all. Dudes don't look for him.

To be fair, he looks completely lost out there.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

To be fair, he looks completely lost out there.

He's looked more confused on defense than offense.

He gets to open spots on the floor on offense, puts his hands up, and nothing happens.

A lot of times, it's because a guard is trying to back down a defender and has their eyes on the floor.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I like the way he stays active on defense going after lose balls. He looks like a kid with no confidence right now, and also more than a little frustrated he's not getting the ball when he should. On that monster slam in the second half, immediately before he got the ball (I think from Sy), he cut down the lane wide open and Swider missed him completely. He got pissed.