People begged JB to switch the starters. He did.

[Grbac]

It was pretty simple in my opinion. Hunter Cattoor. He’s back and he went off. They hit 13 threes and we couldn’t guard it. End of story.
It’s a collective defensive effort that fell flat. I can’t blame it all on the players because the zone is a crap defense for good shooters.
Brown should have been starting a while back. That had nothing to do with anything.

 

[SWC75]

It was pretty simple in my opinion. Hunter Cattoor. He’s back and he went off. They hit 13 threes and we couldn’t guard it. End of story.
It’s a collective defensive effort that fell flat. I can’t blame it all on the players because the zone is a crap defense for good shooters.
Brown should have been starting a while back. That had nothing to do with anything.

And he swallowed Joe whole.

 

[rrlbees]

And he swallowed Joe whole.

And we should have run more than about 3 sets setting screens and double screens to get Joe some looks. It’s the only way to combat a defender who’s only concern is chasing one player.

 

[rrlbees]

It was pretty simple in my opinion. Hunter Cattoor. He’s back and he went off. They hit 13 threes and we couldn’t guard it. End of story.
It’s a collective defensive effort that fell flat. I can’t blame it all on the players because the zone is a crap defense for good shooters.
Brown should have been starting a while back. That had nothing to do with anything.

I don’t disagree that we should mix in some m2m. But it’s not the cure all that some think it would be. Most teams play m2m and get lit up. The game prior to ours VT beat Duke who played mostly m2m and VT was 10/19 from 3 including 5/10 by Cattoor.

 

[djcon57]

And we should have run more than about 3 sets setting screens and double screens to get Joe some looks. It’s the only way to combat a defender who’s only concern is chasing one player.

Joe got too comfortable with the back down game...which with the success he had lately, I get it. Hope he gets back to his bread and butter tonight

 

[hoopsupstate]

He can shoot over Clarke tonight, but I doubt Virginia puts him on Joe. Beekmanwill guard Joe and Clarke will guard Judah.

 

[Grbac]

I don’t disagree that we should mix in some m2m. But it’s not the cure all that some think it would be. Most teams play m2m and get lit up. The game prior to ours VT beat Duke who played mostly m2m and VT was 10/19 from 3 including 5/10 by Cattoor.

Absolutely. I agree. I think it’s more about effort than anything. Defense isn’t a natural skill. It takes maximum effort, good footwork, and the ability to learn.

I don’t see our guys putting in maximum effort on defense. I also see a lot of young guys who need more time to figure it all out.

Watch teams like Virginia, Houston, Tennessee, and even small schools like North Texas and Vermont who are great defensive teams. They hustle their butts off on defense. They know where to be at all times. It’s a collective effort from all 5 guys. Good coaches who can teach good defense with kids who are willing to learn and put in the work.

 

[swish7]

It was pretty simple in my opinion. Hunter Cattoor. He’s back and he went off. They hit 13 threes and we couldn’t guard it. End of story.
It’s a collective defensive effort that fell flat. I can’t blame it all on the players because the zone is a crap defense for good shooters.
Brown should have been starting a while back. That had nothing to do with anything.

The pointlessness of who started was 1 out of 8 points I made at halftime of a game. Not sure why people keep bringing it up.

SU had 4-5 players perform below their conference averages in scoring and rebounding. VT had 2-3 that were above the same averages. This points to energy, not 1 player.

Agree. Their shooters killed us. But, I am as concerned about us having our worst rebounding effort of the season, and overall looking lackluster in terms of effort.

I watched it a second time, and was concerned with Joe going to his back down game right off the bat, like 3rd or 4th possession he was doing that.. Iso ball, everyone around him stopped moving (even the normally good off-ball cutter Brown). If not Joe, then it was Judah with an iso game. Or, we fed it to Jesse who played like the tall kid new to basketball and thrown in at center for the first time. He didn't keep the ball high, and was bodied and bullied into bad shots.

Its a team game and its concerning that only Judah, Justin, Symir, & Brown are playing with good energy.

Just frustrating. Hope things change tonight.

 

[MikeSU02]

And we should have run more than about 3 sets setting screens and double screens to get Joe some looks. It’s the only way to combat a defender who’s only concern is chasing one player.

His backdown work has film now, he has to use that more strategically.

Besides that and to be fair to Joe, he may have been gassed. Dude isn't a cyborg, he's going to have games where he basically disappears.

It happens, not the end of the world. He's not an all world specimen and JB will run him into the ground a lot.

 

[pfister1]

We should definitely keep JB on until the Dome seats close to the floor that I want open up.

 

[rrlbees]

His backdown work has film now, he has to use that more strategically.

Besides that and to be fair to Joe, he may have been gassed. Dude isn't a cyborg, he's going to have games where he basically disappears.

It happens, not the end of the world. He's not an all world specimen and JB will run him into the ground a lot.

Yea I think he uses the backdown too much now but I’m strictly talking about open 3 point looks. Joe set more screens down low for Jesse than we’re being set to get him a clean look.

 

[MikeSU02]

Yea I think he uses the backdown too much now but I’m strictly talking about open 3 point looks. Joe set more screens down low for Jesse than we’re being set to get him a clean look.

Agree with that, 100%.

 

[Cuse181]

Some of us don't live vicariously through the program. I made better use of my Saturday night. It's clear that many of you need to turn off the TV and do the same.

You can watch the game AND not get pissed off. It’s not an either-or situation

 

[Cuse181]

well it's february and hall of fame still can't figure out his own team.

I think he’s figured it out the same as the rest of us - they aren’t good.

 

[721Comstock]

You can watch the game AND not get pissed off. It’s not an either-or situation

Have you watched the games lately?

Pretty hard to watch this team play and NOT get pissed off.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Must have been a 12 year old.

Kids in the current generation just see SU as another middling college program that their old folks rant about. These kids won't be upset enough about JB to create that Twitter handle.

Forget the dollars and cents for one minute. We have lost an entire generation of SU fans because of this 8-year slide into mediocrity. Anyone with young kids understands this sadness. Adam might be able to buy some 5-star recruits, but he can't buy the hearts of children.

 

[FrancoPizza]

I don’t disagree that we should mix in some m2m. But it’s not the cure all that some think it would be.

I don't think anyone is saying m2m is the cure-all. Even if JB switched now, they haven't practiced it and it probably wouldn't go well. It's more about the zone not being a good schematic fit as the years go by. We still need to find better talent regardless, but let's at least make the other team work hard to score points. I don't think the Hokies broke a sweat on offense.

 

[tbonezone]

no player has to "LEARN" how to play man ! that's all they play in high school. i myself never once played one second of zone. M2M is what they know. the zone is crammed down their throats. and it ain't working. SWITCH IT UP.

 

[IthacaMatt]

no player has to "LEARN" how to play man ! that's all they play in high school. i myself never once played one second of zone. M2M is what they know. the zone is crammed down their throats. and it ain't working. SWITCH IT UP.

When I used to play 5 on 5 full court as a kid, a group of us would often play 2-3 zone, and then we would run out of it, after every rebound, steal or made basket.

We were all on the track team, and none of us were too big, so rebound and defend your spot, and then when one of us gets the ball, GO!

Sometimes the coach would even have us play during indoor track season, if the weather outdoors was too bitter to run.