Postgame Thoughts... Houston (NCAAT)

[orangeinohio]

Just a tough night. Shooting never got on track.
They’re still a great team

 

[capeorange]

I don't understand why JB changed the lineup and pulled Jesse when it was working so well.
We had them rattled and then we let up on them.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Is sweet 16 enough for recruits….?

I want to play the guys JB neglected and Benny.

No way Woody Newton sucks as bad as Griffen.

 

[samspann1]

also, that missed travel at 20-20...It was never a one possession game after that sequence

 

[djcon57]

Just thinking about that Q should have been layup...would have been 6 pt game. Blah

 

[OrangeDW]

Honestly I'm a bit shaken in my faith in JB's rotations. Even if we have capable centers, will they see the court? Did we have them all along? What if Dolezaj returns?

LOVE the guy, but it’s time. Starting Joe and Marek at C all year was flat out ridiculous.

 

[jdubs30]

I don't understand why JB changed the lineup and pulled Jesse when it was working so well.
We had them rattled and then we let up on them.

We scored 46. As great as Jesse was he’s not gonna change that.

 

[miamicuse]

Great run.

Could have been better, Houston was the better team tonight, but we were terribly hesitant and didn't play loose.

Shots didn't fall.

14 field goals, can't believe that.

The whole week off was bad for us, I believe.

Now is the beginning of the portal watch. I wonder who enters first.

 

[OrangeDW]

Just thinking about that Q should have been layup...would have been 6 pt game. Blah

How the frick did he fall?

 

[IthacaMatt]

Houston played great defense.

We didn’t play our best lineup enough this game.

That said Houston deserved this win and was the better team easily tonight.

I have been one of his worst critics about the rotation, but not really tonight.

He kept Edwards in for about 11 minutes in the first half when he played great.

Richmond got a lot of minutes, played some good ball, made some mistakes.

Buddy just could not get open against Jarreau. Joe only got a few decent looks, too.

Braswell had a few opportunities. They were not focusing on him. He should have done a bit more.

Was hoping for more from Griffin and Guerrier today. They both had pretty good years, but they aren't really going anywhere off the basis of this season.

Overall, I felt like too many of our guys tip the ball rather than grab it on rebounds.

Griffin might leave because he gets a ton of crap and the shortest leash of all from Boeheim. But his game just isn't there yet. He has been sporadically great, and sometimes really boneheaded.

This team got a lot better the last month of the year. It will be interesting to see how the roster changes and what back-up plans they have been working on.

Surely, if he says there will be roster turnover this summer, he has some more guys in mind beyond our incoming 5 star forward, Benny.

I could see Edwards as the starting center next year.

I could see a forward rotation of Quincy, Benny, Braswell and one of Griffin or Woody. Hopefully both don't leave.

We really need another guard who can handle the ball and score at the rim. And maybe a bulky 5th year guy to compete at Center.

I know that Buddy's going to go work with trainers on his quickness and explosiveness this summer.
I wonder if Griffin could develop a good enough handle to play the two guard? Maybe team him with Joe for 5-10 minutes a game, if we can't find another guard. That might work, actually.

Or else you have to give Woody a shot at the 2G like he did earlier in the season, but I kind of expect Woody to transfer. I just hope he waits long enough to hear about any others who might not be returning in the front court before he makes up his mind.

 

[Alsacs]

I’d rather lose the way we did tonight and then a close one possession game. At least this way we know we lost to a better team.

 

[Mchandl8]

Girard has to stop driving and forcing terrible shots. I realize boeheim is big on getting to the basket but Girard can't do it. He's sooo bad at it. Its 80% getting blocked and 20% just an air ball. He has to try to distribute and hit open shots... and ... honestly... preferably not start. Kidary needs to start

 

[tptcuse]

Yeah but he did hit a corner 3 in the second half to make it a 4 point game.
He was are only guard who could actually get by his defender.
Kadary was okay.

Ok...not adding "anything" was an exaggeration, but he didn't change the game when he was in like he has done previously. 5 points, one assist.

 

[supp]

Playing with house money. Sweet 16 run despite the obvious team flaws. Tough way to go out, but this team showed some guts in the postseason.

I'm with you. This was a limited team. It hurts that practically everyone else in the tourney kind of sucks but a sweet 16 year is a good year on balance.

 

[CU44SE]

we are who we thought we were. An 11 seeded team that has a lot of flaws but can over achieve when we shoot lights out. But all those flaws reared their ugly head tonight. They punched us in the mouth and we couldn’t respond. We just are not a physical team and could not match their intensity.

 

[CsonkaStash]

I really hope this drives Joe to work in the off-season on his agility and stamina. Guy can be a major difference maker but will need to work his ass off

 

[syrBossHogg]

Jesse had a strong finish to the year. He's the prototype center for the zone. Hope he decides not to go elsewhere, really looking forward to watching him develop

 

[Mchandl8]

I’d rather lose the way we did tonight and then a close one possession game. At least this way we know we lost to a better team.

I'll take the one possession game... this way looks like we got lucky and didn't deserve to be there

 

[bpo57]

Houston favored by 8.5 over OSU.

 

[EnviroSciGuy]

LOVE the guy, but it’s time. Starting Joe and Marek at C all year was flat out ridiculous.

Your post in the gamethread was spot on. I love the pieces, but I don't love how they're being used. It's no coincidence that the team "improved" when some of the changes that the board haters had been calling for were made.

 

[Chalupa_24]

Just thinking about that Q should have been layup...would have been 6 pt game. Blah

Thinking about the wide open layup where doley used all 170 pounds of him to legit throw it off the backboard

 

[capeorange]

We scored 46. As great as Jesse was he’s not gonna change that.

Maybe it's different if they don't get their confidence back and we stay on a run.

 

[Dave85]

I am sad to see Marek finish his career. Good player even though I still can't spell his last name.

 

[Chalupa_24]

We beat teams better than Houston in the tourney already…

 

[sugrad68]

On the plus side, who would have predicted this team to make the Sweet 16? As stated, Edwards is the only Syracuse player who played above average. I still don’t think Houston is a great team but they certainly outplayed us tonight. They were mediocre on offense but made us look bad on offense. On to next year.