Postgame thoughts... WVU (NCAAT)

[JoeSU]

Two things almost killed us: the lack of movement by the SU players on the floor against the backcourt pressure, and the fact all five were in the backcourt against M2M pressure brought too many defenders into the area. I know WV had some pretty good athletes on the floor, but we have to run a better press break, and it will probably be addressed this week. Because you know Sampson has already noticed it. too.

On one of the latter inbounds plays, we tried sending someone (Girard?) long. We've used that play successfully in the past (sometimes using a screen), but the WVA defender stayed with Girard, taking away that option.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

People who think the grass is greener are in for a rude awakening when he leaves

Make him 50 again, and we won't have to wake up.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Also - because he would have been coming off the bench again for Illinois, vs being a starter here.

And, as much as he's struggled, he's also gotten a LOT of rope - and minutes - from JAB for the majority of this season.
It's really only been the last month or so of this season that he's been getting benched and replaced w/ Bras - a lot of which is due to BBBB playing so well when he's getting minutes now.

Griff averaged about 18 mins for the Illini last year.
He's just shy of 30 here.

He was given the opportunity to step in and be THE MAN, like Eli was for us.

He's not a good enough player - yet - to do that consistently.
(Neither was Eli - until he was.)

I think Griffin clearly has the skill to be an elite player. He flashes it often.
It really comes down to his decision making.

He drives a little too wild, too often into dead-ends, and he thinks that taking a 30 foot "heat check" three 5 seconds into the possession is a good shot.

Boeheim stopped Griffin and Joe from taking so many really stupid shots in the last month. It must have been an imposter coaching Syracuse until The Real Boeheim showed up about a month ago.

 

[hoopsupstate]

I think Griffin clearly has the skill to be an elite player. He flashes it often.
It really comes down to his decision making.

He drives a little too wild, too often into dead-ends, and he thinks that taking a 30 foot "heat check" three 5 seconds into the possession is a good shot.

Boeheim stopped Griffin and Joe from taking so many really stupid shots in the last month. It must have been an imposter coaching Syracuse until The Real Boeheim showed up about a month ago.

Joe took a couple of VERY deep shots yesterday, but they went in. It looks so much better when the shot goes in. He misses them and people would be screaming.

 

[miamicuse]

Joe took a couple of VERY deep shots yesterday, but they went in. It looks so much better when the shot goes in. He misses them and people would be screaming.

Yup. One was way deep and I was rolling my eyes but it went in.

But Griffin was taking deep shots when he sees BBB checking in was not cool. May be he thinks if he makes one JB will change his mind on the sub.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Joe took a couple of VERY deep shots yesterday, but they went in. It looks so much better when the shot goes in. He misses them and people would be screaming.

It's not the distance that determines if it's a 'good' shot. It's a question of whether you've passed the ball a couple times to make the defense move, and get a guy open so he can set his feet and give it a shot. I hate the premature ones where there is nobody in the front court to get a potential rebound.

Now, when a defense is unsettled, taking a three on the break, where the guy is stepping into the shot, directly facing the basket - those are good shots.

Receiving the first pass on the wing, dribbling around the defender and then taking a long one off-balance - that's not a good shot.

 

[orangecuse]

People who think the grass is greener are in for a rude awakening when he leaves

Love these takes, as if you, or anyone for that matter, actually have real/actual factual foresight. By the way, what are the winning lottery tics for Wednesday's Powerball? It's up to $220 mil...I'll even split the money with you.

 

[HtownOrange]

Also - because he would have been coming off the bench again for Illinois, vs being a starter here.

And, as much as he's struggled, he's also gotten a LOT of rope - and minutes - from JAB for the majority of this season.
It's really only been the last month or so of this season that he's been getting benched and replaced w/ Bras - a lot of which is due to BBBB playing so well when he's getting minutes now.

Griff averaged about 18 mins for the Illini last year.
He's just shy of 30 here.

He was given the opportunity to step in and be THE MAN, like Eli was for us.

He's not a good enough player - yet - to do that consistently.
(Neither was Eli - until he was.)

Good post.

I would add that AG was very helpful to teammates, creating a push inside and dishing back out when he could not make it to the hole. He is less selfish than many players and wants to win. He plays his role, when hot feed him, when he's not, he's learning to other things, even a little defense.

 

[arrow2arinzesknee]

Love these takes, as if you, or anyone for that matter, actually have real/actual factual foresight. By the way, what are the winning lottery tics for Wednesday's Powerball? It's up to $220 mil...I'll even split the money with you.

Why so hostile? someone piss in your Corn Flakes this morning?

I'm saying that as a general sports fan. Look at all the legendary coaches who have left programs, or teams and how that generally leaves them.

in college basketball alone, Wooden, Bob Knight, Jim Calhoun, John Thompson, etc...
replacing a persona who has become synonymous with the program is incredibly difficult. Even programs like UNC have struggled finding the correct replacement coach following a coach retirement.

In other sports you have clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal that saw sustained decades of success under one manager and then have become also rans following their replacement.

I have yet to see a program/ team etc... lose a coach that has been entrenched somewhere for 20 plus years move on without skipping a beat. If you would like to discuss it and find examples of that occurring seamlessly that would be helpful as opposed to acting like an asshat

 

[NorSyr66]

Seriously though that last minute... why was kadary not in and why were we inbounding to the corner repeatedly?

...to the corner because that is where they wanted us to throw the ball so they could set up their trap.

 

[Cusesky8214]

Pat kills me...most of his info is a bit off but its still funny listening to him talk about the game and Buddy.

 

[orangecuse]

Why so hostile? someone piss in your Corn Flakes this morning?

I'm saying that as a general sports fan. Look at all the legendary coaches who have left programs, or teams and how that generally leaves them.

in college basketball alone, Wooden, Bob Knight, Jim Calhoun, John Thompson, etc...
replacing a persona who has become synonymous with the program is incredibly difficult. Even programs like UNC have struggled finding the correct replacement coach following a coach retirement.

In other sports you have clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal that saw sustained decades of success under one manager and then have become also rans following their replacement.

I have yet to see a program/ team etc... lose a coach that has been entrenched somewhere for 20 plus years move on without skipping a beat. If you would like to discuss it and find examples of that occurring seamlessly that would be helpful as opposed to acting like an asshat

Hostile? My post was hardly that, however, your response is, and clearly appears that it was you that had someone “piss in your Corn Flakes.” I simply was implying who knows what actually WILL happen after JB leaves? Your “rude awakening” remark implies otherwise, as if it is a foregone conclusion the program is destined for a lack of success afterwards. JB is 76 years old, and can’t coach forever, change of guard is a near future certainty.

JB, obviously, is a HOF coach, who has had a tremendous amount of success and achievements here, but a continued degree of success can be attainable with the right hire. It’s why it’ll be ADJW’s most critical decision when the time comes.

You now injecting “without skipping a beat” and “seamlessly” into your initial “rude awakening” take is not the same. In any event, ‘Nova has had some pretty darn good success after the Lappas bad hire in replacing Massimino, and Kansas hired Self after Roy, when Self was rising up the ranks at Illinois. Two examples for you.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Why so hostile? someone piss in your Corn Flakes this morning?

I'm saying that as a general sports fan. Look at all the legendary coaches who have left programs, or teams and how that generally leaves them.

in college basketball alone, Wooden, Bob Knight, Jim Calhoun, John Thompson, etc...
replacing a persona who has become synonymous with the program is incredibly difficult. Even programs like UNC have struggled finding the correct replacement coach following a coach retirement.

In other sports you have clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal that saw sustained decades of success under one manager and then have become also rans following their replacement.

I have yet to see a program/ team etc... lose a coach that has been entrenched somewhere for 20 plus years move on without skipping a beat. If you would like to discuss it and find examples of that occurring seamlessly that would be helpful as opposed to acting like an asshat

And, again—the point is that he will (eventually) retire. So, at some point, we are going to be exploring the grass on the other side. Whether or not we "skip a beat" when that happens... sort of a moot projection. Time is undefeated.

Yeah, we won two tournament games. Fantastic. Doesn't mean we didn't 'suffer' through another middle of the conference season, finish out of the top 40(?), barely scrape into the NCAAs as a last four in, and get 'ranked' beneath Rutgers, and in the same territory as Drake (DRAKE!). That stuff still happened. Crow all you want about how we're playing much better now, but your assumption that we couldn't/shouldn't have been playing better sooner (with all these same parts) is a leap of blind faith. The same kind of thing you get when a bible thumper exclaims, "It's a miracle. God is great!" when one child is found alive in a pile of earthquake rubble, amidst 50 other casualties.

 

[Toga]

I hope the lads are keeping up with their schoolwork.

 

[Nicknack]

Drunk Derrick!! Lmao! Love it.

That video was the funniest and most enjoyable thing I saw last night post-game. Love Coleman, absolutely rocks. That said, Derrick, can't you find a bigger chair, my man? I bet he fell out of it an hour later.

 

[arrow2arinzesknee]

And, again—the point is that he will (eventually) retire. So, at some point, we are going to be exploring the grass on the other side. Whether or not we "skip a beat" when that happens... sort of a moot projection. Time is undefeated.

Yeah, we won two tournament games. Fantastic. Doesn't mean we didn't 'suffer' through another middle of the conference season, finish out of the top 40(?), barely scrape into the NCAAs as a last four in, and get 'ranked' beneath Rutgers, and in the same territory as Drake (DRAKE!). That stuff still happened. Crow all you want about how we're playing much better now, but your assumption that we couldn't/shouldn't have been playing better sooner (with all these same parts) is a leap of blind faith. The same kind of thing you get when a bible thumper exclaims, "It's a miracle. God is great!" when one child is found alive in a pile of earthquake rubble, amidst 50 other casualties.

And yet with all of that... We are in the last 16 teams standing. Above Rutgers, and Drake (DRAKE!)
When all is said and done ask Illinois right now if they would trade regular seasons and seasons.

Maybe posting about how JB is past it right after he has worked one of his biggest coaching resurrections of his career isn't the best time.

 

[Nicknack]

And yet with all of that... We are in the last 16 teams standing. Above Rutgers, and Drake (DRAKE!)
When all is said and done ask Illinois right now if they would trade regular seasons and seasons.

Maybe posting about how JB is past it right after he has worked one of his biggest coaching resurrections of his career isn't the best time.

One thing is for certain, we will ALWAYS have the last laugh with Rutgers. What a joke.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

And yet with all of that... We are in the last 16 teams standing. Above Rutgers, and Drake (DRAKE!)
When all is said and done ask Illinois right now if they would trade regular seasons and seasons.

Maybe posting about how JB is past it right after he has worked one of his biggest coaching resurrections of his career isn't the best time.

I guess you didn’t understand the analogy... Coincidence, that you chose the word “resurrection?” God is great!
Either way, you started down that path. Kinda sad that you can‘t imagine anything different from what your hero gives you.

Sincere question: how far do we have to go in this tournament to essentially ‘compensate’ for another weak season?

 

[kirbivore]

I guess you didn’t understand the analogy... Coincidence, that you chose the word “resurrection?” God is great!
Either way, you started down that path. Kinda sad that you can‘t imagine anything different from what your hero gives you.

Sincere question: how far do we have to go in this tournament to essentially ‘compensate’ for another weak season?

Agree Zelda. Maybe if JB wasn't so darn stubborn and played Kadary, Bras, and Jesse more minutes earlier in the season the squad doesn't have to white knuckle into the tournament

 

[CardiacCuse]

It's not the distance that determines if it's a 'good' shot. It's a question of whether you've passed the ball a couple times to make the defense move, and get a guy open so he can set his feet and give it a shot. I hate the premature ones where there is nobody in the front court to get a potential rebound.

Now, when a defense is unsettled, taking a three on the break, where the guy is stepping into the shot, directly facing the basket - those are good shots.

Receiving the first pass on the wing, dribbling around the defender and then taking a long one off-balance - that's not a good shot.

Yeah those 3s where the feet arent set and AG isnt gathering on balance have got to be a much lower % than the rest of his 3s////when his feet are set hes money

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Agree Zelda. Maybe if JB wasn't so darn stubborn and played Kadary, Bras, and Jesse more minutes earlier in the season the squad doesn't have to white knuckle into the tournament

Those possibilities should be, at the very least, objectively entertained.

I think we should all have been able to see that Braswell gives us an opportunity to limit Griffin's bad defense and penchant for wild shooting. Jesse pretty much immediately shuts down the opponents ease of doing work and getting second chance opportunities in the paint. And Kadary... same thing with Joe as Bras with Griffin. Options, for when the starters aren't effective, rather than riding them out and hoping for a turnaround. And there's a butterfly effect–you change/fix one thing, and the entire tenor of the team changes.

Whatever happens in the next two weeks, i'm encouraged about next year. Even with the potential for transfers out and in. I think Jesse showed a lot in the last few games. His defense is surprisingly good and will only get better. I think he has a larger impact than he's getting credit for. Kind of a stealth effect, even if he's not making spectacular plays. An anchor is impor'n.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[orangefog]

Imagine how good we'd be if you were drinking a nice IPA/DIPA from Vermont.

Ok, I just did a little trial run for the ladies game with a few Free Flow IPA's from Otter Creek (VT), and now I can't feel my face. Saturday night is going to be a fun night.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Ok, I just did a little trial run for the ladies game with a few Free Flow IPA's from Otter Creek (VT), and now I can't feel my face. Saturday night is going to be a fun night.

I’d be glad to recommend others for your next run

 

[orangefog]

I’d be glad to recommend others for your next run

Please do. I would appreciate it. I am not sure how many will be available in the Utica, NY area, but I will look for them.