Quick post SU-RU thoughts

[orangepassion]

• Actually feel encouraged after this game. Think we grew from the 1st half to the 2nd half
• Think us forcing a few shots in the game was the difference. Girard still feels the need to force at least 1-2 shots that aren't there every game. Hope he can get the hero ball out of him
• Love Guerrier. Always hustles and maybe his 3-point shot is for real. Would be huge for us.
• Dolezaj was obviously excellent in the 1st half. May have worn down in the 2nd
• We are a completely different team with Richmond playing PG. Even if he doesn't score a ton, he creates for others and might be the only guy on our team who can consistently do that.
• Griffin played very well, but also forced/rushed a couple. His alley-oop pass that was off the mark to Q cost us.
• Interesting that Bol Ajak was the big man off the bench. That guy won't get a lot of minutes, but that spot is clearly wide open

 

[CardiacCuse]

-well Kadary isn't a 1 and done - and that's a good thing. good passing and guard play but showed his age out there for sure. Rutgers knifed through the top of zone off the dribble and his shot is not there yet.
- shot selection was wacked out - especially by JG3 and Griff - zero reason to shoot 35 footers...Griff made some real headscratchers out there too...surprisingly careless for someone with such an efficiency % last year
- when a player is on a run KEEP FEEDING HIM! Marek in the 1st half starts the game with 7 straight points - doesn't touch the ball after that for a while and the team goes on a 5 minute scoreless stretch - same with Quincy in the 2nd half - he was on a streak and then the gunners gunned ---- KEEP FEEDING THE HOT HAND.
-are these guys playing for their stats or to win? didn't seem they were really out there to win, imo...as a team.
- all they needed to do was get it inside - and either finish or kick it out...too much standing around the perimeter...quick passing was killer but too infrequent.
-hopefully this game will be a good learning exercise and JB can get in some of these guys' ears about some VERY CORRECTABLE - though way too numerous - mistakes and poor decisions
- I think rutgers loses this game most of the time if this game is played at other times of the season.
- launching wild shots from waay deep needs to be banned
-call timeouts if the team is gassed - if no timeouts, then just foul. the team needed a break at 65-62 or so...that 9 point run there was the game and could've been stopped with a foul/tv timeout...really thought they had it then.

 

[Dollar Dog]

Other than horrendous shot selection, my biggest frustration in this game was rebounding. RU beat us on the glass 42-26 overall and doubled us up on offensive rebounds. That contributes to fatigue, when you are forced to defend multiple times per sequence. I look with envy at guys like Myles Johnson and even the Elisias guy from Bryant. Neither one is an elite big man. But against certain teams, you need more than length. You need a wide-body in the middle who is harder to go through or around. Or can deliver a hard foul. Or simply takes up space in the lane, allowing a teammate to get to the rebound. That kind of guy is not perfect for the zone but situationally can have a role.

RU was pretty physical, even their guards. We coulda used a Johnson-type guy tonight. I realize Sidibe would have helped on the boards, but even he is not an intimidating presence in the paint. Recruiting a player or two like the guys like I described should not be hard, yet we rarely seem to have one.

 

[orangepassion]

Think Boeheim being out is going to really help the team long term. No way Richmond gets this experience and chance to gain confidence if he isn't out.