Quick (sort of) Thoughts on VPI game

[NateW]

I haven't read much of the board this morning so some of this has probably been discussed but here I go anyways.

JB must have made an adjustment at the first half under 4:00 timeout because the guys came out and the zone extended (guards & wings) and became extremely active. Hands waving, feet moving, and the guys were flying on their rotations. This was pretty consistent for the rest of the game and I thought was the difference between a close lead at the half and the 20 pt win it ended up becoming. VT did not have very good athletes nor any playmakers to beat the zone once we brought the intensity and pressure up into them. That is why we saw a lot of shot clock violations, deep threes being chucked, and balls thrown away in the 2nd half. The zone is so much fun to watch in this form mostly because BMK is in his element and looks like a rabid blood hound seeking out a wounded duck.

On the other side of the ball obviously Ennis is the Puppet Master and pulls the strings whichever way he pleases and for a guy like me who is perpetually nervous throughout basically every game, somehow when the ball is in his hands i find myself at ease. Early in the game he was finding Grant who repeatedly found himself wide open in the 17 foot range. He nailed a couple early which made it easier for him to make multiple drives to the hoop with his patented whirling derveshes to boot. He found success in there and although he got to the line quite a bit I thought he deserved at least 3 or so more trips but the officials didn't want to comply. Grant worked hard on the boards and that SC top 10 block he had was magnificent and reminded me of some of the stuffs he had in the Indiana Sweet 16 game, protecting the hoop at all costs. All in all a great effort from him tonight. He is a matchup nightmare for most teams and is our x-factor. If he plays up to his potential like tonight and in Maui, we will be very difficult to beat.

Cooney came out hitting some shots early but what impressed me tonight was his aggressiveness off the bounce. Coming off of a screen at the top of the key he was consistently catching and dribbling in a blur toward the hoop. This worked out well for the Orange because he was able to draw CJ's defender a few times and set him up with a little more space to get to work on that sweet mid-range game of his. Cooney is a great all-around basketball player with a high bball IQ and the most exciting thing about him is that you know he hasn't reached his full potential yet. He is going to be an absolute terror come his senior year.

One of the biggest positives to come out of tonight's game is that it looks like Silent G is living up to his quotes post-Miami game and is embracing his role on this team and is focused on not just being a body to supply Ennis & Cooney with rest, but rather to get into the game and be impactful on both sides of the ball. I like his game, and I think he can have a couple big stat games for us this season. Another guy who is finding himself is Roberson. He's playing smart but aggressive now. I think we'll need some big minutes from him at some point come March. His development is going to be critical for us when either Grant of Fair find themselves in foul trouble. If he continues to play solid/smart ball and stays within himself we shouldn't be too scared if he is forced into some significant duty in a big game this season.

Going forward I still want to see more touches for Christmas inside, the guards have got to do a better job finding him. I thought for sure it was going to be a point of emphasis coming into the game but it really never came to fruition. The one singular thing that made that 2010 team so special was the ability to dump it down to Arinze and come up with a quick easy bucket. I understand Rak is nowhere near AO in his back to the basket game but he has shown enough flashes to the point where we should be prodding him to make it a consistent part of his game.

One quick rant on the officiating. I know, "refs sucked" is said about basically every game we play but I thought last night's officiating was especially atrocious. At one point after one non-call the cameras panned to our sideline and the bench players appeared to be just laughing and shaking their heads because it had gotten so bad. Not going to bring up any specifics but I thought it was the worst officating I'd seen in years and that's saying something!

Finally... I'm happy to see a guy like CJ Fair getting his due with some press and multiple post game interviews. I don't know him personally, but he seems to be a very humble and friendly guy. It's fun to see good people succeed. Four year guys like him and BMK are what make Syracuse hoops so enjoyable for me. Bring on UNC!

 

[CuseFaninVT]

On the refereeing note, I'd like to add one comment. One thing about the zone that perpetually bothers me, and I suppose always will, is the blatant moving screens our guards are forced to take all game long. There was at least one play last night that nearly made me scream. I believe it was Cooney who was absolutely steam rolled. Pushed at least four feet from his position by a 'screener' as they may have called him on TV, but in fact was a pulling guard on a running play for the VT football team.

 

[NateW]

On the refereeing note, I'd like to add one comment. One thing about the zone that perpetually bothers me, and I suppose always will, is the blatant moving screens our guards are forced to take all game long. There was at least one play last night that nearly made me scream. I believe it was Cooney who was absolutely steam rolled. Pushed at least four feet from his position by a 'screener' as they may have called him on TV, but in fact was a pulling guard on a running play for the VT football team.

This has always been a pet peeve of mine as well. The thing that is funny to watch is a screener who comes up along side a stationary SU guard, leans on him and then continuously pivots around and into the SU defender depending on which direction the screeners' ball handler might want to go. It's maddening watching it at home, I'm not sure how JB can make it through as many games as he does without blowing a gasket on the officials.

 

[Coach Orange]

On the refereeing note, I'd like to add one comment. One thing about the zone that perpetually bothers me, and I suppose always will, is the blatant moving screens our guards are forced to take all game long. There was at least one play last night that nearly made me scream. I believe it was Cooney who was absolutely steam rolled. Pushed at least four feet from his position by a 'screener' as they may have called him on TV, but in fact was a pulling guard on a running play for the VT football team.

These moving screens are troubling, and they have been an issue for several years now. It seems that it's easier for officials to see and call moving screens in man-to-man situations than when defenses play zone, especially 2-3. You would think it would be easier to call the moving screens that we see since they generally happen at the top of the zone in the middle of the floor. However, because our guards often try to get around the screen before it is even set (something that Coach B teaches his guards to do), the officials probably fault them for the moving screens, not the screeners.

Obviously, only a referee who has officiated our games (or the games of teams that play regularly play 2-3 zone) could fully comment on the lack of calls. Nevertheless, this seems to be a likely explanation.

 

[newmexicuse]

Nice post, CTown, my only quibble is the bit on X. AO was a legit back to the basket player as was Rick. You could dump the ball down to them & let them go to work. X scores facing the bucket on flushes, much harder to get him the ball into a position from where he might score. He has shown a flash here or there with a baby hook or a short J, but so far that is the extent of it.....only a flash. He simply has not shown any repeatable moves from which to score unless it is a point blank flush. If he could only develop that baby hook or the short J, then you could actually have him present and give him the ball. Now, it is only if he he open within three feet of the rim.

DC2 has the legit back to the basket game when he can avoid getting stuffed or getting the ball taken from him by a guard when he goes into his move. Maybe it will all click for him one day.