Scrimmage Recap

[Oráiste]

I know it won't happen, but of any SU team, this one needs to mix in some man to man. Unless Sidibe can play 30+ minutes a game in the middle, how exactly are we stopping anyone on D and rebounding out of the zone? I just don't see how Chukwu can play meaningful minutes and even be moderately successful. He's just so weak, slow and still raw. He'll get bullied, even if he's in good position. Maybe Moyer can mix in, but it's gonna be tough for a 6'7"ish kid to play a ton there and be successful.

The offense probably isn't going to be great, but we can't be successful if the defense is a complete sieve in the middle.

I don't follow your logic. If the centers are too thin/weak/short to play effectively in the zone, how will playing man be any better?

 

[pearl31]

I don't follow your logic. If the centers are too thin/weak/short to play effectively in the zone, how will playing man be any better?

it's a commonly shared fallacy, especially 'round here

 

[Sherman20]

I think Sibide will be a 10 put 10 reb guy his freshmen year. Kid played the best big men in the country last year and ended up on the positive side of most of them. Needs weight room I agree but has a lot of potential. I love all of our young guys. HW and Brissett are both cool players. I'm happy. Under the radar guys and they will be good no doubt

10 ppg and 10rpg would be insane for a freshman center like BS. Not even Lydon averaged numbers like that as a frosh. Ill take 5ppg and 6rpg and solid defense and rim protection. Also, an ability to not give up too many fouls and give us 25mpg in the middle. That would be an amazing contribution for a freshman center. Like everyone else, I’m very concerned about PC. But I hope his poor play in the scrimmage is just him adjusting to wearing goggles on the court and shaking off the rust from a long layoff away from basketball.

 

[rrlbees]

It doesn’t matter. Even if JB wanted to, he doesn’t know how to teach it properly. It’s like a Java EE designer being asked to rewrite his project in Fortran.

Yea, he probably forgot from all the years we did play m2m.

 

[IthacaMatt]

when Chewy has to play center will he be a liability? We are too thin at center, literally and figuratively. Freshmen big men tend to foul and center is where we have no depth. Muscular teams will kill us on the boards. I don't anticipate any upsets against the heavy's but we have a fighting chance against other teams. With a good zone we should maintain our record of winning seasons. If we make the dance, it will be as a bubble team with a bad seed. For this team, a deep run and a high seed in the nit might be the best option. We are not without talent but not all the pieces are here nor are they ready. Help is coming next year. Of utmost importance, we will need Sibide to man-up for next year and we will need a decent backup center.

The thing about Chukwu is that his footwork is so bad. He's really clumsy out there. He's going to be a foul magnet.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Don’t believe me, fine, go ask mason Atom.

No, that was Moose/Goose/LBonn.

 

[Sherman20]

The season will come down to the centers on defense. If Sidibe or Chukwu can go 25+ minutes with strong defensive play, we'll be decent. If neither is ready and we have to scramble to 'hide' them or, heaven forbid, play a forward at center again, we're in for a long season.

Defense will decide this team's fate, not the offense. The zone has been terrible the last few seasons. That has to end.

This is spot on. Man, the loss of TT at the 11th hour really hurts us. Him and Sidibe in the middle would have been ideal.

 

[rrlbees]

C) The guys who end up being two of the three leading scorers were Xmas, who had been horrible offensively for three years (not bad defensively at times, but awful offensively) and G, who had struggled to do much offensively despite being a 3rd-year soph.

It's a myth that Xmas was horrible offensively before his senior year.

He led the team in shooting percentage every year. He also took way less shots than almost anybody on the team until he was a senior...for some reason he wasn't given the ball very often prior to his senior year, even though he was the best percentage shooter on the team.

Rakeem Christmas College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Its not a myth and that comes from a coach.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Yeah, I'd say 30 is way high (I know you're not predicting it). I would say if he can play 20 solid minutes vs. good competition it's a really solid debut. Obviously that puts us in a tough spot if we're getting nothing from Chukwu, but at least you're only going small (Battle at the 3/Moyer to the 5) for maybe 12-14 minutes and then trying to get 6-8 minutes or something along those lines from a lineup with Marek and Brissett on the floor with Moyer. Any way you slice it it's less than ideal and obviously the closer Sidibe is to 30 mins the better, but that's a big ask of a frosh big.

The problem is that if we have to play Chukwu 20 minutes, that's going to kill us.
You're right, I don't think Sidibe is going to be able to stay on the floor for 30 minutes, but that's what we need to have a winning season. It's probably the number 1 key for me. The play on the wings will work itself out, because we have enough guys to try out. But we are going to get killed on the boards this year.

 

[Sherman20]

C) The guys who end up being two of the three leading scorers were Xmas, who had been horrible offensively for three years (not bad defensively at times, but awful offensively) and G, who had struggled to do much offensively despite being a 3rd-year soph.

It's a myth that Xmas was horrible offensively before his senior year.

He led the team in shooting percentage every year. He also took way less shots than almost anybody on the team until he was a senior...for some reason he wasn't given the ball very often prior to his senior year, even though he was the best percentage shooter on the team.

Rakeem Christmas College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

His offense, especially that hook shot, finally started to develop his junior year. As you said, he didn’t get a lot of touches because we had 4 guys ahead of him as offensive priorities.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Yea, he probably forgot from all the years we did play m2m.

In fairness, it has been 20 years or so since we played it.
Except for that LeMoyne game in October 2009. LOL

 

[rrlbees]

In fairness, it has been 20 years or so since we played it.
Except for that LeMoyne game in October 2009. LOL

In all fairness a coach having coached for 50 years probably knows how to coach any defense. It's a matter of how much time we put into it.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

I'm saddened by the reports of Chukwu's 'incompetence.' Eye injury or not, you'd think there would have been some level of development. I guess if we still had Bernie Fine, he'd be better. I guess if we still had big man guru Mike Hopkins, he'd be better. Who's working with him now? Red? What is the problem with PC? You're saying he's clumsy? I thought, from the very beginning of last year, it was that he looked like he was over-eager, and was always out of position, both because of a lack of recognition and because he was trying too hard — spreading himself too thin. Is that not the case now? Aren't there ways to improve manual dexterity? I can't understand how it seems like it's only us that has players who 'can't catch the ball.' I'm hoping these were 'opening night jitters.' He's going to give us something. JB couldn't have been entirely wrong when he predicted a contributing performance from him last year.

I don't quite get the arguments that JB often accomplishes great things when there are low expectations. Even if that's true, it's not a predictor. We either have the players who will surprise or we don't. It's not as if JB whips scrubs into All-League guys.

I honestly have no idea what to think about this year. I can imagine Battle and Oshae having terrific years, and Sidibe being the player i saw in that one all-star game. But, it's kinda meaningless without knowing who everyone else has. Which team will be this year's South Carolina, for example. We could surprise some good teams. We could lose to some bottom-feeders by 30. I'm preparing myself for some fun, but a lot of inconsistency. I just hope everyone stays healthy, and that losses don't affect Battle's decision come March. Hope we get him for a third year.

 

[bballbeadle]

If you saw what I saw Friday there is literally zero reason to play Chukwu. Sidibe looked like the third year player and Chukwu looked like he was touching the basketball for the first time in his life.

Yes, I am afraid this is true. Chukwu (whom I desperately wish was pronounced “chuck-woo” for obvious rhyming purposes) was just awful for most of the game. He did manage to dunk a couple (?) alley oops. God bless him, I wish him nothing but an unimpeded upward trajectory.

Sidibe looked quite reasonable.

 

[Niastri]

C) The guys who end up being two of the three leading scorers were Xmas, who had been horrible offensively for three years (not bad defensively at times, but awful offensively) and G, who had struggled to do much offensively despite being a 3rd-year soph.

It's a myth that Xmas was horrible offensively before his senior year.

He led the team in shooting percentage every year. He also took way less shots than almost anybody on the team until he was a senior...for some reason he wasn't given the ball very often prior to his senior year, even though he was the best percentage shooter on the team.

Rakeem Christmas College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

While his field goal percentage was good, it was largely because he only made layups and dunks. At his size, that close to the basket should be a very high percentage. I remember him as being rather awkward on offense at first.

Christmas had a lot of trouble getting into position to score. He was a bit turnover prone and couldn't seem to catch passes cleanly. And his shot was ungainly to say the least.

He turned it around sometime during his junior year, where his post game approached reliable... It still was quite a leap to his very impressive senior.

 

[FrancoPizza]

In all fairness a coach having coached for 50 years probably knows how to coach any defense. It's a matter of how much time we put into it.

That would be a reasonable explanation if he presented it as such. So then why does he always say the players can’t play it? Are we supposed to believe they are all genetically disadvantaged, year in and year out? It’s the same type of canned retort that we get from trump whenever his actions are questioned. Just say it’s not your primary defense, we’re not going to practice it enough to be effective, etc. anything but blame the players.

 

[RF2044]

That would be a reasonable explanation if he presented it as such. So then why does he always say the players can’t play it? Are we supposed to believe they are all genetically disadvantaged, year in and year out? It’s the same type of canned retort that we get from trump whenever his actions are questioned. Just say it’s not your primary defense, we’re not going to practice it enough to be effective, etc. anything but blame the players.

 

[IthacaMatt]

While his field goal percentage was good, it was largely because he only made layups and dunks. At his size, that close to the basket should be a very high percentage. I remember him as being rather awkward on offense at first.

Christmas had a lot of trouble getting into position to score. He was a bit turnover prone and couldn't seem to catch passes cleanly. And his shot was ungainly to say the least.

He turned it around sometime during his junior year, where his post game approached reliable... It still was quite a leap to his very impressive senior.

Welcome back!
I would add that we didn't feed the post that often until his senior year, so if he blew a pass or two, there wouldn't be another one coming his way until the start of the second half.

 

[pearl31]

While his field goal percentage was good, it was largely because he only made layups and dunks. At his size, that close to the basket should be a very high percentage. I remember him as being rather awkward on offense at first.

Christmas had a lot of trouble getting into position to score. He was a bit turnover prone and couldn't seem to catch passes cleanly. And his shot was ungainly to say the least.

He turned it around sometime during his junior year, where his post game approached reliable... It still was quite a leap to his very impressive senior.

I think this seems about right.
I mean, there's lots of revisionist fantasy on here, and on all fan boards - but the narrative that Xmas was some offensive force that JB was too ignorant to utilize - that one prolly takes the cake

 

[bevosu]

I think this seems about right.
I mean, there's lots of revisionist fantasy on here, and on all fan boards - but the narrative that Xmas was some offensive force that JB was too ignorant to utilize - that one prolly takes the cake

I'm not sure anybody said he would have been an offensive force? I do think that he could have put up better numbers if they tried to get him the ball more often. The guy was not selfish and he made the majority of his attempts.

He wasn't horrible. I'll put some trust in the numbers.

 

[pearl31]

I'm not sure anybody said he would have been an offensive force? I do think that he could have put up better numbers if they tried to get him the ball more often. The guy was not selfish and he made the majority of his attempts.

He wasn't horrible. I'll put some trust in the numbers.

he was a solid, if inconsistent, player until he emerged during his junior year as a viable offensive option. then he finally put it all together his senior year. no shame in that

 

[SoBeCuse]

I think it was a combination of all the issues above. Late bloomer, guards not getting him the ball more especially in his junior year, etc. He was very raw in H.S. and didn’t put up great numbers if I remember correctly. Always a physical talent, though.

 

[SWC75]

The worry has to be about the center position. We have the disappointing Chukwu and the freshman Sidibie and then somebody playing out of position.

I think we should press for 40 minutes and stay out of the half court game altogether. But we won't.

 

[SoBeCuse]

The worry has to be about the center position. We have the disappointing Chukwu and the freshman Sidibie and then somebody playing out of position.

I think we should press for 40 minutes and stay out of the half court game altogether. But we won't.

There are lots of concerns. Coaches need to put their players (and themselves) in the best position to win. I also worry about the offense and wonder how it would look in terms of execution if they try to run Villanova style ball. I do think that Nova-style probably is the best approach on offense with this current team but I wonder about the X’s and O’s especially without many proven shooters.

 

[IthacaMatt]

There are lots of concerns. Coaches need to put their players (and themselves) in the best position to win. I also worry about the offense and wonder how it would look in terms of execution if they try to run Villanova style ball. I do think that Nova-style probably is the best approach on offense with this current team but I wonder about the X’s and O’s especially without many proven shooters.

If we want to play Villanova small ball, we have to press full court, because we don't play man and we can't play zone for too long with a small buy on the back line. The opponent will just overload his side on the backboards.