So how does JB fix this?

[Zelda Zonk]

I don't think any of this is a matter of Battle and Brissett playing as an 'NBA audition.' Our team as a whole has just been underprepared, and under drilled. There are basic competencies that we just don't have, and it really looks like—compared to how other teams execute—that we tend to rely on player talent before actually drilling and practicing player SKILLS at a high enough level. Then, when things begin to collapse, , we start relying on playing 'harder,' but not smarter, and still without the skills resources to make the additional 'hustle' effective.

Our guys made shots in the exhibitions. They made them at times last year. We're capable of making them, and of winning games, but the staff doesn't prepare them well enough to do it on a consistent enough basis, which is why we end up with middle of the pack league records, and have to sneak into the NCAA field. Then, when we make some kind of run in the big tournament, some of our fans take that to mean we are better than we actually are. The quality of the team is reflected in the league record, not a romp into the tournament. I've been saying that for years, and have constantly been pelted with rocks and garbage, but hey, JB himself said it, so now they'll have to accept it, right?

"We have to be a lot better than we were last year,'' Boeheim said. "The (NCAA) tournament doesn't really matter. That's just an isolated instance. We played good for a week. We didn't play good for the whole year last year.''

 

[JoeySimz]

The defense will slowly become better as the season goes on and we'll grind out wins in the 60s.

Like for a fine balance of reality and cynicism.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Its not on JB that his two best players turned to complete garbage.

Brissett and Battle honestly never had a prayer of being drafted last year as a fanbase we have to collectively take some responsibility for pumping the tires of mediocre players.

But that said it works for some guys. Ennis/McCullough/Lydon/Richardson should have never sniffed the first round but since they didn't suck as freshman the SU hoopola got them a couple million each. But honestly I bet all 4 of them would have had bad seasons if they came back like Brissett/Battle are having weird as that sounds I don't think they'd have worked on their games and got better (hence them all essentially being out of the NBA already.)

 

[SoBeCuse]

9 3’s from your power forward. I really miss the way basketball used to be played. Jacking 3’s has jumped the shark. Nobody has any offensive game with the ball in their hands anymore. That play is discouraged(see media reports on Carmelo the last 5 years). Nobody has any footwork or moves other than that stupid James Harden eurostep.

Did you watch Bol Bol? Cobb? Zion? Barrett? All teams play occasional ISO. You have to actually have some players who are really good at it and have said footwork/moves. The first two schooled us with moves and footwork. The last two are destroying everybody with theirs.

 

[JoeySimz]

If you noticed, in the first 5 minutes of the game our ball movement was good, people flashing to the high post. Then it ended.

Noticed it. It was refreshing to see. Obviously, they came out determined to get some better movement. I don’t know why they abandoned it. Battle and Hughes were moving well without the ball. We just have no idea what to do when we get inside.

 

[JoeySimz]

I’ll take a stab.

1. Oshae. Attack attack attack. Got to the rim. No avoiding contact nonsense. You shy away from contact or settle for an nba three, you come out.
2. Don’t pass to any of the bigs when they come high. They are woefully inadequate at handling the ball inder pressure. Instead get it to them when they have position and certainly when they call for it. Sid called for it a few times when he had a mismatch (Bol was resting iirc) but never gets a look in time.
3. Play washington more until frank gets back. It was a nightmare just to get the ball past half court. We need ball hanlders who can look up and he’s one of our smarter players.
4. Understand tempo. When to push, when to slow down. When you break the press and get past three defenders, it it essentially 5-3. Why slow it down then and wait for d to setup?
5. When you finally get penetration or a pass inside, you have to do soemthing immediately. No more passing out and resetting. You already accomplished did step one by making the defense move.
6. Put a body on someone. This one seems simple. Anyone who has ever played the game of basketball has developed an instinct to attach to an opponent when the ball goes up. Territory. That’s where the game is won. How many time did their bigs just waltz right in? Should never be that easy. I can’t call our guys soft bc they did mix it up tonight, diving for loose balls, etc. but man...push someone back once in a while for f’s sake.

 

[kcsu]

Its not on JB that his two best players turned to complete garbage.

Brissett and Battle honestly never had a prayer of being drafted last year as a fanbase we have to collectively take some responsibility for pumping the tires of mediocre players.

But that said it works for some guys. Ennis/McCullough/Lydon/Richardson should have never sniffed the first round but since they didn't suck as freshman the SU hoopola got them a couple million each. But honestly I bet all 4 of them would have had bad seasons if they came back like Brissett/Battle are having weird as that sounds I don't think they'd have worked on their games and got better (hence them all essentially being out of the NBA already.)

Im sure that your intent with this post is to defend JB and the staff. However what does it say about the staff when returning players regress...

 

[kcsu]

There are too many players that need the ball, cant play without it well. In my opinion pulling Marek out of the starting line up was a terrible decision and no it didnt have to happen because we didnt have a true PG.
Until Frank returns play the following 5
Carey
Tyus
OB
Euro
Chewy.

Hughes, Sid, Washington.

Buddy should RS. He isnt even close to ready for D1 ball.

When Frank returns play last years team move Carey out. Marek is the key. The team flows better with him on the court and his hustle is contagious. JB pulling him out of the starting lineup was a gigantic mistake.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

There are too many players that need the ball, cant play without it well. In my opinion pulling Marek out of the starting line up was a terrible decision and no it didnt have to happen because we didnt have a true PG.
Until Frank returns play the following 5
Carey
Tyus
OB
Euro
Chewy.

Hughes, Sid, Washington.

Buddy should RS. He isnt even close to ready for D1 ball.

When Frank returns play last years team move Carey out. Marek is the key. The team flows better with him on the court and his hustle is contagious. JB pulling him out of the starting lineup was a gigantic mistake.

For a team that had all five starters back, it's been very discombobulated. Fortunately we have some cupcakes for the coach to figure it out. No question that OB was more effective last year. Your lineup would suggest a return to "normalcy".

 

[Lucid]

When the head coach says in a post game presser...

"We're not tough."

"We're not physical."

It's pretty clear he knows what's wrong, and I'm pretty sure he knows how to work on it. It starts by saying it in the pressers, where he knows the players will hear it. I don't really think they want that reputation everywhere they go.

He also said, "We shoot noticeably better in practice." He knows his kids can play, but they are not playing. And you don't fix that with schemes.

After watching these two games, it's clear these are head issues. You could see it in their body language. They became easily frustrated, they let themselves get pushed around, they stopped playing defense after missing a couple of shots. These are all attitude problems. They absolutely do not believe in themselves at all. For some reason, they don't think they deserve to win. Maybe they feel that, without Frank, they can't win. I would guess that's it, at least with Tyus and Oshae.

If I was the coach I'd stick them all on a bus, take them to a city playground, and let them remember how much fun basketball can be. Let them rediscover the pure joy of playing their hearts out. Get them out of their heads and back on the court.

Even my wife, a very casual fan, said, "This team has no heart."

 

[Alsacs]

Last season, we lost to the Bonnies at home. Started 1-4 in the ACC...and somehow figured it out...

Season before that, the Johnnies beat us by 33 at home. Lost to the Hoyas at home and to UConn at the Garden...yet somehow righted the ship enough to beat the #6, #9 and #10 teams in the country and almost made the tourney...

In 16, got beat by the Johnnies by double digits and started off 0-4 in conference play yet somehow figured it out...

This team has both more talent and more pieces than any of those teams...

Color me not worried...

It’s okay to think JB will figure it out but we literally were the last team in the field last year. We also made it in 2016 because we won the Battle 4 Atlantis.
So while I can see people saying we will make the tournament my worry meter and after back to back stinkers is a little bit higher.
The offense is a mess and Frank Howard won’t fix that. The D will get better no doubt and that is how we will win. However with how we play offensively there is going to be little margin for error.

 

[SkanSU]

Everyone is saying how badly we need Frank. And certainly that wouldn't hurt but...that is not the 2 games I watched. Someone told OB that he could and should shoot 3s. Wrong. At one point he was 2\9. Ugh. He needs to get in the paint and drive and rebound. He was our double/double machine last year. Tough to rebound when you are shooting 3s. Someone needs to turn on Battles switch. He is playing like he is disappointed being back here. And I don't buy that he is playing badly because he is out of position. And as I said everyone is saying wait until Frank is back. Jalen Carey and Hughes seem to be our entire scoring threat. Finally this team is playing with no spirit...no energy. And it looks like it in their play. Two very ugly games.

 

[HakAttack]

This is going to be a fun season. Four games in and the board is already at mid-season form.

As everyone has mentioned, there are some big time issues at play. I agree that Hughes needs to sit. He doesn’t play defense, he doesn’t get minutes. He’s got to be a 3 and D guy, like NBA guys. They have extremely important roles on teams. Hughes is not the #1 guy on offense, or even the second/third guy. He needs to accept that. You can tell that he wants to be the alpha dog but he’s not at all built for that.

Battle needs to get his head in the game, and quick. We saw flashes of it late vs. UConn when we were down big. Driving the lane, kicking out to shooters, etc. To be fair to Battle though, he got clobbered for two games and barely went to the line. That didn’t help.

Oshae needs to stop listening to whoever told him that he needs to play outside-in and develop his range. His game is inside-out. He’s your classic tweener SF/PF. Too small to mix it up effectively down low, but not enough range & handle to be a true SF. He would benefit from watching old tapes of the guy in my avatar. OB has probably 40lbs on him, so he has no excuse why his post game should be so soft.

Centers need to show more intensity on the glass. I like how they’re trying to get into position on offense, but far too often they try to lay it up softly instead of finishing at the rim.

Play Marek and Washington more.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

He will fix it but by slowing the game down. Reducing possessions and looking to win games in the high 50s/ low 60s.
JB will fix it. It just won’t be Aesthetically pretty basketball.

Slowing the game down isn't going to fix anything unless these kids start playing as a team. Right now they act as if they really don't like each other. What we have is a chemistry problem. Fix that or nothing else matters.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

This is going to be a fun season. Four games in and the board is already at mid-season form.

As everyone has mentioned, there are some big time issues at play. I agree that Hughes needs to sit. He doesn’t play defense, he doesn’t get minutes. He’s got to be a 3 and D guy, like NBA guys. They have extremely important roles on teams. Hughes is not the #1 guy on offense, or even the second/third guy. He needs to accept that. You can tell that he wants to be the alpha dog but he’s not at all built for that.

Battle needs to get his head in the game, and quick. We saw flashes of it late vs. UConn when we were down big. Driving the lane, kicking out to shooters, etc. To be fair to Battle though, he got clobbered for two games and barely went to the line. That didn’t help.

Oshae needs to stop listening to whoever told him that he needs to play outside-in and develop his range. His game is inside-out. He’s your classic tweener SF/PF. Too small to mix it up effectively down low, but not enough range & handle to be a true SF. He would benefit from watching old tapes of the guy in my avatar. OB has probably 40lbs on him, so he has no excuse why his post game should be so soft.

Centers need to show more intensity on the glass. I like how they’re trying to get into position on offense, but far too often they try to lay it up softly instead of finishing at the rim.

Play Marek and Washington more.

EXCELLENT POST.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

It’s okay to think JB will figure it out but we literally were the last team in the field last year. We also made it in 2016 because we won the Battle 4 Atlantis.
So while I can see people saying we will make the tournament my worry meter and after back to back stinkers is a little bit higher.
The offense is a mess and Frank Howard won’t fix that. The D will get better no doubt and that is how we will win. However with how we play offensively there is going to be little margin for error.

I don't agree with the statement that the offense is a mess.

The shooting is currently a mess.

What I found very interesting is that JB had no problem with OB taking 2/3rds of his shots as 3s yesterday. He thought they were good shots and said that OB makes those shots in practice. Now, that could just have been JB gonna JB in press conferences but I didn't get that sense from the tone of his response and his body language. Usually, when JB gonna JB in press conferences, he stiffens and his tone gets aggressive. Did not happen yesterday. So, I think his response was sincere.

And I sincerely thought that there were fewer significantly fewer instances of last second, late-in-the-shot-clock challenged shots this weekend than in a typical game last year.

Last year, we had two (edit: my bad here, should be three) guys who could score during the regular season and added a 1/2 a guy during the tourney (MD) and that half a guy made a difference.

This year, we can put several lineups on the floor where we have four guys that can either drive or shoot. Big difference. We missed all our shots but a lot of them were uncontested looks. Now, if we cannot hit open shots all year, it will be a long year but I am not nearly as concerned that these two games are a harbinger of what the rest of the season will look like offensively.

We shall see.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I don't think any of this is a matter of Battle and Brissett playing as an 'NBA audition.' Our team as a whole has just been underprepared, and under drilled. There are basic competencies that we just don't have, and it really looks like—compared to how other teams execute—that we tend to rely on player talent before actually drilling and practicing player SKILLS at a high enough level. Then, when things begin to collapse, , we start relying on playing 'harder,' but not smarter, and still without the skills resources to make the additional 'hustle' effective.

Our guys made shots in the exhibitions. They made them at times last year. We're capable of making them, and of winning games, but the staff doesn't prepare them well enough to do it on a consistent enough basis, which is why we end up with middle of the pack league records, and have to sneak into the NCAA field. Then, when we make some kind of run in the big tournament, some of our fans take that to mean we are better than we actually are. The quality of the team is reflected in the league record, not a romp into the tournament. I've been saying that for years, and have constantly been pelted with rocks and garbage, but hey, JB himself said it, so now they'll have to accept it, right?

"We have to be a lot better than we were last year,'' Boeheim said. "The (NCAA) tournament doesn't really matter. That's just an isolated instance. We played good for a week. We didn't play good for the whole year last year.''

Interesting hypothesis but then the example you use to support your theory is shooting?

Not spacing, not movement, not the heavy emphasis on iso or pick and sometimes roll?

So, it is the fact that the staff does not prepare them well enough to shoot better is the reason we are a middle of the pack ACC team?

As far as your last statement, I can point to a dozen examples of your statement and a dozen example of JB saying the exact opposite. That is classic JB gonna JB depending upon which statement suits his needs at the time...

I can tell you with 100% confidence that there is no fan out there, including yourself, that could say with a straight face that they remember the 1985-86, 1987-88, 1990-91 or the 2004-5 seasons more fondly than the 2016 season...

 

[Rautins07]

I think we will be alright, we have played 4 games, West Virginia is 1-2! Frank coming back changes Tyus and Oshae's games. I don't understand why JB wont press similar to what Oregon did just to make opponents waste clock. Frank also can shoot and get to the basket.

I love Jalens speed several times he stopped ball when teams tried to push, I believe' as I have for 42 years we will be fine, but I will admit it was tough to watch and I did turn the channel with 5 minutes left in the Oregon game.

 

[MGDCuse]

Im sure that your intent with this post is to defend JB and the staff. However what does it say about the staff when returning players regress...

They haven't regressed, they're just settling for poor shots. He must have said something to them, because Battle and Brissett both tried to get to the basket more toward the end of the game.

 

[orangecuse]

Everyone is saying how badly we need Frank. And certainly that wouldn't hurt but...that is not the 2 games I watched. Someone told OB that he could and should shoot 3s. Wrong. At one point he was 2\9. Ugh. He needs to get in the paint and drive and rebound. He was our double/double machine last year. Tough to rebound when you are shooting 3s. Someone needs to turn on Battles switch. He is playing like he is disappointed being back here. And I don't buy that he is playing badly because he is out of position. And as I said everyone is saying wait until Frank is back. Jalen Carey and Hughes seem to be our entire scoring threat. Finally this team is playing with no spirit...no energy. And it looks like it in their play. Two very ugly games.

Solid post.

My largest takeaway from these past two debacles is Battle's complete ineffectiveness. In the UConn game, for a guy whom allegedly is NBA worthy, he looked nothing more than a G league journeyman at best type player. He was practically invisible, especially when the game mattered and was still in question. Yeah, he ended up with 16 points (in 40 minutes to boot) but he scored most of them towards the end of the game when it had no affect on the outcome. For someone whom is alleged to be a first round pick, he should've been able to make an impact, if not dominate based upon the caliber of UConn's players, but he simply didn't...or couldn't from my vantage point.

In the Oregon game, same thing, no impact, he just looked like an average Joe type out there, nothing special, certainly not anything of NBA prowess. Again, he ended up with double digit points, 17, but most came in the 2nd half and when the game's outcome was no longer ever in doubt.

By far, the two best players seemingly on the court for SU were Carey and Hughes.

 

[NorSyr66]

There are too many players that need the ball, cant play without it well. In my opinion pulling Marek out of the starting line up was a terrible decision and no it didnt have to happen because we didnt have a true PG.
Until Frank returns play the following 5
Carey
Tyus
OB
Euro
Chewy.

Hughes, Sid, Washington.

Buddy should RS. He isnt even close to ready for D1 ball.

When Frank returns play last years team move Carey out. Marek is the key. The team flows better with him on the court and his hustle is contagious. JB pulling him out of the starting lineup was a gigantic mistake.

I totally agree with your suggestion except I am not ready to give up on Buddy yet.. We need to go back to basics. The starting five we ended up with last year needs to be on the floor to start. Marek sees the floor much better than Hughes, plays with more intensity and can make timely decisions with the ball. There was too much hesitation with the ball last night. Everyone would receive the ball and rather be ready to play, they would tend to hesitate and look around. At times it almost appeared like "hot potato" and no one wanted it. Then with seconds left they would jerk up a shot. I am a Howard fan but I am not sure he is going to fix this when he returns. Like everyone else, I agree we need to attack the basket to make the outside shots easier to make. I have no reason for why Oshae was not driving more to the basket last night. Finally, Chukwu will never be a tough big man, he is just a big man. We will have nights when a gifted big man like Bol will simply out play him. But few teams have a Bol. In all honestly much of our problems with inside scoring against us the last two nights has started out front. We are letting the guards shred our defense at the top.

 

[dollarbill44]

He'll fix it like he did last year. Make them get in the lane and either get to the foul line or kick it out to a shooter. I think Marek should start ahead of Hughes. He just sees everything so well. Put him at the high post and let him dish. Toward the end of today's game, he grabbed a rebound and fired an outlet pass to half court. That's something sorely missing imho. Would help us get out in transition and RUN. Remember what that was like? Let Hughes be the spark plug off the bench. Having Frank back will help this team more than some want to admit. Nova got crushed on their home court by Michigan. I'm sure they'll be fine by seasons end and I have absolute faith that Boeheim, after what he's done the past 3-4 years with a depleted roster, will have this team humming along by season end. BTW, great to see Uconn follow up their season changing win in typical Uconn fashion. As good as they were from 3 last night, they are equally as bad tonight.

You made some good points, but the Nova example doesn't work. They won the NC last year and lost most of their team and are in rebuild mode. We returned everyone and added a couple more pieces. This was supposed to be a big year and it looks like we have a bunch of freshmen out there.

 

[MGDCuse]

You made some good points, but the Nova example doesn't work. They won the NC last year and lost most of their team and are in rebuild mode. We returned everyone and added a couple more pieces. This was supposed to be a big year and it looks like we have a bunch of freshmen out there.

But, you'd think a team that won 2 national championships in 3 years would just be reloading this year. I think they returned 2 starters and had a great recruiting class. Was surprised how little run Cole Swider got. When we recruited him, he was made out to be a sure fire starter/one and done type. I'm sure he'll be a good one for them, but it just goes to show you how most of these kids take time to adjust to the college game.

 

[MCC]

Merrick's figuring out how to come off the bench.

 

[Sherman20]

Q

It’s okay to think JB will figure it out but we literally were the last team in the field last year. We also made it in 2016 because we won the Battle 4 Atlantis.
So while I can see people saying we will make the tournament my worry meter and after back to back stinkers is a little bit higher.
The offense is a mess and Frank Howard won’t fix that. The D will get better no doubt and that is how we will win. However with how we play offensively there is going to be little margin for error.

“The offense is a mess and Frank Howard won’t fix that”? How the bell does that make any sense whatsoever?? He’s our senior PG and has been playing the position for 4 years. How does getting the quarterback of your team back in the game NOT help?? Of course that’s a big part of the issues on offense. JB himself said that Carey is a good player but he only played PG for one year in high school. So he’s not done it against really high level competition. It will require some adjustment. When Frank gets back (and has a few games to shake off the rust), I think JB starts him at Tyus at guard. But I think when Carey comes in, he moves Tyus to small forward, like he said in his presser. My only issue with that is that Tyus is such a terrible rebounder. Carey, as a freshman who’s not as tall, has proved to have more want-to with rebounding than Tyus. Tyus needs to focus on his passing and rebounding, so does the whole team.