Some mid-seasonish thoughts | Syracusefan.com

Some mid-seasonish thoughts

billsin01

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Just a few things from a bigger picture standpoint that seem relevant.

Think JB has done a nice job with the rotation thus far
So let's just all agree that JB can never win in this discussion. This year proves it. He's literally given everyone a shot to earn PT and stuck with guys through mistakes, losses, issues, etc. Obviously some of that is because the roster he put together is a bit lacking, but, whatever, he's played a ton of guys. That's a logical approach for a roster that only has three guys you can lean on. Hima is getting minutes when Jesse is in foul trouble. That makes sense. JBA has played some big minutes at times but JB hasn't force-fed him into games either. All four young wing players -- Brown/Bell/Benny/Taylor have gotten pretty solid minutes. I'm with everyone else -- at this point I'm leaning pretty heavy on the Taylor/Brown (more on this below) combo -- but I think it made sense to give Benny as much opportunity as you reasonably could. And Bell, I think, is a bit better shooter than Taylor at this point so I get why JB is trying to make that work. Something tells me we'll still see Benny/Bell, but Brown has averaged 19 mpg in his last seven games and I'm guessing we continue to see that number go up. The one guy (other than Carey who is now injured) who hasn't seen as much action is Copeland, but even Copeland has logged double-figures in minutes five times and played legit minutes vs. St. John's and Pitt.

All things considered, however, I think he's kept everyone engaged and everyone has gotten at least some opportunity. Will be interesting to see how many stick around -- which i guess will be the question annually.

Mintz has matured quickly ... and will he be here next year?
Mintz has clearly emerged as the most interesting Syracuse player if you consider that it's unlikely we do much in the way of postseason this year. That means Edwards and Girard are gone and Judah is the key to next season ... so hopefully he's here. NBA obviously a possibility but I also sorta wonder if some deep-pocketed NIL programs try to lure him away if he's not on the NBA radar.

But, for the time being, I've been really impressed with how Mintz has played. He's obviously electric getting to the basket and 16 pts/4 assists (17.5/5.3 in the last 8 games) with limited turnovers is a really nice line for a freshman PG, who's never really been a PG. But what's been more impressive to me is all the different ways he's found to impact the game. He's improving as a creator for others, he's getting to the line 6 times a game, he draws a ton of fouls out around midcourt and in the backcourt, he has a bunch of steals (averaging almost 3/game in his last 8), he is outstanding at getting skinny and going over the top of screens to disrupt other teams' sets, he rarely gets called for charges. Even his glaring weakness -- 3-point shooting -- is interesting because he's shown great restraint in taking those shots. And, really, his shot doesn't look bad to me. If we see him for another year I'd bet he's a Flynn-type shooter from out there. Dangerous enough to keep you honest.

Anyway, he's had a really nice season. Praying we see him for another.

Edwards' offensive game is frustrating at times
Love me some Jesse Edwards. Kid has really improved and gotten stronger in his time here and I'm happy we have him. We're all happy Hima has been a solid backup this year ... get ready for next year when he has to play more minutes and people are losing their minds about how bad they think he is. It's the way it works on here. So when I'm nitpicking Jesse here, I want to be clear that he's the best basketball player on this team, he's in the conversation with the best bigs we've had since the mid-80s when I was first following this team. He's an excellent player.

Buuuuut ... I'd be lying if I didn't sometimes feel a bit disappointed that he's not just a wee bit better offensively. I'm not expert but it seems like the footwork down there on low-post moves gets really clunky. He's an excellent catch-and-finish big and he's so athletic that he can hurt you in a variety of ways. But his low-post moves lead to awkward, leaning shots way too often for a guy with his size, athleticism and strength. I also would love to see him square up from time to time. Why not?

Anyway -- kid's having a great year, but just wish he could force more teams to double down there. It's interesting but more often than not teams just play him straight up.

Girard's been really solid offensively since the Illinois game
Want to take a minute to say that Girard is having a really nice offensive season (defense still comes and goes a bit ...). The slump he suffered hurt -- really hurt us in painful losses to Bryant/St. John's and took away any chance of competing with Illinois (though that one can hardly be blamed on Girard). But his last nine have been a really nice stretch, all things considered. He's at 19/3/3 in that stretch shooting over .400 from three. That's really solid basketball. But he's also found a way to score a bit inside the arc. Maybe some of that has to do with the competition but he's at 47% on 2-point FGs in that stretch. That's better than his season numbers (around 40%) and coming into the year he had never been above .385 from inside the arc.

He's a bit limited as we all know and he'll have some not great games going forward, but it's worth giving the kid some credit for putting together a solid run that along with Edwards and Mintz has helped us avoid a season where we might be hoping we go on a run to get to .500.

Brown and Taylor have played well defensively
Brown and Taylor have both seen big minutes the past two games. Taylor, of course, has actually gotten solid minutes most of the season. In Brown's case his numbers are up since the Oakland game with the only significant departure from that being the 4-minute game vs. BC, which coincided with Benny's best game in Orange. But generally these guys have been seeing the floor quite a bit. What's interesting is that I have to believe that we've been seeing Benny and Bell b/c JB feels we need the offense. But, while Brown is a bit limited offensively and Taylor is still feeling his way around offensively (the Bryant game as an outlier), their per 40 numbers offensively aren't terribly dissimilar from the Benny/Bell combo.

But what's really been impressive is how good both have been defensively. Our zone rotations aren't perfect, but they are much better with the two frosh. Brown has excellent hands and Taylor has quickness and reads the floor well. Both can rebound (Brown is a really solid rebounder already, Taylor can hold his own). Plus, there is the question of how much you lose offensively -- Benny has seen his shot fall a bit more lately, which is a nice development, and Bell has hung in there despite the feeling that sometimes his minutes are empty calories at times if he's not scoring. But Brown moves around well in the paint, finds soft spots, and grabs offensive boards (thought his 11 vs. VA Tech could easily have been 14 or 15 with the dunk taken away, the foul on the tip-in attempt that they didn't give him shots for in the first half and a little bunny that hit off the back iron) and Taylor can knock down a shot and if he's open.

Bottom line: I think we'll see more of these guys. Not sure JB will (and not totally sure he should) completely abandon Benny and/or Bell, but I'd imagine we'll continue to see Taylor and continue to see far more of Brown (though a healthy Benny will cut into those minutes).

Benny intensity is the key, IMO
The frustration of Benny to me is that he seems to quite often be surprised by the intensity of the game. I don't think it's a surprise that he had a great game against BC b/c he was working in that game. He blocked three shots from the weak side, made several hustle plays, a couple times not coming up with the ball but still battling for it, grabbed 5 offensive boards. That's hustle stuff, so when the jumper starts falling, that's almost grave. Same thing really against St. John's -- good hustle and aggressiveness against an aggressive opponent.

Now, he was sick and missed a game and was likely not 100% going into this game. There's some nasty stuff going around so I don't want to jump all over him. But his first few minutes in the first half were brutal. No need to dig into it, other than to say, I think he just needs that mindset that all of these games are going to be physical, intense matchups and he's got to match that intensity. I think he hustles most or all of the time, but he just needs to be aggressive and looking to use that athleticism on the offensive boards, getting out in transition, hunting weak side block/steal opportunities -- get those things going and the shots will come. We'll see if that happens.

Where do we stand overall?
We aren't the same program we were for most of JB's tenure, sadly. Doubt it will change next year but who knows. I don't get that depressed about it b/c I think you'd generally take the 40-ish excellent years in exchange for the 9 or 10 mediocre ones most of the time. But while I don't think this team has much of a shot to reach the tourney, but I do actually think they can make a solid run at a decent record and a pretty decent finish in the ACC. I'll give JB credit -- and yes, he's the one who put the roster together so you reap what you sow -- but he's done a nice job helping this team be competitive when we're both young and not terribly athletic. All in all, if we end up with maybe 18 wins and get some nice improvement from the Browns and Taylors, that would put us in a spot to potentially be more competitive if Mintz comes back next year. Especially if we can add a good recruit and maybe a transfer. That's the hope at least.
 
You covered a lot of ground there, with many qualifiers. I agree with a lot of your assessments.

I think Edwards does draw a lot of double teams and he is struggling with whether to pass out of them or try to make a play. He is a finesse player. He can kill teams who lack a strong big, but he will struggle against physical defenders who keep him away from the basket. Not sure he is ready for the NBA next year, but that won't matter if he can get drafted and get paid. Frankly, I think it is debatable whether Edwards is our best player - Mintz is more electric and Girard has strong together some good outings despite being a focus of the defenses. It is a nice trio that gives us a chance if we get contributions from the forwards.

We haven't played many ACC teams with winning records -- losing to the only two who do have wins (PItt and UVa). The ACC schedule has given us 4 wins against the bottom third of the conference. So, we will have to see how the team improves and competes against better competition.

Brown is emerging as a necessary inside player who is earning more minutes, and the pairing of Benny with Brown may not work. Per JB, Benny needs to take his game inside to be effective. In our hot start to 2H last night, JB had Brown paired with Bell -- and maybe that is a solution. Justin Taylor (who is steady and usually defers more than he tries to make a play) will have his chances and, as with Bell, the pair of JT with Brown seems like a natural.
 
Regarding Benny, I agree, and would also add that he seems like he has a guard’s mindset and has not yet adapted to his much larger body.

That may be the reason he doesn’t play like Maliq and have the same instincts underneath. I read somewhere that he was 5’9” as a freshman in HS so he likely grew up as a guard. Time will tell if he can develop these instincts.
 
JB wants Benny to get his butt inside and he wants to float around the perimeter. He could do what Brown does if he hangs around the rim. Benny is going to lose the battle of wills. He will either adjust or sit. You can tell JB is gaining more confidence in Brown and he has very little with Benny.
 
Is its Jims wish to have everyone back next year? Joe and Jesse included. Is that in the works
 
Just a few things from a bigger picture standpoint that seem relevant.
Think JB has done a nice job with the rotation thus far
So let's just all agree that JB can never win in this discussion. This year proves it. He's literally given everyone a shot to earn PT and stuck with guys through mistakes, losses, issues, etc. Obviously some of that is because the roster he put together is a bit lacking, but, whatever, he's played a ton of guys. That's a logical approach for a roster that only has three guys you can lean on. Hima is getting minutes when Jesse is in foul trouble. That makes sense. JBA has played some big minutes at times but JB hasn't force-fed him into games either. All four young wing players -- Brown/Bell/Benny/Taylor have gotten pretty solid minutes. I'm with everyone else -- at this point I'm leaning pretty heavy on the Taylor/Brown (more on this below) combo -- but I think it made sense to give Benny as much opportunity as you reasonably could. And Bell, I think, is a bit better shooter than Taylor at this point so I get why JB is trying to make that work. Something tells me we'll still see Benny/Bell, but Brown has averaged 19 mpg in his last seven games and I'm guessing we continue to see that number go up. The one guy (other than Carey who is now injured) who hasn't seen as much action is Copeland, but even Copeland has logged double-figures in minutes five times and played legit minutes vs. St. John's and Pitt.
All things considered, however, I think he's kept everyone engaged and everyone has gotten at least some opportunity. Will be interesting to see how many stick around -- which i guess will be the question annually.
Mintz has matured quickly ... and will he be here next year?
Mintz has clearly emerged as the most interesting Syracuse player if you consider that it's unlikely we do much in the way of postseason this year. That means Edwards and Girard are gone and Judah is the key to next season ... so hopefully he's here. NBA obviously a possibility but I also sorta wonder if some deep-pocketed NIL programs try to lure him away if he's not on the NBA radar.
But, for the time being, I've been really impressed with how Mintz has played. He's obviously electric getting to the basket and 16 pts/4 assists (17.5/5.3 in the last 8 games) with limited turnovers is a really nice line for a freshman PG, who's never really been a PG. But what's been more impressive to me is all the different ways he's found to impact the game. He's improving as a creator for others, he's getting to the line 6 times a game, he draws a ton of fouls out around midcourt and in the backcourt, he has a bunch of steals (averaging almost 3/game in his last 8), he is outstanding at getting skinny and going over the top of screens to disrupt other teams' sets, he rarely gets called for charges. Even his glaring weakness -- 3-point shooting -- is interesting because he's shown great restraint in taking those shots. And, really, his shot doesn't look bad to me. If we see him for another year I'd bet he's a Flynn-type shooter from out there. Dangerous enough to keep you honest.
Anyway, he's had a really nice season. Praying we see him for another.
Edwards' offensive game is frustrating at times
Love me some Jesse Edwards. Kid has really improved and gotten stronger in his time here and I'm happy we have him. We're all happy Hima has been a solid backup this year ... get ready for next year when he has to play more minutes and people are losing their minds about how bad they think he is. It's the way it works on here. So when I'm nitpicking Jesse here, I want to be clear that he's the best basketball player on this team, he's in the conversation with the best bigs we've had since the mid-80s when I was first following this team. He's an excellent player.
Buuuuut ... I'd be lying if I didn't sometimes feel a bit disappointed that he's not just a wee bit better offensively. I'm not expert but it seems like the footwork down there on low-post moves gets really clunky. He's an excellent catch-and-finish big and he's so athletic that he can hurt you in a variety of ways. But his low-post moves lead to awkward, leaning shots way too often for a guy with his size, athleticism and strength. I also would love to see him square up from time to time. Why not?
Anyway -- kid's having a great year, but just wish he could force more teams to double down there. It's interesting but more often than not teams just play him straight up.
Girard's been really solid offensively since the Illinois game
Want to take a minute to say that Girard is having a really nice offensive season (defense still comes and goes a bit ...). The slump he suffered hurt -- really hurt us in painful losses to Bryant/St. John's and took away any chance of competing with Illinois (though that one can hardly be blamed on Girard). But his last nine have been a really nice stretch, all things considered. He's at 19/3/3 in that stretch shooting over .400 from three. That's really solid basketball. But he's also found a way to score a bit inside the arc. Maybe some of that has to do with the competition but he's at 47% on 2-point FGs in that stretch. That's better than his season numbers (around 40%) and coming into the year he had never been above .385 from inside the arc.
He's a bit limited as we all know and he'll have some not great games going forward, but it's worth giving the kid some credit for putting together a solid run that along with Edwards and Mintz has helped us avoid a season where we might be hoping we go on a run to get to .500.
Brown and Taylor have played well defensively
Brown and Taylor have both seen big minutes the past two games. Taylor, of course, has actually gotten solid minutes most of the season. In Brown's case his numbers are up since the Oakland game with the only significant departure from that being the 4-minute game vs. BC, which coincided with Benny's best game in Orange. But generally these guys have been seeing the floor quite a bit. What's interesting is that I have to believe that we've been seeing Benny and Bell b/c JB feels we need the offense. But, while Brown is a bit limited offensively and Taylor is still feeling his way around offensively (the Bryant game as an outlier), their per 40 numbers offensively aren't terribly dissimilar from the Benny/Bell combo.
But what's really been impressive is how good both have been defensively. Our zone rotations aren't perfect, but they are much better with the two frosh. Brown has excellent hands and Taylor has quickness and reads the floor well. Both can rebound (Brown is a really solid rebounder already, Taylor can hold his own). Plus, there is the question of how much you lose offensively -- Benny has seen his shot fall a bit more lately, which is a nice development, and Bell has hung in there despite the feeling that sometimes his minutes are empty calories at times if he's not scoring. But Brown moves around well in the paint, finds soft spots, and grabs offensive boards (thought his 11 vs. VA Tech could easily have been 14 or 15 with the dunk taken away, the foul on the tip-in attempt that they didn't give him shots for in the first half and a little bunny that hit off the back iron) and Taylor can knock down a shot and if he's open.
Bottom line: I think we'll see more of these guys. Not sure JB will (and not totally sure he should) completely abandon Benny and/or Bell, but I'd imagine we'll continue to see Taylor and continue to see far more of Brown (though a healthy Benny will cut into those minutes).
Benny intensity is the key, IMO
The frustration of Benny to me is that he seems to quite often be surprised by the intensity of the game. I don't think it's a surprise that he had a great game against BC b/c he was working in that game. He blocked three shots from the weak side, made several hustle plays, a couple times not coming up with the ball but still battling for it, grabbed 5 offensive boards. That's hustle stuff, so when the jumper starts falling, that's almost grave. Same thing really against St. John's -- good hustle and aggressiveness against an aggressive opponent.
Now, he was sick and missed a game and was likely not 100% going into this game. There's some nasty stuff going around so I don't want to jump all over him. But his first few minutes in the first half were brutal. No need to dig into it, other than to say, I think he just needs that mindset that all of these games are going to be physical, intense matchups and he's got to match that intensity. I think he hustles most or all of the time, but he just needs to be aggressive and looking to use that athleticism on the offensive boards, getting out in transition, hunting weak side block/steal opportunities -- get those things going and the shots will come. We'll see if that happens.
Where do we stand overall?
We aren't the same program we were for most of JB's tenure, sadly. Doubt it will change next year but who knows. I don't get that depressed about it b/c I think you'd generally take the 40-ish excellent years in exchange for the 9 or 10 mediocre ones most of the time. But while I don't think this team has much of a shot to reach the tourney, but I do actually think they can make a solid run at a decent record and a pretty decent finish in the ACC. I'll give JB credit -- and yes, he's the one who put the roster together so you reap what you sow -- but he's done a nice job helping this team be competitive when we're both young and not terribly athletic. All in all, if we end up with maybe 18 wins and get some nice improvement from the Browns and Taylors, that would put us in a spot to potentially be more competitive if Mintz comes back next year. Especially if we can add a good recruit and maybe a transfer. That's the hope at least.
 
we’re inconsistent. And that’s not a good thing. Year is a bust. Need rebounders next year even if it means getting rid of some guys currently on roster. Only guy we need back next year is mintz
 
we’re inconsistent. And that’s not a good thing. Year is a bust. Need rebounders next year even if it means getting rid of some guys currently on roster. Only guy we need back next year is mintz
I need Brown on the team, to maintain any interest if the product continues to be unwatchable at times!
 
Coach has a roster a couple of years away from being good assuming he replaces Joe and Jesse.

I like the roster the problem is we are rebuilding after a bad season. If we went to the sweet 16 last year and had a decent regular season then this season makes sense but we didn’t. Playing the long game isn’t what most would prefer. To quote the Mad King we want to make Syracuse great again.
 
Is its Jims wish to have everyone back next year? Joe and Jesse included. Is that in the works

Would be interesting. You now have a gap at Center if he doesn't with Carey being hurt and losing at least some of an off-season. So we would need a starting quality 5 in the portal. Hima I don't think is ever a 25 min a night guy. Very valuable but limited ceiling.

Joe is an interesting case. His game will always be limited on both ends and thus his approach to every game from a work rate and playing smart is key. If he can consistently play his best basketball from an effort perspective and be efficient- a 5th year is a net positive, unless we would commit to bringing in a bigtime SG from the portal.
 
Just a few things from a bigger picture standpoint that seem relevant.

Think JB has done a nice job with the rotation thus far
So let's just all agree that JB can never win in this discussion. This year proves it. He's literally given everyone a shot to earn PT and stuck with guys through mistakes, losses, issues, etc. Obviously some of that is because the roster he put together is a bit lacking, but, whatever, he's played a ton of guys. That's a logical approach for a roster that only has three guys you can lean on. Hima is getting minutes when Jesse is in foul trouble. That makes sense. JBA has played some big minutes at times but JB hasn't force-fed him into games either. All four young wing players -- Brown/Bell/Benny/Taylor have gotten pretty solid minutes. I'm with everyone else -- at this point I'm leaning pretty heavy on the Taylor/Brown (more on this below) combo -- but I think it made sense to give Benny as much opportunity as you reasonably could. And Bell, I think, is a bit better shooter than Taylor at this point so I get why JB is trying to make that work. Something tells me we'll still see Benny/Bell, but Brown has averaged 19 mpg in his last seven games and I'm guessing we continue to see that number go up. The one guy (other than Carey who is now injured) who hasn't seen as much action is Copeland, but even Copeland has logged double-figures in minutes five times and played legit minutes vs. St. John's and Pitt.

All things considered, however, I think he's kept everyone engaged and everyone has gotten at least some opportunity. Will be interesting to see how many stick around -- which i guess will be the question annually.

Mintz has matured quickly ... and will he be here next year?
Mintz has clearly emerged as the most interesting Syracuse player if you consider that it's unlikely we do much in the way of postseason this year. That means Edwards and Girard are gone and Judah is the key to next season ... so hopefully he's here. NBA obviously a possibility but I also sorta wonder if some deep-pocketed NIL programs try to lure him away if he's not on the NBA radar.

But, for the time being, I've been really impressed with how Mintz has played. He's obviously electric getting to the basket and 16 pts/4 assists (17.5/5.3 in the last 8 games) with limited turnovers is a really nice line for a freshman PG, who's never really been a PG. But what's been more impressive to me is all the different ways he's found to impact the game. He's improving as a creator for others, he's getting to the line 6 times a game, he draws a ton of fouls out around midcourt and in the backcourt, he has a bunch of steals (averaging almost 3/game in his last 8), he is outstanding at getting skinny and going over the top of screens to disrupt other teams' sets, he rarely gets called for charges. Even his glaring weakness -- 3-point shooting -- is interesting because he's shown great restraint in taking those shots. And, really, his shot doesn't look bad to me. If we see him for another year I'd bet he's a Flynn-type shooter from out there. Dangerous enough to keep you honest.

Anyway, he's had a really nice season. Praying we see him for another.

Edwards' offensive game is frustrating at times
Love me some Jesse Edwards. Kid has really improved and gotten stronger in his time here and I'm happy we have him. We're all happy Hima has been a solid backup this year ... get ready for next year when he has to play more minutes and people are losing their minds about how bad they think he is. It's the way it works on here. So when I'm nitpicking Jesse here, I want to be clear that he's the best basketball player on this team, he's in the conversation with the best bigs we've had since the mid-80s when I was first following this team. He's an excellent player.

Buuuuut ... I'd be lying if I didn't sometimes feel a bit disappointed that he's not just a wee bit better offensively. I'm not expert but it seems like the footwork down there on low-post moves gets really clunky. He's an excellent catch-and-finish big and he's so athletic that he can hurt you in a variety of ways. But his low-post moves lead to awkward, leaning shots way too often for a guy with his size, athleticism and strength. I also would love to see him square up from time to time. Why not?

Anyway -- kid's having a great year, but just wish he could force more teams to double down there. It's interesting but more often than not teams just play him straight up.

Girard's been really solid offensively since the Illinois game
Want to take a minute to say that Girard is having a really nice offensive season (defense still comes and goes a bit ...). The slump he suffered hurt -- really hurt us in painful losses to Bryant/St. John's and took away any chance of competing with Illinois (though that one can hardly be blamed on Girard). But his last nine have been a really nice stretch, all things considered. He's at 19/3/3 in that stretch shooting over .400 from three. That's really solid basketball. But he's also found a way to score a bit inside the arc. Maybe some of that has to do with the competition but he's at 47% on 2-point FGs in that stretch. That's better than his season numbers (around 40%) and coming into the year he had never been above .385 from inside the arc.

He's a bit limited as we all know and he'll have some not great games going forward, but it's worth giving the kid some credit for putting together a solid run that along with Edwards and Mintz has helped us avoid a season where we might be hoping we go on a run to get to .500.

Brown and Taylor have played well defensively
Brown and Taylor have both seen big minutes the past two games. Taylor, of course, has actually gotten solid minutes most of the season. In Brown's case his numbers are up since the Oakland game with the only significant departure from that being the 4-minute game vs. BC, which coincided with Benny's best game in Orange. But generally these guys have been seeing the floor quite a bit. What's interesting is that I have to believe that we've been seeing Benny and Bell b/c JB feels we need the offense. But, while Brown is a bit limited offensively and Taylor is still feeling his way around offensively (the Bryant game as an outlier), their per 40 numbers offensively aren't terribly dissimilar from the Benny/Bell combo.

But what's really been impressive is how good both have been defensively. Our zone rotations aren't perfect, but they are much better with the two frosh. Brown has excellent hands and Taylor has quickness and reads the floor well. Both can rebound (Brown is a really solid rebounder already, Taylor can hold his own). Plus, there is the question of how much you lose offensively -- Benny has seen his shot fall a bit more lately, which is a nice development, and Bell has hung in there despite the feeling that sometimes his minutes are empty calories at times if he's not scoring. But Brown moves around well in the paint, finds soft spots, and grabs offensive boards (thought his 11 vs. VA Tech could easily have been 14 or 15 with the dunk taken away, the foul on the tip-in attempt that they didn't give him shots for in the first half and a little bunny that hit off the back iron) and Taylor can knock down a shot and if he's open.

Bottom line: I think we'll see more of these guys. Not sure JB will (and not totally sure he should) completely abandon Benny and/or Bell, but I'd imagine we'll continue to see Taylor and continue to see far more of Brown (though a healthy Benny will cut into those minutes).

Benny intensity is the key, IMO
The frustration of Benny to me is that he seems to quite often be surprised by the intensity of the game. I don't think it's a surprise that he had a great game against BC b/c he was working in that game. He blocked three shots from the weak side, made several hustle plays, a couple times not coming up with the ball but still battling for it, grabbed 5 offensive boards. That's hustle stuff, so when the jumper starts falling, that's almost grave. Same thing really against St. John's -- good hustle and aggressiveness against an aggressive opponent.

Now, he was sick and missed a game and was likely not 100% going into this game. There's some nasty stuff going around so I don't want to jump all over him. But his first few minutes in the first half were brutal. No need to dig into it, other than to say, I think he just needs that mindset that all of these games are going to be physical, intense matchups and he's got to match that intensity. I think he hustles most or all of the time, but he just needs to be aggressive and looking to use that athleticism on the offensive boards, getting out in transition, hunting weak side block/steal opportunities -- get those things going and the shots will come. We'll see if that happens.

Where do we stand overall?
We aren't the same program we were for most of JB's tenure, sadly. Doubt it will change next year but who knows. I don't get that depressed about it b/c I think you'd generally take the 40-ish excellent years in exchange for the 9 or 10 mediocre ones most of the time. But while I don't think this team has much of a shot to reach the tourney, but I do actually think they can make a solid run at a decent record and a pretty decent finish in the ACC. I'll give JB credit -- and yes, he's the one who put the roster together so you reap what you sow -- but he's done a nice job helping this team be competitive when we're both young and not terribly athletic. All in all, if we end up with maybe 18 wins and get some nice improvement from the Browns and Taylors, that would put us in a spot to potentially be more competitive if Mintz comes back next year. Especially if we can add a good recruit and maybe a transfer. That's the hope at least.
rotation - yeah he has doen well with that...only thing is the starting lineup needs to be more flexible...since every game starts off with the other team getting a lead.

Mintz - he's just a very smart player and super competitive. still scratching the surface on how good he can be as a PG...he will continue to improve this season. I dont think he is ready for NBA success and should play another year, minimum. the idea that another school would lure him with NIL seems ridiculous and unlikely to me...if it happens it would be perhaps the end of my fandom of NCAAbb

edwards - agree. i feel like as good as he is...there's obvious untapped potential there that he could be tapping right now. hes such a weapon but sometimes hasnt been used enough...and has been struggling against physical defenders a bit.

girard - solid senior year. playing like a senior. but the top tier teams like uva, illinois, houston etc are simply going to face guard him out of the game and its an issue if the team wants to make any noise later in the year.

brown - hes a legit player. nba potential imo. great find by the staff...taylor is good too...wanna see him less passive out there

benny - on paper, hes prototypical su forward. in games, he doesnt fit into the scheme and still trying to figure out how. hes thinking too much out there and not just simply playing. perhaps a sports psychologist could help unlock his potential bc he has the athleticism of an NBA player...overall, I think JBs comment that he still basically a freshman rings true and if you look at him as a freshman, he has done pretty well. he needs to find a way to put less pressure on himself while also raising his intensity...its all between the ears for him.

overall - i think the team can still make the postseason but it will be hard. I think JB tends to construct a team and plan for a season with the conference in mind... which maks sense. and the team is poised to do well in the ACC...its just historically bad this year, seemingly. hopefully not a harbinger of nil influence. i think the team is actually very athletic overall (aside from joe) and disagree about that. unfortunately, yeah it seems like lately the team is always 1 or 2 years away from being great with a window that is only going to last for the current season...playing the long game is brutal nowadays in ncaabb (which means teams arent nearly as good as they used to be)

i think next season - they must go into the portal and grab some talent. but the returning players are going to be pretty good, regardless.
 
One other nugget to add onto your breakdown- as a team we are shooting 36.6 pct from 3 good for 63rd in the country. Creeping up to last years 37.7 pct.

We are taking obviously far fewer but that's still a good clip.

Couple other nuggets relative to our schedule- Colgate is second nationally at 41 pct, Lehigh is 16th.
 
Benny intensity is the key, IMO
The frustration of Benny to me is that he seems to quite often be surprised by the intensity of the game. I don't think it's a surprise that he had a great game against BC b/c he was working in that game. He blocked three shots from the weak side, made several hustle plays, a couple times not coming up with the ball but still battling for it, grabbed 5 offensive boards. That's hustle stuff, so when the jumper starts falling, that's almost grave. Same thing really against St. John's -- good hustle and aggressiveness against an aggressive opponent.

Now, he was sick and missed a game and was likely not 100% going into this game. There's some nasty stuff going around so I don't want to jump all over him. But his first few minutes in the first half were brutal. No need to dig into it, other than to say, I think he just needs that mindset that all of these games are going to be physical, intense matchups and he's got to match that intensity. I think he hustles most or all of the time, but he just needs to be aggressive and looking to use that athleticism on the offensive boards, getting out in transition, hunting weak side block/steal opportunities -- get those things going and the shots will come. We'll see if that happens.

Good write up. Regarding Benny... according to Jim, Benny is our best forward. Okay, I trust the coach on that. However, I do wonder what he sees in practice though. Clearly Jim wants Benny to play a different style, which is closer to the basket (more similar to Brown). That being the case, is Benny actually doing that in practice and then in games, not? I seriously doubt that is the case. Therefore, how can Jim claim that Benny is the best forward if he won't play how the team most needs from him? Perhaps Jim should have said Benny has the most potential and highest ceiling of any forward on the team - that would make more sense.

Moving forward, I'd like to see a HEAVY dose of Jesse, Brown, Justin, Mintz, and Joe.
 
Good write up. Regarding Benny... according to Jim, Benny is our best forward. Okay, I trust the coach on that. However, I do wonder what he sees in practice though. Clearly Jim wants Benny to play a different style, which is closer to the basket (more similar to Brown). That being the case, is Benny actually doing that in practice and then in games, not? I seriously doubt that is the case. Therefore, how can Jim claim that Benny is the best forward if he won't play how the team most needs from him? Perhaps Jim should have said Benny has the most potential and highest ceiling of any forward on the team - that would make more sense.

Moving forward, I'd like to see a HEAVY dose of Jesse, Brown, Justin, Mintz, and Joe.

Benny can do things no other forward on the team can given his size and athleticism. He simply just, for whatever reason, struggles to go out and do it every night. The lack of focus and effort on D early in games and then taking a low percentage shot is perplexing. He is capable as a weak side shot blocker, rebounder, taking a slower opponent to the rim, finishing strong and making open jump shots within the flow. Yet for some reason he just "can't do these things" some games.
 
Benny can do things no other forward on the team can given his size and athleticism. He simply just, for whatever reason, struggles to go out and do it every night. The lack of focus and effort on D early in games and then taking a low percentage shot is perplexing. He is capable as a weak side shot blocker, rebounder, taking a slower opponent to the rim, finishing strong and making open jump shots within the flow. Yet for some reason he just "can't do these things" some games.
Right, but what you're talking about is his potential - he has tools no other forward has (to that extent) but isn't able for whatever reason to use those tools very often. My earlier point is how Jim can call him the best forward with how he plays in games. To my eye, Brown is our best 4 because he provides what our team needs the most and does it consistently but Benny clearly has a higher ceiling (greater potential).
 
Right, but what you're talking about is his potential - he has tools no other forward has (to that extent) but isn't able for whatever reason to use those tools very often. My earlier point is how Jim can call him the best forward with how he plays in games. To my eye, Brown is our best 4 because he provides what our team needs the most and does it consistently but Benny clearly has a higher ceiling (greater potential).

While I certainly criticize JB for a lot these past couple years of struggling, I do get taking this approach with Benny. He is getting a lot from the Virginia boys but also needs Benny to step up given that potential.

Benny has had some nice quick bursts on offense that have been important and clearly had impact on those games. That's an X factor no matter who is producing more consistently.
 
we need "dogs" who are willing to snatch rebounds from the grasp of the opposing teams. that's what'll draw me back in. This lazy, lack of aggressive "take shot, don't follow it" up game turns me off. Judah aggressively going to basket is highlight for me this year. Everything else related to our style of play, meh.
 
Benny can do things no other forward on the team can given his size and athleticism. He simply just, for whatever reason, struggles to go out and do it every night. The lack of focus and effort on D early in games and then taking a low percentage shot is perplexing. He is capable as a weak side shot blocker, rebounder, taking a slower opponent to the rim, finishing strong and making open jump shots within the flow. Yet for some reason he just "can't do these things" some games.
its not really perplexing. he wants to be in the NBA and thats how NBA players play. they dont just stand next to the rim and do easy stuff all day. if he makes NBA it will be more like jayson tatum's game...thats how he wants to make it. its not really that hard to figure out.
 
its not really perplexing. he wants to be in the NBA and thats how NBA players play. they dont just stand next to the rim and do easy stuff all day. if he makes NBA it will be more like jayson tatum's game...thats how he wants to make it. its not really that hard to figure out.
Yeah, makes sense. Seems very similar to what Q wanted to do as well, thus the move to Oregon.
 
You covered a lot of ground there, with many qualifiers. I agree with a lot of your assessments.

I think Edwards does draw a lot of double teams and he is struggling with whether to pass out of them or try to make a play. He is a finesse player. He can kill teams who lack a strong big, but he will struggle against physical defenders who keep him away from the basket. Not sure he is ready for the NBA next year, but that won't matter if he can get drafted and get paid. Frankly, I think it is debatable whether Edwards is our best player - Mintz is more electric and Girard has strong together some good outings despite being a focus of the defenses. It is a nice trio that gives us a chance if we get contributions from the forwards.

We haven't played many ACC teams with winning records -- losing to the only two who do have wins (PItt and UVa). The ACC schedule has given us 4 wins against the bottom third of the conference. So, we will have to see how the team improves and competes against better competition.

Brown is emerging as a necessary inside player who is earning more minutes, and the pairing of Benny with Brown may not work. Per JB, Benny needs to take his game inside to be effective. In our hot start to 2H last night, JB had Brown paired with Bell -- and maybe that is a solution. Justin Taylor (who is steady and usually defers more than he tries to make a play) will have his chances and, as with Bell, the pair of JT with Brown seems like a natural.
I'm the king of the qualifier. lol.

Good point on the ACC teams though we could have beat Pitt I suppose.
 
its not really perplexing. he wants to be in the NBA and thats how NBA players play. they dont just stand next to the rim and do easy stuff all day. if he makes NBA it will be more like jayson tatum's game...thats how he wants to make it. its not really that hard to figure out.

Perplexing albeit par for the course with young folks these days let's call it. Need to pave a path to success to then build on it and maximize it but patience is thin in the face of the pressure to showcase what will translate ahead of the boring stuff.
 
Perplexing albeit par for the course with young folks these days let's call it. Need to pave a path to success to then build on it and maximize it but patience is thin in the face of the pressure to showcase what will translate ahead of the boring stuff.
thing is I think he can actually probably play that style of game and be pretty good at it...if he feels "free" but I think he's struggling with the short leash and feeling like being under a microscope psychologically...plus now building up a history at SU of kinda not playing that way and now JB wanting him to play more next to the basket and its a mix that isnt getting the best out of him. it's not really that JB is wrong but still isnt quite getting the best out of him yet. hopefully he will ...part of it is also there are 3 clear options on offense before him which makes it hard to eat...and he's hungry
 

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