Something that drives me nuts...

[jekelish]

...every ESPN expert, like Jason King in a chat today, says it is hard to tell how good we are because we "haven't played anyone."

This is pretty standard and has been discussed, but seriously, give me a break. No, our schedule is not great right now. But didn't we dominate a team currently ranked #17 in their own city? Didn't we go down to Arkansas and beat a team most thought would give us fits? Eastern Michigan and Long Beach will also probably challenge for their respective conference titles.

It is just so tiresome, largely due to the SDSU thing. We dominated a top 20 team on the road, but we still haven't played anyone.

 

[moqui]

in a normal year I would agree with you, but you have to throw that Midway game out . . . there is no doubt SDSU would have presented an entirely different challenge had that game been played indoors.

 

[CorduroyG]

the san diego st game gets thrown out because it was played on a ship. i think thats bs, but thats basically the perception. conditions were the same for both teams, but somehow we dont get credit. that game was NEVER in doubt after the first 5 minutes, i dont care if it was played on the moon, its still impressive to dominate a top 20 team like that. and i guarantee if we lost that game it would be held against us. and at arkansas is a tough building to play in, that was a quality win.

im convinced no matter what kind of schedule we have we'll always get these little jabs thrown at us. we could play at kansas, at ohio st, and at kentucky by december 1st and we'd get comments like "what took them so long" or "its a miracle, syracuse has left the state of new york in november!". if we had duke's resume right now you know we'd be hearing "yes theyve beat good times but none was a true road game."

 

[CorduroyG]

in a normal year I would agree with you, but you have to throw that Midway game out . . . there is no doubt SDSU would have presented an entirely different challenge had that game been played indoors.

werent the conditions a challenge for us too? san diego st shouldnt have jacked up 18 3 pointers in those conditions, we only took 4, sounds to me like they got outcoached. we shot 58% from the line, they shot 42%. same conditions, we shot the ball better and played smarter.

sure it would have been a much different game indoors, maybe we win 82-69 instead of 62-49.

 

[cto]

Hey, don't sweat it. I was at the Midway game. Both teams faced the same conditions. We dealt with them; they didn't. Isn't that part of being a good team. Rankings and talking heads in early December mean nothing. In 2002-3, we were not ranked until February.

 

[ORRange]

in a normal year I would agree with you, but you have to throw that Midway game out . . . there is no doubt SDSU would have presented an entirely different challenge had that game been played indoors.

You and Ottomets sound like a broken record with this crap. We won the game but it doesn't matter? If and but? Why is there no doubt? Because you two say so? We are too big for SD St. and I've already said I 'd play them on the moon and whip their ass. There is only doubt if they could ever handle our length.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Just win, baby.

 

[CorduroyG]

You and Ottomets sound like a broken record with this crap. We won the game but it doesn't matter? If and but? Why is there no doubt? Because you two say so? We are too big for SD St. and I've already said I 'd play them on the moon and whip their ass. There is only doubt if they could ever handle our length.

its very ironical. we get killed every year because we dont leave the friendly confines of the dome in nov/dec. so we open the season in san diego, dominate a top 20 team, and yet it gets thrown out cuz its played on a ship lol

i cant wait for the maui excuses next year after we dominate and win that tourny..."uhhh the other teams were too distracted by the sun and the beach, syracuse had a major advantage"

 

[NKR1978]

This is our worst out of conference schedule in a long time. We really haven't played anyone and while Temple doesn't suck, they (and SDSU) are basically overly successful mid majors.You don't get the same amount of credit for beating them as you do a ranked BCS team. I'm disappointed that Arkansas hasn't been better because I thought that game would have been our signature win.

Still, we have been blowing the cupcakes out, which not everyone is doing right now. The season will play out and it looks like we can have a pretty special year.

 

[OrangeDW]

I don't care what these dorks who never played past Junior High say. I trust my eyes. SD State...the conditions hurt us just as much, and we were clearly on another level, which is why we basically mauled them. I knew I hated that stupid gimmick ship game right from the start, and here's another reason. It gives these dorks another "out" to doubt us. We'd beat that team by 10 or more in their own gym.

These dorks can keep hyping Indiana because of Hoosiers and Bobby Knight and the 1980's and some cool buzzer beater upset last year but they really aren't THAT great(GTown almost beat them), and Duke because they're used to Duke, but I'll take our squad over anyone I've seen. Who else is there? Louisville, with that out of control, untalented spaz as their best player? Who else is good?

We're winning it all. Period.

 

[SaintTristan]

First, who cares? let the chattering class chat and we can just focus on enjoying a great team.

Second, they are right that we havent played anyone. Our schedule sort of sucks from a fan's perspective. This yr in general, our schedule is a bit easy. But thats ok because usually our schedule is incredibly challenging given the strength of the BE. Also, its good to give cooney + coleman a chance to have some run against weaker teams before the BE starts.

 

[obliterata]

If you're a top 5/10 team and you don't play anyone in the top 5/10 OOC, you're going to have people questioning how good you are - I don't have any problem with that. However, saying we "haven't played anyone" is ridiculous. San Diego St and Arkansas are 2 very nice wins especially considering where they took place - not defining victories but you just can't dismiss them like they were worthless.

 

[moqui]

werent the conditions a challenge for us too? san diego st shouldnt have jacked up 18 3 pointers in those conditions, we only took 4, sounds to me like they got outcoached. we shot 58% from the line, they shot 42%. same conditions, we shot the ball better and played smarter.

sure it would have been a much different game indoors, maybe we win 82-69 instead of 62-49.

everybody here knows that SDSU is a perimeter oriented team and was much more adversely effected by the wind than was SU, who is full of bigs and slashers.

not only does everyone know it, the consensus before the game on this very board was that the wind would play to SU's favor.

you know it, everyone knows it, and if you really wanted to honestly discuss our favorite team, you would drop this petulant act of yours. but you would rather complain about lack of respect, because you get off on it even when it isn't true.

 

[skurey]

Wanna know what I don't understand? The obsession with road games OOC. Why are these important? Sure it looks good to beat someone on their own court, and it certainly is tougher than playing at home. But the NCAA tournament is played at neutral sites. And the big name schools will have their fans travel to these games which could essentially make it a home game. Kentucky and Syracuse both come to mind in this regard. Kentucky fans always travel for the NCAA (or they are already located there) and if the game is within 3 states of New York either way then you can bet it will be packed with Cuse fans.

tl;dr road games are overrated

 

[kuethstheman]

SDSU was a nice win and apparently we're getting credit for it, given on our ranking. Unfortunately, the win under those conditions does little to tell you whether we're better or worse than other top 10 teams playing indoors.

 

[Gabjon]

everybody here knows that SDSU is a perimeter oriented team and was much more adversely effected by the wind than was SU, who is full of bigs and slashers.

not only does everyone know it, the consensus before the game on this very board was that the wind would play to SU's favor.

you know it, everyone knows it, and if you really wanted to honestly discuss our favorite team, you would drop this petulant act of yours. but you would rather complain about lack of respect, because you get off on it even when it isn't true.

We would probably beat SDSU in their gym by 10, but we would beat ANY team in the country by 10 on that boat. If you cannot shot jump shots against our zone you cannot win! No team in the country can beat us under those conditions... none! Now are we a top 5 team in the country? Absolutely! Are we the best team in the country? We have to play better competition to fine out!

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

This is our worst out of conference schedule in a long time. We really haven't played anyone and while Temple doesn't suck, they (and SDSU) are basically overly successful mid majors.You don't get the same amount of credit for beating them as you do a ranked BCS team. I'm disappointed that Arkansas hasn't been better because I thought that game would have been our signature win.

Still, we have been blowing the cupcakes out, which not everyone is doing right now. The season will play out and it looks like we can have a pretty special year.

So, does Duke lose credit because Kentucky is unbanked?

 

[FreeFries100]

everybody here knows that SDSU is a perimeter oriented team and was much more adversely effected by the wind than was SU, who is full of bigs and slashers.

not only does everyone know it, the consensus before the game on this very board was that the wind would play to SU's favor.

you know it, everyone knows it, and if you really wanted to honestly discuss our favorite team, you would drop this petulant act of yours. but you would rather complain about lack of respect, because you get off on it even when it isn't true.

So then, if the game was played inside, SDSU would have to make 50% or more of their 3's to have a chance to win, it's unlikely that our defense would allow this. I inclined to agree with the fact the SU would still win if the game was played indoors.

 

[edowd26]

everybody here knows that SDSU is a perimeter oriented team and was much more adversely effected by the wind than was SU, who is full of bigs and slashers.

not only does everyone know it, the consensus before the game on this very board was that the wind would play to SU's favor.

you know it, everyone knows it, and if you really wanted to honestly discuss our favorite team, you would drop this petulant act of yours. but you would rather complain about lack of respect, because you get off on it even when it isn't true.

nyet... SDSU is a shunty shooting team.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/stats/_/id/21/san-diego-state-aztecs

 

[Gabjon]

nyet... SDSU is a shunty shooting team.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/stats/_/id/21/san-diego-state-aztecs

you remove the 1-18 they shot against us and they are not that bad:
9-27
4-22
11-27
7-15
11-27
5-18
11-27
58-163 or 35.5% from 3

 

[SmilinBob]

It's funny that they don't say anything about UK playing in a crap conference, I'm sure they'll talk more about the big east being down as the season progresses to further their just cause of bashing SU. I agree the ooc schedule is below average but...it is no different than the SEC in football and THERE IS A PLAYOFF IN BASKETBALL. There is not a playoff in football (you get selected) but yet their is no one talking about the SEC football like this. Florida hasn't left the state for an OOC since 1991...Georgia big game is w/ in state GT...SC big game is Clemson. Bama plays Michigan where...Texas. LSU plays Oregon in 2011 where...Georgia. See a pattern here? In state or neutral games but god forbid SU do this and I have never heard this mentioned on ESPN. Again, no mention on horrible the SEC is overall at hoop (But, I do believe Florida could be the best team in the nation and should breeze through that crappy conference and get a #1 overall seed).

Add to the agenda...SU gets no credit for their OOC schedule in football, they just look at overall records.

 

[edowd26]

you remove the 1-18 they shot against us and they are not that bad:
9-27
4-22
11-27
7-15
11-27
5-18
11-27
58-163 or 35.5% from 3

thats not anything great.

 

[Dcuse]

Certainly not likely, but how big a boost would it be if Arkansas could pull it off at Michigan today?

 

[GoSU96]

First, who cares? let the chattering class chat and we can just focus on enjoying a great team.

Second, they are right that we havent played anyone. Our schedule sort of sucks from a fan's perspective. This yr in general, our schedule is a bit easy. But thats ok because usually our schedule is incredibly challenging given the strength of the BE. Also, its good to give cooney + coleman a chance to have some run against weaker teams before the BE starts.

Exactly, it's tomato can season, but who cares, because it just doesn't matter. They are blasting teams they should blast, and Cooney, Coleman and Grant are able to get extended minutes, you can add Christmas to that group as well, without risk.

 

[SmilinBob]

Exactly, it's tomato can season, but who cares, because it just doesn't matter. They are blasting teams they should blast, and Cooney, Coleman and Grant are able to get extended minutes, you can add Christmas to that group as well, without risk.

I like the way Boeheim schedules as well, gets the young guys some minutes and he knows he won't give them those minutes in a tough game because he hates to lose.