St Rose Postgame thoughts

[two3zone]

We may be the worst 3 point shooting team while also being the best guard penetrating team.

Which quickly turns into a packed paint and penetrating won’t be as easy. We need to play excellent defense this year to be successful.

 

[Orangezoo]

We may be the worst 3 point shooting team while also being the best guard penetrating team.

Benny, Bell and Taylor have to be able to make their open 3s. We have to run and attack. It will be an interesting team to watch mature.

 

[Orangezoo]

Which quickly turns into a packed paint and penetrating won’t be as easy. We need to play excellent defense this year to be successful.

We've shown stretches but also get sloppy and lazy when we have a lead. Maui is going to be really important for this team to learn what it takes

 

[bballbeadle]

I was wondering how he did. I didn’t get to see the game. I hope JJ and Judah can get it going. People seem to be critical of JJ tonight.

 

[two3zone]

We've shown stretches but also get sloppy and lazy when we have a lead. Maui is going to be really important for this team to learn what it takes

I haven’t expect much out of this year, too many changes along with a new coach and unproven players. Next year, keep the current parts and we could be really really good. It’s going to be tough at times, but I’d rather watch a team like this win 5 games than the past few teams with their records.

 

[Orangezoo]

I haven’t expect much out of this year, too many changes along with a new coach and unproven players. Next year, keep the current parts and we could be really really good. It’s going to be tough at times, but I’d rather watch a team like this win 5 games than the past few teams with their records.

I think we win a good share of games because of the talent and the guys will learn to play together. It's not pretty by any stretch yet but we also have talent in certain areas to impose our will.

I was impressed by the early play from Bell on both ends tonight which was unexpected. Need more of that from him.

 

[Cusefan69]

We knew coming into the season our 3ptr skills were not going to be a strength like other teams. This is why I hope Red is teaching that he wants guys crashing the boards and those in the paint getting good position. If we are missing 3s, I want guys cleaning the glass aggressively. Especially with our height at the guard positions. This is partly my concern with Benny. We absolutely need him on the boards this season, he can’t just wait outside the 3 point line.

 

[Cusefan69]

I think we win a good share of games because of the talent and the guys will learn to play together. It's not pretty by any stretch yet but we also have talent in certain areas to impose our will.

I was impressed by the early play from Bell on both ends tonight which was unexpected. Need more of that from him.

I agree with the “imposing will” comment. I could see in Feb a small ball/aggressive def style group of JJ, Judah, Westry, Benny and Brown/McLoud.

 

[Delmar]

30-31 from the foul line. Sorry, that's not Syracuse basketball.

 

[stlorange]

I've watched both games and our defense has NOT been impressive, very inconsistent. Guys are moving but not covering anyone or are reaching and getting fouls. Still looks like we don't know when to switch. JM got his points but I saw several instances where he gave up a potential pass/assist to a wide open perimeter player and drove into traffic for an off-balance shot. My impression is that we're not as good as I thought we would be at this point--but hopefully will get better. Best guess--bubble team at best. Maui will tell us a lot--much more than the last 2 games.

 

[721Comstock]

30-31 from the foul line. Sorry, that's not Syracuse basketball.

PSSST!!
It was actually 30-38.

(Graphics for that box score a little glitchy -
see the FT% is 79%, not 97%)

Feel better now?

 

[Delmar]

PSSST!!
It was actually 30-38.

(Graphics for that box score a little glitchy - see the % isn’t 97)

Feel better now?

Much better. My world as I knew it was falling apart.

 

[Newhouser]

30-31 from the foul line. Sorry, that's not Syracuse basketball.

The team? Tonight? That can't be right. Carey missed one and had tip out off another miss.

 

[Orangezoo]

I've watched both games and our defense has NOT been impressive, very inconsistent. Guys are moving but not covering anyone or are reaching and getting fouls. Still looks like we don't know when to switch. JM got his points but I saw several instances where he gave up a potential pass/assist to a wide open perimeter player and drove into traffic for an off-balance shot. My impression is that we're not as good as I thought we would be at this point--but hopefully will get better. Best guess--bubble team at best. Maui will tell us a lot--much more than the last 2 games.

It's way too early right now honestly to be grading what this teams "best" is. . We've not seen an SU team play this style in a long time. It's all unfamiliar albeit fun.

 

[two3zone]

30-31 from the foul line. Sorry, that's not Syracuse basketball.

Somewhere JB is wondering how it’s possible.

 

[pfister1]

The scrimmages against D1 teams are games, with referees, clocks and scoreboards. But they have no fans and no media.

C’mon now……. wasn’t OCC available?

 

[cusefan88]

Pete Carey has nice touch around the hoop. Used that left hand a few times. Needs a lot more weight room work.

 

[Orangezoo]

Pete Carey has nice touch around the hoop. Used that left hand a few times. Needs a lot more weight room work.

Was very active along with Taylor. Thought Justin struggled for a while early getting beat a few times and then holding up play on the break but was really strong on the glass and overall better within the flow of the game in the second half.

 

[UpstateSM]

Taylor works hard out there but he was guarding their 4 so was inside a lot instead of covering a wing. Keep in mind that a lot of boards he got will be a Brown and/or Benny rebound.

The context was JT should start over Bell because of what they contribute, though, and regardless of who else is on the floor with them Taylor is an exponentially better rebounder than Bell. He busts his ass to get in position and is big and strong enough to maintain that position against guards or forwards. There were times again tonight where Bell watched the ball waiting for someone else to do his job for him. No bueno.

Bell deserves to play plenty of minutes but JT does the little things that role players do on successful basketball teams and Bell does very little of them outside of a weak side block or an interception every now and then. And there's a strong argument to be made that JT is a better shooter than Bell.

I can see the logic behind thinking the other way but JT seems like a great 5th starter and Bell seems like a great fireball to come off the bench.

 

[AlaskaSU]

0 threes from our guards tonight, but not too worried as long as Cuffe or Westree can knock a few down every now and then.

Westree is not a 3 point shooter

 

[rrlbees]

The context was JT should start over Bell because of what they contribute, though, and regardless of who else is on the floor with them Taylor is an exponentially better rebounder than Bell. He busts his ass to get in position and is big and strong enough to maintain that position against guards or forwards. There were times again tonight where Bell watched the ball waiting for someone else to do his job for him. No bueno.

Bell deserves to play plenty of minutes but JT does the little things that role players do on successful basketball teams and Bell does very little of them outside of a weak side block or an interception every now and then. And there's a strong argument to be made that JT is a better shooter than Bell.

I can see the logic behind thinking the other way but JT seems like a great 5th starter and Bell seems like a great fireball to come off the bench.

I only replied to the post saying he had 12 rebounds. Not all that other stuff.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Somewhere JB is wondering how it’s possible.

We’ve been much better from the free throw line for a number of years now. No where like those great ‘80 teams where we absolutely stunk from the line. JB would bring in free throw shooting experts to teach the guys to no avail.

 

[AlaskaSU]

I've watched both games and our defense has NOT been impressive, very inconsistent. Guys are moving but not covering anyone or are reaching and getting fouls. Still looks like we don't know when to switch. JM got his points but I saw several instances where he gave up a potential pass/assist to a wide open perimeter player and drove into traffic for an off-balance shot. My impression is that we're not as good as I thought we would be at this point--but hopefully will get better. Best guess--bubble team at best. Maui will tell us a lot--much more than the last 2 games.

Unfortunately, it's true, bubble team at best. Weaknesses are 3 pt. shooting and rebounding. It will be easy for teams to defend us. Only hope is for Cuffe, Cope and Mintz to improve from downtown and Brown / Benny crashing the boards. Neither Bell nor Taylor are better than the small forwards they would be facing. Benny could be a dominant SF. Brown could hold his own against PF"s.

 

[SWC75]

I was sort of watching the game while taking notes and typing up the Dino Babers Show. In both games we were so much better than the other team that we could play in spurts and get away with it. That doesn't mean these guys could play hard for 40 minutes if they had to. We played without key players but still looked like a talented, exciting team.

Chris Bell really showed me something in this game with 19 points 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks and 1 assist. He was only 2 for 8 from outside but got to the line for 9 shots and made them all. This is what JB was yelling about all last season: if your shot is falling, find other ways to score and to contribute. He was doing it tonight.

Peter Carey got some serious playing time with both power forwards out and he filled that spot for several minutes. He's not strong enough to win the battles inside but he's long and quick and got 5 points and 5 rebounds. That's all we need from him this year. Cn he do it against better teams?

Quadir Copeland played 18 minutes rather than 31, as he did against Daemon but still made his presence felt with 4 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. On one play he missed an awkward lay-up, outfought a couple guys for the rebound an passed the ball to Justin Taylor in the corner for a three, which Justin made. He was 0 for 4 from three in the two games.

Kyle Cuffe played 19 minutes, one of eight players who played at least 16. He was only 1 for 6 from the field and had two more 'wedgies', (getting the ball stuck between the basket and the backboard on a dunk attempt), making me wonder if his jumping ability has not fully returned after his surgery. He did have 3 steals and 2 assists.

Naheem McLeod is fun to watch. I saw him block a shot right off a guy's hands without jumping. I saw him catch and dunk all six shots he attempted. I saw him catch a midcourt pass from Mintz and immediately found Bell in the corner for an open three, (which he missed). 7-4 has excellent hands. He had 12 points, 6 rebs and 2 blocks in 19 minutes.

Judah Mintz showed no signs of the injury that kept him out of the first exhibition. He was his old self, worming his way through the defense, flopping like mad to draw fouls, (most flops come on actual fouls - the player is making sure the refs can't ignore it - and Judah gets the calls). He was 14 for 16 from the line and scored 20 points with 5 rebs, 7 assists and 3 steals in 28 minutes.

William Patterson got some court time, 5 minutes of it. Imagine being 7-2 and you're the second tallest guy on the team! He was also the second best player with an undershirt. He had 2 rebs and 2 blocks. Someday he could be our starting center.

JJ Starling moved over so Mintz could play the point but found openings to score 14 points He never tried a three and had no rebounds and 4 turnovers. He again led the team in minutes played with 32.

Justin Taylor played the '4' against this height-challenged team for 31 minutes. and scored 10 points and 12 rebounds, 11 off the defensive boards. But he's unlikely to be in that spot once Benny and Maliq come back.

Concerns: We were 12 for 44 from three in the two games (27.3%) and out-rebounded two short teams by only 80-73.

 

[Cuse2023]

I was surprised a bit with the tempo tonight, I feel they looked to get out on the break more against Daemen. JJ is great at getting out and going but Judah looked a little more relaxed and satisfied with waiting and working in the half court.