Team has not looked good in last two games

[senorpalmer]

the two games since the MCW incident. Here's hoping it's just a coincidence and/or short-lived.

 

[CuseIsInTheHouse]

the two games since the MCW incident. Here's hoping it's just a coincidence and/or short-lived.

Not sure of the possible correlation between the MCW allegations and the team's performance the last two games. After dealing with the Bernie Fine Mess from last season, this pales in comparison.

 

[Flacusian]

The 2nd half was stunningly poor on both ends of the court. Play like that against a top 20 team and we get run out of the building. Very disappointing game to watch after having seen this team play so well at times. After the half there was essentially no inside game at all. The games we've looked best in there was involvement by pretty much everyone who was on the floor. Tonight it was MCW forcing the issue, Brandon being completely ineffective, and CJ's only involvement came primarily off of broken plays and offensive rebounds. Thank God that Southerland was on tonight.

Congrats to Jimmy B on 900 wins and for being instrumental in making Syracuse one of the best basketball programs in the Nation. I'm sure he wasn't happy with the way they played tonight. It was reminiscent of the loss to Lemoyne several years ago when Jimmy just let the team play man and take their lumps. For a minute is almost seemed as though Jimmy was letting them wing it their way just to prove a point about the need to work together. This game could have easily been lost.

I too, hope that the poor play is just a bump in the road.

 

[alibrat66]

IMHO, the 900 win threshold gave our guys the willies. They seemed to be playing not to lose more than to win. There was a tentativeness and lack of passion about them that stood out for me.

 

[jdubs30]

We were fine for about 33 minutes tonight.

Like alibrat mentioned, 900 was definitely in the players heads; Burke even said she talked to (I forgot which player) but he acknowledged they knew about 900 and were thinking about it.

 

[bballbeadle]

Not sure of the possible correlation between the MCW allegations and the team's performance the last two games. After dealing with the Bernie Fine Mess from last season, this pales in comparison.

Yes, but Bernie wasn't one of their own. MCW is their leader, teammate and peer. It can make them question his integrity, if not consciously, then subconsciously. It can be a bit of a poison that slowly filters through the sediment, if you will. I have to hope that MCW has addressed this with his teammates and has asked them for their trust again. If he has done that, I believe they will rally. If he hasn't, the team might stay off kilter a while. Hopefully, not for a season.

 

[jekelish]

Honestly, I'm not sure we really WERE that good for even 33 minutes. Take away Dirty's hot shooting to start out the game, and that is a MUCH different game. We just didn't look particularly crisp all night. We were playing at about 60%, tops, is what it looked like to me. Not taking anything away from Detroit, they are a decent team with some good athletes, but we should have run them out of the gym.

 

[jekelish]

Yes, but Bernie wasn't one of their own. MCW is their leader, teammate and peer. It can make them question his integrity, if not consciously, then subconsciously. It can be a bit of a poison that slowly filters through the sediment, if you will. I have to hope that MCW has addressed this with his teammates and has asked them for their trust again. If he has done that, I believe they will rally. If he hasn't, the team might stay off kilter a while. Hopefully, not for a season.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that they give less of a than any of us do.

 

[shermstheman]

I'm hoping that they were flat from finals and maybe 900. These two games showed a lack of energy more than anything- not getting out on shooters, reaching for balls rather than chasing them. Temple may not be great but we can't sleepwalk through them.