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Message: [QUOTE="arbitragegls, post: 199828, member: 302"] My take will probably shake some of you up...but here goes and not with tongue in cheek: Big time college basketball is a big time business. Games are played to win not teach and not to let egos stabilize or become too big. JB is masterful at putting a very good team on the floor...very balanced mentally...you almost never see 'Cuse come out of the pre game huddle ready to take prisoners...it is JBs personality of being calm and knowing what you have to do--I see it as lack of emotion...maybe keeping it in and being tight would describe it. I can live with that and see it every day in the corporate world. [B]BUT [/B][B]players do not play well with their head on a swivel wondering if they are getting pulled for a bad play[/B]. We are fortunate that we have above average players at a number of positions and for the most part JB pulls the strings and the performances are good. [B]However[/B], a player worried about being pulled too quickly [B]tries too hard not to make a mistake rather than make a play. I feel that[/B] [B]WAITERS, and TRICHE[/B] are playing [B]not to make the mistake that gets them pulled.[/B] Basis for this reasoning: 1. Dion has not been Dion. His swagger is gone. He is not taking his usual shots and those he is taking arent so good...as soon as he makes a mistake he almost always looks at the bench 2. Triche who remains the calmest outwardly player did not take a 3 last night...missed two FTs...86% shooter; has recently seen less and less playing time in the second half...pulled because of mistakes It seems the only player that has gotten a pass is [B]Scoop--who is playing well and without him we would be dog meat about this time.[/B] [B]But Scoop makes his bad Scoop mistakes, gets pulled and put back in fairly quickly...yes I know he is necessary for 'Cuse to win[/B]...but the same handling hasnt been done for Dion and Triche...make a mistake you are out and possibly out for the count in that game...Playing at this level is difficult enough...playing not to make mistakes tends to increase mistakes made and lack of doing what you do best which is scoring..neither Dion nor Triche have been themselves lately and I believe part of that is due to "looking over their shoulder rather than playing their game". [/QUOTE]

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