That shot Howard Washington took

[OrangeDW]

Jesus, you're being brutal. He can shoot. He was open, he shot. Yeah, it was a brick but so what? The chance of anybody else on the court doing better than putting up a brick on that possession was about 0.0001%. If Battle had a wide open layup, he probably would have airballed it. That's how bad the team was. I don't see the point in crucifying a 3 star recruit for shooting an open shot that he has the ability to make.

It’s tough to come off the bench after sitting for so long and bury one. For anybody.

Can he shoot? I’ve read that he can, and his shot looks decent but I haven’t really seen it go in... but that’s on extremely limited attempts. I’m curious as to how he shoots the ball in game situations in practice?

If our only backup guard isn’t supposed to take wide open 3’s...we’re even more limited than I thought. A Syracuse should have a backup guard who can drain a wide open three. My gut feeling is that he can(even though I haven’t seen it), but I’d think Boeheim would know. Then again, he freaked out when Christmas missed that jump hook against BC...and the guy was our go to offensive player the very next season.

 

[hoopsupstate]

The problem with the shot is that Washington had justt come into the game and the first time he touched it, he jacked it up. It was too early in the possession and it wasn’t after some offense being run. The best guard play in the county is run by Villanova. They are fundamentally sound and are drilled in ball fakes, jump stops and kick out passes. It’s amazing how they have just blown by SU as a program. We are no longer their peer. They are not getting five star players either. It’s their culture and their players not wanting to leave for the NBA. Our better players come in with one foot out the door as soon as they arrive.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I had zero issue with the shot and I thought that was the reason he was in. Yes he was cold, but he’s supposed to be a good shooter. If JB doesn’t want him taking that shot, why did he put him in?

 

[Townie72]

I had zero issue with the shot and I thought that was the reason he was in. Yes he was cold, but he’s supposed to be a good shooter. If JB doesn’t want him taking that shot, why did he put him in?

You are kidding, I hope.

Because you put someone into a game doesn't mean they then have the license to do anything that pops into their head.

Surely, you know that.

 

[NineOneSeven]

You are kidding, I hope.

Because you put someone into a game doesn't mean they then have the license to do anything that pops into their head.

Surely, you know that.

What would a good shot have been?

 

[Cusefan0307]

You are kidding, I hope.

Because you put someone into a game doesn't mean they then have the license to do anything that pops into their head.

Surely, you know that.

No. I am not kidding. In case you haven’t figure out we are playing 3 on 5 on offense on most possessions. I would think the reason he would come in would be to be used as a floor spacer. I remember JB bringing in Cooney in similar scenarios in 2013 and shifting Triche to the back line when we struggled to score.

 

[Townie72]

Jesus, you're being brutal. He can shoot. He was open, he shot. Yeah, it was a brick but so what? The chance of anybody else on the court doing better than putting up a brick on that possession was about 0.0001%. If Battle had a wide open layup, he probably would have airballed it. That's how bad the team was. I don't see the point in crucifying a 3 star recruit for shooting an open shot that he has the ability to make.

I'd say that the several statements made in this post border on the Bizarre.

 

[Townie72]

What would a good shot have been?

Not that one ... a three pointer that missed by several feet. It would be hard to come up with a worse one.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Not that one ... a three pointer that missed by several feet. It would be hard to come up with a worse one.

Chukwu from 15

 

[Halfmooncuse]

The way we were shooting at that point I probably wouldn't have minded if my grandmother took a shot, if she thought she was open.

And she's dead...RIP.

She would have BURIED it!

 

[CaptainJ]

Know your role. Simple as that.

Ive been told that on here, but I'm still in the process of feeling it out. I'm open to pointers, lol.

 

[CuseLifer11]

it was an ill-advised shot for sure - but your statement here is off the mark - he has frankly appeared to be (in his very limited opportunities) to be a calm, high-IQ player

Nope. Just nope. HW will be the next guy to transfer. Will aalways be our last guard

 

[Townie72]

Chukwu from 15

You get the concept.

But I am unsure that PC would have missed quite as badly.

There's no doubt there is a continuum of bad, low percentage, Ill-advised shots that probably ends with Battle facing away from the basket throwing the ball over his head like in a game of HORSE where the players have lost interest.

I was reminded of Matthew Moyer's second three point attempt after JB told us we would never see another one after Moyer took his first in an earlier game.

Let's see if Washington has learned from this mistake. But if he hasn't JB will lose more trust in him and he'll see fewer and fewer minutes and no minutes in crunch time.

 

[Townie72]

I hope JB turns Dolezaj loose a little. I think he is ready to contribute offensively. Taking 2 or 3 10-15 footers might loosen up opponents' defenses.

Taking the shots won't necessarily loosen the defense. Making them consistently might.

If MD is out at 15 feet shooting, who is going to get the rebound?

That MD doesn't shoot more is yet another testimony to his extraordinarily high basketball IQ.

When I first saw MD, I thought "Leo Rautins". But I'm starting to thing he is going to be way better than Leo, who was a very good player for SU.

 

[721Comstock]

Nope. Just nope. HW will be the next guy to transfer. Will aalways be our last guard

Maybe he’s ok with that.

We’ve had several notable guards who didn’t really do a lot until their Jr or Sr years - Laz Sims being the poster boy for that.

Now that we’ll be back to a full complement of schollies, JB may not feel the need to “encourage “ HW to look elsewhere, like he did with BJ, Buss, Kaleb & Chino.

 

[iommi]

Nope. Just nope. HW will be the next guy to transfer. Will aalways be our last guard

You know what? You keep ripping me for being supportive of Howard Washington but all I've wanted is a legit chance for him. You saying he will be the next guy to transfer is not cool. It is obvious you have an axe to grind with him. It is personal.

I've bitten my tongue about you but won't do it now after this post. Enough is enough.

You say you're at practice and are very close to JB but you've been contradicted by JB at every turn. Every reference he makes to HW in his pressers has contradicted everything you've alleged JB has said to you. You've said HW won't play without it being an emergency. He has. Literally nothing you've said about JB's thoughts about HW and how he's used HW has been right. Nothing. He has repeatedly said HW is just behind two better guards. Even when HW took an ill-advised shot in the last game, JB ripped him a new one but HW was still on the court for our last possession. He had one more player he could've used.

Could HW become disgruntled? Sure. But you've already been proven wrong on HW and you've doubled down. Now to flat out say a player will transfer not halfway through the player's freshman year is out of line.

I have said some things on this forum in my thousands of posts I've regretted but I've tried to own up to my mistakes. You have no qualms about posting irresponsibly and making declarative statements that have no basis in reality.

You are a charlatan and I am calling you out.

 

[Eric15]

I'm late to this thread, but I thought JB ripping HW for taking that shot was a mistake.

We have three scholarship guards on this roster. If one of them can't be trusted to take an absolutely wide open shot, then why was he given a scholarship to begin with? It's not like it's Sidibe taking a reckless shot, it's one of our guards.

I know I don't have 900 wins, but I personally would have immediately told him not to worry about it. It's a long season and we need a confident HW who isn't playing paranoid.

 

[Jake]

it was an ill-advised shot for sure - but your statement here is off the mark - he has frankly appeared to be (in his very limited opportunities) to be a calm, high-IQ player

I thought so at first as well. However the more I see, the less I'm convinced this is true. At the very least, he certainly isn't ready for meaningful minutes this year. He's the type of player that really needs 2-3 years of seasoning before getting into the rotation.

We don't have that luxury...truth be told, we never seem to have that luxury anymore.

I (and others) didn't think he was a typical SU caliber player when we recruited him. Early preseason returns indicated he was better than first thought. Now we're seeing a player that's really not ready...it's going to take time.

More disturbing than that shot he took the other night, were the back to back near shot clock violations against Buffalo when Frank had to sit.

 

[kcsu]

You get the concept.

But I am unsure that PC would have missed quite as badly.

There's no doubt there is a continuum of bad, low percentage, Ill-advised shots that probably ends with Battle facing away from the basket throwing the ball over his head like in a game of HORSE where the players have lost interest.

I was reminded of Matthew Moyer's second three point attempt after JB told us we would never see another one after Moyer took his first in an earlier game.

Let's see if Washington has learned from this mistake. But if he hasn't JB will lose more trust in him and he'll see fewer and fewer minutes and no minutes in crunch time.

We can agree he took an ill advised shot. He is however by all accounts a good shooter. As a frosh Frank couldn't hit the backboard. Today he at least looks like he has a semblance of a shot. Give Washington time. I predict he starts as a Senior and becomes a solid player for us.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm late to this thread, but I thought JB ripping HW for taking that shot was a mistake.

We have three scholarship guards on this roster. If one of them can't be trusted to take an absolutely wide open shot, then why was he given a scholarship to begin with? It's not like it's Sidibe taking a reckless shot, it's one of our guards.

I know I don't have 900 wins, but I personally would have immediately told him not to worry about it. It's a long season and we need a confident HW who isn't playing paranoid.

The thing is, as soon as he came in, I knew he was going to try to make a play. And not in a good way.

When a coach has to put a little used player in cold, he doesn't want to see that player take over, he wants to see them hold down the fort.

When Howard Washington took that shot, it was a win for St. Bonaventure.

I both agree that a) he's not ready and doesn't read time and situation well at all and b) he probably needs more minutes to figure it out. Knowing our coach, he's not likely to let HW figure it out on the fly.

 

[longtimefan]

Taking the shots won't necessarily loosen the defense. Making them consistently might.

If MD is out at 15 feet shooting, who is going to get the rebound?

That MD doesn't shoot more is yet another testimony to his extraordinarily high basketball IQ.

When I first saw MD, I thought "Leo Rautins". But I'm starting to thing he is going to be way better than Leo, who was a very good player for SU.

Imprecise language on my part. I should have said "make", not "take" (though you can't make them if you don't take them).

I liked his drive in OT; didn't like all of his missed FT's. The point is, it would be nice to have another scoring threat, and Dolezaj seems best prepared to be that right now.

 

[two3zone]

What would a good shot have been?

Battle taking a long two fade away with 2 guys on him.

 

[FrancoPizza]

It’s their culture and their players not wanting to leave for the NBA.

Yes I’m sure they say no thanks keep the guaranteed millions if they’re projected to the 1st round.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Know your role. Simple as that.

Greg Monroe
Howard Triche,
Derek Brower
Stevie Thompson
Dave Johnson
Laz Sims
JB Reafsnyder
Marius Janulis
Etan Thomas
Damone Brown
Craig Forth
Jeremy McNeil
Josh Pace
Scoop Jardine
Kristof Ongenat

are just some who called on the phone to like this post. They were all role players for atleast a year and knew what that role was. Some made their career out of role playing.

Washington is on the floor for his handle and ability to distribute. Play the role this season and good things will come.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Greg Monroe
Howard Triche,
Derek Brower
Stevie Thompson
Dave Johnson
Laz Sims
JB Reafsnyder
Marius Janulis
Etan Thomas
Damone Brown
Craig Forth
Jeremy McNeil
Josh Pace
Scoop Jardine
Kristof Ongenat

are just some who called on the phone to like this post. They were all role players for atleast a year and knew what that role was. Some made their career out of role playing.

Washington is on the floor for his handle and ability to distribute. Play the role this season and good things will come.

Wait, are you seriously trying to imply Scoop knew his role and stuck to it?

That's the funniest thing I've heard in a while. Thanks!!!