The Downside - Pittsburgh | Syracusefan.com

The Downside - Pittsburgh

SWC75

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- In the end, it’s another loss for a team that can’t afford too many of them: 5 losses before Christmas will be a ball and chain for us all year.

- There’s a lot of things you can look at but a team that shoots 41% from the arc and makes 13 of them will usually beat a team that shoots 25% and makes 6 of them

- We missed 9 free throws, shooting 64% and they missed 6, shooting 71%. In a close game, everything matters and that sure did.

- The fouls were 15 to 19, so we can hardly complain about the officiating – except that this was a throw back game to the old days against Pitt – and Georgetown – and Connecticut – and Louisville: a game where the other team probably committed twice as many fouls as got called on them. The refs decide they can’t call them all or they’d foul out the other team. So they just call some of them. And that’s not enough. Jesse was getting mugged underneath and attempted 1 free throw, (and missed it).

- It was Pitt’s transfers vs. our freshmen and it showed. Transfers are older, more experienced players than freshmen.

- JB said what he always said about the press: “We’re just not a good pressing team”. We have two shot blocking centers, (you don’t need Edwards out there to anchor the press: Hima could do that the way Jeremy McNeil did for the 2003 team), plenty of athleticism and are three deep at both forward positions and two deep at point guard with a senior at the other spot. What more do you want? We came back from 20 down with 10:45 to lose by 2 because of the press.

- Coach constantly say that they put the players out there that they fell give us the best chance to win the game. No they don’t. They often start the player they think will eventually be the best player to maximize his chance to become that player. That’s what Jim has been doing with Benny Williams and Chris Bell. We have reached the point in the season when Jim has to play the players that give us the best chance to win the game because of how they are playing now. There’s no point in getting off to these awful starts and then ripping Benny and Chris in the post-game press conference. As he pointed out, Benny, Chris and Quadir all played 13 minutes. Quadir got 5 rebounds while Benny and Chris had a total of 1. Benny and Chris were 3 for 12 from the field, Quadir 4/5. Quadir also had 2 blocks and steal. Chris managed a steal and an assist but Quadir is certainly a better passer than either one. Maliq Brown had 6 points and 9 rebounds in 27 minutes. Justin Taylor had 5 points and an assist. It’s time for these guys to get their shot, Jim!
 
I agree with your last paragraph -- if you look only at the game vs Pitt. Against Cornell, Bell & Benny scored in double figures, and some here thought Bell in particular was much improved. But it was one game.

I think Maliq has separated himself by contributing on the boards, and getting inside buckets, whenever he has played. With Benny, Chris, Justin and Quadir - the results are inconsistent game to game. And last night, JB did as you suggest - give the guys their shot.

Now, if you want to change the starting line-up . . .
 

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