SWC75
Bored Historian
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- Aug 26, 2011
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- I went into this game realizing that we were unlikely to beat the #6 team in the country but feeling that we were playing better and might match-up well against them. It was said that the they were not a great defensive team but can put five player son the floor at the same time who can all score. That’s a pretty good description of our team. We were the taller team, so we should be able to hold our own on the boards, as we’d done against a taller Florida State team. I expected a wide-open, high scoring game, something similar to the Indiana game. We led most to the first half and were still in this one until Nova pulled away down the stretch. I would normally have been able to handle this but the fact is, we didn’t have to lose this game. We just didn’t put forth the effort needed to win it.
- We lost the game on the defensive boards. I had the radio on with the TV mut ed and Matt Park was ahead of the TV feed. He kept describing Villanova misses and saying that (fill in the name of a Syracuse player) “got his hands on it” or “tipped it” and over and over again, we didn’t wind up with the ball. Villanova got 27 offensive rebounds to our 26 defensive rebounds. When they missed, they got the ball back 51% of the time. In our eight prior games, the opposition had gotten the rebound after 30% of their misses. We rebounded 11 of our 41 misses (27%). Overall we were -22 on the boards, (36-58). That isn’t about team rankings or recruiting stars or which coach is smarter. It’s about effort. They had it and we didn’t. the Boeheim brothers, 6-8 and 6-6, had two rebounds between them. 7 foot Jesse Edwards had 7 rebounds. He probably had as many pulled out of his arms. Cole Swider was the only guy who really hit the boards for us with 12. Nova had six guys with between 6 and 9 rebounds. They just took the game away from us.
- JB often says that we make up for the rebounding deficits zones are prone to by forcing turnovers. We actually had one more turnover than the Wildcats, largely because our point guard, Joe Girard dribbled the ball off his foot three times and threw a lazy pass to Swider as well.
- As to those match-ups, Nova set a record for Syracuse opponent by trying 50 three pointers. They only shot the ball inside the arc 27 times. We, with 4 outstanding three-point shooters, (Jimmy is shooting 44%) attempted just 15 three pointers. We had a higher shooting percentage, 33% to 26% but it added up to 5 treys for us and 13 for them. We brought a 2 point shot to a three point fight. That’s not “matching up”.
- Most of our two point attack came from Jimmy Boeheim whose whirling drives and twisting lay-ups Nova didn’t seem to have an answer for. He was 10 for 19 from the field and scored 21 points. He was 9 for 17 inside the arc. His teammates were 6 for 24 inside the arc – against a team that had no shot-blockers, (we had 7 blocks to their 3).
- Cole Swider, in his big chance against his former teammates, hit a big three to open the scoring, suggesting that eh was going to have a big night. He was 0 for 5 the rest of the half. His only shot of the second half was a follow shot that went in.
- But the biggest concern is our Big Gun: Buddy Boeheim. There used to be a TV commercial saying that when we drive we should look for the “phantom police car”. That is, we should pretend that we saw a police car and always drive as carefully as we would if a police car was really there. Sometimes basketball players who have been heavily guarded continue to shoot as if they were still being heavily guarded even when they get open shots. In the wake of his incredible post-season run last year, Buddy has been the target of every defense so far but Florida State was all over him. In this game, he got plenty of open or at least makeable shots but Buddy was still way off. On one occasion he got a pass having beaten everyone downcourt and he launched a three “as open as it would be in practice gym” per Matt Park. It bounded off the front rim. Buddy was 3 for 15 and 0 for 5 from the arc: he’s now missed his last 12 three pointers. Maybe it’s fatigue: he played 50 minutes against Indiana and was mugged in Tallahassee. Or maybe it’s the Phantom Police car. But we need Buddy to get back to being Buddy if we are to have the winning streak we need to pull out of this.
- I thought early on that Nova would have no answer for Jesse Edwards. It turned out Jesse Edwards the answer to Jesse Edwards. Jesse was 1 for 6 from the field and lost many rebound battles. He did get to the foul line but missed 7 of 15 free throws. HE WAS THE ONLY SU PLAYER TO ATTEMPT ONE. He certainly tired hard but did not react well to the physical defense and double-teams when he got the ball under the basket. The lessons continue for the young center.
- Bench points: zero. Benny, Frank and Sym were 0 for 2 in a combined 19 minutes. Nova had 14 points form their bench: and won by 14.
- That was a major opportunity to negate those early losses. We are now 5-4. We’ve got a Georgetown team that isn’t playing well, Lehigh and Cornell, (who beat Colgate). That could get us to 8-4. It’s all the ACC after that. We need to ace these next three games. But we’ve got to get everybody involved in the offense and hit the boards to do that. We didn’t do that tonight.
- We lost the game on the defensive boards. I had the radio on with the TV mut ed and Matt Park was ahead of the TV feed. He kept describing Villanova misses and saying that (fill in the name of a Syracuse player) “got his hands on it” or “tipped it” and over and over again, we didn’t wind up with the ball. Villanova got 27 offensive rebounds to our 26 defensive rebounds. When they missed, they got the ball back 51% of the time. In our eight prior games, the opposition had gotten the rebound after 30% of their misses. We rebounded 11 of our 41 misses (27%). Overall we were -22 on the boards, (36-58). That isn’t about team rankings or recruiting stars or which coach is smarter. It’s about effort. They had it and we didn’t. the Boeheim brothers, 6-8 and 6-6, had two rebounds between them. 7 foot Jesse Edwards had 7 rebounds. He probably had as many pulled out of his arms. Cole Swider was the only guy who really hit the boards for us with 12. Nova had six guys with between 6 and 9 rebounds. They just took the game away from us.
- JB often says that we make up for the rebounding deficits zones are prone to by forcing turnovers. We actually had one more turnover than the Wildcats, largely because our point guard, Joe Girard dribbled the ball off his foot three times and threw a lazy pass to Swider as well.
- As to those match-ups, Nova set a record for Syracuse opponent by trying 50 three pointers. They only shot the ball inside the arc 27 times. We, with 4 outstanding three-point shooters, (Jimmy is shooting 44%) attempted just 15 three pointers. We had a higher shooting percentage, 33% to 26% but it added up to 5 treys for us and 13 for them. We brought a 2 point shot to a three point fight. That’s not “matching up”.
- Most of our two point attack came from Jimmy Boeheim whose whirling drives and twisting lay-ups Nova didn’t seem to have an answer for. He was 10 for 19 from the field and scored 21 points. He was 9 for 17 inside the arc. His teammates were 6 for 24 inside the arc – against a team that had no shot-blockers, (we had 7 blocks to their 3).
- Cole Swider, in his big chance against his former teammates, hit a big three to open the scoring, suggesting that eh was going to have a big night. He was 0 for 5 the rest of the half. His only shot of the second half was a follow shot that went in.
- But the biggest concern is our Big Gun: Buddy Boeheim. There used to be a TV commercial saying that when we drive we should look for the “phantom police car”. That is, we should pretend that we saw a police car and always drive as carefully as we would if a police car was really there. Sometimes basketball players who have been heavily guarded continue to shoot as if they were still being heavily guarded even when they get open shots. In the wake of his incredible post-season run last year, Buddy has been the target of every defense so far but Florida State was all over him. In this game, he got plenty of open or at least makeable shots but Buddy was still way off. On one occasion he got a pass having beaten everyone downcourt and he launched a three “as open as it would be in practice gym” per Matt Park. It bounded off the front rim. Buddy was 3 for 15 and 0 for 5 from the arc: he’s now missed his last 12 three pointers. Maybe it’s fatigue: he played 50 minutes against Indiana and was mugged in Tallahassee. Or maybe it’s the Phantom Police car. But we need Buddy to get back to being Buddy if we are to have the winning streak we need to pull out of this.
- I thought early on that Nova would have no answer for Jesse Edwards. It turned out Jesse Edwards the answer to Jesse Edwards. Jesse was 1 for 6 from the field and lost many rebound battles. He did get to the foul line but missed 7 of 15 free throws. HE WAS THE ONLY SU PLAYER TO ATTEMPT ONE. He certainly tired hard but did not react well to the physical defense and double-teams when he got the ball under the basket. The lessons continue for the young center.
- Bench points: zero. Benny, Frank and Sym were 0 for 2 in a combined 19 minutes. Nova had 14 points form their bench: and won by 14.
- That was a major opportunity to negate those early losses. We are now 5-4. We’ve got a Georgetown team that isn’t playing well, Lehigh and Cornell, (who beat Colgate). That could get us to 8-4. It’s all the ACC after that. We need to ace these next three games. But we’ve got to get everybody involved in the offense and hit the boards to do that. We didn’t do that tonight.
