The Downside

[SWC75]

- I wish Jim Boeheim would give better halftime speeches. We keep building up big halftime leads. All we need is a little 10-5 type run to open the half and the second half would have been anxiety free. I don’t like it when 35-12 leads become 59-57 or when 48-26 leads become 52-41.

- That’s the most inept Villanova team I’ve seen in years. Our win had at least as much to do with their ineptitude as any excellence on our part. Their star, Malik Wayns was 0 for 7. Dominick Cheek was 1 for 7 from three point range and 3 for 7 from the line, (where he’s normally 87%). Mouphtaou Yarou, a 6-10 center, was 2 for 10 from the field. There are a lot of teams that might have beaten us tonight but Villanova wasn’t one of them.

- The injuries are starting to mount up. Brandon’s thumb. Dion’s thumb and ankle. Baye’s thigh. It hasn’t mattered so far. But it’s along season.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Nice. We have to start playing better halfcourt offense in the second H of these games. Better teams will not make the terrible unforced errors Nova made tonight negating transition. Definitely happy about the win but IMO we wouldn't beat a top 10-15 team tonight.

 

[zeekay]

We get in the flow with the best players on the floor, then momentum is killed once the starters are back in. All there is to it.

Waiters and CJ should start 2nd half.

 

[HoustonCuse]

Noticed that MCW now also has his hand/thumb wrapped as well. Either 3 of 4 guards have hurt thumbs or its becoming a fashion statement.

 

[arbitragegls]

...fashion statement can live with...but injuries we cannot. For whatever reason, Dion seems to be playing through his thumb injury well...Triche not so much...any real news on how bad the injury is...does it affect a specific part of Triche's game...he did not look comfortible out there at all when dribbling

 

[Madbiker]

The natural inclination when they get ahead 18+ points at the half is to take the foot off the gas and just coast. Against the pre-conference teams that works. Not good against BE teams. I don't think it's so much a drop off in defensive intensity. It's more they get sloppy on offense with bad shot selection and careless unforced TO's. They start taking shots they normally wouldn't in a tight game that leads to run outs and easy buckets on the other end. Before you know it, 10 points has come off the lead. JB needs to find a way to keep the intensity up the first 8 minutes of the second half.