The Main Concern here...

[mantonio]

The Syracuse guards can pick up a little bit of the slack for Melo's absence. Maybe some more dribble penetration & dishes to RAK off a pick will work. RAK is pretty quick, & I think he can produce on offense.

The problem area is RAK's defense. Without Melo, the opponents were able to have their way on the interior, because RAK doesn't have the size & strength to keep them from scoring down low.

I am hoping the staff has set up a system to deal with this, & Xmas has been thoroughly drilled on it. Obviously, some type of double team with denial of passing lanes might work, but then you leave the exterior more open for a jumper. Then again, in that situation, you have to prioritize which shot you want to leave open for your opponent, & the long range jumper is a lower percentage attempt.

So I leave it to you. What would you do with RAK in this tournament?

 

[jdubs30]

I thought about this today.

We will miss Fab Melo, but if we lost to Vandy or KState or OSU, it wouldn't be because Fab Melo wasn't playing. Our offense has been lethargic lately and we won't win many tourney games scoring in the 50s. Fab Melo's points and rebounds are easily replaced; his intimidation and ability to take charges will not. However, we are gonna have to score to win this thing and Fab wasn't helping in that area. Our defense will still be really good to go far, and that's without Fab. The key to this thing (and always was) was the scorers; Scoop, Triche, Kris, JSouth, Dion, Fair. If those guys play well on offense we're going New Orleans, period.

Fab's 3 blocks, 2 charges and 4 or 5 shot-altering plays per game are nice. But Rak is plenty capable of blocking shots and is arguably a better rebounder.

Fab Melo was an important part of our team, but I think losing someone like Waiters would have been way worse.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

Yes, Xmas has looked very comfortable with the ball in his hands this year..

 

[mantonio]

I thought about this today.

We will miss Fab Melo, but if we lost to Vandy or KState or OSU, it wouldn't be because Fab Melo wasn't playing. Our offense has been lethargic lately and we won't win many tourney games scoring in the 50s. Fab Melo's points and rebounds are easily replaced; his intimidation and ability to take charges will not. However, we are gonna have to score to win this thing and Fab wasn't helping in that area. Our defense will still be really good to go far, and that's without Fab. The key to this thing (and always was) was the scorers; Scoop, Triche, Kris, JSouth, Dion, Fair. If those guys play well on offense we're going New Orleans, period.

Fab's 3 blocks, 2 charges and 4 or 5 shot-altering plays per game are nice. But Rak is plenty capable of blocking shots and is arguably a better rebounder.

Fab Melo was an important part of our team, but I think losing someone like Waiters would have been way worse.

I can agree with this assessment. However, if other teams are able to score at will on the interior, the margin of error for the Syracuse offense becomes microscopically small. Syracuse was able to shoot less than 30% from outside the paint, & still win, because they could hold their opponents to less than 60 points. Without Melo, I am not sure they can do this against the better teams in this tourney.

Also, Melo had an ability to fix the misses of our other shooters, by flushing them off the rim. Can RAK do the same? In a close game, those points are critical. Remember the UCONN game in Storrs when Fab scored the winning basket off a missed shot?

 

[jdubs30]

I can agree with this assessment. However, if other teams are able to score at will on the interior, the margin of error for the Syracuse offense becomes microscopically small. Syracuse was able to shoot less than 30% from outside the paint, & still win, because they could hold their opponents to less than 60 points. Without Melo, I am not sure they can do this against the better teams in this tourney.

Also, Melo had an ability to fix the misses of our other shooters, by flushing them off the rim. Can RAK do the same? In a close game, those points are critical. Remember the UCONN game in Storrs when Fab scored the winning basket off a missed shot?

I think you might not be giving Rak much credit, I think he'll be able to hold his own for the most part down low. I think IF we get to OSU in the Elite 8, it's because Rak has been playing well (along with everyone else). I think we're an awful matchup for OSU personally.

In a close game, will Rak take an 18 foot jumper? Fab as a whole was mediocre offensively. The putbacks (although rare) were nice, but he had his fair share of bad passes and awful shots that you don't want a center to take. I think Rak is a better passer. I don't know if Rak will be able to get the OReb that Fab did, but I do know that Rak is probably a better rebounder defensively so I can seem him being a better offense rebounder as well.

 

[mantonio]

My greatest hope is, our guards play better than they have been, & we won't need much from RAK.

He would be a nice Christmas Bonus !!!

Pun FULLY intended !!!

 

[Gotothehole]

So sick of the talking heads, some you sound like Doug the cuse hater. We don’t have Fab so what we need to win six games. We can beat any team in this tournament. The question should be can they beat us...I am riding with my coach and this squad to take it all