SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
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- We won a tough game over a good team. Iona didn’t have height but their players were strong, athletic and could shoot. Brian Higgins, subbing for Matt Park, pointed out that in the last 20 years, the Gaels are second among major college teams in this state in wins with 416. Jimmy Satalin suggested they are the kind of team we would face in the first round of an NCAA tournament, so it was a step up in completion and we passed the test.
- Paschal Chukwu was a revelation. He defended the basket well, (only 3 blocks but 8-10 shots not taken because PC was there with his hands up. He had strong 10 rebounds and scored 5 points on a couple of dunks. It was the first time he out-performed Bourama Sidibe, who had 2 points, 4 rebs and 2 blocks in 18 minutes, only four less than Chukwu. But the big thing is: we’ve got two centers who can play. We’ll have to wait until we see them against genuine big men before we know how much of a strength this is but it’s a lot better than it looked in the pre-season.
- The question of whether Tyus Battle will be comfortable being the #1 option has bene answered: he loves it. His full portfolio of talents was on display tonight. He hit from beyond the arc. He drove to the basket, almost maniacally, split defenders and scored on a variety of lay-ups, pull-ups and floaters and scored 28 points on 11 for 19 shooting. He’s a spectacular talent and watching him this year is going to be fun.
- Frank Howard is a different player this year. He’s an aggressive, confident scorer. There were times I wasn’t sure if a play was made by Battle or Howard. He was 2 for 4 from beyond the arc, one of which looked to be nearly 30 feet away. I also like the way he sounds in this interview: ….a confident leader of a young team.
- Marek Dolezaj reminds me of a quicker version of Kristoff Ongenaet, a huge fan favorite from a decade ago. He may not have the mostest but he gets there the firstest and it allows him to grab rebounds, loose balls and steals. And he can use his length to make some lay-ups. He’s still shy about shooting the ball or driving to the basket, (including one time when he was totally unguarded in the paint), so I can’t access his offensive capabilities. But he made the plays down the stretch that won the game.
- We have a 9 man team where everyone can contribute and nobody is painful to watch. I like the look of this highlight film: Highlights | Syracuse vs. Iona
2-0 with 29+ to go
LET’S GO ORANGE!
- Paschal Chukwu was a revelation. He defended the basket well, (only 3 blocks but 8-10 shots not taken because PC was there with his hands up. He had strong 10 rebounds and scored 5 points on a couple of dunks. It was the first time he out-performed Bourama Sidibe, who had 2 points, 4 rebs and 2 blocks in 18 minutes, only four less than Chukwu. But the big thing is: we’ve got two centers who can play. We’ll have to wait until we see them against genuine big men before we know how much of a strength this is but it’s a lot better than it looked in the pre-season.
- The question of whether Tyus Battle will be comfortable being the #1 option has bene answered: he loves it. His full portfolio of talents was on display tonight. He hit from beyond the arc. He drove to the basket, almost maniacally, split defenders and scored on a variety of lay-ups, pull-ups and floaters and scored 28 points on 11 for 19 shooting. He’s a spectacular talent and watching him this year is going to be fun.
- Frank Howard is a different player this year. He’s an aggressive, confident scorer. There were times I wasn’t sure if a play was made by Battle or Howard. He was 2 for 4 from beyond the arc, one of which looked to be nearly 30 feet away. I also like the way he sounds in this interview: ….a confident leader of a young team.
- Marek Dolezaj reminds me of a quicker version of Kristoff Ongenaet, a huge fan favorite from a decade ago. He may not have the mostest but he gets there the firstest and it allows him to grab rebounds, loose balls and steals. And he can use his length to make some lay-ups. He’s still shy about shooting the ball or driving to the basket, (including one time when he was totally unguarded in the paint), so I can’t access his offensive capabilities. But he made the plays down the stretch that won the game.
- We have a 9 man team where everyone can contribute and nobody is painful to watch. I like the look of this highlight film: Highlights | Syracuse vs. Iona
2-0 with 29+ to go
LET’S GO ORANGE!
