The Upside- Miami | Syracusefan.com

The Upside- Miami

SWC75

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- We were far from perfect but won an ACC game by 20 points. Miami is a depleted team but they still have some good players and got off to a good start but we were able to take command of the game and win going away. It’s what good teams do.

- Elijah Hughes had his best game yet with 22 points, including 18 from The Outer Limits. He also was one up on Noah, getting 3 of everything else: 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals. His second block got a standing ovation that got the crowd buzzing for the rest of the game. The Dome was a fun place to be tonight thanks to Elijah.

- The offense really picked up when Marek Dolezaj entered the game. He stood at the high post and made a series of spectacular passes to the baseline or back out for open shots. He had 5 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists but the big thing is that the ball kept moving when he was in there and it wasn’t just around the outside of the defense. He should spend the game in the high post against any zone we face and we need to run the offense through him.

- Tyus Battle was quiet in the first half, scoring no points. He had a short burst early in the second half, typically right when we built the lead to a sizable margin and reached double figures with 10 points. But he also had 6 rebounds and 9 assists. Remember when he was just a scorer?

- But the guy who really got us going was Buddy Boeheim, who hit three first half threes to take us from 11-17 to 29-24. He’s now become the “instant offense” off the bench we all hoped he could be. But my favorite play that he was involved in came when he inbounded to Marek Dolezaj who go surrounded by three guys under the basket but managed to pass the ball to Buddy who didn’t hesitate but went up with a 10 footer and drained it. There was a time when he would have thought about it. You can’t think the ball into the basket. Just do it.

- With less fanfare, Frank Howard hit 3 threes of his own, including two that accounted for more than half our points during the bad, (11-17) start. It would have been a horrendous start without him.

- We had a lot more penetrations and then passes back out which make for more open and easier shots. We also have started to give the ball up on the fast break and get actual baskets out of it. 22 of our 26 field goals were assisted. We had three double figure scorers but the rest of our scoring was 9-7-6-5-2. Team offense.

- We held a team averaging 76 points per game to 53 points. They average 5 double figure scorers. They had one. Chris Lykes averaged 18 points a game and scored 8 on 4 for 15 shooting. Zach Johnson averages 13: he had 9 on 4 for 13 shooting. Anthony Lawrence averages 12: he had 8 on 2 for 8 shooting. Ebuka Izundu averages 12: he scored 8 on 3 for 7 shooting. Dejan Vasiljevic averages 12 and scored 11 on 4 for 9 shooting. Their 6th leading scorer Sam Waardenburg, averages 5: he only got off two shots in 22 minutes and missed them both. Team defense.

- We had 11 blocks and 7 steals: Miami had 1 and 4. My favorite block was when the 5-7 Lykes tried to shoot over the 7-2 Chukwu. It was like Mutt trying to shoot over Jeff.

mutt_and_jeff_7270.jpg


- Chukwu in the second half was the player we saw vs. Duke and Pittsburgh, blocking shots and grabbing rebounds all over the place. He even converted on a couple of fine passes from Marek. He wound up with 6 points on 3 for 3 shooting, 4 rebounds and 5 blocks.

- Sidibe seemed inspired by Chukwau and played some inspired ball too, with 2 points, a rebound and three steals in 10 minutes. he had maybe the prettiest play of the game when he tipped the ball from a Miami player in the paint, out-hustled him to the ball along the sideline and then threw it over his head and that of the Miami player to an area where he already knew three teammates were standing. That’s great court awareness.

- The perimeter game we dreamed of having has emerged. We are now 37 for 81 from The Outer Limits in this three game winning streak, 45.6%. Hughes has 12 of those treys, Boeheim 8, Howard 7, Battle 5, Brissett 4 and Dolezaj 1. The other team has to cover all of them and they can’t. If one guy is cold, someone else will be hot. They take turns being heroes.

- But we can get better still. Look at the Downside.

14-5 (5-1) and with 12+ to go

LET’S GO ORANGE!
 
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- We held a team averaging 76 points per game to 53 points. They average 5 double figure scorers. They had one. Chris Lykes averaged 18 points a game and scored 8 on 4 for 15 shooting. Zach Johnson averages 13: he had 9 on 4 for 13 shooting. Anhtony Lawrence averages 12: he had 8 on 2 for 8 shooting. Ebuka Izundu averages 12: he scored 8 on 3 for 7 shooting. Dejan Vasiljevic didn’t play but their sixth leading scorer, Sam Waardenburg, averages 5: he only got off two shots in 22 minutes and missed them both. Team defense.
Great recap, but one correction: Vasiljevic actually did play - he led Miami in scoring with 11 pts (3 for 8 from 3-pt range) and tacked on 8 rebounds.
 
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- We had a lot more penetrations and then passes back out which make for more open and easier shots. We also have started to give the ball up on the fast break and get actual baskets out of it. 22 of our 26 field goals were assisted. We had three double figure scorers but the rest of our scoring was 9-7-6-5-2. Team offense.

One of my favorite plays was a fast break in the 2nd half, when Battle drove down the floor with a defender on his left shoulder, then under the basket flipped the ball back to Marek (who had hustled down the floor and was prepared for the pass), who had an easy lay-up.

Too often this year on fast breaks, the guy with the ball just takes it to the hole against the defender, failing to give the ball up to an open teammate who would have a much easier shot. This may have been the mentality when we were struggling to score.
 
Great recap, but one correction: Vasiljevic actually did play - he led Miami in scoring with 11 pts (3 for 8 from 3-pt range) and tacked on 8 rebounds.


I was scanning the box score for "Dejan" and missed "DJ". Thanks.
 

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