The Upside- Texas Southern

[SWC75]

Note: I was watching the end of the football game on TV and the CNS high school football playoff game on the internet while listening to the basketball game on the radio, (and occasionally taking a peak at it on-line), so my “observations” are primarily based on the box score and comments by Brian Higgins and whoever his color man was, (not Satalin or Roe) on the radio.


- Texas Southern is a pretty good team, favored to win their conference. They have their own 7-2 guy, Tryvon Reed, who I would trade Chukwu for. They can shoot and did a good job attacking the zone. Like us, they had 5 guys in double figures. But we beat them 80-67 and had a 23 point lead at one point.

- Tyus Battle scored 21 points off 3 treys and 3 more baskets inside the arc, one on a spectacular spin move to a dunk. JB wasn’t surprised, saying “He can do that. He’d gifted.” I did listen to Matt Roe on the internet broadcast say that Tyus should be able to get 20+ points against all these pre-conference teams and could average that for the year. A comparison was made to Dion Waiters, not the first I’ve heard. He was also 6 for 6 from the foul line and had 3 steals and 2 assists. He’s everything you’d want ina ‘2’ guard, although with 1 rebound, I’m not sure an experiment at small forward would work.

- Frank Howard had 12 points, including a couple of long threes and 8 assists against 4 turnovers. He just looks like a much different player this year.

- Marek Dolezaj just “knows how to play. He had 9 rebounds and (because of that) score 10 points and 7 assists, several form the top of the key. He operates very well there on offense and I’ve seen him at the top of the zone on defense, too. That seems to be his spot.

- Geno Thorpe had a great first half, hitting 5 for 6 shots, including 3 treys, and scoring a team high 13 points. Boeheim said that “he kept us in the game”. He was only 0 for 3 in a scoreless second half. But there’s more to come.

- Bourama Sidibe seems to have recovered from hi knee injury pretty quickly. He looked as he did in the game before the Iona game, doing everything smoothly and almost effortlessly while scoring 11 points on 5 for 6 shooting, (despite going up against a 7-2 center). He even hti a medium-range jumper.

3-0 with 28+ to go

LET’S GO ORANGE!

 

[bballbeadle]

SWC, I was surprised to see you make your posts so quickly after the football game. I have not been able to go to the football board yet. I may wait a few days or years. Oh me of little strength!

I think MD missed three bunnies. Imagine if he makes them! PC continues to put the ball on the floor when he is 3 feet from the basket. As long as I have been a fan, our centers seem to do that. Are they coached to do so? When they are upperclassmen they seem to understand they can turn around and score. Why aren’t they coached to “realize” that sooner? Just an ignorant question I know you will kindly answer.

 

[SWC75]

SWC, I was surprised to see you make your posts so quickly after the football game. I have not been able to go to the football board yet. I may wait a few days or years. Oh me of little strength!

I think MD missed three bunnies. Imagine if he makes them! PC continues to put the ball on the floor when he is 3 feet from the basket. As long as I have been a fan, our centers seem to do that. Are they coached to do so? When they are upperclassmen they seem to understand they can turn around and score. Why aren’t they coached to “realize” that sooner? Just an ignorant question I know you will kindly answer.

I don't attend practices so I don't know what they are coached to do but I doubt that is part of the curriculum. I've always taken it as a sign of insecurity, that you have to "gather yourself" and make sure you have control of the ball before making your move. I think maturity and confidence is the cure.

 

[themorey]

Dolezaj was made to be that player at the top of the key against a zone D. He made some great decisions from there, mostly great bounce passes inside. I love how this kid plays on both ends. If he can learn to attack the rim with more authority look out!

I thought the team D for most of the 1st half was some of the worst I've seen so far this year. It was listless and uninspired as if they didn't want to be there. Luckily it got better but there were still a lot of breakdowns in the 2nd half. Hopefully that's just a result of being a young team still learning the intricacies of playing the SU zone.

Great win though, let's keep it rolling.

 

[AlaskaSU]

D is the best passer on the team, Andy reincarnated.

 

[SWC75]

D is the best passer on the team, Andy reincarnated.

If only he could shoot like Andy. Of course, Andy couldn't rebound like him. And he's got a bit of Kristoff in him. Each player is different. That's what makes it interesting.

 

[upperdeck]

the weaker you are down low the more you want to bounce and turn. no surprise to me most of our bigs do it since we usually have twigs who need to gather to jump.. it also helps you with your footwork since a dribble means less travel calls.

 

[SWC75]

the weaker you are down low the more you want to bounce and turn. no surprise to me most of our bigs do it since we usually have twigs who need to gather to jump.. it also helps you with your footwork since a dribble means less travel calls.

DaJuan Coleman was famous for it and he wasn't a twig. Maybe he just thought he was.

 

[AlaskaSU]

He threads the needle like Andy and he does it from just above the foul line where there is no room for error. In order to make it work he anticipates so as to make a lightning quick touch pass. If he only had a shot and a bit more beef...

 

[sugrad68]

- Frank Howard had 12 points, including a couple of long threes and 8 assists against 4 turnovers. He just looks like a much different player this year.

I'm not getting too high on Howard yet. Remember last year? He started off great and then when the Cuse started playing REAL teams prior to the ACC schedule -- Wisconsin, Connecticut, St. Johns, Georgetown -- the wheels fell off the wagon. He did not look too good in the 2nd half against Iona. Played fairly well yesterday but had some poor turnovers. Shot well.

 

[SWC75]

I'm not getting too high on Howard yet. Remember last year? He started off great and then when the Cuse started playing REAL teams prior to the ACC schedule -- Wisconsin, Connecticut, St. Johns, Georgetown -- the wheels fell off the wagon. He did not look too good in the 2nd half against Iona. Played fairly well yesterday but had some poor turnovers. Shot well.

It's certainly early and the competition will get tougher but I didn't see the player I'm looking at now at any time last year.

 

[orangeinnyc]

It's certainly early and the competition will get tougher but I didn't see the player I'm looking at now at any time last year.

i agree, not only does howard look like a completely different player he looks like a completely different person. I think this is much more important. He seems to have grown up and is more mature. You can tell from his body language and from interviews he gives. This is a different frank and i think him maturing into a man is going to be a very important development for this team. His confidence on his jumper is night and day as well. No hesitation and shooting in rhythm, really had some nice dimes last night. He did have some dumb turnovers but overall I'm very impressed with him and how he's improved as a player and a person.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

It's certainly early and the competition will get tougher but I didn't see the player I'm looking at now at any time last year.

i distinctly remember thinking he looked like a really good player beginning last year..and then it stopped once non crappy teams faced him.
So I looked it up...and my memory had not failed me.

Colgate:
4/4 from the field, 3/3 from 3, 9 assists, 3 TO, 11 pts.

Holy Cross:
3/5, 1-2, 3 assists, 1 turn, 7 pts.

Monmouth:
3-6, 1-3 , 6 assists, 2 turns 8 pts.

South Carolina State:
4/7, 2-4, 11 assists, 1 turn, 10 pts.

then bad performances vs South Carolina, Wisconsin.

back to starring against stiffs: North florida:
2/3, 1-1, 13 assists, 2 turn, 10 pts.

then putridness vs uconn:
0-9, 0-3, 3 assists, 2 turns, 3 pts)

see a pattern here?

Ill believe it when I see it vs good teams.

 

[SoBristol]

We know the pattern from last season with Howard. And yes, people will be skeptical until they see Howard (and others) compete with better teams. Still, Howard is shooting better and finishing better and playing better defense than he was in the early games last season.

He also has better play from Battle to share the ball handling and initiate offense.

 

[SWC75]

i distinctly remember thinking he looked like a really good player beginning last year..and then it stopped once non crappy teams faced him.
So I looked it up...and my memory had not failed me.

Colgate:
4/4 from the field, 3/3 from 3, 9 assists, 3 TO, 11 pts.

Holy Cross:
3/5, 1-2, 3 assists, 1 turn, 7 pts.

Monmouth:
3-6, 1-3 , 6 assists, 2 turns 8 pts.

South Carolina State:
4/7, 2-4, 11 assists, 1 turn, 10 pts.

then bad performances vs South Carolina, Wisconsin.

back to starring against stiffs: North florida:
2/3, 1-1, 13 assists, 2 turn, 10 pts.

then putridness vs uconn:
0-9, 0-3, 3 assists, 2 turns, 3 pts)

see a pattern here?

Ill believe it when I see it vs good teams.

The whole team was bad against South Carolina and Wisconsin. The observations about Howard this year aren't just the stats: it's the 'look test'. He just seems to be playing with more confidence and swagger. Yes, we won't know for sure until we play the better teams on our schedule, (Iona, Texas Southern Oakland and Toledo are not 'bad' teams). To come full circle, that's true of the entire team.

 

[andyw715]

It's nice to see 21 assists on 26 made FGs