The Upside- Virginia Tech II

[SWC75]

- Every time this team has pressed this year, they’ve been successful with it. I know you don’t want to press too much with a thin team, (Matt Park, when Salatin suggested they press more often, asked “How much Tabasco sauce did you put on you salad?), but this team is good at it and we need to use all the weapons we’ve got to win the game. Pass the Tabasco sauce!

- Yes we have a big three but it’s easy to cut off the center for the ball or the basket or to make sure a three point guy has somebody in his face. Michael Gbinije is the one truly versatile player we have. He can hit from outside. He can drive to the basket to score. He can pull up shots. He can pass to open teammates. He can rebound and get follow shots. That sweet turn around tonight saved our season.

- No matter what the opposition does, it’s always Christmastime. In some ways, Rak had a bad game but this was his line: 15 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, (one a beautiful feed to Cooney under the basket from beyond the three point arc, 4 steals and 5 blocks. I’ll take it.

- Cooney got beat up and exhausted but hit our only three of the second half while being mugged from 25 feet out. He tied Silent G for the team lead with 18 points.

- Actually, Ron Patterson had a good game overall. He played actual defense, gave some energy to the offense and scored 8 points with a couple of assists.

- I had a bad feeling about this game. Everyone pointed to it as a win and yet it was a “must” win”. The thing about the ACC is that it has no bad teams. Tech almost beat Virginia. We can compete with anybody in this league but everyone in it can compete with us. There are no easy games. And during the game the sorts of plays that happen when you’re going to lose kept happening: A Lamizana three, (from the side!); a Tech free throw that hit the back rim, bounced to the front rim, sat there and then toppled over into the basket; Tyler Roberson gets his hand on a rebound but can’t corral it because his other hand it caught in the net., etc. Yet we overcame all that to win. It made anything seem possible.

- We had 12 steals, 4 each from Christmas and Gbinije. How do we live? We STEAL!!!

15-7, (6-3) with 9+ more

LET’S GO ORANGE!!!!

 

[STEVEHOLT]

How bout a slow clap for MIKE G hitting those TWO free throws down the stretch.

I cant remember the last time he hit two FT back to back.

 

[CaptainJ]

The upside for me includes many things. The one I feel inclined to make mention of in this thread, is that I didn't have to write a "The Backside" for this game after it seeming so likely.

Thanks again SWC75, many of us enjoy your writeups and you have inspired me to do my own irregularly scheduled versions which often can be a Pandoras Box, sometimes of puzzlement, whether premeditated, promiscuous, or purposeful-less. That reminds me that sometimes we have no idea what we can inspire, even for people who we might consider quite different than ourselves. I guess it's like the not picking your family analogy. Of course I suppose the veracity of that depends on one's definition of family, which I'm debating whether I should include this board in, at the moment.

Anyhow, keep up the good work, and the good questions for JB. A way of paraphrasing a previous question about belittling players in the press conference seems to be one of the hottest topics in contention on here at this time, and might provide an entertaining JB response for one of your call ins. It seems to be closer to reaching a boiling point on here than earlier.

 

[bballbeadle]

Yes, people are sad about how he calls out individual players. He seems churlish, and we don't want a churlish coach. I have a friend who is a diehard Duke fan but he doesn't like Coach K because he knows stories of how he is "mean" to his players behind the scenes. I wonder if B is "mean" in public, but kinder in practice?

 

[CaptainJ]

I have a friend who is a diehard Duke fan but he doesn't like Coach K because he knows stories of how he is "mean" to his players behind the scenes. I wonder if B is "mean" in public, but kinder in practice?

That would be interesting and something I prefer, although I don't know how many would agree with me.

Yes, people are sad about how he calls out individual players. He seems churlish, and we don't want a churlish coach.

Why not? We certainly have a bevy of insolent fans and critics. He plays down to their level.

 

[SWC75]

The upside for me includes many things. The one I feel inclined to make mention of in this thread, is that I didn't have to write a "The Backside" for this game after it seeming so likely.

Thanks again SWC75, many of us enjoy your writeups and you have inspired me to do my own irregularly scheduled versions which often can be a Pandoras Box, sometimes of puzzlement, whether premeditated, promiscuous, or purposeful-less. That reminds me that sometimes we have no idea what we can inspire, even for people who we might consider quite different than ourselves. I guess it's like the not picking your family analogy. Of course I suppose the veracity of that depends on one's definition of family, which I'm debating whether I should include this board in, at the moment.

Anyhow, keep up the good work, and the good questions for JB. A way of paraphrasing a previous question about belittling players in the press conference seems to be one of the hottest topics in contention on here at this time, and might provide an entertaining JB response for one of your call ins. It seems to be closer to reaching a boiling point on here than earlier.

You keep up the good work, too, Captain.

I'm not inclined to bring up subject the second time but a question form someone else on that subject might be productive.

You can call into the show locally at 315-424-8599 or nationally at 1-888-746-2873. For Gomez’s portion, use 315-424-8599. Or you can submit questions from this page:
http://cuse.com/sb_output.aspx?form=4
Or on Twitter at mattpark1.

 

[CaptainJ]

You keep up the good work, too, Captain.

I'm not inclined to bring up subject the second time but a question form someone else on that subject might be productive.

You can call into the show locally at 315-424-8599 or nationally at 1-888-746-2873. For Gomez’s portion, use 315-424-8599. Or you can submit questions from this page:
http://cuse.com/sb_output.aspx?form=4
Or on Twitter at mattpark1.

Thanks, if I get the courage, I may do it. However I may use a pseudonym, such as Rusty Shackleford to protect my identity

 

[Henny & Coke]

Rec'd, especially on this point:

- Yes we have a big three but it’s easy to cut off the center for the ball or the basket or to make sure a three point guy has somebody in his face. Michael Gbinije is the one truly versatile palyer we have. He can hit from outside. He can drive to the basket to score. He can pull up shots. He can pass to open teammates. He can rebound and get follow shots. That sweet truna-roudn tonight saved our season.

Some like to point out the mistakes & "unforced" turnovers that Mike G is prone to, almost as if those few plays completely negate everything positive he brings to the table (qualities that are sorely needed this year, like playmaking ability & aggressive drives to the hoop). Ok, so he had 4 turnovers this game...he also had 4 steals, so they negate each other. And you are still then left with 18 points on only 9 shots(!), and a game-high 7 assists, along with 2 rebounds (usually has more).

I've noticed that guys who tend to take on this role (playmaker) for Syracuse often get criticized the most. Guys like Michael Carter-Williams, and now recently Mike Gbinije. These are guys who are pressing to try to make plays happen, trying to setup their teammates for quality shots, trying to drive the hoop to put pressure on the defense & make it react. These guys press the action...they don't always make the "safe" play...and because of this, they tend to have more "What?" type of turnovers/decisions. But they also produce assists, easy looks for their teammates quite often, and sometimes they seem to be the only guys willing to take the risks. You can even say Scoop was similar in this regard (although I often felt he still made too many "dumb" plays).

Hate to see guys that are willing to step up & take some risks in the name of playmaking get criticized so much for the few times where they commit a bad-looking mistake.

I feel like Mike G has been a real breath of fresh air for this year's team & I'm more then willing to take the good with the bad if it means him playing aggressive like he has (mostly) been. Again, 18 points on only 9 shots is super efficient, and a game-high 7 assists to go along with it is a fantastic game, especially with this squad.

 

[SWC75]

Rec'd, especially on this point:

- Yes we have a big three but it’s easy to cut off the center for the ball or the basket or to make sure a three point guy has somebody in his face. Michael Gbinije is the one truly versatile palyer we have. He can hit from outside. He can drive to the basket to score. He can pull up shots. He can pass to open teammates. He can rebound and get follow shots. That sweet truna-roudn tonight saved our season.

Some like to point out the mistakes & "unforced" turnovers that Mike G is prone to, almost as if those few plays completely negate everything positive he brings to the table (qualities that are sorely needed this year, like playmaking ability & aggressive drives to the hoop). Ok, so he had 4 turnovers this game...he also had 4 steals, so they negate each other. And you are still then left with 18 points on only 9 shots(!), and a game-high 7 assists, along with 2 rebounds (usually has more).

I've noticed that guys who tend to take on this role (playmaker) for Syracuse often get criticized the most. Guys like Michael Carter-Williams, and now recently Mike Gbinije. These are guys who are pressing to try to make plays happen, trying to setup their teammates for quality shots, trying to drive the hoop to put pressure on the defense & make it react. These guys press the action...they don't always make the "safe" play...and because of this, they tend to have more "What?" type of turnovers/decisions. But they also produce assists, easy looks for their teammates quite often, and sometimes they seem to be the only guys willing to take the risks. You can even say Scoop was similar in this regard (although I often felt he still made too many "dumb" plays).

Hate to see guys that are willing to step up & take some risks in the name of playmaking get criticized so much for the few times where they commit a bad-looking mistake.

I feel like Mike G has been a real breath of fresh air for this year's team & I'm more then willing to take the good with the bad if it means him playing aggressive like he has (mostly) been. Again, 18 points on only 9 shots is super efficient, and a game-high 7 assists to go along with it is a fantastic game, especially with this squad.

Johnny Unitas threw 253 interceptions. But he had 290 touchdown passes.

 

[reedny]

G is playing well enough up top to start at point. No disrespect to KJ, who will be a great player for us. But I don't see pretending that he's RFPT as we head into this gauntlet of 5 top-10 teams in 2 weeks. G up top gives us more length on D (he's not super-quick, but not any slower than KJ), he can score or drive from that spot -- and he's already bringing the ball up. So this is something I'd like to see. KJ can come off the bench and spell him once in a while and hopefully be able to hold the fort and contribute w/out making too many mistakes on D.

The parallel problem is ... G's a good SF and we're not getting much offensive production from that position with G playing guard. BJ's frozen in the headlights and is a defensive liability r/n. And Tyler .. looks lost on offense and is getting pushed around. He had 11 boards, which is good, but against a very small team, and 6 points in 33 minutes. I know all these struggles are part of the process .. but they're not even guarding Tyler if he has the ball out past 8 feet. Instead, his man is glued to Rak -- which is a double-whammy because Tyler can't/won't score and there's even more pressure on the guy who can. Not sure what the answer is at this position. But I think we have to take our lumps at SF and have Mike play up top .. where he brings better defense, and much more energy, scoring and play-making than the freshman.

 

[longislandcuse]

G is playing well enough up top to start at point. No disrespect to KJ, who will be a great player for us. But I don't see pretending that he's RFPT as we head into this gauntlet of 5 top 10 teams in 2 weeks. G up top gives us more length on D (he's not super-quick, but not any slower than KJ), he can score or drive from that spot -- and he's already bringing the ball up. So this is something I'd like to see. KJ can come off the bench and spell him once in a while and hopefully be able to hold the fort and contribute w/out making too many mistakes on D.

The problem is ... we're not getting much offensive production from the 3. BJ's frozen in the headlights and is a defensive liability r/n. And Tyler .. looks lost on offense. I know this is part of the process for these kids .. but they're not even guarding Tyler if he has the ball out past 8 feet. Instead, his man is glued to Rak -- which is a double-whammy. Not sure what the answer is at this position. But I think we have to take our lumps at SF and have Mike play up top .. where he brings better defense, and much more energy, scoring and play-making than the freshman.

Is this caveat always needed? What even makes you think this?

 

[reedny]

Is this caveat always needed? What even makes you think this?

I think he has talent... and so does the staff b/c they hand picked him. Unfortunately ... they expected him to be playing 5-10 mpg, not starting. So of course, he's not ready. I like his shot, his stature ... he has good vision but (at this point) poor decision-making, a good handle, is pretty athletic. He just needs time to develop. He needs to learn the system and get the zone responsibilities ingrained. And I hope he spends June-July lifting and adding muscle so he can play (and finish) through contact and be more explosive. Time will tell... but I agree he seems at least a year away at this point.

 

[SarasotaPaul]

How bout a slow clap for MIKE G hitting those TWO free throws down the stretch.

I cant remember the last time he hit two FT back to back.

Not sure he has. Even my wife, who doesn't watch all the games anyway, went "Oh no" when B went to the line. When he made them both she asked me if he had ever made two in a row. I didn't know.

 

[SBU72]

"Every time this team has pressed this year, they’ve been successful with it. I know you don’t want to press too much with a thin team, (Matt Park, when Salatin suggested they press more often, asked "

I'm not convinced that this is a good pressing team especially since RAK has to guard the basket AND not give fouls. Tough to do. Also remember that VT was playing a bunch of freshmen / inexperienced players who got rattled easily. Do it against a good team or one with a good pg (UNC) and it doesn't work well.

 

[andyw715]

"Every time this team has pressed this year, they’ve been successful with it. I know you don’t want to press too much with a thin team, (Matt Park, when Salatin suggested they press more often, asked "

I'm not convinced that this is a good pressing team especially since RAK has to guard the basket AND not give fouls. Tough to do. Also remember that VT was playing a bunch of freshmen / inexperienced players who got rattled easily. Do it against a good team or one with a good pg (UNC) and it doesn't work well.

We could have tried it more. Did we even?