The Upside

[SWC75]

- JB has said all along that this isn’t last year’s team and it’s not as good. We weren’t going to go 30-1 and we aren’t going to go 29-2, either. But neither is anyone else. This year is wide open and the national champions will probably have 5-6 losses. It probably won’t be us but it could be.

- After a slow start, Brandon Triche wound up with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. A pretty good morning’s work.

- Despite his problems MCW had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. At least he’s productive when he isn’t screwing up. That’s a pretty good bad game.

- Rakeem Christmas got to play 40 minutes and responded with 9 points and 10 rebounds.

- Jeremy Grant added 12 points and 5 rebounds in 27 minutes before fouling out. His motor was running the whole time. He and Rak could make quite a combo eventually.

- The team showed guts coming back from a big deficit to nearly win it on the road over a hot team. But they’ve done that all it. The problem isn’t competitiveness: it’s efficiency.



18-2 with 12 and more to be done.



LET’S GO ORANGE!

 

[shermstheman]

Despite playing awful ball they were in it until giving it away. Villanova has been hot...and they barely beat Cuse on one of their worst days. There are some good things here. As you say, JB has said this isn't last years team but with no one else seperating themselves this team will have a punchers change, assuming they improve in several areas (questionable). Perhaps Rak will get more of a chance, perhaps Grant will continue his rise, perhaps MCW will be better at the end of games, perhaps Brandon will believe in himself, Perhaps DC2 will get it. Perhaps.

 

[SWC75]

Despite playing awful ball they were in it until giving it away. Villanova has been hot...and they barely beat Cuse on one of their worst days. There are some good things here. As you say, JB has said this isn't last years team but with no one else seperating themselves this team will have a punchers change, assuming they improve in several areas (questionable). Perhaps Rak will get more of a chance, perhaps Grant will continue his rise, perhaps MCW will be better at the end of games, perhaps Brandon will believe in himself, Perhaps DC2 will get it. Perhaps.

Whoever wins it all this year will do so because of their "perhaps"es.

 

[SoBristol]

We win that game, and everyone is happy, if MCW gets it done on any one of three possessions at the end of regular time; if he gives it up to BT on at least of those 3 possessions; or if Grant avoids that 5th foul and stays in the game.
Wouldn't change the fact that we are a vulnerable team so long as we lack a spare part at guard, and a spare part at forward (unless Southerland can clear up his issue).
I am confident that Grant will continue to get better in the next 6 weeks, as will Rak. Can't ask more of MCW (except in finishing those key possessions) or BT. Both are doing fine -- they could use another scorer on the floor.

 

[SWC75]

We win that game, and everyone is happy, if MCW gets it done on any one of three possessions at the end of regular time; if he gives it up to BT on at least of those 3 possessions; or if Grant avoids that 5th foul and stays in the game.
Wouldn't change the fact that we are a vulnerable team so long as we lack a spare part at guard, and a spare part at forward (unless Southerland can clear up his issue).
I am confident that Grant will continue to get better in the next 6 weeks, as will Rak. Can't ask more of MCW (except in finishing those key possessions) or BT. Both are doing fine -- they could use another scorer on the floor.

I'd just take the front end of the one and one, thank you.

 

[SBU72]

We win that game, and everyone is happy, if MCW gets it done on any one of three possessions at the end of regular time; if he gives it up to BT on at least of those 3 possessions; or if Grant avoids that 5th foul and stays in the game.
Wouldn't change the fact that we are a vulnerable team so long as we lack a spare part at guard, and a spare part at forward (unless Southerland can clear up his issue).
I am confident that Grant will continue to get better in the next 6 weeks, as will Rak. Can't ask more of MCW (except in finishing those key possessions) or BT. Both are doing fine -- they could use another scorer on the floor.

I think that perhaps the biggest mistake was not fouling the rebounder on the last miss. Sure he gets 2 FT but I think most of the possibilities end up better with just 2 seconds on the clock than letting him pass to a wide open shooter.

 

[SoBristol]

Tough to get that foul on the rebounder -- and the shooter wasn't exactly wide open. MCW was there, but leaned away to avoid a foul that would have allowed 3 FTs or even the chance to win.

Can always blame a missed FT that would have sealed this game.

I look more at MCW's play after running the shot clock to 10 seconds. Three bad plays with MCW trying to do it himself. We are likely to see that situation again and again in close games.

 

[FreeFries100]

I didn't get to watch the game, only updates on my phone while riding the chairlift in between runs. A loss isn't always bad, but personally I'd rather get beat by a dozen than lose the way we did.

Here is my question that I haven't seen anyone discuss, how the heck were we only in the one and one with 20 sec left in the game?

 

[SWC75]

I didn't get to watch the game, only updates on my phone while riding the chairlift in between runs. A loss isn't always bad, but personally I'd rather get beat by a dozen than lose the way we did.

Here is my question that I haven't seen anyone discuss, how the heck were we only in the one and one with 20 sec left in the game?

A 12 point loss would imply that more is wrong than an overtime loss implies.