This is a very good team

[OrangeFoo]

It’s definitely a talented team. I’m curious to see how they will manufacture points on the nights the jumpers aren’t falling… you know, those nights when it’s the 16 minute mark and the fans at home are still standing and clapping because the team has yet to get a bucket?

I think we have options… Jimmy, Cole and Buddy seem to have some diversity in their offense. We can bring Symir in and go up tempo. Benny seems like he can turn into a utility man and get buckets in a number of different ways.

The ceiling of this team is the Wes year… the floor is the first portal year when we had that kid from Nebraska transfer in with all the other dudes. We had similar expectations that year if an NBA-like offense full of shooters but if I remember correctly that team never meshed and the defense was terrible and we ended up missing the tournament.

 

[BigNastyJon]

Since you're apparently new to the world of college basketball, I'll spell it out for you...

You see, college players monitor public perceptions of themselves and their team and they frequently cite comments made by "doubters" of their potential as having given them incentive to "prove them wrong." When the doubts that are voiced question the entire team's potential, they will often use it to bond with each other in a common cause.

So the upside is that the entire team can feel extra motivated to put in all the extra hard work it takes to get better as a team, and yes, even to trust their coach more and value his guidance as he is supremely important variable in their ability to succeed as a group, if not THE most important variable.

I hope this helps your understanding of such matters. Any time you feel perplexed in the future about such elementary dimensions of the game, please feel free to solicit my advice again...

This is why I choose not to criticize college kids on the Internet. Coaches, refs, administration, NCAA, etc. I’ll be more vocal on, but I don’t think it’s cool to talk chit about kids

 

[MDCuse]

Having watched the exhibition games and the opener 3 times im really encouraged. We have a complete team this year. I dont see any glaring weaknesses. In fact with the exception of point guard which is actually pretty solid we are loaded.
Benny Cole and Jimmy are all excellent. I have liked Jimmy for a long time but had no idea what a balanced mature and skilled player he has become. Hes really good. Benny oozes potential and as his shot improves he is going to become a star. As to Cole hes smooth. Extremely talented in all phases. Great shooter, strong and a much better handle than thought. Jimmys really good but Cole is special.
Buddy looks improved. Hes more fluid and his foot speed has improved. Last year he looked heavy footed. This year he looks much lighter on his feet,more agile. Hes such a pleasure to watch.
Joe played well. Shot it like he was back in GF and managed the game. He needs to cut out his adventures into the lane/baseline as it wont fly against better talent but he looked to be in shape and i think he will hold his own.
Symir is also much better than i expected. Quick, strong, great handle. He cant be pressed. If he can finish in the lane he becomes very valuable and his D is stellar. Guys good and going to get better.
Edward's is so close. His hands have improved considerably. He moves much better than last year and just seems comfortable on the court.
Frank also played well and showed his athleticism when he did the back dunk effortlessly. Hes Extremely coordinated and covers a lot of ground.
Finally the chemistry and overall bball IQ of this team is as good as any i have seen on the hill in a long time.
These guys aren't super athletic but they arnt stiffs.
This is a team of very smart players who all work and all have very good skills. Its a great shooting team and one that isnt going to fold.
Im really excited as this is a much different team than JB has ever had and win or lose is going to fun to watch.

While I like the ceiling of this team, there are absolutely holes & weaknesses. Rebounding is still an issue from a team that lost it's top rebounders. I think Joe is still susceptible at the point facing more aggressive and athletic teams. Jesse has got to learn how to stay out of foul trouble. I like Frank and think there is a lot of potential there, but if they are banking on 20+ MPG from him when they get into ACC play, they're in trouble.

 

[two3zone]

Since you're apparently new to the world of college basketball, I'll spell it out for you...

You see, college players monitor public perceptions of themselves and their team and they frequently cite comments made by "doubters" of their potential as having given them incentive to "prove them wrong." When the doubts that are voiced question the entire team's potential, they will often use it to bond with each other in a common cause.

So the upside is that the entire team can feel extra motivated to put in all the extra hard work it takes to get better as a team, and yes, even to trust their coach more and value his guidance as he is supremely important variable in their ability to succeed as a group, if not THE most important variable.

I hope this helps your understanding of such matters. Any time you feel perplexed in the future about such elementary dimensions of the game, please feel free to solicit my advice again...

You never played any sort of organized sports in your life huh?

 

[MDCuse]

Since you're apparently new to the world of college basketball, I'll spell it out for you...

You see, college players monitor public perceptions of themselves and their team and they frequently cite comments made by "doubters" of their potential as having given them incentive to "prove them wrong." When the doubts that are voiced question the entire team's potential, they will often use it to bond with each other in a common cause.

So the upside is that the entire team can feel extra motivated to put in all the extra hard work it takes to get better as a team, and yes, even to trust their coach more and value his guidance as he is supremely important variable in their ability to succeed as a group, if not THE most important variable.

I hope this helps your understanding of such matters. Any time you feel perplexed in the future about such elementary dimensions of the game, please feel free to solicit my advice again...

So what you're saying is, the team isn't putting forth full effort or trying to win? If a team/player needs outside motivation to play hard/practice hard...that's not great

 

[MSOrange]

Since you're apparently new to the world of college basketball, I'll spell it out for you...

You see, college players monitor public perceptions of themselves and their team and they frequently cite comments made by "doubters" of their potential as having given them incentive to "prove them wrong." When the doubts that are voiced question the entire team's potential, they will often use it to bond with each other in a common cause.

So the upside is that the entire team can feel extra motivated to put in all the extra hard work it takes to get better as a team, and yes, even to trust their coach more and value his guidance as he is supremely important variable in their ability to succeed as a group, if not THE most important variable.

I hope this helps your understanding of such matters. Any time you feel perplexed in the future about such elementary dimensions of the game, please feel free to solicit my advice again...

Is it too late to change my iggy prediction to 0-31????

 

[Ceerqqq]

So what you're saying is, the team isn't putting forth full effort or trying to win? If a team/player needs outside motivation to play hard/practice hard...that's not great

No, I'm just referring to what players have said in front of cameras re: what they use for motivation.

Do you have some reason to believe that they are lying when they make such statements?

 

[NorSyr66]

Is it possible Covid actually helped us? It’s a disgusting statement but bear with me.

I think many of us were surprised to see how good Jimmy is. He is big and strong and a smart player. If Covid never happened, he would have played his fourth year with Cornell. He hadn’t played in 600 some days. He is BURNING to play and he worked out and practiced all last year. He is going to be a major contributor.

Joe Girard. Last year was a year from hell for him. He was sick and out of shape. His pride was hurt. He is now in the best shape of his life and is BURNING to play. He is going to be good for us all year long.

Swider. I can’t remember if Covid was the reason why the NCAA said players who transfer can play right away. Maybe that would have happened anyway? This man is a fierce competitor. He is BURNING to prove himself. He is talented. He and Jimmy are two of the big reasons why we are going to be good this year.

Because of Covid, the players are excited and energized to play in front of crowds. Because of Covid, the fans are excited and energized to be back. Neither are taking the other for granted.

Are there any other ways Covid may have helped this year’s team?

And yes yes, I am one of those “every cloud has a silver lining” kind of people.

Great post Beadle and I would like to build from it saying this team is special from the chemistry and maturity stand point. We can all find faults with the construct of this team. Has there ever been a perfect team? But even with all the warts it will be a master piece to watch our savvy ringmaster push all the buttons. Sure our defense is a bit slow, rebounds will be an issue and our shooters can have an off night but just look what happened Tuesday night with Swider's off night. 12 rebounds, 14 points, along with several assists. There is still some up side with several of our players and who knows what Benny will develop into? I agree with those that say "we will know a LOT more in a couple of weeks after Atlantis". For the time being, let's keep focusing on the areas needing improvement, hoping that Bourma can return as a reliable center and can get 5 to 10 minutes a game and watching Benny blossom into the leagues best 6th man. Yes Beadle, "every cloud does have a silver lining". Next up, Drexel. LGO!

 

[CardiacCuse]

While I like the ceiling of this team, there are absolutely holes & weaknesses. Rebounding is still an issue from a team that lost it's top rebounders. I think Joe is still susceptible at the point facing more aggressive and athletic teams. Jesse has got to learn how to stay out of foul trouble. I like Frank and think there is a lot of potential there, but if they are banking on 20+ MPG from him when they get into ACC play, they're in trouble.

ive seen a lot of posts worried about rebounds and I dont get it. this is the tallest team i can remember. the bench is very athletic and tall as well and all the players go for it on the boards.

they just outrebounded their first opponents 48-30...don't remember that ever happening in recent seasons. like ever. and the quality of opponent shouldt really matter as lafayette has size and was trying and skill isnt an issue with rebounding i.e. high team ranking doesnt necessarily = high rebounding ranking. you dont have to be a p5 school or even a good team in general to be good at rebounding.

often the zone sometimes makes it hard to win the rebound battle bc of spacing and lack of boxing out but I really dont see rebounding as an issue...def not more than it has been in past seasons...take last year with griff and qg...the forwards this year are A LOT TALLER this season. griff was really a shooting gaurd trying to play undersized forward ..he could jump and went after it but he wasnt the ideal forward in the zone, especislly defensively.

i think the ball pressure on the PG and team is potentially an issue for sure though.

and not sure why you are shaky on frank ..he seems ready to me.

 

[djorange1989]

Is it possible Covid actually helped us? It’s a disgusting statement but bear with me.

I think many of us were surprised to see how good Jimmy is. He is big and strong and a smart player. If Covid never happened, he would have played his fourth year with Cornell. He hadn’t played in 600 some days. He is BURNING to play and he worked out and practiced all last year. He is going to be a major contributor.

Joe Girard. Last year was a year from hell for him. He was sick and out of shape. His pride was hurt. He is now in the best shape of his life and is BURNING to play. He is going to be good for us all year long.

Swider. I can’t remember if Covid was the reason why the NCAA said players who transfer can play right away. Maybe that would have happened anyway? This man is a fierce competitor. He is BURNING to prove himself. He is talented. He and Jimmy are two of the big reasons why we are going to be good this year.

Because of Covid, the players are excited and energized to play in front of crowds. Because of Covid, the fans are excited and energized to be back. Neither are taking the other for granted.

Are there any other ways Covid may have helped this year’s team?

And yes yes, I am one of those “every cloud has a silver lining” kind of people.

That’s a lot of burning. Does the team doctor have plenty of penicillin available?

 

[CuseNickens]

Sidebar note. The announcer Debbie Antonenelli is really good. Great knowledge and i thought her observations were spot on. Shes big time.

She's a 4 level announcer!

 

[IthacaMatt]

The problem with this team is depth at center. Frank needs to take a huge leap. If Jesse gets into foul trouble the Orange are going to lose games. Especially on away games where hometown refs are partial like Duke and Louisville. Even if Frank does take a huge leap the Orange probably need a 3rd guy when at Duke or Louisville just to compete.

Frank is going to get at least 10-15 minutes for about the next 10 games, even if Sidibe is able to get healthy again with another month of treatment and recovery.

That's enough time to get a lot better.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Is it possible Covid actually helped us? It’s a disgusting statement but bear with me.

I think many of us were surprised to see how good Jimmy is. He is big and strong and a smart player. If Covid never happened, he would have played his fourth year with Cornell. He hadn’t played in 600 some days. He is BURNING to play and he worked out and practiced all last year. He is going to be a major contributor.

Joe Girard. Last year was a year from hell for him. He was sick and out of shape. His pride was hurt. He is now in the best shape of his life and is BURNING to play. He is going to be good for us all year long.

Swider. I can’t remember if Covid was the reason why the NCAA said players who transfer can play right away. Maybe that would have happened anyway? This man is a fierce competitor. He is BURNING to prove himself. He is talented. He and Jimmy are two of the big reasons why we are going to be good this year.

Because of Covid, the players are excited and energized to play in front of crowds. Because of Covid, the fans are excited and energized to be back. Neither are taking the other for granted.

Are there any other ways Covid may have helped this year’s team?

And yes yes, I am one of those “every cloud has a silver lining” kind of people.

Hell of a post, Ms. Beadle! I agree that Jimmy and Cole are burning to play, and both are going to be very good.

I agree with you about Joe, too. He heard all the fat jokes last year.

If he channels himself into becoming a REAL PG and he doesn't revert to jacking jump shots whenever he gets the urge, this team will be scary. The offense will be a thing of beauty!

 

[rrlbees]

Hell of a post, Ms. Beadle! I agree that Jimmy and Cole are burning to play, and both are going to be very good.

I agree with you about Joe, too. He heard all the fat jokes last year.

If he channels himself into becoming a REAL PG and he doesn't revert to jacking jump shots whenever he gets the urge, this team will be scary. The offense will be a thing of beauty!

I have no doubt JB wants him to shoot jump shots.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I have no doubt JB wants him to shoot jump shots.

You know what I'm talking about.

 

[MDCuse]

ive seen a lot of posts worried about rebounds and I dont get it. this is the tallest team i can remember. the bench is very athletic and tall as well and all the players go for it on the boards.

they just outrebounded their first opponents 48-30...don't remember that ever happening in recent seasons. like ever. and the quality of opponent shouldt really matter as lafayette has size and was trying and skill isnt an issue with rebounding i.e. high team ranking doesnt necessarily = high rebounding ranking. you dont have to be a p5 school or even a good team in general to be good at rebounding.

often the zone sometimes makes it hard to win the rebound battle bc of spacing and lack of boxing out but I really dont see rebounding as an issue...def not more than it has been in past seasons...take last year with griff and qg...the forwards this year are A LOT TALLER this season. griff was really a shooting gaurd trying to play undersized forward ..he could jump and went after it but he wasnt the ideal forward in the zone, especislly defensively.

i think the ball pressure on the PG and team is potentially an issue for sure though.

and not sure why you are shaky on frank ..he seems ready to me.

Tall does not equal rebounds. Using a one game sample against Lafayette is foolish. Hell, if you want to go that route, they only outrebounded Pace by 3. If you even look back at last year, they had similar rebounding margins. The second game of the year they outrebounded Niagara by 19. I have concerns about this team and how physical they can be, especially when we get into ACC play. Jimmy & Cole are not physical presences. At all. If you want to look at last year, go look at their losses last year. They got crushed on the boards. Houston, Pitt, UNC, Clemson etc. They got worked on the boards. It's a big deal.
As far as Frank, we have no clue what he is or will be. As I said, I'm very high on his potential, but he is very very raw. I'm hopeful he develops quickly, but it would have been nice to get some minutes last year.

 

[MDCuse]

No, I'm just referring to what players have said in front of cameras re: what they use for motivation.

Do you have some reason to believe that they are lying when they make such statements?

LOL well, yea, kinda.

 

[miamicuse]

No, I'm just referring to what players have said in front of cameras re: what they use for motivation.

Do you have some reason to believe that they are lying when they make such statements?

Players are not lying.

Players say whatever they believe to give themselves an edge. The keyword here is "believe".

Like when they said they gave 100% on a game they lost and being asked how they will turn that around, many of them will say they will have to give 150%, 200%. Does it mean they are lying if 100% maximum output is the absolute maximum? or did they not give 100% in the first place and just put 25% in their back pocket?

 

[kcsu]

Tall does not equal rebounds. Using a one game sample against Lafayette is foolish. Hell, if you want to go that route, they only outrebounded Pace by 3. If you even look back at last year, they had similar rebounding margins. The second game of the year they outrebounded Niagara by 19. I have concerns about this team and how physical they can be, especially when we get into ACC play. Jimmy & Cole are not physical presences. At all. If you want to look at last year, go look at their losses last year. They got crushed on the boards. Houston, Pitt, UNC, Clemson etc. They got worked on the boards. It's a big deal.
As far as Frank, we have no clue what he is or will be. As I said, I'm very high on his potential, but he is very very raw. I'm hopeful he develops quickly, but it would have been nice to get some minutes last year.

He is raw but hes also very talented and coordinated. He is a gifted fluid kid that has a ton of upside. I hope that is brought along each game vs put on the shelf. Sid will most likely never be his old self again. Hopefully so but at this point the odds are not good. Maybe he gets to the point that he can give us 3-5 minute spurts but long term we need to develop Frank and Edwards

 

[MDCuse]

He is raw but hes also very talented and coordinated. He is a gifted fluid kid that has a ton of upside. I hope that is brought along each game vs put on the shelf. Sid will most likely never be his old self again. Hopefully so but at this point the odds are not good. Maybe he gets to the point that he can give us 3-5 minute spurts but long term we need to develop Frank and Edwards

Unfortunately, I think Sid is done at this point. I wouldn't count on him for anything. I think Frank has a very high ceiling and got dealt a rough deal last year getting COVID. The tools are there, but playing ACC ball has a steep learning curve. Jesse needs to avoid fouls.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

It’s definitely a talented team. I’m curious to see how they will manufacture points on the nights the jumpers aren’t falling… you know, those nights when it’s the 16 minute mark and the fans at home are still standing and clapping because the team has yet to get a bucket?

I think we have options… Jimmy, Cole and Buddy seem to have some diversity in their offense. We can bring Symir in and go up tempo. Benny seems like he can turn into a utility man and get buckets in a number of different ways.

The ceiling of this team is the Wes year… the floor is the first portal year when we had that kid from Nebraska transfer in with all the other dudes. We had similar expectations that year if an NBA-like offense full of shooters but if I remember correctly that team never meshed and the defense was terrible and we ended up missing the tournament.

There is no AO or RJ on this team. AO was basically a mobile home with touch. We have nothing close to him ..

 

[bballbeadle]

I ran into my neighbor a couple days before the Lafayette game and he was dissing the team. He played for Boeheim back in the day and has a strong opinion about many things. I told him repeatedly that we were good but he scoffed. Frankly, I think he was prejudiced against the white kids. Kept saying they weren’t athletic. Saw him just now in his yard and he called me over. “ You know what? Damn! Those kids can play!“ I said I told you so. He said, “They all know their roles and they can shoot and they share the ball. Damn!”

Heh heh. Heh heh heh.

 

[LAOrange]

Frank and Jesse are a ton of upside. They are both just starting to find themselves.

I just realized that they have the same names as the James Brothers - Frank and Jesse James (Train robbers, Northfield Raid, The James Gang).

 

[MDCuse]

ive seen a lot of posts worried about rebounds and I dont get it. this is the tallest team i can remember. the bench is very athletic and tall as well and all the players go for it on the boards.

they just outrebounded their first opponents 48-30...don't remember that ever happening in recent seasons. like ever. and the quality of opponent shouldt really matter as lafayette has size and was trying and skill isnt an issue with rebounding i.e. high team ranking doesnt necessarily = high rebounding ranking. you dont have to be a p5 school or even a good team in general to be good at rebounding.

often the zone sometimes makes it hard to win the rebound battle bc of spacing and lack of boxing out but I really dont see rebounding as an issue...def not more than it has been in past seasons...take last year with griff and qg...the forwards this year are A LOT TALLER this season. griff was really a shooting gaurd trying to play undersized forward ..he could jump and went after it but he wasnt the ideal forward in the zone, especislly defensively.

i think the ball pressure on the PG and team is potentially an issue for sure though.

and not sure why you are shaky on frank ..he seems ready to me.

I think my stance bears repeating. This teams rebounding will absolutely be an issue this year. That was very evident and now it has shown to be true. They just got outrebounded 44-34 and gave up 19 Offensive Rebounds...to Colgate. I shudder at what is going to happen in ACC play. This team has a high ceiling but also a very low floor. And I think they're much closer to their floor than ceiling. This team has MAJOR holes.

 

[CardiacCuse]

I think my stance bears repeating. This teams rebounding will absolutely be an issue this year. That was very evident and now it has shown to be true. They just got outrebounded 44-34 and gave up 19 Offensive Rebounds...to Colgate. I shudder at what is going to happen in ACC play. This team has a high ceiling but also a very low floor. And I think they're much closer to their floor than ceiling. This team has MAJOR holes.

i totally overvalued the first 2 wins, obviously...even though I did notice how bad the defensive rotations were even in the lafayette game...but bc that was a big win no one seemed to agree.

if they continue to give up 40 Wide open threes a game...they wont win games and they will give up a lot of offensive rebounds...3s give a lot of crazy bounces.

i still think the team will be a lot better by the end of the year...but it could get real bad...

the issues this team has might not have solutions.

this thing could go in a lot of different directions from here...