This Loss is On Jimmy......

[newmexicuse]

We would have won if we shot better from the line, but notwithstanding that this loss is on Jimmy.

We were being absolutely mauled off the glass and pounded inside. Why the heck wasn't DC2 out there. Even Chino might have helped for a few minutes to give us some size in the middle. He had three boards in five minutes & provided much needed toughness inside. Other than Malachi, nobody else had more than four boards in 37+ minutes. Though Malachi didn't have a great scoring night, you had to like his grit and toughness off the glass - he showed more of that than anybody else on the team not having the initials DC. I wonder why I was Chukwu-ing throughout the game.

The only positive from this game was the revival of Kaleb, who played with confidence and had a pretty nice overall game except for the crummy drive in OT.

This game should show that we cannot get by with Lydon playing the five for 30 plus minutes a game against any team that has a decent inside game. He simply is not strong enough at this stage of his career. That aside, I thought his worst play was passing up a wide open three deep into the second half just because he missed a few earlier. Kid has the stroke and he has got to have the confidence to take that shot. That's how it goes with frosh there will be some good games and some learning experiences.

 

[Brooky03]

JB took the blame, but subbing in Coleman wasn't going to fix any of our problems. Whatever we would have gained in rebounding would have been immediately lost on defense. Wisky wouldn't have needed the offensive boards because their big men (man) would have made everything in the paint. Coleman in for a struggling Lydon is a zero-sum game. Chino would have been worse.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

The loss is on the kids! They need to make their damn free throws. There is no excuse for the piss poor performance, especially from our two fifth year senior guards. And Robison is right behind them. This is appalling and needs to stop (but it won't)...

 

[orangefan13]

We played our last game in the bahamas on saturday.
Did we even practice on monday. The kids had tired legs. It is what it is. We didn't play to win this game then coasted hoping to.

 

[HoustonCuse]

In watching the game, I got the impression that he thought we were going to get killed on the glass either way, so might as well have Lydon out there for the offense. Interestingly Calhoun totally agreed with this, citing the low number of offensive possessions that were going to be available. The strategy worked perfectly because Lydon was in position to win the game for us at the end of reg. He botched the play, but I think we would all agree that he has a better chance of converting that than DC would have. Hindsight is 20/20, as the OP shows, but JB put the team in a position to win it even accounting for their horrible FT shooting. Can we ask for more than that?

 

[newmexicuse]

In watching the game, I got the impression that he thought we were going to get killed on the glass either way, so might as well have Lydon out there for the offense. Interestingly Calhoun totally agreed with this, citing the low number of offensive possessions that were going to be available. The strategy worked perfectly because Lydon was in position to win the game for us at the end of reg. He botched the play, but I think we would all agree that he has a better chance of converting that than DC would have. Hindsight is 20/20, as the OP shows, but JB put the team in a position to win it even accounting for their horrible FT shooting. Can we ask for more than that?

Yes, we blew FTs, but they blew at least 5 or more layup bunnies. What they blew hurt them more than how much what we blew hurt us. We only got to see an early glimpse of what DC2 might have done out there. On a day when Lydon wasn't giving us much O & when we are playing helplessly inside why not play the one guy we have who could out-muscle them ???

Yeah, Jimmy C was protecting his buddy with his comments - there was no justification for Lydon to get that many minutes when he is going thru a 4 & 4 game. Also begs the question, why didn't Lydon come out of the game for even a few minutes to get one of Jimmy's famous fireside chats ? The old master MUST have seen something he could have been doing better out there. As i watched the game i kept thinking we needed to go big - put DC2 in & move Lydon to the 4 for awhile. The ironic reason it didn't happen was because Kaleb woke up and finally had a solid game, so Jimmy had the luxury of staying small, but why he wanted to do that I did not understand.

 

[KevMonstah]

Sure, we get that Calhoun said Lydon was in for his offense, but 2-6 for 4 pts in 42 mins is not adding much. In 37 more minutes, he additionally had one more rebound. I think you could live with the guy who's a lot harder to go around or push out of the way in exchange for 4 pts and 1 reb.

I'd like to see a frontcourt of Lydon-Roberson-Coleman get a little time. That might mean Cooney has to sit more, but he's not so indispensable to the team that he can't sit for 5-7 mins per game. After his second made three, he proceeded to brick three more deep shots and two midrange shots, all down the stretch. The worst being the fadeaway 3FGA ten seconds into the shot clock immediately after a tv timeout when SU was up 41-35. A friend's text: "What Cooney?!?!" He's probably at the top of the list when it comes to the "tired legs problem". But also, there are good shots, and there are bad shots, and that was a bad shot.

Kev

 

[cuseguy]

We played our last game in the bahamas on saturday. Did we even practice on monday. The kids had tired legs. It is what it is. We didn't play to win this game then coasted hoping to.

So I'll nitpick.

Last game was Friday.

They returned Saturday.

They said they were fine.

But I think they suffered from mental effects moreso than physical.

They just didn't look sharp.

 

[CusefanATL]

We played our last game in the bahamas on saturday.
Did we even practice on monday. The kids had tired legs. It is what it is. We didn't play to win this game then coasted hoping to.

not to nitpik, but our last game in bahamas was actually friday.

 

[CusefanATL]

JB took the blame, but subbing in Coleman wasn't going to fix any of our problems. Whatever we would have gained in rebounding would have been immediately lost on defense. Wisky wouldn't have needed the offensive boards because their big men (man) would have made everything in the paint. Coleman in for a struggling Lydon is a zero-sum game. Chino would have been worse.

i know we talked about this last night, but i totally disagree with this.

bo ryan saw lydon in there and strategically went after him on just about every single play. because he knew, along with me, that that is our staggering weakness. Ethan Happ just had a career high in shot attempts and rebounds. and it comes as little surprise that those came against lydon playing out of position.

There is no way if coleman goes 20 minutes that Happ attempts 15 shots.

 

[Brooky03]

i know we talked about this last night, but i totally disagree with this.

bo ryan saw lydon in there and strategically went after him on just about every single play. because he knew, along with me, that that is our staggering weakness. Ethan Happ just had a career high in shot attempts and rebounds. and it comes as little surprise that those came against lydon playing out of position.

There is no way if coleman goes 20 minutes that Happ attempts 15 shots.

If I was Bo Ryan and I saw a player in the paint with his feet cemented to the floor and not particularly tall or long for a center, I'd attack him all game. How was Coleman going to stop Happ from just walking around him?

 

[CusefanATL]

If I was Bo Ryan and I saw a player in the paint with his feet cemented to the floor and not particularly tall or long for a center, I'd attack him all game. How was Coleman going to stop Happ from just walking around him?

The key with the zone is the ability to keep them out of the paint when they catch the ball. That is what Lydon is horrible at right now. happ was getting the ball in perfect position every time.

Lydon is smart - and caused a million travels. But they still pounded it and pounded it. for a reason.

 

[RF2044]

The key with the zone is the ability to keep them out of the paint when they catch the ball. That is what Lydon is horrible at right now. happ was getting the ball in perfect position every time.

Lydon is smart - and caused a million travels. But they still pounded it and pounded it. for a reason.

Another reason was that both bigs who played were in deep foul trouble, so they couldn't do anything other than stand there with their hands up in the air. Tough to contest inside shots when you aren't actively defending due to avoiding fouls.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Lydon didn't botch the play. It was a fastball that was tipped. Calhoun was correct: good play, but sometimes the other team gets in the way.

 

[dasher]

JB took the blame, but subbing in Coleman wasn't going to fix any of our problems. Whatever we would have gained in rebounding would have been immediately lost on defense. Wisky wouldn't have needed the offensive boards because their big men (man) would have made everything in the paint. Coleman in for a struggling Lydon is a zero-sum game. Chino would have been worse.

What are you talking about? A loss on defense with DC? Yeah, he isn't very good. But at least he takes up space. KJ is not very good at defense and is small to boot. Dc should have been in the game instead of KJ. It was a formula that worked last week and it would have worked last night. Better answer than letting Wisky get layup after layup.

 

[Brooky03]

What are you talking about? A loss on defense with DC? Yeah, he isn't very good. But at least he takes up space. KJ is not very good at defense and is small to boot. Dc should have been in the game instead of KJ. It was a formula that worked last week and it would have worked last night. Better answer than letting Wisky get layup after layup.

They wouldn't have gotten layup after layup with DC in there? Color me skeptical

 

[dasher]

They wouldn't have gotten layup after layup with DC in there? Color me skeptical

UConn and Texas A&M didn't. And they are both better than Wisky. One thing is for sure. They did get them with him out of there. KJ adds nothing.

 

[Brooky03]

UConn and Texas A&M didn't. And they are both better than Wisky. One thing is for sure. They did get them with him out of there. KJ adds nothing.

DC adds nothing.

 

[Consigliere]

Sorry. I NEVER second guess JB but to say DC sat because he gave up two corner jumpers, while Happ had his way with Lydon virtually every time Wisconsin had the ball doesn't wash for me. Not like we were replacing DC with Dikembe Mutumbo! Coleman had 3 rebounds in 5 minutes. Lydon had 4 in 42. I've got as much Tyler Lydon love as anybody but if Coleman plays 10 minutes in the second half we win that game in regulation despite the missed free throws and rebounding margin. Actually relieved Coleman isn't hurt. That's the only explanation we could come up with at the game to rationalize his 40 minutes of bench time.

 

[Fly Rodder]

DC adds nothing.

Look further down the bench. They've wasted a scholarship on The Obokoh Project for three seasons now. Which is fine when they have a full complement of players, but great googly moogly, they could have used a real back-up center this season.

 

[Consigliere]

Look furher down the bench. They've wasted a scholarship on The Obokoh Project for three seasons now. Which is fine when they have a full complement of players, but great googly moogly, they could have used a real back-up center this season.

Exactly. With a 13 man roster you'd love a guy like Chino to provide a big body in practice every day. Even if, as a project, he may never see meaningful minutes. On a 10 man roster (9 with Chukwu sitting) it's a luxury we can't afford. Frankly, though I love Howard's upside I'm not sure he would have been at Syracuse had we known the scholarship restrictions were going to be so severe. Given the makeup of the team I suspect we might have gone with another big instead.

 

[pearl31]

but great googly moogly, they could have used a real back-up center this season.

he's living the juco dream in FLA

 

[Spock344]

I'm still waiting for Jimmy to run an offensive set besides letting the kids go out n play 1-on-1, with picks galore... or the 2-fisted, double screen up top, which is just a waste.

Speaking of picks... since we do so many... how hard is it to pick 'n roll, dump off to the picker, and have the remaining 3 guys make precision cuts/movements to create open looks. If we're not gonna have any low post game, or even consider throwing to a low post, Jimmy's gotta come up with more than the guards going 1-on-1 the majority of the game. Against a tough m2m team like Wisky we're gonna be in for some serious trouble scoring.

And btw, Jimmy, you can switch to m2m when you see Wisky absolutely raping us on the boards. At least then we'd have better opportunities to box each Wisky player out. But no halftime adjustment was made. Per usual. Got incredibly lucky that Wisky traveled a dozen times under the rim and missed countless layups, otherwise this woulda been an easy 15 pt loss in regulation.

 

[Col. Bleep]

I can fault Boeheim as well as anyone.
Yes, we got killed on the glass (and we should get used to that).
Yes, we generally have a freelance offense (and have had one for 40 years)
But the fact is this game was ours to lose (up 4 with 2:00 to go)... and we did.
You just cannot go 1-5 from the line at crunch time and expect to beat a team like Wisconsin.

 

[VaBeachOrFan]

One more made FT in regulation and there would have been no OT to lose. That means JB's game strategy of maximizing offensive potential was actually a good one. The way DC was playing, the Badgers might have made a few more shots off his lapses and then even several more SU FTs wouldn't have helped. Even though Lydon was getting pushed around, he played tough D and forced a couple of travels and turnovers. Just as Ryan exploited Lydon's lack of heft, the Orange exploited the Badgers' youth and inexperienced ball handling, and Lydon was a part of that.

This may appear as a loss in the box score, but it was a winnable game the Cuse should have won. Yes, the strategy was bizarre, but that was because even with Wisconsin's youth, they played a tough, defensive well-coached game. Unfortunately, the future holds a number of good ACC coaches waiting to test SU's weaknesses (and with better talent). The best answer, as JB knows, is to play the best D you can and shoot well (at least that seems to work for Golden State).-VBOF