SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
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The Upside
- That’s what 29 point leads are for.
- I don’t care what it felt like. Winning >>>> Losing. We are 18-10 against what, per RPI, is the fourth toughest schedule in the country with a bunch of sophomores.
- Several players in that amazing first half seemed determined to show us something we hadn’t seen before and thought they could not do. Chris Bell drove to the basket and made 2 of 3 two pointers. He also made two critical free throws, (he doesn’t get to the line much at the end of the game). Chris also used his long arms and athleticism to stay in the face of the guys he was guarding. He had 2 blocks and a steal. He also pulled down 4 rebounds. He can do anything out there we need him to do to win games. I actually think he’s the player most likely to make it in the NBA. He’s got the shot If he continues to develop as an all-around player, they’ll find a place for him.
- Justin Taylor didn’t attempt a jump shot but he started working the baseline and showed an ability to find a way to get a lay-up into the basket even when heavily guarded. He was 4 for 4 from the field and 2 for 2 from the foul line for 10 points. It was his first double-figure scoring game since that 10 burst in the second half in the Wake Forest debacle. Before that, you have to go back to the Niagara game in December. By the way, the scores in the last two games when Justin came out after starting were 21-11 and 16-9. Just sayin’.
- Maliq Brown worked the pick-and-roll and got off 9 shots, making 6 of them and scored 14 points. It was the most shots he’d gotten off since the second Boston College game last month.
- Kyle Cuffe scored a couple of buckets and played his usual good defense. He also got the clinching rebound at the end of the game, although the official scorer didn’t give him credit for it for some reason.
- Judah Mintz didn’t get as many calls from the refs as he would like but still made 6 of 7 from the foul line and led us with 21 points.
- JJ Starling missed 11 of 17 shots but still have 14 points and played a big role in building up that 49-20 lead.
- Quadir Copeland didn’t shoot well but had 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.
- Peter Carey held his space and received two charges, neither of which were called. He did get credit for a steal on one of them.
- Holding on to win by the skin of our teeth allowed the Jim Boeheim ceremony to be held in the atmosphere it deserved. Jim was Jim as he ‘thanked’ the players for making a dull game exciting at the end and suggested they remember to play defense next time. The whole day was handled well by the SU administration, putting tributes from various players, coaches and fans in the big board during time-outs and halftime. The fans were revved up by shots of famous moments in the JB era: Pearl hitting that shot, the 2003 national championship, the 6OT game. GMAC carrying us to the Big East titles, Gillin killin’ Duke, etc. It actually helped the fans get back into today’s game- and they were needed. Several framed tributes were presented by various politicians, (it’s Jim Boeheim Day in Syracuse, Onondaga County and New York State). JB broke up introducing Dave Bing and calling him SU’s greatest ever player and credited Carmelo and GMAC for bringing us our one national championship. It hit all the right notes, so it was important that today’s teams hit the right note in the game, even if the piano needed tuning.
Back in the early 70’s I bought a book by Zander Hollander entitled “The Modern Encyclopedia of Basketball. In it there was a section that gave the won-lost record of all the major colleges, year by year. To the right of the W/L record was the coach each year. I looked at Kansas, where Phog Allen was coach for 40 years and won 590 games. I saw Kentucky where Adolph Rupp was coach for 42 years and won 876 games, Oklahoma State where Hank Iba was in charge for 36 years and won 652 games and UCLA where John Wooden ruled for 27 years and won 620 games. We’d been through Marc Guley, Fred Lewis and Roy Danforth in the previous decade and I wondered what it must be like to have a legendary coach for a long time and to root for all the successful teams he created. Then we hired Jim Boeheim, who coach here for 47 years and, as Mike Tirico declared won 1,116 games. And I and other SU fans got to see the whole thing. It was quite a ride.
Before Jim Boeheim, when Syracuse was mentioned in the national media, it was always “Syracuse New York”, to distinguish it from small towns in Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Utah and Oregon or the original Syracuse – the one in Sicily. Under Jim, we became “the Cuse” and everybody knew where we were and who we were. And all the things Jim and Juli have done in this community ensures that they are known by everyone here and will never be forgotten. It was the send-off Jim deserved.
18-10 (9-8) with 3+ to go…
LET’S GO ORANGE!
Net Points
This year I’m going to make things a bit easier on myself and just list the net points in each game after the Upside. Once a month I’ll do a deeper dive into the numbers rather than doing a “Net Points, etc.” post after every game. ‘Net’ points are the positives (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) minus the negatives, (missed field goals and free throws, turnovers and fouls committed).
Maliq Brown game: 21NP in 35 minutes; season: 404NP in 791 minutes = 20.4NP/40m
Chris Bell game: 21NP in 38 minutes; season: 215NP in 720 minutes = 11.9NP/40m
Judah Mintz game: 16NP in 33 minutes; season: 384NP in 934 minutes = 16.4NP/40m
Justin Taylor game: 10NP in 21 minutes; season: 146NP in 637 minutes = 9.2NP/40m
JJ Starling game: 7NP in 37 minutes; season: 273NP in 983 minutes = 11.1NP/40m
Quadir Copeland game: 7NP in 17 minutes; season: 270NP in 622 minutes = 17.4NP/40m
Kyle Cuffe game: 2NP in 14 minutes; season: 34NP in 266 minutes = 5.1NP/40m
Peter Carey game: 0NP in 5 minutes; season: 0NP in 66 minutes = 0.0NP/40m
Did not play:
Mounir Hima game: -1NP in 6 minutes season: 7NP in 45 minutes = 6.2NP/40m
Hurt:
Chance Westry game: 0NP in 0 minutes; season: 0NP in 0 minutes = 0.0NP/40m
Out for the season:
Naheem McLeod game: 0NP in 0 minutes; season: 108NP in 202 minutes = 21.4NP/40m
Red Shirting:
William Patterson game: 0NP in 0 minutes; season: 0NP in 0 minutes = 0.0NP/40m
Left team:
Benny Williams game: 0NP in 0 minutes; season: 99NP in 307 minutes = 12.9NP/40m
Brent Axe:
The Downside
- People constantly break down our offensive problems but this team is averaging a credible 76 points per game. The real problem is the defense. At times, we seem overwhelming on defense, like we were taking candy from a baby. But at other times we seemed not to be playing defense at all. We’ll play well for 15, 25 or even 35 minutes but can’t seem to keep it going for 40 minutes. In the first 17:45 of this game, we’d given up 20 points. In the last 22:15, we gave up 65. And good defense creates offense: we scored 49 points in those first 17:45, 39 in the last 22:15.
- I think part of the problem is a lack of maturity and experience. We started having no seniors. With Benny Williams gone, we have no juniors, either. Veteran players know what it takes to win. They know you can’t relax or assume the other team can’t overcome the lead you’ve created. They also don’t know to keep playing hard when the other team is on a run.
- Another part of the problem is something Jim Boeheim talked about for years: he concentrated on the zone defense so that the players could fully concentrate on it. Perhaps trying to become a hybrid team that can play both has meant that we aren’t as good at man-for-man as a team that always plays man-for-man or as good at a zone as a team that always plays zone, (with all its variations)
- We just couldn’t guard 5-11, (if that), Markus Burton. I’ve been in favor of big guards ever since Jim’s first team got toasted by UNC-Charlotte, who had a 64, -65 backcourt while we went 5-9 and 5-11. In past years when we’ve had that kind of advantage, we’ve backed down the shorter defender and shot over him. (Remember Billy Edelin vs. Chris Thomas?) But our guys tried to snake their way past Burton and could not stay in from of him on defense.
- Justin Taylor was using his impressive physique to get a lot of rebounds earlier in the year: 92 in the first 17 games (5.4 per game). In the last 11 games he’s totaled 18, (1.6 per game), including none today.
- Maliq Brown had good numbers as he always does. But he had a couple of plays where he failed to make catches that were automatic prior to the last two games, were there has been a few such situations. Also, he repeatedly got beat on defense as Burton, Tas Davis and Carey Booth got to the basket. He got 2 blocks and a steal but was allowing too many points when he wasn’t doing that. Could he be playing hurt?
- I wish we would look for a shooter on those fast breaks where Judah or Quadir are trying to beat guys down court.
- Bell got into a debate with Notre Dame Coach Micah Shrewsberry and then had another debate with Syracuse Coach Adrian Autry. I don’t know who won the first one but Autry won the second one.
- We lost to Georgia Tech and barely held on to beat NC State and Notre Dame. Combined record: 37-42. Is anyone impressed?
- That’s what 29 point leads are for.
- I don’t care what it felt like. Winning >>>> Losing. We are 18-10 against what, per RPI, is the fourth toughest schedule in the country with a bunch of sophomores.
- Several players in that amazing first half seemed determined to show us something we hadn’t seen before and thought they could not do. Chris Bell drove to the basket and made 2 of 3 two pointers. He also made two critical free throws, (he doesn’t get to the line much at the end of the game). Chris also used his long arms and athleticism to stay in the face of the guys he was guarding. He had 2 blocks and a steal. He also pulled down 4 rebounds. He can do anything out there we need him to do to win games. I actually think he’s the player most likely to make it in the NBA. He’s got the shot If he continues to develop as an all-around player, they’ll find a place for him.
- Justin Taylor didn’t attempt a jump shot but he started working the baseline and showed an ability to find a way to get a lay-up into the basket even when heavily guarded. He was 4 for 4 from the field and 2 for 2 from the foul line for 10 points. It was his first double-figure scoring game since that 10 burst in the second half in the Wake Forest debacle. Before that, you have to go back to the Niagara game in December. By the way, the scores in the last two games when Justin came out after starting were 21-11 and 16-9. Just sayin’.
- Maliq Brown worked the pick-and-roll and got off 9 shots, making 6 of them and scored 14 points. It was the most shots he’d gotten off since the second Boston College game last month.
- Kyle Cuffe scored a couple of buckets and played his usual good defense. He also got the clinching rebound at the end of the game, although the official scorer didn’t give him credit for it for some reason.
- Judah Mintz didn’t get as many calls from the refs as he would like but still made 6 of 7 from the foul line and led us with 21 points.
- JJ Starling missed 11 of 17 shots but still have 14 points and played a big role in building up that 49-20 lead.
- Quadir Copeland didn’t shoot well but had 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.
- Peter Carey held his space and received two charges, neither of which were called. He did get credit for a steal on one of them.
- Holding on to win by the skin of our teeth allowed the Jim Boeheim ceremony to be held in the atmosphere it deserved. Jim was Jim as he ‘thanked’ the players for making a dull game exciting at the end and suggested they remember to play defense next time. The whole day was handled well by the SU administration, putting tributes from various players, coaches and fans in the big board during time-outs and halftime. The fans were revved up by shots of famous moments in the JB era: Pearl hitting that shot, the 2003 national championship, the 6OT game. GMAC carrying us to the Big East titles, Gillin killin’ Duke, etc. It actually helped the fans get back into today’s game- and they were needed. Several framed tributes were presented by various politicians, (it’s Jim Boeheim Day in Syracuse, Onondaga County and New York State). JB broke up introducing Dave Bing and calling him SU’s greatest ever player and credited Carmelo and GMAC for bringing us our one national championship. It hit all the right notes, so it was important that today’s teams hit the right note in the game, even if the piano needed tuning.
Back in the early 70’s I bought a book by Zander Hollander entitled “The Modern Encyclopedia of Basketball. In it there was a section that gave the won-lost record of all the major colleges, year by year. To the right of the W/L record was the coach each year. I looked at Kansas, where Phog Allen was coach for 40 years and won 590 games. I saw Kentucky where Adolph Rupp was coach for 42 years and won 876 games, Oklahoma State where Hank Iba was in charge for 36 years and won 652 games and UCLA where John Wooden ruled for 27 years and won 620 games. We’d been through Marc Guley, Fred Lewis and Roy Danforth in the previous decade and I wondered what it must be like to have a legendary coach for a long time and to root for all the successful teams he created. Then we hired Jim Boeheim, who coach here for 47 years and, as Mike Tirico declared won 1,116 games. And I and other SU fans got to see the whole thing. It was quite a ride.
Before Jim Boeheim, when Syracuse was mentioned in the national media, it was always “Syracuse New York”, to distinguish it from small towns in Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Utah and Oregon or the original Syracuse – the one in Sicily. Under Jim, we became “the Cuse” and everybody knew where we were and who we were. And all the things Jim and Juli have done in this community ensures that they are known by everyone here and will never be forgotten. It was the send-off Jim deserved.
18-10 (9-8) with 3+ to go…
LET’S GO ORANGE!
Net Points
This year I’m going to make things a bit easier on myself and just list the net points in each game after the Upside. Once a month I’ll do a deeper dive into the numbers rather than doing a “Net Points, etc.” post after every game. ‘Net’ points are the positives (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) minus the negatives, (missed field goals and free throws, turnovers and fouls committed).
Maliq Brown game: 21NP in 35 minutes; season: 404NP in 791 minutes = 20.4NP/40m
Chris Bell game: 21NP in 38 minutes; season: 215NP in 720 minutes = 11.9NP/40m
Judah Mintz game: 16NP in 33 minutes; season: 384NP in 934 minutes = 16.4NP/40m
Justin Taylor game: 10NP in 21 minutes; season: 146NP in 637 minutes = 9.2NP/40m
JJ Starling game: 7NP in 37 minutes; season: 273NP in 983 minutes = 11.1NP/40m
Quadir Copeland game: 7NP in 17 minutes; season: 270NP in 622 minutes = 17.4NP/40m
Kyle Cuffe game: 2NP in 14 minutes; season: 34NP in 266 minutes = 5.1NP/40m
Peter Carey game: 0NP in 5 minutes; season: 0NP in 66 minutes = 0.0NP/40m
Did not play:
Mounir Hima game: -1NP in 6 minutes season: 7NP in 45 minutes = 6.2NP/40m
Hurt:
Chance Westry game: 0NP in 0 minutes; season: 0NP in 0 minutes = 0.0NP/40m
Out for the season:
Naheem McLeod game: 0NP in 0 minutes; season: 108NP in 202 minutes = 21.4NP/40m
Red Shirting:
William Patterson game: 0NP in 0 minutes; season: 0NP in 0 minutes = 0.0NP/40m
Left team:
Benny Williams game: 0NP in 0 minutes; season: 99NP in 307 minutes = 12.9NP/40m
Brent Axe:
The Downside
- People constantly break down our offensive problems but this team is averaging a credible 76 points per game. The real problem is the defense. At times, we seem overwhelming on defense, like we were taking candy from a baby. But at other times we seemed not to be playing defense at all. We’ll play well for 15, 25 or even 35 minutes but can’t seem to keep it going for 40 minutes. In the first 17:45 of this game, we’d given up 20 points. In the last 22:15, we gave up 65. And good defense creates offense: we scored 49 points in those first 17:45, 39 in the last 22:15.
- I think part of the problem is a lack of maturity and experience. We started having no seniors. With Benny Williams gone, we have no juniors, either. Veteran players know what it takes to win. They know you can’t relax or assume the other team can’t overcome the lead you’ve created. They also don’t know to keep playing hard when the other team is on a run.
- Another part of the problem is something Jim Boeheim talked about for years: he concentrated on the zone defense so that the players could fully concentrate on it. Perhaps trying to become a hybrid team that can play both has meant that we aren’t as good at man-for-man as a team that always plays man-for-man or as good at a zone as a team that always plays zone, (with all its variations)
- We just couldn’t guard 5-11, (if that), Markus Burton. I’ve been in favor of big guards ever since Jim’s first team got toasted by UNC-Charlotte, who had a 64, -65 backcourt while we went 5-9 and 5-11. In past years when we’ve had that kind of advantage, we’ve backed down the shorter defender and shot over him. (Remember Billy Edelin vs. Chris Thomas?) But our guys tried to snake their way past Burton and could not stay in from of him on defense.
- Justin Taylor was using his impressive physique to get a lot of rebounds earlier in the year: 92 in the first 17 games (5.4 per game). In the last 11 games he’s totaled 18, (1.6 per game), including none today.
- Maliq Brown had good numbers as he always does. But he had a couple of plays where he failed to make catches that were automatic prior to the last two games, were there has been a few such situations. Also, he repeatedly got beat on defense as Burton, Tas Davis and Carey Booth got to the basket. He got 2 blocks and a steal but was allowing too many points when he wasn’t doing that. Could he be playing hurt?
- I wish we would look for a shooter on those fast breaks where Judah or Quadir are trying to beat guys down court.
- Bell got into a debate with Notre Dame Coach Micah Shrewsberry and then had another debate with Syracuse Coach Adrian Autry. I don’t know who won the first one but Autry won the second one.
- We lost to Georgia Tech and barely held on to beat NC State and Notre Dame. Combined record: 37-42. Is anyone impressed?
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