Very encouraged

[rrlbees]

As much as I was in our wins, maybe more. We just played the #2 team in the country who is one of the favorites to win the NC and who has 1-2 AA's. We got punched in the mouth, got down by 21, but got right up off the mat and fought back. But we aren't a national championship caliber team and that's OK. There is no quit in this team and these guys showed they can compete with the very best and look like a legit NCAAT team. Don't underestimate just how good Kansas is.

 

[realorange]

Biggest plus was to see the no quit attitude. I expected it, but it was still good to see it happen.
The young guys learned a bundle in this game. That may even be a bigger plus helping them to be better as we get into ACC season.
Overall, I'm excited about this team and far more up for games this year than last.

LGO

 

[Townie72]

And we can play better than that.

 

[dasher]

As much as I was in our wins, maybe more. We just played the #2 team in the country who is one of the favorites to win the NC and who has 1-2 AA's. We got punched in the mouth, got down by 21, but got right up off the mat and fought back. But we aren't a national championship caliber team and that's OK. There is no quit in this team and these guys showed they can compete with the very best and look like a legit NCAAT team. Don't underestimate just how good Kansas is.

I just wrote in another thread that I think kansas is great. We hung in there with grit and some really good players. We aren't elite. But we can be a fun team to watch. at the end of this year, we will be waiting for next year with great hope.

 

[pearl31]

Liked how FH hung tough and actually had a strong 2nd half - never hung his head and was even visibly lifting up his teammates. He's the team leader and is showing it.

 

[orangefog]

And we can play better than that.

These guys are young. Like you said, we can play better, and they will develop. Oshae is starting to understand how good he is. Marek will start to add offense. Howard Washington will get more comfortable. And Sidibe will get more confident offensively. As a group, they will only get better playing together. It’s going to be fun watching them grow over the next few months.

 

[jdubs30]

We got nothing from our guards in the 1st half. Graham was Perrantes-level on fire; and we were still in it.

Kansas is the best team we will play this year with maybe the exception of Duke.

If Graham scores 20 this is a a game decided in the last minute.

But All-American guards do that. Hat's off to Kansas and I hope they run the table.

 

[hoopsupstate]

My only issue with Battle is that he needs to make his teammates better. He needs to read the defense better and try to get his teammates opportunities. Howard is also inconsistent with this too. He goes stretches where he doesn’t get in the “set-up” mode. The last three minutes was just watching Howard and Battle jack up shots. I don’t care if the game was over, you need to play the right way “all the time.”

 

[kcsu]

We played tough. Shooting 20is percent and we should be crushed. Its gonna be a wild year

 

[tbonezone]

hope you cloroxed your keyboard after typing the P word.

 

[JoeySimz]

Liked how FH hung tough and actually had a strong 2nd half - never hung his head and was even visibly lifting up his teammates. He's the team leader and is showing it.

X1000. Especially when he was making great passes and the guys weren't ready. I can't wait until the rest of the team catches up with him in the pick n roll.

 

[Arangeman]

My only issue with Battle is that he needs to make his teammates better. He needs to read the defense better and try to get his teammates opportunities.

I love Battle. But that's not his game.

 

[hoopsupstate]

When he gets as much attention that he’s going to receive, he is going to have to make the other team pay or he will be totally taken out of the game.

 

[longislandcuse]

UCLA Lonzo Ball would have trouble getting assists on this team right now. Frank sets dudes up all game and they spaz out. So frustrating.

 

[Arangeman]

When he gets as much attention that he’s going to receive, he is going to have to make the other team pay or he will be totally taken out of the game.

Based on his assist numbers and my eyeballs, he's not a great passer at this point in his career. It's something I feared going into this season. Make Battle give it up and we are in trouble.

 

[BludOrange]

I think key to the season is going to be Oshae. Need him to be more efficient en route to puting up 12-16 pts a game. Can't afford to have him take 13 shots and only make 3.

 

[raf4488]

UCLA Lonzo Ball would have trouble getting assists on this team right now. Frank sets dudes up all game and they spaz out. So frustrating.

Frank is going to have incredible numbers next year. He'll be one of those great experienced players that other good teams have but we complain that we can't get to stay

 

[upperdeck]

if battle has 6-7 3's and their guy has 2-3 it flips the game completely.. other than that we played plenty well enough to win.. thats a good sign going forward.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

We held Kansas under 90.

 

[tbonezone]

lest we forget teams play a bit different when they're up double digits. you know JB does !

 

[br801]

This very young team will win a lot of rock fights with its scrapiness on the defensive end (with a zone that will only get better) and tenacious work on the offensive glass. It also looks like JB has the personnel to employ the press regularly and proactively instead of only out of desperation.

Battle is a flat out stud. Howard appears to have legitimately turned the corner into a solid all-around point guard now that he's no longer looking over his shoulder. Brissett looks like one of the better freshmen in the country and is only scratching the surface of his potential. Dolezaj brings energy every night and plays fearlessly. Chukwu is playing more like the guy JB was touting last season. Sidibe is hobbled right now, but he and Chukwu make a nice tandem at center.

Depth is obviously a concern with this group, but JB certainly knows how to manage a game playing only six or seven guys. It should be fun watching this season unfold.

 

[OrangeAl]

Some teams get hammered and are worse off for the experience. I hope our guys are better off for using this experience to develop.

 

[br801]

Some teams get hammered and are worse off for the experience. I hope our guys are better off for using this experience to develop.

I wouldn't say they got hammered tonight. They took some shots but got back up after going down 21 early in the second half and cutting the lead to 7, and then made another little run after Kansas had opened the lead again. I thought it was pretty remarkable that they hung in there as well as they did shooting only 32% (to 49% for Kansas) and turning the ball over 17 times.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I wouldn't say they got hammered tonight. They took some shots but got back up after going down 21 early in the second half and cutting the lead to 7, and then made another little run after Kansas had opened the lead again. I thought it was pretty remarkable that they hung in there as well as they did shooting only 32% (to 49% for Kansas) and turning the ball over 17 times.

It’s the turnovers that will drive JB nuts. This team doesn’t have that much room for error and can’t overcome not taking care of the ball.

 

[tbonezone]

turnovers were 17-16. about equal. in fact their one very sloppy stretch let us back in the game.