Virginia sucks and yeah I guess that means we really suck

[STEVEHOLT]

Not sure if this is sarcasm but it will be a thing to watch. I think well-prepared teams will give us fits because we aren't real difficult to prepare for with the way play on either end.

You can run pretty simple offensive actions and, if you execute well, get a lot of open layups and threes. We've got to get waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy better with secondary and tertiary slides. We are fine with the initial switch most of the time, but our PNR defense is brutal, we often have one defender way behind the play if a team curls a player off a screen on the wing and around a second screen at the top of the key, we are slow to help and don't anticipate help well.

Offensively we have stretches with very little movement and if JJ is struggling we have moments where we've got one primary offensive threat (Judah), a solid second option (Bell or Copeland, maybe) and then three guys who struggle to score and/or create (McLeod, Taylor, Benny, Brown).

JJ playing well really helps and I feel like we'll see more copeland because of the activity he brings on both ends and in transition. Hope we continue to try and push the ball (Red is often imploring this team to run). An active Benny would be amazing, maybe Westry is an addition, maybe Cuffe can carve out a role. I don't know.

Defensively, it feels like the help has improved some, but I'm a bit concerned there despite feeling like we mostly have decent defenders. Finding a way to keep McLeod on the floor and next to the basket (1-3-1 maybe?) for a decent stretch in each half could help defensively as well. Interested to watch.

Virginia had one of those “never gonna happen again” shooting games against us. I bet we run them going forward

 

[CardiacCuse]

I think we end the season 19-12 or within a game. I will be interesting to see how we handle this early portion of the schedule with PITT (who I think is decent) UNC, Duke and BC (who is improved). Hold serve at home for the most part and split with Clemson or someone...19-12 feels right.

10-9 the rest of the way??

after starting 9-3?

i think you're way pessimistic and have a "JB hangover"

he's not the coach anymore...but if he was, you'd probably be right

 

[pearl31]

10-9 the rest of the way??

after starting 9-3?

i think you're way pessimistic and have a "JB hangover"

he's not the coach anymore...but if he was, you'd probably be right

10-9 wouldn't surprise me. But neither would 14-5.

 

[Cuse181]

Virginia had one of those “never gonna happen again” shooting games against us. I bet we run them going forward

Giving them less open shots would've helped. They have had "never gonna happen again" shooting games against syracuse at least once a season for nearly a decade now.

 

[CardiacCuse]

10-9 wouldn't surprise me. But neither would 14-5.

10-9 is certainly possible but not what I'd predict

 

[Sbucketball]

10-9 the rest of the way??

after starting 9-3?

i think you're way pessimistic and have a "JB hangover"

he's not the coach anymore...but if he was, you'd probably be right

I think the rank and file ACC teams are better this year than the last few years, and there's some trap games too. Clemson and Pitt are better than recent years' past. BC is tougher. Georgia tech beat Duke and a ranked Miss State. Florida State has looked bad but beat a ranked Colorado and was up double digits on UNC before losing. VT can shoot you out of a game. Etc. Etc. Louisville and Notre Dame are bad.

Cuse is going to have to show up focused every game and be more consistent. From my perspective and with very few exceptions, Cuse could lose any given game or win any given game in ACC play.

 

[Newhouser]

10-9 the rest of the way??

after starting 9-3?

i think you're way pessimistic and have a "JB hangover"

he's not the coach anymore...but if he was, you'd probably be right

UNC twice in Clemson twice, wake and Duke. Pitt is good. Bc is better as are we but we aren't good enough to pencil in wins against anyone.

 

[CardiacCuse]

UNC twice in Clemson twice, wake and Duke. Pitt is good. Bc is better as are we but we aren't good enough to pencil in wins against anyone.

we'll see...but this team doesnt have any automatic losses on its schedule...like it has in recent years...

i think 10-9 from here is the absolute floor.

 

[rocklloyd]

We can’t play slow

 

[ar inj]

Can the Orange beat BC, Wake, Ga Tech, and NC St on the road? They need to do that to get to 13 ACC wins, but that also requires them to beat Miami and Clemson at home and have no bad ACC losses. Any one of the above looks possible but I am not confident yet in all of that happening.

But I am hoping.

 

[Dinkyspond]

I prefer to think of it has matchups. We are reliant on our sophomores. They will continue to get better. I really think we will win 12-14 games in the ACC.

that would be good enough for an NCAA bid

 

[OttoinGrotto]

no u suck

 

[kirbivore]

I'll take a gander at predicting the rest of the ACC schedule
Pitt W
@ Duke L
BC W
@ UNC L
@ Pitt L
Miami W
FSU L
NC St. W
@ BC L
@ Wake W
L'ville W
Clemson W
UNC L
@ GT W
@ NC St. L
ND W
VT L
@ L'ville W
@ Clemson L

With a Niagara win and the UVA loss I'm predicting a 10-10 ACC record with an overall record of 19-12 and a lovely NIT home game.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I'll take a gander at predicting the rest of the ACC schedule
Pitt W
@ Duke L
BC W
@ UNC L
@ Pitt L
Miami W
FSU L
NC St. W
@ BC L
@ Wake W
L'ville W
Clemson W
UNC L
@ GT W
@ NC St. L
ND W
VT L
@ L'ville W
@ Clemson L

With a Niagara win and the UVA loss I'm predicting a 10-10 ACC record with an overall record of 19-12 and a lovely NIT home game.

No way are we losing to FSU at home this year. They are awful.

 

[rhcuse]

Who votes for the new pentagon defense? I hope Red reads this, I may have future as head of intelligent basketball thinking.

In the SUAD this definitely warrants an Associate Director of Basketball Intelligence title with commensurate 6-figure salary. And 2 cell phones if you are a good boy.

 

[Brooky03]

we'll see...but this team doesnt have any automatic losses on its schedule...like it has in recent years...

i think 10-9 from here is the absolute floor.

The ACC seems to be down this year (evidenced by no automatic losses on our schedule). If we want to go dancing, 10-9 might not cut it.

 

[CardiacCuse]

Duke is ...8-3...

UNC is...8-3...

Syracuse is...8-3...

Anyone who automatically thinks SU will lose to those squads is likely just traumatized from the last 5 years, imo

the last couple weeks with CONVINCING wins over P5 caliber teams - LSU, Oregon and Gtown - has changed my outlook...they didnt squeek by those teams...they demolished them.

that's what tourney teams do.

non-tourney teams don't do that.


Even if those wins had been nailbiters, I would still have a positive outlook for the ACC portion of the schedule...now? I think any outcome is possible...

they can win the league...they can finish middle of the pack...

the UVA loss was brutal...and cant ignore it...but

Based on how the team is trending, I think they will finish somewhere near the top of the league.

 

[rhcuse]

11-9 or 12-8. Ish happens.

 

[Brooky03]

Duke is ...8-3...

UNC is...8-3...

Syracuse is...8-3...

Anyone who automatically thinks SU will lose to those squads is likely just traumatized from the last 5 years, imo

the last couple weeks with CONVINCING wins over P5 caliber teams - LSU, Oregon and Gtown - has changed my outlook...they didnt squeek by those teams...they demolished them.

that's what tourney teams do.

non-tourney teams don't do that.


Even if those wins had been nailbiters, I would still have a positive outlook for the ACC portion of the schedule...now? I think any outcome is possible...

they can win the league...they can finish middle of the pack...

the UVA loss was brutal...and cant ignore it...but

Based on how the team is trending, I think they will finish somewhere near the top of the league.

Not to yuck your yum, but G'Town is more midmajor than P5 caliber and LSU looks like they won't make the NIT. Both teams are below average, objectively. Oregon is good; we also played them while they were missing a bunch of guys (admittedly, idk how important the missing guys are).

I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic about the team this year. I don't think winning the ACC is in the cards, though.

 

[OptimusOtto]

I think the biggest thing that remains to be seen with this team is how they respond when the "get punched in the mouth." Yes we roared back against Colgate and overcame a sluggish start against Oregon. But against teams that we aren't better than on paper - i.e. Virginia and Gonzaga - we seemed to fold. That's the only explanation for Virginia especially and how many wide open looks they were able to generate.

I'm hoping the last few weeks between JJ and Cope emerging and getting some wins away from the Dome we're better prepared for conference play. I'm going to give the team the benefit of the doubt and chalk some of those early games up to new coach and system.

We'll find out really quickly with a Pittsburgh team we lost to twice with a quick turnaround to a game in Cameron.

 

[SmilinBob]

Virginia O lights up vs SU like Mary Hatch does when she sees George Baily. Nobody else in town(ACC) does it to her quite like that.

 

[Cstate]

Let’s see how the conference games shake out…..but if anyone who watched the Duke/Baylor game last night thinks we are even with Duke because we both have 8-3 records is sorely mistaken.

 

[pwong]

Duke is ...8-3...

UNC is...8-3...

Syracuse is...8-3...

Anyone who automatically thinks SU will lose to those squads is likely just traumatized from the last 5 years, imo

the last couple weeks with CONVINCING wins over P5 caliber teams - LSU, Oregon and Gtown - has changed my outlook...they didnt squeek by those teams...they demolished them.

that's what tourney teams do.

non-tourney teams don't do that.


Even if those wins had been nailbiters, I would still have a positive outlook for the ACC portion of the schedule...now? I think any outcome is possible...

they can win the league...they can finish middle of the pack...

the UVA loss was brutal...and cant ignore it...but

Based on how the team is trending, I think they will finish somewhere near the top of the league.

Not all records are created equal. Duke and UNC both have top 25 wins and didn’t lose by 15+ in every one of their losses.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

I'll take a gander at predicting the rest of the ACC schedule
Pitt W
@ Duke L
BC W
@ UNC L
@ Pitt L
Miami W
FSU L
NC St. W
@ BC L
@ Wake W
L'ville W
Clemson W
UNC L
@ GT W
@ NC St. L
ND W
VT L
@ L'ville W
@ Clemson L

With a Niagara win and the UVA loss I'm predicting a 10-10 ACC record with an overall record of 19-12 and a lovely NIT home game.

Absolute floor. Bottom would have to drop out and team would need to regress in several areas for this result.

 

[NYCorange]

Ken Pom has us as the 10th out of the 15 ACC teams. I'm not sure why 10-9 would be our floor. I'd love to way outplay that, but I'm pretty sure we could do much worse than 10-9.