We need a new strategy against Pittsburgh.

[Cusefan0307]

It doesn't matter who the players are, we stink against them. Gmac, Flynn, waiters, Triche, MCW, Ennis, Cooney,G, it's always the same result. Our guards stink against them. We can't rebound, we can't get in the lane, and I'd bet collectively going back to 03 our guards shoot 25% against their defense. I'm not sure if JB isn't putting our guys into the best position to succeed, but we should be much better against that program.

 

[CuseCPT]

That would require a coach that is willing to change things. We don't have one of those.

 

[Brooky03]

Have they always hedged screens as hard as they were today? I don't remember if this has always been how they play our screens, but maybe we don't handle it well?

The hand checking also helps.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We need to make sure next time Dixon isn't allowed to emerge from his slime cave.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Have they always hedged screens as hard as they were today? I don't remember if this has always been how they play our screens, but maybe we don't handle it well?

The hand checking also helps.

I didn't see much if any hand checking but they hedged hard. Same way UVA and UL plays us. I don't know why more teams don't. They blitz G or whoever handling the ball. We can't split the hedge or get around it. We don't reverse the ball well. We don't take advantage of any baseline area to exploit. Lydon can benefit occasionally from a pick' n pop. Stick with Mal and Cooney and they don't worry at all about Roberson and Coleman. We barely can get them the ball. It's just a flawed system with the wrong players. I'd LOVE for SWC to address this in his next show. "Coach, it seems like Pitt, UL, and UVA (Miami too) all blitz the ballhandler, or hedge hard, and grind our offense to a hault. How does the team overcome this? Are they taught how to handle this a certain way?" I'd pay money for this.

 

[HoustonCuse]

Call in the question. Why does SWC have to do it?

 

[Rage4CUSE]

No, Pitt is a pethetic bball team, they've specialized in beating our zone, but not anybody else. let them have their "big" wins because it has meant absolute didly squat for them in the post-season.

Garbage bball team, garbage coach. Garbage city.

 

[UnderHisOwnPower]

No, Pitt is a pethetic bball team, they've specialized in beating our zone, but not anybody else. let them have their "big" wins because it has meant absolute didly squat for them in the post-season.

Garbage bball team, garbage coach. Garbage city.

I sent the following response to an acquaintance after receiving my annual ball busting that he likes to hand out after Pitt loses:

"I’m flattered, that you measure your teams success against my program. Then again, it’s all you have ever had to hang your hat on over the years. Good luck the rest of the way."

He also screwed me on some cases of wine that he sold me as he does distribution on the side, but my disdain for their team even supersedes overpaying a few bucks a bottle. So I echo your sentiments, and await patiently for the right mix of players to take on these tavern league heroes and finally knock them down to where they belong. Jamie Dixon has made a career out of beating SU, and that has to stop.

 

[Eric15]

What I'm about to suggest isn't profound or anything: but why not go man-to-man against Pitt for part or all of the game? When the zone works, use it. When the zone doesn't work, don't use it. It simply doesn't work against Pitt, so why continue to beat this dead horse?

The biggest enemy of the zone is familiarity -- it's confusing for teams that aren't used to it. Pitt can't possibly be more comfortable against it.

 

[wallacecuse]

What I'm about to suggest isn't profound or anything: but why not go man-to-man against Pitt for part or all of the game? When the zone works, use it. When the zone doesn't work, don't use it. It simply doesn't work against Pitt, so why continue to beat this dead horse?

The biggest enemy of the zone is unfamiliarity -- it's confusing for teams that aren't used to it. Pitt can't possibly be more comfortable against it.

You are absolutely correct, but the problem this whole week was we never cracked 60. You aren't going to win conference games with that stat.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

You are absolutely correct, but the problem this whole week was we never cracked 60. You aren't going to win conference games with that stat.

38-101 FG (37.6%)
15-50 3FG (30%)
19-34 FT (55.8%)

We need to put the ball IN the basket for a change.

 

[br801]

38-101 FG (37.6%)
15-50 3FG (30%)
19-34 FT (55.8%)

We need to put the ball IN the basket for a change.

The inability to shoot and rebound is a bad combination.

 

[HOFCeluck]

What I'm about to suggest isn't profound or anything: but why not go man-to-man against Pitt for part or all of the game? When the zone works, use it. When the zone doesn't work, don't use it. It simply doesn't work against Pitt, so why continue to beat this dead horse?

The biggest enemy of the zone is unfamiliarity -- it's confusing for teams that aren't used to it. Pitt can't possibly be more comfortable against it.

You'd think someone who cares so much about winning every single game would switch things up against a guy he's a combined 6-14 against.

 

[Cusefan0307]

What I'm about to suggest isn't profound or anything: but why not go man-to-man against Pitt for part or all of the game? When the zone works, use it. When the zone doesn't work, don't use it. It simply doesn't work against Pitt, so why continue to beat this dead horse?

The biggest enemy of the zone is familiarity -- it's confusing for teams that aren't used to it. Pitt can't possibly be more comfortable against it.

I'm more concerned about our offense against them. It's never good. The games we do beat them are still slug fests.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I'm more concerned about our offense against them. It's never good. The games we do beat them are still slug fests.

Yup. No question. Our offense goes into a sinkhole. Defense was good enough to win yesterday even JB said so. These scoring droughts kills us.

 

[SoBeCuse]

No, Pitt is a pethetic bball team, they've specialized in beating our zone, but not anybody else. let them have their "big" wins because it has meant absolute didly squat for them in the post-season.

Garbage bball team, garbage coach. Garbage city.

That is garbage. The city is awesome. Just awesome. They aren't a garabge team they just are equipped to destroy our zone. They make mid-range shots, screen well, pass well, rebound well. They just never have enough offensive playmakers vs M2M to go far in March.

 

[Brooky03]

I didn't see much if any hand checking but they hedged hard. Same way UVA and UL plays us. I don't know why more teams don't. They blitz G or whoever handling the ball. We can't split the hedge or get around it. We don't reverse the ball well. We don't take advantage of any baseline area to exploit. Lydon can benefit occasionally from a pick' n pop. Stick with Mal and Cooney and they don't worry at all about Roberson and Coleman. We barely can get them the ball. It's just a flawed system with the wrong players. I'd LOVE for SWC to address this in his next show. "Coach, it seems like Pitt, UL, and UVA (Miami too) all blitz the ballhandler, or hedge hard, and grind our offense to a hault. How does the team overcome this? Are they taught how to handle this a certain way?" I'd pay money for this.

I think we need a PF who can dive to the rim off the screen and put his nuts in the help defender's face. We need Hakim Warrick back.

 

[two3zone]

What I'm about to suggest isn't profound or anything: but why not go man-to-man against Pitt for part or all of the game? When the zone works, use it. When the zone doesn't work, don't use it. It simply doesn't work against Pitt, so why continue to beat this dead horse?

The biggest enemy of the zone is familiarity -- it's confusing for teams that aren't used to it. Pitt can't possibly be more comfortable against it.

<insert Townies comment that he's mentioned 1000 times here>

 

[NineOneSeven]

No, Pitt is a pethetic bball team, they've specialized in beating our zone, but not anybody else. let them have their "big" wins because it has meant absolute didly squat for them in the post-season.

Garbage bball team, garbage coach. Garbage city.

Pittsburgh is a great city with tons to do.

Honestly just a terrible post. Don't be mad their coach has our coach's number.

 

[two3zone]

Pittsburgh is a great city with tons to do.

Honestly just a terrible post. Don't be mad their coach has our coach's number.

Never understood how people with ties to Syracuse can trash any other city.

 

[Rage4CUSE]

Never understood how people with ties to Syracuse can trash any other city.

Easily, I've never said this was a good city. By any measure.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Yup. No question. Our offense goes into a sinkhole. Defense was good enough to win yesterday even JB said so. These scoring droughts kills us.

Not sure what part of our defense was "good enough"? They usually wound up with good looks or cuts, and when they missed jumpers they got easy put-backs. When our defense struggles to get stops, our offense often follows suit. The few times they turned it over we made no attempt to make something happen in transition. The slow, plodding pace of these games plays a huge part in disrupting the offense from getting into any kind of rhythm. It's just disingenuous to put all the blame on the O or the D because one feeds off the other. If we need final 4 talent to eek a win out vs Pitt on our home court, that pretty much says it all.