Game #16: @ NOVA

For those burying Keita, that game last night just wasn’t for a guy like him. Wright knew it too. Cosby-Rountree, a traditional big like Keita who plays > 20 mins per game only played 5 last night, just like Keita. Both coaches knew they needed 5 perimeter guys on the court pretty much at all times

That non goaltend into block call on the sideline was about as bad a two play sequence a ref could deal you. It was that brutal. Well maybe we’ve seen worse.

Heron got bodied, should have been a foul, which with the goal tend is an and one, instead the guy who recovers the goal tend travels and then runs into Ponds who's standing there with his feet set. Whistle, foul SJ.

Pretty sure nova didn’t have 7 TOTAL fouls until under ten minutes in the game.

Three in the first half, 7th at 10:30, three the next ten.

Two years ago in the BET Nova had 7 fouls the entire game, none in the second half.

It's probably a style of play thing though.

However true that may be, the fact we only had 8 FT attempts has more to do with our style than their defense. We didn’t try, maybe the team was tired having played 3 games in 8 days.

They weren't getting any calls in the paint so they stopped taking it there. Nova has a rep for not fouling so they get the benefit. This team is a little different and not as deep so they shouldn't get that benefit.

Plus Jay Wright is the mayor so he will get close call.

They weren't getting any calls in the paint so they stopped taking it there. Nova has a rep for not fouling so they get the benefit. This team is a little different and not as deep so they shouldn't get that benefit.

Plus Jay Wright is the mayor so he will get close call.

This is correct. They got fouled taking it to the hoop but nothing was called on several occasions so they stopped doing it. Unfortunate that this crew dictated the game so much, yet again.

Like seton hall, the ball started to stick on offense down the stretch but not nearly as badly. Big plays were, in no particular order: the non-goaltend then blocking call sequence (everyone in the arena groaned because it was such an obvious goaltend); the failure to finish at the rim on a couple fast break opportunities down the stretch (believe that was both Simon and heron); and trimble’s bad foul after they played 27 seconds of defense.

This is how we play. We shoot 3’s. I would have liked to see Heron and Ponds drive the ball more but that’s just not how we play. We are a good team, capable of beating anyone if we are hitting our shots. We will have games like tonight when our shots are not falling, we need to learn how to win when that is the case.

Agreed. And we looked like a bunch of amateurs ( technically we are ). You can't have SP chucking threes after passing around the perimeter, until the clock runs out. Everyone knows the play, a chuck by SP because we have no time left and no play to run.

After four BE games it’s hard to see if this team has really turned the page.

2-2 record is not bad but the questions remain.
3-1 could of should of no bad call At Seton Hall...
4-0 could of should of if not for a bad call, non calls, and not collapsing in the end of the Nova game.
1-3, if Georgetown didn’t collapse at the end. Marquette visted CA at the wrong time (for them) again. After two big wins last year and one bad loss this year.

It’s frustrating to see the team leave wins on the board now when the future is always uncertain.

They weren't getting any calls in the paint so they stopped taking it there.

This just isn’t accurate, they didn’t take it to the basket because the coach or system doesn’t demand it.

Nova took 32 3's and 22 2's and shot 22 FTs.

SJU took 35 3's and 26 2's and shot 8 FTs.

The entire SJ team other than Ponds took exactly one FT.

That's not a style of play issue.

It speaks to a style that lacks aggression. We don’t crash boards. It’s ok to take 25 foot 3’s with 15 seconds left on the clock. Heron is a bull, coach him to take it to the basket. That doesn’t happen as the offense is centered around taking jump shots. When we are consistently playing aggressive and taking it to the rim we will get calls. If we don’t, then we won’t. That was the difference in the game.

When we are consistently playing aggressive and taking it to the rim we will get calls. If we don’t, then we won’t. That was the difference in the game.

This is demonstrably false.



One team shot 14 more free throws than the other. You're welcome.

 There are coaches, programs and players that get calls and those that don't and like dook Villanova is the former and if you don't understand that either you haven't watched a lot of basketball or you haven't understood what little you did.

This just isn’t accurate, they didn’t take it to the basket because the coach or system doesn’t demand it.

What game did you watch? We had 17 assists to their 14. Most of our threes are drive and kick or drive and baseline dish. They chucked and played more one-on-one than we did.

Ponds was getting to the basket and they were roughing him up once there.

Maybe you missed the mic'd up huddle where Mullin told them the entire time they needed to get to the basket?

This is demonstrably false.



One team shot 14 more free throws than the other. You're welcome.

 There are coaches, programs and players that get calls and those that don't and like dook Villanova is the former and if you don't understand that either you haven't watched a lot of basketball or you haven't understood what little you did.

You must be a Astro physicist if your able to ascertain from a shot chart HOW one actually shot the ball. Was it a hook shot? A dunk? They could have been under hand shots. There is a difference between fading away on your shot, which Ponds often does, and trying to draw contact on your way to the basket. It’s a style of play, we are a finesse team that looks primarily to shoot 3’s. We don’t even attempt to grab a offensive rebound. You can’t expect a jump shooting team to draw many fouls against teams that are “coached” not to foul.

What game did you watch? We had 17 assists to their 14. Most of our threes are drive and kick or drive and baseline dish. They chucked and played more one-on-one than we did.

Ponds was getting to the basket and they were roughing him up once there.

Maybe you missed the mic'd up huddle where Mullin told them the entire time they needed to get to the basket?

Exactly. Drive and pass the ball out for a jump shot. Those don’t translate into fouls.

Oh I must have missed that coaching spectacle. When Mullin told them they needed to get to the basket did he diagram the play in crayon? Or did he just figure since he’s in the HOF his players would know how to do that against a team playing solid help team defense.

This is a break through moment! After all this time who knew that all you needed to do as a coach is tell your player “make a shot” if you needed a score. Mullin is going to redefine the art of coaching. We are final four bound!!!!!

You must be a Astro physicist if your able to ascertain from a shot chart HOW one actually shot the ball.

Yes exactly. We did not aggressively attack the basket despite all the shots that according to the diagram were taken with eight feet of it - "they didn’t take it to the basket" - and that's why the other team that took fewer of those shots eight feet from the basket took them aggressively which resulted in 200 percent more free throws - despite the fact that us "taking it to the rim we will get calls," because of our style of play. I wasn't convinced but your original less than hot take but when you CAPITALIZED the word HOW that cinched IT. So to recap you didn't make at all a stupid point and it was very well made and QUITE convincing. Have a nice day, you're quite the basketball MIND.

Yes exactly. We did not aggressively attack the basket despite all the shots that according to the diagram were taken with eight feet of it - "they didn’t take it to the basket" - and that's why the other team that took fewer of those shots eight feet from the basket took them aggressively which resulted in 200 percent more free throws - despite the fact that us "taking it to the rim we will get calls," because of our style of play. I wasn't convinced but your original less than hot take but when you CAPITALIZED the word HOW that cinched IT. So to recap you didn't make at all a stupid point and it was very well made and QUITE convincing. Have a nice day, you're quite the basketball MIND.

Again the shot chart doesn’t show how the shot was taken only were it was taken. Therefore the higher number of shots taken within a closer proximity to the basket is meaningless if those shots were post up, fade away shots and the lessor number were dribble drives to the basket.

Also on the other side of the ball you have a defensive system that’s in the help position one pass away which discourages dribble drives against a five out offense. We run a defensive system with indiscriminate switching that has our 5 guarding their 1 with no gap support.

Again the shot chart doesn’t show how the shot was taken only were it was taken. Therefore the higher number of shots taken within a closer proximity to the basket is meaningless if those shots were post up, fade away shots and the lessor number were dribble drives to the basket.

Also on the other side of the ball you have a defensive system that’s in the help position one pass away which discourages dribble drives against a five out offense. We run a defensive system with indiscriminate switching that has our 5 guarding their 1 with no gap support.

So to recap: despite eyewitness testimony from several witnesses to the contrary, a chart that clearly shows that what you said happened did not happen, historical evidence that shows biases for and against certain programs, coaches and players, and circumstantial evidence comprising the presence of the same referees whose incompetence recently caused SJ to lose a basketball game, you're right because.

Hard to argue with logic like that.

We ran out of gas at the end. Basically played 6 guys. Didn't get a fair whistle. Their two best players outplayed our two best players. We lost a close game on road to a good team with championship experience.
That was basically the whole story.
Only lingering concern for me would be Heron when things going bad can't seem to right himself, presses and seems to makes things worse.   

We ran out of gas at the end. Basically played 6 guys. Didn't get a fair whistle. Their two best players outplayed our two best players. We lost a close game on road to a good team with championship experience.
That was basically the whole story.
Only lingering concern for me would be Heron when things going bad can't seem to right himself, presses and seems to makes things worse.   

Agree, Becomes Mustapha Headdown

Agree, Becomes Mustapha Headdown

Paschal is a beast and bigger than him but thought he backed off him and instead tried to get back at him by forcing shots on offense.

We ran out of gas at the end. Basically played 6 guys. Didn't get a fair whistle. Their two best players outplayed our two best players. We lost a close game on road to a good team with championship experience.
That was basically the whole story.
Only lingering concern for me would be Heron when things going bad can't seem to right himself, presses and seems to makes things worse.   

Stop with the exhaustion excuse. Paschal played all 40 minutes and he's 6'8 260. Ponds played 39 and he's 6'1 180. Booth played 39 as well.

Stop with the exhaustion excuse. Paschal played all 40 minutes and he's 6'8 260. Ponds played 39 and he's 6'1 180. Booth played 39 as well.

Are you saying the team has a conditioning problem?