BET: 1st Round Nova Game Discussion

Btw, circles has been playing much better lately.   Not that the bar was set very high, he had some awful games a month ago.

But give credit where it's due, Greene has been better lately.   His runners/floaters in the lane are a rare skill most guys take years to learn.   

Paultz/Celtics:  I was at the game tonight with a group of SJU fans.  Was I happy with how we played?  No.  Not in the least.  But I accept reality.  When a team is constructed such that it is going to rely upon a shooting guard (Harrison) to play 30 plus minutes a night, be the go-to-outside threat, and he gets kicked off the team, it is difficult to adjust at the end of the season and find an alternative that doesn't exist.

We have two guards who can create in the half court -- D-Lo and Branch.  The former didn't play tonight; the latter is playing with an injury.  You can minimize that all you want, but if you watched Branch earlier in the year as compared tonight, it was apples and oranges.  Sure he can still do things in the open court, but IMO his knee injury is clearly limiting him in the half court (look at his first game versus Nova compared to tonight). 

We don't have a legit low post threat.  That has been the case all year.  We could have dealt with that if D-lo was here and Branch was healthy, but that get magnifies when we don't have anyone who can create in the half court.

Going into next year, it is fair to criticize Lavin if we don't have answers to our biggest woes; lack of PG play, lack of a consistent outside shooting threat, lack of a low post threat.  I still think that a healthy Branch, a returning D-lo, Sanchez, and development of our current players help with those problems.  But if they don't, criticism is fair and deserved.

Let's think back to two years ago, when Lavin and Co. molded an average team into one that was ranked by year end and beat all of those top 10 teams.  That squad had one and a half true outside threats (Hardy, and a combination of either Horne or Kennedy depending upon the night).  We had a decent low post threat (JB), but far from ideal.  Yet we had a great season. 

I see no reason why a starting lineup of upper classmen -- Branch, Harrison, Dom, Sanchez and Jakar (or Sanchez, Jakar, and Obekpa) can't make us an NCAA team.  If D-Lo doesn't come back, and we don't get anyone to fill that void, then we'll have a problem barring any unforeseen change. 

As far as Marco goes, he was brought in to be a complimentary piece.  You put him with D-lo and Branch, and I think his deficiencies aren't nearly as glaring.

This is how I feel as a SJ fan used to them losing so much. It should really be our anthem in 2014 too.

 

Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It (Official Video)

Quote from: RedStormyNight on March 14, 2013, 04:43:47 AM

This is how I feel as a SJ fan used to them losing so much. It should really be our anthem in 2014 too.

 

Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It (Official Video)

There is only thing we do every year. Take it.

There is only thing we do every year. Take it.

Quote from: Poison on March 14, 2013, 08:06:13 AM

Quote from: RedStormyNight on March 14, 2013, 04:43:47 AM

This is how I feel as a SJ fan used to them losing so much. It should really be our anthem in 2014 too.

 

Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It (Official Video)

There is only thing we do every year. Take it.

NO! We're not gunna take it! That's why I set my timeframe for next year to at least make the tourney. If we don't make it, I'm honestly going to stop following this team as much or going to games/buying merchandise. At a certain point rooting for a team that literally loses year after year becomes way too predictable and depressing. We have no excuses next year if we are generally healthy and all players are back. No more Cuse/ND/Pitt/Cincy/L'Ville...we will be facing lower-tier competition next year. Don't get me wrong the new Big East is still very strong, but clearly the old Big East had the big time studs. We will go from a bunch of top 15 teams in our conference to probably lots of 15-25's. I'm just sick of it...the Jets haven't won crap since 1969 and just got rid of every starter, the Mets are the Mets, the Isles are the Isles, the Knicks just got ravaged by injuries, and SJ hasn't done anything in 13 years. This team will have the talent next year. No excuses. Win, or time to come down HARD on Lavin.

Quote from: RedStormyNight on March 13, 2013, 11:11:59 PM

I almost can't wait to get rid of Greene, Harrison, Garrett, Jones, and a few other guys from that class. Hopefully with our next class we get BASKETBALL players who know how to find the bottom of the net.

Well for one, those guys have at least 2 years left, Jones has 3.  So you might need some patience.

But I can see where you're coming from; Harrison and Greene are definitely not basketball players.   It's true.   

I can see where he's coming from but I can't see where their replacements are going to come from.  I think Lavin has used up all the NCAA karma with two lousy years that followed.  People aren't buying his excuses any more and the putrid product speaks for itself.  Since Norm came aboard it was always about finding guys with upside and coaching them.  He wasn't able to last until the team was ready to make the dance so Lavin got the accolades.  Since then he's been going after superstars with little success and leaving slots open rather than settling for good players.  We might be OK next year but then Sanchez, Sampson and Gift hit the road.  Then what?  At what point does Lavin throw in the towell? We'll see.

so many myths...so little time.
bourgault can't shoot?  he should have been allowed to get in a rhythm.  with low IQ point guards, and a coach who seemed lost at times, that wasn't possible.  he's too slow?  why, cause he's white?  that's a bigger BS line than branch was "hurt" all year or we're the youngest team in the country.  what's the excuse going to be next year when 25 year old sanchez joins the team, "we're too old??"

i watched liu score 80 points the other day.  go figure.

so many myths...so little time.
bourgault can't shoot?  he should have been allowed to get in a rhythm.  with low IQ point guards, and a coach who seemed lost at times, that wasn't possible.  he's too slow?  why, cause he's white?  that's a bigger BS line than branch was "hurt" all year or we're the youngest team in the country.  what's the excuse going to be next year when 25 year old sanchez joins the team, "we're too old??"

i watched liu score 80 points the other day.  go figure.

Quote from: newsman13 on March 14, 2013, 09:35:45 AM

so many myths...so little time.
bourgault can't shoot?  he should have been allowed to get in a rhythm.  with low IQ point guards, and a coach who seemed lost at times, that wasn't possible.  he's too slow?  why, cause he's white?  that's a bigger BS line than branch was "hurt" all year or we're the youngest team in the country.  what's the excuse going to be next year when 25 year old sanchez joins the team, "we're too old??"

i watched liu score 80 points the other day.  go figure.

Rewatch the Nova game.  Marco's D is terrible.  Aside from being slow, his footwark is terrible.  The offensive man gets by him because he is off balance many times.

Quote from: newsman13 on March 14, 2013, 09:35:45 AM

so many myths...so little time.
bourgault can't shoot?  he should have been allowed to get in a rhythm.  with low IQ point guards, and a coach who seemed lost at times, that wasn't possible.  he's too slow?  why, cause he's white?  that's a bigger BS line than branch was "hurt" all year or we're the youngest team in the country.  what's the excuse going to be next year when 25 year old sanchez joins the team, "we're too old??"

i watched liu score 80 points the other day.  go figure.

Rewatch the Nova game.  Marco's D is terrible.  Aside from being slow, his footwark is terrible.  The offensive man gets by him because he is off balance many times.

No one has mentioned that Obekpa went 2/2 from the line.

Slowly but surely improving.

A quantum leap up to .391

Could lead the league by senior year.

Quote from: qcredman on March 14, 2013, 05:46:51 PM

No one has mentioned that Obekpa went 2/2 from the line.

Slowly but surely improving.

A quantum leap up to .391

Could lead the league by senior year.

I noticed that too - also, he had a deft little move (in the 1st half I think) to get the defender to jump/run by him so he created an easy conversion.   I really want him to get him up to 60% free throw shooting in year 2, and hopefully 70% in year 3.  We'll see.

Thought Branch was supposed to be super on ball defender. Injury may be slowing him, but prior to that I was not impressed.

Quote from: bk8664 on March 14, 2013, 06:42:38 PM

Quote from: qcredman on March 14, 2013, 05:46:51 PM

No one has mentioned that Obekpa went 2/2 from the line.

Slowly but surely improving.

A quantum leap up to .391

Could lead the league by senior year.

I noticed that too - also, he had a deft little move (in the 1st half I think) to get the defender to jump/run by him so he created an easy conversion.   I really want him to get him up to 60% free throw shooting in year 2, and hopefully 70% in year 3.  We'll see.

Wasnt that easy conversion the missed dunk? Nice move however.

Quote from: Amaseinyourface2 on March 14, 2013, 06:44:48 PM

Quote from: bk8664 on March 14, 2013, 06:42:38 PM

Quote from: qcredman on March 14, 2013, 05:46:51 PM

No one has mentioned that Obekpa went 2/2 from the line.

Slowly but surely improving.

A quantum leap up to .391

Could lead the league by senior year.

I noticed that too - also, he had a deft little move (in the 1st half I think) to get the defender to jump/run by him so he created an easy conversion.   I really want him to get him up to 60% free throw shooting in year 2, and hopefully 70% in year 3.  We'll see.

Wasnt that easy conversion the missed dunk? Nice move however.

I can't exactly remember. I might be wrong.