It's not as if we lost to the NJIT's of the world, we lost to 3 ranked teams! All of which you can say we're not good match ups for us. Inasmuch as I thought we would be 2-1 right now, there is plenty of schedule left to salvage the season. I do believe that Lavin needs to utilize at minimum an 8 man rotation. Let's see what the bench can contribute! He may be pleasantly surprised! Frankly he does not have a choice! Go Johnnies!
Let' Get off the Ledge
- Thread starter rcatalano
- Start date
billthetruth
Well-known member
The last two games were lost because we were gased in the last 10 minutes of each. The coaching in the Butler game was not the issue. Lavin/Jordan situation and a thin bench are the main reason for the losses.
Too many tired SJU defenders making runs at wide open 3 point shooters. That is not the way to guard the 3, but it seems that by about the 10 minute mark of 2nd half, it is a common occurrence.
TX Redman
Well-known member
BE so far.
Seton Hall outplayed us (in their place), plain and simple.
We should be beating Butler at home but we had off the court distractions. Bad loss.
Played our hearts out for 30 mins vs Nova, a superior team. If the bench could have chipped in at all, we had a shot at winning this.
So instead of 1-2 we are 0-3. Not great but not the end of the world either. 15 games to go. Like to see us go 10-5.
Seton Hall outplayed us (in their place), plain and simple.
We should be beating Butler at home but we had off the court distractions. Bad loss.
Played our hearts out for 30 mins vs Nova, a superior team. If the bench could have chipped in at all, we had a shot at winning this.
So instead of 1-2 we are 0-3. Not great but not the end of the world either. 15 games to go. Like to see us go 10-5.
billthetruth
Well-known member
..and the coach has to take the heat for that thin bench that is the result of poor recruiting than from injuries.
billthetruth
Well-known member
Suffice to say, next week's game against Providence will be the biggest of Coach Lavin's tenure at SJU. IMHO
Spocky Ramone
Well-known member
Didn't we play this game last March?
beast of the east
Active member
Preconference, we guarded the three pretty well. You get into better competition, and ball movement becomes crisper, and we haven't been up to the task. As chronic problem the last 3 years.
As I mentioned the day of the ranking - a pre conference national ranking is fool's gold, and it's turned out to be.
redfan259999888
Active member
Yep, I strongly believe we beat Butler with Jordan.
If we had a bench vs. Villanova, I don't know if we beat them, but we certainly wouldn't have fell apart during the last 10minutes.
I hate to say it but I believe the Providence game is the season. Yes, I know that it's only the fourth B.E. game of the season, but that's my opinion.
Finally, a rational thread. Since when is a season over after 3 losses? That NIT thread is utter BS anti-coach nonsense. We have the talent to win, regardless who is sitting on the bench in a suit screaming out things that the players can barely even hear or react to. Coaching does not win or lose games, in the end it's the guys on the court. Yeah this was a step backwards but it's far from over.
NYCRedmen
Well-known member
The reality is that the 0-3 start is probably a combination of both. Every team that played on the road on New Year's Eve lost. We were in the game and I think the turning point of the 2nd half was those TWO HUGE MISSED FREE THROWS by Harrison after the technical foul was called. Could Lavin have done things differently, maybe, did fatigue play a factor, maybe. Bottom line is that we lost a conference road game which is usually the norm in our league.
Butler without Jordan was going to be tough. Could Lavin have done things differently, yes. Would it have made a difference, not sure. The game was played just 3 days after the Seton Hall game and we had an even thinner rotation unfortunately.
Villanova was 3 days later. When you play 3 games in 6 days with no depth, fatigue at some point will catch up to you. I'm guessing most teams are going to lose to Villanova when all is said & done, maybe I am wrong but we'll see. Lavin could have done things differently (not sure why he is so against using Myles since we need 3 point help in the worst way) but again, I don't know if in the end if it would have made a difference.
The situation sucks. Like most I was expecting a 2-1 start, in reality we probably should have gone 1-2. This season is still very salvageable, but unfortunately we have no room for error now.
Butler without Jordan was going to be tough. Could Lavin have done things differently, yes. Would it have made a difference, not sure. The game was played just 3 days after the Seton Hall game and we had an even thinner rotation unfortunately.
Villanova was 3 days later. When you play 3 games in 6 days with no depth, fatigue at some point will catch up to you. I'm guessing most teams are going to lose to Villanova when all is said & done, maybe I am wrong but we'll see. Lavin could have done things differently (not sure why he is so against using Myles since we need 3 point help in the worst way) but again, I don't know if in the end if it would have made a difference.
The situation sucks. Like most I was expecting a 2-1 start, in reality we probably should have gone 1-2. This season is still very salvageable, but unfortunately we have no room for error now.
The same coach that will tell one of his 6 players who has 4 fouls to stay in the game with 9 minutes left?
That creates a belief that he does not know how to manage game situations nor a team.
Yes, it's absolutely up to the players. But these are his players. He brought them in. And it is up to him to put them all in the best position to perform up to their strengths, not their weaknesses.
He's not paid to hit a jumpshot.
But he should be wise enough to expand his rotation as not to have his 6'3 best player guarding Ochefu in the paint.
And BTW, wearing a blazer doesn't mean you're wearing a suit.
Ricky Smith
Member
2 of those teams weren't ranked when they beat us, a ranked team
They're part of the equation to winning, but solely, no they do not win or lose games unless extraordinary circumstances alas Marty Mornhinweg's timeout.
I do not agree with Lavin's style of coaching and cannot fathom his timeout usage, but in the end, the players on the court are the one's who put the ball in the bucket and defend their own. Coaches only go so far.