Marquette (MSG), Sat., Jan. 20, 12 Noon, FOX

Agreed and we wouldn’t be giving up so many easy layups like we did today.
I respectfully disagree. Those two in together against Marquette on defense would have lead to more layups. I think you could try it against another team though.
 
Zuby is foul prone and we have little front court depth. I fear playing them together would clog up the middle, allow us to get exploited on defense, and adversely affect our depth.

I wonder how Zuby and his handlers are taking things. As I recall, one of the reasons he came to SJU was bc Pitino told him he would play some 4. That clearly hasn’t happened. He does seem to be developing so hopefully he sees that.

When Pitino talks about about the future of the program, he seems to assume all the guys who have eligibility will come back. In the modern era, not sure you can count on that, particularly with a coach as demanding as Pitino.

I remember listening to the interview of Payton Siva recently. He said if he didn’t have to sit out a year, he probably would have transferred after his freshman year.
It’s hard to understand why he hasn’t played some 4 especially in the games Ledlum missed.
 
It was a game where we went to the line ten more times than our opponent and outscored them by 12 points from the line. Marquette also missed their last four free throws. One miss was by a 70% shooter and the other three were by a 94% free throw shooter. Based on those shooting percentages, the odds of those four consecutive misses happening was 6,667 to 1. It shouldn't or even couldn't have happened, yet it did and opened up the door for us to win.

Jenkins last shot was a clean look and, like a number of his attempts, he came up short. However, the game was really lost when we were severely outplayed from the 10:50 mark to the 6:20 mark. In that four and a half minute stretch we were outscored 15 to 2. During that stretch, Marquette went 6 for 8 from the floor and hit three 3 pointers while SJU went 0 for 6 from the floor and made just two free throws. Down 71 to 58 we finally amped up our defense and, helped greatly by the highly improbable Marquette missed free throws, ended the game on a 14 to 2 run.

It was a game of runs, but from being up 34 to 24 with 1:28 left in the first half to being down 71 to 58 with 6:20 left in the game we were outscored 47 to 24. You won't win many games when being outscored that badly for that long a stretch
Thats where consistent effort can prevent runs against you. We have not attained that level yet!
 
I respectfully disagree. Those two in together against Marquette on defense would have lead to more layups. I think you could try it against another team though.
How you figure that ? Someone always under the basket on defense prevents layups!
 
At the peak of Jenkin's elevation on that final shot, the defender's hands not only looked to be way short of the blocking the shot, but not even in Jenkin's face. Conversely, what if Jenkins drove to the basket, no one laid a hand on him and before he could get off a shot, time ran out?
I think that the clock,in his mind was tick toking..
He just missed a kind of makeable shot. Tons off pressure though.
I think that CRP thought that he makes the shot, or gets fouled
He's a good foul shooter, we are in the bonus situation and only
one point down.
A good bet that didn't work out
 
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Playing Soriano and Zbuy together probably won’t work because it will put more pressure on Jenkins to provide scoring. Soriano seems to have regressed since the start of the big east and Zuby is just not an offensive threat.
The move to play them together could work if Dingle could get out of his funk and start providing some offense to take some of Jenkins responsibilities.
 
We need 1 thing right now and that’s Beat Nova Wednesday

It’s a must win
Last season we started off terribly in conference play at 1 and 5 but behind two consecutive impressive wins, the first at home against Butler and the second a very surprising statement win at #6 UConn, there was a glint of optimism that the season could be resurrected. Then, coming into an absolute must win game against Villanova at the Garden, St. John's imploded with an absolute stinker. That loss signaled the beginning of the end for the 2022-2023 SJU season.

We are in somewhat better shape this time around, but a loss to Villanova would be our fourth loss in a row, drop us below five hundred in conference play and put us behind the eight ball yet again. I expect much better than we got from the Nova game at the Garden a year ago, but watching Villanova battle in a one point loss at #1 UConn last night I am expecting a real dogfight here. We better bring our A game Wednesday night, because anything less will likely not be good enough.
 
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Thats where consistent effort can prevent runs against you. We have not attained that level yet!

BINGO! We do not sustain the effort level for 40 minutes. If we played defense for 40 minutes the way we did the last 5 minutes yesterday then we likely would have at least 3 less losses this year. Unfortunately, it only appears in spurts.
 
You can name ONE player so we should have called that play? That play has been replayed a million times because it is such a one off! So who exactly is the player we have with the dribbling speed of Tyus Edney?
That wasn’t my point. The point is it can be done. We all know the ball moves quicker with passing than dribbling anyway. I wanted us getting it to the rim with Soriano or RJ, but we took Soriano out of the play and settled for a DJ jumper and no chance for a foul.
 
That wasn’t my point. The point is it can be done. We all know the ball moves quicker with passing than dribbling anyway. I wanted us getting it to the rim with Soriano or RJ, but we took Soriano out of the play and settled for a DJ jumper and no chance for a foul.
Ok, misunderstood your post, my bad. I still don’t think there was the chance to do that because you are talking 2 perfect passes and catches with an instantaneous transfer from catch to pass off the first one. After the second one the recipient needs to transfer from catch to shot just as instantaneously. With only 4+ seconds all that happening is just too risky IMO; I think we got as good a look as can be expected.
 
Ok, misunderstood your post, my bad. I still don’t think there was the chance to do that because you are talking 2 perfect passes and catches with an instantaneous transfer from catch to pass off the first one. After the second one the recipient needs to transfer from catch to shot just as instantaneously. With only 4+ seconds all that happening is just too risky IMO; I think we got as good a look as can be expected.
Yeah that’s a fair comment too. Just seemed like plenty of time to get the ball in the lane, especially if the in bounds pass went to Jenkins for him to dribble and find someone. A 3 point shot wasn’t necessary, but to your point maybe it was the best we could do.
 
Yeah that’s a fair comment too. Just seemed like plenty of time to get the ball in the lane, especially if the in bounds pass went to Jenkins for him to dribble and find someone. A 3 point shot wasn’t necessary, but to your point maybe it was the best we could do.
The other factor is who do you plant under the basket? Soriano? If I am coach I have little confidence that 1) he will establish good strong position and 2) that we can get him the ball or even that he will catch the ball.
In addition, there is an assumption or hope that a ref will call a foul in that situation, which is by no means is a given. At that point, calling a play, I want a look, which we got. That means keep it simple, reduce risk and hope to decide the game yourself, not rely on that if you don’t, you get a call.
 
The other factor is who do you plant under the basket? Soriano? If I am coach I have little confidence that 1) he will establish good strong position and 2) that we can get him the ball or even that he will catch the ball.
In addition, there is an assumption or hope that a ref will call a foul in that situation, which is by no means is a given. At that point, calling a play, I want a look, which we got. That means keep it simple, reduce risk and hope to decide the game yourself, not rely on that if you don’t, you get a call.


Was Luis on the floor for the final possession? There is almost no need for a big unless you have time for an offensive rebound. Granted, our options were likely diminished without Dingle or Alleyne available. Ive always been a fan of a pass as far up the court (at least to near half court) with an immediate pass to someone streaking up the sideline. That gives you enough time to get to the lane.
 
You’re changing the argument. Of course we didn’t call the play to have Soriano take the ball down the court. It was fortuitous that Jenkins got as good a look as he did. And nearly everybody but you would rather have Jenkins take that last three than Luis.

Luis certainly does some things better than Jenkins, but he is not a better outside shooter. It strains credulity to think that Marquette would purposely give Jenkins an open look while tightly guarding Luis.
What is my argument?

If you think it was fortuitous that Jenkins was left open while Luis and Dunlap had defenders closer than prom dates during the last slow song, then you don’t think much of Shaka Smart.

We could have had 20 seconds on the clock and Jenkins was going to take a similar shot. That’s what he does. Everyone in the arena knew it. Every coach in the conference knows it. He’s always going to be the least covered player in that scenario. It’s not a coincidence.
 
Pitino himself said that the team was not talented enough to win without extraordinary effort by all. He was right. Zach put it best:

The Johnnies’ defense was nowhere to be found after halftime, allowing the Golden Eagles to shoot a ridiculous 75 percent from the field in a second-half demolition.
 
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