(POST GAME) (HofF@Mohegan Sun) Arizona St., Sat. Nov. 23, 2:30p, ESPN3, 570 WMCA

Games like yesterday v decent opposition will make it clearer what guys on roster really are BE level players. Anxious to finally get the program on track, we fans tend to overestimate some players. Staff better than us will assess player performance and potential and then have responsibility to get better players. No interest in singling guys out, let the stats over time speak for themselves. Anderson has some pieces, but imo the current roster merits improvement over next few years. Rebuilding is hard and wearing on patience, but this is realistically where the program is in a highly competitive league. Beat UMass!
 
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[quote="QueensBall" post=364612]Nothing at all against Rutherford & Dunn (who I find very easy to root for and believe both play important roles on this year's team) but this game showed how important getting a true PG of Posh Alexander's talent level back into the program is. He can score but he's a also very good passer who will take care of the ball. Will be a very welcome addition,[/quote]

And McGriff will have a year learning the system and will hopefully be able to provide a few minutes next year.
 
[quote="Phil G" post=364632]Agree big turning point
Still think Anderson sitting his starters up ten early in the game That second had zero scoring punch[/quote]

If you've watched the other games he's done that in every game. You can say he waited too long to get the starters back in and let ASU build momentum, but we rebounded and got the lead back to 9 at the half. I think Anderson is still experimenting with the team and trying to figure out who can do what and what combinations work. This was the first big 5 team we've faced and we fell apart in the second half. Let's hope we learn from it and move on.

We're probably going to see more stretches where this team is just out of sorts one way or another. That's partly because of the talent we have and partly because everybody, from the coaches to the players is learning how to play together in a new system. As frustrating as watching us twice blow leads, we're just going to have to buckle up and go along for what will probably be a very rough ride this year.
 
[quote="dee" post=364633]The team played awful and it only corroborates my opinion that this will be Anderson's first losing season. Sure they want to run, but when you do, you still need to control the ball. They dont. When you pass it needs to be to one of the other 4 team mates on the floor, not to the sideline or the other team. Also we dont really have a lights out 3 point shooter. Heron and Figueroa can do it but they are too hot and cold, mostly cold. I hope they play better against UMass today and that they improve this year to prove me wrong. But it looks like a sad season and if I get to the garden it will be to drink some stella artois and eat an extra hot dog. There wont be much fun watching the game.[/quote]

Reality check: We don't have the players. That's not Anderson's fault. He's looking to build to the future and get the players to play his system this year and get more recruits to help implement that in the years to come. It's going to take time, probably three seasons to restock the larder and get rolling, expecting anything more is just setting yourself up for ongoing disappointment.
 
I was busy yesterday so only caught a little bit of the game, but one takeaway I had...

Shamorie Ponds was a great great great player. Towards the end of last season we were so bad as a team I just wanted the season to be over with, so I never really took the time to appreciate what #2 was for us. Seeing us struggle this year on offense, makes me miss a guy who should honestly STILL BE HERE
 
Just reading through some comments and respect everyone’s opinion. It is interesting how I think the vast number of posters were rational coming into the season. Most of us suspected that this team is short on overall talent. Their will be no quick fix but there is hope for improvement.

Of course when we are hit by reality as we were yesterday the frustration of the last 20 years shows itself. In looking at the box score from yesterday SJU was out scored by 49-27 in the 2nd half. That is bad, bad half of basketball. For me, The season will be more about how our players respond to adversity. Effort level needs to stay consistent. I am looking to see improvement from our younger players I.e Champagnie, Roberts, Earlington etc. We will learn a lot today when we play UMASS.
 
When I first seen the schedule, I thought this would be a 10-3 Non-Conference team and a 9-9 Conference team with the ability to maybe win 1 or 2 games in the BE tournament and be there on the bubble. I've seen enough from them and still think it's possible for them to finish close to that. The Vermont game and Arizona State game were both very winnable but bad turnovers and missed free throws from guys that should be making them cost them the game. The good thing about those mistakes are they can be cleaned up. CMA going to get those turnover problems fixed. And I believe that LJ, Heron, Dunn... guys that can get to the free throw line will improve their percentages, they all have nice strokes, it's just a mental thing right now.

Also, I think Steere is going to make a huge difference. When Jon Rothstein went to watch practice, I remember him writing Steere was the best big on the team and it wasn't even close. Roberts has done well, but man we don't have anything after that.... Sears is not really ready to contribute against quality teams yet, sometime JUCO players take a bit, he's just really unsure of everything he does right now.

If they can beat UMass tonight, win the rest of their home games, including the WVU game. And play Arizona close even if they lose, I think that would be encouraging going into BE play. Good thing about the BE this year, if you can get close to .500 in the league there's so many quality teams this year, it may be enough to sneak into the tournament.
 
How many posters, pre season, thought that Earl, Roberts and Champ would contribute as much as they have?This team has only been together for 6 games that count, and have played well in all but one half of one game. CMA's system had to be a shock to the system of our returning players, and a real eye opener for the new additions. Caraher off a year. Dunn off a year. Earl only played at the end of blowouts last season. Roberts not much different. To me, I'm happy with the progress. Our more talented and experienced team last year struggled with the low and mid majors. This team didn't.

There s a lot of pressure on Heron and Fig. But neither has Ponds' knack for taking over games. Heron has all the physical tools to be an excellent player. And he is just that. But he plays a little too mechanical on offense. Ball fake from 3 that never gets a player to commit, and drive into traffic or take the 3. Figgy keeps defenses more off balance because he can score off of a variety of shots. Ponds was at another level. He could go on a tear late in games and never lost his confidence. The team misses that, but they share the ball and play much better defense than last season. Since the post season is a long shot, I think CMA is less concerned about each win this early, and more concerned about the guys getting the system down pat.
 
Have to give credit to Bobby Hurley and his second half adjustments. After being down ten to Virginia in the first half and looking terrible, ASU now lead by 5 with 15 to go.

ASU in the middle of a 19-0 run...wow.
 
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This kid Caraher I know I spelt it wrong needs to get more minutes. I think he has the best outside shot on this team.
 
Good win when the top two players are not playing up to expectations. Glad to see others share the load.
 
Shamorie wasn’t your prototype point guard but he protected the ball and his turnovers were minimal. His mistakes mostly were his showboat passes. Miss the ball contro!
 
[quote="dee" post=364810]This kid Caraher I know I spelt it wrong needs to get more minutes. I think he has the best outside shot on this team.[/quote]

LJ says hi
 
I don't even want a rematch. I'm done playing ASU permanently. It's like there's this voodoo spell they have over us...we always play the same game against them. Blow them out early then we crap the bed and get blown out. They look easily beatable at one point then unstoppable the next. They seem to draw us into slop fests. I'd rather start playing other F5 teams.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=364880]I don't even want a rematch. I'm done playing ASU permanently. It's like there's this voodoo spell they have over us...we always play the same game against them. Blow them out early then we crap the bed and get blown out. They look easily beatable at one point then unstoppable the next. They seem to draw us into slop fests. I'd rather start playing other F5 teams.[/quote]

This board loves beating on Bobby Hurley yet that's 3 wins in 3 years against SJU.
 
[quote="Moose" post=364885][quote="Mike Zaun" post=364880]I don't even want a rematch. I'm done playing ASU permanently. It's like there's this voodoo spell they have over us...we always play the same game against them. Blow them out early then we crap the bed and get blown out. They look easily beatable at one point then unstoppable the next. They seem to draw us into slop fests. I'd rather start playing other F5 teams.[/quote]

This board loves beating on Bobby Hurley yet that's 3 wins in 3 years against SJU.[/quote]

It's amazing...ASU is a decent not great program. But they really get up for us. I really think we'd have a better chance vs. Syracuse or Florida State or something.
 
[quote="Moose" post=364885][quote="Mike Zaun" post=364880]I don't even want a rematch. I'm done playing ASU permanently. It's like there's this voodoo spell they have over us...we always play the same game against them. Blow them out early then we crap the bed and get blown out. They look easily beatable at one point then unstoppable the next. They seem to draw us into slop fests. I'd rather start playing other F5 teams.[/quote]

This board loves beating on Bobby Hurley yet that's 3 wins in 3 years against SJU.[/quote]
Yes, quite an accomplishment. :sick: ;) :)
 
Yeah, no reason to schedule ASU again. They are too far away and not nationally relevant enough for anyone to care even if we do beat them, so there isn't much upside to playing them. A H&H wouldn't even make sense because they wouldn't sell tickets at MSG.

Obviously if we weren't so bad against them then things would be different. I think for some of the players it is mental (Heron especially, given how he played during the First Four... remember when we started coming back and he missed 3 straight foul shots?). I think CMA and Cragg will be able to schedule some much better OOC opponents in the future.
 
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