[quote="Beast of the East" post=328339][quote="JackofVirginia" post=328321]Will Mullin finally start with a zone?
Will Ponds start early with his offensive game?
Will Simon do a much better defensive effort against Marshall?
Will Clark pick up his usual 2 fouls in the first half?
Will Heron be ready to play at full speed?
Will Figueroa repeat his 23 points against Xavier?
Will we do a much better job rebounding this time (X - 38 boards to STJ - 22) Can't run without rebounding.
Will Roberts get the call over Keita?[/quote]
Ponds: I remember being coached at one time by a guy who at the time was the high scorer at Queens college. Obviously much better player than me but we were similar in that we were very quick guards. I had a stretch where I wasn't playing that well, and he told me that I had slowed it down just a notch and wasn't playing with the intensity or quickness I had displayed earlier. It was like a light switch going off, and that very night, I played with more focus and lit it up a bit. Self serving story, but Ponds I think is in the same funk. He is forcing things, he is not bringing it with the same precision and impossible to cover speed. We need THAT Ponds to show up the rest of the way.
Simon, like all of our defenders have been late to the ball, and out of position. We've earned most of the fouls called on us, which were committed largely out of frustration, late challenging easy shots, and fouling. In the schoolyard you get away with such play because a shot gets locked with contact, and only babies call those fouls. Here it puts guys on the bench.
Clark - Stop dumb fouls. Stop dumb fouls. Stop fouling far from the basket. Stop fouling on over the top rebounds fouls. Rebounds are won by positioning, not jumping.
Figueroa - 23 points or not, was not an impressive game IMO. Unlike earlier in season, he didn't come up big when we needed it. No one did.
Heron - God we need him close to 100%
If we somehow get a bid while losing here and BET, it's hardly anything to get excited about. This is do or die time IMO.[/quote]
Exactly, lose next two and that is 5 losses out of last 6. Not looking gift horse in mouth if they back in to Dance via new metrics, but can’t get too excited either. Too many opportunities squandered this season imo.