No actually I am a ball buster. And all year you arrogantly told anyone who criticized this team about how they were idiots and then proceeded to trot out stat after stat proving we had nothing but good losses and how we were going to turn it around. The fact is we are basically the same team we were opening night but now according to you they are pussies and you're suddenly highly insulted by a lack of effort most of us saw and acknowledged all year. I may be old (and annoying) but I haven't forgotten that a balloon full of hot air is the easiest to burst. And the Post can quote me on that!!
Providence Game Thread
- Thread starter tom in salem
- Start date
No actually I am a ball buster. And all year you arrogantly told anyone who criticized this team about how they were idiots and then proceeded to trot out stat after stat proving we had nothing but good losses and how we were going to turn it around. The fact is we are basically the same team we were opening night but now according to you they are pussies and you're suddenly highly insulted by a lack of effort most of us saw and acknowledged all year. I may be old (and annoying) but I haven't forgotten that a balloon full of hot air is the easiest to burst. And the Post can quote me on that!!
Harrison was blatantly fouled on a three and it was ignored. We were down three at the time under a minute. They hit both FTs at the other end. I then thought the ball was knocked out on Providence after a Harirson layup to get us down three again, but it wasn't even reviewed.
It's not either/or - we have a coaching problem and a player problem.
Forget offensive/defensive strategy. Our coach is not tuned in to the unique circumstances of what is going on within each individual game. We have them at 29-22 aound the 8 minute timeout - Branch, Jordan, Harrison, Sampson, and Sanchez are cruising, we are in complete control. Cotton has no points, Jordan is taking over, we were on the fringe of running them out of the building. There is 0.0 reason to make a substitution in a must win game when a lineup is going this good, but a guy I was sitting near wondered aloud "how long until he puts in Greene or Pointer?" Everyone knew it was coming, and 2 minutes later sure enough they were BOTH in, and Providence closes the half on a 14-4 run. Unbelievable momentum killer, and the most frustrating part is it's so predictable. He's like a robot with his favorite players. And we'll be dealing with this again next year, Greene will start almost if not every game.
But it can't all be put on the coach. General lack of energy outside of the first and last 5 minutes from the players save Jordan. However,push all that aside, you climb all the way back, and Sampson gets a layup opportunity, to put you up 1, inside of two minutes and he doesn't convert? That's a serious thing?
Very dissapointing season. But at least it's a clean ending, if you can't find a way to beat Providence (who is good but not great) in a must win game on your home court, and are 1-2 against them on the season, you just don't deserve to be in.
The problems we saw early in the season continued to be the problem all season long. Overreacting to results is one thing, but the underlying concerns irrespective of results from November/December proved to be valid.
Forget offensive/defensive strategy. Our coach is not tuned in to the unique circumstances of what is going on within each individual game. We have them at 29-22 aound the 8 minute timeout - Branch, Jordan, Harrison, Sampson, and Sanchez are cruising, we are in complete control. Cotton has no points, Jordan is taking over, we were on the fringe of running them out of the building. There is 0.0 reason to make a substitution in a must win game when a lineup is going this good, but a guy I was sitting near wondered aloud "how long until he puts in Greene or Pointer?" Everyone knew it was coming, and 2 minutes later sure enough they were BOTH in, and Providence closes the half on a 14-4 run. Unbelievable momentum killer, and the most frustrating part is it's so predictable. He's like a robot with his favorite players. And we'll be dealing with this again next year, Greene will start almost if not every game.
But it can't all be put on the coach. General lack of energy outside of the first and last 5 minutes from the players save Jordan. However,push all that aside, you climb all the way back, and Sampson gets a layup opportunity, to put you up 1, inside of two minutes and he doesn't convert? That's a serious thing?
Very dissapointing season. But at least it's a clean ending, if you can't find a way to beat Providence (who is good but not great) in a must win game on your home court, and are 1-2 against them on the season, you just don't deserve to be in.
The problems we saw early in the season continued to be the problem all season long. Overreacting to results is one thing, but the underlying concerns irrespective of results from November/December proved to be valid.
westchesterjoe
Active member
Sampson will never play on the NBA because he cannot finish around the basket. He had a chance for a bunny that would have got us a lead within 1 minute and missed. He's also a disaster at the foul line , 58% is bad for a high school player.
Very disappointing game and season.
Very disappointing game and season.
tom in salem
Well-known member
Best post of the day.
FWIW, it looked to me like the block was a clean stuff and that D'Lo then flailed his arm to initiate the contact. Thus the no call. D'Lo is a pretty good actor and I think he convinced himself and Lavin that he was fouled there. I don't think he was.
westchesterjoe
Active member
Very true but, it should not have come down to 1 call. Again, with the game on the line, we failed.As we have done in big games over the season.
Thanks Tom. I am a Lavin supporter, and at the end of the day this is entertainment, a diversion. But with that in mind, sitting in my seat today, I have never been more sure that Lavin really has fundamental shortcomings. I don't want that to be the case but it is.
This game really is not that complicated. Providence plays 6 guys. They are confident in their stuff and run it hard and well on offense(10 wide open jumpers directly off screens today to our 0?) and they hit the boards hard. They really aren't a very impressive team otherwise. They looked like a middle school team in the last 5 minutes. But they do what they do and don't make it any harder than that.
We are absolutely, positively, all over the map. A lineup gets on a nice run and we sub...for whatever reason, and it inevitably hurts our own momentum. It was clear to anybody watching that Branch and Sanchez brought a different dynamic in the first half, but instead of doing the obvious and starting the 2nd half with them we toil with them on the bench and Providence goes out double digits. Branch and Sanchez are by no means world beaters, but why fight what's working?
Either he's making it more complex than it needs to be or he just doesn't see what's happening on the court. In either event, it's very concerning moving forward. This is Providence. In essentially the first round of the Big East Tournament. We are so far away from the top programs in the country it's scary.
Harrison. The replay shows that there was plenty of body contact, enough to call the foul. But that said, you can't play the game in a manner to put yourself at the mercy of a bad call or no call.
I took a few hours off the board to enjoy the game. I was looking forward to it all week. Pointer missed two easy layups. He needs to forget this year and come back hungry. I know Marillac hates him but I think he will be a key part of our team next year. Greene did not show up today and I would be happy to see him never return. Jordan is a very talented player and had a pretty good game, but why only one assist? I feel really bad for Harrison, I thought he played really hard and really cares about winning. I hope this doesn't break him. The fact that he had 10 rebounds should not go unnoticed. Branch needs to work on his outside shot. He is a pretty good player. I could care less if Obekpa wanted to play in the second half because today wasn't his day. Sampson, Jordan, Branch, Pointer, Harrison and Obekpa should get most of the minutes next year. I don't expect much from Greene, Balamou, Jones or Hooper. I say its 50/50 if we make the NCAA's next year. I don't care if we were to ditch Lavin now as I don't expect much more out of him if we extend him four more years.
I enjoyed a lot of the season, although it was frustrating. I will watch the NIT's but doubt we will win them. Time to start watching the Mets lose.
I enjoyed a lot of the season, although it was frustrating. I will watch the NIT's but doubt we will win them. Time to start watching the Mets lose.
They reviewed the most ridiculous things all year long ad nauseum, and to that.
If he is, we are screwed. There is one junior from Michigan I wanted tonight...Ladontae Henton. I love that kid. Beast. Pointer hates contact...how he was ever regarded as a shutdown defender is beyond me. I really hope the next time I see him, he is wearing an Eastern Michigan jersey.
Go get Antoine Mason and forget about Pointer.