Syracuse, Sun. Dec. 13, 12pm, FS1 & 570 AM

To be perfectly candid I was quite concerned about so many promising recruits being at this particular game today. Isn't it lovely to be so wrong sometimes?

Our performance must have enhanced our chances with each any every one or them.
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Hopefully they'll realize what a privilege it is to play for Chris M. Hard to believe there were guys who doubted his ability to coach compared to some farts who barely bounced a ball. It ain't rocket science but it is the way Mullin does it. Time to give thanks and wish Merry Christmas to all involved in bringing our hero home.
 
I will be the first to admit when I am wrong and I was wrong. I did not see us competing in this game with our recent lack of outside shooting and lack of scoring. I agreed in principle (I don't think I posted on this) with the poster who questioned what would be higher, the temperature or our score. Well I am so happy that I was so wrong. Game was so enjoyable, I watched most of it again last night on DVR.

I am sure this has been covered (didn't have time to post yesterday as it was a beautiful day to roam around after the game and had things to do when we eventually made it home) but my two cents worth:

Brilliant move to go to the double high post (Norm tried it when he first game on as his primary offensive set and then abandoned it early on). Syracuse did not expect it, it really cut down on their traps, especially in the corner seen that since Norm tried it with his original team and abandoned it. And more importantly, they guys who played there, Yawke, Sima, Mouvka, Jones, and to a lesser extinct Amar (who played in the high post for a couple of minutes but mainly played on the wing and what a job), were great in making plays for themselves and others.

Fantastic ball movement and the execution was great. Still a lot of turnovers, especially early and then a few late to make it interesting but overall, great job by the entire team.

Johnson hit some big shots, heck so do everyone. Mussini was calm, cool and collective. Yawke and Amar aggressive, confident and energetic. Jones didn't get a lot of burn because of fouls and Yawke's play, but did some nice things as did Sima. Mouvka showed leadership and made plays. Just a great job.

Felix must of injured something. I know he didn't come back out after his initial appearance in the first half.

Hope I am not forgetting anyone but man did they look good and anytime you beat the Cuse (two years in a row baby) its great (and I get bragging rights over the wife. :) :) :) :) :) :)
 
I know Syracuse loves the 2-3 zone, I know its part of thier history and thier identity, but how did they not come out of it and challenge Mussini either with full court press earlier or with bringing the guards higher? Mussini has yet to prove he can handle pressure from MAAC level defenders let alone the kind of athletes that should be playing at an ACC school. Basically i'm asking if we have just improved dramatically at ball movement or did Syracuse just not do it's homework? Or is Syracuse just too arrogant to think they would have to make adjustments? Or do they just not have the legs to pressure us for 40 minutes like some of the smaller schools have?

That said I'm thrilled with the way the boys played and even more thrilled that we had the answers in the 2nd half not Syracuse. I still don't expect us to pull of any miracles this season but it's nice to know we can go to the Garden with a shot at knocking off some of the favorites. I'm so happy to be wrong as I thought we would get pummeled. We are New York's Team!
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Certainly not singling your post out but it is kind of ironic to me that very, very few of us even thought we had a chance to win but now we are compelled to blame the Syracuse coaches / strategy. Taking nothing away from the thrill of the win but objectively analyzing, one cannot ignore that Mussini and AA shot 8 for 12 and all 3 of Alibegovic's 3's and a couple of Mussini's were area code deep. As I stated earlier, I am sure the Cuse coaches were saying they can't keep shooting like this but we did. AA never shot like that before and Mussini's shooting has been up and down. IMO, no one is to blame, we played very well, shot great and won. Syracuse played well by and large but shot poorly and lost. If we played them again it may be totally different. I guarantee you we shoot 50% on 24 3's every game and we will be in every game and win more than anyone could have even dreamed of.
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That's a very good point, my thoughts on Syracuse's reluctance to put pressure on Mussini were actually more connected to his (and the entire team's) high turnover rate rather than our shooting success. I would have expected us to cool off sooner or later as well, but I know we arent very good at taking care of the ball and I woulod have thought SU would have forced that issue. You are right if we shoot like Steph Curry we are gonna be very difficult to beat but I wouldn't expect us to have too many more 50% 3pt shooting games.
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In hindsight I agree and Hopkins said in his presser that he wished he pressed earlier. However, the Cuse doesn't press and the idea that they had to do something different to beat us I'm sure never even entered their minds. Even some of us, the most die-hard of fans, were hoping for a single digit loss. As I bandied around with some posters a couple of weeks ago, the beauty of sports, YOU NEVER KNOW.
 
slightly off topic, but MSG feels so much more like home with the blue paint in the lane than it did with the orange.
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And Syracuse didn't quite feel like Syracuse to me. Maybe that's because I haven't followed them or their recruiting since they bolted for the ACC, or maybe it's because they don't have any big-name NYC kids on the current roster, but I didn't know a single player (whereas I used to know just about every player on their team). And not seeing Boeheim scowling on the bench only added to this feeling. Nevertheless, I hate them as much as ever -- along with their Axis of Evil partners, Duke and UConn -- and couldn't have been happier as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
 
I know Syracuse loves the 2-3 zone, I know its part of thier history and thier identity, but how did they not come out of it and challenge Mussini either with full court press earlier or with bringing the guards higher? Mussini has yet to prove he can handle pressure from MAAC level defenders let alone the kind of athletes that should be playing at an ACC school. Basically i'm asking if we have just improved dramatically at ball movement or did Syracuse just not do it's homework? Or is Syracuse just too arrogant to think they would have to make adjustments? Or do they just not have the legs to pressure us for 40 minutes like some of the smaller schools have?

That said I'm thrilled with the way the boys played and even more thrilled that we had the answers in the 2nd half not Syracuse. I still don't expect us to pull of any miracles this season but it's nice to know we can go to the Garden with a shot at knocking off some of the favorites. I'm so happy to be wrong as I thought we would get pummeled. We are New York's Team!
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Syracuse used a full court press on the final possession of the first half. Cooney almost stole the inbound, then Mussini was trapped and his pass was stolen. Responding to full court pressure is our primary weakness. We got a pass from their coaching staff, as they didn't press again until very late in the second half, and we struggled against it. It's almost Christmas, so I never say no to a gift. It will be interesting to see how the addition of a true pg will change how teams approach us. Let's hope Lovett becomes eligible and we have a chance to find out.
 
Ok
I know Syracuse loves the 2-3 zone, I know its part of thier history and thier identity, but how did they not come out of it and challenge Mussini either with full court press earlier or with bringing the guards higher? Mussini has yet to prove he can handle pressure from MAAC level defenders let alone the kind of athletes that should be playing at an ACC school. Basically i'm asking if we have just improved dramatically at ball movement or did Syracuse just not do it's homework? Or is Syracuse just too arrogant to think they would have to make adjustments? Or do they just not have the legs to pressure us for 40 minutes like some of the smaller schools have?

That said I'm thrilled with the way the boys played and even more thrilled that we had the answers in the 2nd half not Syracuse. I still don't expect us to pull of any miracles this season but it's nice to know we can go to the Garden with a shot at knocking off some of the favorites. I'm so happy to be wrong as I thought we would get pummeled. We are New York's Team!
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Syracuse used a full court press on the final possession of the first half. Cooney almost stole the inbound, then Mussini was trapped and his pass was stolen. Responding to full court pressure is our primary weakness. We got a pass from their coaching staff, as they didn't press again until very late in the second half, and we struggled against it. It's almost Christmas, so I never say no to a gift. It will be interesting to see how the addition of a true pg will change how teams approach us. Let's hope Lovett becomes eligible and we have a chance to find out.
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Amen to that. The last two minutes seemed like an eternity!
 
I will be the first to admit when I am wrong and I was wrong. I did not see us competing in this game with our recent lack of outside shooting and lack of scoring. I agreed in principle (I don't think I posted on this) with the poster who questioned what would be higher, the temperature or our score. Well I am so happy that I was so wrong. Game was so enjoyable, I watched most of it again last night on DVR.

I am sure this has been covered (didn't have time to post yesterday as it was a beautiful day to roam around after the game and had things to do when we eventually made it home) but my two cents worth:

Brilliant move to go to the double high post (Norm tried it when he first game on as his primary offensive set and then abandoned it early on). Syracuse did not expect it, it really cut down on their traps, especially in the corner seen that since Norm tried it with his original team and abandoned it. And more importantly, they guys who played there, Yawke, Sima, Mouvka, Jones, and to a lesser extinct Amar (who played in the high post for a couple of minutes but mainly played on the wing and what a job), were great in making plays for themselves and others.

Fantastic ball movement and the execution was great. Still a lot of turnovers, especially early and then a few late to make it interesting but overall, great job by the entire team.

Johnson hit some big shots, heck so do everyone. Mussini was calm, cool and collective. Yawke and Amar aggressive, confident and energetic. Jones didn't get a lot of burn because of fouls and Yawke's play, but did some nice things as did Sima. Mouvka showed leadership and made plays. Just a great job.

Felix must of injured something. I know he didn't come back out after his initial appearance in the first half.

Hope I am not forgetting anyone but man did they look good and anytime you beat the Cuse (two years in a row baby) its great (and I get bragging rights over the wife. :) :) :) :) :) :)
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Nice post, so spot on about our big guys moving the ball well. 10 assists from our 4/5's!
 
That's what's wrong with SU they have a lot of talent but don't adapt defensively. Boehiem never changes nor will his disciple Hopkins. Time for him to go. Was there with a lot of upstate SU people I loved it ! Never met a guy from Lyons, N Y I liked ! LOL !
 
Changed my profile pic to the Yakwe dunk that didn't count on the court, but counted in our hearts lol. I need to crop it and fix it a little, but I'll do it later when I'm on a computer
 
Amazing that Boeheim came back and they lost to NC today. This is the earliest they have had 7 losses since the sixties. What a testament to greatness. However the ACC move may turn out to be their undoing. Nancy Cantor and the administration should suffer but Cantor is long gone to Rutgers. Figureheads come and go but fans suffer forever.
 
What a difference a few months make. On December 13th after our convincing victory against Syracuse I believed we would win a half dozen Big East games or more. I also thought that this was a weak Syracuse team and that they were an NIT type team, but certainly not much better than that.

I should know better than to bury Boheim. His career record is truly remarkable and he always finds a way to put together a successful season. After he leaves Syracuse they will never be close to the program they have been for the forty years he has been their head coach.

This run by them to the final four was aided by the generosity of the tournament selection committee, a shocking first round loss in their region by Michigan State, some helpful officiating in the Gonzaga game and a big late collapse tonight by Virginia. Despite these factors this run should not be diminished and it took a very special type of coach to get this particular team to the final four.

As for St. John's,I think it is noteworthy that we beat a final four team (Syracuse) by a dozen points and played reasonably well twice against another final four participant (Villanova). Looking ahead to next year I will focus on these positives as opposed to debacles like the Incarnate Word game or losing twenty-one of our final twenty-two games.
 
What a difference a few months make. On December 13th after our convincing victory against Syracuse I believed we would win a half dozen Big East games or more. I also thought that this was a weak Syracuse team and that they were an NIT type team, but certainly not much better than that.

I should know better than to bury Boheim. His career record is truly remarkable and he always finds a way to put together a successful season. After he leaves Syracuse they will never be close to the program they have been for the forty years he has been their head coach.

This run by them to the final four was aided by the generosity of the tournament selection committee, a shocking first round loss in their region by Michigan State, some helpful officiating in the Gonzaga game and a big late collapse tonight by Virginia. Despite these factors this run should not be diminished and it took a very special type of coach to get this particular team to the final four.

As for St. John's,I think it is noteworthy that we beat a final four team (Syracuse) by a dozen points and played reasonably well twice against another final four participant (Villanova). Looking ahead to next year I will focus on these positives as opposed to debacles like the Incarnate Word game or losing twenty-one of our final twenty-two games.
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" I also thought that this was a weak Syracuse team and that they were an NIT type team, but certainly not much better than that."
Well they were no better then a F'ing NIT team, but they got that 2nd chance (at 20-13.) and are taking advantage of it.
But gotta admit one thing, those SOB's sure have alot of heart. Yeah, I know Zaga and UVA choked bad, but gotta give Syracuse their props though.
Down 16, get it down to 7, then UVA get it back up to 15. At that point i was saying lights out. Game over and i was smiling, then we know wtf happened.

Hopefully UNC bounces them.
 
What a difference a few months make. On December 13th after our convincing victory against Syracuse I believed we would win a half dozen Big East games or more. I also thought that this was a weak Syracuse team and that they were an NIT type team, but certainly not much better than that.

I should know better than to bury Boheim. His career record is truly remarkable and he always finds a way to put together a successful season. After he leaves Syracuse they will never be close to the program they have been for the forty years he has been their head coach.

This run by them to the final four was aided by the generosity of the tournament selection committee, a shocking first round loss in their region by Michigan State, some helpful officiating in the Gonzaga game and a big late collapse tonight by Virginia. Despite these factors this run should not be diminished and it took a very special type of coach to get this particular team to the final four.

As for St. John's,I think it is noteworthy that we beat a final four team (Syracuse) by a dozen points and played reasonably well twice against another final four participant (Villanova). Looking ahead to next year I will focus on these positives as opposed to debacles like the Incarnate Word game or losing twenty-one of our final twenty-two games.
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" I also thought that this was a weak Syracuse team and that they were an NIT type team, but certainly not much better than that."
Well they were no better then a F'ing NIT team, but they got that 2nd chance (at 20-13.) and are taking advantage of it.
But gotta admit one thing, those SOB's sure have alot of heart. Yeah, I know Zaga and UVA choked bad, but gotta give Syracuse their props though.
Down 16, get it down to 7, then UVA get it back up to 15. At that point i was saying lights out. Game over and i was smiling, then we know wtf happened.

Hopefully UNC bounces them.
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I never thought they would come back against UVa. Was shocked as anyone.
 
What a difference a few months make. On December 13th after our convincing victory against Syracuse I believed we would win a half dozen Big East games or more. I also thought that this was a weak Syracuse team and that they were an NIT type team, but certainly not much better than that.

I should know better than to bury Boheim. His career record is truly remarkable and he always finds a way to put together a successful season. After he leaves Syracuse they will never be close to the program they have been for the forty years he has been their head coach.

This run by them to the final four was aided by the generosity of the tournament selection committee, a shocking first round loss in their region by Michigan State, some helpful officiating in the Gonzaga game and a big late collapse tonight by Virginia. Despite these factors this run should not be diminished and it took a very special type of coach to get this particular team to the final four.

As for St. John's,I think it is noteworthy that we beat a final four team (Syracuse) by a dozen points and played reasonably well twice against another final four participant (Villanova). Looking ahead to next year I will focus on these positives as opposed to debacles like the Incarnate Word game or losing twenty-one of our final twenty-two games.
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" I also thought that this was a weak Syracuse team and that they were an NIT type team, but certainly not much better than that."
Well they were no better then a F'ing NIT team, but they got that 2nd chance (at 20-13.) and are taking advantage of it.
But gotta admit one thing, those SOB's sure have alot of heart. Yeah, I know Zaga and UVA choked bad, but gotta give Syracuse their props though.
Down 16, get it down to 7, then UVA get it back up to 15. At that point i was saying lights out. Game over and i was smiling, then we know wtf happened.

Hopefully UNC bounces them.
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I never thought they would come back against UVa. Was shocked as anyone.
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Virginia crapped their pants when Syracuse put the press on
While not a Boeheim fan, he clearly outcoached Bennett last night
Kudos to him!!
 
Our early season win v Cuse is really meaningless to me. You want to build on some positives, have an excellent early out of conference record next season. Putting this expected struggle of a season in my rear view mirror works better.
 
The Syracuse win confirmed my long held belief that SU made a mistake by naming Hopkins, with no prior head coaching experience to succeed Boeheim.

Recall that Hopkins made very few game adjustments. Hopkins only pressed at the very end of the game despite the fact StJ's lacked a true point guard. Hopkins also allowed StJ's to employ a 3-2 set on offense without adjusting his defense.
 
You can bet there are discussions right now at Syracuse as to how to get out of the Hopkins commitment. Perhaps Boeheim decides to stay longer than he announced which causes Hopkins to look elsewhere now.
 
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