Up Next: Creighton
- Thread starter rawdognyc
- Start date
Plain and simple. We have too many flawed, offensively challenged players. Time for Lavin to re-evaluate his recruitment of primarily long, athletic, slashing players and integrate some quality shooters, who can also defend a bit. (Sorry Max) From the Looie days, we have been the worst program in the country adapting to the three point shot introduction. You simply can't keep teams honest when all you can do offensively is score on put backs (we are lousy there lately too) and uncontested lay ups. Yes, Lav can't shoot the ball, but is it not his responsibility to put a roster together with a modicum of outside shooting ability to complement his thirst for slashers?
It's pretty amazing how the Creighton fans are trashtalking about us on their forum. The insults about us, including commenting on the accents of two SJU fans there, is laughable.
I can't wait to get them back at MSG!
http://bluejayunderground.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2898&sid=65160f48e1c805b59b8ac02b758948cb&start=120
I can't wait to get them back at MSG!
http://bluejayunderground.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2898&sid=65160f48e1c805b59b8ac02b758948cb&start=120
Great analogy. And yet those "kettles" are saying the same thing about us.
Good one! LOL!
:cheer:Ray Morgan
Well-known member
To me, something else is also plain and simple. Shooters don't come to this program. They go to programs where ball movement and the 3 point shot is the mindset of the coach and the team. There are 2 players on this team that make others better. Jordan and Branch. And Branch's inconsistency gets exposed against better teams and with more floor time. Jordan can drive and dish, but is a scorer first. That's fine, because he gets to the hoop with ease and will even get better at it. SJU is where one dimensional shooters go to sit on the bench. The 3 point shot has been here for years, but it seems to only apply to other schools. Welcome to the modern college game, SJU. The mindset has to change.
beast of the east
Active member
How the heck can you play the following Top 20 teams to a near draw for most of the games and not be on the cusp of good. (Villanova, Syracuse, Creighton, Wisconsin). Some of these teams have very different styles, yet we played all of them pretty close. A bad team would have lost comfortably to all 4. Basketball is a game of mistakes. I think Creighton had a ton more turnovers than us. It's mostly a matter of coming up big when it counts, and we can't seem to do that. Do any of us believe that if we had 20 seconds to get off the last shot that we would have even had a 50-50 chance of making it?
Class of 72
Active member
I know many of you are big Harrison fans. I am not one of them. He has scored a lot of points at SJU but those points have come at the expense of developing a "team offense" and the number of bad shots he takes are just mind boggling.
He is one of the most inconsistent players to ever play for us and last night Lavin, having a deeper bench, finally had the balls to sit him when he was out of control. He, Greene and Pointer are part of that class of underachievers that some said was Lavin's best but when you throw in Garrett and Lindsey into that original mix we must have recruited the most overrated class in school history. Not one of Lavin's recruits was ever touted as a pure shooter with good court sense and the "great recruiter" and his staff of one Tony Chiles have actually shown mediocre results from their many recruiting trips. This year is no exception.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
I counted 3 "ifs" in your post. The mediocre teams battle cry is "if". It applies to every time with an RPI of 50-150. The only "if" good teams have is "if we stay healthy". Bottom line is that if you can't shoot the basketball in the era of the 3 ball, then you better kill it off the offensive glass, play very strong D, and make the other guy turn it over leading to fast breaks. That's the only way it works for this team. The formula is the same: fall behind to good teams or play close first halves against mediocre or weak teams, make a second half run using our athleticism to press, get turnovers, and make layups on the break. Then pull away from the weak teams, and lose to the good ones as order prevails in the waning minutes.
westchesterjoe
Active member
I find it hard to believe that Lavin, if he is really that good a recruiter, cannot get an absolute stud of a shooter, somewhere in America? If he can't find a shooter to help this desperately deficient offense, then his recruiting accolades are hollow.. Maybe, they are not MCd All Americans or top 100 ratings(as if that means anything) but, most teams today have one or a few guys that are capable of shooting a decent % from the 3 pt line..We don't and that's widely known, which translates into us being easily defended by nearly every body.
It's easy to write off Hooper but, how many tries has he had when somebody, excepting Greene who ignores him, gets him the ball in a shooting position? And, who cares about Max's defense.. None of our guys, Jordan excluded are lock down guys anyway. try looking at Harrison or even Pointer closely on defense and see how many times their guy blows by.
Maybe if Max got 5 shots, instead of Branch or 6 like Greene, he might hit a pair or 3 regularly.. Better than Sanchez hoisting up 3's or Greene. I'm not saying Max is the answer but, right now he's a better option than those 2 or, even Harrison, who shoots a awful % on 3's..Jordan needs to shoot better too, and I think he will but, he's not the dead eye we still need. He needs work on his pull up jumper.. And, foul shooting, like they all do.
Steve, get off your A-- - AND GET US A SHOOTER..
Class of 72
Active member
It certainly is but you need players in game and that is the nature of my post unless you are D'Angelo Harrison's #1 fan.
Oh, I forgot.......you are! LOL!
basketballjones
Well-known member
We have bigger problems than just 3 point shooting. The offense has no flow and it doesn't try to isolate guys who can get quality shots up. Harrison, as erratic as he has been, is our leading scorer and best shooter. 4 shots in the first half. Guys don't get the ball in position to score and we can't score against average half court defense. Most points came off the turnovers and before the defense gets set. Creighton isn't very good defending inside. Did we go to the basket consistently in the half court?
Now, the defensive effort was night and day compared to the Georgetown game. They had 17 turnovers, almost all forced. We had 11 steals, mostly off the dribble without fouling where reach fouls are often called. Those numbers are pretty rare. Pitino has an assistant chart deflections as well as steals every game. It's an indicator of how hard the team is working on defense. Last night the defense was very good. Just left McDermott with too much space too often. Because the offense can't score, constant harassing defense and forcing turnovers are how we have to play to beat teams. It's impossible to keep that up and win without major improvement on offense.
Now, the defensive effort was night and day compared to the Georgetown game. They had 17 turnovers, almost all forced. We had 11 steals, mostly off the dribble without fouling where reach fouls are often called. Those numbers are pretty rare. Pitino has an assistant chart deflections as well as steals every game. It's an indicator of how hard the team is working on defense. Last night the defense was very good. Just left McDermott with too much space too often. Because the offense can't score, constant harassing defense and forcing turnovers are how we have to play to beat teams. It's impossible to keep that up and win without major improvement on offense.
Class of 72
Active member
I did not (please reference) and don't call me Shirley.