@Villanova, Wed., Feb. 12 , 6p, FS-1

I know this is not going to be popular, but Neptune had the perfect game plan. Cut off our driving and midrange game and force us to jack up way more threes than we should have. Kadary had a decent game but RJ never really got to effect the game. And, yeah our defense was not as consistent as it has been.
All fair points. Neptune had his guys playing with urgency from the jump. Their defense packed it but I thought we settled on atleast 10 of those attempts. Villanova deserved to win. Grabbing 3 key offensive rebounds in the final minutes.
 
Wasn’t able to watch game last night. First half saw on phone. Saw we were down 10. Made a run to cut it to 2 at the half. Second half didn’t see any as I was paying a shiva call to a friend. Once I left and saw we lost by 2. Started looking at box score. Saw Zuby took only 5 shots? Said oh he must not have played much but see over 30 minutes. And then I see all the 3’s we took.

I haven’t read the thread so could you guys explain why Zuby was used so little offensively and sure I see we hit some 3’s and percent wise we were around 30% which is good for us. But seemed like the quantity of 3’s was more than it normally is. And we shot like 10 more total than nova.
Something seems to be wrong with Zuby? Not sure if injured or has been sick but forget how poorly he has played, the concerning thing for me is why does he keep falling down? Like every third play he is on the ground.
 
Dead Rabbit in Boiling Pot at Section9's house don't worry it's just a warning from ESPKEN. He's too good of a guy to actually do anything worse than kill a rabbit and boil it on your stove and shave the word Neptune on it's dead dangling body :)
The last part would have spoiled the taste 🤪

 
Zuby had 4 shots, credit their denial in post, but he turned ball over 4 times too. Tough outing but he will bounce back
his worst game in a SJU uniform...you have to find ways to get him the ball even when the defense is denying...on Zuby's end, and this has been his issue all year, he doesn't command/ask/set himself up enough to get the ball - two way street. SJU needs Zuby, in order to be successful this season. Zuby played like a november sophomore Zuby. Gotta bounce back
 
This ending reminded me of the 2019 Seton Hall game where we had a great win streak going, our opponent traveled on their final possession but was rewarded with a backbreaking 3. Only difference was that we had a chance to win still this time.

Our following game was dominating a top team in the Big East at home by 20. 89-69 over Marquette. Let’s do that to Creighton and don’t look back!
Good thing I have a Men in Black memory erase device, or I'd have quit following this team long ago.
 
I know you said it in parenthesis but Rick has to get over the Vince thing. One of the extremely consistent things this season is Vince getting on the court and immediately aiding the other team going on a run. So predictable. Outside of his very helpful minutes against X at home, idk what he’s done since.
Vince comes into the game and poor outcomes seemingly follow, directly or indirectly. He's had an issue rebounding, dribbling and defending. Very disappointing.
 


RJ's defense on the last play was really bad. Poplar drives and RJ is right there to close him off and lets him go. Then on the kick and swing RJ is in the wrong spot, 10 feet off Perkins, late to close. For as good as he's been defensively and overall this year, this was just a really poor and costly mental lapse. Unfortunate.
 
Prey, Glover, Vince having 4 of the team's 13 turnovers in 15 total minutes can't be overstated obviously how big of a problem it is. The bench is used sparingly, but when they're on the floor they can't be such liabilities. Tough and frustrating loss, obviously we wiil always look for reasons why they lost...but the bench is a big concern.
 
Prey, Glover, Vince having 4 of the team's 13 turnovers in 15 total minutes can't be overstated obviously how big of a problem it is. The bench is used sparingly, but when they're on the floor they can't be such liabilities. Tough and frustrating loss, obviously we wiil always look for reasons why they lost...but the bench is a big concern.
Not sure why Prey is taking three 3s. I just sighed three times in a row when watching that.
 
Memo to Rick: Three point misses often lead to long rebounds and boxing out is difficult when a rebound is 15 or more +/- feet away from the basket. We lost because our three point defense let us down.

For about 15 games now our hallmark was rebounding, especially offensive rebounding, lights-out defense, shot clock violations and turnovers.

Zuby is too good, he will re-focus and lead this team, by example, back to those hallmark traits. If so, another win streak awaits.

[Almost every team we play seems to make a well-guarded, desperation heave at the very end of the shot clock against us, we must lead the country in that odd category; lots of times it doesn't mean anything, tonight it hurt us].
 
Memo to Rick: Three point misses often lead to long rebounds and boxing out is difficult when a rebound is 15 or more +/- feet away from the basket. We lost because our three point defense let us down.

For about 15 games now our hallmark was rebounding, especially offensive rebounding, lights-out defense, shot clock violations and turnovers.

Zuby is too good, he will re-focus and lead this team, by example, back to those hallmark traits. If so, another win streak awaits.

[Almost every team we play seems to make a well-guarded, desperation heave at the very end of the shot clock against us, we must lead the country in that odd category; lots of times it doesn't mean anything, tonight it hurt us].
You make your own luck, I pointed out during the game, Brickus, I believe, made a very long 3 with 2 seconds on the shot clock in which Wilcher sat a good 3 feet away watching him line the shot up and step into it.
A bit later, same type scenario, Scott is on Dixon and instead of keeping his feet and making Dixon shoot deep against the shot clock with a hand in his face, Scott bites on a pump fake, let’s Dixon duck under and get a clean look at the basket.
Finally, I pointed out in real-time, the absolute inexplicable, to me, half assed effort Luis put into the Perkins 3 that won it.
Obviously, as a player, you don’t lament players putting in tough shots, you do your utmost to influence the outcome. I thought last night was a step back for the Johnnies, not AT ALL because of the result but because they brought their C- game. Hopefully Sunday will prove it to be a one off.
 
I know this is not going to be popular, but Neptune had the perfect game plan. Cut off our driving and midrange game and force us to jack up way more threes than we should have. Kadary had a decent game but RJ never really got to effect the game. And, yeah our defense was not as consistent as it has been.
Agree, also without Smith and a faster pace we didn’t get off as many shots as we usually get off to compensate for our poor shooting percentage. To Neptunes credit, realizing that, he slowed the game down and made it a half court game.
 
One comment on the “would you have signed up for this” rationale. Personally, I don’t sign up for anything. I see a team play and gauge my expectations as the season progresses. The hope, expectation, is that a team comes together, develops, grows and as much as humanly possible, realizes their potential. The final step is taking stock when the season ends.
That determination is very much an evolutionary process, not a static measurement against a predetermined yardstick.
This team is a perfect example of that process and the evolution of possibilities.
 
Something seems to be wrong with Zuby? Not sure if injured or has been sick but forget how poorly he has played, the concerning thing for me is why does he keep falling down? Like every third play he is on the ground.
They are keying on him and boxing him out sometimes with two defenders
 
I know this is not going to be popular, but Neptune had the perfect game plan. Cut off our driving and midrange game and force us to jack up way more threes than we should have. Kadary had a decent game but RJ never really got to effect the game. And, yeah our defense was not as consistent as it has been.
Yep
 
Wasn’t able to watch game last night. First half saw on phone. Saw we were down 10. Made a run to cut it to 2 at the half. Second half didn’t see any as I was paying a shiva call to a friend. Once I left and saw we lost by 2. Started looking at box score. Saw Zuby took only 5 shots? Said oh he must not have played much but see over 30 minutes. And then I see all the 3’s we took.

I haven’t read the thread so could you guys explain why Zuby was used so little offensively and sure I see we hit some 3’s and percent wise we were around 30% which is good for us. But seemed like the quantity of 3’s was more than it normally is. And we shot like 10 more total than nova.
They sre packing the paint. Taking Zuby out of game. And keeping him off boards so no offensive put backs. Stop his rebounding and cut off his put backs
 
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