kellycpcm
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Posts: 318
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Post by kellycpcm on Feb 28, 2009 18:49:31 GMT -5
Just got off the HHC bus, Villanova looked like us since George left the Whitehouse and we looked like them. a.k.a a WIN
HOYA SAXA
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Hoyaholic
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 748
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Post by Hoyaholic on Feb 28, 2009 18:58:14 GMT -5
win is a win. haven't seen wins lately so i'm a happy hoya, but.... our defense is awful... especially last ten minutes they hit shots, which were open looks, we lose by 10+ I gotta disagree - Nova was not getting many open looks at all, especially down the stretch. Our defense looked great today, period. Best in a long time. I was surprised we only had one player in foul trouble considering the way it was being called. Everyone gets open looks at threes from time to time, and sure they missed a few, but nothing like our shooting to open the game today or in the first half of the Louisville game. Those were truly wide-open misses. On the other hand, there is NO EXCUSE for how lackadaisical we are with the ball on offense. I know Nova's pressure always gives us fits, but for Christ's sake, so many of our turnovers were the type of sloppy, lazy passes we've been seeing all year. I'd also love to see a stat that accurately reflects points off turnovers - not just whether the other team scores on the ensuing possession, but when a TO truly creates the scoring opportunity. It feels like an inordinate number of our TO's generating easy points for our opponents, or erase easy scoring chances of our own.
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Post by daytonahoya31 on Feb 28, 2009 19:37:47 GMT -5
The defense was good.
I don't know what game Just Cos was watching. Maybe he was drunk while doing it
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RBHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by RBHoya on Feb 28, 2009 19:52:08 GMT -5
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kellycpcm
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Posts: 318
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Post by kellycpcm on Feb 28, 2009 20:01:43 GMT -5
WOW, the Villanova board folks really blast their coach.
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Post by professorhoya on Feb 28, 2009 20:13:13 GMT -5
The key moment for me was Jessie's leadership at the end. Leadership that only comes from experience and being a coach out on the floor.
When Wright got the steal at the end of the game and went for the fast break, he should have just slowed it down and taken time off the clock. Instead he missed the layup/had it blocked and IIRC fouled Villanova to put them on the line.
Later Jessie had a look at a wide open 3, thought about it but opted against it as their was still 20 seconds on the shot clock and passed it around. That is the veteran leadership and smart basketball that Jessie can bring to this team.
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richfame
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,266
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Post by richfame on Feb 28, 2009 20:45:28 GMT -5
justs cos could not disagree with you more our defense was awesome today. What game were you watching?? Stay positive bro...
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hoyaalf
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
I like what your doing very much. Why squirrel hate me?
Posts: 688
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Post by hoyaalf on Feb 28, 2009 20:46:53 GMT -5
Intense on-the-road defense plus an opponent that was uglier equals win I'll take.
IMHE, gotta get the next two plus THREE in BET, the third being against a ranked team.
But to do this: GU MUST VALUE THE BALL!
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Post by tpk3 on Feb 28, 2009 21:01:05 GMT -5
great win. great to see the guys smiling and hugging after the game. they gave a strong effort and deserved the win.
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FLHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Proud Member of Generation Burton
Posts: 4,544
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Post by FLHoya on Feb 28, 2009 21:32:37 GMT -5
A friend commented with great relief to me after the game: "Now THAT is the team that beat UConn!"
To which my reply was, "Wellllllllllll, in some ways, that was also the team that lost to Cincinnati."
In the end, two things had me somewhat optimistic going into the game:
1. The much-discussed tandem of the team playing harder of late and finally running into a "no pressure" game this afternoon.
2. The almost complete certainty that this game was going to be an ugly, low-scoring affair.
Look at the last four regular season results of GU-Nova games:
Feb 09 at Nova: 56-54 GU Feb 08 at GU: 55-53 GU Feb 07 at Nova: 58-55 GU Jan 07 at GU: 52-56 Nova
There is something about these two teams that consistently produces unattractive, messy basketball--and games in the 50s that are decided on the final possession.* I had a sneaking suspicion if today's game followed the pattern, GU would be at the very least within a possession at the end, and would have an opportunity to prove they could win a close game against a good opponent. And what do you know, it happened!
(*Although it's funny, the BET QFs we've played the last two years have been very free-wheeling, fast-paced, fun-to-watch games. Last year GU broke the school record or maybe BET record for threes IIRC, and in 07 had that enormous like 24-2 opening run...but both times Nova put on huge runs to get back in it, taking the lead in fact last year. Weird.)
This being said, most of this tape is for the burn pile--EXCEPT if you're drawn against Nova in the NCAA Tournament, in which case get that DVD double-time and use it as a blueprint for how to send a Big East team home on the first weekend.* RBHoya follows Nova more closely and he was schooling me the other day on where their weaknesses lie--and a lot of it came to pass. Here is a team, in my estimation, that does not have a Plan B--they're too reliant on streaky shooting and Scottie Reynolds and their guards/wings trying to draw fouls on shot-fakes and lean-ins, which is the wussiest, cheapest way I can imagine to get points.
(*No refunds if Nova draws their first two games in Philly.)
Scottie got his charity early, but once GU smartly went big and was able to disrupt Nova more consistently at the perimeter (How often did you see Nova get to the rim or get the easy shorty jumper in the second half? Not much.), their options shrank and turnovers increased.
And Nova again...not sure they have a Plan B when you take away the perimeter. Something of a red flag to watch: I agree with a previous poster that Monroe is more effective defensively when paired with another big, allowing him to work more near the perimeter and disrupt things. I personally thought Dante Cunningham was frequently getting excellent post position and pinning Monroe under the basket on many possessions for 2-3 seconds, but I don't think Nova recognized it a single time. That IMO was a hidden flaw that cost them today. It's a red flag for me because I felt Samardo Samuels looked pretty dominant against Monroe the other night in the traditional post setting--and Monroe could struggle in a BET game against a Gates, Onuaku/Jackson, or further down the line Samuels/Blair if forced to go one on one down there.
But back to the officiating: so we meet again, Jim Burr. Jimmy did the previous GU-Nova game in Philly in 07. He seems a perfect ref for the game you know we're getting--he calls it overly tight at the start and then goes laissez faire at the end...you will ALWAYS get the crowd going nuts when that happens in an ugly game, because they're conditioned to want a foul on every play. Really the only glaring questionable call I saw live (I need to review 1-2 others on tape) was Freeman's fifth on the offensive foul late--I don't think the defender was set, the contact was questionable, and I think the defender was too far under the basket...just my opinion. Now, if Karl Hess were involved, we'd still be playing the second half right now and the only eligible guards left would be Kenya Hunter and Will D. Cat.
Honestly, GU-Nova games really call for WWE/WCW officials. I'd love to see a crew of Earl Hebner, Nick Patrick, and Charles Robinson at the Verizon Center next year. Least they'd let Monroe use a steel chair.
There were moments of brilliance, to be sure. I thought the best FG of the afternoon was when Nikita used the shot fake at the three point line, took a dribble or two, and pulled up from about 17-18 feet and swished a jumper. It was a perfect play--he used the fake effectively to beat the rushing defender, and he displayed great control and understanding. He didn't rush to the lane for a floater or off-balance/contested shot...he was in rhythm and found a comfortable range and a shot he knew he could make. You're seeing Nikita gradually grow in confidence to where he can use that shot fake and get to the rim where available--not something he did earlier in the season.
And that last sentence is why experience matters. A guy like Nikita, playing his first full season, is probably over his head. But when you make small progress like that, and add a little new element to your game here or there, and couple that with offseason conditioning and working on your weaknesses--all of a sudden in a year or two we're gonna be like "Damn! How'd Nikita become so solid?" Don't be surprised--this is exactly why experienced beats talent in CBB.
Quite the experience Chris Wright is having lately--he'll be on the same path, but with talent to spare. In my opinion, regardless of how this season turns out, when we look back during the summer/fall, the most important moment of the season was when Jessie Sapp lost his starting job. I love Jessie, and clearly wish it didn't go down like it did...but pulling the trigger on that decision effectively resolved the Wright vs. Sapp dilemma and handed the keys of the team to Chris Wright. It said as much--Chris, you're the leader of this team now, and there's going to be much expected of you. I think that "vote of confidence" is paying immediate dividends...that may not sway our postseason fate in the end, but will absolutely give us a huge head start on next year.
For those who say we don't change the offense much--notice that we've been going to a new wrinkle a lot more often lately. It involves Monroe or a Vaughn/Sims type setting a high screen at the top of the key when Wright has the ball, allowing him to turn the corner and if he decides, take the ball down the lane. He's making better decisions overall lately on when to do so--he kind of improvised that last finger roll (looks 10x more difficult on TV than it did live at the arena) with the crossover, but it worked.
In the end, however ugly it was, it's an example of what the team can do if they work hard and play team basketball. Sometimes team basketball doesn't mean a bajillion field goals and sexy passing...sometimes it means diving for loose balls, playing good help defense, and willing each other to victory.
We played at times more like the team that lost to Cincinnati...but we DIDN'T LOSE, and that's important. I loved the attitude of the team under adversity today.
What will be interesting for the BET: can we maintain the somewhat carefree, "nothing to lose" attitude we had today? If the board all of a sudden is back on the NCAA bandwagon, does the team also start to feel added pressure this Tuesday at MSG...or worse, NEXT Tuesday at MSG?
We shall see.
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Post by daytonahoya31 on Feb 28, 2009 22:13:07 GMT -5
Professor, Strongly disagree. Chris had a breakaway....He just didn't protect the ball. Why do people insist on trying to praise Jessie at Chris's expense?
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RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
Posts: 4,617
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Post by RusskyHoya on Feb 28, 2009 22:46:26 GMT -5
The opinion from my part of the Hoya Blue contingent at the game was that the court layout, particularly the NBA 3-point line, was messing up our shot and spacing...and theirs too. With only 3 games at Wachovia this year, it's not unreasonable to think that the unfamiliarity might have hurt them. As for us, the plastic tape 3-point line seemingly didn't capture the team's attention as much as the big bright NBA line did.
Also, is the out-of-bounds line at Wachovia the red border line or the beginning of the black painted area? Because that would go a long way toward explaining some of our step-outs.
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Post by uptownathlete on Feb 28, 2009 23:37:13 GMT -5
Same thing I am thinking, Daytona. Between the ''rumors'' of them fueding in the lockerroom, to Chris making it his business to step up and be a leader with the ball in his hands, and the expectations of most that Jesse should be that man...I can kind of understand it, however, Im not saying its really reasonable. I believe they can do it together
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Post by professorhoya on Mar 1, 2009 0:32:47 GMT -5
Professor, Strongly disagree. Chris had a breakaway....He just didn't protect the ball. Why do people insist on trying to praise Jessie at Chris's expense? It simply illustrates the point I was making about running time off the clock at the end of games as if you are up 4, you want to keep the time running. That is playing the percentages and smart basketball. If Monroe had done it I would have mentioned him instead of Chris. It just happened to be something Chris did this game. That's something that Chris will get better with more experience. But at that moment it wasn't very smart because it ended up being a 4 point swing with only 1 second off the clock since Villanova got fouled with the and 1 and made it a 2 point game IIRC. Even if Chris scores there, no time runs off the clock. I'm a huge Chris Wright supporter , but that wasn't smart basketball. If he had held up the ball there the game probably would have effectively been over right there. Sapp then had a chance to ice the game with a wide open 3, that he had a good couple seconds to look at. But he remembered that time was important, faked/pulled back on the trigger and passed the ball which ran more time off the shot clock.
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Post by daytonahoya31 on Mar 1, 2009 1:10:16 GMT -5
Professor,
It was a breakaway. A basket would've ended the game. Chris's only fault there was not going strong to the basket. He slowed down, didn't go up hard and got it blocked. But going to the bucket after a steal wasn't a bad move. It was a breakaway
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sleepy
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,079
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Post by sleepy on Mar 1, 2009 1:36:48 GMT -5
Professor, Strongly disagree. Chris had a breakaway....He just didn't protect the ball. Why do people insist on trying to praise Jessie at Chris's expense? It simply illustrates the point I was making about running time off the clock at the end of games as if you are up 4, you want to keep the time running. That is playing the percentages and smart basketball. If Monroe had done it I would have mentioned him instead of Chris. It just happened to be something Chris did this game. That's something that Chris will get better with more experience. But at that moment it wasn't very smart because it ended up being a 4 point swing with only 1 second off the clock since Villanova got fouled with the and 1 and made it a 2 point game IIRC. Even if Chris scores there, no time runs off the clock. I'm a huge Chris Wright supporter , but that wasn't smart basketball. If he had held up the ball there the game probably would have effectively been over right there. Sapp then had a chance to ice the game with a wide open 3, that he had a good couple seconds to look at. But he remembered that time was important, faked/pulled back on the trigger and passed the ball which ran more time off the shot clock. This is exactly the wrong mentality in close games when you are ahead. When you have a break away or any good opportunity at an easy two you go for it. Period. Don't worry about running time off the clock. When you start worrying about time left on the clock you start to beat yourself. In this case it didn't work out, but it was the right play, just with the wrong execution. He should have gone up harder and faster, he just didn't know there was someone coming.
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vcjack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,875
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Post by vcjack on Mar 1, 2009 10:02:14 GMT -5
I knew we would be finally rewarded in one of these games, hopefully it turns into something special.
As for the game, I'll sum it up
Ugly wins >>>> Pretty Loses (and we've had those) Chris Wright >> Scottie Reynolds (one of the best recruiting decisions JTIII has made) Getting a winning streak started in March >>>>>>> Everything Else
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SirSaxa
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
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Post by SirSaxa on Mar 1, 2009 13:41:06 GMT -5
Really the only glaring questionable call I saw live (I need to review 1-2 others on tape) was Freeman's fifth on the offensive foul late--I don't think the defender was set, the contact was questionable, and I think the defender was too far under the basket...just my opinion. If you saw the replay, the Freeman call was a good one. The most glaring bad call was the foul by (I think) Jason Clark falling on the Nova perimeter shooter for no call at all. (lucky for us) Clark also got away with a call on the sidelines when he tipped a pass out of bounds that the Nova player missed entirely, but it was called out on 'Nova. As for the rest of your comments FL, insightful and interesting as always. Thanks.
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tashoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
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Post by tashoya on Mar 1, 2009 14:51:00 GMT -5
Sir... I agree that Freeman's 5th was legit except for the fact that he was fouled twice en route to committing his 5th that were let go... on being the defender actually grabbing Free's jersey. Not a big surprise in BE play. I prefer it that way. And absolutely right on the two Clark gifts. The only thing that I saw that was pretty glaring in regard to the officiating was the blatant push-offs by Nova when trying to grab boards.
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hoopsmccan
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by hoopsmccan on Mar 1, 2009 15:01:25 GMT -5
5 pages...I wonder how long this thread would have been if we lost (over/under - 11 pages). Its about time another team brought its C game against us. Our team's collective sphincters tightened for the last 5 minutes, but good to come out of there with the W and make this week's trip the Garden mean something (and hopefully, the week after that...)
hm
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