Last time around Lavin showed his cards, defensively and offensively. Now, it's up to JT3 and staff to come up with their own strategies. For tonight's game, saying that we need the Big 3 to score or that the seniors have to lead is the obvious answer to a pre-game press conference question (right, strummer?). I want to see something more concrete:
1. How do we come out of our 8-day break? I want to see a refreshed team, playing with focus and intensity (not craziness) on both sides of the court. At least I'm sure this team is not getting caught looking ahead to Nova.
2. Who will guard Hardy? Hopefully we don't find ourselves in the same position at the end of this game, but we cannot rely on it. We need a plan, be it a different defender on Hardy or different defensive look all together. What I don't want to see is a Hoya getting burned several times with the same play and JT3 not adjusting to it. Last time around Lavin successfully isolated Clark vs. Hardy and our staff and players did not adjust to it.
3. Who will guard and box-out 6'7" Brownlee? This should not be a question, more so a given. Nate, Hollis, JB and HS can take care of this one. But, you have to want to keep him out of the game. I want Hollis on him and JV to clean the RBs.
4. Time-outs. I want to see scores or good shots after our time-outs. This one comes from preparation leading up to a game. So, I'm hoping we see something other than the now-telegraphed quick inbound under the basket. Shame on the coach and players who do not know that that's coming. Lavin will have his players prepared. Surprise Lavin back. JT3 owes him. BTW, no time-outs after good offensive conversions please. If we're getting burned with quick and long inbound passes after our conversions, use substitutions to slow the game/refs.
5. I want to see Chris under control of his game. No Crazy Chris appearances tonight... well, maybe just once. It's fun before it gets old quickly.
6. This one might be wishful thinking, but I want to see Vee and Moses for at least five minutes in the first half, not necessarily together, to see how the game is affected on both sides of the court. If it doesn't work, there's plenty of time left. There's no way Moses does a "torero" move like we saw last time when SJU was getting lay-up after lay-up and dunks. Again, surprise Lavin.