GIGAFAN99
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 4,487
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Post by GIGAFAN99 on Dec 28, 2013 16:16:05 GMT -5
Watching Villanova today and they have a solid, scrappy defense, no doubt.
But unless they grow a few inches in the next few months, they are sink or swim with outside shooting on offense. Their entire game is turnovers, selling out on the offensive glass, and jacking threes. If that's the class of the conference, in homage to the 2008 Phillies "Why can't us?"
Right now our defensive rebounding is woeful. But really unless Markel really shoots 31% from three for the year (I still kind of refuse to believe he will given his history), that defensive rebounding should be the only glaring hole that could significantly hurt us in a league not exactly overflowing with lottery picks. Figure that out, and the Hoyas really aren't looking that bad at all. I didn't think I'd be saying that after last week, but objectively speaking the Big East looks a little mid-major+ and that is something I think the Hoyas can handle.
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GUJook97
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,445
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Post by GUJook97 on Dec 28, 2013 16:38:52 GMT -5
Yeah, I am less worried about nova than I am with butler, Creighton, Marquette, even saint johns. We can bang with nova and take them out of their game, but teams that play up tempo, are disciplined and are athletic will just outscore us, plain and simple. I think nova benefited from playing some teams that they matched up well against. I seriously think Doug McDermott will score 40 against us....twice.
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hoyainspirit
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
When life puts that voodoo on me, music is my gris-gris.
Posts: 8,392 
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Post by hoyainspirit on Dec 28, 2013 16:40:41 GMT -5
It would help if Markel could regain his shooting touch. Offensively, in other phases of the game, he is playing really well. We would be much more dangerous if his three point touch would return.
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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 Dec 28, 2013 16:42:36 GMT -5
We should start a thread titled "Backhanded Ways to Say The New Big East is Kinda Mediocre"   |
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GUJook97
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,445
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Post by GUJook97 on Dec 28, 2013 16:44:37 GMT -5
I thought about saying that...yeah, that's a big part of it. I think I'd rather beat Michigan state than win the big east |
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KHoyaNYC
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,900
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Post by KHoyaNYC on Dec 28, 2013 21:57:49 GMT -5
You're right but this team is not going anywhere in the NCAAs unless it catches some very lucky breaks (which we are way overdue for so maybe it will happen). Our rebounding is atrocious and our defense has not been much better. Offensively, we are limited and still way too perimeter oriented (c'mon Josh get it going). And we don't have an NBA level talent on the roster like last year to carry us through games. The Kansas game I think was a good example of what a "next level" team looks like this season and we ain't it. That being said, the Big East is definitely a weaker conference than before and there is no reason we should not be in the mix for the league title. I'm just not holding my breath we'll do much more beyond that.
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canissaxa
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 524
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Post by canissaxa on Dec 29, 2013 2:08:54 GMT -5
I hate to keep posting negative predictions (especially since my last prediction before Kansas wasn't too far off), but I'm afraid the issue with the BE this year isn't whether we can be competitive at the top, but whether we can consistently beat the teams in the middle. The BE isn't as strong at the top as it has been in years past, but it's also not as weak at the bottom. Depaul and Seton Hall are the only teams outside the top 100 of Kenpom and they're both just outside (Depaul is 134). The only other major conferences that can claim that are the Big 12 and the Big 10 (although B19 has 2 teams in the 80s and 1 in the 90s). Providence and St Johns are the only teams not in the top 50 (and they aren't far off at 66 and 56).
So Nova may not be intimidating and I think we should split with them (Creighton, although weaker on paper is more troubling), my worry is how we do on the road against a lot of solid teams. Although we're 3rd in Kenpom, I don't think we're a great deal separated from the main pack--I'm not sure anyone is.
If you agree with this assessment, then we've got 2 big problems:
1) Our home court advantage is relatively weak. Sure the VC can be rocking for Duke or Louisville or Syracuse, but for less brand-name teams, we struggle to fill it and are sometimes drowned out by the visiting fans. I don't think Creighton, Xavier, Marquette or Butler will have that problem.
2) This year's team has got a lot of holes that are easy to exploit with the right personnel. Even with hoya-colored glasses, we've all seen that--and I'm not talking about gaps that require Kansas-level talent to exploit. With home-and-away familiarity + greater experience with our system and personnel from a lot of the conference, I think our most likely scenarios are 10-8 or 11-7. If everything else breaks exactly right, 11-7 may get us 3rd in conference due to the very crowded middle.
Of course, in all this doom and gloom, I suppose I do agree with the original poster that we certainly could win the conference. The flat competitive set and limited number of games means that with a couple of good shooting nights at the right time, we could end up looking really good. But that outcome will require more than a bit of good luck (or the team showing more than they have to date).
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cheer48
Century (over 100 posts)
Posts: 180
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Post by cheer48 on Dec 29, 2013 12:52:17 GMT -5
SAGRIN SAYS WE ARE # 26
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drquigley
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,378
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Post by drquigley on Jan 2, 2014 19:08:08 GMT -5
I have a hard time seeing us win any road games. But I see everyone having that problem. So I predict an 10-8 BE record and a mad scramble the last week among 5 teams to finish first.
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hoyaboya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 12,261
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Post by hoyaboya on Jan 2, 2014 21:01:05 GMT -5
I have a hard time seeing us win any road games. But I see everyone having that problem. So I predict an 10-8 BE record and a mad scramble the last week among 5 teams to finish first. We can and should beat Seton Hall, DePaul and Providence on the road. |
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Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Jan 3, 2014 0:09:51 GMT -5
Hoyas will go undefeated at home and win 5 road games. Or 1 loss at home and 6 road wins. Book it.
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drquigley
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,378
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Post by drquigley on Jan 3, 2014 8:22:28 GMT -5
We had a hard time beating DePaul here. Do we really beat them on the road ? And DePaul is probably worst team in BE.
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Boz
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
123 Fireballs!
Posts: 10,355
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Post by Boz on Jan 3, 2014 9:29:33 GMT -5
We had a hard time beating DePaul here. Do we really beat them on the road ? And DePaul is probably worst team in BE. Depressing, negative and cynical is no way to go through life, son. (fat, drunk and stupid, on the other hand, kicks ass!) |
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Post by centercourt400s on Jan 3, 2014 10:15:33 GMT -5
I don't think our home court disadvantage will be as much of a problem as in previous years. The schools that brought in a lot of their fans are gone (Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Louisville) and it remains to be seen if Xavier, Creighton and Butler fans will travel. Plus even with 5,000 empty seats the Verizon Center can get pretty loud. Hell, even with 9,000 empty seats and zero students vs DePaul there were some moments with pretty well elevated decibels (thank you Mr. Bowen).
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rockhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,830
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Post by rockhoya on Jan 3, 2014 10:51:55 GMT -5
We had a hard time beating DePaul here. Do we really beat them on the road ? And DePaul is probably worst team in BE. One game does not make a season, that's faulty logic. In all seriousness Dan, I think this guy is actually trolling.... |
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Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Jan 3, 2014 11:27:23 GMT -5
We had a hard time beating DePaul here. Do we really beat them on the road ? And DePaul is probably worst team in BE. One game does not make a season, that's faulty logic. In all seriousness Dan, I think this guy is actually trolling.... We have such a crappy fan base Trolls are indistinguishable from the average fan. |
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Post by glidehoyas (Inactive) on Jan 3, 2014 11:35:48 GMT -5
No brainer ...
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drquigley
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,378
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Post by drquigley on Jan 6, 2014 16:03:56 GMT -5
One game does not make a season, that's faulty logic. In all seriousness Dan, I think this guy is actually trolling.... We have such a crappy fan base Trolls are indistinguishable from the average fan. You guys are brutal. All I was saying is that if we play against other BE teams like we did DePaul we will be lucky to finish10-8. Wouldn't surprise me if JT3 said the same thing to his players after the game. Lighten up! |
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kghoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 4,992
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Post by kghoya on Jan 6, 2014 16:36:06 GMT -5
I really don't think that guy is trolling based on that comment - I haven't memorized his other stuff so maybe it was an overal claim. Struggling to beat DePaul at home isn't the world's best sign for college basketball success. But I think the way in which that game was won is better long term becasue JT3 went away from Smith and gave Moses a chance.
I don't think it's a coincidence that after the DePaul benching, Smith had 6 rebounds vs St. John's. Now if Cameron could just get involved a bit with timely shooting, this team would be clicking on as many cylinders as possible.
As for winning the league? I don't think that's possible but we'll have a much better idea after this 3 game road trip.
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rockhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,830
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Post by rockhoya on Jan 6, 2014 16:57:52 GMT -5
I really don't think that guy is trolling based on that comment - I haven't memorized his other stuff so maybe it was an overal claim. Struggling to beat DePaul at home isn't the world's best sign for college basketball success. But I think the way in which that game was won is better long term becasue JT3 went away from Smith and gave Moses a chance. I don't think it's a coincidence that after the DePaul benching, Smith had 6 rebounds vs St. John's. Now if Cameron could just get involved a bit with timely shooting, this team would be clicking on as many cylinders as possible. As for winning the league? I don't think that's possible but we'll have a much better idea after this 3 game road trip. It's not the point that he made it's that he posted the same or similar sentiments in like a million threads all within a short period of time. |
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