Hoyas - Butler 1/7/17 Discussion

[DanMcQ]

Strap it up and play 60 minutes of hard nosed hoop.

[FrazierFanatic]

I feel for you Dan, having to suffer through that mess tonight in person. But predicting 4 overtimes on Saturday just seems cruel.

[FHillsNYHoya]

Thanks for making me laugh before signing off Frazier....

[DanMcQ]

Jan 4, 2017 23:04:01 GMT -5 FrazierFanatic said:

I feel for you Dan, having to suffer through that mess tonight in person. But predicting 4 overtimes on Saturday just seems cruel.

Happy you saw what I did there.

[hoyalove4ever]

Where is Kevin Braswell when you need him? BRING BACK THE 2002 1-4 PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ColumbiaHeightsHoya]

Butler isn't superior athletically but they are superior in the area that matters and that is effort. We gotta hope Baldwin is off and same with Martin but even if that occurs I think their defense is likely too good for us to pull a W. I think as we reach the quarter pole of the BE season we are looking at a donut. 0-4.

[FrazierFanatic]

The game will most likely hinge on the same factors as every game we play - if LJ and Rodney can put up 30 or more between them, we have a decent shot. If not, we will flounder. Hopefully Doc continues to elevate his game and gives us a consistent 3rd option, would give us a lifeline when one (but not both!) of our scorers is misfiring.

[GUJook97]

Jan 5, 2017 9:14:41 GMT -5 ColumbiaHeightsHoya said:

Butler isn't superior athletically but they are superior in the area that matters and that is effort. We gotta hope Baldwin is off and same with Martin but even if that occurs I think their defense is likely too good for us to pull a W. I think as we reach the quarter pole of the BE season we are looking at a donut. 0-4.

I know what you are getting at, but even this is too kind to us and unfair to them. Butler is better than us. We cant say it's because of effort. It's pretty much because of everything.

[ColumbiaHeightsHoya]

Jan 5, 2017 11:45:31 GMT -5 GUJook97 said:

Jan 5, 2017 9:14:41 GMT -5 ColumbiaHeightsHoya said:

Butler isn't superior athletically but they are superior in the area that matters and that is effort. We gotta hope Baldwin is off and same with Martin but even if that occurs I think their defense is likely too good for us to pull a W. I think as we reach the quarter pole of the BE season we are looking at a donut. 0-4.

I know what you are getting at, but even this is too kind to us and unfair to them. Butler is better than us. We cant say it's because of effort. It's pretty much because of everything.

Agreed Elvado. I predict pain in this game and we won't be the ones delivering it. Verizon crowd for Xavier was solid. I can't see it continuing to be this season.

[Bigs"R"Us]

There is only so much broccoli you can give away to fill seats.

[jamaicahoya]

So close, and yet so far away. This is a fitting mantra for this year's team. Except for Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and to a lesser extent Marquette, this team with a little more poise and consistency could have easily won all the games they have lost thus far. Injuries have played a role, but a minor one. Coaching is not the problem. Personnel, and thus recruitment, is the issue. The parts are not complimentary. That wouldn't be too much of a problem if we had a decent guard, the absence of which has magnified the difficulty we have playing team ball. Yet, depending on the match-ups we will win a few games. We might even beat Butler, but if we do, check how we do it before you start cheering. Because if we do it without a vast improvement in our guard play, giving any importance to the win will only be fools gold.

[njhoya78]

It is feeling like last season all over again, at this point.

I am at the stage that wins are pleasant surprises, and losses are met by me with ambivalence. That's a sad state of affairs, and I don't see it changing any time soon.

[FrazierFanatic]

I don't think many of us foresee significant improvement in point guard production; we only hope for incrementally better play, fewer unforced turnovers, etc. Better defensive and rebounding effort and fundamentals would of course help, but in the end we live and die, game to game, by the production of LJ and Rodney, with the occasional big game from Marcus or Jessie. If we don't have at least 2 guys with big games at the same time(18 or more) we are toast.

[lda05816]

Have we all resigned to the fact that Mourning and Cameron (to an extent) will rot on the bench all year? It's abundantly clear that JT3 has no clue on what the best rotation is for this team as it changes game to game. He states in the post game presser that he isn't sure of the identity this team has or will take on. If that is the case, why not try playing Mourning and Cameron in this game? If they play poorly and we lose, who cares because that's the most likely outcome anyway. I find it difficult to believe Trey can't best Brad's 90.9 ORtg (which is only better than Ike for anyone who's actually received consistent run), 48% FG% and 36% FT%.

[GUJook97]

Jan 5, 2017 12:27:19 GMT -5 njhoya78 said:

It is feeling like last season all over again, at this point.

I am at the stage that wins are pleasant surprises, and losses are met by me with ambivalence. That's a sad state of affairs, and I don't see it changing any time soon.

To interject some optimism, we've had a pretty tough schedule. Most versions of Gtown teams have lost these 4 games in these 4 situations. I believe kenpom predicted we'd lose them all. Obviously, losing the games you are supposed to lose doesnt count for much, but we do have, i think, 5 of our next 6 at home. We'll see. If we beat Butler, all hope is not lost. If not, I worry we are on our way to spiraling to 4-14, especially since it would be hard to get up for SJU at 0-4 on Monday.

[blueandgray]

I think we shock the world and win this one.

[blueandgray]

Do fans storm the court if we beat Butler?

[Nevada Hoya]

And what happened to our superb FT shooting. I think last game was 50%, the game before was 6x%

[drquigley]

Okay I waited almost 24 hours... We can't win this game or any of our games (including DePaul) without a real point guard. This league is too tough. And by a real point guard I don't mean one who can shoot, dribble penetrate, pass, and play defense. I mean someone who can LEAD this team. Someone who can calm us down when things get crazy and who the players can look to in the last 5 minutes. And most important someone who can make all his teammates look better. Seriously folks, ask yourself, who on this team can do that? The MD game was a warning. And our last 3 games have been the sad result. I can't recall when we have have a team with such lightweight PG's. Say what you will about Wright and Starks and DSR but at least you knew they were the guys in charge on the floor. In almost every one of our games this year, over the last 7-8 minutes, I get this sinking feeling that somehow we will lose. I don't see the guy who will step up and carry us the rest of the way. And sadly, since I don't think a freshman recruit will be able to fill this role I see our problems lasting at least 2-3 more years.

[hoyajinx]

Jan 5, 2017 13:20:41 GMT -5 GUJook97 said:

Jan 5, 2017 12:27:19 GMT -5 njhoya78 said:

It is feeling like last season all over again, at this point.

I am at the stage that wins are pleasant surprises, and losses are met by me with ambivalence. That's a sad state of affairs, and I don't see it changing any time soon.

To interject some optimism, we've had a pretty tough schedule. Most versions of Gtown teams have lost these 4 games in these 4 situations. I believe kenpom predicted we'd lose them all. Obviously, losing the games you are supposed to lose doesnt count for much, but we do have, i think, 5 of our next 6 at home. We'll see. If we beat Butler, all hope is not lost. If not, I worry we are on our way to spiraling to 4-14, especially since it would be hard to get up for SJU at 0-4 on Monday.

That's also cause we are just not good. It shouldn't be too difficult for KenPom to predict that a bad team will lose. I'm sure Coppin St. is slated to lose a bunch of games to middling teams according to KenPom too. I know you were trying to be optimistic, but this season is on the "where hope goes to die" trail trodden by last season. It's very depressing.