blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Nov 30, 2008 23:29:11 GMT -5
From watching Austin play the past 2 seasons, he seems like the type of player who needs to score early to have a good game. He isn't like an Eddie Johnson (ex-Phoenix Suns) or a Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson-type player who can come off the bench and score buckets at will. He's a rhythm scorer who needs a little warming up.
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blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Nov 30, 2008 20:01:59 GMT -5
Any comment, Len?
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blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Nov 30, 2008 20:01:37 GMT -5
I think our bench unfortunately will hold us back from becoming really special this year. But it is till early in the season. Please prove me wrong second unit!
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blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Nov 30, 2008 19:53:54 GMT -5
Great effort. Excellent execution. Sustained concentration. But this was a team we SHOULD beat. UMCP is undersized, and during this game showed no effort on the boards. They can only score on helter-skelter plays and fast breaks, both of which cannot be accomplished without controlling the boards.
Nonetheless, very satisfying win. It seems like the first unit is beginning to understand how to run the offense and take advantage of open court and isolation opportunities. I loved the dribble penetration by Chris and Austin. Pepper in some backdoor cuts and smart shooting by Dajuan - very pretty basketball. And it all came in the flow of the set offense. Defense and rebounding really set it all up. No second chance baskets for UMCP as we controlled the boards.
I feel better now knowing that we will come away from this tournament 2-1 against 2 major conference foes. Guess who else will come away 2-1, Gonzaga or Tennessee.
Lastly, losing to the Vols is not as shocking as getting handled by Western Kentucky. Sorry Cards.
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blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Nov 27, 2008 18:13:14 GMT -5
The rebounding margin and Marshall's comment should be plastered on the locker room wall for tomorrow's game if the guys need to be reminded of what to work on.
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blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Nov 27, 2008 18:08:06 GMT -5
We will be the underdogs for tomorrow's match-up against the 12th-ranked Vols, no? Do you think the crowd will be behind us?Somehow, I don't think it will happen.
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blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Nov 27, 2008 17:19:47 GMT -5
We definitely looked rusty. No aggressiveness on defense, no decision-making on offense, and no rebounding on either end. Wichita State is not a good team. They did not play well. But still they made a game of it. How - they were aggressive on both ends and on the glass. They probably took shots they would not normally take, but they took them because they knew they had to play with some urgency to avoid getting blown out early.
I thought that we played defense at the start and at the end of the game. We denied passing lanes, challenged shots, and forced TO's. Well, mostly that was just Greg manhandling the WSU center. But then we allowed WSU back into the game by missing our shots and by missing assignments. Rather than forcing WSU to take challenged jumpers, we allowed them to get into the seams of our defense, hoist some off-balanced jumpers, and then grab the offensive boards as our big guys were out of position. The argument that we are undersized will not fly as WSU was undersized as well. How much more undersized will we be next to Pitt, Louisville, and UConn? Plus the silly fouls were murder!
The offense was stagnant. Our guys just seemed to stand around waiting for Greg to post up. We were unable to break down WSU's "set defense" except for a few inside buckets by Monroe and Dajuan. Opposing teams will continue to play us the same way unless we show an ability to break the press more efficiently and to score against the zone.
I cannot tell whether we play with poise or if we lack passion. I don't think we need chest-pumping and floor-slapping on every other play. I just want to see the guys play like they are having fun on the court. This group supposedly felt more cohesive than prior years' teams. I am just not seeing it yet.
Greg is by far the STUD of the farm. I feel that Dajuan and Jesse need to step up their games a bit more. They did show some leadership towards the end game but they need to step it up early on. Freeman - solid performance but he needs to help on the boards - unless they want him to trail back for fastbreak opportunities. Many on this board have stated that Chris Wright will be a future pro. Needs some work before he's mentioned in the same breath as Iverson, Sleepy, or even KBras. Vaughn did not look comfortable playing big at all. He is like an undersized Othella Harrington, if you get my drift. Wattad, Clark - blah.
I am definitely glad we came away with a win, but I am very worried with how we will fare in this tournament and in early Big East play. For folks bashing Duke, 'Cuse, ND, etc for not looking sharp in recent games, take a good look at this game. See the log in your eye? We are notoriously slow starters. I just hope that the group learns how to play together and with passion by year's end.
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blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Sept 18, 2008 22:06:16 GMT -5
I attended a wonderful event sponsored by GEMA last Friday at the newly renovated Taper Forum Auditorium in downtown LA. The Taper opened with "The House of Blue Leaves" written by Hoya alum, John Guare (probably better known for Six Degrees of Separation).
The production and the theater itself were very impressive. That's what $30 million can do for you. The capable cast included Jane Kaczmereck (spelling?) from Malcolm in the Middle , the construction dude from Office Space, and the less annoying male character from Mad About You.
But the highlight of the evening was seeing Chris Williams a.k.a Crazy Eyez Killah seated at one of the tables reserved for GEMA. Crazy Eyez, a Hoya - just amazing!
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blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Sept 9, 2008 21:32:09 GMT -5
I know that my previous post may have seemed tangential. I just thought it was an incredible coincidence that a Jesuit school I attended also competes with a rival institution called De La Salle. Only now, the competition is for a Hoya recruit.
I know - a little circuitous.
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blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Sept 9, 2008 21:04:44 GMT -5
All this talk of Loyola and De La Salle reminds me of MY high school days in the Philippines. Our version of the Duke-UNC rivalry is the Ateneo de Manila (Jesuit school located in LOYOLA Heights) and De La Salle rivalry. Both schools have elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels. I went through grade school and high school at the Ateneo before coming to Georgetown. In any event, check out this NY Times article published last September during the 2007 UAAP Final Four. This year's Final Four is about to begin with Ateneo and De La Salle ranked 1st and 3rd, respectively. Hope my Blue Eagles finally win it all this year. It hurt a little to hear of Thompson's departure from Loyola for De La Salle. Link: www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/sports/23rivalry.html
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blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Apr 3, 2008 22:47:40 GMT -5
Check out www.pba.com.ph. The current cover story reports that former Miami Hurricane (?), Darius Rice, scored 56 points in his last game. Not uncommon in this league. I think the record that was set in the late 80's is 115 points scored in one game. Yes - that's by one player.
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blueeagle
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Win or lose, it's the school we choose.
Posts: 492
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Post by blueeagle on Apr 3, 2008 22:23:21 GMT -5
For those interested, former Hoyas Wesley Wilson and Jameel Watkins are both playing in the Philippine Basketball Association as "imports". Apparently, Wilson, who has previously played in the league, is averaging a high double-double per game and is considered one of the best "imports" for the season.
The PBA has hosted former college b-ball and NBA journeymen over the years. Previous PBA imports include Keith Smart (Indiana) and Wes Matthews (Lakers).
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