Did you even watch the game? It seemed like watching the game that he totally disappeared in the second half while Marquette was making its run, and the play-by-play confirms that conclusively:
After collecting his 7th assist at the 14:16 mark to put the Hoyas up 57-43, DSR committed 1 TO, missed a shot and had one assist over the next 12:07, playing almost the entire time but largely spectating as Marquette turned a blowout into a 68-62 game. Yes, over the last 2:09 he woke up to score 12 of his 15 points to help them put the game away which was extremely impressive.
But is it too much to ask your senior captain to play closer to 40 minutes of basketball? And it's actually less about his stats than his leadership. This is hardly the first time the team has floundered around him for long stretches, and he seems either reticent or unwilling to take charge. He can't flip the switch over the last 2:09 and produce GU wins against the decent teams in the league, much less the good ones.
I understand you are a contrarian KC, but last night wasn't just savior/good DSR, it was the best and worst of DSR. The very fact that he is capable of scoring 12 points in 2:09 is an indictment begging the question, 'What the hell were you doing from a scoring perspective for the previous 38 minutes?"
This season comes down to Peak and DSR to me. We can be very good if those two play with leadership, fire and urgency. If they don't, we are going to significantly underachieve. IMO, DSR does not have the luxury of waiting for the game to come to him. He has to be more proactive from the tip for GU to be successful.
12:16: With 20 on the shot clock, Hayes has Ike for a backdoor from the elbow but it goes out of bounds.
11:46: With 17 on the shot clock, DSR makes a perfect entry pass to Derrickson who misses a very make able jump hook from five feet.
11:21: Johnson brings it up the court at a quick pace. Passes to Derrickson who makes a poor entry to Hayes that is deflected. Johnson alertly gets the loose ball. DSr demands the ball but now only 18 to shoot. After a couple passes, he gets it back with eight, gets into the paint and kicks to an open Johnson who circles the three to miss a contested runner. Johnson gets his own board and is fouled.
1053: poor offensive possession. Hoyas try to get into the Post but no one is open. DSR doesn't touch it until 12 on the clock. After trying to free Ike, he demands it back with about five and forces an eighteen footer. Johnson again with the board.
10:26: Another fairly poor possession but it ends with DSR making a beautiful pocket pass to Hayes who misses the open three footer.
932: DSR dribbles deliberately up the court, passes and cuts. Before he gets it back, Ike makes a terrible entry to Hayes with 14 to shoot that goes out of bounds.
857: DSR brings it up and immediately gets a high PNR from Hayes with 24 to shoot but nothing doing and he passes. Ball gets to Ike, who promptly has his pocket picked. He recovers but now there is ten to shoot and be is 30 feet from the basket. Forced to shoot an eighteen foot step back that misses.
827: DSR takes a charge.
827: With 20 on the shot clock, DSR passes to Cameron for the four point play.
745: DSR walks it up the court. Doesn't get ball back after be initiated the offense. With ten to shoot, Derrickson gets ball in post and tries spin move but puts up crazy miss.
712: still up eleven. DSR agvresive skip pass to Peak culminates in Peak turning it over trying to enter to the post.
637: DSR rushes it up the court and throws half court pass ahead to Derrickson who takes and misses wide open three with 24 to shoot.
616: Foul with 20 to shoot. Two makes by Cameron.
546: DSR makes pass to high post. Next pass to Ike who shoots and misses three with 19 to shoot.
505: LJ runs point. Ball immediately stolen from Govan on first pass.
443: now up 7, III calls TO. Peak again runs point. Again, Jesse weak with the ball coming to the high post but the defender runs by him and Jesse drives to the hoop with 23 to shoot and is fouled
411: same set with LJ at point and Govan at high post. Govan back to LJ who drives hard with 20 to shoot and scores.
340: same look but to opposite side. at end of possession, they look for DSr who is well guarded so LJ and Govan run a nice PNR and Govan is fouled with five go shoot. Nice possession.
300: Same look. With DSr waiting for a reversal, ball is stolen with 18 to shoot on a lazy pass from Derrickson to Peak. Marquette dunk.
235: six point game. enough with Peak at the point. DSR makes first pass with 25 to play. After a near turnover he demands it back with 16 on the clock. They basically clear out for him before Govan comes for a high PNR with 8 to shoot. DSR drives hard, is fouled, makes two.
158: DSR deliberate up court. Makes pass with 20 to shoot. Immediately gets it back and takes high degree of difficulty classic DSR 18 foot step back. "Pure."
124: DSR again (appropriately) deliberate. Makes pass with 16 to shoot. Gets it back with nine to shoot and ices game with lefty difficult layup.
Some observations: Until the very end, we got into the offense quickly and looked to take the first good shot that was available. There was no real slow down. A couple times we tried to enter the post, and because it wasn't there, we had limited time to do something. Some horrific turnovers, but none was DSR's fault. In fact, he was facilitating and then demanding the ball back when things started going awry. Exactly what you would want.
Maybe -- maybe -- there was one or two decisions in that entire sequence where he could have done something different. And in addition to the end of game clutchness, he made the pass to get Cameron the three and right before that took a charge. He was unequivocally terrific.
