Fandom in a nutshell. Threads for losses go on for days. Threads for wins are like 3 pages of "good win".
Very true. I think it's fair to say that's even exaggerated this year because of Pitino. We are expecting Iona to reach levels never seen before. Adding to the "anxiety" is the likelihood it's not a huge window. The Pitino run could last 3 more months, 2 more years or hopefully longer if Pitino/Iona can agree on a deal. Time will tell how all that plays out.
For now. Grab 2 wins this weekend. I still believe Iona rolls the MAAC and gets the auto bid.
Agreed with this. Although I feel like I’m one of the few who think he ends up staying here to finish his career. Especially when the Twitter know-it-all’s think he’s gone. Not sure why a coach who has done it all would need to move on in his 70s but what do I know. Would be amazing for him to build a powerhouse here for the future. Let’s hope I’m right.
Very true. I think it's fair to say that's even exaggerated this year because of Pitino. We are expecting Iona to reach levels never seen before. Adding to the "anxiety" is the likelihood it's not a huge window. The Pitino run could last 3 more months, 2 more years or hopefully longer if Pitino/Iona can agree on a deal. Time will tell how all that plays out.
For now. Grab 2 wins this weekend. I still believe Iona rolls the MAAC and gets the auto bid.
Agreed with this. Although I feel like I’m one of the few who think he ends up staying here to finish his career. Especially when the Twitter know-it-all’s think he’s gone. Not sure why a coach who has done it all would need to move on in his 70s but what do I know. Would be amazing for him to build a powerhouse here for the future. Let’s hope I’m right
Going to be increasingly difficult in the world of NIL and the transfer portal. We've been fortunate so far. That's mostly because of RP and players'confidence in his ability to improve them. I don't know how long that will last.
Very true. I think it's fair to say that's even exaggerated this year because of Pitino. We are expecting Iona to reach levels never seen before. Adding to the "anxiety" is the likelihood it's not a huge window. The Pitino run could last 3 more months, 2 more years or hopefully longer if Pitino/Iona can agree on a deal. Time will tell how all that plays out.
For now. Grab 2 wins this weekend. I still believe Iona rolls the MAAC and gets the auto bid.
Agreed with this. Although I feel like I’m one of the few who think he ends up staying here to finish his career. Especially when the Twitter know-it-all’s think he’s gone. Not sure why a coach who has done it all would need to move on in his 70s but what do I know. Would be amazing for him to build a powerhouse here for the future. Let’s hope I’m right.
No better way to stick it to the powers that be who forced his exile and the schools (St. John's, cough, cough) who wouldn't touch him than to kick their ass from a mid-major. That's how I would view it. I'm sure Pitino views it differently, however.
Agreed with this. Although I feel like I’m one of the few who think he ends up staying here to finish his career. Especially when the Twitter know-it-all’s think he’s gone. Not sure why a coach who has done it all would need to move on in his 70s but what do I know. Would be amazing for him to build a powerhouse here for the future. Let’s hope I’m right.
No better way to stick it to the powers that be who forced his exile and the schools (St. John's, cough, cough) who wouldn't touch him than to kick their ass from a mid-major. That's how I would view it. I'm sure Pitino views it differently, however.
If he were to go anywhere, I'm sure he'd aim to leave it in capable hands to continue what has been established, as was done with Tubby Smith, his former assistant and nod for his replacement at Kentucky. He didn't have an opportunity to hand it off at his previous college stop; it felt like that was more of a rogue board at that school that forced him out, and that program has received its basketball karma ever since, going from one of the elite programs (from when RP was there) in the country to beyond mediocrity, currently-KenPom-ranked 256th and 2-11. There is a program that might not ever recover, which serves it right after the way it handled a HOF coach and superb AD.
Also, Iona seems to have a great AD, which probably can't be said for many programs, IMO. It sounds simple enough, but I think the most successful hoops programs generally seem to have basketball savvy athletic directors.
No better way to stick it to the powers that be who forced his exile and the schools (St. John's, cough, cough) who wouldn't touch him than to kick their ass from a mid-major. That's how I would view it. I'm sure Pitino views it differently, however.
If he were to go anywhere, I'm sure he'd aim to leave it in capable hands to continue what has been established, as was done with Tubby Smith, his former assistant and nod for his replacement at Kentucky. He didn't have an opportunity to hand it off at his previous college stop; it felt like that was more of a rogue board at that school that forced him out, and that program has received its basketball karma ever since, going from one of the elite programs (from when RP was there) in the country to beyond mediocrity, currently-KenPom-ranked 256th and 2-11. There is a program that might not ever recover, which serves it right after the way it handled a HOF coach and superb AD.
Also, Iona seems to have a great AD, which probably can't be said for many programs, IMO. It sounds simple enough, but I think the most successful hoops programs generally seem to have basketball savvy athletic directors.
If Pitino leaves Nelly, Jenkins, Clayton, etc. won’t be on the team next year. It’s imperative you get to the A-10. Clearly his biggest issue is the MAAC, which he’s voiced multiple times.
Finished watching the rest of the DVR'd Seattle matchup this morning.
• I thought the defensive effort versus against Seattle was night and day from the SMU game. We were much more energetic, active and aggressive. I expected RP to get on his troops after that SMU debacle, and he made them bring it defensively against the Redhawks. Not that we didn't make some defensive mistakes, but I thought it was a huge turnaround from the previous contest.
• We really don't have a true backup point guard on this team. Of course, neither do many/most college teams, I would venture to guess. We do have a fantastic true point guard, and that's what any college team needs if wants to be a great team. Knowing that, I think DJ will need to have better judgement when it comes to committing fouls--especially first half fouls. Having him go to the bench in the first half of any game with two fouls can be a killer.
The first call on DJ was a foul, he used his left arm to shove his opponent away, and it was right in front of the Seattle bench and the referee; they're going to call that every time. I'm not sure what DJ was attempting to do on that second foul, but it was also right in front of the official and they're going to call that too--if his intention was to set a screen, he shouldn't have done it like he was going in for a hug, lol. It was an awkward looking play, whatever the reason, and that's going to garner a whistle most times.
I was wondering how BJL might look as a backup point forward under certain circumstances (I have no idea if he has that skillset), though it if he did, it could be an interesting option if DJ were to ever get in foul trouble again. RP used Terrence Williams at Louisville and Antoine Walker at Kentucky in certain situations as point forwards. BJL has similar athleticism and strength as those two guys when they played, though of course only RP would know if that's in BJL's wheelhouse, seeing him in practice every day. (I just saw on the other thread that BJL is going to be out for a few weeks, so that's not going to be an option for a while even if it were doable from a skill standpoint).
WC appears to be a pure two-guard, not a point guard or even a combo guard. I've seen it happen way too many times in college basketball past when a true two guard tries to play the point position and it backfires; sometimes it makes the team worse, as occurred when RP tried playing Tony Delk at the point guard position with his 1996 NCAA title team. A true point guard who can shoot can make the move over to shooting guard (RP did it with Anthony Epps in 1997 for the NCAA Tournament when injuries forced the move and it worked out splendidly), but I've yet to see it work the other way around.
The other backup PG appears to be Brookshire. I haven't seen enough of him in games for an accurate gauge; versus Seattle, he was rejected on one drive, but executed a nice fast break and assist to Cruz on another play. Again, not having a true backup PG is a common problem in college basketball, though it should be a reminder for DJ not to commit senseless fouls, because we're probably going to need him on the floor a lot come March unless we have a comfortable lead.
• I was impressed with Shema. The color analyst made a comparison in regard to his physique to that of Marcus Camby, and it got me to thinking that Shema could be as impactful of a player that Camby was in his day, if Shema does the right things and works hard. He appears to be very naturally gifted with good hand-eye coordination and timing.
• I thought Slazinski looked a lot better. He was probably fatigued versus SMU, and it was only his second game back, so he likely still had some game cobwebs.
• I think we could do a better job stopping penetration and keeping in front of the guys were guarding. WC was blown by at least once, and ditto for at least a couple of other players.
• WC's fifth foul was no bueno. There's a time to back-tip and a time not to back-tip. It's nice to get a back-tip near mid-court in a pressing situation when you out-speed the guy with the ball and knock it away; not a good time to do it near mid-court when you get beat one-on-one and go for a reach-around right in front of the referee. WC also doesn't appear to have the reach to attempt that particular play in that situation. I'm sure he'll learn from that one, he's young.
Good win all-around, and something to build on! Let's take Pepperdine tomorrow!
Can we get the Cliffs Notes version please. Just kidding!
Regarding BJL, I don’t see him handling point duties.
Basically we have Jenkins followed by Walt (moving over from the 2 to 1). In a pinch Brookshire for small stints. The only non guard who could moderately handle the point would be Slaz but by no means is he on par with DVE (we were spoiled having him as a point 4). Years back, David Laury did a nice job in that duty too.
Finished watching the rest of the DVR'd Seattle matchup this morning.
• I thought the defensive effort versus against Seattle was night and day from the SMU game. We were much more energetic, active and aggressive. I expected RP to get on his troops after that SMU debacle, and he made them bring it defensively against the Redhawks. Not that we didn't make some defensive mistakes, but I thought it was a huge turnaround from the previous contest.
• We really don't have a true backup point guard on this team. Of course, neither do many/most college teams, I would venture to guess. We do have a fantastic true point guard, and that's what any college team needs if wants to be a great team. Knowing that, I think DJ will need to have better judgement when it comes to committing fouls--especially first half fouls. Having him go to the bench in the first half of any game with two fouls can be a killer.
The first call on DJ was a foul, he used his left arm to shove his opponent away, and it was right in front of the Seattle bench and the referee; they're going to call that every time. I'm not sure what DJ was attempting to do on that second foul, but it was also right in front of the official and they're going to call that too--if his intention was to set a screen, he shouldn't have done it like he was going in for a hug, lol. It was an awkward looking play, whatever the reason, and that's going to garner a whistle most times.
I was wondering how BJL might look as a backup point forward under certain circumstances (I have no idea if he has that skillset), though it if he did, it could be an interesting option if DJ were to ever get in foul trouble again. RP used Terrence Williams at Louisville and Antoine Walker at Kentucky in certain situations as point forwards. BJL has similar athleticism and strength as those two guys when they played, though of course only RP would know if that's in BJL's wheelhouse, seeing him in practice every day. (I just saw on the other thread that BJL is going to be out for a few weeks, so that's not going to be an option for a while even if it were doable from a skill standpoint).
WC appears to be a pure two-guard, not a point guard or even a combo guard. I've seen it happen way too many times in college basketball past when a true two guard tries to play the point position and it backfires; sometimes it makes the team worse, as occurred when RP tried playing Tony Delk at the point guard position with his 1996 NCAA title team. A true point guard who can shoot can make the move over to shooting guard (RP did it with Anthony Epps in 1997 for the NCAA Tournament when injuries forced the move and it worked out splendidly), but I've yet to see it work the other way around.
The other backup PG appears to be Brookshire. I haven't seen enough of him in games for an accurate gauge; versus Seattle, he was rejected on one drive, but executed a nice fast break and assist to Cruz on another play. Again, not having a true backup PG is a common problem in college basketball, though it should be a reminder for DJ not to commit senseless fouls, because we're probably going to need him on the floor a lot come March unless we have a comfortable lead.
• I was impressed with Shema. The color analyst made a comparison in regard to his physique to that of Marcus Camby, and it got me to thinking that Shema could be as impactful of a player that Camby was in his day, if Shema does the right things and works hard. He appears to be very naturally gifted with good hand-eye coordination and timing.
• I thought Slazinski looked a lot better. He was probably fatigued versus SMU, and it was only his second game back, so he likely still had some game cobwebs.
• I think we could do a better job stopping penetration and keeping in front of the guys were guarding. WC was blown by at least once, and ditto for at least a couple of other players.
• WC's fifth foul was no bueno. There's a time to back-tip and a time not to back-tip. It's nice to get a back-tip near mid-court in a pressing situation when you out-speed the guy with the ball and knock it away; not a good time to do it near mid-court when you get beat one-on-one and go for a reach-around right in front of the referee. WC also doesn't appear to have the reach to attempt that particular play in that situation. I'm sure he'll learn from that one, he's young.
Good win all-around, and something to build on! Let's take Pepperdine tomorrow!
Can we get the Cliffs Notes version please. Just kidding!
Regarding BJL, I don’t see him handling point duties.
Basically we have Jenkins followed by Walt (moving over from the 2 to 1). In a pinch Brookshire for small stints. The only non guard who could moderately handle the point would be Slaz but by no means is he on par with DVE (we were spoiled having him as a point 4). Years back, David Laury did a nice job in that duty too.
Ha, I guess I did get a tad lengthy there. Yeah, I didn't really mean BJL manning the point for frequent bouts per se, but as a possible option if DJ ever were to get in foul trouble for a few minutes at a time; the main point being, we need DJ to protect himself from foul trouble, and not make such silly fouls. His first two versus Seattle were offensive fouls! Oy!
Maybe I need to see more of WC at point, but based on what I've seen in the games I've seen him man that position, it's not his thing. It be a double-whammy hurt too, because then you lose your best two-guard. As a backup for just very small stints, it might not do much harm. He looks like pure shooting guard material to me, from the somewhat limited amount of PG I've seen him play.
I also just realized I posted this on the wrong game thread, lol. Perhaps I'll repost it on the Seattle thread and remove the BJL thought experiment. The main takeaway, from what I've seen from this team thus far, is that we become very average if not shaky without DJ as our point man against good competition. (Though you could probably say that about the majority of college basketball teams without their point guards).
Can we get the Cliffs Notes version please. Just kidding!
Regarding BJL, I don’t see him handling point duties.
Basically we have Jenkins followed by Walt (moving over from the 2 to 1). In a pinch Brookshire for small stints. The only non guard who could moderately handle the point would be Slaz but by no means is he on par with DVE (we were spoiled having him as a point 4). Years back, David Laury did a nice job in that duty too.
Ha, I guess I did get a tad lengthy there. Yeah, I didn't really mean BJL manning the point for frequent bouts per se, but as a possible option if DJ ever were to get in foul trouble for a few minutes at a time; the main point being, we need DJ to protect himself from foul trouble, and not make such silly fouls. His first two versus Seattle were offensive fouls! Oy!
Maybe I need to see more of WC at point, but based on what I've seen in the games I've seen him man that position, it's not his thing. It be a double-whammy hurt too, because then you lose your best two-guard. As a backup for just very small stints, it might not do much harm. He looks like pure shooting guard material to me, from the somewhat limited amount of PG I've seen him play.
I also just realized I posted this on the wrong game thread, lol. Perhaps I'll repost it on the Seattle thread and remove the BJL thought experiment. The main takeaway, from what I've seen from this team thus far, is that we become very average if not shaky without DJ as our point man against good competition. (Though you could probably say that about the majority of college basketball teams without their point guards).
Walt can handle the point when DJ runs into fatigue or foul trouble. That’s when you rely on Cruz to slip in seamlessly at the 2. I see where your going with BJL, but personally I would think he would be like our 5th or 6th option to handle the point.
