Running Diary: Marquette-Syracuse
Bill Simmons has very few rules, but one of them is whenever Syracuse is trying to end a 3-game losing streak in Milwaukee on National Marquette Day, I have to keep a running diary.
20:00 - Tip off in Milwaukee...but we can't see it because the big Norfolk St-Morgan St game is still rockin' on ESPNU!
13:50 - Norfolk St pulls off the shocker and the no-name announcers reluctantly toss it to Wisconsin where Syracuse has scraped back to within 1 after an early deficit, 14-13.
12:46 - ESPN tells us Marquette has never beaten Syracuse in 5 tries in the Big East conference. They lead 17-13, although the perimeter of the zone is looking better/more active.
11:03 - Or not. Marquette hits a three. They've scored on 11 of 15 possessions. 23-15 bad guys.
9:08 - Zone looks good for 30 seconds, then Marquette hits a tough mid-range jumper. Typical.
7:43 - 29-20 Marquette. Our game is being brought to you by 5-Hour Energy. What's the deal with their commercials? I feel like if I was trying to sell a mysterious liquid drug in a sketchy little plastic bottle, I wouldn't want my ads to feel like they were shot by a porn production company. But that's just me.
6:07 - 31-20. Marquette is out-rebounding the Orange 15-4. What the heck happened to our rebounding prowess? We've dropped from the 20s to 44th in the country. We got beat on the boards 40-33 by Seton Hall, and 41-27 by Pitt. Ugh.
3:00 - SU cuts it to 35-29 as Kris Joseph calmly knocks down a three. How is he not scoring 20 points a game? I just took out my Scoop voodoo doll. I like to regularly whisper to it, "Make sure either KJ or Ricky touches the ball every possession!"
:39.1 - CJ Fair makes a block that looks EXACTLY like Hak Warrick's block on Michael Lee in 2003! That's GOTTA be a good sign!
Half - Marquette sets a new high for points scored in the first half against Syracuse. 42-31. I could go for a 5-Hour-Energy. Maybe ten of them.
Half - Scoop has 7 assists and only 1 turnover that should have been a foul. Call me crazy but I think he's playing better. Soooo...I was totally wrong that Scoop's performance will dictate the success of this team. It's the defense.
19:35 - 42-33 off an early bucket from New Melo moments after KJ, about to inbound to start the half, gives ESPN's Fran Frascilla a nod of approval at his zone diagram analysis. Fran thinks the problem is the guards aren't defending the high paint well enough.
16:16 - 46-39 Marquette. A minute after Melo gets called for a high elbow that replays show didn't even connect, he picks up his fourth playing shoddy defense inside. But Jim leaves him in... May as well, I guess.
15:37 - Scoop hits a three... and he's reached a career high in assists with 10! Dare I say, the Orange are looking better. Still a 6-point deficit though.
12:26 - Scoop narrowly misses connecting with KJ for an alley-oop. It's been 3:30 since the Orange have scored, but they've only allowed 8 points in the half. I give up.
8:16 - Tie game! 56-all! And for the first time in four games, it actually feels like Syracuse has been the best team on the court for an extended period.
6:19 - 60-57 Marquette after Scoop dribbles right into a Golden Eagle and loses the ball. When he gets anxious...trouble.
3:41 - After a ridiculous three from Jimmy Butler with the shot clock running out, Ricky answers with a bucket and the foul. Syracuse, trailing by 1, has still never led in this game. But ESPN shows a graphic showing that Marquette has blown four leads of 7 or more in Big East games this season.
3:24 - Baye Moussa Keita fouls out. Only four points but, as usual, he brought some great energy. Coincidentally, "Baye Moussa Keita" literally translated, means "fouls out."
1:56 - 66-all. I can't remember a single player attacking the zone as well as Jae Crowder (27 points) has today. He's been fantastic and terrifying. Bobby Huggins should hire him as an assistant coach.
1:33 - 69-66 Marquette, Golden Eagles ball. Another huge three late in the shot clock from Butler. How is Marquette only 13-8?? These guys will be on the bubble at the end.
34.1 - 73-68 Marquette. Another late three from deep, this time by Johnson-Odom. Then Scoop is stuffed on a lay-up at the other end. We played better, but Marquette killed us at the foul lines, hit huge shots late, and got out to too big a lead.
FINAL - 76-70 Marquette. Syracuse did some things a lot better in the second half, but played terribly in the first and could never get control of the game. Credit the Golden Eagles for finishing strong. I don't know what else to say, except I'm glad the Orange have an easy match coming up on Wednesday at Connecticut. Geheyeheyeheyehey! (grabbing collar)
20:00 - Tip off in Milwaukee...but we can't see it because the big Norfolk St-Morgan St game is still rockin' on ESPNU!
13:50 - Norfolk St pulls off the shocker and the no-name announcers reluctantly toss it to Wisconsin where Syracuse has scraped back to within 1 after an early deficit, 14-13.
12:46 - ESPN tells us Marquette has never beaten Syracuse in 5 tries in the Big East conference. They lead 17-13, although the perimeter of the zone is looking better/more active.
11:03 - Or not. Marquette hits a three. They've scored on 11 of 15 possessions. 23-15 bad guys.
9:08 - Zone looks good for 30 seconds, then Marquette hits a tough mid-range jumper. Typical.
7:43 - 29-20 Marquette. Our game is being brought to you by 5-Hour Energy. What's the deal with their commercials? I feel like if I was trying to sell a mysterious liquid drug in a sketchy little plastic bottle, I wouldn't want my ads to feel like they were shot by a porn production company. But that's just me.
6:07 - 31-20. Marquette is out-rebounding the Orange 15-4. What the heck happened to our rebounding prowess? We've dropped from the 20s to 44th in the country. We got beat on the boards 40-33 by Seton Hall, and 41-27 by Pitt. Ugh.
3:00 - SU cuts it to 35-29 as Kris Joseph calmly knocks down a three. How is he not scoring 20 points a game? I just took out my Scoop voodoo doll. I like to regularly whisper to it, "Make sure either KJ or Ricky touches the ball every possession!"
:39.1 - CJ Fair makes a block that looks EXACTLY like Hak Warrick's block on Michael Lee in 2003! That's GOTTA be a good sign!
Half - Marquette sets a new high for points scored in the first half against Syracuse. 42-31. I could go for a 5-Hour-Energy. Maybe ten of them.
Half - Scoop has 7 assists and only 1 turnover that should have been a foul. Call me crazy but I think he's playing better. Soooo...I was totally wrong that Scoop's performance will dictate the success of this team. It's the defense.
19:35 - 42-33 off an early bucket from New Melo moments after KJ, about to inbound to start the half, gives ESPN's Fran Frascilla a nod of approval at his zone diagram analysis. Fran thinks the problem is the guards aren't defending the high paint well enough.
16:16 - 46-39 Marquette. A minute after Melo gets called for a high elbow that replays show didn't even connect, he picks up his fourth playing shoddy defense inside. But Jim leaves him in... May as well, I guess.
15:37 - Scoop hits a three... and he's reached a career high in assists with 10! Dare I say, the Orange are looking better. Still a 6-point deficit though.
12:26 - Scoop narrowly misses connecting with KJ for an alley-oop. It's been 3:30 since the Orange have scored, but they've only allowed 8 points in the half. I give up.
8:16 - Tie game! 56-all! And for the first time in four games, it actually feels like Syracuse has been the best team on the court for an extended period.
6:19 - 60-57 Marquette after Scoop dribbles right into a Golden Eagle and loses the ball. When he gets anxious...trouble.
3:41 - After a ridiculous three from Jimmy Butler with the shot clock running out, Ricky answers with a bucket and the foul. Syracuse, trailing by 1, has still never led in this game. But ESPN shows a graphic showing that Marquette has blown four leads of 7 or more in Big East games this season.
3:24 - Baye Moussa Keita fouls out. Only four points but, as usual, he brought some great energy. Coincidentally, "Baye Moussa Keita" literally translated, means "fouls out."
1:56 - 66-all. I can't remember a single player attacking the zone as well as Jae Crowder (27 points) has today. He's been fantastic and terrifying. Bobby Huggins should hire him as an assistant coach.
1:33 - 69-66 Marquette, Golden Eagles ball. Another huge three late in the shot clock from Butler. How is Marquette only 13-8?? These guys will be on the bubble at the end.
34.1 - 73-68 Marquette. Another late three from deep, this time by Johnson-Odom. Then Scoop is stuffed on a lay-up at the other end. We played better, but Marquette killed us at the foul lines, hit huge shots late, and got out to too big a lead.
FINAL - 76-70 Marquette. Syracuse did some things a lot better in the second half, but played terribly in the first and could never get control of the game. Credit the Golden Eagles for finishing strong. I don't know what else to say, except I'm glad the Orange have an easy match coming up on Wednesday at Connecticut. Geheyeheyeheyehey! (grabbing collar)
posted by Prof. A at 3:17 PM
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