Quick Reaction: Defending Scoop

I've heard several people blaming Scoop Jardine for the OT loss to UConn tonight. I have to say, I think the Scoop hate is going way too far. We all know the guy does maddening things all the time. He drives us crazy. But you're going to kill him for going for a game-tying three with 17 seconds to go? Yes, getting the quick two is the right play there. But how many times do teams actually do that when they're down by three with less than 20 seconds to go? Maybe...50% of the time? Maybe more, but the point is you see it pretty regularly. And it's right at the border of when you can argue it's time to jack up threes.

Plus, the guy hit not one but TWO THREES to end regulation and complete the comeback of the season! The bank was lucky, yes, but that's why the straight-away three is the better desperation shot. That last shot of regulation, though, was incredible. Give the young man some credit! We're going to hold Scoop to a 3-for-3 standard in the category of "3-point shooting with 20 seconds or less to go"? Absurd.

Here's the relevant play-by-play on the SU side after Scoop Jardine - the very same Scoop Jardine we're blaming for this loss - tied the game at 70 with 4:01 to go in OT.

3:16 - CJ Fair Turnover
2:49 - Scoop Jardine Steal
2:44 - Scoop Jardine missed jumper
2:40 - Rick Jackson missed dunk
2:39 - Kris Joseph missed three-pointer
2:23 - CJ Fair missed free throw (front end of one-and-one)
1:55 - Jeremy Lamb made jumper - 72-70
1:37 - Brandon Triche turnover
1:10 - CJ Fair block and rebound (!!!!!!!!!!! Glue guy!!!!!!!!!)
0:51 - Kris Joseph 1-2 free throws - 72-71
0:26 - Jeremy Lamb made jumper - 74-71
0:17 - Scoop Jardine missed three-pointer

After that the game was over. Okay, so you need more than the play-by-play to evaluate the point guard, and he deserves some blame for no FGs over the last 4:00. But I see the Orange defense forcing someone other than Kemba to beat them. (Lamb was fantastic. We haven't heard the last from him.) I see turnovers from CJ and Triche. I see a disastrous trip to the line for CJ, and a minor debacle at the line for KJ.

And after all of that, Scoop is our goat? 20 points Scoop? The same guy who hit two ridiculous threes to bring us back from the dead?

Here's some other reasons why we lost:

• Boeheim's subs. Triche stayed on the bench too long. Dion was playing well, but if that was the reason Dion stayed on the court way too long. Triche's shooting was off, and his shot selection wasn't great, but he should have played the last eight minutes. Also, my buddy Short Paul thinks Boeheim should have left Fair in on defense. CJ might have helped on that Lamb floater play, but Boeheim put in Melo to get Ricky's length out to the wing. I'm not going to kill it.
  
• The officiating was atrocious. It went both ways at times, but two series loom in my memory. The Dion-phantom-foul on Kemba, followed by the Scoop-phantom-offensive-foul. That came RIGHT after the KJ 4-point play, killing the Orange momentum. And the missed goal tending followed by the three on the other end. Instead of a tie game it was a 5-point UConn lead.
• UConn out-hustled the Orange. Syracuse fans, if you want to complain about the team, feel free to hit them here. There is no way a team that has played 4-straight games and is smaller than you should out-rebound you 45-37. There's no way that team should be killing you on the fast break. Despite Triche's off day, despite the officiating, SU should have won that game. They didn't because of shot selection, because Kris Joseph is developing a nasty ball-stopping habit, and because they played like crap most of the night.

So lay off Scoop!