Running Commentary: SU-Miami
Bill Simmons has very few rules, but one of them is whenever I've gone two months since posting about SU basketball, and, in the interim, my wife has given birth to a son, I have to write a running commentary.
1st Half, 20:00 - The Orange are hosting another former Big East team, Miami. This should be a tough game but, in the dome, SU should win.
16:33 - Kaleb Joseph is coming along. He's showing signs of being able to score, which is something SU needs more than passing or even ball control. Let's try a little hypothetical. Imagine if Tyler Ennis was still at SU. How much would SU fans love Kaleb Joseph? He's quicker than Ennis, sparkier. I could see him having a few nice games off the bench and convincing SU fans Boeheim should be giving him more playing time.
That would have been ideal. It's pretty evident that Boeheim didn't expect Ennis to go pro after one season, hence the dearth of experienced point guards on this season's roster.
15:16 - 10-1 Miami as the Hurricanes are pouring in jump shots early while SU is off to their patented slow start.
13:20 - Cooney hits a nice step-back jumper - a long two - to make it 13-9. It's so much more fun to watch Syracuse when he is making shots, isn't it? Yikes.
12:00 - Ron Patterson into the game. My father-in-law, Papa Horn, calls him Mr. Point Differential. It's meant to be sarcastic.
10:45 - The Silent G hits a three off an offensive rebound to cut the lead to three. We know what we're getting from Gbinije. Actually, we know what we're getting from the whole team these days. By mid-January, there weren't really any questions about this SU team. Sure, we can hope for one of the bench guys to emerge as the season progresses, and the defense will continue to improve as it always does, but we know what this SU team is. The Orange won't sniff the Final Four but they will ride a relatively easy ACC schedule to an NCAA bid, and if they'll hang around in the post-season tournaments only as long as they can avoid the offensive stinkers.
5:00 - Roberson with a decent move and decent finish off the glass to cut the lead to 24-19. That's better from him. His finishing has been extremely ugly, but he's also the kind of player that will improve under Boeheim. He has a bright future.
4:10 - And a sweet Cooney three cuts the lead to two. Now, enough lead cutting. Let's do some lead TAKING!
3:23 - Rak heading to the line for two. He hasn't quite finished his opportunities in this game, which is the difference in this first half.
2:10 - There it is. A Rak put-back makes it 24-24. Miami hasn't scored in over six minutes. It's always nice to be reminded that other teams go through long droughts all the time.
Halftime - 26 to 26. Feels like SU will pull this one out. Miami is a bit lost on offense. Coach Larranaga is a good one though, so there will be adjustments. Oh yes. There will be adjustments.
17:45 - Cooney rims out on a tough three with SU suddenly down eight. It's not so much adjustments as SU is still not getting Christmas going very well.
15:25 - 39-30 Miami. On one hand, this feels like the first half all over again. On the other hand, SU is looking a little sloppy.
13:15 - Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy...Christmas is getting bottled up underneath and his passes back to the perimeter have been atrocious. Miami converts down at the other end to make it 44-32.
13:00 - Ho, hum...it's the largest crowd in the NCAA this season at just over 30,000. Sometimes the big dome crowds can take themselves out of the game by their sheer size in the cavernous building. It's a little quiet in there right now. If the opponent was UConn or Georgetown, Duke or North Carolina, the crowd would pick itself back up. But in this game, SU has got to get something going first.
8:00 - SU on a big run, with a loooonnnnnggg Cooney three cutting the lead to three. This IS just like the first half. One thing I love about Boeheim teams - they never stop fighting. I think Boeheim's demeanor helps. He never panics. He just keeps coaching and lets the kids' own emotions propel them, given the opportunity. The Orange have it going now, and NOW the dome is in the game. Just in time.
7:45 - Television commercials aimed at blind people are why the terrorists will never win.
7:00 - A lot of talk in this game from the commentators, referencing some words from the two coaches before the game, about Rak Christmas in the NBA. I'm a little skeptical. He's finally shining in his senior season because he's playing solely at the center position, but he is way too small to play center in the pros. At best, he's rostered but I can't imagine him in a 10-man rotation in the NBA. Prove me wrong!
5:50 - Patterson with a three! Even a stopped clock... SU cuts the lead to two. This is the Lead-Cutting Game. Tie game coming soon...will we get a lead, though? Haven't led since 1-0.
4:10 - Two SU turnovers - Gbinije's pocket picked by Angel Hernandez and Cooney travels in the lane - prevent the Orange from even getting a shot off, still down two. Frustratingly, Gbinije lacks intensity, but SU desperately needs the unremarkable but steady offense he brings to the table this season.
2:45 - Angel Rodriguez tries a head-scratching three, but Patterson returns the favor on the other end. Still Miami by three. Yoiks!
52.6 - Gbinije goes 2-4 on two trips to the free throw line, but Miami is 0-2 on two straight 1-and-1s. Christmas's bucket cuts the lead to one. Phew! Could have gotten away from them there...
12.5 - Yikes. Miami three with the shotclock expiring, but Cooney answers to keep the Orange alive, still down by one. Cooney's shot though...awesome. Rodriguez right in his face.
3.4 - Christmas going to the line with SU down three. This doesn't end well. Rak will have to miss the second...which reminds me... Papa Horn had a good idea on how to intentionally miss free throws. Why don't guys slide a few inches to the side on the free throw line and then aim at the upper corner of the backboard square? Good free-throw shooters, at least, will miss every time and it'll ricochet off the rim.
Final Miami 66-62 Syracuse - It didn't matter. Christmas missed the first and Miami rebounded the second. Ugh. Another missed opportunity for a W. I am less confident the Orange will make the tournament than I was at the beginning of the game. A trip to North Carolina is next...
1st Half, 20:00 - The Orange are hosting another former Big East team, Miami. This should be a tough game but, in the dome, SU should win.
16:33 - Kaleb Joseph is coming along. He's showing signs of being able to score, which is something SU needs more than passing or even ball control. Let's try a little hypothetical. Imagine if Tyler Ennis was still at SU. How much would SU fans love Kaleb Joseph? He's quicker than Ennis, sparkier. I could see him having a few nice games off the bench and convincing SU fans Boeheim should be giving him more playing time.
That would have been ideal. It's pretty evident that Boeheim didn't expect Ennis to go pro after one season, hence the dearth of experienced point guards on this season's roster.
15:16 - 10-1 Miami as the Hurricanes are pouring in jump shots early while SU is off to their patented slow start.
13:20 - Cooney hits a nice step-back jumper - a long two - to make it 13-9. It's so much more fun to watch Syracuse when he is making shots, isn't it? Yikes.
12:00 - Ron Patterson into the game. My father-in-law, Papa Horn, calls him Mr. Point Differential. It's meant to be sarcastic.
10:45 - The Silent G hits a three off an offensive rebound to cut the lead to three. We know what we're getting from Gbinije. Actually, we know what we're getting from the whole team these days. By mid-January, there weren't really any questions about this SU team. Sure, we can hope for one of the bench guys to emerge as the season progresses, and the defense will continue to improve as it always does, but we know what this SU team is. The Orange won't sniff the Final Four but they will ride a relatively easy ACC schedule to an NCAA bid, and if they'll hang around in the post-season tournaments only as long as they can avoid the offensive stinkers.
5:00 - Roberson with a decent move and decent finish off the glass to cut the lead to 24-19. That's better from him. His finishing has been extremely ugly, but he's also the kind of player that will improve under Boeheim. He has a bright future.
4:10 - And a sweet Cooney three cuts the lead to two. Now, enough lead cutting. Let's do some lead TAKING!
3:23 - Rak heading to the line for two. He hasn't quite finished his opportunities in this game, which is the difference in this first half.
2:10 - There it is. A Rak put-back makes it 24-24. Miami hasn't scored in over six minutes. It's always nice to be reminded that other teams go through long droughts all the time.
Halftime - 26 to 26. Feels like SU will pull this one out. Miami is a bit lost on offense. Coach Larranaga is a good one though, so there will be adjustments. Oh yes. There will be adjustments.
17:45 - Cooney rims out on a tough three with SU suddenly down eight. It's not so much adjustments as SU is still not getting Christmas going very well.
15:25 - 39-30 Miami. On one hand, this feels like the first half all over again. On the other hand, SU is looking a little sloppy.
13:15 - Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy...Christmas is getting bottled up underneath and his passes back to the perimeter have been atrocious. Miami converts down at the other end to make it 44-32.
13:00 - Ho, hum...it's the largest crowd in the NCAA this season at just over 30,000. Sometimes the big dome crowds can take themselves out of the game by their sheer size in the cavernous building. It's a little quiet in there right now. If the opponent was UConn or Georgetown, Duke or North Carolina, the crowd would pick itself back up. But in this game, SU has got to get something going first.
8:00 - SU on a big run, with a loooonnnnnggg Cooney three cutting the lead to three. This IS just like the first half. One thing I love about Boeheim teams - they never stop fighting. I think Boeheim's demeanor helps. He never panics. He just keeps coaching and lets the kids' own emotions propel them, given the opportunity. The Orange have it going now, and NOW the dome is in the game. Just in time.
7:45 - Television commercials aimed at blind people are why the terrorists will never win.
7:00 - A lot of talk in this game from the commentators, referencing some words from the two coaches before the game, about Rak Christmas in the NBA. I'm a little skeptical. He's finally shining in his senior season because he's playing solely at the center position, but he is way too small to play center in the pros. At best, he's rostered but I can't imagine him in a 10-man rotation in the NBA. Prove me wrong!
5:50 - Patterson with a three! Even a stopped clock... SU cuts the lead to two. This is the Lead-Cutting Game. Tie game coming soon...will we get a lead, though? Haven't led since 1-0.
4:10 - Two SU turnovers - Gbinije's pocket picked by Angel Hernandez and Cooney travels in the lane - prevent the Orange from even getting a shot off, still down two. Frustratingly, Gbinije lacks intensity, but SU desperately needs the unremarkable but steady offense he brings to the table this season.
2:45 - Angel Rodriguez tries a head-scratching three, but Patterson returns the favor on the other end. Still Miami by three. Yoiks!
52.6 - Gbinije goes 2-4 on two trips to the free throw line, but Miami is 0-2 on two straight 1-and-1s. Christmas's bucket cuts the lead to one. Phew! Could have gotten away from them there...
12.5 - Yikes. Miami three with the shotclock expiring, but Cooney answers to keep the Orange alive, still down by one. Cooney's shot though...awesome. Rodriguez right in his face.
3.4 - Christmas going to the line with SU down three. This doesn't end well. Rak will have to miss the second...which reminds me... Papa Horn had a good idea on how to intentionally miss free throws. Why don't guys slide a few inches to the side on the free throw line and then aim at the upper corner of the backboard square? Good free-throw shooters, at least, will miss every time and it'll ricochet off the rim.
Final Miami 66-62 Syracuse - It didn't matter. Christmas missed the first and Miami rebounded the second. Ugh. Another missed opportunity for a W. I am less confident the Orange will make the tournament than I was at the beginning of the game. A trip to North Carolina is next...
posted by Prof. A at 6:09 PM
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