MBB: Landmark Conference

[ronk]

The Moravian game was senior night, so Matt Fazzini started--but I will note that instead of sitting Reed, it was JB that didn't start.

  I noticed that, myself. Maybe the coach was trying to send a message.

[cugrad]

Matt, the lack of intensity pretty much sums up the current Catholic team.  I believe that they have more talent than anyone in this league, including SU.  However, their lack of passion on the court, and I'm not talking about getting in a circle with your asst. coach in the middle making noise, which to me looks rediculous, I'm talking about they play on the court - hustling for loose balls, blocking out and giving few second chances to their opponents, and showing some desire that suggests they care.  I hope they do get fired up and play as well as they are capable against a good team.  their 30 point victory over Moravian was nice, however they must be able to play that way against the top teams.

GO CARDS!!!   

[Matt Letourneau]

Matt, the lack of intensity pretty much sums up the current Catholic team.  I believe that they have more talent than anyone in this league, including SU.  However, their lack of passion on the court, and I'm not talking about getting in a circle with your asst. coach in the middle making noise, which to me looks rediculous, I'm talking about they play on the court - hustling for loose balls, blocking out and giving few second chances to their opponents, and showing some desire that suggests they care.  I hope they do get fired up and play as well as they are capable against a good team.  their 30 point victory over Moravian was nice, however they must be able to play that way against the top teams.

GO CARDS!!!   

Yeah--I mean, there's only so much the coaching staff can do.  At some point it has to come from within--the players have to feel it.  I've seen it in spurts this year--just not sustained and consistent.  I mean, this is a team that just went 18-8--its not like they're horrible or a huge disappointment...but the ceiling is higher.

[cugrad]

The Cards are 18 - 7, and that is a very good record.  However, with their talent they should not have lost home games to SU or Scranton.  Had they won those games, they might well be playing at home in both conference tournament games.  Also, they had a great opportunity to knock a very good York team on the road.  Anyway, if they can pull two "upsets" on the road, the regular season becomes irrelevant.

GO CARDS!!!

[Cardinal guy]

The knock on Steve Howes was always that he could recruit but couldn't necessarily coach. I haven't seen any reason to think otherwise.

[cugrad]

I don't think that you can lay it all on the coach.  Matt is right, there comes a time when a player or a team must dig down and find something inside that gives them that "extra desire" to achieve at a high level.  Coach Howes is an outstanding recruiter, as is reflected in his players abilities.  As far as a coach is concerned, I have no idea.  One can disagree with a coache's decisions, but who really can define what makes a good coach?  The Cards will probably finish 18 - 8 and possibly get a spot an the ECAC tournament.  That's a good season, however, I believe that they are capable of more.       

[hoopit123]

FINALLY...my season-long suspicions on JB being overrated are catching on and spreading like wild fire!!    i've always thought this way about his game because there is just something missing.  some kind of spark, or excitement, or--for lack of better words--interest?  give him the ball under the basket, i guess he'll lay it in.  but dont ask for too much beyond that.  as an underclassmen, thats a bit acceptable, however, now as a junior and supposedly the elite of the conference, it is quite obviously lacking and unimpressive when he should be leading the  charge for this good, but could be BETTER, catholic team.

[NEPAFAN]

The knock on Steve Howes was always that he could recruit but couldn't necessarily coach. I haven't seen any reason to think otherwise.

Maybe we can get Howes and Danzig on the same staff . Although I think it is easier to overcome bad recruiting then bad coaching!

[Matt Letourneau]

Oh, I think now we're veering off into silliness...none of us are in the huddle and can speak with any real authority about whether somebody can or can't coach--back to my point about the COY award being basically an overachiever award because its hard to quantify good coaching.

There are "bad" coaches coaching very good teams with great records and "good" coaches coaching teams with lousy records.  The problem we're discussing about Catholic--the lack of apparent passion--and I stress apparent, because again, we don't know the whole story--doesn't seem to be to have anything to do with coaching.  You can't coach intangibles and that's what this really is about.

Hoopit--just because i'm objective enough to call it as I see it with JB doesn't mean you WERE right about him last year.  I'm talking about right now.  I thought he was the best player in the conference last year, and the statistics bore that out.  This year, I don't think he is, and the statistics don't show it to be the case, either.   There is more than just the stat sheet of course, but least year he was carrying a huge load as an underclassman and did admirably.  This year the load is a little lighter--so you'd expect his numbers to be down a little bit--but not this much, and his percentages are all worse. 

But I get your point.

[cugrad]

I disagree that Howes is a bad coach, and I don't think Matt or myself is suggesting that.  Matt's right!  You can't make that judgement from the stands.  Coaching is a tough business and a coach's ability can't always be determined by wins/losses or championships.  As far as the JB discussion, JB is one of the best players in the league, and he will finish as one of Catholic's all time leading scorers and rebounders.  Indeed he hasn't played as well this year, but there may be reasons why that is.  Regardless, he is a tremendous player.  It's time for someone else to step up.  RJ, who has had an outstanding year, has done that and others must do the same.

GO CARDS!!!

[hoopit123]

Hoopit--just because i'm objective enough to call it as I see it with JB doesn't mean you WERE right about him last year.  I'm talking about right now.  I thought he was the best player in the conference last year, and the statistics bore that out.  This year, I don't think he is, and the statistics don't show it to be the case, either.   There is more than just the stat sheet of course, but least year he was carrying a huge load as an underclassman and did admirably.  This year the load is a little lighter--so you'd expect his numbers to be down a little bit--but not this much, and his percentages are all worse. 

But I get your point.

your statement that stats arent everything is exactly why those who vote DIDNT believe he was the POY.  and that is my whole point.  he puts up numbers, but thats about it; there is a lot more to basketball than PPG.  thats why he wasnt POY IMHO, and the coaches who voted obviously agree.  besides, what category was he tops in besides scoring last year?

[Matt Letourneau]

I'd have to go back and look, but he was at or in the top 5 in more categories than anyone else by a longshot.

I think Patch won because he was a senior--not because he was either a better player last year, or because his stats were better.  He won because susdad's attitude about whose turn it is is prevalent.  Now, susdad thinks its JB's turn--only fair, right?

I said there's more than just stats--of course.  That's not a new statement from me either.  Yes, there's more than just stats--but that doesn't mean they don't tell the most clear story.  I mean, the most valuable guy from a hustle/intangible standpoint is often a guy who barely makes a dent in the stat sheet--and nobody is giving him POY.

JB was a good enough combo last year...but in not this year in my judgement.

[saratoga]

OK, so with all this talk that JB is not the player this year as he's been the past 2 years, are we somehow hoping he's reading these posts & come Wednesday he'll exact his revenge?
JB...these posts are not from Scranton fans...you relax & make these fans of SU pay dearly next year for all their doubt. In the meantime, even though I think you should have been POY last season, please continue your slight slump on Wed's. & call it a year.

[hoopit123]

this is college athletics...it is hard to believe the coaches would vote a senior as POY just in pity that its his last chance.    that sounds like an excuse.

in other news, there are playoff games in two days eh?

For SU to go TO usmma and pull off a win, they basically need the perfect game, in their eyes: a terrible shooting game for usmma, an electric shooting game for SU, and the players on usmma somehow looking past them and not being prepared mentally to play.

responses to these requests: at home, VERY hard to believe usmma will not shoot well.  SU could perhaps shoot very well, but against usmma defense, its too hard to get open shots to consistently shoot well throughout the entire game.  also, who knows which SU team will show up??? and lastly, and which i think will be the most prevailing factor, usmma is seeking revenge--not only must they be hungry at a shot at the title, it was SU that knocked them out last year.  oh, and they are a military academy--mental focus and concentration is pretty much a given.  they will probably be firing on all cylinders from the tip.

usmma entire starting 5 also has the playoff experience that only about 2 players on SU have.   i would think this is important as well.  there are a whole bunch of inexperienced freshmen on SU, lets hope they take it well and dont 'shell' up.

SU CAN do it, just a lot of ifs---favor has to be leaning toward usmma

[TheGrove]

I think Patch won because he was a senior--not because he was either a better player last year, or because his stats were better.  He won because susdad's attitude about whose turn it is is prevalent.  Now, susdad thinks its JB's turn--only fair, right?

I said there's more than just stats--of course.  That's not a new statement from me either.  Yes, there's more than just stats--but that doesn't mean they don't tell the most clear story.  I mean, the most valuable guy from a hustle/intangible standpoint is often a guy who barely makes a dent in the stat sheet--and nobody is giving him POY.

JB was a good enough combo last year...but in not this year in my judgement.

OK Matt, I like and respect you as a poster, but this is getting to be a bit much. Yeah, we all hammer on JB as a gentle jab at you (well, except susiddad), but even when people bust his chops, they do so in a respectful manner. For you to keep harping that he should have been POY last year over Patch is, IMHO, disrespectful to Patch. Especially the "he won because he was a senior" comment. The stats argument was hashed out at the end of last season and Patch was a statistical leader in the conference as well. You're ignoring that fact. Patch was a hell of a player and, I believe, the coaches voted for him because of what they saw him lay down on their teams. Give them a little more credit than "they gave the warm fuzzy award to a senior."