Joseph

No, not that Joseph. I'm not talking Genesis here; I'm talking basketball. And more specifically, I'm talking about Kris Joseph, who came off the bench last night, and along with Wes Johnson, sparked Cuse's second half run against Seton Hall.

It was the first conference game, a road game against the Seton Hall team that took sixth ranked and undefeated West Virginia to overtime last weekend. There are no easy road games in Big East play. And even though the Orange had dominated North Carolina, and beaten Florida in Tampa (supposedly a neutral court, but clearly a Gator crowd), no one knew how the undefeated Orange would match up in conference play. There are few easy baskets in Big East play, and everyone pounds the boards. Plus, through a dozen non-conference games, Cuse hadn't had a close finish. How would they respond if they found themselves up by only a basket? Would they hit foul shots when the game was on the line?

Keeping with the theme of recent posts, here's what I didn't like last night: mostly, I didn't like the twenty turnovers, many of them unforced, when the Orange threw the ball away on fast breaks, or tried to force it inside against a defense packed in to clog the lane. I wasn't wild about the outside shooting; if they're going to be successful in conference play, at least one guy should be hitting from the outside every night. Otherwise AO and Jackson will get smothered every time they touch the ball. And it was clear that Triche had freshman butterflies, and reverted to the tentative play that we all saw at the start of the season.

I also didn't like the many defensive lapses in the first half. For the first time this year, the Orange were giving up easy hoops, over and over. In fact, if I remember right, at one point Seton Hall ran off eleven points in only a minute and a half. I had figured that the defense would be the key to success in conference play, and was discouraged to see Seton Hall put up 43 first half points, many on uncontested layups, or put-backs.

But here's what I did like. For the first time all season, the Cuse fought back from a double digit deficit. If you recall, in that season I hesitate to discuss so often, but somehow can't keep from mentioning, the Orange came from behind more than a dozen times. Even in the last game of the season, at home, in front of a record crowd, and against an unranked and unheralded Rutgers team, they had to fight back from a twelve point deficit. All that playing from behind helped out when they later staked Oklahoma State to a seventeen point lead in the second round. But enough about the past. Last night, Cuse fought back from 12 down in the first half, tying the score just before half-time. And then again, from six down in the second half. The second half comeback was the run alluded to earlier, where Joseph and Johnson put up fifteen unanswered points, and turned the game around.

I also liked how the defensive intensity stepped up in the second half. After surrendering 43 points in the first twenty minutes, Cuse allowed only thirty after halftime. With the way this team is capable of scoring, if they can hold opponents to sixty points, they'll give themselves a good chance of winning. Even on nights when no one is shooting well.

And of course, I liked the play of Wes Johnson. Against a physical Seton Hall team that manged to pull down 23 offensive boards, Johnson had 19 rebounds, allowing the Orange to end up even with the Hall under the boards. I'm not sure Johnson will be able to put this team on his back, on nights when no one else can score or rebound, but Johnson and someone else, anyone else, ought to keep this team competitive on most nights.

And last night, the someone else was Kris Joseph, who for the second straight game, came off the bench, yet still managed to end up the second leading scorer. Last year, Joseph showed promise at times, but never seemed to play with enough confidence or assertiveness. He always looked tentative taking the ball to the basket, and although he got his minutes, he never made much of an impression. But somehow, between last March and this November, Kris Joseph found his game. He gets out on the break, and has had his share of highlight dunks. He takes the ball to the basket; he rebounds; and he plays pretty solid D on the wing of the 2-3.

So last night, when Triche could do little right, Jardine ran the point most of the night. And when Rick Jackson couldn't seem to find the basket, Joseph came in and scored sixteen points, missing a single field goal, and even more importantly, only a single foul shot all night. The team shot 73% from the stripe, largely because the bench went 12 for 13. So that means that right now the team is seven deep, with any of those seven capable of leading the team in scoring. And with Joseph leading the way, last night's bench scored thirty of the team's eighty points in the first conference game. If that level of bench contribution keeps up, it will be harder for teams to shut the Orange down. And while they won't score eighty or more points every game, they still retain that potential. After all, the team put up eighty points with only three three-pointers.

And one last thing I liked was how Cuse won a close game. For the first time all year, they were pushed late in the second half, in fact right up until the final minutes. For the first time all year, they went to the free throw line when it really mattered. I was nervous when they were winning every game by almost twenty points, because I knew that wouldn't last in conference play.

Another big test this Saturday, with Pittsburgh coming to the dome. Pitt isn't quite the same this year, but even with some big names gone, I expect they'll still be banging the hell out of everyone under the boards, and not giving the Orange any easy baskets. There won't be any nights off from now on, no easy games. Marquette almost knocked off West Virginia last night. And late flash here-- Cincy beat tenth ranked UConn with two free throws in the final second. But with Kris Joseph stepping up like he has the last couple games; with a team seven or eight deep; it looks like the Orange will be able to give anyone a game this year.

Triche, Second Edition

I was surprised when the season opened with Brandon Triche in the starting lineup, and Scoop Jardine on the bench. I had liked the way Jardine played the point in his freshman year, especially the way he shared the ball. I was less worried about Flynn's departure, knowing that Jardine could run the team this year. So why was this freshman starting in his place?

That question became even more pressing after Triche began the year with tentative play. In the Garden, against California, when Triche seemed unable to get into the flow of the offense, Scoop came off the bench to lead the team in scoring and assists, while committing a single turnover. It seemed only a matter of time before Scoop replaced the freshman, or perhaps we had one of those situations where the starter sat sat down early in the game, and the substitute racked up all the minutes and points.

But it became apparent after only a few games, that regardless of how much he produced offensively, Triche was helping to make the defense more effective. This year's 2-3 has two big guards out front, making it harder for teams to shoot over the zone. Plus, his athleticism allows him to chase down open guys, as teams swing the ball around looking for an open man. And he showed us early on that he could take the ball to the hole. After all, he's 6'4", and strong enough to go inside against pretty much any other guard.

But whatever doubts remained about Triche and his offensive game, as well as his qualifications to play with the starters, were erased over the last couple games. Against Oakland, he led the team in scoring with 27, and more importantly, shot 6 for 6, from three-point range. Boeheim sat him with about ten minutes in the game; otherwise he could have racked up really huge numbers for the night. Talk about hot. And with Triche hitting threes, that means the team has three different starters who can, maybe not all on the same night, hit the outside shot. So it will be harder for teams to defense the Orange by smothering the big guys, and clogging the lane. Because if no one comes outside to challenge Johnson, Rautins and Triche, at least one of them should be able to knock down threes. And then if defenses come outside on Johnson and Triche, both of them can go strong to the basket.

Cuse is still among the nation's leaders in scoring average. And last I looked, they led all of Division I in field goal percentage. Partly that's because AO and Jackson rarely shoot when they're more than three feet from the basket. But it's also because the team is making more than forty percent of its threes.

I heard in the Dome the other night that when Triche was a high school freshman, he played even against Flynn, who was then a junior. We've had other years when freshmen played above everyone's expectations, and took the team deep into the tournament. And that seems to work well when there are also seniors on the floor, who can provide leadership and stability. Back on the '86 team, it was Triche's uncle who provided that senior leadership to a talented bunch of underclassmen. The role is reversed this year, but it sure looks like the latest Triche will be making big contributions all winter long.

Ugly Win

Here's what I didn't like about last night's win over Bonaventure. We got out hustled, out rebounded, and even pushed around in the first half, by an inspired Bonnies team that was looking for a big win over their formal instate rival. Once upon a time, or to use current terminology, back in the day, Cuse and Bonaventure had a fierce rivalry, and often met in the ECAC prelims that were play-in games for the tournament. Although the Orange have eclipsed the Bonnies of late, these games are never blowouts, and last night was no exception. Even so, Cuse came out flat, and stood around for much of the first half, allowing the smaller and less talented Bonnies to keep the game close, and even lead late in the first half. I thought Johnson especially was flat, as did the coach, who sat him for much of the first twenty minutes.

I also didn't like that we shot the ball poorly from the free throw line. After the bigs hit their first four, including 2 for 2 by AO, everyone went cold. Even Johnson and Rautins were missing. It didn't matter in the long run, but it will when we start Big East play. And I didn't like how we turned the ball over on the break. A few times steals led to fast break opportunities that were quickly wasted when someone tossed the ball away.

Having said all that, what I did like was how we fought back, particularly in the second half. Used to be that the first five minutes of the second half was our most vulnerable time, almost as if the guys had taken tranquilizers in the locker room over half time. This year, however, the team has looked very good coming out of the locker room. Perhaps the coach is firing them up; perhaps the defense is making adjustments. Whatever it is, and last night fit the current pattern, we've had close games decided in the first five minutes of the second half as the Orange have gone on runs coming out of the locker room.

Another thing I liked was the play of Kris Joseph, who got over 30 minutes, first when Johnson sat in the first half, and later when AO stayed on the bench with a bruised thigh, for all of the second half. Joseph is playing more assertively this year, taking the ball to the hoop effectively, and his production is way up. Last night he came within one point of becoming the seventh player to lead the Orange in scoring this year. Now if we can only get Mookie in the flow of the offense as well.

And lastly, I didn't like how the Orange failed the put the Bonnies away when they had a chance. The Bonnie center, who was their leading scorer, was tossed in the second half after he intentionally hit Rautins in the balls. The flagrant foul gave Rautins two free throws, and then possession to Cuse. But he missed both free throws; Cuse failed to score; Bonaventure came back and scored; and it was a twelve point game instead of a runaway.

Nevertheless, team is 11-0, with eleven double digit wins, with seven guys making big contributions, and with a good chance to start conference play undefeated.

Now I know that I've been neglecting all the hot stove news, with Granderson and Lackey moving into the AL East. But as we still have time before the season starts, in fact plenty of time before spring training, all that will have to wait. With one exception: I was astonished that the Yankees let Matsui go. For a franchise that prides itself on class and character, that was the wrong thing to do. I know it's a business; I know the guy is old and his knees are gone; but hey, he just won the World Series MVP. Not to mention that he is as classy a guy as one can find anywhere in professional athletics. For all the damage he's inflicted over the years, I could never manage to hate on Matsui. The only thing I hated was to see him step into the batter's box, especially in a late inning. Danny says the old guy would never have let Matsui go. Not that he went that far; he'll step into the Vlad Guerrero role out in LA - you know, the DH who can barely get around the bases after hitting one out.

But back to matters at hand. From now through March, it's going to be mostly Orange here on MannyMontaigne. Red and Blue will have to wait until the snow melts.

The Wes Johnson Show

In the 80’s, Dominique Wilkins was known as the “Human Highlight Reel”. It’s a nickname that would fit Wes Johnson perfectly. Every game of late he’s had a couple plays that belong on Sportscenter –typically alleyoop dunks off of feeds from Rautins, who seems to have a great sense for when Johnson is going to the hoop. The guy is 6’7’’, but jumps center instead of the taller Jackson and AO. He leads the team in rebounds, and is second in blocks. And when he goes up for boards, he really goes up, soaring above bigger players. Everyone saw that one-handed jam in the Colgate game, and against Maine he seemed to float down the lane, soaring above the astonished Black Bears, before he slammed the ball through the rim. The public relations guys should redo the pre-game video to keep it updated with Johnson’s latest mind boggling plays.

Saturday night, they had the best half of basketball since the Georgia Tech game in 2003. (There’s that year again; I hate to keep bringing up those comparisons.) After Maine sunk a couple threes in the opening minutes, the zone completely shut the Bears down, put them in a trap from which they could not escape. By halftime it was 60-12, and the crowd was almost embarrassed for those poor kids who were being humiliated in front of 20,000 fans; I’m sure their biggest crowd of the year. But one thing I liked about that half was that it confirmed that this year’s Orange are playing with intensity, even when the opposition doesn’t require that. For the past few years, even in last year’s Sweet Sixteen season, Cuse would often play down to the level of their opposition. Maybe they’d play hard for ten minutes, but how often did they come out of the locker room, and sleep walk until they found themselves down by ten? Or maybe they’d run out to a lead, and then give the lead back so that the game was close in the second half. This year’s bunch has been lighting up the scoreboard, and not letting lousy teams hang around with a chance for a lucky win. (Lemoyne excepted of course, but that now appears to have been Boeheim’s teaching tool for the value of the 2-3 zone.)

Another great thing is the depth. They’re already seven deep, with Joseph and Jardine off the bench for long stretches. But coach is working Mookie, Southerland and Riley (two freshmen) into the rotation. Mookie has been playing well since the Cornell game, when he threw some kind of fit, and has learned to give up the ball for more open teammates. He and Southerland are streaky shooters, but when they’re on, they give the team four options from beyond the arc. I worried about the loss of Devendorf, because Rautins has off nights when he cannot find the hoop. But Johnson has great touch from the outside, and with the other two off the bench, Cuse should be able to find three-point shots on most nights this winter.

Today Cuse climbed to 6^th and 7^th in the polls, a rarefied altitude that makes me nervous. I like it better when the team has a chip on its shoulder, and wants to earn everyone's respect. They play Florida in Tampa on Thursday, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they lost that game, and came back to earth before the conference season begins. We’ll have to tune in on ESPN360. But aside from the winning and losing, if you want some eye-popping, rim-rattling, mind-blowing highlights, keep your focus on number four, Wes Johnson, as he flies up through the rafters, down the lane, and into the highlight reel. Go Orange.