Sour Ending to a Sweet Season

Without AO, it was pretty much a certainty that the Orange basketball season would end in disappointment. It just seemed more disappointing than necessary last night to see them hold Butler to 63 points, and yet still lose. But would it have been any less disappointing to see them blown out by K-State or Kentucky? And really, how were they going to play deep into the tournament without any inside presence.

It’s never polite to say I told you so, but look back a couple posts, and ask yourselves; didn’t I tell you that they needed to do a better job of protecting the ball? Butler played an aggressive man defense, but how many turnovers were unforced? How many casual passes? How many times were guys inattentive while being swarmed by the defense? If they eliminated only four turnovers, that would have been four fewer points for Butler, and four more possessions for the Orange. Wouldn’t the game have ended in their favor?

We’ve been pleased all year long about the unselfish nature of this team, and how they really had no go-to guy. Or as Jay Bilas put it, the go-to man for the Orange was the open man, making it tough for defenses to shut them down. But last night that strength turned into a weakness, as no one guy could take over the offense and put up points, when everyone else got cold. Remember how in 2003 Carmelo could become the offense when nothing else was working? The team would clear out for Melo, and he could manage to keep them in the game, until someone else got hot again.

And speaking of 2003, where was the bench in this tournament? In the first two rounds in 2003, our offense had trouble getting untracked. In each game of the first two games, Billy Edelin came off the bench and led the team in scoring. Scoop played well at times these past couple games, but Joseph was AWOL for the entire tournament. And although Triche played well in Buffalo, he reverted to his late-season funk last night, moping around, and hanging his head.

In the end though, it’s a matter of perspective. Think back to last spring, after Flynn, Harris and Devo chose not to return. At that time, what would I have thought about a return trip to the Sweet Sixteen? I’d have been thrilled. The three top scorers leaving early, yet the team rebuilds itself and plays well in the first two rounds of the tournament. At pretty much any time in 2009, that would have been perceived as a successful season. It was only when they started beating everyone in the Big East (perhaps an overrated conference this year, based on tournament results), and then winning consistently on the road, that our perspective changed. At that point, no one was thinking Sweet Sixteen anymore; instead, the talk was Final Four.

But in the end, it was not to be. We missed AO’s big body last night, and his ability to get easy buckets in the lane. Let him shoot a few of those four foot jump hooks, and Butler’s defense would have had to adjust. But then again, if Kansas had hit its foul shots in 2003…. All things considered it was a sweet season; just too bad there was that sour finish. So then I guess it’s time to go from Orange to Red, and begin thinking about opening day.

Wes Puts on a Show

Ok G, no negative thoughts today. Instead let’s focus on what we liked about yesterday’s dominating win over Gonzaga. First off, I liked that the Cuse was not getting much respect before the game. How many pundits proclaimed that without AO, the Orange couldn’t get past the second round? These two games reminded me of last November’s coming out party at Madison Square Garden. Cuse was then unranked; no one knew Johnson; they had lost to Lemoyne; and then with most of the nation watching on ESPN, they blew away Cal and Carolina. I have been wanting them to play like they had a chip on their shoulder, and they looked that way in Buffalo all weekend.

Second, I liked that they protected the ball better. The Zags had some steals, but the Orange threw the ball away much less. From this point on they’re going to face teams with good defenses, and there will inevitably be turnovers. But it’s the unforced turnovers that were driving me crazy, and I recall very few of them yesterday.

Third, I liked that the real Wes Johnson was back. All post-season we had been hearing about AO’s injury, but no one ever bothered to talk about Johnson’s injury. After the fall in the Providence game, he didn’t have a twenty point performance in the rest of the regular season. And in retrospect, the hand injury, which I guess was a thumb injury, affected his scoring even more than the fall. But now, with the injuries behind him, Wes was back in early season form, and then some. It was especially nice that the Gonzaga game was the only early game, so the entire nation got to see this dominant performance, and to know why Johnson was a first team All-American. I’m hoping that Butler is modifying its D to shut down Wes, because as we’ve seen throughout the year, the Orange can spread the ball around, and any one of the first seven can lead the team in scoring. Of course, we’ll need others to hit shots if Butler manages to shut Wes down (no easy task, considering his size, and his ability to score from almost anywhere).

I also liked that Triche was back. He played with more confidence all weekend, putting up double figures in both games. And committed a single turnover yesterday in almost thirty minutes of play. We really need Triche if AO sits, because it’s almost impossible to play deep into the tournament with only five players. Not only that, but if teams are going to concentrate on stopping Johnson and Rautins, others will need to step up.

So yesterday, with Wes healthy, and scoring from all over, and Rautins on fire, especially early in the second half, the Orange were putting up points in a hurry. Len Elmore kept saying that Cuse had to try and get the ball inside, and not rely on the jumper. But with AO out of the lineup, they have much less of an inside presence on O. Jackson gets many of his points on put-backs; he really doesn’t create that much on his own. And the way they were hitting threes all weekend, especially the way they were getting good looks for their threes, they could live without an offensive threat down low. For the middle twenty minutes of the game, the end of the first half and the first half of the second half, they outscored Gonzaga 54-23. That’s what I liked best about the entire weekend. The story about the Orange was supposed to be the 2-3 zone, and the defense played well much of the weekend. What the pundits missed, however, was that this was one of the most efficient offensive teams in the nation, a team that often put up eighty points against Big East opponents -- a team that could put its opponents away with devastating runs. Remember the second half against Carolina?

So now it’s off to Salt Lake City. I’d sure like to see AO back on the court next weekend. I know they looked terrific in Buffalo, but in the Sweet Sixteen I think they’ll need the first team on the court. Even if it’s just for fifteen minutes. In one of these games, the shots won’t fall, and they’ll need to go down low, and get some of those dunks and baby hooks that gave AO the best shooting percentage in Orange history. Am I asking for too much? I hope not. Let’s Go Orange.

Sloppy

I know the Orange won by over twenty last night, and I recognize that after Cuse ran out to a huge lead in the first half, they really weren’t challenged, but I still didn’t have a good feeling about last night. The Orange shot almost fifty percent from three-point range, against a team that had only one starter over six-five, and yet the margin was in the teens for much of the night.

The most disappointing number from last night was sixteen turnovers, against a passive zone defense. Cuse is the team that is supposed to have one of the best defenses in the country, yet Vermont commits only nine turnovers. Most of the Orange turnovers were unforced. Like the soft lob passes into Jackson, when he was surrounded by three defenders. Or Rautins throwing the ball away on the break, and almost injuring Kris Joseph in the process one time. Rautins is one of their senior leaders, so why was he doing that? And why was Jackson putting the ball on the floor fifteen feet away from the hoop, and then predictably running over one of Vermont’s defenders?

Equally disappointing was the end of the first half, when Cuse went to sleep for several minutes, and let a sixteen seed end the first half on a 15-2 run. If they have one of those lapses against Gonzaga, they could find themselves in too deep a hole.

At the same time, there were a couple encouraging signs from this game. Like Triche shooting well from the outside, and perhaps regaining some of his confidence. It goes without saying that we need more depth, especially with AO riding the bench. I also liked that Mookie was back. I’m a fan of Mookie’s and we might have a game when we need him to hit some threes. And most of all, I liked how they shared the ball. There were twenty-four assists on thirty baskets. All season long the Orange have been among the nation’s leaders in assists per game, and unselfish play will make it hard for teams to prepare for the Orange.

John says I should lighten up -- after all, it was a twenty point win in a tournament that has seen two, three and four seeds go home, losing to double digit seeded foes. No one got hurt; the outcome was never really in doubt; and one would hope they got over any tournament jitters. Still, they have to protect the ball better tomorrow afternoon. Let’s Go Orange.

Are We Still Number One?

I have come to the conclusion that I don't like this number one business. It's an additional burden which the Orange don't need, and if anything, it's a disincentive for playing hard and smart. How many turnovers will Cuse commit in the tournament? We all know that the team can dominate when they protect the ball. But will number one lead to complacency, which will then lead to turnovers? Conversely, how many loose balls will we get to? I guess I like it better when the team has a chip on its shoulder; when they feel that no one respects them and they have something to prove. Like early in the season, when they came into Madison Square Garden unranked, and demolished two ranked teams. I hope the coach has hung that Kansas column in the locker room -- the one that called the Orange a fraud. I'd like to know what Kansas' record would have been if they had played in the Big East all season. Think they'd have only two losses going into the tournament?

In terms of the bracket, Cuse could have drawn an easier first round match, but maybe it's a good thing to play a team that embarrassed the program a few years ago. And the sibling rivalry between the Joseph brothers will give the game some additional spark. I also like that Pitt is the Big East rival in the bracket as opposed to say, Georgetown, or one of the other teams we embarrassed during the regular season.

Joe Lunardi, who's supposed to know what he's talking about, as opposed to me, who knows nothing, picks Cuse for the Final Four. That's nice. But what's really nice is that he claims AO will be fine. Now I would figure that a guy like Lunardi would have sources, and would have some basis for opining that AO will play. If that's the case, then that's better news than a number one seed, or being picked by a bunch of pundits. I figure there will be plenty of Orange in the stands this weekend -- Buffalo being just down the Thruway. So a home town atmosphere and a healthy AO will help.

Another thing I like is playing out West. I seem to recall that Cuse made it to the Final Four in 96 through the west, and although K-State could send fans over the Rockies into Salt Lake City, unless BYU makes it to the regional finals, there shouldn't be much of a home court advantage for anyone.

The season ended on an ignominious note. After running away from teams in the second half, all season long, the Orange had consecutive games where they collapsed in the second half. Turnovers, bad shooting, porous defense, the works. Let's hope they got all that out of their system; that AO heals up; and that they play well over next couple weekends. It would be nice to be talking basketball at the First Seder.

We're Not Number One

The Orange perch atop the rankings was short-lived. After yesterday's loss at Louisville, in the final game at Freedom Hall, Cuse will fall several notches in the polls, which really isn't such a bad thing. If this is a team whose toughest opponent is themselves, they need to play with far more focus and intensity than they displayed yesterday afternoon. Fewer turnovers, better free-throw shooting, and a better job finishing around the rim.

There are a number of ways to look at that game. Most important perspective is that in every round of the tournament, a couple kids are going to have the games of their lives. Just like Louisville's Kuric, who came off the bench to score a career best, and who hit 4 of 6 threes in the process, all through the tournament kids are going to do the same. The trick for the Orange is to play well enough to weather those surprises.

One way to do that is to shoot better. If Rautins doesn't go 1 for 8, the Orange are in that game. But then again, maybe we'll have tournament games where Rautins and Johnson can't buy any threes. So then a second way to hang on is to protect the ball better. If Cuse cut down on the turnovers in the second half, they'd still have been in the game. I can think of two plays, right off the top of my head, where Jackson didn't protect the ball and his turnovers led to quick Louisville buckets. That's an eight point swing right there. Cuse looked so dominant against Nova because for thirty minutes they committed only two turnovers. They really didn't shoot that well last week, but because they kept the turnovers down to almost zero, and made most possessions count, the game ended up lopsided in favor of the Orange.

Better free throw shooting is also a key. In close games this year, the Orange were consistent from the line. Remember that they stayed in the six-overtime game because their free throw shooting was unconscious in the overtime periods. But all through the second half yesterday they missed key free throws. How about making layups? How many layups did they fail to convert? In the final game at the dome the other night, they played uninspired ball, with the exception of AO, yet managed to beat a St. John's team that looked in disarray. Louisville is far more talented, was playing in an emotional setting, with many of their alums in the stands, and in all likelihood, was playing for a tournament berth. So the same lackluster play resulted in a loss.

But if this loss convinces the team that they need to be on for every game now, then the loss wasn't such a bad thing. It was nice to be number one, but it doesn't mean anything once the tourney starts. Just like the number one seed that Joe Lunardi still predicts. That really doesn't mean much either. If the seeds play out, numbers one and two meet in the regional finals, so there really is little difference between a one and a two. And there's no way they get anything less than a two at this point.

Next game is in the Garden, where Cuse has played so well the past few years. Let's hope they return to form. And oh, by the way, you can change your shirts and socks now. That didn't seem to do anything, did it?

Don't Change Anything

Cuse won the Big East regular season championship the other night, for the first time in a decade. Someone asked me today if I stayed to watch the presentation of the trophy the other night. No; this was not the trophy I cared about. To the extent this championship was recognition for a great season of conference play, it's all well and good. But really, they've played all year for the season that's about to begin in a couple weeks. Two weeks from today, as a matter of fact.

Cuse has to play in Louisville on Saturday. It's a chance for the Cardinals to play their way into the tournament, by beating the nation's number one team; and it's a chance for the Orange to gain a little revenge, and also to finish the year undefeated on the road. If they do that, they'll be the only team in the country with that credential this year.

Right now the Orange are 28-2. Twenty-two of those wins have been double figure margins. That includes a host of double digit wins over ranked teams. They haven't lost to a ranked team this year. Who else can say that? As I pointed out in the last posting, they are on the nation's leaderboard for a variety of stats, both offensive and defensive. Their most dangerous opponent is themselves. If they don't beat themselves, teams are going to have a very tough time with them.

I thought they played uninspired ball against St. John's, with the exception of the seniors. AO was a force all night long. And Rautins was hot in the first half. But Joseph was pouting and sulking, and if not for a bunch of late free throws, he would have looked lousy in the box. Johnson was skying for rebounds, and playing good D, but his shooting touch is still off. I guess his thumb continues to bother him, but whatever the cause, he can't seem to regain his early season form. Triche was awful in the first half, better in the second, but looks a bit lost right now. And Jackson sat down for almost all the second half - Why, I don't know. Having said all that, after a lackluster performance, they finished almost twenty points up on the Johnnies. After ten minutes, the game was never close.

It will be interesting to see how Saturday goes. In a meaningless game, will they go through the motions, or does their pride compel them to remain on their number one perch? And if the latter, are they good enough to make adjustments, and overcome that frantic man defense Louisville played in the dome on Valentine's day? Boeheim was apparently close to giddy in a post-game press conference after the Nova win, but that wasn't the win we wanted either. They look great, but they have a target on their back. And we've never had a year when they entered the tournament with these kind of expectations.

So just for good luck, everyone keep doing what you've been doing. Mike says he drank Brass Monkeys for the Nova game, so from now on Mike, it's Brass Monkeys at game time. I've been wearing my Orange sweater for the last couple weeks, and the sweater stays on right through the tournament. If your socks are lucky, think about not washing them. You never know what will make the difference. Check back on Sunday; we'll see how we did.