Thirty Wins

In most seasons, thirty wins would be a great accomplishment; not to mention that it would suggest that the Cuse had gone deep into the tournament. But this year, thirty is just a number. OK, it’s a number that’s indicative of how well they have played; and it’s also the reason our expectations are so high. But who will be happy with thirty plus wins if the Orange don’t make it to New Orleans?

After starting slow, perhaps because of the week off, for the middle of the game -- the second half of the first half, and the first half of the second half -- Cuse looked really great yesterday. The defense was smothering Louisville, completely frustrating their efforts to get the ball inside. And the offense looked as good as in the UConn game, which was probably the high water mark for the season. There was good ball movement leading to open shots; guys were hitting threes when they were open; and turnovers led to fast break baskets. For about twenty-four minutes, they looked like they could walk through the NCAA tournament.

But the game was forty minutes long, not twenty-four, and the Orange need to avoid those extended dry spells that have seemed to follow many of their runs all year long. The defense had kept the game close in the first half, when the offense took a long time to get untracked. But the end of the game was more troublesome, as the Orange took the air out of the ball; slowed their offense down; and allowed Louisville to claw back into the game. I know they ended up with close to a double digit margin, but how often this year have they surrendered big leads and turned potential blowouts into nail biters?

The best thing about yesterday's win, aside from the fact that it’s always great to beat Pitino, was the way Triche and Southerland led the offense. Both of them have been quiet of late, Southerland in a slump, and Triche not playing with a lot of confidence. But all year long, different guys have led the team on different nights. Joseph, Jardine, Waiters, Fair, and Triche have all led the team in scoring at different times. And Boeheim left the hot hands in the game, even having Jardine sit for more than half the game, despite it being his last game in the Dome. The hope is that, in the post-season, someone will heat up on any given night, making up for other guys being cold. We’ve talked about how there isn’t really one go-to guy on this team; but at the same time, there are several guys who can make plays.

So it’s Thursday in the Garden, and even with a loss, I think they are still looking at a number one seed. Not only that, but they should stay in the East, meaning that they have a chance to play in Boston for the regionals. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but wouldn't that be great? Go Orange.