...and well, ok then.
So yeah, that's how it's done, and on a night full o' superlatives I'm gonna start with one guy --- JWit. I cannot be happier for him to A) get this chance to put that bad moment behind him, and B) show up tonight with a double-double and some high-effort D. Good on ya!
So, let's get to the rest:
- I wondered how we'd come out, and for a couple of minutes the guys had me worried with those half-assed passes --- I mean, Drake all but handed a guy the ball one time --- but fortunately, that was short-lived. Once the guys got cranked up, and especially with the ball going thru the basket, well.... duck!
- One thing we didn't half-ass was defense. Our 20 was mostly consistently good, and we attacked the ball, forcing TOs and busting ass for some classic Carolina fast breaks.
- Speaking of that, our TEMPO was so much more like it tonight. Did you notice how mamy fewer times we walked up to called plays? --- way more transition and Freelance action. And I know what we're all thinking --- if RJ gets back in the "zone" like his shooting tonight indicated, yeah... that dog will flat-out hunt.
- Granted, we're not gonna be able to expect that kind of shooting, but what was sustainable was him getting so many shots in rhythm. Yeah, it's nice to have the step-back bail-out in his back pocket, but when we can get the little guy in the flow, well... you saw the possibilities.
- Speaking of tempo and flow, that was the handiwork of #3. I told a coach buddy I didn't mind being in the play-in because it was an extra opportunity to watch EC operate. He kicked off our scoring and then went to work, wheelin' and dealin', triggering and running breaks, disrupting on D and generally driving SDSt crazy, We actually got a stat guy who could count his 12 Assists (hell, he mighta got credited for 8 in Chapel Hill
), plus he had 5 "coach's" that led to FTs. Eliot did get shorted a steal, but Lordy, some of those sick passes. Maybe some will get it and some won't, but putting it in hoops lingo: he just ain't normal...
- Speaking of that, we' continue to improve at CATCHING the ball, especially Lubin --- and I love watching Seth sky to the rack, looking more like he did at Memphis. Moreover, we continued what worked in the dook comeback by attacking the rim, and we toughed it out on the glass to the tune of a 39-28 advantage. In addition to Withers, that was a team effort, with JWash --- who played some stout inside D --- and others battling.
- Finally, look, I told y'all these guys were gonna get up in our grilles, but we made them play our game. Trust me, Beard's Ole Miss team plays like absolute bastards and will be even more physical and mature than these guys. With that said, I imagine whichever of his Assistants scouted this game wrote "oh shit" somewhere on that sheet...
Anyway, that's how you start off a tourney --- at one point late, I looked up and we were up 40. Wow. Oh, and how about Dante Mayo getting a 3 in an NCAAT game? --- pretty cool IYAM. So yeah, on to Milwaukee and get Seth in front of the home folks, Just gotta come out with the same approach and maybe just a tad quicker...
So yeah, that's how it's done, and on a night full o' superlatives I'm gonna start with one guy --- JWit. I cannot be happier for him to A) get this chance to put that bad moment behind him, and B) show up tonight with a double-double and some high-effort D. Good on ya!
So, let's get to the rest:
- I wondered how we'd come out, and for a couple of minutes the guys had me worried with those half-assed passes --- I mean, Drake all but handed a guy the ball one time --- but fortunately, that was short-lived. Once the guys got cranked up, and especially with the ball going thru the basket, well.... duck!
- One thing we didn't half-ass was defense. Our 20 was mostly consistently good, and we attacked the ball, forcing TOs and busting ass for some classic Carolina fast breaks.
- Speaking of that, our TEMPO was so much more like it tonight. Did you notice how mamy fewer times we walked up to called plays? --- way more transition and Freelance action. And I know what we're all thinking --- if RJ gets back in the "zone" like his shooting tonight indicated, yeah... that dog will flat-out hunt.
- Granted, we're not gonna be able to expect that kind of shooting, but what was sustainable was him getting so many shots in rhythm. Yeah, it's nice to have the step-back bail-out in his back pocket, but when we can get the little guy in the flow, well... you saw the possibilities.
- Speaking of tempo and flow, that was the handiwork of #3. I told a coach buddy I didn't mind being in the play-in because it was an extra opportunity to watch EC operate. He kicked off our scoring and then went to work, wheelin' and dealin', triggering and running breaks, disrupting on D and generally driving SDSt crazy, We actually got a stat guy who could count his 12 Assists (hell, he mighta got credited for 8 in Chapel Hill
), plus he had 5 "coach's" that led to FTs. Eliot did get shorted a steal, but Lordy, some of those sick passes. Maybe some will get it and some won't, but putting it in hoops lingo: he just ain't normal...- Speaking of that, we' continue to improve at CATCHING the ball, especially Lubin --- and I love watching Seth sky to the rack, looking more like he did at Memphis. Moreover, we continued what worked in the dook comeback by attacking the rim, and we toughed it out on the glass to the tune of a 39-28 advantage. In addition to Withers, that was a team effort, with JWash --- who played some stout inside D --- and others battling.
- Finally, look, I told y'all these guys were gonna get up in our grilles, but we made them play our game. Trust me, Beard's Ole Miss team plays like absolute bastards and will be even more physical and mature than these guys. With that said, I imagine whichever of his Assistants scouted this game wrote "oh shit" somewhere on that sheet...
Anyway, that's how you start off a tourney --- at one point late, I looked up and we were up 40. Wow. Oh, and how about Dante Mayo getting a 3 in an NCAAT game? --- pretty cool IYAM. So yeah, on to Milwaukee and get Seth in front of the home folks, Just gotta come out with the same approach and maybe just a tad quicker...
Last edited:
