Tar Heel Focus: Syracuse...
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Like the shirts say "LOCK IN" ... I like that so much better than 'Always Reppin'. Does anyone know if those shirts are for sale? I have not seen them on Johnny T Shirt's website.
Hope maybe tar Heel fans can get their attention on this game as well. I sincerely hope folks are not feeling to comfortable just because we beat the cuse a couple times already this season. It is extremely hard to beat a team 3 times in the same season, this is going to be tuff guys and Syracuse is playing better than they have at any point this season. This will not be a cake walk, I am already nervous about this one, I hope we win by 20, I will gladly take a 1pt win and get to the title game.
Roy will not let them overlook anyone. We are playing our best ball of the year also, I like our chances.
Media is saying by and large it will be determined by our ability to knock down 3 point shots. That is not very accurate based on the 2 games UNC has won v Syracuse this year.
W 84 - 73 (UNC 3/16 [19%] from 3)
W 75 - 70 (UNC 6/25 [24%] from 3)
We don't have to shoot threes that well to beat Syracuse. Syracuse wants us taking threes. I hope we only attempt around 15.
W 84 - 73 (UNC 3/16 [19%] from 3)
W 75 - 70 (UNC 6/25 [24%] from 3)
We don't have to shoot threes that well to beat Syracuse. Syracuse wants us taking threes. I hope we only attempt around 15.
Amen, Troy. They want us to jack up threes, versus going inside where we have the advantage. I hop Roy puts Brice at the foul line and let's him face up for the jumper or dump it down low to cutters. Cuse basically plays 7 players and will want to control tempo, not try to run with us.
I expect a very close game, hope I'm wrong and we win comfortably. This game scares me, but then all FF games do.
Troy and Archer are oh-so-correct. But I would limit our kids to about 12 from 3.
I want us to do as we did in one of the earlier 'Cuse games, that is, put it inside the zone with authority to Brice or Kennedy and hit Isaiah running the baseline and tear those %^$#%*&%$# Orange up!
Also saw a stat that is interesting on these large stadiums. Look at the team numbers in large venues, the best 3 pt shooting teams come way down statistically in big arenas and mid level or poorer shooting 3 pt teams don't come down as much but do come down a bit. As an example Vilanofun has shot well from distance this season, say 35% and our number for the season was say 30%, in this example Vilanofun would shoot 29-30% in Houston and we would only come down to say 28-29%. Point being, don't force what is not there. Our strength has been to feed the bigs. We busted the heck out of their zone before, they will game plan it, so will we, I'll take our kids.
As to recruits, take notice, people need a beautiful campus, a great University and a doggone good basketball program, UNC FEEDs BIGS...take note all you guards and bigs... we got a nice place to work on your games!
I want us to do as we did in one of the earlier 'Cuse games, that is, put it inside the zone with authority to Brice or Kennedy and hit Isaiah running the baseline and tear those %^$#%*&%$# Orange up!
Also saw a stat that is interesting on these large stadiums. Look at the team numbers in large venues, the best 3 pt shooting teams come way down statistically in big arenas and mid level or poorer shooting 3 pt teams don't come down as much but do come down a bit. As an example Vilanofun has shot well from distance this season, say 35% and our number for the season was say 30%, in this example Vilanofun would shoot 29-30% in Houston and we would only come down to say 28-29%. Point being, don't force what is not there. Our strength has been to feed the bigs. We busted the heck out of their zone before, they will game plan it, so will we, I'll take our kids.
As to recruits, take notice, people need a beautiful campus, a great University and a doggone good basketball program, UNC FEEDs BIGS...take note all you guards and bigs... we got a nice place to work on your games!
The fire in our guys' eyes is scary!
I don't see us overlooking anyone. MP getting his groove back, our increased intensity, Meeks' resurgence, Hicks' awkward energy, Joel "beast" Berry, Brice!, and our newly ferocious D = Hide the wives, Hide the kids!
I don't see us overlooking anyone. MP getting his groove back, our increased intensity, Meeks' resurgence, Hicks' awkward energy, Joel "beast" Berry, Brice!, and our newly ferocious D = Hide the wives, Hide the kids!
Not a great match up for our guards. Typically Syracuse zones engulf small guards and our backcourt is really small. My guess is Jackson will have to hit some perimeter shots. I don't anticipate Paige or Berry to get a ton of great looks unless Syracuse's zone breaks down easier than I expect it to.
Need to defend Malachi Richardson. He and Gbinije are the only two that have takeover ability and you can't let that happen.
Best case scenario, Tyler Roberson gets into foul trouble but likely won't happen due to the zone.
We're going to have to hit some shots. We're going to take more 3's because that's just what happens against a zone. And our bigs will have to knock down 15 footers.
We should absolutely own the glass and have a significant edge in second chance points. And that advantage should be so significant, it should give us a huge edge in winning. Syracuse is like 330th in opponent's offensive rebounding.
It will be another slow down, burn the clock game but Syracuse is significantly better defensively than Notre Dame is. And, like against any team we've played, make them beat us from 2, not 3.
Also, Tyler Lydon has been really good for them off the bench and Isiah's been pretty inconsistent this tournament.
Need to defend Malachi Richardson. He and Gbinije are the only two that have takeover ability and you can't let that happen.
Best case scenario, Tyler Roberson gets into foul trouble but likely won't happen due to the zone.
We're going to have to hit some shots. We're going to take more 3's because that's just what happens against a zone. And our bigs will have to knock down 15 footers.
We should absolutely own the glass and have a significant edge in second chance points. And that advantage should be so significant, it should give us a huge edge in winning. Syracuse is like 330th in opponent's offensive rebounding.
It will be another slow down, burn the clock game but Syracuse is significantly better defensively than Notre Dame is. And, like against any team we've played, make them beat us from 2, not 3.
Also, Tyler Lydon has been really good for them off the bench and Isiah's been pretty inconsistent this tournament.
W 84 - 73 (UNC 3/16 [19%] from 3)
W 75 - 70 (UNC 6/25 [24%] from 3)
Clearly we won with a larger margin by NOT Taking as many treys, we took fewer treys and hit them at a lower % and yet we won by a larger margin? Yet you tell me we have to shoot more, that we are going to have to hit more in order to be able to win? Please explain?
Actually IMO the key is Hicks and Brice staying out of foul trouble and their ability to pass big to big. That was actually the key in beating them the first game, Brice went in to the middle of that zone, drew the help defender and slipped pass after pass to Hicks for the easy jam. No, you don't pump up treys one after the other because that is exactly what that zone baits you in to doing because the zone positioning allows them to rebound those long misses in space easier, especially if the follow their blocks outs.
Slow down grind it out game? Uh, I thought the key to the cuse come back was they were able to speed the game up on Uva taking them out of their preferred pace? UVa slows the pace, they pass on shots looking for better shots, they don't take much until the clock has ticked down, we on the other hand take the first good shot, just because a team zones us does not mean it becomes a grind it out affair and this Syracuse team tends to like to get out & run, even thou they do not have the depth to allow for a lot of that.
We want to turn this in to a up & down game by owing the glass and getting out running off the defensive rebounds. But if that is not there we will want to attack that zone quickly by floating likely Brice in to the middle of that zone, have him catch and face the defense, with our wing and the other big man looking for the pass ( the short corners are nearly always open for a big man to receive the pass) from Brice as soon as the double comes and if it doesn't, brice takes the 10ft jumper and our wing or other big crash for the offensive rebound.
I do not think jump shooting is the key in this one, not in that dome, timely shots dropping for sure but I don't want to see us taking 24 treys in that dome personally. Our real key is defense, our guards being able to turn over their bigger guards, forcing their offense out further and further and owning the defensive glass. That is going to be about intensity level, fire in the belly to defend hard, their guards are not great ball handles and they are streaky jump shooters that are either all the way on or fade and in that dome jump shooters tend to fade.
Truth is we didn't play all that well in our last game against them and still beat them by 5, we shot really poorly but our front court killed them. 2 games and in both our front court killed them and yet you tell me we have to jump shoot treys to win? Yeah, I am not getting that...
Flashing a big like Brice or Kennedy to the center of the zone seems like the best way of beating it. And fortunately all our bigs are playing pretty well. After 2 losses to us, I have to figure Boeheim has an answer for that. But will it be a good enough answer?
Hitting treys is another way to beat the zone, but we never know if that weapon will be working well for us until we're in the game.
Both Marcus and Justin have been hitting better from deep in the tournament, but Berry has cooled off while Nate and Theo have been downright cold. But any of that could change - for better or worse.
Our advantage is that we can win this a number of ways because we have the depth and versatility to change attacks. Syracuse is less deep and less versatile. We can prepare for them better than they can prepare for us, simply because we can throw more different looks at them.
On their side, they seem to have figured out how to steal games they shouldn't win. Can't fault the heart of that team. So we can't afford a letdown.
Hitting treys is another way to beat the zone, but we never know if that weapon will be working well for us until we're in the game.
Both Marcus and Justin have been hitting better from deep in the tournament, but Berry has cooled off while Nate and Theo have been downright cold. But any of that could change - for better or worse.
Our advantage is that we can win this a number of ways because we have the depth and versatility to change attacks. Syracuse is less deep and less versatile. We can prepare for them better than they can prepare for us, simply because we can throw more different looks at them.
On their side, they seem to have figured out how to steal games they shouldn't win. Can't fault the heart of that team. So we can't afford a letdown.
The interesting thing to watch is how Boeheim will "tweak" the zone to cover the high post. In the second game they adjusted by walking the middle big up a step or 2 higher and sliding off side guard over to the top, but a step or 2 lower to try to deny that pass entry. If they stay with that, I would think the lob over the top would be available to Hicks and or Jackson
. No doubt, keeping the bigs low until the entry pass is made was a disaster for the cuse in the 2nd half of game one. I like that Justin plays well 'ghosting' the zone on the base line- playing behind the back line. Short corner attack point dumping to the big diving to the rim would also be available.
Sorry for 'geeking' out on this stuff, but I am so jacked for this game... Saturday night can't come fast enough!!
. No doubt, keeping the bigs low until the entry pass is made was a disaster for the cuse in the 2nd half of game one. I like that Justin plays well 'ghosting' the zone on the base line- playing behind the back line. Short corner attack point dumping to the big diving to the rim would also be available.
Sorry for 'geeking' out on this stuff, but I am so jacked for this game... Saturday night can't come fast enough!!
Pretty much the zone will give up the high post or the short corner. There is no way they can take away both. I like our chances in this one.
The first game, we sliced their zone apart. The second game, Cuse sunk in more on the zone and the middle wasn't as open.
Couple reasons Syracuse sped up UVA.
1. They had to. They were down by 16 and if they played at UVA's pace, they'd probably have 15 possessions left to make up a 16 point deficit.
2. UVA is uncomfortable playing a sped up game.
If we're able to get a 12-18 point lead in the second half forcing Cuse to press and speed up the game, we'll rip it apart because that's our game. But I'm guessing we'll have to beat Cuse at Cuse's pace for the first 30 minutes. The game will probably be played at Cuse's pace. They're averaging about 63 possessions per game in the tournament. We just played a 57 possession game against a team that controls the tempo. Game will probably be a slow game.
Great post Dave.
Not saying we can't get beat, because certainly we can.
But if you told me we would be facing a team that many thought shouldn't be in the tourney, and is by all measures one of the worst Final Four teams ever, was 9-9 in conference (10th place) and 1-5 in last 6 regular season games, and we beat twice with our B and C level games.....
I'd obviously sure take it, and not think we have to play the game of our lives to win. Or take 30 threes and make 15 of them. Or worry about them taking 30 threes, (because if they do, I bet they don't make more than 5-7 - and lose by 20).
They are the team that has to play a near perfect game to move on, not us. I like hearing Brice and other players being CONFIDENT but not cocky about thinking they are best remaining team, and if someone wants to beat them, that team will have to outwork them. Heels ain't afraid or backing down from anyone.
jung, I don't know how to get you to understand this, you are advocating we go to the weakest aspect of our game, jump shooting, in a dome known to make it extra hard on shooters, against a team that we have beaten twice and shot awful from the outside in BOTH Games? Against a zone by the way, designed to bait you in to taking long jump shots so they can get to the long rebounds that long jump shot misses produce and protect their bigs from foul trouble that comes from pounding the ball inside and forcing those bigs to defend hard inside the paint?
You are falling in to that NBA mindset of jump shooting over big man play, one on one play vs over all team play. That is all the fad in the NBA now days but the college game is more of a over all team orientated game, at least it is for now and at UNC that is absolutely the case. We do what we do and it is up to the other team to beat us, what we do is not a surprise. WE want to push the pace and no one wants to run with us and if they do they live to regret it. We pound the ball inside for higher percentage shots, don't care what math you want to throw out there a dunk is a higher % shot than any trey ever taken. If we dunk all day and the other team pumps up open look treys all day, we will win and we will win big. Dunks go in over 90% of the time and many times gives you the And one, treys, even for great shooters go in what a lil over 40% of the time, you do that math boss.
Yeah, the Golden State Warriors are amazing team of jump shooters but with a record very close to them, a team that has beaten them this season, a team I believe still is un-defeated at home, The Spurs, play more like we do and they are not exactly chopped liver...
My point is I don't think Syracuse will give us the inside game. My guess is they'll really pack in the zone. We're probably going to have to hit some shots to loosen up the zone.
And against good defenses, you're probably going to have to make some shots because good defenses typically defend the rim and the paint well. I would love for us to slice and dice the zone like we did at Syracuse. But I think that's one adjustment they'll make.
The only way I see us dunking all day is if we get a bunch of put back slams. I can't imagine Cuse giving us anything inside unless we make a couple perimeter shots.
It is not what the defense gives you man, it is what you take !
Syracuse is not going to pack that zone in so tight that they give Marcus and Joel wide open 3pt looks, IF they were going to do that they would have in the 2 games marcus was shooting poorly in, now that his shooting has heated up why do you think they will select now to all the sudden back off him and Joel and give them all the free looks they want? Cause if you pack that zone as tight as you are talking about Marcus and Joel will not have a guy within 4ft of them, that is not how that cuse zone plays.
The tuff thing about that syracuse zone is that while it is a zone it uses a lot of man principles, it is a lot like a man defense that switches everything. UNlike most zones, they try to match up their assignments and they love long guards to be able to defend jump shots from a little further away so they can flex back in and double. The hard thing about that zone is how unique it is and teams that do not see it a lot it baffles them, are they in zone or man? But we have not only seen it but we have seen them tweek it from game 1 to game 2 and the tweeks are predictable as are the tweeks on our part on how to attack it. They tweek and we tweek back, ya think Roy does not understand how to tweek back, he has seen that film, not his first rodeo with a horse he know.
Now you can bring a guy up on Brice as he catches in the middle of that zone and turns & faces the defense, who ya bringing some 6'11" shot blocker or Roberson at 6'8"? Brice either shoots over the shorter guy or drives on the long guy, either way with no help Brice kills ya, you help and Brice slips it to the open guy on either short corner for the jam finish or the cuse puts Brice on the line and for a team that plays pretty much 7 guys that is back breakin. It was one thing to take UVa, a team with a decent but not special front court and great guards but our front court attack has a heck of a lot more teeth to it than Uva had.
What I suspect Bohiem may try to do is bring up his big tight on Brice in the middle and drop a guard down to defend if Brice puts the ball on the floor, in other words double down with a guard rather than bring a big man up to face double. But doing that would leave either Marcus or Joel a good 10ft away from a defender, it does not get to be a cleaner look than that and even if we pass on the jumper that guard has a wide open lane to drive thru. Back side screen and Brice drawing away the guard defender is a lay up drill waiting to happen.
Obviously they won't "give us" what we want in the middle but that doesn't mean we won't TAKE IT!
Sure they played us tough both times this year and we have struggled against teams at times in the middle like Brice in last 10 minutes vs Dook. But again Cuse is a middle of the pack team. Not great. Not even really good. It's not like they can just say "we're taking the paint away from you and now the only way you win is by taking 30 3s and making 40% of them." Sheesh. Stop obsessing with 3 pt shooting being the only factor and give us some credit for being able to impose our will on others by going to what we are best in the nation at. Points in the paint. And if Cuse wants to "pack the lane" so much that they give Marcus and Joel wide open, feet set, a second to line up the shot type of threes, o am convinced that they will shoot fine.
BTW EVERY single team this year knew taking away the interior and making is beat them on the perimeter was "a good strategy ". Then why didn't they do that? Answer. Much easier said than done.
Small sample size in the tournament format, but you could say Joel has cooled off some from 3PT range. Would I consider it a "slump"? NO! I would still have complete confidence in him shooting the 3, and he continues to excel in all the other areas.
But just going by the stats. Joel has games in this tournament from 3PT range where he went 1-7, 1-5 and 1-4. The IU game was his best from 3PT range where he went 2-3. That is 5-19 (26%) in the NCAAT.
In the ACCT he went 2-3, 2-4 and 3-3. That is 7-10 (70%) in the ACCT. His season average is 37.6%
Season 37.6%
ACCT 70%
NCAAT 26%
But just going by the stats. Joel has games in this tournament from 3PT range where he went 1-7, 1-5 and 1-4. The IU game was his best from 3PT range where he went 2-3. That is 5-19 (26%) in the NCAAT.
In the ACCT he went 2-3, 2-4 and 3-3. That is 7-10 (70%) in the ACCT. His season average is 37.6%
Season 37.6%
ACCT 70%
NCAAT 26%
I hope they do commit a man go Brice when he catches at the free throw line. It's either going to open up the "low" man because the backline has slid up, or it will free up the weak side wing which IMO would be where Syracuse brings the man to crash down on Brice. Like you said. If they bring the shot blocker, Hicks/Meeks should be looking at an easy layup or if they swarm, the short corner becomes the money making spot. If they bring the shorter wing, Brice should be able to shoot right over him.
I merely said he had cooled off in the tournament from deep, not that he was in a slump.
Thanks for providing the stats.
I hope they do bring that big up to Brice. He will either give up the drive, pass, or get a shot put up in his face. I hope they do double because this will make it even easier to get open looks. We will NOT increase our three point shots and it would be stupid to even try in this particular gym. Boeheim will try another tweak and our great in-game coach will adjust to it and we will pull away just like he has done against every other genius coach he has faced this year. The COY, The LOM, and the Wise and all-powerful, invincible recruiting and tweaking Wizard of Kentuck are sitting at home, but little Ol' saving his timeouts for retirement Roy is still kicking! Of course every team is playing well enough to win it all right now, but none of them scare the Tar Heels!
If 'Cuse somehow pulls the upset, I will root for them to win it all AND breathlessly wait to see what magic Roy pulls out of his hat next season!
If 'Cuse somehow pulls the upset, I will root for them to win it all AND breathlessly wait to see what magic Roy pulls out of his hat next season!
Stats SHOW that since ACC Tournament STARTED POST SEASON PLAY (UNC), Joel Berry is Shooting almost 42% from three point range! Reading is fundamental at some point. Common sense seems to be lacking by a few here who choose to run down one of our player's stats...!
Berry hasn't shot it as well from 3 in the NCAA tourney but he is finishing at the rim better than any time this year. And while the last 4 games the 3 ball hasn't gone down at a high %..... He is taking good shots and his shot looks good.
Good grief.
Here's what I said: "Both Marcus and Justin have been hitting better from deep in the tournament, but Berry has cooled off ...."
TarHeelTroy was kind enough to provide the stats I was looking at, saying "But just going by the stats. Joel has games in this tournament from 3PT range where he went 1-7, 1-5 and 1-4. The IU game was his best from 3PT range where he went 2-3. That is 5-19 (26%) in the NCAAT."
How is what I said remarkable - much less getting your panties in a twist?
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