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Optics of that game

NYShoreGuy

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Jan 7, 2006
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That was far from a beauty contest.
Defense was nonexistent. Offense was a struggle and passing set back the sport.

Onto North Texas
 
Tough to come out two days after your heart is broken and play a high level game. I thought they played a much better second half especially defensively. And Dawes made big shots, game pirates!
It was better. But better get over the heartbreak by Saturday. N. Texas is no joke and neither is their conference.
 
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It was better. But better get over the heartbreak by Saturday. N. Texas is no joke and neither is their conference.
I agree I watch a lot of aac basketball (Tulane alum) and they are a grind it out tough team. Beat fau at fau.
 
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I agree I watch a lot of aac basketball (Tulane alum) and they are a grind it out tough team. Beat fau at fau.
North Texas was a pretty good mid-major last year too. I don't know if they have guys missing or if their kids wants to play, but earlier in the year I caught part of their game against St. John's, and they didn't look bad. Granted this was St. John's in like November, not March, so it was a different team with a million new guys not playing as well, but my recall is North Texas hung with them.
 
The optics that matter to me are the optics of SHU, the University, specifically Walsh Gym. If you were a random viewer who turned into ESPN2 and was used to seeing us play in a modified 10000-seat hockey arena, you saw SHU play in something completely different and in a unique atmosphere tonight. The announcers remarked more than once how loud it was in the building. It felt like you were getting a little glimpse of what Walsh was once upon a time, particularly in the early days of the Big East. The fans and the students really showed up and the University came out looking great tonight.
 
The optics that matter to me are the optics of SHU, the University, specifically Walsh Gym. If you were a random viewer who turned into ESPN2 and was used to seeing us play in a modified 10000-seat hockey arena, you saw SHU play in something completely different and in a unique atmosphere tonight. The announcers remarked more than once how loud it was in the building. It felt like you were getting a little glimpse of what Walsh was once upon a time, particularly in the early days of the Big East. The fans and the students really showed up and the University came out looking great tonight.
Great post. I’m sure there are some posters who went to games at Walsh back in the day. 3200 capacity and a couple hundred more standing around the baselines. Loud and insane.
 
Not so worried about the optics of this one game as I am about the optics of The Big East Conference. Very glad we won, when it looks like we could have easily just packed it in, but we and the rest of the conference teams who are in the post season have work to do.

With St. John’s opting out and both Nova and Providence promptly losing on their home floors, the conference is not looking great at the moment. I give Butler a little slack because they played well in a tough road game, but their loss(along with the others) means it’s up to just us and the NCAA representatives from the conference to put on a good show of strength.

After the embarrassment, and the total disrespect of the committee, the conference needs to show everyone what it’s made of, or else the perception that we’re weak/inferior is going to linger. If all Big East teams tap out early, the perception is going to be “what were they complaining about? The committee was right. The conference really is no good”. We definitely don’t want that.

For our part, we need to win a few more games this NIT to save face for ourselves and for the conference. The teams in the NCAA’s need to survive the weekend and, ultimately, live up to their seeding - if not better.

Time to show the country the committee was dead wrong about us and the conference, and we’re already down a few troops.
 
Optics: where were the students? All I saw on tv were a ton of older alum or boosters (of which I am one). I get we pay good money and donate but the WHOLE lower level should be reserved for a raucous student body ala Cameron.
 
Not so worried about the optics of this one game as I am about the optics of The Big East Conference. Very glad we won, when it looks like we could have easily just packed it in, but we and the rest of the conference teams who are in the post season have work to do.

With St. John’s opting out and both Nova and Providence promptly losing on their home floors, the conference is not looking great at the moment. I give Butler a little slack because they played well in a tough road game, but their loss(along with the others) means it’s up to just us and the NCAA representatives from the conference to put on a good show of strength.

After the embarrassment, and the total disrespect of the committee, the conference needs to show everyone what it’s made of, or else the perception that we’re weak/inferior is going to linger. If all Big East teams tap out early, the perception is going to be “what were they complaining about? The committee was right. The conference really is no good”. We definitely don’t want that.

For our part, we need to win a few more games this NIT to save face for ourselves and for the conference. The teams in the NCAA’s need to survive the weekend and, ultimately, live up to their seeding - if not better.

Time to show the country the committee was dead wrong about us and the conference, and we’re already down a few troops.
Just as bubble snubs will be forgotten by late April, so too will be conference NIT performance. Let’s not pretend that post season performance will sully conference perception or the Big Ten would be folded into mid-major discussions years ago.

The only place it’ll live on is diehard fan message boards.
 
Optics: where were the students? All I saw on tv were a ton of older alum or boosters (of which I am one). I get we pay good money and donate but the WHOLE lower level should be reserved for a raucous student body ala Cameron.
Students across from the bench, not seen on tv. They don’t put students behind the teams for obvious reasons. The sections behind the benches don’t set up well for handling students.
 
I know Historic Walsh has its challenges, but the camera work was...odd. Seemed for a long while there was only one: high up and across from the team benches. Probably two lower ones near foul lines.
Thought the announcers were terrible. Really hyping the NIT and teams who wanted to be there. Seth Greenberg, too. Got players confused early on, and twice when we subbed Coleman for Bediako or Elijah and went with a very small lineup..... no mention.
 
I don't where the game was played...it was not crisp on the court. Bad idea passing, sometimes bad shot selection. Did not close out on defense. Got beat on the same blob twice.
 
Great post. I’m sure there are some posters who went to games at Walsh back in the day. 3200 capacity and a couple hundred more standing around the baselines. Loud and insane.
Went to many games when I wasn't announcing them on WSOU. Place rocked with bodies in every nook and cranny (old guy terms). The fire marshal was always lurking as AD Richie Regan stuffed people in through the doors from the AD area. Frats always abused the opposing team. The cheer of "start the bus, bussee" always rang down. Nothing better than heading to the Pub on Campus (yes it was a long time ago) or to Corcorans on South Orange Avenue to celebrate the win. A great time to be involved with college sports. Started my close to 50 year love affair with Setonia hoops. Now if we could only find another Glen Moseley.
 
North Texas was a pretty good mid-major last year too. I don't know if they have guys missing or if their kids wants to play, but earlier in the year I caught part of their game against St. John's, and they didn't look bad. Granted this was St. John's in like November, not March, so it was a different team with a million new guys not playing as well, but my recall is North Texas hung with them.
First year head coach for UNT after their coach went to Texas tech. It’s a good team. Hung with FAU and a few other NCAAT teams
 
The errant passes are what really drive me nuts. It's like these guys are playing with each other for the first time. Just way too careless with the passing and trying to be too fancy or force the issue which for veteran players is very frustrating to see. It must drive Sha crazy too!
 
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Sha nailed it in his postgame. You can say you want to play because its the "right" attitude to have but these guys were crushed that they didnt make it.

Hopefully this win resets that mindset and we will see if Sha's remarks hold any water after this weekend.

Overall defensively it looked like St Joes followed the St Johns playbook, do your best to stop Kadary and Dre. With St Johns Al killed us and with St Joes he was the savior. It was nice to see him play well because he made some real bone headed plays in his last 2 postseasons. Hopefully this will give him some redemption and confidence.

Keep fighting
 
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How can you say the defense was non existent?

In the first half yes. In the second half and OT it won the game.

St Joes was 3-17 from the arc and shot 39% after halftime.
After Dawes hit a 3 to put us up for the first time in the second half it was immediately obvious that the defensive effort and intensity went sky high and stayed that way.
 
That was much later in the half. Well before that St Joe's missed something like 9-10 consecutive shots from the arc. The D was strong all through the second half and OT.

The only issue I saw was the poor D on inbound passing under the defensive basket.
 
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