It's still early so I'm reserving judgement on our current status. But absolutely have to win the consolation game, and get out of Orlando 2-1. It's Sha's first year, he had to recruit on the fly, and there are so many new faces that it would be really difficult to have a cohesive team at this point. Sha obviously has history here, he did a good job at St. Peter's, so I think he will eventually get it figured out. But the transfer portal, NIL, and extra years of eligibility have thrown the recruiting landscape into chaos. Sha will have to lean on his north Jersey/NYC connections to keep kids in the area.
What I like is that the team plays hard, and pushes the tempo. They seem to have good depth. They mix their defenses. they play good help defense, and rotations are good for about two or three passes. Teams that really know how to move the ball will end up with an open three, however. Something tells me the staff is trying to turn each game into a street fight to mask whatever deficiencies the team has.
If you're a hoops purist, watching this team might take its toll though. We play a really sloppy brand of basketball with way too many turnovers, especially ill advised passes. The team has a redundant theme, with a lot of good sized athletic wings, but no true point guard or post (I see Tyrese as a stretch four type). The collective skill level and feel for the game need a lot of work. Really need to stress the fundamentals, get kids to play off two feet more, and make more high percentage plays. It's doable, but it takes time and repetition. This is where the assistants are going to really have to work hard and earn their money this year. Any update on Yetna or Jaq Harris? I haven't been following the news that closely. If they return, it would be a big boost. But you're not going to beat a Brad Underwood or Porter Moser coached team playing the way we play. And coaches like Ed Cooley, Dan Hurley, Shaka Smart, Thad Matta, Greg McDermott are just as savvy, if not more so.
Bottom line is we use our overall size and athleticism to beat the teams we are supposed to beat in non conference, defeat our share of some average or rebuilding Big East programs, and steal a few games we probably shouldn't. I think the Orlando consolation and Rutgers games could really determine what the overall season record looks like. Maybe 17-18 win vicinity, but way too early to be accurate on that, so it comes with a disclaimer. Hoping we have a great season moving forward.
What I like is that the team plays hard, and pushes the tempo. They seem to have good depth. They mix their defenses. they play good help defense, and rotations are good for about two or three passes. Teams that really know how to move the ball will end up with an open three, however. Something tells me the staff is trying to turn each game into a street fight to mask whatever deficiencies the team has.
If you're a hoops purist, watching this team might take its toll though. We play a really sloppy brand of basketball with way too many turnovers, especially ill advised passes. The team has a redundant theme, with a lot of good sized athletic wings, but no true point guard or post (I see Tyrese as a stretch four type). The collective skill level and feel for the game need a lot of work. Really need to stress the fundamentals, get kids to play off two feet more, and make more high percentage plays. It's doable, but it takes time and repetition. This is where the assistants are going to really have to work hard and earn their money this year. Any update on Yetna or Jaq Harris? I haven't been following the news that closely. If they return, it would be a big boost. But you're not going to beat a Brad Underwood or Porter Moser coached team playing the way we play. And coaches like Ed Cooley, Dan Hurley, Shaka Smart, Thad Matta, Greg McDermott are just as savvy, if not more so.
Bottom line is we use our overall size and athleticism to beat the teams we are supposed to beat in non conference, defeat our share of some average or rebuilding Big East programs, and steal a few games we probably shouldn't. I think the Orlando consolation and Rutgers games could really determine what the overall season record looks like. Maybe 17-18 win vicinity, but way too early to be accurate on that, so it comes with a disclaimer. Hoping we have a great season moving forward.
