Tough & Physical

[connel]

Some switch got flipped shortly after the Rutgers game and we have proceeded to beat on and beat up our opponents. This team is a bunch of dudes that just out tough and physically beat on the other team. Soriano got abused last night, might have been under the weather, and was camped on the bench for most of the 2nd half. JB & EHE have not just neutralized they have outplayed the other team’s big men. Davis & Wasu are men inside. Richmond is playing bully ball with the other team’s guards. This is a far cry from Gonzo’s teams that couldn’t rebound worth a damn.

If we run into a whistle happy referee crew we are in trouble because last night they let a lot of contact go especially in the post where it was a glorified wrestling match all night. Good luck to Creighton if they come in soft on Saturday.

 

[Seton75]

I was getting aggravated at announcers aping the party line that we were so tough on D during the OOC. Was thinking not this year, watch some of our games before you make that comment. And then it clicked. The stuff Sha wanted and insisted on happened and holy mackerel!!

Great to see Tubek on the floor. We will need another pf. Two centers is so terrific. Jaden goes out early and EHE goes nuts.

 

[HALL85]

Don’t underestimate the age, maturity and physical growth of this senior heavy team. Something to think about with NIL strategy and recruiting portal talent. Coleman may be the most athletically gifted athlete on this team, but the difference in his physicality being 4-5 years younger is significant. Think of him in 2-3 years. We have five men starting.

They are manhandling teams now…look at rebounding differentials with a 6’6” PF.

 

[Seton75]

Don’t underestimate the age, maturity and physical growth of this senior heavy team. Something to think about with NIL strategy and recruiting portal talent. Coleman may be the most athletically gifted athlete on this team, but the difference in his physicality being 4-5 years younger is significant. Think of him in 2-3 years. We have five men starting.

They are manhandling teams now…look at rebounding differentials with a 6’6” PF.

Yes. SJU just as old as us. I think they start three post grads and 2 srs. It aint just the age...

 

[ivyhillparkk1963]

Saturday will be interesting. Talk about a contrast in styles. Creighton is as finesse a team as your gonna see vs the grit and physicality of the Hall
Creighton wants to spread you out and shoot the 3. Hall wants to pound you in the paint..

Going to be interested..

 

[SHUSA]

Some switch got flipped shortly after the Rutgers game and we have proceeded to beat on and beat up our opponents. This team is a bunch of dudes that just out tough and physically beat on the other team. Soriano got abused last night, might have been under the weather, and was camped on the bench for most of the 2nd half. JB & EHE have not just neutralized they have outplayed the other team’s big men. Davis & Wasu are men inside. Richmond is playing bully ball with the other team’s guards. This is a far cry from Gonzo’s teams that couldn’t rebound worth a damn.

If we run into a whistle happy referee crew we are in trouble because last night they let a lot of contact go especially in the post where it was a glorified wrestling match all night. Good luck to Creighton if they come in soft on Saturday.

huh thats a good point. sju did seem out of it. i think we win that game, but i think the manhandling could have been due to their kids being under the weather. i did think it was wierd soriano was such a non factor

 

[sami]

Amazing stat is that our starting 1-3 had 20 rebounds and Coleman added 4.

SJU had 28 total.

 

[catholicman]

We are pretty banged up now. Hopefully guys can rest and recover a bit.

 

[PirateFan94]

Some switch got flipped shortly after the Rutgers game and we have proceeded to beat on and beat up our opponents. This team is a bunch of dudes that just out tough and physically beat on the other team. Soriano got abused last night, might have been under the weather, and was camped on the bench for most of the 2nd half. JB & EHE have not just neutralized they have outplayed the other team’s big men. Davis & Wasu are men inside. Richmond is playing bully ball with the other team’s guards. This is a far cry from Gonzo’s teams that couldn’t rebound worth a damn.

If we run into a whistle happy referee crew we are in trouble because last night they let a lot of contact go especially in the post where it was a glorified wrestling match all night. Good luck to Creighton if they come in soft on Saturday.

It went both ways in the physicality.

 

[Piratz]

Teams grow. Teams evolve. Teams get on the same page. The coach’s message starts sinking in, guys have a good performance and it all binds together and a team can jump before our very eyes. I think that’s what we’re seeing. It’s rare to have such a turnaround, but it does happen occasionally and we’ve had some examples here and there over the years. It’s fun to watch. Go back to the non-conference games with the streaky play, or the non-existent perimeter defense because guys weren’t rotating and recovering. You’re now seeing more cohesion and with the intensity in areas Holloway preaches.

Despite all the general experience on the roster in the aggregate – 10th per KP data – we’re only 196th in minutes continuity, so a bit below average. And when you dig that back further, you have more than half of the active roster in a power conference for the first time and/or true freshman who were not blue-chip prospects (Coleman, Bediako, Everett-Hutchins, Tubek, NgaNga, Brown, Ozdogan). That’s why most reasonable fans weren’t sure what to expect and most had low expectations.

The disappointing part early is we had two veteran BE players who were proven commodities that were really struggling all over the floor in Dawes and Addae-Wusu. But they found themselves. You can say they’ve gotten back to their typical numbers after the dreadful start, but you can also seem them playing more under control and not forcing as much as they did early too. Goes hand-in-hand, I suppose.