Still streaking

We needed a statement game and we got one. The team earned their seventh regular season ACC win by defeating Georgia Tech 74-72. But as we measure the team's progress and growth, it wasn't just the win that was so important. It was how they won. They overcame their own mistakes and deficits. They dictated the pace and scoring in the final minutes and then -- when Tech made a go of it in the final seconds, they held on despite some cringe worthy mistakes. Here are some other thoughts.

Likes
-- Rahon driving. He was able to convert and Tech never really adjusted or backed off.
-- Another Odio spark. The 3s, the dunks, the block...all were big momentum plays. He was also fouled repeatedly on drives in the first half that weren't called.
-- Disrupting the passing lanes. BC's picked up a couple of key steals when guys anticipated long passes by Tech and just moved into the pass. Those sorts of plays are signs that the guys are "getting it."


Dislikes
-- Free Throw Shooting. The only reason the game got as close as it did was due to some missed free throws in the second half.  
-- Return of the careless turnovers. BC had gotten better at protect the ball and the possessions, yet in this game some of the same issues game into play. Tech converted many of these mistakes into quick points.
-- Half court defense. I tweeted during the game that I thought the pace would favor BC. But Tech's scoring wasn't all pace. There were many times where we played too off of guys leading to some surprise scoring from the Jackets.

Baby steps? BC puts Maryland away

There was a moment...a moment of doubt that crept into all of our minds. You know the one I am talking about. In the final two minutes when Maryland hit a three and we followed it with a turnover. Were we about to watch BC blow another close game at home? But this time we hung on and closed out Maryland 69-58. It is our fourth ACC win (matching last season's total) and hopefully a sign of this team's growing confidence and composure. Here are my other thoughts (and as always you are encouraged to leave your own thoughts in the comments section):

Likes
-- Hanlan taking over. With most of the team having an off night, Hanlan did a little bit of everything. Down the stretch he also dominated our possessions with a lot of dribbling...and of course he made some clutch shots and free throws. He's cruising towards ACC Freshman of the Year awards.
-- Odio!!! Calling him a good energy guy or a change of pace is underselling his stellar play the past few weeks. He's a very, very good help defender. He's a good finisher and a good rebounder. Throw in some heady plays and we've got a rising star on our hands. Who would have guessed that it would be Eddie Odio who made the "leap" this year?
-- Strategy on Len. Anderson did most of the heavy lifting in guarding their big man, but our overall gameplan was solid. We doubled and also made it difficult for him to even get good positioning on his post ups.
-- Mad bombing. We've been in a bad habit of abandoning the 3 when it is not falling early. Despite missing a ton of 3s in the first half, we kept taking them. That sort of mindset is critical for a team built like us. Plus even on off nights, a 3 is a better offensive efficiency shot than a long two.


Dislikes
-- Anderson's offense. I applaud him for taking on Len, but he still needs to deliver on both ends. Even if he is not taking shots, he needs to be more careful with the ball and grab more rebounds.
-- The transition D.  We put ourselves in a huge first half hole by allowing their marksman (Aronhalt) to get off clean looks from long range. Those are the type of careless lapses that have cost us games and make me question if the guys are learning.

A "Yes, yes, yes, NO, yes" win over Clemson

Immediately after the game I felt numb and went to Twitter to gripe. A couple of hours later I feel better, but still think this was a frustrating win. The headline of this post may be clumsy but for those who didn't see the game, I think it captured the spirit of the day. We played really well for long stretches, shots were falling and then the wheels came off. Fortunately we closed it out. Here are my detailed thoughts:

Likes

-- Defensive effort. Clemson is not a good offensive team but we still played good defense for most of the game. There was an energy and an aggressiveness that has been missing. We also did a good job helping and doubling without getting burned. Odio seemed to provide the spark and often that sort of thing is contagious.

-- The backdoor and driving to the basket. Rahon was the key for most of this. Unlike Hanlon, who drives with a shot in mind, Rahon seems to drive to open something else. We also converted on guys cutting to the basket more.

-- Anderson's late basket when the lead was cut to 1. Getting a good shot to our best player is the best way to turn the tide.

Dislikes

-- The collapse. There were a myriad of things that went wrong. Part of it was Roper just getting hot for them, but we still made some stupid turnovers and lost our edge offensively.
-- Donahue over substituting down the stretch. When a team is pressing you need to put your best, and most poised lineup out there and let them play. All the substituting has guys overthinking and pressing.
-- Free throws. How much better would our record be if we converted more free throws? How can we be so hot from 3 and clank so many gimmes?

When will we turn the corner?

I know I've been down on this team lately, but how can we not be? Forget about losing close games or having off shooting nights. Tonight it felt like the guys didn't even come to play. We are playing North Carolina on national TV at home and the guys were sleep walking. Other than Hanlan and Odio, did anyone else give off the impression that they were ready to play and thought we could win? Worse I don't know what Donahue can and should do at this point. He mixed up the lineup and minutes tonight and it didn't work.  Clifford has been good change of pace lately but only played four minutes tonight. The apologists can talk about how young the team is or the holes in the roster Donahue inherited, but that doesn't matter now. Guys need to get better. Effort needs to get better. Coaching needs to get better. We have another chance Saturday. Let's hope things start to click. Other thoughts on the game...

Likes
-- Hanlan's aggressiveness. I think he needs to drive on every possession. The motion around the perimeter is not leading to good shots.
-- Odio's blocks. He'd be a great asset as an energy guy on a decent team.

Dislikes
-- Van Nest's near the basket. I was hoping he'd be a spark, but he wasn't tonight. We need front line minutes but he's got to be more aggressive and grab more boards.
-- Anderson settling for mid range shots. I am sure he's getting worn down, but he's at his best on the low block.
-- Lonnie Jackson chucking it. We know he's streaky but today it felt like he just threw some of them up there.