This team is only going to win when Bowman and Robinson are hot. And by that, I don't just mean a good game (both played well Saturday). The two pretty much need to play great every minute of they're on the court. Take Saturday's loss to Duke. Bowman started hot and gave BC an early lead. Then he went cold and Robinson wasn't getting many touches. Duke built a huge lead during this spot. However, in the second half, both played much better. They cut the Duke lead, but couldn't pull off the miracle comeback.
The other challenges were BC's turnovers and defensive issues. The turnovers led to easy Duke baskets. When BC did get set in the first half, they were still letting Duke get too many good looks. The D tightened during the comeback. BC also didn't convert nearly enough 3s.
The good news was that the foul shooting was improved. Jeffers also did a good job on the boards. Chatman had one of his better games.
This wasn't a discouraging loss. Our best two players looked like the best players on the court for long stretches of the game. We just need more of that to compete with the elite ACC teams on a consistent basis.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
14 comments:
Given where they were last year and where they were just weeks ago (e.g. The losses to Nichols State and a few others) this team is improving to the point where you can call them competitive. Not sure I thought I would be saying that. Today was a good example and a sharp contrast to what the football team did vs every strong opponent the played - all blowouts. I am now more than willing to give them and the coach the chance to see if the improvement can continue. Hopefully all fans will as well and hopefully the students will start attending games.
It feels odd being substantially more optimistic than ATL, but I am. Duke couldn't guard Bowman or Robinson. Team got down early and battled back.
This team competes. It drew a tough hand playing Wake on a day's rest -- but for that they're 2-1 in the ACC.
If the question is whether there's significant progress the answer is yes. If the question is whether this team is competitive again and will be in all but a handful of conference games -- that answer is yes, too, despite having an Ivy caliber front court.
If the question is whether it's good enough to beat Duke without its two best players playing perfectly, the answer is no. As it has been every year since Skinner left, at best. That's not a realistic benchmark at this stage.
I think it is still too early to call BC competitive in the ACC but there is hope which is a big step in the right direction. Good news is that the team is very young and if they compete well this year they should be able to recruit well and then next year could be pretty exciting. Bowman appears to be the real deal and will attract other talent. Unlike football a handful of star players can carry the team in basketball so the potential for a quicker turnaround is possible.
I think it's safe to say that if Robinson and Bowman don't hit a prolonged slump that they'll pull off 4-5 ACC wins and potentially have a nice upset or two along the way. It's nice to have some optimism with the program. Hopefully after the students get back to campus, Conte will have some nice crowds. Gotta make sure these guys don't get frustrated and transfer like too many of our better players have in the past 4-5 years.
Lol we lost to Duke by 11 and we only made 3 3pt shots. You do realize this was Duke right? We scored 82 on DUKE with 3pt shots. And somehow this means that Bowman and Robinson have to play even better against lower tier opponents? Makes sense.
Yes to TheFive. Think that nails it.
Proud of the battle back. Much more hope than GT who gave up. Keep grinding and who knows? Guys have heart.
I LIKE THE WAY WE COMPETED RIGHT TO THE END. I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN TRYING TOO HARD IN THE FIRST HALF, PLAYED MUCH BETTER IN THE SECOND HALF. THE TURNOVER REALLY HURT.
Was very impressed with the play of Bowman. This kid is talented and tough !!! Robinson also has some very good talent . I was impressed with how this team JUST NEVER QUIT. They played aggressive to the end - a good sign. With a quality big man they could be a real tough team to play. Do not know the strength of the ACC , so I am not qualified to predict how they fare down the road. The remainder of the season will be interesting. I hope that they get some support at CONTE !!!!!
What's the story with hockey? I only saw the Dec ND game and they looked bad.
GE, the hockey team has 5 seniors and zero juniors. Every sophomore from last year's team went pro. Very young team (yeah, I sound like Addazio). Today, the Eagles beat Providence 3-1 at Fenway. That's a gimmick that has outlived its usefulness. Bad ice, choppy play. At least Providence was the "home" team this year. Overall, the team is 14-7-2. In Hockey East play, the Eagles lead the conference with a 9-1-1 record.
The team hasn't played BU, Vermont or Lowell yet and those look to be the better teams this year. Home and home next weekend against BU. We'll see how the team looks then. Very solid on defense, led by freshman Joe Woll in net. He was one of five Eagles playing in the World Juniors tournament that just ended (won by the US).
bceagle91 -totally agree with your comment -that's a gimmick that has outlived its usefulness. Get rid of it - it is dangerous to say the least !!! The ice is choppy - in the afternoon game , the announcer spoke about the sun getting in the eyes of the goal tender . I can not believe that a "Keeper" has to face 100 mph slap shots with a sun glare impeding his vision. Enough kids are hurt in this game without the bad ice , sun glare etc. My question - Who was the architect behind these annual games at Fenway Park ?? Do you know ??? Enough is enough !!!
Thank you, Bceagle91. Appreciate the update. Upsetting to hear our sophomores going pro. Make BC hockey sound like a football factory.
The Red Sox are always looking for revenue and so is the conference. NESN picks up the games so it's more exposure. I think in one of the NHL outdoor games, there was a sun delay, Guido.
GE, it's not just BC hockey that suffers from this. When a kid is drafted by an NHL team, that team has his rights until 30 days after the player leaves school. If the player leaves right after the season, there's a short window where the team can sign him and have him play at the end of their season. After the 30 days, the player is a free agent. Jimmy Vesey waited out Nashville and ended up with the NY Rangers. Teams are scared that their picks will do something similar so instead of waiting until a player is a senior, they sign him early and have him develop in 80 game minor league schedules instead of 30 or so game college schedules.
We'll surely lose Colin White to the Senators after this season. He was their first round pick just before he came to the Heights. It's a real shame. A lot of the kids that go pro early don't pan out - surprise.
Post a Comment