Syracuse News

TALE OF THE TAPE (SYRACUSE)

by RAY MERNAGH

Watching tape of games is one of my favorite things to do. This is the first of many “Tales of the Tape” that will run on NBE this season. This one focuses on Syracuse and their win last night against Albany.

After losing to LeMoyne in a recent exhibition, Orange coach Jim Boeheim emphasized defense going into this matchup (SU lost a 10-point lead down the stretch in the exhibition L). Boeheim’s focus was rewarded as the ‘Cuse frustrated the Great Danes throughout with their pressure up on top of what was a tenacious, attacking 2/3 zone for most of the night (I stopped watching halfway through the second half because it was a blowout by then and so I could get this in by 10 AM). But I will go back later to watch some of the SU youngsters that got into the game late, particularly Detroit native DaShonte Riley.

Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson had their way inside last night as well as keeping the Great Danes at bay whenever they decided to venture too deep into the paint. The post tandem should be hard to deal with this season if the Orange concentrate on playing inside-out. Jackson showed some patience and skill by showing the ball and turning the other direction for a bucket in the second half which prompted the play-by-play man to come with the obligatory take about how the Albany player “won’t see that in the American East”, followed by a replay of Wesley Johnson’s rebound-dunk-putback that made Tim Welsh say basically the same thing, only relating it to Johnson’s athleticism. Welsh’s statement is truer than the play-by-play guys. The play-by-play guys take is false and could be proven so if someone wants to take the time and watch tape on the two best post players in the American East because, whoever they might be, “bigs” in low and mid-major ball tend to have a lot of fundamental skills down pat but lack the size, length and athleticism of guys that head to the Big East). Anyway, whatever, guess that just kind of rubbed me the wrong way because it was such a blatently dumb assumption.

Clip One: My favorite plays happened when Albany’s Will Harris went baseline and Kris Joseph, the 6-7, 220 pound sophomore from Montreal, slid over and met him to take the charge. It was a favorite because of how amped SU assistant Mike Hopkins got after the play, jumping up and smacking fellow assistant Rob Murphy on his arm and yelling encouragement to Joseph. My guess is that they both have worked with Joseph on this and Joseph may have made a breakthrough they’ve been looking for on that play, at least defensively. Or Murphy spotted a tendency on film for Harris to do that and told the players about it on the scouting report. Or probably both. Either way, it’s just cool to see Hopkins get so jacked (yeah, I’m a hoops geek).

Clip Two: Wesley Johnson obliterates Will Harris on a three-point attempt (probably gets arrested for assault if this is a Big East game, or at least gets called for the obvious foul) then leaks out, runs the floor and dunks on the other end. Incredible to me that in an age where so many shooters draw fouls be kicking out their feet on some European soccer-type stuff, that a ref could miss Johnson rolling through Harris after his shot. The coaches will look at that today and tell Johnson about it, or probably show him, and tell him not only should you have not gotten that two points but Harris should’ve been shooting three free throws.

Clip Three: Andy Rautins who struggled all night to hit shots before turning his ankle, attempts a jumper off the dribble that misses. Rautins is normally a dead-eye shooter when he catches in rythym and lets fly but he forced this. The camera then cuts to Boeheim talking to him and telling him to just “move the ball” — the game is simple but sometimes players make it hard. Syracuse got anything they wanted offensively all night.

Clip Four: Brandon Triche, the SU brick wall/point guard, splits Albany’s zone and gets into the lane. As he gets ready to score he has the awareness that Harris, a brick wall in his own right, is digging down on him for the strip and does an amzing job of covering the ball up like a running back to prevent Harris’ effort. Triche then finishes at the rim. Triche penetrated too deep a lot in this game and turned it over a few too many times…but once again, the coaches will show him that and tell him ways to discern when he should go and when he needs to just come to a jump-stop and either raise up or dish. But Triche showed me a ton with this move alone.

Clip Five: Triche again and this time he shows that he’ll do the right thing as a point guard. He gets out on the break and instead of trying to take his man, and maybe again get in too deep and possibly get called for a charge, he correctly finds Rautins for the wide-open three. A simple play, but an important one for Rautins and Triche. Triche probably could’ve gotten a layup but instead he tried to get his man, who was having a rough night, off the schnide by making the right play.

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