Tough stretch coming up....
- Thread starter GrumpyDoc
- Start date
You can add @Wisconsin and Ohio State. Five challenging games in a row.
For what it's worth, NU is higher than all but VA in Kenpom. We will learn a lot from these games. Big Ten is looking very tough.
UVA’s top scorer is a 6‘9“ freshman from Belgium. He’s gotten into foul trouble in two of the four games, so I hope we can get some calls on him early.
Going even 2-3 in that stretch would be pretty good with how unformed our team still is and having zero games at W-R.
Yep, 2 out of 3 should make us happy and hopeful we can end in the 8-11 wins in conference play this season.
Good teams need these tests. It's time.
Considering all the new players and pieces this year, the staff did a nice job with the schedule.
Considering all the new players and pieces this year, the staff did a nice job with the schedule.
I hope this longer break between games gives the team a chance learn from these opening games. They could come out with better flow and confidence. The rest will be good too.
2-3 in that stretch and win vs Ohio State plus no other fumbles may have us getting a couple top 25 votes…
UVA will be an interesting test on Friday. They have an entirely new roster, save for two guys, only one of whom got rotational minutes last season. This coming game will be their first away from home, where they have played the 9th-easiest schedule in the country and beaten 4 opponents ranging from mediocre to awful. They have been led by their offense so far - they shoot a ton of 3s, and everyone aside from their centers is willing to chuck it up; they have also obliterated their opponents on the offensive glass, so I hope CCC is drilling that all week.
Odom, their new coach, is famously the coach who beat Virginia with UMBC for the first 16 over 1 upset. His teams play reasonably fast on offense, always look to make the extra pass, and shoot a ton of threes. Last year at VCU was the first year they actively tried to get offensive rebounds, and it seems he has carried that philosophy to UVA this year. Defensively, they prefer to make teams beat them one-on-one, and will run players off the 3-point line to funnel them inside where their shot-blockers wait.
Odom, their new coach, is famously the coach who beat Virginia with UMBC for the first 16 over 1 upset. His teams play reasonably fast on offense, always look to make the extra pass, and shoot a ton of threes. Last year at VCU was the first year they actively tried to get offensive rebounds, and it seems he has carried that philosophy to UVA this year. Defensively, they prefer to make teams beat them one-on-one, and will run players off the 3-point line to funnel them inside where their shot-blockers wait.
South Carolina is a must-win game for us. They are the worst team in the SEC by far, and should've lost to a Southern Miss team a week ago which lost to Grambling this past week. SC managed to come back from an 11-point deficit with just under 4 minutes to play to force OT, where they won.
South Carolina plays defense somewhat similar to UVA, except that they don't try to funnel players to the rim - instead, they would prefer teams to shoot midrange jumpers. The other difference is that they absolutely do not try to force turnovers at all. Offensively, they shoot more threes than twos, and are willing to take a lot of midrange jumpers.
They are led by Meechie Johnson, whose name should sound familiar. He's transferred three times but only played at two schools - OSU and South Carolina. This is his 6th and presumably final season. Their starting forward hails from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and is at his 4th school in 4 years. They also have an Austrian center from Vienna, along with the power of Christ - Christ Essandoko, a 7-foot 280 pound mountain from Clichy, France, at his 3rd school in 3 years.
South Carolina plays defense somewhat similar to UVA, except that they don't try to funnel players to the rim - instead, they would prefer teams to shoot midrange jumpers. The other difference is that they absolutely do not try to force turnovers at all. Offensively, they shoot more threes than twos, and are willing to take a lot of midrange jumpers.
They are led by Meechie Johnson, whose name should sound familiar. He's transferred three times but only played at two schools - OSU and South Carolina. This is his 6th and presumably final season. Their starting forward hails from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and is at his 4th school in 4 years. They also have an Austrian center from Vienna, along with the power of Christ - Christ Essandoko, a 7-foot 280 pound mountain from Clichy, France, at his 3rd school in 3 years.
On the positive side, the early schedule is spaced pretty well. The Cats will have had a week to prep for VA, then a quick turn around for SC, before a four day break and a six day break. The month of January looks absolutely brutal tho.