2019-20 Providence College Hoops: Just Add Shooting

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
The Friars tip off their first exhibition game against Stonehill this afternoon, which was my cue to fire up a new thread.

Let's briefly recap last season: A young, athletic team was vying for the program's sixth straight NCAA tournament appearance; they came into the season with relatively high expectations (picked third of ten by the Big East coaches); but they fell far short, finishing the season 18-16 overall and 7-11 in conference play. If we're being honest with ourselves, most suspected PC didn't have "it" after losing to a mediocre Wichita State team in early Nov, and those suspicions were confirmed after blowing a 20-point lead and losing at home to lowly UMass in Dec. Ugh.

While there are any number of variables at play in a season that goes off the proverbial rails, last year's team had one glaring, fatal flaw: Shooting. The Friars were 290th in the nation in eFG% and last in the Big East during conference play. And not just last by a little bit. Consider: The gap between #10 Providence (45.3%) and #9 Seton Hall (49.7%) was nearly as great as the gap from Seton Hall to #1 Marquette (54.4%). You can't win like that, even if your defense is good and you limit turnovers, like the Friars were able to do.

(Ed Cooley's flirtations with the heading coaching job at Michigan, which ultimately went to Juwan Howard, seem like ages ago. While it did result in a contract extension, Cooley is more ambitious than folks around Providence might realize, so I do think his years at the helm are numbered, whether for a bigger job or something in TV. Appreciate him while he's here -- the guy is special.)

So what's changed? On the talent front, we say goodbye to graduating wing Isaiah Jackson, who was an important role player on multiple tournament teams. Additionally, PC loses formerly heralded recruit Makai Ashton-Langford, who transferred to Boston College, and Drew Edwards, who transferred to Charlotte. Both seem like great kids, but their contributions were limited last year. For additions, the Friars welcome UMass graduate transfer Luwane Pipkins, who is expected to stabilize the PG position for a season, along with borderline top 100 recruit Greg Gantt, who looks physically ready to contribute at the wing, if he can overcome nagging injuries (wrist/achilles). The Friars also added PG Jared Bynum as a transfer from St. Joe's (sit one, play three) and stretch-big Noah Horchler from North Florida (sit one, play one) -- I think both are great additions and a good use of scholarships, given the depth on this year's team.

Projected Starting 5: (1) Luwane Pipkins, Sr. (2) David Duke, So. (3) A.J. Reeves, So. (4) Alpha Diallo, Sr. (5) Kalif Young, Sr.*
Other Key Contributors: Maliek White, Sr. (1/2); Emmitt Holt, Sr. (4/5); Nate Watson, Jr. (5); Jimmy Nichols, So., (3/4); Kris Monroe, So. (2/3); Greg Gantt, Fr. (3/4)
Rounding Out the Roster: Noah Horchler, Sr. RS (4/5); Andrew Fonts, Jr. (1/2); Jared Bynum, So. RS (1/2); Tommy Dempsey, Fr. (1/2)
*Watson will supplant Young when/if healthy, but he's not... more on that below

Key Questions Determining Their Fate

1) Who fills the shooting deficit? Reeves is an NBA prospect specifically because he's such a talented natural shooter, so assuming health, that's one reason for optimism. Pipkins shot pretty well as a sophomore, but his numbers dipped last year. Then you have Diallo, Duke and White -- they simply need to be better beyond the arc to give this otherwise really talented team a chance.

2) Who is healthy? Ed Cooley took an ostensible Big East all-star team to the PanAm games over the summer, where they took home Bronze. Five Friars were named to the preliminary roster (Diallo, Duke, Reeves, Watson & Pipkins), though only Diallo, Duke and Watson played. In the wake of those games, it was revealed that Watson is battling a knee injury suffered in practice that may keep him out for a period of weeks, while Pipkins tweaked a hamstring that is seemingly less severe. Gantt's injuries were also noted above. It just feels unusual to be so nicked up entering a season, especially given Reeves was hurt much of last year and Holt's status after sitting out the last two years is a total unknown.

3) Who takes a leap? We know that Diallo is an all-conference caliber player, as much for his rebounding and defense as his scoring prowess. But his game is premised more on savvy and finesse than athleticism -- I don't think there is another level. Watson is a prime breakout candidate and the next best player on the team, injuries notwithstanding. Duke and Reeves were Cooley's most touted recruits since Kris Dunn -- can they be the difference makers? Don't sleep on Nichols, who has NBA size, length and athleticism. I guess what I'm saying is there is a lot of potential here, which may be why Matt Norlander of CBS Sports boldly projects PC as one of sixteen teams that could win the NCAA title. (No, seriously.)

4) Can they avoid the bad non-con losses of the last few years? It's often said as a compliment that Ed Cooley's teams get better as the season goes along. But implied in that is the fact that this team has dropped some inexcusable games in the non-conference slate over the last few seasons. This year's schedule offers some great opportunities, battling a top 10 Florida team in Brooklyn on 12/17 and hosting Texas at the Dunk on 12/21. Regardless of the outcome in those resume-building games, the Friars need to handle business as (likely) small road favorites against Northwestern and URI, while beating Long Beach State at a neutral site in California. Lose more than two non-con games this season and we'll be sweating out the bubble in March.

So what are my expectations? Personally, I think this team has high a floor due to its athleticism and defense, but a low ceiling given the lack of shooting in a conference where Marquette, Seton Hall and Nova are likely to be superb offensively. The Big East coaches pegged PC to finish smack in the middle of the conference, and that sounds about right to me. Just over the horizon, the 2020-21 team has potential to be Cooley's most successful yet, given the talent that the conference graduates. But I have hopes of another NCAA tourney appearance in the meantime!
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
Some takeaways from yesterday's 87-68 exhibition win over Stonehill:
  • Holt started at the 5, and by all accounts looked great, putting up a 17 & 13 double-double. If he can be 90% of the player he was in 2016-17, even on reduced minutes, that would be a huge development
  • White twisted his ankle -- no word yet on how serious, but this team is going to be awfully thin in Nov due to injuries
  • Shooting woes continue: Just 5 of 23 from beyond the arc
Of note, Ken Pomeroy's pre-season ratings were just published. The Friars are ranked 31st nationally, which is about 20 spots higher than I expected, good for 5th in the Big East behind Nova, Marquette, Xavier and Seton Hall -- all of which are top 20. The Big East rates second among conferences, behind only the Big 12. Very bullish relative to national expectations.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
I just want to reply and say thank you again for the insight and updates on the PC season. I don't follow nearly as much as I should as an alum, but I love keeping up with and reading your posts.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
I just want to reply and say thank you again for the insight and updates on the PC season. I don't follow nearly as much as I should as an alum, but I love keeping up with and reading your posts.
Glad to hear! I enjoy jotting down thoughts and observations throughout the season, and if it brings anyone with an allegiance to the school a bit closer to the basketball program, I think that's great.

Since I last checked in, the Friars visited Purdue for a "secret scrimmage" (i.e., no press or video, but box score released after) that they won 60-53. Make not mistake, Purdue is good -- #7 in KenPom's preseason rankings. And while there is only so much you can take from a closed scrimmage, the minutes allocation from the Friars side was pretty close to what you'd imagine a real game would be. Observations from that box score include:
  • Holt started, played 22min and scored 10pts -- he might really be back
  • 4-18 from 3-point range does not get it done and is a continuation of a worrying trend
  • Monroe seems to be on the outside looking in from the core rotation, which should feature Pipkins, Duke, Reeves, Diallo, Holt, Young, Nichols, and White early on. Of that group, I would expect Diallo to play 35+ minutes in a competitive game, but the remaining time might be entirely matchup-dependent
PS: I've held onto season tickets despite living in New York, so if anyone is interested in free seats to the opener on Tue, send me a DM! For most of these early season non-con games, I'll happily pass of my (pretty good) tickets for free, if I know a PC fan will enjoy them.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
After dispatching NJIT with ease yesterday at home, the Friars are up to #17 in KenPom’s national rankings. The 3-point shooting has been better (39%), but if there are signs for bullishness, I think they’re more qualitative after just two games. Holt looks healthy and able to contribute meaningfully; Pipkins looks like the type of PG who can put Duke, Diallo and Reeves in position to succeed off-ball and in transition.

PC should be a ~6 point road favorite at Northwestern on Wednesday. Losing wouldn’t be a bad loss per se, but this is one they need to have to continue down the path of “likely tournament team,” which I think they’re on right now.
 

Marceline

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2002
6,441
Canton, MA
Echoing dotb - another PC alum here and I don't get to follow the team very closely, so I really enjoy/appreciate your updates.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
So, the Friars flat out blew it on the road against a mediocre Northwestern team. Not necessarily a tournament resume blight, but a game PC really should have had. And the manner in which they blew it is concerning: 22 of 72 from the field and 8 of 35 (!) from beyond the arc. Poor percentages obviously, and way too many three-point attempts. Pipkins, Diallo and White were particularly guilty of poor shot selection, which is disappointing from seniors.

The team got back on track with a 21-point home win against lowly St. Peter's yesterday, but it was another poor shooting performance. They're down to #30 in KenPom and TeamRankings.com has them at just 48% to make the tournament now. The Friars host Merrimack on Tue night, with a pretty feisty Penn team visiting on Saturday. Then a road trip to play Long Beach St. on Thanksgiving, where PC will be a ~7 point favorite, before the annual rivalry game against URI on Dec 6 (likely handicapped as a coin flip). Winning all 4 keeps Providence on pace to be a likely tournament team; but 2 losses probably sinks the season, if we're being honest.
 

shawnrbu

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
39,690
The Land of Fist Pumps
PC loses at home to Penn. Trailed 47-30 at Halftime, which continues a trend of the team playing terrible in the 1st Half (see Northwestern and Merrimack). Really need to be more consistent as the non conference schedule gets much harder in December with URI, Florida and Texas.
 

Joe D Reid

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
4,208
I don't know whether this makes you feel better or worse, but this is a genuinely baffling Penn team. That's now two decent power confrnce road wins (PVD and ALA) sandwiched around some bad losses. They appear to be a bad team to schedule because when they work, they really work. But I wouldn't view this as having predictive value for either team.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
Losing to Penn at home -- even if the Quakers go on to win the Ivy League -- is a blight on the postseason resume. When paired with the loss to Northwestern, who is revealing itself to be a pretty bad team, it makes for a concerning resume split. The Friars have beaten four opponents ranked outside KenPom's top 200 (i.e., cupcakes), but lost and struggled mightily against the two semi-decent opponents they played -- neither of whom is even a top 100 team. In those competitive games, PC succumbed to what we knew would be their weakness heading into the season: A lack of shooting. To quote Dennis Green, they are who we thought they were... only possibly worse, if Diallo and Reeves can't get right.

The Friars will need to dust themselves off for a Thanksgiving tilt against Long Beach State at the Wooden Legacy tournament, which if things break right, could offer matchups against Wake Forest and Arizona over the rest of the holiday weekend (I overlooked this in my earlier post). They badly need a win over a quality opponent to establish some confidence heading into the meaty part of their non-conference schedule.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
All I can say after today is Wow.

This team is not disciplined and poorly prepared. A lot of these bad losses fall on our coach for life.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
Shooting is not *a skill* in college basketball today, it is *the skill* that makes an offense work. This team is below average shooting, even with Reeves at full strength. But without Reeves spreading the floor, it’s about as poor of a collection of shooting as you can assemble in a major D1 conference.

I think the issue is development more so than recruiting, when I look at talented kids like Diallo, White and Duke failing to develop an outside shot. Either way, this is the worst team in the Big East, hands down.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
If you were a recruit why would you come here if you wanted to go for the NBA? Diallo is the same player he was 4 years ago. Reeves is worse than when he walked on campus. Very curious if a guy like Gant jumps ship after the season. He’s the future of this team and it would be terrible to lose him.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
Humiliating loss to College of Charleston yesterday, dropping the Friars to 4-4 in what is by far the easiest 8-game stretch of the schedule (they were 8+ point favorites in every matchup). NCCA Tournament hopes are now effectively reduced to getting hot at MSG in early March. In addition to the shooting woes I've harped on in every post dating back to last season, it's clear that Pipkins isn't gelling with the offense, which combined with Reeves and Watson being less than 100% health-wise, means this team has nothing offensively. And the on-court chemistry and body language look horrible.

This season is now effectively about building for 2020-2021, and I hope the allocation of minutes will begin to reflect that reality. Diallo remains the best player on the team and a fringe NBA prospect, so he needs to play; but Young and White are career role players who haven't developed and are playing poorly. Pipkins and Holt fall somewhere in between, but neither merits a >20mpg role based on present contributions. Cooley needs to let Nichols, Monroe and Gantt play alongside Watson and Duke (and Reeves when healthy). If one of those underclassmen doesn't develop into a shooter, the current roster isn't salvageable next year. Full stop.

If you were a recruit why would you come here if you wanted to go for the NBA? Diallo is the same player he was 4 years ago. Reeves is worse than when he walked on campus. Very curious if a guy like Gant jumps ship after the season. He’s the future of this team and it would be terrible to lose him.
Diallo was a fringe top 100 recruit and has had a heck of a career at PC, so I don't think his subpar senior season reflects all that poorly. The real blemish would be if zero or just one of his last three top 50 recruits (Ashton-Langford, Duke and Reeves) go on top be all-conference caliber players (which Diallo already is).

I would imagine there will be a shake-up among Cooley's assistants this off-season. All three of the guys who sit beside Cooley on the bench have been with the program 4+ seasons, and they're each in their late-40s or older. Not to say that means they're incapable of change from within, but a younger assistant with a fresh offensive philosophy might be in order. It's also possible that Bob Walsh, who rejoined the program after head coaching tenures elsewhere (most recently UMaine), could be promoted from his player development role. He's by all appearances very progressive and analytically oriented.

But you're not wrong to be concerned about Gantt. If this season really spirals, it could trigger a flood of transfers and put the program in a real hole. If Providence College basketball were a stock, the decline in value in the 13 months from last season's opener to now would be breathtaking.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
Humiliating loss to College of Charleston yesterday, dropping the Friars to 4-4 in what is by far the easiest 8-game stretch of the schedule (they were 8+ point favorites in every matchup). NCCA Tournament hopes are now effectively reduced to getting hot at MSG in early March. In addition to the shooting woes I've harped on in every post dating back to last season, it's clear that Pipkins isn't gelling with the offense, which combined with Reeves and Watson being less than 100% health-wise, means this team has nothing offensively. And the on-court chemistry and body language look horrible.

This season is now effectively about building for 2020-2021, and I hope the allocation of minutes will begin to reflect that reality. Diallo remains the best player on the team and a fringe NBA prospect, so he needs to play; but Young and White are career role players who haven't developed and are playing poorly. Pipkins and Holt fall somewhere in between, but neither merits a >20mpg role based on present contributions. Cooley needs to let Nichols, Monroe and Gantt play alongside Watson and Duke (and Reeves when healthy). If one of those underclassmen doesn't develop into a shooter, the current roster isn't salvageable next year. Full stop.


Diallo was a fringe top 100 recruit and has had a heck of a career at PC, so I don't think his subpar senior season reflects all that poorly. The real blemish would be if zero or just one of his last three top 50 recruits (Ashton-Langford, Duke and Reeves) go on top be all-conference caliber players (which Diallo already is).

I would imagine there will be a shake-up among Cooley's assistants this off-season. All three of the guys who sit beside Cooley on the bench have been with the program 4+ seasons, and they're each in their late-40s or older. Not to say that means they're incapable of change from within, but a younger assistant with a fresh offensive philosophy might be in order. It's also possible that Bob Walsh, who rejoined the program after head coaching tenures elsewhere (most recently UMaine), could be promoted from his player development role. He's by all appearances very progressive and analytically oriented.

But you're not wrong to be concerned about Gantt. If this season really spirals, it could trigger a flood of transfers and put the program in a real hole. If Providence College basketball were a stock, the decline in value in the 13 months from last season's opener to now would be breathtaking.
I agree with 99% of what you said with the exception of the defense of Diallo. This is turning out to be his audition for the NBA to the detriment of the team and season. This is reminiscent of Gomes’s senior year, jacking up 3s and all, with the exception Diallo isn’t half the player Gomes was.

If Cooley doesn’t reign in Pipkins and Diallo, the young guys will check out. Which is unfortunate, Duke looks ready to make a leap and the offense should run through him. Gantt looks legit and needs more minutes. Reeves is a mystery we need to figure out to be successful this year or next.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
Blown out by URI in Kingston last night while shooting 39% from the floor. Pipkins can't play in this offense and Reeves looks lost. This team won't sniff the NCAA tournament -- in fact, as things sit, they're unlikely they scratch out a .500 record to qualify for the NIT. Just a stunning collapse.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Blown out by URI in Kingston last night while shooting 39% from the floor. Pipkins can't play in this offense and Reeves looks lost. This team won't sniff the NCAA tournament -- in fact, as things sit, they're unlikely they scratch out a .500 record to qualify for the NIT. Just a stunning collapse.
I posted this back in May in last years thread.


Pipkins isn't the type of scorer who is an easy fit which is my concern. He's a ball dominant PG on a team with a traditional PG who is a prime candidate to make the leap in his second season, the return of Reeves to 100% as he was a shell of himself upon returning from injury sans the Butler game and presumably Diallo, our leading scorer and highest Usage offensive player. There is a ton of redundancy on this roster of face-up guards/wings who thrive with the ball in isolation......this has all the makings of being a problem. You also want to integrate a high profile freshman wing (yes, another one) in Gantt or run the risk of losing him to transfer.

I'm concerned about this upcoming season.

I can't become the least bit involved emotionally in this dumpster fire. It is almost criminal what is happening to Reeves career at Providence. Isn't it now almost certain he won't be sticking around next year? I know that I sure wouldn't be.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
HRB, completely agree with the potential for a Reeves and others to transfer as a result of this.

The bigger impact though is what this does to future recruiting? How many Top 100 guys has Cooley brought in that never progress and we lament that they are 1 dimensional. Something is amiss with regard to player Development under this staff.

If you were a competing coach, wouldn’t you use the stories of Reeves, Watson and Lindsay against Cooley on the trail? Now Gantt can’t find his way to meaningful minutes. “Go to PC and you’ll never progress your game, never mind make the NBA”. If you were a Top 100 recruit how could you not see that and no matter “how real” Cooley is keeping it, have doubts in the back of your mind?

I think this has the potential to snowball for a few years if this team doesn’t show something this year and make a run to respectability (never mind the NCAAs or NIT). If this trend continues into next year I think, I don’t believe Driscoll will want to make a change (not historically his strong suit) and even if he did, I doubt the school can afford the buy out.

buckle up.
 

Clears Cleaver

Lil' Bill
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
11,370
Is Ed Cooley on the warm seat? This is his ninth year at PC. He has ONE win in the NCAA Tournament and has placed one kid in the NBA (Kris Dunn). He's living off one run in the BE where they beat a couple mediocre teams in STJ and SH and then beat an overrated Creighton (lost in second round as a 3 seed) in a GREAT title game before playing UNC tough in the tourney but losing. Other than that its been mediocrity and disappointment in the biggest games and with the highest ranked recruits.

Does he get a pass still for 2014 or is the lack of success starting to wear thin?
 

shawnrbu

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
39,690
The Land of Fist Pumps
Beat Nova both times they won the Natty and took Nova to OT in the Big East Tournament Championship Game in 2018.

5 NCAA Tournament appearances, 2 NIT appearances, 1 Big East Tournament Championship in 8 seasons. That’s good for a tiny school.

Cooley is safe for the next couple of seasons after this one. He really needs to find more players that can shoot the 3. The shooting on this team the last couple of years has been brutal to watch outside of Reeves’ first two months last year.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
I’ll chime in to say I think Cooley’s job is secure as long as Driscoll is AD — and deservedly so, in my opinion. It’s easy to forget that in terms of prestige, Providence is probably the second least desirable program in the Big East, ahead of only DePaul. (Though I guess you could argue Creighton.)

In addition to the on court achievements noted above, Cooley deserves credit for reinvigorating the program to a place where the Ruane practice facility could be conceived and built. It’s state of the art and among the program’s top draws for recruits.

Cooley does need to help himself, however, by getting this season back on track toward respectability with games against Florida at Barclay’s tonight and hosting Texas at the Dunk on Saturday. Be competitive enough to give the seniors a glimmer of hope, the underclassmen reason to believe in the future, and fans a reason to show up through conference play.
 

shawnrbu

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
39,690
The Land of Fist Pumps
5 for 28 from the field in the 1st Half against Florida.

Watson and Diallo have 38 of the 47 points with 4 minutes to go. Reeves, Gantt, Duke and White have a total of 2 points.

I am wracking my brain for a worse Friars team in the past 25 years. At least Keno’s last year had Greedy and they lost most games 95 to 85.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Providence hasn't covered a game this season and I'm not sure any have even been close. 0-8 versus the number.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
Cooley has his work cut out for him avoiding massive transfers unfortunately. I don't know how Reeves, Gantt, and Nichols stick around. Duke will likely try to play next year to get drafted.

No recruiting class next year to speak of.

Maybe the 40 mins of hell gameplay will turn the tides if Cooley can abandon the half court, otherwise not a lot to look forward to the remainder of this year.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
I missed the game and they win by 22!

A fluke or did Cooley change something up?
 

NoLastCall125

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 28, 2009
897
Providence, RI
I missed the game and they win by 22!

A fluke or did Cooley change something up?
They shot better than they have (although they were making a lot of bad shots they shouldn’t have taken) and Texas was ice cold the whole game. I don’t think this is a game that shows much moving forward. This felt more like a blind squirrel finding a nut than an actual improvement - but winning is better than losing so there’s that!
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
Agree with the sentiment above that Saturday’s win isn’t really cause for optimism about *this* season. They still shot 38%, after all.

What it did remind me of, however, is what the blueprint for success looks like with this type of roster (i.e., surplus of length and athleticism, short on shot-makers). You can get the job done by crashing the boards, being disruptive on D and pressing a little bit, while feeding Watson down low. And that’s a good thing, because neither Bynum nor Horchler (who will likely enter the rotation next season as transfers) can shoot the lights out. So it will be the same roster dynamic in 2020-21, albeit hopefully with some organic growth from Duke, Reeves and Gantt.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Never to early to bring up this topic. The Friars will be participating in the 2020 Maui Invitational on Nov 23-25 next year. Neither myself nor the Mrs have been to Hawaii and both have had it on our bucket list forever along with two other couples (one PC fan the other UNC fans who will also be playing there). This looks like a great opportunity to take the trip.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
We’ve thought about it too. We did Maui when the wife was pregnant and she is dying to go back and enjoy it. The Wailea Beach resort area (we stayed at the Marriott) is a dream, 30 mins away from Laihaina where the games are. There are hotels in Laihaina and Laihaina is more of a “city” with a Main Street.

My brother in law lives on Oahu so we’ve been a few times and I’m happy to provide more info, send me a PM if interested.
 

NoLastCall125

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 28, 2009
897
Providence, RI
Soooo...is the team we expected them to be from the start and the one that plans on showing up during Big East play? Or is it too little too late? Because Georgetown is getting more hammered right now.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Soooo...is the team we expected them to be from the start and the one that plans on showing up during Big East play? Or is it too little too late? Because Georgetown is getting more hammered right now.
Our best games by far have come at The Dunk thus far. Hopefully yesterday was a catalyst for some consistency but our road struggles do seem to be very real. Cooley still has a big challenge facing him but nice to see old AJ back yesterday.
 

moretsyndrome

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 24, 2006
2,177
Pawtucket
...and just like that, 3-0 in the Big East after a thriller at Marquette. Back-to-back road wins! Over 45% from the field! Who knows?
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
I had genuinely written this team off after the loss to Florida, and I still think they got lucky running into an ice cold Texas team and hosting Georgetown without their best player (off an already depleted roster). But those were gutsy road wins at DePaul and especially to beat Marquette in overtime.

What’s surprising to me is that there hasn’t really been an individual breakthrough. Sure, White has stepped up and Reeves made a couple of big shots on Tuesday night, but Pipkins is still inconsistent as hell, Diallo remains in a terrible funk, and Watson isn’t quite right. Somehow they’ve patched together enough offensively to get by. (Duke is the only player on the roster who has been reliable all season...)

They’re still a tournament long shot, but a win tomorrow night hosting #6 Butler could make me a believer again.
 

bsan34

New Member
Jul 31, 2006
338
C'ville, VA / Hingham, MA
What struck me in the Marquette game was their only attempting 5 3s second half. This team obviously can't shoot (as evidenced by only hitting 1 of those 5, with 4 seconds left), so rather than try to play modern offense, good move on their part turning it back to 1994 and relying on bully ball, backdoor cuts, etc.
 

moretsyndrome

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 24, 2006
2,177
Pawtucket
I think Watson is key. He seems to be right on the verge of taking that NBA body of his and causing some real damage, but he just has a couple of nagging obstacles to break through. If he can make the jump, they can get back into this.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
Only a 1.5 point underdog tonight. This Butler team has played well thus far, but they’re not super talented and I don’t think Lavall Jordan is a particularly good coach. I think we win tonight.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
Only a 1.5 point underdog tonight. This Butler team has played well thus far, but they’re not super talented and I don’t think Lavall Jordan is a particularly good coach. I think we win tonight.
I still say fade Butler, but as the title of this thread implies, you can’t beat anyone when you shoot 32%. And there were plenty of open looks.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
Welp, blew a 5-point lead with under 2min to go and possession (~85% win probability) on the road against a ranked Creighton team. That hurts -- especially with a trip to #10 Seton Hall coming up tomorrow, where the Friars haven't won in 5 years. Silver lining is David Duke was incredible against Creighton, scoring a career-high 36 points. If you're looking for reasons to be optimistic about next year, he's number one.

If you're looking for reasons to be optimistic about this year, TeamRankings.com still pegs our NCCA tournament odds at 20% (yes, seriously). Need to somehow steal this Seton Hall game or at least defend home court Saturday against Nova to stay bubble-adjacent.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
I hope no one lets their kids watch this team. The lack of discipline and bad shots is mind numbing. The least fun PC team to cheer for in a long time.

Another ~30% shooting day. Diallo’s attitude finally got him bench and he skips the handshake line. Terrible early 3s by Pipkins and that fast break 3 by Holt!

These kids heart and hustle keep them in games, but the lack of a cohesive offense is hard to stomach.

Need to let Duke, Reeves,Gantt, and Watson play the majority of the minutes the rest of the year. At this point I’m over the Diallo and Pipkins show.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
AJ’s got his groove back! Diallo’s approach and attitude seemed much better.

Is this a bad shooting team getting hot for 60% of a game or are they starting to turn a corner? Obviously they aren’t going to shoot 60% from 3 the rest of the season but it was fun to see a team who looked like they knew how to play offensive basketball.

Give Cooley credit in Nov/Dec no one thought this team would be playing meaningful games into late February and here we are.

Win Saturday and we can start to dream about the bubble!

This season is a roller coaster!
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
Win Saturday and we can start to dream about the bubble!
However improbable it may have seemed in December, I think this is right. TeamRankings.com gives us a >50% chance of making the tournament right now (!), whereas Bart Torvik pegs those odds closer to 25%. Regardless, it’s going to require winning at least two of the next four (@ X, @ StJ, vs SHU, @ GU) as likely underdogs.

Fun to at least have something to dream on!
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
I missed the Xavier game on Saturday night, but it sounds like it was there for the taking. KenPom has the Friars a slight underdog in each of the next 4 (between 35-45% win prob), before a really tough road game @ Nova.

I think it probably takes 11 wins in conference play, plus a win at MSG, to overcome the blighted non-con resume. So consider tomorrow @ St. John’s a must-win.
 

shawnrbu

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
39,690
The Land of Fist Pumps
Nice win against 1st Place Seton Hall. Diallo with a career high 35 out of nowhere.

@ Georgetown
Marquette
@ Villanova
Xavier
DePaul

Need to go 4-1. Wins over Xavier and Villanova would mean they beat everyone in the Big East this season.