be afraid of a team that’s 0-7 (or 0-8) in conference play. If Depaul could figure out how to beat a desparate Pitt team, then I think we can manage to do the same.
Didn’t help them against Louisville but that’s hardly a bad loss. Their still well-coached to the point where they will only get fiestier as the season goes on. We’re the better team and we should win this game, but it’s not like we’ve been in top form ourselves over the past few weeks.
where they are not as bad as their record looks – too much pride, coaching, and some distant memory in there of how to win – and through riding our luck, we may not be quite as good as our record makes us look. I welcome being proved thoroughly wrong on Saturday, but it has the makings of a painful afternoon.
Would imagine Jahidi’s status/level of inebriation will reflect this.
Plus combine that with the "This is our championship game mentality"
and this game becomes more difficult… Look regardless of record we always have tough games with Pitt.. Plus their slide started when Woodall went down and he’s back now..
He is arguably their best player and gives them the opportunity to move Gibbs back to the 2 where he can chuck his lil heart out…
On a side note where Pitt has really struggled this year is on defense..
You rarely see that from the Panthers… We have to come out get up early and not take the foot off the gas… When a a team is struggling like this it’s best to crush their will early, the longer they hang around the more confidence they will have..
No excuses let’s not forget Gibbs comment about stepping on our throats last year… Let’s beat the Chit out of these doods….traitors
If JTIII can’t get this team motivated after having a week full of practice then he’s worse than I thought. There’s no way in hell GU should lose this game. To even be cautious about playing Pitt right now says alot about the confidence in this coaching staff.
If he had said it about my team, and we had just got our arses kicked all over our home court? I would be looking to return the favor next time I saw those guys to say it mildly..
But yes that’s the right mentality to have. You get a team down you put them away. That’s what makes good teams great..
I want us on the Thursday, Saturday sites so we don’t play on Sunday March 18th my birthday and the day we’ve lost on the last 3 years. Baylor, Ohio, VCU. FML.
We need to be playing at either Pitt, Louisville, Oregon, or New Mexico. In that order of preference. Unfortunately Pitt seems unlikely since it’s the closest location for Cuse and Ohio St who will likely be seeded ahead of us. I vote for Louisville we played pretty well there.
Would like to see how we fare against Kentucky, actually
I like how this team responds to perceived “big” games, and it’s tough to get much bigger than that. Not saying I want to see them early in the tourney, but it would be an interesting measuring stick.
I don’t think Kentucky is unbeatable. I’m sure Davis would block quite a lot of shots, but I think we could pull out a win especially at home. Use Hank to pull Davis away from the basket.
Trust me, I would give anything for the Hoyas to beat Kentucky. It would be a hallmark win for us, and I’d never hear the end of it if it went the other way.
And actually, they aren’t playing that sweet at home this year either. I just thought when i read that, he was saying they didn’t travel well…as in their fans. And then I thought about the 55k fans they had at the Rose Bowl this year.
Syracuse is extremely deep.. They have good players at every position but...
There not scary to me when I watch them.. I give us a 10% chance of beating them in Cuse but On a nuetral court I think we would play them extremely tough… You can kind of see the same weaknesses that have lead to there losses in the past have not been addressed this year…. And I would never trust Scoop Jardine to run my team..Ever.. He’s shooting 50% from the line this year btw
This is true although we really only go 8 deep on a consistent basis with..
Hopkins getting spot minutes.. The difference is they bring guys of the bench that can put up 20+ (Waiters, Sutherland, Fair) and we bring in Freshman that are great on D but still learning on O.
I mean Michael Carter Williams is a 6’5 stud frosh point guard (Mcdonald’s All American) and he barely sees the floor for Cuse. So although we are deep we can’t compare our quality of depth to Cuse’s, and I know FM is suspended but you know Cuse is going to work that out before we see them…smh
Yep just in time to get a couple tune ups before us..
I don’t expect us to win, too young, too inexperienced against that zone, hostile environment etc.. But I wouldn’t be scared of those guys if I had to play them…
There defensive rebounding is not good because of that zone, and the middle has looked soft… If you can hit a couple outside shots early, they really extend that zone and the middle really open up. Defensively I think we match up well and their bigs are not serious scoring threats.. If we can slow down there guard play and attack the glass with our size we have a shot.. That being said we could also come out with that deer in the headlights look and get blown out.. Shrugs… A lot of freshman on our team experiencing this rivalry for the first time makes it tough..
Anyone know where I can get a 'Syracuse is #3' shirt?
CasualHoya - January 23, 2012
I imagine
the 20-0 and #1 shirts are pretty cheap right now if that helps any.
PerryMcDonald'sRightCross - January 23, 2012
Pitt game feels like duck duck goose
They’ve been going around a circle playing, and every duck is a loss. Eventually someone’s got to say goose, and I hope it isn’t next Saturday.
JabrilTrawick'sInstagrams - January 23, 2012
hopefully its providence on wednesday
Hire Esherick - January 23, 2012
mortally terrified
of this Saturday.
SirHoya - January 23, 2012
agreed
slightly less terrified if pitt wins first
thunderbus - January 23, 2012
I'm equally concerned about Saturday
Whether or not Pitt makes Providence their goose
Hoya Saxual - January 23, 2012 via mobile
constant vigilance!
Trap written all over this pitt game with uconn around the corner
hoyabballownsall - January 23, 2012 via mobile
Gotta view this as a must win if we want to finish in the top 4..
Our next 4 games are @Pitt, Uconn, Usf (who is playing really well now), @Cuse… In a 11 day span starting Saturday
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
Yep
Could see 3-1 or 0-4 in that stretch
JGD - January 23, 2012
Ashton Gibbs "Keep your foot on their throat" comment
Should be motivation enough. I circled this game. I hope JTIII stresses the need to obliterate this team.
30yrHoyafan - January 24, 2012
Fluck the polls beat Pitt… Thatisall
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
I know what you're saying but I just can't
be afraid of a team that’s 0-7 (or 0-8) in conference play. If Depaul could figure out how to beat a desparate Pitt team, then I think we can manage to do the same.
HoyaSmacksYa - January 23, 2012
That's the scary part about this game. Pitt's got to stop the slide sometime.
96Hoyagrad - January 23, 2012
I hate you
for saying this.
wadetandy - January 23, 2012
They do have Woodall back...
Didn’t help them against Louisville but that’s hardly a bad loss. Their still well-coached to the point where they will only get fiestier as the season goes on. We’re the better team and we should win this game, but it’s not like we’ve been in top form ourselves over the past few weeks.
WarmupEwing - January 23, 2012
SEASON ON THE BRINK
CasualHoya - January 23, 2012
a classic situation
where they are not as bad as their record looks – too much pride, coaching, and some distant memory in there of how to win – and through riding our luck, we may not be quite as good as our record makes us look. I welcome being proved thoroughly wrong on Saturday, but it has the makings of a painful afternoon.
Would imagine Jahidi’s status/level of inebriation will reflect this.
SirHoya - January 23, 2012
Plus combine that with the "This is our championship game mentality"
and this game becomes more difficult… Look regardless of record we always have tough games with Pitt.. Plus their slide started when Woodall went down and he’s back now..
He is arguably their best player and gives them the opportunity to move Gibbs back to the 2 where he can chuck his lil heart out…
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
No more f***ing 3 of 23 in the first half
DrTox - January 24, 2012
I just hope that the Hoyas can continue
to Pitt keep undefeated in the win column this week….
Big Spoon - January 23, 2012
You are like the announcers who inevitably need to point out
“It’s astonishing – he hasn’t missed a FT all season!” We know how that ends.
As for “managing” to win…we made 12 baskets against Rutgers. I’m taking nothing for granted.
Hoya Saxual - January 23, 2012 via mobile
Pre-emptive
“Hold on to your butts” post. I am also nervous about Saturday already.
J-Wall's Mom's Broom - January 23, 2012
To be fair
DePaul them in Chicago, now perhaps would’ve been a different outcome in Pittsburgh?
We’ll never know!
Big Spoon - January 23, 2012
@ Hoyasmacksya *DePaul beat Pitt in Chicago*
Big Spoon - January 23, 2012
Pitt game
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _________
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ./ It’s a trap! \
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,,,—~~~~~~~~—, . . . .\ ._________/
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who will sex dikembe tonight - January 23, 2012
On a side note where Pitt has really struggled this year is on defense..
You rarely see that from the Panthers… We have to come out get up early and not take the foot off the gas… When a a team is struggling like this it’s best to crush their will early, the longer they hang around the more confidence they will have..
No excuses let’s not forget Gibbs comment about stepping on our throats last year… Let’s beat the Chit out of these doods….traitors
I Hate PITT…
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
From last years game…. Bulletin Board
“We knew we had ’em in the first half,” Gibbs said, “so we just wanted to keep stepping on their throats.”
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
Exactly
If JTIII can’t get this team motivated after having a week full of practice then he’s worse than I thought. There’s no way in hell GU should lose this game. To even be cautious about playing Pitt right now says alot about the confidence in this coaching staff.
30yrHoyafan - January 24, 2012
I think it says more about the cynical/delusional swings of this blog, but....
if you want to come on here and fling shit, do your thing.
JahidiLikesPie - January 24, 2012
"worse than i thought"
guess u were expecting to be undefeated at this point of the season
Hire Esherick - January 24, 2012
I never had any issue with Gibb's comment. I wish we had one player in this program
who could consistently express the confidence conveyed by that one sentence.
Oh well, you play basketball with the cherubs you got, not the cherubs you wish you had.
HoyaSmacksYa - January 24, 2012
I think Trawick will bring that
Just give him a couple years to develop
J-Wall's Mom's Broom - January 24, 2012
Maybe we can scare them if 'Lonzo and Ewing Sr. sit in the front row - right opposite Oscar Robertson
DrTox - January 24, 2012
OOps!
The Big O played in a couple final fours for Cincinnati, not Pittsburgh.
DrTox - January 24, 2012
Yeah I don’t have a problem with it either but..
If he had said it about my team, and we had just got our arses kicked all over our home court? I would be looking to return the favor next time I saw those guys to say it mildly..
But yes that’s the right mentality to have. You get a team down you put them away. That’s what makes good teams great..
yaboynyp - January 24, 2012
That's the way JTII teams played in the 80's
There’s a lot to be said for intimidation to go along with rebounding and defense. No college hoops player was ever scarier than Ewing Sr.
Once Notah Begay, Tiger Woods teammate at Stanford, said that if Tiger had you down 6, he wanted down 8. Killer instinct.
DrTox - January 24, 2012
Actually, for one year...
…I was personally more afraid of Michael Graham. But maybe that’s slightly off-topic, since he wasn’t the focal-point of the team?
hoyaparanormal - January 25, 2012
Last thing we need to approach this game like we’re Sharks and there’s blood in the water..
Attack these fools from tip to finish… Don’t even give these doods a chance to get going..
Time to develop that Killer Instinct.. Crush PITT!!!!
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
See you in Columbus
CasualHoya - January 23, 2012
I want no part of Columbus or Greensboro
I want us on the Thursday, Saturday sites so we don’t play on Sunday March 18th my birthday and the day we’ve lost on the last 3 years. Baylor, Ohio, VCU. FML.
We need to be playing at either Pitt, Louisville, Oregon, or New Mexico. In that order of preference. Unfortunately Pitt seems unlikely since it’s the closest location for Cuse and Ohio St who will likely be seeded ahead of us. I vote for Louisville we played pretty well there.
hoyasincebirth - January 23, 2012
clearly you must sacrifice yourself on march 18th
i’ll liveblog it if you’d like
CasualHoya - January 24, 2012
baylor would be tough for us
wisconsin I amm not too terrified about: they travel terribly
Kentucky of course, might be the worst possible draw.
onceahoya - January 23, 2012
Would like to see how we fare against Kentucky, actually
I like how this team responds to perceived “big” games, and it’s tough to get much bigger than that. Not saying I want to see them early in the tourney, but it would be an interesting measuring stick.
J-Wall's Mom's Broom - January 23, 2012
An interesting measuring stick
with which Kentucky will likely beat us half to death.
wadetandy - January 23, 2012 via mobile
Great moments are born from great opportunity.
If we played ’em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game.
J-Wall's Mom's Broom - January 23, 2012
Inspirational speeches aside
I think all we really need is someone in the crowd to have a giant cutout of Our Savior Steven Tyler’s tits, and we’re probably good.
J-Wall's Mom's Broom - January 23, 2012
says the guy who's also a kentucky fan
I don’t think Kentucky is unbeatable. I’m sure Davis would block quite a lot of shots, but I think we could pull out a win especially at home. Use Hank to pull Davis away from the basket.
hoyasincebirth - January 23, 2012
ultimate delusion
Hire Esherick - January 23, 2012 via mobile
Kentucky fandom has little to do with it.
Our play so far in January does.
Trust me, I would give anything for the Hoyas to beat Kentucky. It would be a hallmark win for us, and I’d never hear the end of it if it went the other way.
wadetandy - January 24, 2012 via mobile
I'd love to see Kentucky
That means we would have advanced several rounds.
DrTox - January 24, 2012
hoping by "travel terribly"
you mean they play terribly on the road…they have more fans with them on the road then just about any other school in the country
brandonbowmansfootistoobig - January 24, 2012
in fairness
while “travel terribly” is a bit of hyperbole, Wisconsin is a very different team outside of the Kohl Center.
sanityonleave - January 24, 2012
oh i agree...
And actually, they aren’t playing that sweet at home this year either. I just thought when i read that, he was saying they didn’t travel well…as in their fans. And then I thought about the 55k fans they had at the Rose Bowl this year.
brandonbowmansfootistoobig - January 24, 2012
They also show up big time when they play in Chicago, Iowa City, of Minn.
DrTox - January 24, 2012
Already furious..
That Duke gets a 2 seed with Kansas being the 1 and Wvu being the 3??? lol
I mean even in the fake bracket Duke gets the easiest road to the Final Four….smh
Seems like Joe is right in tune with the selection committee…
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
Ok not really furious but cmonJoe.. Shrugs
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
we play to our comp
Pitt will not be a walk in the park
Lord Humongous - January 23, 2012
Yeah... can't remember the last cakewalk Big East win we had
I think we slapped the Johnnies around at home last year (with Hollis’s megadunk)… but only after they had visiting stinging shame upon us at MSG.
TouomouIsMyHomie - January 23, 2012
Wow Nati coming out on fire 4-4 from 3 already...
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
2 early fouls on Joseph...
WarmupEwing - January 23, 2012
Syracuse is extremely deep.. They have good players at every position but...
There not scary to me when I watch them.. I give us a 10% chance of beating them in Cuse but On a nuetral court I think we would play them extremely tough… You can kind of see the same weaknesses that have lead to there losses in the past have not been addressed this year…. And I would never trust Scoop Jardine to run my team..Ever.. He’s shooting 50% from the line this year btw
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
Anyone with amazing photoshop skills?
I think there should be a photoshopped version of this but with a Syracuse 40-0 2011-2012.
Great Vengeance and Furious Anger - January 23, 2012
jerk
aja32 - January 24, 2012
We are deep too
When was the last time we went 9 deep on a regular basis? 1989 maybe? Also, Fab Melo has academic troubles
DrTox - January 24, 2012
This is true although we really only go 8 deep on a consistent basis with..
Hopkins getting spot minutes.. The difference is they bring guys of the bench that can put up 20+ (Waiters, Sutherland, Fair) and we bring in Freshman that are great on D but still learning on O.
I mean Michael Carter Williams is a 6’5 stud frosh point guard (Mcdonald’s All American) and he barely sees the floor for Cuse. So although we are deep we can’t compare our quality of depth to Cuse’s, and I know FM is suspended but you know Cuse is going to work that out before we see them…smh
yaboynyp - January 24, 2012
Agreed, bu
doesn’t Otto-man count for 2?
DrTox - January 24, 2012
We hope so!!
yaboynyp - January 24, 2012
Justin Jackson from Nati is having a game right now…
It’s not gonna show in the box score but kid can really pass the ball and has been great against that Cuse zone
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
Just got home and turned on ESPN...
what a way to be welcomed home
PitHoyaFan - January 23, 2012
Cinci deciding to start sucking tremendously towards the end here
shwonkBC - January 23, 2012
scoop hit some big shots
and cincy couldnt get the ball to yates.
oh well, cuse isnt unstoppable in this league.
Hire Esherick - January 23, 2012
Still believe
Cuse will have 4-5 losses at the end of the Regular season especially if Melo is done:
WV
Georgetown
Uconn
@ Louisville
@ Rutgers
@ Uconn
Louisville
hoyasincebirth - January 23, 2012
You know that the morally bankrupt Cuse
will suddenly resolve Fab Melo’s “academic issues” a week before February 8.
SomebodyBuyAustinaSteak - January 23, 2012
Yep just in time to get a couple tune ups before us..
I don’t expect us to win, too young, too inexperienced against that zone, hostile environment etc.. But I wouldn’t be scared of those guys if I had to play them…
There defensive rebounding is not good because of that zone, and the middle has looked soft… If you can hit a couple outside shots early, they really extend that zone and the middle really open up. Defensively I think we match up well and their bigs are not serious scoring threats.. If we can slow down there guard play and attack the glass with our size we have a shot.. That being said we could also come out with that deer in the headlights look and get blown out.. Shrugs… A lot of freshman on our team experiencing this rivalry for the first time makes it tough..
yaboynyp - January 24, 2012
yeah, there big thing is creating turnovers and disrupting offenses with the zone
neither of which bodes well for us.
SomebodyBuyAustinaSteak - January 24, 2012
For us to beat the Orange jerks,
Henry Sims et al. have to play a terrific game in the high post.
DrTox - January 24, 2012
Providing more anger
JT3 REALLY should’ve gone zone against Cincy
VictorPage'sLeftEye - January 23, 2012
That's what I was thinking the whole time.
JGD - January 23, 2012
Can
we just have a week of gratuitous beer shots for both genders? Something to scrape Tyler’s image out of our collective eyeballs.
PerryMcDonald'sRightCross - January 23, 2012
Blasphemy
Also, beer shots? Don’t Casualties drink liquor for that kind of thing?
J-Wall's Mom's Broom - January 24, 2012
Navy to join the BE in football in 2015...
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7495168/navy-midshipmen-join-big-east-football-2015-source-says
yaboynyp - January 23, 2012
saturday cant come soon enough
Hire Esherick - January 24, 2012
Just "break" some kind of story so we have something to talk about
Why hasn’t Boeheim released his tax returns………?
WarmupEwing - January 24, 2012
Where is Fab Melo's birth certificate?
DrTox - January 24, 2012
Apparently it says Sammy Sosa on it...
Strange..
yaboynyp - January 24, 2012
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