Droppin' Dimes: Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician

Droppin' Dimes is a new feature we are trying out at BIAH this year. A couple of times a week, we are going to catch up with the bloggers behind the best team-specific sites on the web. If the internet really is becoming the new newspaper, then the writers at these sites are the de facto beat writers. They know their teams inside and out, and hopefully will provide you (and us) with some detailed insights. If you would like to recommend a site or pose a question for a certain team, you can reach us at contactbiah@gmail.com or @ballinisahabit.

In this edition of Droppin' Dimes, we catch up with Sean Keeley of Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician, an all-inclusive Syracuse sports blog. Keeley answers our questions about Kris Joseph, the Syracuse zone, and Arinze Onuaku's free throw percentage.


1. The Orange stormed through MSG last week, thoroughly beating two ranked teams in Cal and UNC. Is this now the team to beat in the Big East?

On paper, absolutely. What Big East team has accomplished more against better opponents? Now, we're barely into December and not everyone has had the opportunity to showcase themselves properly. That said, the Orange have clearly gone from being the 6th or 7th best team in the conference to among the top three. And given that we're seeing great things out of West Virginia, Villanova, Louisville, UConn and others, the Big East is shaping up to once again be a fantastic conference.

2. Syracuse's zone was great at creating points off of turnovers and forcing UNC and Cal out of their offensive sets. But the Heels and the Bears are both dealing with personnel issues - youth, depth, injuries, inexperience. Cornell, an experienced group that has won back-to-back Ivy titles, seemed to have much better success navigating that zone and finding open shooters, especially in the first half. Is that a sign that this Orange zone can be beaten, or was it a result of lackadaisical defense being played?

The zone can always be beaten. I think back to the many times Notre Dame shredded the zone with it's outside shooting. Or the way Pitt would manhandle us down low. That said, this is a better defensive team that we've seen in a while wearing orange. Say what you will about the offensive prowess but these guys are locking down on D. Credit the fact that, despite all of the players who left, there's a lot of experience on the court. Rautins, Onuaku, Jackson and Scoop are old hat at this while Wes Johnson and Brandon Triche are filling in nicely.

Wes Johnson's length is a big reason the Syracuse zone is so effective.
(photo credit: SUAthletics)

The true test of this SU defense will be when they eventually do go up against a team that's red hot from outside. If they can hold one and withstand that, then we're talking about something special.


3. The Orange always seem to have about two or three guys that can be impact contributors but never see the floor - Jones and Southerland come to mind this year. Does Boeheim lack confidence in these guys? Are they ready to contribute? Or does Boeheim just prefer a shorter rotation with this group?

Well Mookie Jones had an interesting week in that regard. He sulked and walked off the bench during the Cornell game, later taking to his Facebook page to say that he's frustrated with his lack of playing time. He got what he wanted the next two games thanks to inferior opponents and has proven that he has a great shot...but also has a long way to go on defense.

Mookie Jones has seen inconsistent minutes this year.
(photo credit: Syracuse.com)

Boeheim is a little loose with the rotation in November and December but eventually he always tightens it into a 7-8 man rotation that leaves somebody out. Mookie and Southerland can look at it two ways...they can be frustrated about not playing or they can look to the fact that they will be called on in a big way next year and this experience is only going to make them better.

As for whether or not Boeheim lacks confidence in them...Boeheim's just being Boeheim. He's tough on young players and likes to break them down in order to build them back up. Some guys react well, some don't. We'll see how they do.


4. It seems to me that the x-factor on this team is going to be Kris Joseph. He is versatile and athletic, and will create a mismatch on the offensive end of the floor. If he can be a scorer and a defensive play maker off the bench, it makes the Cuse a real Final Four threat. The question then becomes is he capable of filling that role?

Great point. Wes Johnson gets all the highlights, Andy Rautins is the leader, Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson are the notable big men and the Scoop/Triche point guard hybrid make for an interesting situation. But then there's Kris Joseph, lurking in the background, quietly putting together a solid season (9 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg, 1.7 spg). He's a special player who's time will come, he'll likely be the go-to guy by the time he's a senior. In the meantime, he's a steady role player who helps weather any storm when one of the top guys isn't performing.


5. Brandon Triche or Scoop Jardine?

Seems to depend on the night. Triche seems to want to prove himself not only as a point guard but as a shooter and that doesn't always work. Scoop has developed immensely since his freshman year and all of a sudden he's become a dependable asset up top. Neither of them are Jonny Flynn but given time, Triche could develop into a top point guard among the many great ones SU has had. As far as I can tell, the two-headed monster is working fine so Boeheim will continue to play them as they warrant it.


Bonus: Over-under on Arinze Onuaku's free throw percentage by the end of the year.

Well let's see...he was an unbelievably atrocious .298 last season. Giving him the benefit of the doubt that he's improving...slightly...I'm gonna go with an even .333. Believe me when I say if AO is hitting one out of every three free throws, SU fans will take it at this point.
Continue reading...

Tuesday's Shootaround: Boeheim wins 800th, Turner's triple-double, and ranked teams win ugly

Ohio State 100, Alcorn State 60: Of the four ranked teams to play last night, the Buckeyes were the only guys that looked crisp, especially on the offensive end. I think it is safe to say that the Evan-Turner-at-the-point experiment has started out pretty well for Thad Matta. Turner did nothing to quell the rumblings that he is the best all-around player in the country, as he turned in just the second triple double in Ohio State history, going for 14 points, 17 boards (6 offensive), 10 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. When this guy adds a consistent three point jumper, he is going to be scary good (as if to say he isn't already).

Evan Turner posted the second triple-double in OSU history.
(photo credit: cleveland.com)

Part of what makes Turner so dangerous is his ability to rebound the ball on the defensive end. Since he runs the point as well, Turner is able to get out and lead the break without using an outlet pass. While this will sometimes slow down the Buckeyes if Turner grabs a rebound in traffic, he showed excellent vision down court, hitting a couple guys on long passes in transition for easy lay-ups.

There were a couple of other very good signs for the Buckeyes. First off, David Lighty, the athletic, 6'5" swingman who is coming off of a broken foot which ended his season in December last year, looked like he was ready to play. He finished with just 8 points in 22 minutes, but he also had 8 assists, threw down a nice dunk in traffic, and all-in-all looked explosive putting the ball on the floor.

Then there was Jon Diebler and William Buford. Everyone knew coming in that Diebler was a shooter, and he showed it, knocking down six threes en route to 22 points. But Buford is a guy that had question marks regarding his ability to consistently shoot it from deep. He's excellent at reading screens offensively and scoring in the mid-range game, but he didn't show consistent range last season. Last night he was 3-7 from deep, and scored 19 points. With Buford and Diebler hitting threes on the wings, it opens up that much more space for Turner to create.

Three last notes: Jeremie Simmons, the Buckeyes back-up PG, looked solid, scoring 12 points on 5-8 shooting, hitting 2 threes, and not turning the ball over. The Buckeyes need Dallas Lauderdale to get healthy. Their three bigs combined to go for 14 points, 10 boards, and 1 block in 48 combined minutes. Club Trillion author Mark Titus played three minutes, grabbing a single rebound.


North Carolina 88, Florida International 72: The Tar Heels handily beat FIU in Isiah Thomas's debut as a college coach, jumping out to an early double digit lead and never looking back. But don't be fooled by the score - the Tar Heels did not look impressive.

For starters, the Panthers simply out worked the Tar Heels. Their scrappy brand of defense forced 26 UNC turnovers and allowed them to keep the game at least moderately interesting in the second half. UNC won because of their size advantage. The Panthers had no answer for Deon Thompson or Ed Davis inside, who combined to go for 33 points, 21 boards, 4 blocks, and 4 steals as both notched double-doubles.

Loved the throwback jerseys UNC wore last night.
(photo credit: Charlotte Observer)

One positive sign for UNC is that Larry Drew II looked like he could be an adequate replacement for Ty Lawson. Much quicker than I remembered him being, Drew II pushed the ball up the floor and had a couple really pretty passes in transition. There were a couple instances where he was forced to pick up his dribble in a bad spot, and he also did over-dribble a few times, but all-in-all it was a positive start for Drew.

The same can't be said for the UNC freshmen. None played more than 12 minutes, and not one looked overly impressive in their time on the floor. Dexter Strickland had five turnovers and four fouls in 11 minutes. Leslie McDonald was 1-4 from the floor and looked lost offensively. The Wear twins played hard and look like they can provide quality effort defensively and on the glass, but don't look like impact players at this point. John Henson looked promising because of his length, but he really needs to add weight to his frame and skills to his tools, so to speak. His only two baskets were on dunks, and given his size and athleticism, he really didn't do much to fill the stat sheet like you would expect.

One nice aspect to this game was the play of Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves on the wing. Despite a slow release, Ginyard knocked down a few threes (which no one on UNC can really do) looked healthy (he had a dunk in the first half where he really got up). Graves didn't impress offensively, but played strong defense, grabbed some rebounds, and didn't turn the ball over.

The bottom line is this: UNC is far from a finished product, but that should be expected. Every single player on this team is UNC team has an expanded role compared to last season. There are a number of newcomers, and three returners that missed most or all of last season due to injuries or suspension. There are a lot of parts here that need to learn how to play with and off of each other. This is not a top 10 basketball team right now, but don't be surprised if the Heels gel and make some noise at the end of the season.


Syracuse 75, Albany 43: The Orange were absolutely dominant on the defensive end against Albany as Jim Boeheim joined the ranks of the 800 win club. They forced 32 Great Dane turnovers and held them to just 27.3% shooting from the floor. As expected, Wesley Johnson is an absolute terror on the defensive end. While his scoring numbers weren't quite up to expectations, Johnson played a great floor game and showed how valuable of a player he can be - 12 points, 8 boards, 6 steals, and 4 assists. Shawn Marion, anyone?

Jim Boeheim won his 800th game last night.
(photo credit: Syracuse Post-Standard)

Sophomore Kris Joseph, another tall and long combo forward, looked excellent as well. Playing 27 minutes off the bench, Joseph went for 12 points, 5 boards, and 2 steals. If Joseph plays with energy this season, especially on the defesive end, it will allow Jim Boeheim to go with two very different looks. He can play Rick Jackson and Arizne Onuaku together, going big on the inside, or he can have Joseph and Johnson playing the wings on the backline of the Orange's 2-3 zone. The length and athleticism that those two give Syracuse will make it so difficult for opposing zones to shoot over and pass through the zone.

More on Onuaku and Jackson - they looked very good on the interior, albeit against a much smaller Great Dane front line. They combined to go 10-11 from the floor and really carried the Orange offense in the early going. Boeheim is going to need those two to be consistent inside this year. Onuaku still looks troubled at the line, going 2-5 with an airball.

The biggest issue for the Orange was on the offensive end, especially in transition. I can't tell you how many times Syracuse blew a golden opportunity for a easy basket by turning the ball over on a break (if I had to guess, I would put the number at eight). Point guard play is going to be an issue all season long. Freshman Brandon Triche did not impress. He seemed to be forcing the issue, as he tried pinpoint passes that all-to-often did not reach their intended target. He had six turnovers and just three assists. Scoop Jardine looked much better. He was 5-7 from the floor had four assists and just one turnover, and seemed to be playing at a much more comfortable and controlled pace. Far from the dynamic play maker of a Jonny Flynn, Jardine (and Triche) won't be asked to do that. As long as they can lead a break, run an offense, score when the opportunity presents itself, and get guys like Johnson, Onuaku, and Jackson the ball where they can be dangerous without turning the ball over, the Cuse will be alright. Jardine did that much better than Triche last night.

Andy Rautins struggled offensively last night, but he is too good of a shooter for his stroke not to come around. More importantly, he looked to be more of a complete player this year. He was active on the defensive end, had a couple nice passes, and rebounded the ball (5 boards, 5 dimes, 4 steals). When his jumper is on, hopefully he will still remain a complete player. Of note, he did roll an ankle early in the second half.

All told, Syracuse looked to be in much the same position as UNC. With a number of new players and guys in new and expanded roles, its only fitting that the Orange looked a bit tentative and, well, bad offensively. But as long as they keep playing defense, the offense will come around. Syracuse fans shouldn't be too worried about this performance (or the Le Moyne loss).


Cal 75, Murray State 70: The Bears played by far the toughest opponent last night in a game Murray State team. But given the expectations put on Cal this year, this was not the performance you like to see from a team predicted to win the Pac 10.

Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher looked out of sync all game long. Randle especially, who just never seemed to find a rhythm offensively. But those two are going to have to learn to play against defenses keyed on slowing them down. They aren't going to sneak up on anyone this year. Both Randle and Christopher are expected to be all-Pac 10 players, and with those expectations come the focus of an opponent's defensive scheme.

Patrick Christopher and Cal were disappointing in their debut.
(photo credit: WaPo)

The key may end up being the development of Jamal Boykin and Markuri Sanders-Frison as scoring threats up front. What Cal really likes to do offensively is run a high screen for Randle with one of the bigs. As the big guy rolled to the rim, Theo Robertson would curl back to the top of the key with Christopher would spot up in the same side corner. Last night, the Racers were doubling that screen, forcing Randle to go wide off of it and get rid of the ball. What would eventually happen, then, is that the ball would end up in the hands of a Robertson or Jorge Gutierrez, neither of whom are the kind of play maker that Randle or Christopher is.

To be fair, Boykin was active most of the game, and grabbed a couple of offensive boards, getting easy putbacks. Sanders-Frison had a couple nice post moves as well. If he can become a legitimate scoring threat with his back to the basket, it will add a nice dimension to their team. 7'3" Max Zhang played five first half minutes, but didn't grab a board. He still may not be ready to compete at this level.

But that wasn't the biggest problem that the Bears faced. The Racers were able to hit threes, score in transition, and most importantly compete on the offensive glass. Until Cal proves that they can be a good rebounding and defensive team, you have to consider Washington to be the favorite out west.

Overall, Cal just looked complacent tonight. They came out of the gates flat, and after building an 18 point second half lead, they allowed the Racers to claw their way back in it, making this a two possession game down the stretch. Playing as the favorite is different than playing as the underdog. Cal seems like they may have bought into their hype. Hopefully, this was a wake-up call for them.
Continue reading...