As the Eagles gear up for the rematch of last season's Patriot League Semifinals game this Saturday, the team is trying to put an inconsistent 10-point win over Brown behind them. There are a lot of things to like about their performance, especially on offense: 77 points, just five turnovers, and 15 team assists sound like good numbers.
But after two solid games in the Cable Car Classic, and the thought of the Patriot League schedule starting Saturday against Lehigh, this was the perfect place for a mental letdown.
"I think we did somewhat overlook them in the beginning, and that's why the game started out the way it did," junior Troy Brewer said. "We weren't really prepared with the mindset to come in here and play the game the way we should have, which could have cost us."
But Jones doesn't see a reason for the team to have lost its focus after a good stretch.
"My question would be 'why?'" Jones said. "We just played two really good games, why not play a third game really, really well? To me that's what really good teams do and that's why we're not a really good team. That's what we're striving to become, but that's what that group Gilmore and Carr and those guys did day after day after day in practice. They were so competitive. We don't have that edge yet. We've got to find that edge. We've got some guys that are like that, but it takes all of us to have that edge, that chip on your shoulder."
Junior Stephen Lumpkins also played just nine minutes in the first half and 28 overall. Jones said it was a benching and not a strategic decision to go small, but would only say that, "We weren't doing the things that we have to do to be successful."
For a team with 10 wins out of conference after a season where they won just 11 games total, Jones is having a tough time deciding who his go-to players are. He's still waiting for someone to dictate the pace of practice and hold players accountable when they slack off.
Typically around this time, Jones' roster shrinks to a core rotation that defines the team throughout the conference schedule and into the tournament. With the team two years ago, it was easy to decide that group, but this team hasn't been as consistent.
"Once you get a core group - five guys, six guys, seven guys - then you can kinda start figuring that out, or at least that's the way I do it," Jones said. "But right now, it's not the same six or seven guys every game."
The team tore through the Patriot League schedule two years ago, losing just once at Holy Cross, a team it would later defeat to win the conference. That team was much different than this one: it was defined by a trio of top notch talent and solid leadership. This bunch arguably has more talent and depth than that team did. But the leadership void has to be filled.
"You let up with [the team in 2008-09] and they let you hear about it," Jones said. "We've got to have more of that, and it can't come from me. I'm not panicked. I want more because we have more to give."
The good thing is that we won. Sometimes you have to win ugly. I'd like to point out that the PGs once again seemed to play well, looking at the stat sheet. 9 points, 7 assists, 0 turnovers, and 1 steal is another solid performance from the supposed weak link in the team.
ReplyDeleteFWIW (and I have never put a lot of stock in this for several reasons), Joe Lunardi has us as a 14 seed up against currenly undefeated San Diego St. from the MWC. At the very least we're getting enough national recognition to get us off of the dreaded 16 line.
Good to know about Lunardi, although I've always thought he just followed the RPI closely, where we're doing pretty well.
ReplyDeleteIt's not much like JJ to go and reference past teams and use them as a benchmark for the current squad. Last season he avoided it like the plague. I wonder if it's out of frustration, or if that's the spark he thinks the team needs: "we've had success, now do what they did."
As for the comment about not having a core group, it is definitely more about some intangible quality, like leadership, than it is about stats, because the numbers make it pretty obvious who is whom. Frankly, there might have been more of a cohesiveness problem in 08-09 if there had been more depth. Also, back then the leadership was coming from the backcourt. This time, it's coming from the big men, which might not flow as well come game time. I also remember the 08-09 team really finding their stride after the first two or three PL victories, so there's still time yet as the stakes get higher. The nice thing about PL play is that even when we play, say, Colgate, we know it matters more than the average OOC game. Who knows? I'm not in their heads. Still, they're doing pretty damn well, so I won't complain.
I think if this team had a true point guard that JJ could depend on like Mercer, none of this would be a big issue. That's a good point about a frontcourt player not necessarily having the leadership potential of a backcourt player. point guard is probably the weakest position on the roster, even if it really isn't that weak. it's just the one spot that's still consistently up for grabs. Lump is the 5, Vlad the 4, Hendra, Brewer, and Hinkle rotate the wings.
ReplyDeleteI have to respectfully disagree with my colleagues. From where I'm sitting, the reins of leadership on this team are held by Luptak and Hendra. Let's not conflate leadership and output. I think Nick and Steve are the ones out there getting people fired up and holding them accountable. That's what I see during the games, at least. You certainly don't see that often out of Vlad or Lump during the games. There's the leading by example argument, sure, but I don't buy it in this case.
ReplyDeleteWe'll wait and see what PL play holds, I guess.
Steve here (I'm having trouble posting under my name):
ReplyDeleteDespite the comments made already, I thought this was a really, really well played D1 ball game. Both teams executed well on offense.
Brown took us apart early. Part of that was execution on their part. When you are well spaced, and are going up against a man-to-man, you can force the D into difficult decisions, and that's exactly what they did. Both teams had superb off the ball movement.
Our problem was that Brown ran some sophisticated sets we hadn't seen before, and it took us time to adjust. they got players isolated, and came up with a well-timed pick and roll. If you do it right, you're stuck on D. We kept with a man-to-man that wasn't working, and we got burned, repeatedly.
This was a good game for AU because we faced adversity, learned some important things - especially about switching, and executed well on offense to come up with a good win against a team that played very well. I am hoping the next time we have this problem we can adjust sooner, but that is not always possible.
Lat week, I went to the Holy Cross-GW game at the Smith Center. Now that game was a real stinker. So I can safely say that Brown ran their offense better than either of those teams or Fordham or Delaware, and was a better coached team. It was better preparation for the PL.
By the way, the 2008-2009 team was 7-5 through the non-conference schedule, including a home loss to Mt. St. Mary's. And, of course, they went on to a 24-8 final tally. So 10-5 looks pretty good from that standpoint . . .
ReplyDeleteI'm encouraged that JJ was so discouraged. The Cable Car games were a sign of what this team is capable of when everyone comes out focused and pays attention to detail. Showing on pick and rolls, closing out on shooters, getting deflections on D; taking advantages of mismatches, protecting the ball and making the scoring pass on offense.
ReplyDeleteWe will have to play that way in the tournament, b/c it's certainly a possibility we'd get a Lehigh in the semis, followed by Bucknell in the finals. I think JJ believes this is a tournament-quality team, but they have no margin for error if they're going to beat good teams. One or two slipups in the PL could cost us homecourt in a championship game--or cost us the tournament.
The focus level does slip on this team. They were horribly flat against Howard and MSM, and not much better against WVU and Florida, though they picked up their play against the Gators in the second half. They were ready to play against NW and Pitt and the results were better before the talent disparity took over.
We can win the PL. But we have to bring it on a more regular basis. Bucknell ain't playing around this year.
What worries me about Bucknell is not the quality of their wins (which are good quality, we don't yet have a LaSalle or Richmond on our resume), but the consistency of them over the past month. After starting 2-6, they go 8-7 for OOC play. That means something clicked, and stayed on (also contributing was that most of their BCS-level competition was in November, and ours in December). Like us, they have strong PL talent on the court at between 4-5 positions at any given time, which separates us and them from the CJ McCollum show (Lehigh). If Bucknell has all of those intangibles like leadership, and those don't show up for us next week, it's going to be a tough game. That being said, I still think we have what it takes, and like many posters have said it's been there the last few games. We just need to intensify it.
ReplyDeleteWe also had a ridiculously long string of road games in December, so playing at home a bit more should definitely help. Not sure if that was as much as a challenge for the rest of the PL. Needless to say, I think we overcame it.
ReplyDeleteOur first two PL games against the perceived teams we have to beat, is not a way to ease into the "Big Games" . Plus the pressure to win at home is important since we all know how tough it is to win at Bucknell and Lehigh. These first two games will most likely be a strong determination as to final seeding. Win these two big home games and steal a big away game and we are in the driver's seat. Lose one or both- and AU will have must win road games and having to watch the scoreboard more closely all season.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope these kids know the challenge they face in the next ten days.
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ReplyDelete"Not sure if that was as much as a challenge for the rest of the PL"
Bucknell has played 11 games on the road: Marquette, Villanova, St. Francis (PA), Presbyterian (neutral), Princeton (neutral), James Madison, LaSalle, Cornell, Boston College, Loyola, and Richmond.
Five home games: Binghamton, Wagner, Columbia, Boston U, and Dartmouth.
Thus I think they're pretty road-tested by now. Villanova, Marquette, and Boston College are all tough places for road teams - especially mid-majors who get less than a fair game from the referees.
Bobby Oler,
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing articles like this. True newspaper feel, but in a blog setting. It is a nice change to what we normally get (which isn't bad at all, just a little different).
Bobby's great, and is full of all the journalistic training that Bill and I lack.
ReplyDeleteHear hear, Robert K. God knows I've forgotten whatever journalistic stylings I once had. Glad when Bobby can write for us!
ReplyDeleteRobert K
ReplyDeleteThanks for the props! My schedule has been tough during the out of conference schedule - in fact, Brown was the first regular season home game I was able to watch in person - but I should be able to make most of the PL games so I'm looking forward to writing here a lot more. Thanks for reading!