Ted
Junior
Posts: 222
Reg: 12-23-12
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02-07-18 12:14 AM - Post#246686
In response to Lefteroo
I think we can now safely say that our 10 year nightmare is officially over.
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Charlie Fog
Masters Student
Posts: 586
Age: 55
Loc: Philly
Reg: 11-12-13
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02-07-18 07:51 AM - Post#246691
In response to 10Q
I need Jeff to come to this thread and tell me "all that really happened".
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10Q
Professor
Posts: 23199
Loc: Suburban Philly
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-07-18 07:59 AM - Post#246692
In response to Charlie Fog
Let’s just hope we can keep this going. Long way to go.
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10Q
Professor
Posts: 23199
Loc: Suburban Philly
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-07-18 08:44 AM - Post#246693
In response to 10Q
Just bought my tickets for March 11. The top row of the Palestra is the poorman's chairback section. You can lean back against the wall. Tickets are plentiful.
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jeromelh
Junior
Posts: 202
Age: 81
Reg: 03-30-17
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02-07-18 08:47 AM - Post#246694
In response to 10Q
As a Princeton guy, I cannot but admire the performance of the Quakers last night. What impressed me the most was your defense. Princeton's interior defense is slow and Penn's bigs took advantage.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32685
Reg: 11-21-04
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Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 09:13 AM - Post#246695
In response to jeromelh
Thanks. Penn, for the first time in years, has a core group of 6 guys who can really play---we're not giving much ground, if any, at any position and 6th man. And we have a coach who can coach---two games against Princeton where significant adjustments were made at halftime that worked. It's great to be out of the wilderness---your ride under Joe Scott was much shorter.
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penn nation
Professor
Posts: 21086
Reg: 12-02-04
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Re: Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 10:07 AM - Post#246698
In response to palestra38
The Allen-Maloney teams were such fun to watch for their fantastic spacing, wonderful passing and superb finishing.
This bunch has those same qualities--not as talented as those earlier squads but just as dedicated on the team level.
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10Q
Professor
Posts: 23199
Loc: Suburban Philly
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-07-18 10:11 AM - Post#246699
In response to penn nation
The talent level is pretty close.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32685
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 10:11 AM - Post#246700
In response to penn nation
That team did not have any big men who could make the kind of moves we saw from AJ yesterday. Trice, Moore and Krug were all nice players without any of AJ's inside game. You put AJ on that team and they might have made the Final Four
Before we have a Big Man Controversy, I'll just note that AJ was only able to completely dominate the game when Max was out of the game and Princeton was beside itself trying to cover both Wood and Betley outside. Max has brought a lot to the table, but the next time I see AJ standing on the 3 point line wondering whether he should shoot, I will scream.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32685
Reg: 11-21-04
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Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 10:15 AM - Post#246702
In response to 10Q
"The talent level [between this year and the Allen-Maloney team is pretty close."
Uh, no.
You know how much I love Antonio and the rest of these guys. But Allen and Maloney were NBA players and Pierce and Bowman were really really good. We don't have anyone now who will be considered or drafted by the NBA. This team has a slight advantage offensively inside. But that's it.
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penn nation
Professor
Posts: 21086
Reg: 12-02-04
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02-07-18 10:15 AM - Post#246703
In response to 10Q
The talent level is pretty close.
I would disagree. Maloney and Allen were guys who played in the NBA. They were Ivy POYs. Bowman was a 6th man on those teams and after Allen and Maloney graduated he got an Ivy POY.
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penn nation
Professor
Posts: 21086
Reg: 12-02-04
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Re: Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 10:20 AM - Post#246704
In response to palestra38
I basically agree, except with the Final Four comment. The ESPN commentator last night was asked by Rece Davis what he thought of Penn's chances in an NCAA tourney game should they quality. While praising them he also cautioned that Penn's big men wouldn't be able to body up Power 5 conference bigs the way they did against Princeton, and the same was certainly true of the Allen-Maloney squad. That bull of a player on Florida would have given AJ plenty of problems.
That team did not have any big men who could make the kind of moves we saw from AJ yesterday. Trice, Moore and Krug were all nice players without any of AJ's inside game. You put AJ on that team and they might have made the Final Four
Before we have a Big Man Controversy, I'll just note that AJ was only able to completely dominate the game when Max was out of the game and Princeton was beside itself trying to cover both Wood and Betley outside. Max has brought a lot to the table, but the next time I see AJ standing on the 3 point line wondering whether he should shoot, I will scream.
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10Q
Professor
Posts: 23199
Loc: Suburban Philly
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 10:25 AM - Post#246705
In response to palestra38
For all that "talent" those teams got exactly one tournament win. You accept that down low we have more talent on this team. Obviously the guards were more talented on that team. All together, not that much of a disparity.
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T.P.F.K.A.D.W.
PhD Student
Posts: 1169
Loc: Our Nation's Capital
Reg: 01-18-05
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Re: Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 10:27 AM - Post#246706
In response to penn nation
That bull of a player on Florida would have given AJ plenty of problems.
Da Meathook!
See also: McDyess, Antonio
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32685
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 10:33 AM - Post#246708
In response to 10Q
Just incorrect. But it's an opinion, so I'll leave it at that.
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TheLine
Professor
Posts: 5597
Age: 60
Reg: 07-07-09
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Re: Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 10:48 AM - Post#246710
In response to palestra38
Yes, the team functions well with AJ as the only big, not so well when Max is. And yes, let's let this team stand on its own and not compare it to the Allen-Maloney team.
It helped that Princeton was gassed from the weekend. Other than that stretch of about 6 minutes from around minute 10 of the first half to minute 16, we ran at them at hard. That was the correct approach.
And man, did Darnell have it last night. I'm happy to finally not be the lone Darnell supporter. He's a good player when he plays within himself and doesn't force the action.
The best part is when you look at this team, other than AJ it's a bunch of recruiting afterthoughts.
- Darnell was a consolation prize of a recruit when Allen couldn't find anyone better. Was any other D1 college of note even pursuing him?
- Antonio got looks from majors but only if he'd play football. Penn was willing to let him focus on basketball. I'm pretty sure Penn was the best basketball-only offer he got.
- Max wasn't heavily recruited. Mo Esformes got more attention on this board than Max. So did everyone else in his recruiting class - Jake, Jackson, Collin.
- Anyone could've had Caleb Wood out of JuCo.
- Betley was a prototypical generic 2 star wing receiving lower level Ivy and Patriot League interest.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32685
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 10:56 AM - Post#246711
In response to TheLine
Yes, it helped that Princeton didn't have the energy of the first game, but Penn played just as many minutes. The fact that Cannady has an injury and yet played almost the entire game didn't help them. But the way we played yesterday we would have won anyway.
Let me say--this team is in GREAT shape. Look at the minutes played by that Iron 6 and only once or twice did anyone look tired---and they came back from a 2-3 minute break and brought it just as hard.
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TheLine
Professor
Posts: 5597
Age: 60
Reg: 07-07-09
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02-07-18 11:02 AM - Post#246713
In response to palestra38
Princeton played 5 extra minutes on Saturday. Against Brown, who at this point I'd pick to make the top 4. It makes a difference when Penn didn't have as tough a game on Saturday against a Yale team that played with heavy legs.
Cannady played all 45 on Saturday after playing 43 on Friday - no wonder he wasn't at his best. Stephens and Bell weren't too far behind in minutes. Princeton's heavily reliant on those 3. They all faded down the stretch.
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Chip Bayers
Professor
Posts: 6997
Loc: New York
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 11:02 AM - Post#246714
In response to penn nation
While praising them he also cautioned that Penn's big men wouldn't be able to body up Power 5 conference bigs the way they did against Princeton
Harvard’s defense this weekend will most closely approximate this, ranked in the top 75 nationally in 2-pt. %, and top 50 in block %.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32685
Reg: 11-21-04
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Princeton Game Thread 02-07-18 11:03 AM - Post#246715
In response to TheLine
I go back to our early prognostications and I wondered how Princeton could possibly replace Weisz and Cook. They haven't. Those two guys made them really good last year and the freshmen are not at that level--and it is a question whether they ever will be. And even Pete Miller would have helped on defensing AJ. And although hurt, I will note that Caruso is averaging 12 ppg and 7 rebounds for Santa Clara (then there is Brase). They were absolutely loaded last year and this fall off should have been expected.
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