Eric Von Zipper
Senior
Posts: 343
Age: 71
Reg: 11-11-17
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02-08-18 08:30 PM - Post#246933
Opens Cantabrigians -1 1/2
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SRP
Postdoc
Posts: 4894
Reg: 02-04-06
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02-08-18 10:43 PM - Post#246941
In response to Eric Von Zipper
I expect Harvard to be fired up for this one. Princeton needs to come in with immediate and steady energy through the whole game, not the step-slow-followed-by-fra ntic-spasms they showed against Penn. Run the offense a little bit, move the ball across the court to set up mismatches or angles.
Defensively, apply lots of ball pressure and overplay some to force turnovers. Box out hard. Towns may get his twenty-some, but choke off the rest. Hit Lewis with quick doubles when he gets the ball in the post.
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bradley
PhD Student
Posts: 1842
Age: 74
Reg: 01-15-16
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02-09-18 11:56 AM - Post#246979
In response to SRP
Always thought that Lewis will be the tough match up for the Tigers. Towns is obviously a wonderful shooter but Stephens will be on him for sure with Bell as a back up if foul trouble. I think a better overall match up for the Tigers vs. Penn.
The question is can the Tigers score as well as come out of their funk. Crimson is catching the Tigers at the right time on their schedule. Should be an interesting game.
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1LotteryPick1969
Postdoc
Posts: 2262
Age: 73
Loc: Sandy, Utah
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-09-18 02:08 PM - Post#247009
In response to bradley
Bell's three point shot looks as fluid and accurate as I have ever seen it. I would love to see him be more of a scorer, especially if Cannady is a bit hampered.
Also, I would like to see the subs be more aggressive on defense, even if it means fouling. I'd rather see the subs picking up 3 or 4 fouls than Stephens or Bell.
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penn nation
Professor
Posts: 21086
Reg: 12-02-04
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02-09-18 02:12 PM - Post#247010
In response to 1LotteryPick1969
Right now, Stephens looks like Princeton's best player, at least on offense. Very versatile and a tough matchup against just about anybody.
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SRP
Postdoc
Posts: 4894
Reg: 02-04-06
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02-09-18 03:16 PM - Post#247015
In response to penn nation
Going to need positive contributions from other than the big three. Would be big if Much could go off.
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1LotteryPick1969
Postdoc
Posts: 2262
Age: 73
Loc: Sandy, Utah
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-09-18 03:49 PM - Post#247023
In response to penn nation
Right now, Stephens looks like Princeton's best player, at least on offense. Very versatile and a tough matchup against just about anybody.
Agreed, but everyone doubles him.
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umbrellaman
Masters Student
Posts: 469
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-09-18 08:40 PM - Post#247068
In response to 1LotteryPick1969
Just checking into the game - looks like they are in a tough spot down 10 in the first half. They lost big at home to Penn, lost a game they maybe should have won v. Brown, won a game they maybe should have lost v. Yale. At some point, you are what your record says you are, but I can't figure out what is going on with them.
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1LotteryPick1969
Postdoc
Posts: 2262
Age: 73
Loc: Sandy, Utah
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-09-18 08:51 PM - Post#247076
In response to umbrellaman
Like Penn did: Guard the three. Double Stephens. Attack the dribbler down the lane.
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TigerFan
PhD Student
Posts: 1871
Reg: 11-21-04
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Harvard 02-09-18 08:51 PM - Post#247077
In response to umbrellaman
Turned the game on with Tigers up 17-13 only to watch Harvard go on a 22-3 run. Ouch! 13 (?) turnovers for the Tigers in the half. Once again lots of dribbling into double and triple team situations, which just won’t cut it against a very good Harvard defense. Tigers need to try something different or the rest of the season is going to be a string of frustrating losses to teams that have figured out how to stop them and score against them at will.
Edited by TigerFan on 02-09-18 08:53 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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gokinsmen
Postdoc
Posts: 3634
Reg: 02-06-10
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Harvard 02-09-18 09:42 PM - Post#247138
In response to TigerFan
Cannady just isn't right for the second game in a row. Must be that nagging injury he was riding the bike for.
This isn't the same team we saw going into the break. They regressed back to their November form. The #4 seed is still wide-open but this team has lost its mojo.
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TigerFan
PhD Student
Posts: 1871
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Harvard 02-09-18 09:47 PM - Post#247144
In response to gokinsmen
Agreed, but Tigers look a hell of a lot better in second half. Other than woeful FT shooting (10/17) and bizarrely aweful shooting night from Cannady (2/11) this game would be going down to the wire. But down 10 with 4 to play.
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gokinsmen
Postdoc
Posts: 3634
Reg: 02-06-10
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Harvard 02-09-18 10:09 PM - Post#247168
In response to TigerFan
I don't know. They look like they still haven't recovered from the shock of the Brown game.
The defense got complacent over the break. Then Cannady got injured. Gonna need to reach down deep just to stay afloat against Dartmouth. The only good news is that 4 teams are now tied for 3rd at 3-4, so we're still very much alive. When this team is locked in and Cannady is healthy, they can still win a 2-game tourney.
But getting there is very much in doubt now. If Devin isn't feeling right, then you can't design your entire offense around him every night. Mitch has got to do something different. Trust Myles, Amir, Much and Desrosiers more. I also want to see more Aririguzoh.
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cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2201
Reg: 10-09-09
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Re: Harvard 02-09-18 10:22 PM - Post#247175
In response to gokinsmen
It's 5 teams at 3-4, not 4--princeton, brown, columbia, yale, and cornell.
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Eric Von Zipper
Senior
Posts: 343
Age: 71
Reg: 11-11-17
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Re: Harvard 02-09-18 10:44 PM - Post#247180
In response to cc66
Brown getting crushed at home by Cornell, scoring all of 60 points, is telling.
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1LotteryPick1969
Postdoc
Posts: 2262
Age: 73
Loc: Sandy, Utah
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Harvard 02-09-18 11:22 PM - Post#247185
In response to Eric Von Zipper
Cornell's defense is better than ours?
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SRP
Postdoc
Posts: 4894
Reg: 02-04-06
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02-09-18 11:30 PM - Post#247186
In response to Eric Von Zipper
You could just see the confidence leak out after Harvard got the lead among a flurry of TOs in the first half. Things that puzzle me:
Why not spread the floor more against Harvard's aggressive defense, feed the high post, reverse the ball, etc.? Very often the Tigers looked like they were playing offense in a phone booth (wow, dated metaphor there).
Why almost no ball pressure on D against a Harvard team that has no actual point guard and a bunch of TO-prone players? The one appearance of the 1-3-1 discombobulated Harvard, then it disappeared never to be seen again. And I get not wanting to come out too far in the man defense past the arc to avoid giving up drives, but inducing drives into a collapsing defense from those players wouldn't be all bad.
Much has regressed offensively. I liked Gladson and Aririguzoh in the post tonight, but not enough finishes or hit FTs.
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whitakk
Masters Student
Posts: 523
Age: 32
Reg: 11-11-14
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02-10-18 12:50 AM - Post#247205
In response to SRP
This was a bad loss. Harvard without Aiken and with essentially half-games each of Towns and Lewis is not a good team.
Princeton last year had a huge net advantage on turnovers, and this year it's in the red. That's not the only difference, but it's the biggest.
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mrjames
Professor
Posts: 6062
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-10-18 08:05 AM - Post#247211
In response to SRP
I thought Mitch did a really nice job of punishing Harvard when it brought out Lewis and Towns in foul trouble and on emphasizing getting points in the post when Harvard had really ineffective post defenders in there.
But the remainder of the adjustments you mention - I agree... shocking they weren’t made. Especially when you’re struggling, you might as well try some things that have worked for others (especially the soft full court press).
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TigerFan
PhD Student
Posts: 1871
Reg: 11-21-04
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Harvard 02-10-18 09:55 AM - Post#247219
In response to mrjames
That's three in a row folks. Mitch needs to change some things up or we could be watching "#IvyMadness" on TV (or not).
I don't get it either, SRP. Princeton has some athletic players with long arms and bodies and has a lot of them (for better or worse, Mitch has been playing 10+ guys). Why not try to press all over the court? Very little seems to be working on defense.
There were a few stretches in the second half when the Tigers seemed to be cutting more aggressively and passing the ball more and they were getting better looks inside and out. But they are just not sustaining offensive flow right now.
Of course when DC was lighting it up, offensive flow mattered a lot less. I don't know if he is injured or sick but he is just not the same player right now.
Edited by TigerFan on 02-10-18 09:56 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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