mobrien
Masters Student
Posts: 402
Loc: New York
Reg: 04-18-17
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02-01-20 06:14 PM - Post#298233
We’re favored by 1 for tonight’s game. We need to find some more consistent offense than just Lewis post ups. Definitely need to shoot better from three tonight. Would love to see us post up Ledlum.
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HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2697
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
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02-01-20 10:32 PM - Post#298320
In response to mobrien
Same script both nights by 15-10.
Down big at start, battle back by half.
Dig a hole in second half again to trail by double digits then come back to tie and eventually have final shot to tie/win.
Guess this is the new normal based on current roster. Felt like Northeastern game (also without Bryce).
Great heart and effort in two tough road contests.
Normal FT shooting (Penn) and 3 point shooting (Princeton) and could have swept. This is not the team anyone expected, but it will be competitive.
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mobrien
Masters Student
Posts: 402
Loc: New York
Reg: 04-18-17
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02-02-20 12:59 AM - Post#298336
In response to HARVARDDADGRAD
It's hard to win a game when the other team has one more offensive rebound, one fewer turnover, and shoots 13 of 23 from three (including a combined 7 of 8 from Wright and Desrosiers). But we could, and maybe should have won, considering what, from where I was sitting, seemed like a pretty questionable call at the end, because we also shot the ball well and Princeton was only 7 of 14 from the line.
This is a mentally tough team, and with a few more bounces/calls going our way, we easily could have been talking about a remarkable road sweep instead of getting swept. There's just a lot less margin for error without Bryce. If we have another slow start against Yale, I think Tommy will have no choice but to change up the starting lineup.
One big positive is that, from the end of the Penn game, Noah has started to embrace his role as our go-to guy. It's not really his personality to force the action, but he can't wait for the game to come to him now that we don't have Bryce. Other than his high dribbling leading to a couple of turnovers a game, he doesn't really have any holes in his offensive game. He can do it all — and we need him to.
Speaking of forcing the action, Ledlum regressed a lot this weekend. He'd been doing a better job of not driving into turnovers recently — the San Francisco game was probably his best — but he was back to doing that the last two games. He gets really impatient if he doesn't score right away, and seems to take himself out of the game mentally. Makes a lot of faces. Bassey missed him on what would have been a tough pass ahead on a break, and then ended up scoring himself, and Ledlum was talking to himself about it all the way back down the court — after we'd just scored! Bassey came over to apologize, but Ledlum clearly let it affect him. We've got to figure out a way to get him back on track. We need his offense without Bryce.
Even without Seth and Bryce, this team is still tough and talented enough to compete for the Ivy League title (especially with the tourney up in Cambridge).
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Naismith
Sophomore
Posts: 150
Loc: RI
Reg: 11-11-18
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02-02-20 11:47 AM - Post#298367
In response to mobrien
Same situation as in final seconds at Columbia game last year. Unfortunately there was no Brice Aiken to step in and replicate probably the most incredible miracle shot seen anywhere in college basketball last year.
Some commentator mentioned you can't expect to dominate when you lose two POY's (yes, anyone with eyes knows who it was last year, yet punished him for missing the OOC segment due to injury) Harvard's depth will keep them in the chase, but the damage may have already been done.
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HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2697
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
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02-02-20 12:10 PM - Post#298374
In response to mobrien
Crazy weekend.
When at games I like to go back to look portions of replays as we miss so much.
1. Great efforts by Crimson. Down 11 to Princeton with 3:36, took the the lead in final minute. Down 12 with 9:06 left to tie Penn in regulation. Down 6 with 13 seconds left in OT only to see final open 3 roll off the rim.
2. Bassey huge on defense and rebounding in final 10 minutes of both games.
3. Lewis is so much healthier and tougher than previous years. Played 67 minutes on back to back nights - unheard of for him. Held both opposing centers to under 50% shooting and something like 6 made shots (believe Aririzugoh and certainly Brodeur scored over Forbes/Djuricic on some of 9 total combined baskets and Lewis had to back off Brodeur late baskets as he had 4 fouls). Didn't commit bad fouls and blocked 3 shots in each game. Shot below his usual percentage but against two of the stronger defensive centers in this league (13-32 for 28 points). Amazing effort on Saturday after battle with Brodeur on Friday night. Brodeur was great on Friday night, but Penn board suggests fatigue limited him to 4-16 shooting and only 9 points vs Dartmouth.
4. I don't complain about fouls unless one is determinative. Unfortunately, 3 tough calls went against the Crimson in the final minute at Princeton, including the game deciding foul call with 3.9 seconds left. Mobrien you are apparently correct about that final foul. On the ESPN+ replay it shows Aririzugoh was not fouled on his final shot attempt. Announcers (including Princeton former player) stated that clearly from courtside and after seeing replay. They concluded that after Aririzugoh was denied 3 consecutive times on that scrum by Lewis that refs tend to call something. A shame as the refs let much more go all game. Might have been a foul on first attempt by Aririzugoh, but if called Crimson would have had over 8 seconds left instead of 3.9.
5. Ironic that Harvard missed 8 of 16 FT's vs Penn. Penn made 18FT's to Harvard's 8, and got a gift on one miss when Kirkwood was called for entering the lane too early. Princeton shot an unworldly 13-23 on 3's (56.5%). Hopefully, we don't experience those two anomolies again. On the other hand, Bryce (90%) and Seth (85%) were the Crimson's two best FT shooters so we are going to be less proficient than we'd hoped to be.
Next weekend at Yale and Brown will be tough, but this squad has the toughness to will themselves into a position to win any game, especially if we can figure out how not start with gigantic early deficits: 24-5 vs Penn and 31-15 vs Princeton. Comfortably outscored both opponents very nicely but for opening minutes.
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1LotteryPick1969
Postdoc
Posts: 2277
Age: 73
Loc: Sandy, Utah
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-02-20 12:33 PM - Post#298384
In response to HARVARDDADGRAD
Interesting discussion.
No one has addressed the key aspect of the game: why did Princeton shoot the 3-ball so well? Most of the made shots were relatively uncontested due to good ball movement.
Harvard, IMHO, has better shooters, but the made 3's were from very deep and/or off the dribble.
To me this was a coaching victory, although as you point out, could easily have been a Princeton loss but for one call.
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digamma
Masters Student
Posts: 468
Loc: Minneapolis
Reg: 11-27-11
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02-02-20 05:17 PM - Post#298423
In response to 1LotteryPick1969
I thought the last play was a foul. The first two was clean blocks.
More concerned that I don't think we shot a free throw in the second half in a pretty physical game until there were 28 seconds left.
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Tiger69
Postdoc
Posts: 2818
Reg: 11-23-04
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02-02-20 09:06 PM - Post#298429
In response to digamma
Harvard dug itself deep holes in both games this weekend. Otherwise they don’t have to rely on officials’ calls or last minute heroics. The game lasts 40 minutes.
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HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2697
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
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02-02-20 09:16 PM - Post#298430
In response to Tiger69
100% correct.
And Princeton hit something like 6 of 7 first three’s today earn that lead. Well done!
Not meaning to demean the Tigers at all.
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