HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2691
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
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02-13-22 12:31 PM - Post#336297
No margin for error.
Columbia (Friday) and Cornell (Saturday) at Lavietes. Both must win games.
Columbia was down Nweke and Murphy and lost by 13 to Cornell and 25 to Yale at home this weekend. Columbia did shoot very well on 3's (12-26) to keep it respectable vs Cornell.
Assuming we don't melt down against against the Lions, we get the Big Red at home, but on the second night of a back to back. Cornell is the deepest and highest tempo team in the league. The decimated Crimson roster will have its hands full. Remember, we led Cornell by 5 in Ithaca before being blown away in the second half, and that was a single game weekend (without Ledlum, Tretout and Forbes, but with Lesmond).
Without Lesmond, Tretout and Ledlum, Noah is simply trying to do too much. He's tired and trying to create his own shots: 4 for 19 on 3's in last 3 games. He's visibly exhausted down the stretch of these games. Yesterday, Penn abandoned Wocjik to double Noah, and for good reason. Wojcik has only made 2 three's on the season, shooting 9.5%! Im reminded of when Siyani was replaced for a season by Tommy McCarthy with Alex Nesbit as the backup - only much worse. McCarthy, also a freshman, shot 35.7% on 3's. Wocjik plays hard, but scores like Nesbit. With Wocjik averaging less than 2 points per game, we only have 4 potential scorers on the court - that's allowing opponents to focus on Noah, stay tight on Sakota, and double Forbes. Catchings and Silverstein aren't threats worth doubling, and they usually draw a larger and stronger forward anyway. Lesmond had begun to start some games until he was injured. Now, Amaker has started to give major minutes to Evan Nelson - a freshman who joined the team on January 15th. Unfortunately, neither Nelson nor Wocjik provide much in the way of defense and rebounding, and Nelson isn't a PG and is prone to TO's at this point.
Thus, without Lesmond and Tretout to handle the ball and score, and without Ledlum to rebound and score, Noah is trying to do everything and Amaker has very limited options. He's gotten more out of Silverstein, Nelson and Wocjik than anyone expected. Noah does what he can, keeping us close in most games, but there is nothing in the tank down the stretch, and if anyone is in foul trouble it gets even worse.
At this point, hoping we make it to Saturday against Cornell. Of course, even if we do so and prevail, we're going to have to sweep Princeton. For any of this we need reinforcements.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32812
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: C's
02-13-22 02:40 PM - Post#336327
In response to HARVARDDADGRAD
Depends what you mean by "deep". They run out a lot of players (and no one averages more than 23 minutes per game)...but are not very talented. Harvard is better at just about every position. But Cornell will run, and hit you and hope you wilt. Just stop Boothby from 3 and Harvard wins.
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HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2691
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
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02-13-22 02:59 PM - Post#336336
In response to palestra38
I wish it was that simple. Harvard held Boothby to 3pts in Ithaca but Jones his 4 three’s and scored 16 in the second half. Cornell’s fresh legs vs Harvard’s exhausted 6-7 man (and depleted) rotation was a problem in that second half.
Anyway, hope you’re correct. Harvard has to sweep the weekend.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32812
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-13-22 03:03 PM - Post#336340
In response to HARVARDDADGRAD
I think Cornell could have thrown away its season with that choke yesterday. The 4th spot was in the bag. Still, their schedule is much easier than Harvard or Brown's as Cornell is done with the Ps, Harvard plays Princeton twice in 3 days and Brown has to play the P's this weekend.
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LyleGold
PhD Student
Posts: 1712
Reg: 11-22-04
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02-13-22 03:13 PM - Post#336347
In response to palestra38
I don’t think they threw it away as much as postponed it.
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HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2691
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
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02-13-22 03:40 PM - Post#336351
In response to LyleGold
Brown always isolates Choh on a final possession. That was a great follow. Not very Ivy League like.
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SomeGuy
Professor
Posts: 6412
Reg: 11-22-04
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02-14-22 08:06 PM - Post#336467
In response to LyleGold
How Dartmouth responds to getting killed in a must win last week may be key here. On paper, at home (assuming, as I do, that HCA still exists) they should be highly competitive with Cornell. And I would imagine Barry, Rai, Samuels, and Wade will keep fighting until the end of the season. On the other hand, Saturday had to be demoralizing, and now Cornell will have everything to play for while Dartmouth will not.
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digamma
Masters Student
Posts: 468
Loc: Minneapolis
Reg: 11-27-11
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02-18-22 04:07 PM - Post#336727
In response to SomeGuy
Looking forward to being there tomorrow night. Hopefully we can take care of business tonight!
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mobrien
Masters Student
Posts: 402
Loc: New York
Reg: 04-18-17
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02-18-22 10:05 PM - Post#336819
In response to digamma
Perfect start to the weekend: we won, Brown and Cornell lost.
Doesn't change anything about tomorrow, though. It's an absolute must-win. Going to need better offensive contributions from Forbes and Sakota to make it happen too.
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HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2691
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
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02-18-22 10:27 PM - Post#336828
In response to mobrien
Well, we won ugly and it appears both Brown and Cornell lost ugly. We were fortunate to draw a depleted Columbia squad at home.
Big contest tomorrow night.
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HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2691
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
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02-19-22 09:49 AM - Post#336852
In response to HARVARDDADGRAD
Must win tonight.
If H can win tonight, H would need to beat Dartmouth and at least split with Princeton, assuming C beats Columbia but loses to Yale. Otherwise, it appears C has all tiebreakers.
We must play better than we did last night.
18 turnovers
36.7% shooting
28% from 3
64.7% FT’s
17 steals were helpful, but due in large part to sloppiness by Columbia’s backups who were pressed into service due to absences
Cornell playing time spread around last night so they are fresher than Noah and Luka who played 32 and 36 minutes respectfully.
We can do it! Let’s go gentlemen.
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mobrien
Masters Student
Posts: 402
Loc: New York
Reg: 04-18-17
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02-19-22 10:25 PM - Post#337002
In response to HARVARDDADGRAD
That first half was the best our offense has looked without Ledlum. That second half was, unfortunately, more par for the course. Noah was transcendent before predictably running out of gas, but thankfully the break before overtime gave him a chance to recharge and keep our hopes alive.
We control our own destiny, and might, just might, start getting some guys back.
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digamma
Masters Student
Posts: 468
Loc: Minneapolis
Reg: 11-27-11
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02-19-22 10:29 PM - Post#337004
In response to mobrien
Never a doubt.
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Naismith
Sophomore
Posts: 149
Loc: RI
Reg: 11-11-18
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02-19-22 10:44 PM - Post#337009
In response to digamma
Bench scoring was Cornell 45-9...That's a minor miracle win for 8 guys going 45 minutes against 13 players.
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penn nation
Professor
Posts: 21193
Reg: 12-02-04
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02-19-22 10:48 PM - Post#337010
In response to Naismith
Did not catch the first half. Where was Dickson for Cornell?
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digamma
Masters Student
Posts: 468
Loc: Minneapolis
Reg: 11-27-11
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02-19-22 10:56 PM - Post#337013
In response to penn nation
Matchup issues I think. Dickson started and then didn’t play until the last couple of minutes. Ragland and Hansen pulled Forbes and Catchings outside in the second half.
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CrimsonBlood
Freshman
Posts: 46
Age: 33
Reg: 03-15-18
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02-21-22 01:51 PM - Post#337159
In response to digamma
Does anyone know if Harvard is getting any reinforcements from the injured players to help against Princeton? What odds do we think Harvard has to make the Ivy tournament?
It would be a real shame if Noah wasn't able to make March Madness..
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