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Username Post: Progress as we approach the League slate        (Topic#470)
Streamers 
Professor
Posts: 8141
Streamers
Loc: NW Philadelphia
Reg: 11-21-04
01-19-05 02:17 PM - Post#2480    

I may have been nearly despondent after Rider, and hopefully that will go down as the low point of the season. I dismissed the Siena game as a confidence builder, nothing more. Last night, based on what I saw on TV, was real progress. This may not be one of O'Hanlon's better clubs, and they match up badly against us, but they are indicative of the talent level and the familiarity we will see in the League on the road. There are some positive trends here:

1) More bench minutes, let's hope that persists in closer games
2) Rebound and run. This club is better suited to the transition game than any Penn team in recent memory.
3) Exploiting matchups. Guys like Ibby and Pettinella (and yes, Free) create real matchup issues in the Ivy
4) Oz taking the shooting load away from Begley... helps in so many ways. If that means Begley hits the boards and brings the ball up, so be it.
5) Zoller appears to be coming around
6) Offensive rebounding. I think our frontcourt can create lots of 2nd chance points against most Ivy clubs.

I have to think the other Ivy coaches will look at the tape from last night as a perfect example of what they CANNOT allow Penn to do to them. Expect them to throw a lot of zone at us, and force Ibby, Oz, and Fik to shoot over it. I think they do everything they can to go all Princeton on us: slow the pace and deny the transition game.

But first, there is the SJU game. At this point, this is a bit of a diversion, albeit a fun one. I like beating Martelli & Co. as much as anyone, but this game may not be all that meaningful in the larger scheme of things. I have a hunch Phil may try to really mix it up on defense and hope his shooters fare better than ours. What will really be interesting to see is whether Dunphy turns our guys loose and goes up-tempo. This would be a great time to take a few risks.

 
AsiaSunset 
Postdoc
Posts: 4350

Reg: 11-21-04
Re: Progress as we approach the League slate
01-19-05 03:09 PM - Post#2481    
    In response to Streamers

A lot of good things happening that are easier to focus on when the ball goes in.

1) Three legit scoring options at the 1,2, 3
2) Lots of open looks
3) Good rebounding numbers
4) Multiple front court options
5) 4th/5th backcourt optionsgetting some valuable minutes

We are turning it over a bit too much but that may be a function of pushing it a bit more. Duke turns it over a lot too.

 
SFlaQuaker 
Postdoc
Posts: 2427

Reg: 11-21-04
Re: Progress as we approach the League slate
01-19-05 04:00 PM - Post#2482    
    In response to AsiaSunset

Granted I only listened to the game and didn't watch, but the turnovers didn't seem to lead to too many easy hoops the other way. Turnovers are going to happy, especially when you play agressively. As long as the turnovers don't lead to layups (as they had during the losing streak), we'll be okay.

 
SomeGuy 
Professor
Posts: 6391

Reg: 11-22-04
Re: Progress as we approach the League slate
01-19-05 04:24 PM - Post#2483    
    In response to AsiaSunset

Along with the turnovers, I'd also throw out the defense in the first half as something of a concern. It's great to give up that kind of percentage and still lead by 8 at the half, but it does make you wonder what happens when the Ibby isn't making every shot.

 
SFlaQuaker 
Postdoc
Posts: 2427

Reg: 11-21-04
Re: Progress as we approach the League slate
01-19-05 05:23 PM - Post#2484    
    In response to SomeGuy

I guess the way I look at it, with our starters playing fewer first half minutes, half-time scores are closer than they could be. However, this rest sets us up for runs in the second half, and better performance until the end.

 
Chip Bayers 
Professor
Posts: 6997
Chip Bayers
Loc: New York
Reg: 11-21-04
Re: Progress as we approach the League slate
01-19-05 06:27 PM - Post#2485    
    In response to SFlaQuaker

At least four of those TOs came with less than 4:00 left in the game, when it was garbage time and there were a bunch of players unfamiliar with each other out there. First half in particular, though, Fikiel and Danley were having particular trouble handling the ball. They're the weakest links in that department when you're pushing the transition game: from what I've seen, of the four bigs in the frontcourt rotation, Pettinella and Zoller have much better hands receiving the pass on the break.

The flip side of their sometimes stone hands is that without Danley's defense and rebounding on the other end, the break might not start, plus he seems to make good first passes to launch it. And Fikiel's passing ability and perimeter shooting as a trailer on the break can also be useful when you've got the defense back on its heels.


 
SFlaQuaker 
Postdoc
Posts: 2427

Reg: 11-21-04
Re: Progress as we approach the League slate
01-19-05 07:52 PM - Post#2486    
    In response to Chip Bayers

Again, all comes back to putting guys in a spot where they can succeed. I don't want Jan leading my break or even catching the outlet, but he's solid as a trailer setting up for the midrange jumper.

 
Howard Gensler 
Postdoc
Posts: 4141

Reg: 11-21-04
Re: Progress as we approach the League slate
01-20-05 01:57 AM - Post#2487    
    In response to SFlaQuaker

There were a number of promising signs last night:

1) Penn put up 85 points and Begley only had three of them.
2) The minutes distribution was decent for the second straight game and the bench not only held the lead this time, they helped expand the lead in the first half.
3) Ibby finally knocked down a few open threes.
4) Oz continued his torrid early game shooting.
5) Whitehurst played his best minutes off the bench (9 minutes, 2 boards, 2 blocks, 2-2 FTs, an assist, a steal and 0 TOs).

As others have stated, we still have to see if Fran will have confidence in the bench in a closer game, they still have to win a close game and still have to win a game in which they come from behind. It would also be nice to get more consistent scoring from the starting guards throughout the game and more consistent scoring from Zoller and Fikiel from game to game.

 
Anonymous 

Re: Progress as we approach the League slate
01-20-05 03:14 AM - Post#2488    
    In response to Howard Gensler

We may differ as to strategy or how we feel about substitution patterns, but it is obvious that we all unite when it comes to celebrating Quaker victories built on outstanding team play. Great job last night, Penn.

 
SFlaQuaker 
Postdoc
Posts: 2427

Reg: 11-21-04
Re: Progress as we approach the League slate
01-20-05 11:49 AM - Post#2489    
    In response to Howard Gensler

You know I'm typically a "glass is half empty" guy when it comes to Fran, but this game actually was close, at least for most of the first half. Whitehurst and Ebede weren't given their first run with a 20 point lead, they got in with a single digit lead, which for me was a very positive sign.

 
Howard Gensler 
Postdoc
Posts: 4141

Reg: 11-21-04
Re: Progress as we approach the League slate
01-20-05 02:52 PM - Post#2490    
    In response to SFlaQuaker

Since I bother to keep track of this stuff:

Ebede, the first guard sub, entered for Oz with 8:09 to go in the 1st half, Penn up 5. He left 4:56 later, Penn up 5.

He returned at the 4:01 (for Heil, creating another first-time lineup of Begley, Whitehurst, Oz, Ebede and Pettinella) with Penn up 2 and he left 2:15 later with Penn up 7.

Ebede also played the final 30 seconds of the half with no change in the score.

Whitehurst came in for Ibby at the 5:23 mark (when Ebede left, being replaced by Begley), Penn up 5. He left 2:44 later, Penn up 5.

Nice effort by both.

In the second half, Ebede entered with 9:52 to go, Penn up 19 and left 4:06 later with Penn up 18 (damn his uselessness). With another new combo of players (none of them Begley) on the court Penn iced the game with a 10-3 run and Friedrich returned at 2:41 with Penn up 25. He left 2:18 later with Penn up 25.

Whitehurst came in with 5:46 to go in the 2nd half, Penn up 18 and played the rest of the way with a variety of interesting quintets and Penn won by 22.

If the Dunphy mantra for bench players is going to be "First do no harm," the game was a resounding success.

 
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