Syracuse went on the road and got a 76-65 win against Seton Hall. Here are some thoughts from the game:
The three-guard lineup would work
I want to see it happen. I want to see Southerland, Fair and Grant in all together with Christmas and Keita sitting the bench. Christmas has been disappointing as of late. He doesn’t play with the fight that Grant plays with. Keita is too much of a liability to offense, losing the ball every time he gets it. Also, when Keita gets a rebound, he doesn’t look to score, he looks to pass. He needs to develop an offensive mentality. When Boeheim was trying to get the offense going, he went with a three-guard lineup but I don’t think that’s what’ll help the offense. I think having Grant, Southerland and Fair in together would help the offense more. The defense might become a little softer inside, but the length is still there and the offense improves greatly.
Can Triche be that aggressive every night?
Brandon Triche took over tonight. His career-high 29-point performance was a product of his aggressiveness. He took over. I like the offense more when it runs through Triche than when it runs through Carter-Williams at this point in the season. Triche’s senior leadership provides him with the knowledge to know what to do in every situation. He just makes better decisions than anyone else. He’s the player I want to be the “go-to guy” heading into March. But that’s under the condition that he stays aggressive. If he’s not being aggressive, having the ball in his hands becomes pointless.
Is Boeheim done with Cooney?
Trevor Cooney didn’t play tonight. This is the first time this season he hasn’t gotten into a game. He’s played double-digit minutes in 14 games this season but averages just around four points per game. How much longer is Boeheim going to put up with it? Maybe not much longer. Is it worth playing Cooney if he isn’t going to contribute? Not really. But it’s good that he’s there in case Triche or Carter-Williams get in foul trouble. But right now, the Orange’s best option is keeping Mike and Brandon on the floor for 40 minutes each.
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