Binghamton vs. UAlbany, 01.12.2008, 2pm

[UA_MA_2000]

Roll call? How's our turnout going to be on Saturday? I haven't found any pre-game stories yet ... .

 

I would expect something from BU's Basketball Blog on Friday, found here: http://www.pressconnects.com/blogs/bubaske...basketball.html

 

This would be a very big win for us, putting us near the top of the America East with 3 wins. It's so important to "hold serve" when playing at home.

 

I would love to see us push well above the 3,000 fan mark for Saturday's game. There doesn't appear to be any conflict with the NFL playoffs this Saturday (the Green Bay game is at 4:30), so let's all get out to the game! This includes students who are local!!

[JustDrastik]

I'd like to see us win this one and move the winning streak to three-games, and bring us to .500. For a young team and a hard-OOC schedule, I think .500 at this point is a fairly good accomplishment. Anyone have any updates on JMartin?

[Dane Pound]

The thing I remember from this game last year is Lazar Trifunovic killing us in the post last year. He probably sent that game tape to the Serbian Olympic team to try and get a spot on the roster. Hopefully he'll have a much more difficult day tomorrow.

[OrangeDane]

Well DP beat me to it...yes I rememer Trifunovic going absolutely insane off the low blocks last year at home...I am really enthused for this game...this series has been extremely competitive the last couple of years...we split with them home and home last year...and the win was a nail biter for the BPG..two years ago we squeaked by at home and then had that great comeback win with Jason getting the gamer with just a couple of ticks left...the proximity of the schools which allows good away attendance and their status as sister SUNY schools just makes this series all the more compelling...I think we can dispense with the BU record to date as perhaps an invalid measuring stick in this one...I have to believe Broadus will have these kids playing decent ball by now...my observation about them under Walker was that they had some excellent talent but they always seemed to lack discipline and this lack of discipline seemed to manifest in somewhat bizarre/unexpected stretches of games...witness our comeback down there 2 years ago, down 11 with just a couple of mins to go..I also remember watching them blow a pretty nice lead in a short time vs VT in the AE tourney out in Bingo two years ago...and they had a couple of similar though shorter stretches last year at SEFCU and if memory serves they also had a bad stretch in thier A-E tourney appearance in Boston ...I can't imagine, given Broadus' pedigree that he's gonna tolerate undisciplined play for very long....that said back to Mr. Trifunovic...yours truly and Ms O-Dane both think that he is a "job for Al Turley"...Ms O D now likes to call it "Turley Time" when Will sends him in...anyway...here's hoping (and wishing...) that Big Al can "cancel" a few of those attempted Trifunovic "sky hooks" (sorry Kareem....just an analogy albeit perhaps a poor one...) and the boys can then send the Bearcats scurrying back down I-88 in fear!!

 

Hope we get a good turnout for this one...I think it could be almost as good as last week...(hopefully not as scary though!!!)

[Clickclack]

This game is NEVER an easy one. Even when we had Jamar and Jason here they consistently gave us more all we could handle. Here's to hoping we have a huge crowd and push our team over the top should they need a shot in the arm from the crowd.

[UA_MA_2000]

The thing I remember from this game last year is Lazar Trifunovic killing us in the post last year. He probably sent that game tape to the Serbian Olympic team to try and get a spot on the roster. Hopefully he'll have a much more difficult day tomorrow.

I. On Binghamton Generally

I remember the same thing. Lazar especially hurt us during the second half (when Bingo was scoring at the parking-lot side of the gym (opposite the concessions and locker rooms)), and, indeed, he seemed to carry their team that second half. I feel that we are going to have our hands full with this Binghamton squad. We came close to being swept last season by Bingo, and I'm glad that we didn't have to face them in the second round of the America East Tournament in Boston (2007). We also probably won't have a whole lot of students at the game because school isn't back in session, as several BPF bloggers have already pointed out. Moreover, Gordon always seems to play well against us.

 

II. On Defending Lazar T. and Help Defense Following a Low-Post Double Team

But, back to Lazar: If we are going to double-team Lazar in the post (or any other threat down low), we had better rotate and do it fast to prevent easy outside shots and drives by Gordon and the rest of their backcourt! Help defense following a low-post double team has been, in my relatively uninformed perspective, tough for us this year. If we double team in the post, the remaining 3 UAlbany defenders almost have to play a temporary zone to cut off the easy passing lanes that exist for the post player (i.e., Lazar) to kick the ball out and escape the double team. Moreover, all of the remaining UAlbany 3 defenders should cheat over to the side of the court with the low-post player who has the ball and who is being double-teamed. Force that post-player being double teamed to make a difficult pass to the other side of the court! That double-teamed post player will have to pass the ball through our trees if he wants to make that pass to the other side of the court to a wing hanging out there waiting for a three-point shot. Obviously, the easy passing lanes for Lazar will be to kick the ball back out to the arc on his side of the court, back up top, or to a slasher down the lane. We must guard these passing lanes with our ad hoc three-person zone that may be in place following a double team of their post player.

 

As stated, the tough pass to make for an opposing post player who is double-teamed is the pass to a wing on the opposite side of the court. A good example of the difficulty of making this pass, and a good example of our defense making a great play by playing the angles and passing lanes, would be when Brian Lillis played precisely that angle and intercepted a pass made by Blakely (?) in the last few minutes of the Vermont game last week (perhaps around 3 minutes remaining when Lillis made that steal?).

 

 

III. Videos From Last Year's Game (BPG 2007)

 

Just for fun, here is a video clip, taken by a student, of the last possession against Binghamton during last year's Big Purple Growl. Thank you to whoever the student was who took this video!

 

 

 

 

Other videos from last year's game against Binghamton:

 

 

[purplehaze]

The thing I remember from this game last year is Lazar Trifunovic killing us in the post last year. He probably sent that game tape to the Serbian Olympic team to try and get a spot on the roster. Hopefully he'll have a much more difficult day tomorrow.

The monent I read about recruit Al Turley coming to UA---I thought about Lazar. I hope Big Al arrives today.

[Dane Pound]

Maybe I'm remembering it wrong but I don't recall them double teaming Lazar much last year. I thought Brent was on him most of the time. We certainly have enough big guys to throw at him this year, I'm with Purplehaze. Hopefully it's Turley time against Lazar.

 

I didn't realize until the preview that Bing plays three guards. Should be an interesting matchup for Brian Connelly with the prospect of having a much smaller guy guarding him.

[Clickclack]

Maybe I'm remembering it wrong but I don't recall them double teaming Lazar much last year. I thought Brent was on him most of the time. We certainly have enough big guys to throw at him this year, I'm with Purplehaze. Hopefully it's Turley time against Lazar.

 

I didn't realize until the preview that Bing plays three guards. Should be an interesting matchup for Brian Connelly with the prospect of having a much smaller guy guarding him.

 

I don't think they doubled him all that much last season if any at all. I specifically remember one move....the back down and then went across the lane for a shot. EVERYONE in the building knew what he was going to do but we were unable to stop it no matter what we tried. If hes developed any other moves down low he will be very difficult to handle. Here's to an off game from him.

[UA_MA_2000]

You guys are right ... they didn't double him much last year. Off to the game!

[GreatDanes06]

what a crazy first half...difference is three pointer...we aren't hitting anything and Iati looks terrible right now...need to get it going. Good defense at the end of the half

[ATL_DANE]

Tough loss... losing at home is particularly hard. I guess we all expected a rebuilding year.

[Clickclack]

tough loss... props to Bingo and especially Mike Gordon. There was no one who could stop him....the only one who could stop Gordon was Gordon. The crowd was a huge disappointment today....I lost my voice at about the 14 minute mark of the first half trying to start some DEFENSE chants. Most everyone else was asleep, BOOOOOOO the crowd (for the first 30 minutes of the game). At one point the Bingo fans chant of defense dominated the 3000+ UA fans there. Shame on us collectively, we love to get on the team but forget that we are there to spur the team on. Today was not like us...don't know what happened.

 

- I thought the team played OK.....I didn't perceive any real lack of effort. It simply wasn't meant to be. Bingo is better then their record indicates, and they certainly have the horses to compete. Tough game for Brent today, I was hoping for a bit more consistency from him as a senior. 0 pts....0-4 shooting from the arc....4 reb....3 asists. Tough to win when he isn't scoring.

- Love how Jerell and Giff are starting to come on. I don't know if their effort will register in the box score but it's evident that the both of them are starting to feel a bit more confident. Jerell with 9 pts....4 reb....2 steals....needs to work on those TO's (4).

- Lillis is Lillis....25 points.....11 Reb...2 steals....2 blocks......again brought the effort, the consistency and the reliability. We will miss him big next year. I wish we had someone a bit more consistent to roll with him.

 

 

CONGRATS TO IATI.....FOR PASSING 1000+ pts.

[LETS GO DANES!]

Mike Gordon had 32 pts according to the Box Score....

 

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=280120399

 

 

24 of those points came from 3pt range... he was 8 for 11 from 3pt range... or 72%...

 

Good Job to him...

[Clickclack]

P.S. It was fitting that John got his 1000+ point on a three pointer.