Tuesday Truths

[Henry Sugar]

Has #mubb about fourth in conference play. Syracuse and Louisville are clearly at the top of the conference. Also, our pace is obnoxiously slow right now (thanks GU and Pitt).

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=2514

[GGGG]

Said it before, but I think this team plays pretty well at a slower pace.  Lockett and Jamil, for example, I think are more comfortable at this pace.  And Blue's game has grown to the point where it doesn't bother him as much as it used to.

[MUMonster03]

Said it before, but I think this team plays pretty well at a slower pace.  Lockett and Jamil, for example, I think are more comfortable at this pace.  And Blue's game has grown to the point where it doesn't bother him as much as it used to.

Agreed. Don't think it is as much our opponents as it is what style we have found to suit our talents this year.

[brewcity77]

I also think playing slow helps Gardner to play more minutes. Those coast-to-coasts he likes may be fun, but they take a lot out of him. We don't have guys like DJO, Buycks, Acker, or the Amigos that are quicksilver fast, so this system suits us.

[Henry Sugar]

I don't disagree that the team plays pretty well slow. And there's precedence for Buzz playing slow (2009-2010), but I think the conference pace is more a reflection of playing GU and Pitt than it is a deliberate strategy.

For the year we are at a pace of 66, which is about middle of the pack.

Having said that, I'll be interested to see how the pace looks the rest of the season.

[Nukem2]

Playing against zones all the time sure slows the pace down.

[brewcity77]

One note regarding this. We have played a much harder schedule than #1 Louisville or #2 Syracuse. UL has played Providence, USF, Seton Hall, and UConn while Syracuse has played Providence, USF, Rutgers, and Nova. Notre Dame's schedule had been more comparable (though still easier) with Cincy, Seton Hall, and UConn, though they also do have a loss.

In terms of body of work, I think there's a solid argument we've been the best Big East team since conference play began.

Though admittedly, we could also be 0-3 had Junior's shot not dropped, Whittington's 3 dropped (with the and-one), and Pitt mustered one made one more regulation free throw.