gaelfu {l Wrote}:twballgame9 {l Wrote}:gaelfu {l Wrote}:twballgame9 {l Wrote}:gaelfu {l Wrote}:twballgame9 {l Wrote}:Miami is a bad matchup for BC on paper. On a basketball court, not so much. As epstein says, Miami is the kind of dumbass team with jacking guards that BC's style frustrates the shit out of, just like Clemson.
If Miami pumps it in the post every possession, it's a bad matchup. But they won't.
I don't buy this analysis. Miami's guards are better shooters and much better players than Clemson's guards. Larkin has been great this year and is shooting 41% from three. Jones shoots 37% from three. Miami also takes a lot less 3s than we do on the whole.
Scott fits the description, but not enough to mitigate the advantages they have across the board everywhere else.
There's no need to fellate the opposition just for the hell of it, but in this case I don't think you guys give enough credit to how good the team is we're going up against. They, along with Duke, are the class of the ACC this year.
A. Them being better than Clemson is irrelevant to my point, and undisputed.
B. You citing 3-point percentages makes my point quite nicely, thanks.
Perhaps I am not as smart as you, but I do not follow:
A. Miami does not shoot an ungodly amount of 3 point attempts. Therefore, they are not Clemson style in that they don't fit the mold of a dumbass team with jacking guards. I agree that they are better than Clemson and that their guards are better than Clemson's guards.
B. Just because someone shoots a high percentage from the 3 point line doesn't mean they jack a lot of threes. In fact, if you take a lot of threes, it's harder to make them.
Miami is a pretty well balanced and experienced team that plays great defense and has size. We are also on the road. Therefore, I see a tough matchup.
Miami is undoubtedly better than Clemson, especially at guard. The comparison to Clemson was based on the obvious style similarities between the two teams that were clearly demonstrated in the two games BC played against them - each got frustrated, used a lot of clock, and took a lot of bad shots. When they went down in bunches, they scored, otherwise, neither team did much. Clemson actually made a concerted effort to go inside after Brownell had opportunities to talk to them on the sidelines, but that went by the wayside after a couple of possessions each time.
Miami is, however, a team with guards that like to shoot a lot, too much given their size advantage. Their two leading scorers are a chucker (Scott) and a 6'11'' guy that thinks he is a three point shooter (Kadji). Scott, Larkin, Kadji and Jones (3 guards and a perimeter power forward) have taken 745 of the team's 1101 field goal attempts, 300 of which are 3s. Add in 118 shots from Brown (71 of which are threes). That means guards and Kadji take 78% of the team's shots, and 38% of the team's shots are threes.
This is the sole reason that BC was in the last game. It is the reason BC will be in this game.
Outside of Jones, who has taken slightly more 3s than 2s, the other 3 players you mentioned have all taken significantly more 2s than 3s.
Regardless, I wish I shared your optimism for tonight's game. I hope you are right and that we keep it close or even somehow manage to pull off the upset. I won't be holding my breath however.
60% of Brown's 118 shots are 3s. Regardless, it is still perimeter shooting. 2s from guards are not using Miami's advantage, which is inside. I'll grant you some of those 2s are fast break points, but Scott has proven he will chuck from anywhere, including from 13 feet, 16 feet, 19 feet, 23 feet .... And Kadji couldn't find the paint with a compass. If Miami is hot or somehow discovers the big dudes in the interior of the lane, yes BC will get blown out. But the stats say Miami hasn't done that all year, and they certainly didn't pump it inside against BC.
I'm not optimistic. I'm not a believer in moral victories. I predicted a close loss, just like when they played this team a few weeks ago, which I felt was a pretty indicative score for the way these two teams play. I also don't think this team is capable of winning close games, and they won't get up big on Miami as they did with Clemson.
"We remind everyone that Boston College fired a perfectly good coach because he went on a job interview, and deserves all of this." Spencer Hall