[ToTheLeft]

Another open 3 look, another 3 made.

68-46 ND.

David misses an open look. I don't think he's ever got his footwork right.

Carter with a block. Minaya draws a foul on his way to the hoop.

[ToTheLeft]

Makes the first. Makes the second. 68-48 ND.

2:00 left.

Brown with a strong board.

Jesse misses a 3 but follows his shot and Hansborough knocks it out of his hands out of bounds. Then we get called for another foul underneath, this home cooking is stupid. It doesn't matter because the game isn't close, but it's just dumb.

[ToTheLeft]

ND makes a FT, 69-48.

McMasters misses a short one, ND announcer thinks he was fouled.

ND picks up a foul on Sommy for 2 FT's.

[TDDance234]

John Brown has to be the first Flame to debut with back to back double doubles.

[ToTheLeft]

ND has cleared their bench.

Under a minute to go. They control the offensive boards and get an open 3. 72-48.

JC gets a lucky bounce and the ball finds the net for a 3 for the last score of the game. 72-51 final score.

[Rooster Cogburn]

Brown is very impressive as I said Friday night. Can't wait to see him mature during his career here.

[olldflame]

Final score 72-51. 2 halves of basketball and we were never in the bonus. Good to see JC hit some shots. A few months ago we werfe talking about Minaya losing his schollie, and he may have been our best returning player in these 2 games.

[olldflame]

Layer not pleased with shot selection. "Notre game is a good team." "There were stretches when Brown was the best player on the floor." "We moved forward from 48 hours ago". Layer doesn't bite when York asks him about the foul discrepency.

[Cider Jim]

John Caleb had as many points (nine) as Evan Gordan. But the younger Sanders only played 10 minutes (compared to Evan's 32 minutes). JC reminds me a little of Anderson, when he was our sharp shooting freshman.

Layer and I both like Sammy at the 5 for now. He's only going to get better, and he's much more physical in the post than Carter or Joel.

David Minaya was the LU player of the game, according to post game show: 12 points and 4 rebounds and shot 50% from the field.

[olldflame]

It certainly looks like for now we are going to be better off with a smaller lineup (again). I'm fine with it if Antoine can get back on track and Sommy continues to develop.

[Del Flame]

John Caleb had as many points (nine) as Evan Gordan. But the younger Sanders only played 10 minutes (compared to Evan's 32 minutes). JC reminds me a little of Anderson, when he was our sharp shooting freshman.

Layer and I both like Sammy at the 5 for now. He's only going to get better, and he's much more physical in the post than Carter or Joel.

David Minaya was the LU player of the game, according to post game show: 12 points and 4 rebounds and shot 50% from the field.

That's for sure. Carter and Joel have played 37 minutes so far in the two games. They are 0 for the season and have 5 rebounds. That's not going to get it done.

[jcmanson]

Yeah I don't know why we are so infatuated with JVP and Carter. Sommy, Brown, Burrus are our bigs this year that can actually do something.

[olldflame]

Yeah I don't know why we are so infatuated with JVP and Carter. Sommy, Brown, Burrus are our bigs this year that can actually do something.

I can't speak for anyone else, but having seen what it is like to have a dominant big man for 7 years with the double zeros, there is a certain longing to once again be the team that has that inside force that noone else in the Big South can match. It doesn't look like we have it yet in Carter or Joel, but we do have some athletes I believe as a group can cause some real problems for our conference foes.

[Hold My Own]

I dont foresee JVP or Carter being an Aluma....ever. I miss those days too but those were rare days

[TDDance234]

Yeah I don't know why we are so infatuated with JVP and Carter. Sommy, Brown, Burrus are our bigs this year that can actually do something.

Little early to write either one of them off. JVP's just in his second game -- against a Big East opponent.

Carter still has time to put it all together. He's shown flashes of being a pretty solid player for us. Regardless, we played like we thought we would against a pretty good ND team.

It looks like John Caleb has taken Jeremy's spot in the rotation.

[ALAFlamesFan]

Had to check out a little early yesterday but here are my post game thoughts.

1. Minaya = who we thought he was going to be last year. Thanks for sticking around! You are going be a huge piece of this years' team.

2. Gordon: Needs to let the game come to him. If we can develop a shooter on the other side he will get more open looks.

3. JC: Impressive in just his second college game.

4. Sommy: going to be good in conference play.

5. Carter/JVP: Remember they are still young. Most bigs develop slow. Don't give up on them.

6. Overall we showed good discipline in this game against a superior opponent on their home floor. Did we foul too much? Yes, but I would rather us play physical against a taller team and risk foul trouble than to shrink away and let them do what they want.

7. We need to develop some slashers/finishers that look for contact going to the hoop on offense. Some of this was distorted by the height disadvantage but who is going to have that killer instinct for us? I will be interested to find out.

8. I hate that Baird got injured because I think he would have been an important piece to this team but it makes me excited for next season to add he and Smith to the rotation.

9. It is early but I like this team's attitude. We have some talent there too. I predict we will finish in the top 3 in the Big South and give someone a scare in the BS tournament.

[Cider Jim]

7. We need to develop some slashers/finishers that look for contact going to the hoop on offense. Some of this was distorted by the height disadvantage but who is going to have that killer instinct for us? I will be interested to find out.

From the 2 games that I watched, Jesse appears to be our slasher/finisher, driving to the basket & trying to draw contact. Off the bench, Chene Phillips appears to have some potential as a slasher/finisher, too.

[ALAFlamesFan]

7. We need to develop some slashers/finishers that look for contact going to the hoop on offense. Some of this was distorted by the height disadvantage but who is going to have that killer instinct for us? I will be interested to find out.

From the 2 games that I watched, Jesse appears to be our slasher/finisher, driving to the basket & trying to draw contact. Off the bench, Chene Phillips appears to have some potential as a slasher/finisher, too.

I would love for Jesse to be one of those guys. In the games I have watched he has gotten deep in the lane and looked to pass (which you want from your pg to a degree) when he really should just finish. Perhaps moving Jesse off point and giving him a mandate to take 5-10 shots per game or else would help him develop that. Just a thought.

[SuperJon]

I don't think you give your captain an ultimatum. That just reminds me too much of Ritchie Ball.

[From the class of 09]

Yeah and most games he is taking 5-10 shots. Jesse is about the last person on our team who's game I want to change.

[ALAFlamesFan]

You miss my point. If you are looking for a finisher at the hoop and you think Jesse is your guy then you ask him to change his mindset from pass first (which you want your pg to think) to "slash and finish at the rim" which is more of a 2/3 role. You don't make an ultimatum rather you ask someone to take on a different role for the good of the team and free them up to think "shoot first". If you do this then you will want someone else to bring the ball up and be the "pass first" guy. I am not critcizing, he is a good point guard, and I like him fine in that role but I would like to see some slasher/finishers and I don't think we currently have that. It was suggested that Jesse would be the best candidate thus my comment that if that is so he needs to think shoot more than pass when he gets in the lane and be freed up to have that mindset. If you ask him to be the finisher and the point guard you end up with one guy doing it all and the rest of the guys standing around.

If we like Jesse were he is (which I don't disagree with) then we are still looking for someone to be our slasher/finisher. I look forward to seeing who that will be because absent of finding someone willing to take on that role we will see more of the pass around the perimeter, stand around for 30 seconds and then jack up a jumper basketball.