Adrian Autry’s pitch to SU basketball recruits: ‘He wants to bring Syracuse back’

[RF2044]

I think it's tournament or bust.

The infusion of talent in the portal, Mintz staying in Syracuse, and the expected sophomore leap for nine (9!) of our players would make anything less a failure.

We might be able to console ourselves with a faster pace, more exciting type of basketball, but with this talent, only game management, chemistry issues or a mishandled roster can keep us out.

On the other hand, the basics of this roster are so obvious your average dad coaching elementary schoolers could find the right strategy: give it to Mintz and Starling and let them create! But, I expect Red to be a little more sophisticated than that.

A successful season this year is getting into the tournament. We need to do that to continue our sudden recruiting momentum from this summer. 21-10 with 12 ACC games would be good. I get it's his first year, but first year coaches are successful all the time and basketball can be turned around in just a season.

Agree with both of you. Red "won" the offseason, from the introductory press conference on.

But if the team struggles this year, a good portion of that goodwill / enthusiasm will rapidly evaporate. Need to get things back on track and get to the NCAA tournament [at minimum] -- an attainable goal with the personnel we've brought in.

Anything less of that raises big question marks.

I'm not suggesting he needs to get to a F4 or anything -- I'm willing to let him get on the job training to figure some things out. I don't expect him to be a finely tuned coach, when he hasn't coached a single D1 game yet. But he has to show that he's not overmatched. Don't want this to be Hop #2 type of situation.

 

[Orangezoo]

I really hope Westry is healthy, because the three of them together could be really good.

No reason at this point to think he isn't unless there is news otherwise going around.

 

[Orangezoo]

Agree with both of you. Red "won" the offseason, from the introductory press conference on.

But if the team struggles this year, a good portion of that goodwill / enthusiasm will rapidly evaporate. Need to get things back on track and get to the NCAA tournament [at minimum] -- an attainable goal with the personnel we've brought in.

Anything less of that raises big question marks.

I'm not suggesting he needs to get to a F4 or anything -- I'm willing to let him get on the job training to figure some things out. I don't expect him to be a finely tuned coach, when he hasn't coached a single D1 game yet. But he has to show that he's not overmatched. Don't want this to be Hop #2 type of situation.

One thing I recall when Hop took the job is he didn't talk a lot about scheme that I recall going into the job. Which is something we've heard a lot of, respectful to JB of course, from Red and the staff in interviews. Not to mention right out of the gate Hop was building a zone team but a team where it was hard to see what he was really trying to create at UW.

I don't get that same vibe from this staff.

Speculation time will be over soon enough so hopefully things go well.

 

[Sherman20]

Agree with both of you. Red "won" the offseason, from the introductory press conference on.

But if the team struggles this year, a good portion of that goodwill / enthusiasm will rapidly evaporate. Need to get things back on track and get to the NCAA tournament [at minimum] -- an attainable goal with the personnel we've brought in.

Anything less of that raises big question marks.

I'm not suggesting he needs to get to a F4 or anything -- I'm willing to let him get on the job training to figure some things out. I don't expect him to be a finely tuned coach, when he hasn't coached a single D1 game yet. But he has to show that he's not overmatched. Don't want this to be Hop #2 type of situation.

I agree. And I don’t know why Red can’t have a first year as a head coach like Jerome Tang did at K State and Dennis Gates did at Missouri. Both became head coaches after long tenures as assistants.

 

[RF2044]

One thing I recall when Hop took the job is he didn't talk a lot about scheme that I recall going into the job. Which is something we've heard a lot of, respectful to JB of course, from Red and the staff in interviews. Not to mention right out of the gate Hop was building a zone team but a team where it was hard to see what he was really trying to create at UW.

I don't get that same vibe from this staff.

Speculation time will be over soon enough so hopefully things go well.

I invite anyone to watch a UW game. It is a master class in offensive ineptitude.

I love / appreciate Hopkins, but I think he's been exposed as a no-trick pony with respect to coaching offense, and someone who adheres to zone because he doesn't know anything else and has no other tricks up his sleeve. Bad combo, and unfortunate -- because he's such a terrific guy.

But it also bears pointing out that he was -- for many years -- viewed as one of the top AC's in college basketball, and an ascending star. So his performance is a massive underachievement relative to those accolades. But that's the danger of hiring an unproven coach.

I certainly hope that Red has a better command of the X's and O's. As a former PG, it's logical to think that he might / will. But the proof will be in the pudding.

A segment of posters were practically doing back handsprings about Hop's teams the first two years, so I think the optimism expressed by some here -- which encouraging -- doesn't tell us much at this stage.

 

[RF2044]

I agree. And I don’t know why Red can’t have a first year as a head coach like Jerome Tang did at K State and Dennis Gates did at Missouri. Both became head coaches after long tenures as assistant coaches.

Nobody is suggesting that he "can't."

The question is -- will he. And a follow up question is -- will he sustain it?

 

[longtimefan]

A successful season this year is getting into the tournament. We need to do that to continue our sudden recruiting momentum from this summer. 21-10 with 12 ACC games would be good. I get it's his first year, but first year coaches are successful all the time and basketball can be turned around in just a season.

12 ACC wins means 8 ACC losses. Thus 9-2 OOC. With this season's schedule, not an easy task.

 

[Cusefan0307]

12 ACC wins means 8 ACC losses. Thus 9-2 OOC. With this season's schedule, not an easy task.

We've become too accustomed to mediocrity.

He's upgraded the talent immensely. We had the tenth ranked transfer class and have 4 former top 50 HS players on our roster. If we can't win with that when can we win?

 

[rrlbees]

We've become too accustomed to mediocrity.

He's upgraded the talent immensely. We had the tenth ranked transfer class and have 4 former top 5 HS players on our roster. If we can't win with that when can we win?

Top 5? Is that supposed to be top 50?

 

[Orangezoo]

We've become too accustomed to mediocrity.

He's upgraded the talent immensely. We had the tenth ranked transfer class and have 4 former top 5 HS players on our roster. If we can't win with that when can we win?

Yep. 3 guys with realistic NBA aspirations minimum. More possible pending development.

Bring back the best player overall talent wise from previous years team.

Bring back the remainder of the freshman class that showed promise and some production.

Put together a roster with both size and flexibility including a larger stable of guards to fit better with success in the current era.

Twist it around how you like but it's a roster you should win with given the talent and the areas of need addressed.

The expectation to win, and we aren't talking 25 games in year 1, is more than fair.

 

[Orangezoo]

Top 5? Is that supposed to be top 50?

Hey now I'm sure they've all been top 5 in some ranking over time

 

[Cusefan0307]

Top 5? Is that supposed to be top 50?

Yes. Edited!

 

[longtimefan]

We've become too accustomed to mediocrity.

He's upgraded the talent immensely. We had the tenth ranked transfer class and have 4 former top 50 HS players on our roster. If we can't win with that when can we win?

I still say getting 9 non-conference wins will be difficult. May be easier to improve on 12-8 in the ACC.

 

[Niastri]

No reason at this point to think he isn't unless there is news otherwise going around.

Westry originally was intending to play through his injury, but it slowed him enough where he was less effective. They didn't redshirt him because it was catastrophic, but because he was going to be the 5th guard on a pretty loaded team.

The year's rest should have been enough for Westry to have a full recovery. I'm excited to see him compete with Taylor, Bell, Brown and Cuffe for the minutes after Starling and Mintz. The two starting guards and then the 3g/SF slots will be interesting. I think Westry will be approximately tied for third in minutes played this year out of that group.

 

[miamicuse]

Red should let his hair grow back and show his red hair.

 

[tbonezone]

watch the tape. JB never took much if any input from his assistant coaches. he coached and they chewed gum.

 

[Bulldog04]

This years schedule is insanely hard with competition so I would actually take a few games over .500 with an exciting brand of basketball. Year 2 is where I’ll be harsh if need be

 

[Orangezoo]

This years schedule is insanely hard with competition so I would actually take a few games over .500 with an exciting brand of basketball. Year 2 is where I’ll be harsh if need be

Extremely difficult on paper for sure. Lots of movement on some of those opponents where they have to figure things out too.

One thing I do like is in the toughest stretch we have some 4-6 day breaks between the games vs everything being crammed in. Also glad to see us get 3 winnable or should win games before Maui as well.

 

[Cusefan0307]

If everyone thinks Starling and Mintz are first round picks then we should(better) win 20 games.

 

[MG44]

Like best guard group in the country good.

Like when one of them gets tired we bring in Cuffe and starting chucking lobs to the rim good

 

[miamicuse]

I hope Copland makes a leap.

 

[007]

I hope Copland makes a leap.

I think Q's skill set will be better suited to uptempo, pressure, positionless basketball. IMO, we will not see Q play PG (not that you were necessarily suggesting).

 

[Jake]

I love everything AA has done, but I gotta see the game day management.

JB was a master. There’s gonna be a learning curve.

 

[Orangezoo]

I love everything AA has done, but I gotta see the game day management.

JB was a master. There’s gonna be a learning curve.

Indeed. I would argue be it personnel or not that they were not quite the wizardry of the past the past few years albeit that's neither here nor there.

 

[721Comstock]

I love everything AA has done, but I gotta see the game day management.

JB was a master. There’s gonna be a learning curve.

JB wasn’t always a master.

In the 80’s, he was often accused of “just rolling the ball out there” and letting his talented players do their thing.

Even JB has often said that having better players makes you a better coach.

Red has dramatically improved the talent and depth in very short order.
That’ll help a lot with his learning curve.