All time final four team

[IthacaMatt]

Well...I'm not sure what the color of the sky is in your world but, in my world, we blew out Navy for the second time that season, absolutely annihilated Cleveland State and then squeaked by Duke to get to the Final Four...

That was right up there with the great disappointments in our history.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

That was right up there with the great disappointments in our history.

All depends on the pill you take...some take them for high blood pressure; some take them for chronic pain; some take them to sleep better; others take them for up to four hours of, well, you know; I take pills that change history...

BTW, did you know that Bouie blocked a last-second Larry Bird shot in the final to preserve a one-point victory in the 1979 final?

Warrick's block is only the second most important block in SU history...

Love them pills.

 

[RF2044]

Well. Greg Kohls might argue with you on that point. And as I have watched Jimmy Lee video over the years (thank you, YouTube!), you will notice that he was not such a deep shooter. Most of his shots came from around the top of the key. Kohls' range was anywhere from Euclid Avenue.

Kohls is another forgotten player.

 

[CusefanATL]

Okay, we can only draw from our final four teams' And you must pick by the position they played when the game started.

PG Jim Bug Williams, Sherman Douglas, Laz Sims, Gerry McNamara, MCW my choice MCW Boy was that a tough decision.,
2 guard Jim Lee, Greg Monroe, jason Cipolla, Kueth Duany, Branson triche my choice Jim Lee
small forward, Chris Sease, Howard Triche, Todd Burgen, Melo, James Southerland, my choice jam...kidding Melo
power forward Rudy hackett, Derrick Coleman, John Wallace, Hak, Fair my choice John Wallace
center ernie siebert , Rony, Otis my man, Forth, Rak my choice Rony

wow. never saw this in writing... but goes to show that a 2g is not really important. Hell, pure natural basketball talent/athleticism wise neither is PG outside of maybe MCW.

On the other hand, 3-5 looks to be VITAL.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Kohls is another forgotten player.

Kohls was the star when I first started watching and listening to SU hoops. Prior to that I had been a big Chiefs fan, and before than I had gotten into SU football and the NY Football Giants. Those were my very first teams. SU getting into the NIT was a VERY big deal back then. The amount of basketball on TV was minuscule compared to today. You had to live back then to understand what a really, really big deal it was that we were on National TV, and the NIT was still a pretty big deal back then. The NCAA was probably still limited to conference champions and only had 24 to 32 teams, something like that. As a result, the NIT was still filled with quality teams who would be in the current NCAAs, and it skewed to the northeastern schools because of both proximity and the lack of major east coast conferences.

 

[kuethstheman]

I'm not old enough to have watched Hackett play but the guy averaged 22 and 12 on a final four team and never seems to be named alongside the all time SU greats, and for the life of me I can't figure out why.

Anybody old enough to remember him care to chime in on this?

Hackett pretty much carried that team through the season and in the tourney (although Lee's sharpshooting was a huge factor in a few tourney games). He was excellent. He didn't have an outside shot like guys his size are expected to have these days but he had everything else. I think senior Hackett vs. frosh Coleman is a pretty close call.

 

[jdm22]

Chris "the rocketman" Cease brought the much needed athletism to that team to make them great vs. being a very good regional power. He was a local Syracsue product (Nottingham?) who had an unbelievable 40 inch vertical and sweet corner jump shot and began our tradition of very high level and athletic small forwards. No disrespect to Mike Lee who was the greatest shooting small forward in SU history and greatest 6'3" rebounder in our history as well. Mike Lee and dennis sweet d duval got us to our first Modern era Nit and then ncaa bid in 71 and 72...and we have been spoiled with a great bb program ever since.

 

[SWC75]

I see the "Stat Signal"!

It might matter that Hackett's second game in the Final Four was a consolation game, not a championship game but here are his numbers: 14 points and 5 rebounds, 4 for 6 from the field vs. the Redwoods of Kentucky, (they had all 6-10,. 6-11 guys up front: Rudy was 6-8). He fouled out. The refs called 61 fouls in that game and we didn't have the depth to sustain that. Hackett played only 26 minutes.

Rudy had a huge game in the consey vs. Louisville with 28 points on 12 for 22 from the field had pulled down 13 rebounds. He again fouled out but did so in overtime, (he played 42 minutes).

In 1987, Derrick Coleman Has 12 points and 12 rebounds against Providence in 34 minutes and 8 points and 19 rebounds in 37 minutes vs. Indiana. he was a great rebounder but not yet a good scorer. He only attempted 13 shots and made 7 of them in the two games. John Wallace had 21 points and 10 rebounds against Mississippi State and 29 points and 10 rebounds against Kentucky's team full of future NBA players.He shot 17 for 33 from the field in those games.

In 2003 Melo had 33 points and 14 rebounds vs. Texas and 20 points and 10 rebounds (with 7 assists) vs. Kansas. he shot 19 for 35 in the two games and was 6 for 9 from three point range, (yup, 66.7%). Hakim Warrick had 24 points and 9 rebounds in the two games- oh and 3 blocked shots.

I'd go with John Wallace and Carmelo Anthony as our Final Four Forwards.

 

[SWC75]

Chris "the rocketman" Cease brought the much needed athletism to that team to make them great vs. being a very good regional power. He was a local Syracsue product (Nottingham?) who had an unbelievable 40 inch vertical and sweet corner jump shot and began our tradition of very high level and athletic small forwards. No disrespect to Mike Lee who was the greatest shooting small forward in SU history and greatest 6'3" rebounder in our history as well. Mike Lee and dennis sweet d duval got us to our first Modern era Nit and then ncaa bid in 71 and 72...and we have been spoiled with a great bb program ever since.

Sease.

 

[SWC75]

Kohls was the star when I first started watching and listening to SU hoops. Prior to that I had been a big Chiefs fan, and before than I had gotten into SU football and the NY Football Giants. Those were my very first teams. SU getting into the NIT was a VERY big deal back then. The amount of basketball on TV was minuscule compared to today. You had to live back then to understand what a really, really big deal it was that we were on National TV, and the NIT was still a pretty big deal back then. The NCAA was probably still limited to conference champions and only had 24 to 32 teams, something like that. As a result, the NIT was still filled with quality teams who would be in the current NCAAs, and it skewed to the northeastern schools because of both proximity and the lack of major east coast conferences.

What I remember about Kohls is how hit shot ripped the nets. They didn't spin in or settle in or barely touch them. His shot went in at an angle at such great force that you could hear the "rip" sound, (not "swish", Rrrrippp!!!!) and the net would be pulled tight and straight for an instant. If never seen successful shots go through with such force since.

 

[Consigliere]

Absolutely no love for Earnie Siebert? On the other hand I don't think Earnie's mother, kids or even the big guy himself would vote for Earnie Siebert.

 

[Madbiker]

PG: Sherman
2g: Jimmy Lee
SF: Carmelo
PF: Derrick Coleman
C: Rony Seikaly

2G looks like the weak link for us, historically. Too bad that 2012 team didn't make the Final Four, because he would top that group. But was he still coming off the bench by then?

Fantastic lineup. But if that team has to make pressure free throws at the end of game (and it's not Jimmy Lee at the line), yikes.

 

[Madbiker]

Absolutely no love for Earnie Siebert? On the other hand I don't think Earnie's mother, kids or even the big guy himself would vote for Earnie Siebert.

Earnie -- 3 minute -- Siebert. Played like the first 3 minutes of each half and was replaced.

 

[SWC75]

Absolutely no love for Earnie Siebert? On the other hand I don't think Earnie's mother, kids or even the big guy himself would vote for Earnie Siebert.

The "Whale". He played like he'd been beached most of the time. But he did have 5 points, 9 rebounds and a block in 26 minutes in the two Final Four games. Hackett had basically taken over the center position by then, a "stretch 4", just like Lydon is trying to be now.

 

[OrangeAl]

I'm not old enough to have watched Hackett play but the guy averaged 22 and 12 on a final four team and never seems to be named alongside the all time SU greats, and for the life of me I can't figure out why.

Anybody old enough to remember him care to chime in on this?

Anyway, forcing you to choose guys based on the positions they played at the time changes things. Normally I like to pick a perfect team for the two-three zone, but this talent pool seems to mesh best with the '87 style of man to man D/high tempo O.

I'm not saying my choices are the best at each position, but I think the following guys would make up a well rounded team that would be very good and very fun to watch play a high tempo, man to man style.

Douglas
Duany
Southerland
Warrick (Would Warrick and Douglas be the all time most fun to watch SU pairing?)
Seikaly

Off the bench:
McNamara
Bergan
Rak

Hackett was one of those guys who came in as a skinny kid and just worked and got better each year. He and Jimmy Lee were a great tandem of Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside.

 

[br801]

PG: Douglas
SG: Triche
SF: Anthony
PF: Coleman
C: Seikaly

 

[JOC44]

Douglas
Lee
Anthony
Wallace
Seikaly

 

[two3zone]

Mcw
Cipolla
Melo
DC
Rak