Benny Williams dismissed from program

[OptimusOtto]

Best of luck Benny, bummed it didn’t work out.

Red’s been preaching “Orange Standard” since he took over, this is a big step in that direction. No one is bigger than the program.

Entire program needs a wake up call, we’re looking at the first time since I think the 60s with 3 straight years without a tournament appearance.

 

[djcon57]

Quincy looks great for Illinois

He should, he’s like 30

 

[Zelda Zonk]

He got what he needed from his Syracuse education. People are ragging on him because of the way he wrote an Instagram post.

I think that’s kinda sad, to think of a college education as being solely correlated to earnings.

Ragging—yes. Because he represented himself to the public as an illiterate. And the public commented on it.

 

[br801]

If he came in as advertised I doubt Jimmy would’ve started.

Benny was so unproductive on the court as a freshman that he made himself unplayable. He improved greatly as a sophomore, but forgot how to shoot this season, which canceled out the strides he made as a rebounder, shot blocker and passer.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I'm old but my memories are of the ole' defense kind.

Thompson rebounded about as well as Maliq Brown, scored about as well as Rick Jackson, and got about as many steals as Jesse Edwards. He was a talented player. Too bad it didn't work out, because he was a better talent than a lot of guys we have run out there over the last 10 years or so.

 

[OHIORANGES]

Well, he understands that his job is at stake. He trusted these guys to play hard for him. He gave them all every chance. If you're not producing, sorry, but the best players always have to play, on every team from 5th grade to the NBA, to pick up ball. That's how you win games.

If you're not bought-in, good bye. It's that plain now. A line was crossed with the lack of effort in these last couple games. This isn't European soccer, where star players can just quit on their coaches and get them fired. Y'all don't have that kind of power, at least not yet.

The best players always have to play
You think JT & Bell are “the best players”?
I’m willing to bet Cope & Benny don’t

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Stage fright?

I have that. Makes me angry at myself. Not at the pishadoo!

 

[IthacaMatt]

The best players always have to play
You think JT & Bell are “the best players”?
I’m willing to bet Cope & Benny don’t

Of course not. I can see the need to have one three point threat on the floor among our forwards, and suggested that we split up Taylor and Bell as starters, and match one with Benny and the other with Copeland. I said this back in December.

You need a threat from 3 on the floor. You can't start Benny & Copeland. Too little 3 point threat; there will be no driving lanes at all. The rotation should be a guy who can get inside the 3 point line, like Benny or Cope, and another guy he can kick the ball out to, who can hit an open stand-still 3.

 

[ar inj]

Thompson rebounded about as well as Maliq Brown, scored about as well as Rick Jackson, and got about as many steals as Jesse Edwards. He was a talented player. Too bad it didn't work out, because he was a better talent than a lot of guys we have run out there over the last 10 years or so.

That is not what his post-SU record says.

 

[Cusefan0307]

The best players always have to play
You think JT & Bell are “the best players”?
I’m willing to bet Cope & Benny don’t

Benny was going to start. He lost the opportunity himself. Red took him along with Judah and JJ to media day.

His hand was held last year and Red stayed with him until the first incident at practice earlier this year and then another incident in Maui. Any chance Benny had being a big part of this team was blown by him. It was not blown by anyone else and he’s not that great to begin with. There’s a reason we have a 5 star PF coming in next season.

 

[GHLF]

I was talking about Taurean, and I believe that was discussed on here prior during his time here

I am well aware of whom you were referring to.

 

[Nicknack]

I just got done reading 22 pages of this thread. I wanted to read everything before posting, a lost art that some don't embrace. Nonetheless, I finally got to the end and now have completely forgotten all of the responses I wanted to make earlier. With that, my contribution to this thread is now done. Thank you.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I'll end it at this but he didn't exactly light it up at the Hall is my recollection.

He didn’t play a lick of defense and never passed. Pretty sure his mother helped torpedo his career.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Is that a scene from a John Wick?

But, seriously, folks…. Not to excuse Benny, but there has been some talk herein along the lines of, ‘I played Little League/CYO hoops/Pop Warner… or coached it… or have a kid in HS field hockey… and we learned early how to be a good sport/teammate,’ etc. But, we should recognize that playing on a college team like ours comes with exponentially more pressure. Coaches didn’t yell at us or curse. We didn’t play in front of 15,000 road fans, who can say (almost) whatever they want at us, we didn’t have nasty stuff written about us online, and our careers and expected livelihoods weren’t being affected by the results. I can understand a player’s reaction to negative circumstances being commensurate with those stressors.

Again, that’s not to rationalize it away, but to keep it in a more appropriate context. If you’re 20, you have to be better equipped, intellectually, to deal with it all. Benny just isn’t. Yet, and that sorta represents a baffling failure, somehow, somewhere. It’s inexplicable, and thankfully not more common.

What’s more important than his basketball is his need to get this resolved for the rest of his adult life.

 

[br801]

He didn’t play a lick of defense and never passed. Pretty sure his mother helped torpedo his career.

Other than that, he was an SU hoops rearview mirror immortal.

 

[IthacaMatt]

That is not what his post-SU record says.

How is that relevant? What he did here is factual. It's recorded.
Quincy Guerrier never did as well at other schools as he did here.
Has nothing to do with nothing.

He was a promising player here.

He could have developed here. You go to a new team, you're a carpet bagger, you're not one of their original guys.

 

[phil77]

The best players always have to play
You think JT & Bell are “the best players”?
I’m willing to bet Cope & Benny don’t

Who cares what Benny and Cope think it isn't their team. Copeland should never be starting and it doesn't matter who is in front of him. Copeland is in his perfect role right now, 6th man off the bench to change the flow and energy of the game and the secondary ball handler. He should focus on his own game and get better than who is playing or not playing in front of him.

 

[CuseTG2003]

We matched 2x, three was too much.

Joe has enough close calls at UNC, he finally helped close one out.

Yep, Jesse’s dad was not negotiating/operating in good faith. Can’t blame Red for Jesse’s departure.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

How is that relevant? What he did here is factual. It's recorded.
Quincy Guerrier never did as well at other schools as he did here.
Has nothing to do with nothing.

He was a promising player here.

He could have developed here. You go to a new team, you're a carpet bagger, you're not one of their original guys.

Like that bum, Mike Gbinije!

 

[FrancoPizza]

If only he could’ve channeled that aggression on the court.

 

[IthacaMatt]

He didn’t play a lick of defense and never passed. Pretty sure his mother helped torpedo his career.

He was a freshman who played 18 minutes a game, for chrissakes. Why don't you give us a list of all the freshman stringbean big men we had who were better?

 

[tee1222]

I just got done reading 22 pages of this thread. I wanted to read everything before posting, a lost art that some don't embrace. Nonetheless, I finally got to the end and now have completely forgotten all of the responses I wanted to make earlier. With that, my contribution to this thread is now done. Thank you.

Interesting as I took what some might call a slightly lazier, dumber approach. I keep going to the newest post and work my way backwards, then getting distracted two pages in or back. Cheerfully, I have less to offer.

 

[kingtidge]

Interesting as I took what some might call a slightly lazier, dumber approach. I keep going to the newest post and work my way backwards, then getting distracted two pages in or back. Cheerfully, I have less to offer.

Lee Harvey... you are a MAAAADDDMAN...

 

[br801]

How is that relevant? What he did here is factual. It's recorded.
Quincy Guerrier never did as well at other schools as he did here.
Has nothing to do with nothing.

He was a promising player here.

He could have developed here. You go to a new team, you're a carpet bagger, you're not one of their original guys.

Come on, this is the age of carpet baggers in college basketball; it's no longer the stigma you want to portray it as.

 

[SeattleCuse]

Is that actually a real pic of the WF damage?? If so, somebody has some serious anger issues and coping/conflict resolution skills to work on.