Billy Owens

[kuethstheman]

Someone mentioned the Hardaway interview. My recollection is that when asked about Billy, he said "He lacks this" and pointed to his heart.

 

[SU94]

That's real insightful. Titles, wins, losses, the post-season, they don't really mean anything. Thanks for enlightening us on what really matters. It was a proud day for the program to be the first 2 seed to lose to a 15.

Derrick Coleman grabbed 19 rebounds in a classic national title game. Was the best player on an Elite 8 team two years later. That last game he lost was in a Sweet 16 at least. Warrick was the #2 guy on a national champion and also won a Big East title as a senior. McNamara was not close to the talent that Owens was but he also was huge in a national title game and won two Big East titles, including a legendary run on a bad team.

Owens was a great talent, had a great individual season his junior year and was part of some very good teams. 91 was also possibly the most disappointing season of the Boeheim era when it was all said and done, with maybe the exception of 2014 (even that team won a game in the NCAA tournament).

Billy was our best player in the painful loss to Illinois in March 1989 (22 & 8)

Syracuse vs. Illinois Box Score (Men), March 26, 1989 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Syracuse vs. Illinois Box Score (Men), March 26, 1989

www.sports-reference.com

He also led SU in scoring (on 50% shooting from the field) in the S16 loss to Minnesota a year later:

Syracuse vs. Minnesota Box Score (Men), March 23, 1990 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Syracuse vs. Minnesota Box Score (Men), March 23, 1990

www.sports-reference.com

Billy was no shrinking violet. He has a poor game vs Richmond.

Perhaps “disappointing ending” is a better way to describe 1991? Because the season in its totality was fantastic: 26-4 (12-4 Big East Champs). 7-2 against ranked foes, 2-0 against Georgetown. Cruddy ending, no doubt. It was painful, but that pain came from the pleasure that team provided for 4+ months.

You can obviously feel like you do about Owens. But the reality was he delivered throughout his career at SU. It just rankles me to see people somehow portray him as less than he was. I guess that’s my issue with a certain segment of our fanbase that somehow don’t remember his greatness or take a strange pleasure in it.

 

[senorpalmer]

Billy was our best player in the painful loss to Illinois in March 1989 (22 & 8)

Syracuse vs. Illinois Box Score (Men), March 26, 1989 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Syracuse vs. Illinois Box Score (Men), March 26, 1989

www.sports-reference.com

He also led SU in scoring (on 50% shooting from the field) in the S16 loss to Minnesota a year later:

Syracuse vs. Minnesota Box Score (Men), March 23, 1990 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Syracuse vs. Minnesota Box Score (Men), March 23, 1990

www.sports-reference.com

Billy was no shrinking violet. He has a poor game vs Richmond.

Perhaps “disappointing ending” is a better way to describe 1991? Because the season in its totality was fantastic: 26-4 (12-4 Big East Champs). 7-2 against ranked foes, 2-0 against Georgetown. Cruddy ending, no doubt. It was painful, but that pain came from the pleasure that team provided for 4+ months.

You can obviously feel like you do about Owens. But the reality was he delivered throughout his career at SU. It just rankles me to see people somehow portray him as less than he was. I guess that’s my issue with a certain segment of our fanbase that somehow don’t remember his greatness or take a strange pleasure in it.

He was a great talent, and it is not my intention to portray him as otherwise. His junior year statistically was the best of the Boeheim era. He even led the 89-90 team in PPG, the same year DC would be a first team AA and the top pick in the draft. On pure talent alone I'd argue he's top three in the JB era. If I'm making a dream team of former SU players in the JB era he's probably a starter. But fair or unfair, and not every player gets to have the same type of supporting cast, in my opinion that disappointing postseason of 91 affects his legacy a bit, and I don't think I'm alone in feeling that way.

 

[kcsu]

Agreed ^^^^. Some of the amateur takes on this thread are simply ridiculous. Billy Owens is the most talented player in the history of the program. He thrived in 3 seasons in the Dome, culminating in First-Team AA status his final season. He was the third overall pick for a reason. Because he dominated the college game. The pro ranks did not go as swimmingly, but that had more to do with injuries than anything else.

So many here are either born 15 years too late or have faulty memories. Cannot shoot, didn't smile, no killer instinct, teams underachieved, lost his last game, deferred to others, no highlight moment.

Good reminder that this is not a forum of talent evaluators.

Billy was as smooth a player as ever wore Orange. It looked effortless for him. If he had been a better shooter there is no telling how good he would have been.

 

[alphaorange]

Billy was our best player in the painful loss to Illinois in March 1989 (22 & 8)

Syracuse vs. Illinois Box Score (Men), March 26, 1989 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Syracuse vs. Illinois Box Score (Men), March 26, 1989

www.sports-reference.com

He also led SU in scoring (on 50% shooting from the field) in the S16 loss to Minnesota a year later:

Syracuse vs. Minnesota Box Score (Men), March 23, 1990 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Syracuse vs. Minnesota Box Score (Men), March 23, 1990

www.sports-reference.com

Billy was no shrinking violet. He has a poor game vs Richmond.

Perhaps “disappointing ending” is a better way to describe 1991? Because the season in its totality was fantastic: 26-4 (12-4 Big East Champs). 7-2 against ranked foes, 2-0 against Georgetown. Cruddy ending, no doubt. It was painful, but that pain came from the pleasure that team provided for 4+ months.

You can obviously feel like you do about Owens. But the reality was he delivered throughout his career at SU. It just rankles me to see people somehow portray him as less than he was. I guess that’s my issue with a certain segment of our fanbase that somehow don’t remember his greatness or take a strange pleasure in it.

Wasn't he sick for the Richmond game? Seems like someone was...

 

[miamicuse]

I think he had a back injury towards the end of the season. I remember a press conference where a reporter asked him about resting Billy and JB said Billy with the injured back was still better then most players in the country.

 

[orangefog]

Wasn't he sick for the Richmond game? Seems like someone was...

Me, I was sick during and after the Richmond game.

 

[Cusesky8214]

 

[OttoMets]

Ball touched the floor exactly once in traveling over 80 feet. Beautiful. I miss basketball.

 

[senorpalmer]

 

[OttoMets]

Since the Richmond and Villanova losses have been brought up here, deservedly so, I go back to the NCAA investigation going on that year, starting over the holiday break. They lost on the court, and it is not an excuse, but that took a big toll on the coaches and players that whole time. JB even mentioned it in his book and how it exhausted everyone. I think in his book I forget his exact words but it was kind of like "we didn't know the toll it took until afterwards".

Players were doing interviews before and after practices, the media was all over it, and things like half the team not allowed on the plane to go to Notre Dame, only to be reinstated hours later and fly out at midnight (and this was before the team took charters). To me there was kind of a "less was more" thing with the media back then -- you didn't have phones, the internet and a million distractions, so the stories that came out every day seemed to resonate more. Unlike the latest investigation, that was announced in 2012 without much context, then sanctions in 2015, in 91 was big news every day during that season.
Again, not an excuse for the losses, as they got beat when they shouldn't have, but this played a role IMO.

Agree wholeheartedly with this. The Nova and Richmond losses weren't shocking in the context of the investigation and media hubbub. Wasn't this also the season when 8 players (and 4 of 5 starters) were suspended for the Notre Dame game but then got reinstated at the 11th hour and flew to South Bend right before the game? That was a tough year for everyone on the team.

 

[joct]

Agree wholeheartedly with this. The Nova and Richmond losses weren't shocking in the context of the investigation and media hubbub. Wasn't this also the season when 8 players (and 4 of 5 starters) were suspended for the Notre Dame game but then got reinstated at the 11th hour and flew to South Bend right before the game? That was a tough year for everyone on the team.

Yep...that was the same year as that Notre Dame game. The team practiced early afternoon before taking a bus to the airport. Either during or right after practice, the team found out about the suspensions, taking like 4 scholarships guys and 3 walkons to the airport, while the AD's office worked behind the scenes. The team was making arrangements for the possible use of football players like Graves, and didn't know what was going on. The AD's office got them cleared later that day by the players making restitutions, somehow got them out on commercial flights to South Bend getting in at like midnight...all before like a 2:00 national game on CBS. Crazy times.

 

[Vshukla]

Ball touched the floor exactly once in traveling over 80 feet. Beautiful. I miss basketball.

DC to Sherman to Billy. If I recall correctly at the time he left, DC was the NCAA all time (Post 1973 era) leading rebounder. I also believe Sherman was the all time leader in assists (despite limited playing time his freshman year) when he left. Billy, as discussed, may have been the most all around talented player in SU history. I'm so glad my time on the hill coincided with this era of SU hoops.

Something else to consider about Billy; if he stayed for his Sr year and had an average, for him, year his numbers would be amazing. If he played 33 games and averaged 20 and 10 (seems quite reasonable), he would have left as the all time leading scorer (and have higher career totals than Moten) and the 2nd all time leading rebounder (albeit still quite a ways behind DC). If he averaged 4 assists he would also be in the top 8 all time at SU.