Can you believe this team went to the Final Four?

[CU44SE]

The biggest reason that team was a 10 seed is because Richardson, Howard, and Lydon were all freshman and played a massive role in how that team performed down the stretch.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Yeah -- that team was a 4 seed dressed in a 10 seed's resume.
Not many teams since the late 80's have had 3 NBA Draft picks. The NCAA Title team didn't have 3 NBA Draft picks.

Surprising run, but the team had legit high-end talent.

The Virginia Cavaliers had 3 NBA draft picks. If you're referring to the Villanova team that won it all in 2015-2016... they had 4 NBA draft picks

 

[SUFan44]

The Virginia Cavaliers had 3 NBA draft picks. If you're referring to the Villanova team that won it all in 2015-2016... they had 4 NBA draft picks

I think this was implied but forgive me -- I meant SU teams.

 

[UnknownOrange]

I think this was implied but forgive me -- I meant SU teams.

Ah. My mistake lol

 

[Trueblue25]

Gbinije was a star 17.5 ppg and 39% from 3. That’s a stud.

 

[Tom K.]

That was a fun run, and felt like we were playing with the house's money the entire time after squeaking into the tournament. The win over Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 was awesome too. It often gets overshadowed by UVA, but beating a team with a guy like Sabonis on it was no small feat.

Without looking I think Wiltjier put 33 on us.

Edit: 23. I'm dumb.

 

[orange79]

Without looking I think Wiltjier put 33 on us.

Edit: 23. I'm dumb.

Don't beat yourself up. Felt like 33.

 

[OrangeDW]

Gbinije was a star 17.5 ppg and 39% from 3. That’s a stud.

Plus he defended well, was our primary ball handler, and dished out 4 assists per game. He was a heck of an all around player his senior year.

 

[Trueblue25]

Plus he defended well, was our primary ball handler, and dished out 4 assists per game. He was a heck of an all around player his senior year.

Our best 1 since MCW, and that wasn’t even his natural position.

 

[721Comstock]

Our best 1 since MCW, and that wasn’t even his natural position.

Tyler Ennis, PhD would like a word with you on the Orange courtesy phone...

 

[Trueblue25]

Tyler Ennis, PhD would like a word with you on the Orange courtesy phone...

Senior Gbinije was much better

 

[OrangeDW]

Senior Gbinije was much better

In another era, we have a junior Ennis running point with a senior Gbinije on the wing. Would’ve been amazing.

 

[RF2044]

I can believe it. After a shaky start where the team didn't look that formidable, they really put it together in the preseason tournament they played in, beating ranked Texas A&M and uconn teams. They were off to a great start in that season, before JB had to sit out some games. We then posted a lousy record [not blaming that on Hop] during that 9 game stretch and fell out of the rankings for the rest of the year.

But that team wasn't as bad as the record indicated.

 

[djcon57]

Maybe I’m crazy but I do t think the 2016 team looked like this years team at all.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I watched the 2016 team up close in the bahamas play crazy defense on elite teams and elite players. This team didn’t do that once.

 

[jdubs30]

From this years team only Eli would play minutes on 2016. Marek might get spot minutes. Sidibe possibly plays over DC, but not over Lydon.

don’t think Joe, Buddy, Goodine, Edwards, QG get any run in 2016. Maybe Buddy plays a role similar to what Cooney did as a freshman

This is how I’d rank the players on those 2 rosters ( for that year)

1 Eli
2 G
3 Lydon
4 Cooney
5 Mali
6 Marek
7 Robey

Marek/ Robey are close but yeah... don’t think the rosters are close

 

[jdubs30]

Maybe I’m crazy but I do t think the 2016 team looked like this years team at all.

ACC was fantastic in 2016. 8 teams in the top 37; 6 in the top 27.

we did struggle offensively that year but we played really good teams all year and our defense was amazing. 2020 played well offensively vs a weak ACC but couldn’t play a lick of D despite the ACC having poor offenses. We did a really good job this year of beating teams on our level/below. We beat 8 top 50 teams in 2016 ( we beat 6 top 26 teams away from home). This year we had 1 top 50 win.

 

[Cusefan0307]

We lost some games that year we had no business losing because we came out flat. A lot of them happened when JB was suspended.

 

[Sherman20]

Yeah -- that team was a 4 seed dressed in a 10 seed's resume.
Not many teams since the late 80's have had 3 NBA Draft picks. The NCAA Title team didn't have 3 NBA Draft picks.

Surprising run, but the team had legit high-end talent.

The Battle for Atlantis wins were impressive and showed how good that team could be. Losing JB for 9 games really hurt the team, IMO. They suddenly lost their captain at a crucial point in the season (and that was not any reflection on Hop’s coaching ability, as JB strenuously pointed out).

 

[Cusefan0307]

From this years team only Eli would play minutes on 2016. Marek might get spot minutes. Sidibe possibly plays over DC, but not over Lydon.

don’t think Joe, Buddy, Goodine, Edwards, QG get any run in 2016. Maybe Buddy plays a role similar to what Cooney did as a freshman

This is how I’d rank the players on those 2 rosters ( for that year)

1 Eli
2 G
3 Lydon
4 Cooney
5 Mali
6 Marek
7 Robey

Marek/ Robey are close but yeah... don’t think the rosters are close

This is probably fair, although I do think in whatever fantasy Basketball world we are in Buddy could have helped in games where Cooney/Mal couldn't throw the ball in the ocean and he wouldn't hurt us much defensively because he'd be playing alongside an elite zone defender.

 

[Sherman20]

Maybe I’m crazy but I do t think the 2016 team looked like this years team at all.

Who is implying that? No one. The 2015-16 team was much better on defense, not quite as good as this year’s team on offense.

 

[RF2044]

From this years team only Eli would play minutes on 2016. Marek might get spot minutes. Sidibe possibly plays over DC, but not over Lydon.

don’t think Joe, Buddy, Goodine, Edwards, QG get any run in 2016. Maybe Buddy plays a role similar to what Cooney did as a freshman

This is how I’d rank the players on those 2 rosters ( for that year)

1 Eli
2 G
3 Lydon
4 Cooney
5 Mali
6 Marek
7 Robey

Marek/ Robey are close but yeah... don’t think the rosters are close

I know that Buddy gets short thrift around here, but I think he'd be squarely in contention for #6 or #7 on that list. Sure, he has some athletic limitations, but kid can play.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Who is implying that? No one. The 2015-16 team was much better on defense, not quite as good as this year’s team on offense.

Besides cto in her first post? No one at all.

 

[jdubs30]

I know that Buddy gets short thrift around here, but I think he'd be squarely in contention for #6 or #7 on that list. Sure, he has some athletic limitations, but kid can play.

This is probably fair, although I do think in whatever fantasy Basketball world we are in Buddy could have helped in games where Cooney/Mal couldn't throw the ball in the ocean and he wouldn't hurt us much defensively because he'd be playing alongside an elite zone defender.

I like Buddy a lot. But if we’re talking about combining both teams, we have G, Cooney, Eli, Mali to split between the 1,2,3 - in that scenario I don’t think Buddy plays that much. I think if you put Buddy on 2016 on his own without Eli, he would get some run.

Gotta think Eli/G barely come off the court. Then Cooney starts at the 2. Mali gets minutes behind Cooney. Buddy wouldn’t play too often if that’s the case

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

I take Buddy over Cooney any day of the week.

 

[RF2044]

I like Buddy a lot. But if we’re talking about combining both teams, we have G, Cooney, Eli, Mali to split between the 1,2,3 - in that scenario I don’t think Buddy plays that much. I think if you put Buddy on 2016 on his own without Eli, he would get some run.

Gotta think Eli/G barely come off the court. Then Cooney starts at the 2. Mali gets minutes behind Cooney. Buddy wouldn’t play too often if that’s the case

I may have misintrerpreted your post -- I thought you were just ranking the players, not saying how would minutes be distributed if rosters were combined.

If you meant the latter, than disregard the above.