Gun to my head predictions...

[OttoMets]

What do you think of Lydon's decision?

I really only follow the NBA in a second-hand way (through this site, mostly) and I don't get the sense that Lydon was considered a potential high pick, so it seems like a no-brainer that he'd stay in school.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Agreed, as a one-and-done. But it isn't uncommon for freshmen to ascend into more prominent roles, and then to justify a first round selection as sophomores prior to when the "agism" NBA bias questions arise.

Malichi Richardson would be [if he returned] the team's leading returning scorer, the teams leading returning minutes played guy, and arguably the team's best shooter. He would be stepping into a more prominent role for a team that lost both backcourt starters--who were both double digit scorers--and would be looking for someone to both step up into that leadership role and be the alpha dog on offense.

There is nothing about Mali's play last year that suggests that he would "easily fall" under those circumstances, barring injury. To the contrary, all of the conditions would be optimized for him to excel this upcoming year.

the other thing is...nobody cared about malachi richardson last year.

no team went into the Cuse game going...we have to stop Mal. (I don't think any team feared anyone wearing Orange last year, but that's another topic for another day)

next year, if Mal is any good, he will be asked to score, rebound, pass, lead etc... and if he can do all that AND we are successful, ill drive him to the combine.

for if he succeeds with that bullseye on his back in the ACC...then he is ready.

right now hes had 1 good 8 minute run v Virginia and that's it.

maybe he wants to go because he knows hes a paper candidate and not a true one...and wants to get paid before anyone realizes he sucks.

I don't know, but he should stay.

 

[ClamOtto]

Let's face it, prior to a ten minute explosion against UVA nobody was touting MR as a first round draft pick.

This is the part that blows me away. Not trying to put him down at all, but he wasn't even honorable mention all-ACC based on his season (4th in the all-freshman voting). But an unconscious ten minute stretch in the tournament suddenly puts him on the scouts' radar as a first-round pick. If that's the case then NBA teams need to fire their scouts for either not noticing a first-round talent until the elite 8 or wildly over-valuing someone based on one high-profile offensive outburst. Either way, it doesn't give me much confidence in their abilities.

 

[dasher]

Any sentence that begins with "If he can prove he and his family didn't take any money out of that account" has got to make you worry!

I think he can prove it. This is a trick that the teams over there use. They put $$ in an account for the kid and his family.

 

[Dave85]

I think he can prove it. This is a trick that the teams over there use. They put $$ in an account for the kid and his family.

Yeah, I read that too. I thought it was pretty slimy tactic to prevent the kids from coming to the US and play for D1 school in CBB.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Malachi shows up in yesterdays updated DraftExpress mock as the 53rd pick.

That's ... not a great spot to be in.

 

[manleyzoo]

I don't think some understand how the slotted NBA draft salaries work in terms of outcomes for the players.

Teams can pay up to 120% of the slot or as little as 80% of it mandatory for two years.

 

[Newhouser]

I always support the player as long as they hold up their end in terms of APR. If Mal wants to go, he owes the school nothing. Who knows what he is thinking- chasing cash (short or not), doesn't have interest in school, doesn't feel his game is developing or isn't getting coached up.
I get peeved when people interpret the decisions I make in my mundane, little life. I"m certainly not judging or questioning a young person's decision that only impacts us fans because it will hurt our team next year.

 

[NorSyr66]

Why is it such a longshot, before the combine has even started? I could understand if he had a great combine, but what happens if he doesn't?

Wow...this thread exploded. Did not read all so others may provide same thought but to me a good indicator of does he go or does he stay is how is he doing with his school work. To stay in school and come back next year he will need passing grades in his courses. How can he do that when he is out of town and focusing on NBA combine plus I am sure preparing for combine. If he is attending classes and getting his school work done then the option to come back is still a thought to Mali. If not, he is gone.

 

[Dave85]

I always support the player as long as they hold up their end in terms of APR. If Mal wants to go, he owes the school nothing. Who knows what he is thinking- chasing cash (short or not), doesn't have interest in school, doesn't feel his game is developing or isn't getting coached up.
I get peeved when people interpret the decisions I make in my mundane, little life. I"m certainly not judging or questioning a young person's decision that only impacts us fans because it will hurt our team next year.

Fans are selfish, get over it. It's not about your feelings.

 

[Dave85]

I don't understand the "it's none of your business to have opinion on his decision" comments. He could decide to enter the draft and NOT get drafted at all assuming that matters. Every fan wants him to stay for selfish reason, period. Is he ready to play in the NBA is an opinion. I don't think he's ready to play in the NBA. Does not mean I am anti-Malachi or a "hater"?

If he does enter the NBA draft, I sure hope he has a strong verbal from one of the teams.

 

[NECuse]

By now, I should simply be conditioned to Cuse underclassman leaving early. It's happened so often for the last decade that it's become something like a Rite of Spring. Melo, Donte Greene, Devo, Paul Harris, J-Flynn, Dion, MCW, Ennis, Grant, McCoullough. Some were no brainers (Melo), Some were bothered me but for completely selfish reasons given what they could have done their junior years (Flynn/Dion/MCW), some were dictated by outside circumstances unrelated to draftablity (Devo/Harris) and the rest just left me scratching my head because, in my mind, they could have greatly enhanced their draft position by returning (Ennis/Grant/McCoullough, though I've learned here that each of them had "advisors" pushing them to leave).

But Mali makes the least sense of them all. If he can't even get a first round guarantee, then what is he doing. What RF2044 said in #117 is exactly right. The kid would come back and be showcased in our offense and be expected to lead what could be a national contender all season long. That would only improve his stock next year and, barring injury, place him squarely within the lottery. Rolling the dice like this without assurances that he'd even go in the top 30 picks seems rash and not well thought out. I understand that he is "older" for a rising soph and will be 21 next season, but I can't see that as being a bar to a high draft slot next year.

Then again, what do I know. 20 year old kids make decisions by those with only a few years of real life experience. So it goes. We'll always have Mali keying an unexpected FF run, which is more than we got from most of the early entries on the above list (Melo, and MCW excluded).

At this point, I'm mentally turning the page and am more intrigued with the evolving mystery situation (of which I know nothing despite my "exhaustive" Twitter search) and the possibility of bringing in Yurtseven next year.

 

[cuseguy]

There will be no surprises next year.

We pretty much already know who will be leaving early.

 

[Dave85]

This is the part that blows me away. Not trying to put him down at all, but he wasn't even honorable mention all-ACC based on his season (4th in the all-freshman voting). But an unconscious ten minute stretch in the tournament suddenly puts him on the scouts' radar as a first-round pick. If that's the case then NBA teams need to fire their scouts for either not noticing a first-round talent until the elite 8 or wildly over-valuing someone based on one high-profile offensive outburst. Either way, it doesn't give me much confidence in their abilities.

He wasn't all-ACC is a very good point. But these teams draft players based on "potential" as well as history. The UVA game was spectacular on a big stage. It counts.

 

[Dave85]

There will be no surprises next year.

We pretty much already know who will be leaving early.

Assuming you mean Malachi I'm not sure it's a done deal. Has he signed with an agent? I hope he has a strong verbal from one of the teams if he does sign with an agent.

 

[NECuse]

Assuming you mean Malachi I'm not sure it's a done deal. Has he signed with an agent? I hope he has a strong verbal from one of the teams if he does sign with an agent.

I think he means that the seniors, Battle and Lydon will all be gone after next year and we'll be looking to bring in a monster class for 2017.

 

[El Jefe Syr]

The rhetoric agents use to lure kids into these decisions focuses on the "now" without mention of the future. The general case (as I understand) is presented like: "in a month you'll be a millionaire and playing the sport you love." Agents have professional, slick presentations that come off as "cool" and "mature/serious" - intended to make the colleges these kids are considering to leave seem hokey and bush-league. Not saying SU is hokey, but this is the way many agents drive the perception-wedge between college and pro and entice kids to make decisions that may not be ideal.

Of course it's in every agents' best interest to sign players today.

(this post is informed through some friends who work for professional sports agencies - but not agents themselves - as well as University Athletic departments, so it isn't completely me blathering

 

[ClamOtto]

He wasn't all-ACC is a very good point. But these teams draft players based on "potential" as well as history. The UVA game was spectacular on a big stage. It counts.

Sure, it counts. I'm just saying that if it took him from out of the draft to first round pick in the scouts' eyes, then the scouts aren't doing their jobs very well. It's not like he was playing at Portland State. He played a full ACC season for one the highest-profile teams in the country. His two highest scoring games of the year were both against UVa, so if that's all they watched, he's a lottery pick.

 

[RF2044]

Teams can pay up to 120% of the slot or as little as 80% of it mandatory for two years.

Irrelevant. It is still within a range, as that same condition applies to every other draft slot above and below you.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Fans are selfish, get over it. It's not about your feelings.

My feelings do matter. A bunch of depressed fans translates into fewer ticket sales, less spending on merchandise, etc. It's a big revenue hit for the university, and that's not even factoring in the economic impact at local bars.

 

[Cusefan0307]

My feelings do matter. A bunch of depressed fans translates into fewer ticket sales, less spending on merchandise, etc. It's a big revenue hit for the university, and that's not even factoring in the economic impact at local bars.

Lol dude, that's a little over the top. Even without him we have great talent and still will draw more than 20K, the show will go on. We will still be competitive. One player doesn't make or break the basketball program.

Sometimes I think you are so focused on how you feel now, that you really miss the big picture.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Lol dude, that's a little over the top. Even without him we have great talent and still will draw more than 20K, the show will go on. We will still be competitive. One player doesn't make or break the basketball program.

Sometimes I think you are so focused on how you feel now, that you really miss the big picture.

Yes the show goes on, but that's not what I'm saying. Mali is the difference between averaging another pedestrian 21k versus 23-25k if we go into the summer/fall with top 10 expectations. That's serious revenue. The hype for the duke game alone would be an economic windfall in the community. And that's just one game. His decision will have a significant impact on the balance sheet.

 

[NECuse]

My feelings do matter. A bunch of depressed fans translates into fewer ticket sales, less spending on merchandise, etc. It's a big revenue hit for the university, and that's not even factoring in the economic impact at local bars.

A bunch of depressed fans = more drinking at bars. Take it from someone who knows.

 

[DC4Pope]

What part of $$$ don't you understand.

Flynn: 1st round pick
Ennis: 1st round pick
Johnson: 1st round pick
McCullough: 1st round pick
Fab: 1st round pick
MCW: 1st round pick
Dion: 1st round pick

I understand, but it seems to be every decent player lately leaves early, especially with us.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

The rhetoric agents use to lure kids into these decisions focuses on the "now" without mention of the future. The general case (as I understand) is presented like: "in a month you'll be a millionaire and playing the sport you love." Agents have professional, slick presentations that come off as "cool" and "mature/serious" - intended to make the colleges these kids are considering to leave seem hokey and bush-league. Not saying SU is hokey, but this is the way many agents drive the perception-wedge between college and pro and entice kids to make decisions that may not be ideal.

Of course it's in every agents' best interest to sign players today.

(this post is informed through some friends who work for professional sports agencies - but not agents themselves - as well as University Athletic departments, so it isn't completely me blathering