Time for another dose of (misguided?) optimism. I've of these years I'm going to look like a genius.
1) ACC RECORD. 16-4
2) OUT OF CONFERENCE RECORD. 9-2
3) ACC TOURNAMENT RECORD. 3-0
4) NCAA TOURNAMENT. 6-0
5) LEADING SCORER. Judah Mintz 17.1
6) LEADING REBOUNDER: Brown 7.8
7) WHO WILL MAKE THE MOST THREES THIS YEAR AND HOW MANY: Williams 81
8) TIEBREAKER: WHO WILL AVERAGE THE SECOND MOST MINUTES PER GAME AND HOW MANY. Starling 31
I think Mintz and Starling are going to have the sophomore leap and become the best backcourt in the country. The other second year players are also going to show nice improvement, both at the start of the season and throughout. Our few third year players will also incrementally improve.
Our depth will give Red an amazing variety of options to throw at opponents. Some of his moves are going to look really dumb, and some are going to look innovative. He's going to have a team of young coaches who all want to make their mark drawing up plays behind him, and he's going to do stuff JB would not have dreamed.
It's all going to come together, and Red will be immortalized in his very first season.
I went to edit my original entry, but see the competition is locked.
Since I estimated us achieving an extremely high end season result a few weeks ago, several things have happened, almost all negative.
Starling has really struggled with his shot. His coming back healthy and with his previously accurate jump shot had a lot to do with my high expectations. If he can't shoot better than 30% the teams ceiling is really harmed.
Westry had surgery. I thought he would be coming along slowly from his injury last season. I also thought he would come on strong in the second half as a powerful X factor that pushed Syracuse to the elite level. Westry's eventual dominant return is still possible, but having surgery on a knee that already cost him a full season seems unpromising.
Williams being suspended to start the season is a huge downer. His on again off again relationship with JB was given a lot of the blame for his inconsistency during his first two seasons. The hope Williams would finally become the player we all dreamed he would be under Red Autry is severely compromised by the suspension. Williams becoming an elite player was my number one reason for optimism, and that dream feels dashed at this point.
In the other hand, I expected Cuffe to be a deep reserve, stuck in a logjam behind more experienced players without rust. His emergence as a likely member of our rotation is a pleasant surprise.
Even if Westry and Williams and Starling were the players I hoped they would be, the extreme optimism of a championship season seemed optimistic. If any or all of them are significantly reduced or absent, my prediction seems quixotic at best.
Godspeed, my dear Orange. May my optimism come more true than my current concerns.
