Michael Carter-Williams

[OrangeDW]

Apparently defense doesn't matter? Flynn was clearly the worst. No coincidence the teams he played on were the worst in Syracuse history. There are 2 phases of the game. Also if we're basing this on legacy Autry and Hart were both 4 year players whole Flynn was only 2. They all made it to same round so no advantage there.

Agreed...no advantage there. So I don't know why you tried to make the point that Flynn's teams didn't do anything. Sweet 16 is good.

Offensively, Flynn was better in every aspect. I'd add that Allen Griffin ran the point better than Hart offensively, too. He was pretty mediocre on that end...great defender and played incredibly hard, and was very fast though.

Flynn was not a good zone defender, I agree. I did watch him take the game over defensively against Kansas, stealing the ball several times in a row from Sherrin Collins, in our programs biggest OOC win in years, so I don't think it's fair to say he was a bad defender. He was a bad fit for the zone at a generously listed 6'0, as we're others on that team. I love Boeheim, but that was not a zone team. 5'10 PG, and 6'4 forward...that's far from ideal. Both were good man defenders, which we saw when we went man at times in those years.

 

[Fairlylegal]

So glad others here remember the same Billy E that I do.

I remember the Billy E that disappeared during two promising seasons ('04 and '05).

 

[orangefan13]

People have been tough on mike.
We were talking about a pg who was a distrubutor not a scorer yet. On a team with no isolation driver, no post up scorer and just fair and a on/off james shooting next to him.

No question though Mike has found himself at this level. We aren't going to run every play through him like Gerry or Flynn. Its crazy to compare anyone to what they did, its hard to compare no matter how highly rated.

Mike has learned to finish in the lane well has a pretty good pullup and is smooth in the lane. Things he developed througout the year. As a sophmore, I wouldn't call his earlier play dissapointing he just wasn't ready yet. Now its clear as day, him and James are.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

I am curious if Michael Carter-Williams outstanding play in the BET, and now the NCAA Tournament has changed his legacy at Syracuse University. He quickly went from a PG who was being grouped with some of the biggest disappointments to now one of the most highly thought of.

I didn't think of him as one "of the biggest disappointments." Just as a 'young' player, getting his first starting season.
And, yes, the recent play has changed my overall opinion of him. It's almost like the improvement in his post-season play is what one might expect to happen after another off-season.

He can't reach Melo's air, though. He can approach it if he dominates and singlehandedly beats Michigan and whoever. And, then makes a massive financial contribution to the University...

 

[strumpfasaurus]

The thing with Melo is that he has nothing to taint his record with. He had the perfect year and then bounced. Had he come back the next year and we somehow get upset in the round of 32 his legacy would be slightly worse then it is now but he has nothing to taint his collegiate legacy.