My Take | Syracusefan.com

My Take

sutomcat

No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Very small crowd, had to be less than 10K there. That was despite a strong showing by LeMoyne fans...I would guess they brought at least 500 fans to the game.

19110781-mmmain.jpg


I like the new uniforms. More orange makes me happy. I would be happier still if we had a script Syracuse instead of the clumsy all caps ORANGE, but at least the duct tape look has been greatly diminished. I suspect only 3M and some pimply designer kid from Nike are saddened by this development.

Five.

That is the number of tubas that showed up in the SSS for the game.

Wow.

My reaction to the job the 13 year old girl from Chestnut Middle School in Liverpool did singing the national anthem. If she wants to pursue it, looks like the area has another youngster who is capable of competing on the national talent shows. Very poised, very smooth, very talented.

It is never a good idea to make strong conclusions after watching a single game. Especially an exhibition game. Especially an exhibition game against a D II school with no big guys (and not a lot of talented little guys either). But this post wouldn't be very interesting if all I said was 'too soon to tell anything', so I will ignore this and continue the post in an admittedly reckless manner.

Coleman looked like a player who hadn't played in two years in the first half. Didn't try much to get open on the low post, played like he had four fouls, wasn't aggressive and didn't look comfortable. On the positive side, he looks to be in excellent shape, moved up and down the court well and showed no signs of any problems with his legs. He did get visibly winded after playing a few minutes, which is not a surprise. Hope he can get better on this front so he can play more minutes.

In the second half, he was a lot more active, the team looked for him more and he was more of a force on the boards, as he should be against little ones. Even hit a 12 footer. Much like Christmas last year, he is going to get doubled a lot and needs to get better at recognizing this and finding the open man. Of course, DCII won't be featured anywhere near as much as Rak was, but this will be an important skill for him to work on.

His defense was not good. LeMoyne got into the paint a lot, aided by some really poor perimeter defense by our young players. When they did, DC2 didn't challenge them and they got off a lot of easy shots from 6-8 feet. We have no shotblocker on this team, so this is going to be a problem this season, especially if the perimeter defense continues to struggle. My biggest fear with DCII is him getting into foul trouble. He was very prone to it earlier in his career and has never shown a feel for when to try and draw a charge, or how to challenge a shot without getting called for a foul. IMHO, this will be one of the biggest keys for the season.

Roberson didn't get a lot of playing time and with the blizzard of 3s being launched around him, he didn't get many touches either. I bet he got the ball more on offensive rebounds (6) than he did from passes from his teammates. Part of that is on him; LeMoyne played man defense and he, like Coleman, should have aggressively posted his man down low from the first minute. Instead, he mostly stood around the perimeter, waited for someone to shoot and crashed the boards. Looks to be improved on defense, covers his corner of the zone noticeably better than last year. Had a couple nice steals. I like his passing, he is unselfish and does a good job finding the open man. I would say he looks like he has added the most muscle of any of the players from last season. He wasn't skinny last year but he pretty jacked these days.

Silent G had the ball a lot, as he will all year. This is his team, and as he goes, the Orangemen will go. I think he is going to stuff the stat sheet like few other players in college basketball. He had a couple really nice passes last night. Shot well from the 3 point circle, aided by some poor defense by LeMoyne, whose players lacked the height and agility to get in the face of the SU shooters much of the game.

JB said TC was going to shoot less this season and for this game anyway, he was right. Only took 6 shots in 26 minutes and only took 3 3s. Looks like he might contribute more in other ways this year. He rebounded the ball unusually well and I think his passing last night was the best I have seen from him as an Orangeman. Has he ever led the team in assists before? I suspect the answer is no. His defense was solid as well; he kept his man from penetrating and is going to get a lot of steals this year.

In the second half, he took his little man inside a lot, scored some baskets and drew a bunch of fouls, which is good to see. Hope he continues to do it all season, because it will probably be there.

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The fifth starter was MR, as expected. As expected, he shot mostly 3 pointers. Didn't shoot them very well except for a brief period where he made 3 in a row, waking up a number of dozing spectators and frustrating young Beilein to no end. His high fade was resplendent and his shooting form impressive.

He played on the baseline on defense all game long. I was pleasantly surprised by his work on the defensive boards. He was pretty lost playing defense, gave up a 3 almost immediately but appeared to play his area of the zone a little better as the game went on. He does have quick hands and knocked a ball loose a couple of times. Looks like he is going to get some points in the paint or with mid range jumpers too, has the athletic ability to score in there.

TL got a lot of playing time, split between playing the four and the five on defense. Thought he played pretty well. People are going to focus on his poor shooting and yes, he didn't shoot it well (heck, he didn 't take many shots period). Mostly stood around the perimeter on offense. Like the other big guys, didn't get the ball down low a lot, didn't try to get it down low a lot either. Looked good on the offensive boards, had a couple nice, athletic, hustle type rebounds to keep possessions alive. Had a couple blocks too but he is not going to be much of a shot blocker at the college level against guys his own size. He is already a really good passer and could be a natural manning the high post someday. Could be really good at running the pick and roll down the road too.

Right now he is skinny, not really tough and not 100% ready to play at the ACC level. Was knocked down by a smaller guy going for a rebound on one play and was out muscled for a board by a 6'3 guy on another play. Still, his athletic ability and smarts are sufficient for him to be relatively successful now and I think he is going to get a lot of playing time. More on that later.

KJ got a lot of run. Played mostly off guard. Got off a lot of shots in limited minutes, forced a few, continues to try and use weak high school moves down low and continues to get embarrassing blocks...has to have better judgement and at least try to use his body to protect the ball. Thought it was interesting that when he and FH were in the game together, FH played point.

That brings us to FH. I think there is a strong competition going on right now between KJ and FH for the top backup guard position. I think whoever wins is going to get a lot of PT. Whoever loses...not so much. Last night, there was no comparison. FH looked like our best (and only true) PG on the court. He ran the offense well, made some nice passes, handled the ball well, penetrated and drew fouls, shot well from the field and just looked like a solid, experienced player out there. The best thing though was his defense. This kid is going to be an excellent defender...he is fast, tall, anticipates well, knows how to use his body, gets his hands up and boy, those hands are quick. Last night anyway, I can see why JB said what he said and I can see a scenario where FH gets a lot of playing time. His emergence might well mean Silent G is going to play a lot more at forward than expected.

The last scholarship player is CO. Really like the kid a lot, don't want to run him down unnecessarily but he doesn't understand the game at all, is completely lost on the offensive end, when we end up playing 4 on 5 when he is in and the best thing he can do is not draw a foul with the bizarre way he tries to set a pick. He played 11 minutes, did not take a shot and did not get a rebound. His defense wasn't great either...he doesn't attack penetrators like he should, doesn't challenge shots in his area and generally looks uncomfortable out there. He is quick, is capable of anticipating passes and getting steals and he runs the floor well. He has done a good job in the weight room and has the body to be successful. Hope he starts to use it to set proper picks, block out, draw charges, etc.

At this point, I don't think CO is going to play a lot against good teams. I see TL getting significant minutes at the 5 as DC2's primary backup. At least teams have to cover TL when Syracuse has the ball. At least TL has a chance to stop someone on defense. It is a shame we didn't get Bryant because we really could have used him this season.
 
Good take - it's almost as if you and I watched the same game.

Coleman had one nice post move in the second half in which he caught the ball at shoulder height, spun, and scored. That represents progress. His defense was non-existent and some of his offense is unsustainable (he'll struggle in traffic), but it's good to see that he's healthy. Still has excellent hands for a big man and should be able to get some garbage buckets. He could become a good passer out of the low post, too.

And I hope all these things come to pass, because Obokoh struggled as badly as he did at any point last year and Lydon is at least a year away from being strong enough to play on the block.

I liked what Joseph did (although some of those drives won't result in baskets against real teams). He looks stronger and under control. I wish he and Howard would get all the minutes at the point; I still see little to suggest that Gbinije is able to run our sets.

We pushed the ball occasionally. That was cool.

Richardson will have his ups and downs, but I like his ups. Good confidence as a shooter, active (if confused) on defense.

Given our lack of big man depth and the unsettled situation at point guard, it's difficult to see how we won't lose 10+ games. But this team might provide more entertainment value than we've had in four years and we're likely to pull a few upsets over more talented teams.
 
Gbinije is a small forward at this level. He wants to play guard because he figures that what he will be on the next level. I hope there won't be friction because of that. Maybe the best way to look at it is as a sort of thee guard offense, with the 1-2-3 all handling the ball, passing it and shooting it.
 
JAB played Lydon at the five for a short time in the 2nd half. Even though we had our starters in at the time, it seemed like the team struggled offensively. I don't anticipate Lydon playing a lot of five in conference but some people projected him to get some backup minutes there.

I was definitely pleased with DC in his comeback. It has to be the biggest takeaway of the game but thirty minutes a game might be pushing it and that would definitely free up more minutes for TL if he is ready for them.

I thought KJ brought a lot of energy off the bench. He seems very suited for this role. I'm not sure how many minutes he will play but if he can come in and hit a couple threes, that is something that this team has lacked in recent years on a consistent basis. As you mentioned he also looks a lot stronger as well.

I love G with the ball in his hand. He is so improved it is hard to fathom that no one has picked him for any conference or national teams. I hope I am not overestimating his ability but if he plays solely point guard based on the performances of the bigger players, this team is going to be good.

I think we need to give a shout out to the team for their performance in the first ten minutes of the second half. Remember six years ago Syracuse had a lead vs LeMoyne but let them come back in the second half. They really came out with a lot of energy and effort on both ends and looked very good. Something very special to build on.
 
I think Gbinije at the point will be fine. Cooney handled it a good amount himself when the two of them were in there. I don't even think Joseph is a true PG, his strength is looking to score. We are going to play so much faster this year, we really aren't going to be in "sets". It's going to be a lot of drive and kick.
 
At this point, I don't think CO is going to play a lot against good teams. I see TL getting significant minutes at the 5 as DC2's primary backup. At least teams have to cover TL when Syracuse has the ball. At least TL has a chance to stop someone on defense. It is a shame we didn't get Bryant because we really could have used him this season.

Yeah, I can't see CO playing much in a regular rotation role which is unfortunate but don't forget we should have Diagne on the roster also. I still don't understand how he doesn't get allowed to play for Syracuse but he is allowed to play Juco but then he has to go there for two years before he can transfer back to a D-1 school. So ridiculous.
 
Only thing I question in your comments is Lydon's toughness. He isn't strong enough yet, but I think he is tough and was competing for boards and blocks with more energy and toughness than most of our other bigs.

Coleman is going to be in foul trouble, CO too. Roberson or Lydon are going to play minutes at the 5. JB will have no choice.
 
"It is never a good idea to make strong conclusions after watching a single game. Especially an exhibition game. Especially an exhibition game against a D II school with no big guys (and not a lot of talented little guys either). But this post wouldn't be very interesting if all I said was 'too soon to tell anything', so I will ignore this and continue the post in an admittedly reckless manner."

Yes! Yes! Yes! I'll have what he's having.

Hey, did you notice how the woodwinds during "Gimme Some Lovin" shook their hair and heads around? They were cray cray!
 
I think Gbinije at the point will be fine. Cooney handled it a good amount himself when the two of them were in there. I don't even think Joseph is a true PG, his strength is looking to score. We are going to play so much faster this year, we really aren't going to be in "sets". It's going to be a lot of drive and kick.

Howard looks like the purest PG of the 4 of them to me and he's still transitioning. I think we will see both guards initiate the offense quite often no matter what the combination.
 
Hey, did you notice how the woodwinds during "Gimme Some Lovin" shook their hair and heads around? They were cray cray!

Woodwinds? "Gimme Some Lovin"?...was that an intentional play on Stevie Winwood? Are you being subtle?
 
Howard looks like the purest PG of the 4 of them to me and he's still transitioning. I think we will see both guards initiate the offense quite often no matter what the combination.

Agree, i think it'll be a lot like 12-13 with better shooting. MCW and Triche took their turns handling the ball a lot that year.
 
Gbinije is a small forward at this level. He wants to play guard because he figures that what he will be on the next level. I hope there won't be friction because of that. Maybe the best way to look at it is as a sort of thee guard offense, with the 1-2-3 all handling the ball, passing it and shooting it.
The important thing is that JB intends to play him a lot at the point, and that has nothing to do with where he projects to play at the next level.
 
Th
Very small crowd, had to be less than 10K there. That was despite a strong showing by LeMoyne fans...I would guess they brought at least 500 fans to the game.

19110781-mmmain.jpg


I like the new uniforms. More orange makes me happy. I would be happier still if we had a script Syracuse instead of the clumsy all caps ORANGE, but at least the duct tape look has been greatly diminished. I suspect only 3M and some pimply designer kid from Nike are saddened by this development.

Five.

That is the number of tubas that showed up in the SSS for the game.

Wow.

My reaction to the job the 13 year old girl from Chestnut Middle School in Liverpool did singing the national anthem. If she wants to pursue it, looks like the area has another youngster who is capable of competing on the national talent shows. Very poised, very smooth, very talented.

It is never a good idea to make strong conclusions after watching a single game. Especially an exhibition game. Especially an exhibition game against a D II school with no big guys (and not a lot of talented little guys either). But this post wouldn't be very interesting if all I said was 'too soon to tell anything', so I will ignore this and continue the post in an admittedly reckless manner.

Coleman looked like a player who hadn't played in two years in the first half. Didn't try much to get open on the low post, played like he had four fouls, wasn't aggressive and didn't look comfortable. On the positive side, he looks to be in excellent shape, moved up and down the court well and showed no signs of any problems with his legs. He did get visibly winded after playing a few minutes, which is not a surprise. Hope he can get better on this front so he can play more minutes.

In the second half, he was a lot more active, the team looked for him more and he was more of a force on the boards, as he should be against little ones. Even hit a 12 footer. Much like Christmas last year, he is going to get doubled a lot and needs to get better at recognizing this and finding the open man. Of course, DCII won't be featured anywhere near as much as Rak was, but this will be an important skill for him to work on.

His defense was not good. LeMoyne got into the paint a lot, aided by some really poor perimeter defense by our young players. When they did, DC2 didn't challenge them and they got off a lot of easy shots from 6-8 feet. We have no shotblocker on this team, so this is going to be a problem this season, especially if the perimeter defense continues to struggle. My biggest fear with DCII is him getting into foul trouble. He was very prone to it earlier in his career and has never shown a feel for when to try and draw a charge, or how to challenge a shot without getting called for a foul. IMHO, this will be one of the biggest keys for the season.

Roberson didn't get a lot of playing time and with the blizzard of 3s being launched around him, he didn't get many touches either. I bet he got the ball more on offensive rebounds (6) than he did from passes from his teammates. Part of that is on him; LeMoyne played man defense and he, like Coleman, should have aggressively posted his man down low from the first minute. Instead, he mostly stood around the perimeter, waited for someone to shoot and crashed the boards. Looks to be improved on defense, covers his corner of the zone noticeably better than last year. Had a couple nice steals. I like his passing, he is unselfish and does a good job finding the open man. I would say he looks like he has added the most muscle of any of the players from last season. He wasn't skinny last year but he pretty jacked these days.

Silent G had the ball a lot, as he will all year. This is his team, and as he goes, the Orangemen will go. I think he is going to stuff the stat sheet like few other players in college basketball. He had a couple really nice passes last night. Shot well from the 3 point circle, aided by some poor defense by LeMoyne, whose players lacked the height and agility to get in the face of the SU shooters much of the game.

JB said TC was going to shoot less this season and for this game anyway, he was right. Only took 6 shots in 26 minutes and only took 3 3s. Looks like he might contribute more in other ways this year. He rebounded the ball unusually well and I think his passing last night was the best I have seen from him as an Orangeman. Has he ever led the team in assists before? I suspect the answer is no. His defense was solid as well; he kept his man from penetrating and is going to get a lot of steals this year.

In the second half, he took his little man inside a lot, scored some baskets and drew a bunch of fouls, which is good to see. Hope he continues to do it all season, because it will probably be there.

19111481-mmmain.jpg


The fifth starter was MR, as expected. As expected, he shot mostly 3 pointers. Didn't shoot them very well except for a brief period where he made 3 in a row, waking up a number of dozing spectators and frustrating young Beilein to no end. His high fade was resplendent and his shooting form impressive.

He played on the baseline on defense all game long. I was pleasantly surprised by his work on the defensive boards. He was pretty lost playing defense, gave up a 3 almost immediately but appeared to play his area of the zone a little better as the game went on. He does have quick hands and knocked a ball loose a couple of times. Looks like he is going to get some points in the paint or with mid range jumpers too, has the athletic ability to score in there.

TL got a lot of playing time, split between playing the four and the five on defense. Thought he played pretty well. People are going to focus on his poor shooting and yes, he didn't shoot it well (heck, he didn 't take many shots period). Mostly stood around the perimeter on offense. Like the other big guys, didn't get the ball down low a lot, didn't try to get it down low a lot either. Looked good on the offensive boards, had a couple nice, athletic, hustle type rebounds to keep possessions alive. Had a couple blocks too but he is not going to be much of a shot blocker at the college level against guys his own size. He is already a really good passer and could be a natural manning the high post someday. Could be really good at running the pick and roll down the road too.

Right now he is skinny, not really tough and not 100% ready to play at the ACC level. Was knocked down by a smaller guy going for a rebound on one play and was out muscled for a board by a 6'3 guy on another play. Still, his athletic ability and smarts are sufficient for him to be relatively successful now and I think he is going to get a lot of playing time. More on that later.

KJ got a lot of run. Played mostly off guard. Got off a lot of shots in limited minutes, forced a few, continues to try and use weak high school moves down low and continues to get embarrassing blocks...has to have better judgement and at least try to use his body to protect the ball. Thought it was interesting that when he and FH were in the game together, FH played point.

That brings us to FH. I think there is a strong competition going on right now between KJ and FH for the top backup guard position. I think whoever wins is going to get a lot of PT. Whoever loses...not so much. Last night, there was no comparison. FH looked like our best (and only true) PG on the court. He ran the offense well, made some nice passes, handled the ball well, penetrated and drew fouls, shot well from the field and just looked like a solid, experienced player out there. The best thing though was his defense. This kid is going to be an excellent defender...he is fast, tall, anticipates well, knows how to use his body, gets his hands up and boy, those hands are quick. Last night anyway, I can see why JB said what he said and I can see a scenario where FH gets a lot of playing time. His emergence might well mean Silent G is going to play a lot more at forward than expected.

The last scholarship player is CO. Really like the kid a lot, don't want to run him down unnecessarily but he doesn't understand the game at all, is completely lost on the offensive end, when we end up playing 4 on 5 when he is in and the best thing he can do is not draw a foul with the bizarre way he tries to set a pick. He played 11 minutes, did not take a shot and did not get a rebound. His defense wasn't great either...he doesn't attack penetrators like he should, doesn't challenge shots in his area and generally looks uncomfortable out there. He is quick, is capable of anticipating passes and getting steals and he runs the floor well. He has done a good job in the weight room and has the body to be successful. Hope he starts to use it to set proper picks, block out, draw charges, etc.

At this point, I don't think CO is going to play a lot against good teams. I see TL getting significant minutes at the 5 as DC2's primary backup. At least teams have to cover TL when Syracuse has the ball. At least TL has a chance to stop someone on defense. It is a shame we didn't get Bryant because we really could have used him this season.
Thank you.
 
Woodwinds? "Gimme Some Lovin"?...was that an intentional play on Stevie Winwood? Are you being subtle?
Not at all. Bevosu, you should know me better by now! Subtle? :rolling:
 
I think Gbinije at the point will be fine. Cooney handled it a good amount himself when the two of them were in there. I don't even think Joseph is a true PG, his strength is looking to score. We are going to play so much faster this year, we really aren't going to be in "sets". It's going to be a lot of drive and kick.

I feel the same way on Joseph. Even last year, the few times he played more off the ball late in the year he seemed far more comfortable. I know he played PG all summer, but I'm not sure it's ever going to be the better position for him. That's based off of one game against Le Moyne this year though...so grain of salt.

It would be an interesting spin to start him at SG, and have Cooney come off the bench as the change of pace. TC has never really thrived as a starter with all of the hot and cold, and Joseph seems ill-equipped to be a PG (imo), so shake it up and let him have at it as the starting 2G. You can still go with TC for the bulk of the minutes if necessary - especially when he's on. Never going to happen, but would be an interesting wrinkle. Well, for me it's interesting, for most it's probably treasonous. :) That lineup probably gives you more freedom to get Howard more minutes...
 
script syracuse is my all time favorite, would be nice to see a script orangemen as well
 
I really like Howard. It's only one game but it can't be understated that he might have played in the toughest high school league in the country. I will take a kid from the DMV any day of the week.
 
I really like Howard. It's only one game but it can't be understated that he might have played in the toughest high school league in the country. I will take a kid from the DMV any day of the week.

I agree. The kids from the cities and nearby suburbs play faster basketball. I made the comment that TL may not be used to the faster D1 game based on where he was playing. But everyone roasted me for that comment. I will make amends: TL will be a top 5 NBA pick this spring.

About TL: "He confessed to a bout with nerves. He did not, he said, "play as well as I wanted to." "

I hope he doesn't have a long dose of freshmen-itus. How will his nerves be during a big game against Duke or UNC.
 
I agree. The kids from the cities and nearby suburbs play faster basketball. I made the comment that TL may not be used to the faster D1 game based on where he was playing. But everyone roasted me for that comment. I will make amends: TL will be a top 5 NBA pick this spring.

About TL: "He confessed to a bout with nerves. He did not, he said, "play as well as I wanted to." "

I hope he doesn't have a long dose of freshmen-itus. How will his nerves be during a big game against Duke or UNC.

Wait what? Lydon played at the New Hampton school. You do know that's one of the best leagues in the country right?
 
Wait what? Lydon played at the New Hampton school. You do know that's one of the best leagues in the country right?

seriously? I honestly dont know - but it would come as quite a surprise if a league in central NH was 1 of the best leagues in the country over Baltimore, Philly, NYC, Texas, LA, Atl, Florida, Chicago, etc...
 
I agree. The kids from the cities and nearby suburbs play faster basketball. I made the comment that TL may not be used to the faster D1 game based on where he was playing. But everyone roasted me for that comment. I will make amends: TL will be a top 5 NBA pick this spring.

About TL: "He confessed to a bout with nerves. He did not, he said, "play as well as I wanted to." "

I hope he doesn't have a long dose of freshmen-itus. How will his nerves be during a big game against Duke or UNC.
Dajuan also said he had a bout with nerves before the game. I am sure TL will settle down. I would bet money on it!

There was a good interview with Kaleb by Donna this morning. He, too, was nervous and insecure last year. Playing basketball at the college level is everything to these kids. I feel such compassion for their anxiety, but also know that playing through it and having success is the ultimate "magic pill." No way around, only through.
 
seriously? I honestly dont know - but it would come as quite a surprise if a league in central NH was 1 of the best leagues in the country over Baltimore, Philly, NYC, Texas, LA, Atl, Florida, Chicago, etc...

Here's a little background on Lydon. He played at Pine Hills high school south of Albany until he was a Sophomore. His team lost to Lake George in the New York State Class C Finals. He then transferred to New Hampton which is a prep school. One of the top Prep Schools in the country. Alumni at his school include Noah Vonleh, Olivier Hanlon, Brady Heslip, Evan Smotrycz, Zach Auguste, Rashad McCants, Darius Songaila and Syracuses very own Lawrence Moten and Todd Burgan.

New Hampton competes in one of the best prep leagues in the country, against the likes of St. Thomas More and Brewster Academy. I know a lot of people don't pay attention to recruiting, but the high school landscape has changed dramatically over the past ten years. A lot of kids go to prep schools now instead of public high schools, especially in the Northeast. Kaleb Joseph himself went to Cushing Academy and Michael Carter-Williams went to the St. Andrews School.
 
seriously? I honestly dont know - but it would come as quite a surprise if a league in central NH was 1 of the best leagues in the country over Baltimore, Philly, NYC, Texas, LA, Atl, Florida, Chicago, etc...

I agree. That is my thinking. Also, it seems to me that players we get from Baltimore and NYC play a different style of basketball.
 
I agree. That is my thinking. Also, it seems to me that players we get from Baltimore and NYC play a different style of basketball.

Who did we get out of New York City recently? Chris McCullough. He played in the same league Lydon did at Brewster, before he transferred to IMG. New York City basketball isn't what it used to be. We get nobody directly from the city anymore. We're also recruiting Taurean Thompson who played at Brewster

Even Melo went to Oak Hill Academy.
 

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