Thamel: Syracuse forward Jerami Grant plans to announce he's declaring for the NBA Draft today.

[CusefanATL]

2010: we had 3 starters that were like 22-23 years old.

2003: We had Carmelo(and Edelin and GMac!) coming in, and Deshaun was gone. I felt great.

1996: We had a senior John Wallace, who we already knew was really good.

I was actually quite confident in all of those years.

I think the unexpected 25-9 2nd round of the tourney success of the 2001 team, or the 21-10 2nd round 1992 teams where a previously decent player like Shumpert or Dave Johnson suddenly makes a huge leap in a starring role is the more likely "best case scenario" type of season for next year. We're Syracuse, we don't recruits scrubs. The cupboard is not bare. But it's hard to see us being real strong by our standards next year.

hindsight is 20/20. no one thought we were going to be a top 10 team in 03 or 10. nobody.

you are lying if you claim otherwise. Hell we weren't even ranked until FEBRUARY in 2003! And we were never in the top 10!

 

[RF2044]

Yup. Rooting for 1 and 2 year mercenaries is just not that fun anymore.

I don't have a problem with these kids going pro early, or only staying around for a year or two.

But is it too much to ask for them to do more than lead us to the round of 32? Cripes...

 

[Briancuse]

I am so tired of college basketball

 

[AZOrange]

Except that JG has two seriously knowledgable "advisors" that genuinely have his best interest at heart. If his dad and uncle say he should make the jump, then who are we to say he shouldn't?

Maybe so, but this assumes positions on the issue and that it was unanimous. I could easily see them saying go back to school and him feeling obligated to his family. The whole thing is terrible.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

Yup. Rooting for 1 and 2 year mercenaries is just not that fun anymore.

One of many reasons I've become more of an NBA than college fan. Get to follow players longer than a year or two. Best league/sport on the face of the Earth. Playoffs start this weekend, great 2 months, if you like basketball. Preview of things to come last night in Portland.

 

[AZOrange]

I enjoy watching Jerami play, but he has zero chance of getting on the floor next year in the NBA. He has no offensive skill set that translates to the NBA. He is physically weak, which transcends the problem even more. He has D League written all over him. He is going to have a hard time playing enough to give an NBA team confidence offering him a second contract. Whoever is advising him on this decision is not looking out for his best interests, but maybe their own.

The physical weakness thing is so glaring and something that could easily be fixed in college.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Good for Jerami. Having two 1st round picks this year won't hurt when Autry and Hop are out recruiting. Not saying you have to like it, but having lottery picks every year helps recruiting more than getting to an Elite 8.

 

[NineOneSeven]

College hoops sucks.

Don't worry, the NBA playoffs start soon.

I used to be one of the "college basketball is SOOOO much better than the NBA OMG the NBA sucks so much no defense no passion blah blah". Once I educated myself about it, it's not even close to all that nonsense. The NBA playoffs are going to be awesome this year. Tune in for the western conference. It's going to be fun.

I like both college and the NBA, but this is exactly why college ball is frustrating to watch. The best talent doesn't stay. And of course I don't blame them, but as a fan, you always wish to have the most talent on the team you love.

 

[Briancuse]

Good for Jerami. Having two 1st round picks this year won't hurt when Autry and Hop are out recruiting. Not saying you have to like it, but having lottery picks every year helps recruiting more than getting to an Elite 8.

It will hurt our team next year, and do nothing for either ennis or grant.

 

[cuseguy]

I wish him luck, but he's going to make SU look bad when he winds up in the D League. That's not what we want. So unpolished.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Good for Jerami. Having two 1st round picks this year won't hurt when Autry and Hop are out recruiting. Not saying you have to like it, but having lottery picks every year helps recruiting more than getting to an Elite 8.

True. It's a vicious cycle. You use lottery picks to help recruit future lottery picks. You just hope those players, who are the most talented, can lead you to the promise land, with the help of the 4 year guys who should have developed over their stay. Didn't work this year. Worked last year (F4). Worked in 2003.

This has become our style.

 

[cuseguy]

Don't worry, the NBA playoffs start soon. I used to be one of the "college basketball is SOOOO much better than the NBA OMG the NBA sucks so much no defense no passion blah blah". Once I educated myself about it, it's not even close to all that nonsense. The NBA playoffs are going to be awesome this year. Tune in for the western conference. It's going to be fun. I like both college and the NBA, but this is exactly why college ball is frustrating to watch. The best talent doesn't stay. And of course I don't blame them, but as a fan, you always wish to have the most talent on the team you love.

You couldn't pay me to watch the NBA.

 

[CorduroyG]

if parker comes back i may kill somebody

 

[OrangeDW]

hindsight is 20/20. no one thought we were going to be a top 10 team in 03 or 10. nobody.

you are lying if you claim otherwise. Hell we weren't even ranked until FEBRUARY in 2003! And we were never in the top 10!

I'm not lying, and if you were on the boards back then there were a lot of fans who thought we'd be very good in 2003 and 2010. Many of us don't need the media to tell us when the team we actually follow closer than they do, will be good.

That February 2003 ranking thing was ridiculous. We were underrated and overlooked almost all season in 2003. Just because the polls slept doesn't mean Syracuse fans did. It was obvious very early on what we had that year. And it was obvious just watching Melo in the McDonald's game that he was on another level. With Melo, and Warrick's emergence late in his freshman year, the long awaited debut of Edelin, etc. I was as excited going into that season as I'd ever been.

Any Cuse fans who paid attention were not surprised at all that Wes Johnson played that well either. He was an already established good college player, 22 years old, and got rave reviews all year from anyone Syracuse affiliated in 2009.

 

[NineOneSeven]

You couldn't pay me to watch the NBA.

Oh man, really? I was tooootally going to paypal you some money today too...

 

[Timonen]

It will hurt our team next year, and do nothing for either ennis or grant.

Do nothing? Except guarantee them more money than a lot of people earn in a lifetime and a spot working in the most elite league in the world. yeah, i feel terrible for them that they won't have the privilege of entertaining us for free.

 

[Briancuse]

Do nothing? Except guarantee them more money than a lot of people earn in a lifetime and a spot working in the most elite league in the world. yeah, i feel terrible for them that they won't have the privilege of entertaining us for free.

How is that working out for Donte?

 

[cuseguy]

True. It's a vicious cycle. You use lottery picks to help recruit future lottery picks. You just hope those players, who are the most talented, can lead you to the promise land, with the help of the 4 year guys who should have developed over their stay.

That's our problem.

 

[We Are Syracuse]

See ya... Thanks for your efforts Jerami... Can't believe he's actually leaving but I guess they know more than we do... No worries, can finally get some jump shooters into the lineup now...

PS: Franklin Howard better committ to the cuse tonight!

 

[AZOrange]

Do nothing? Except guarantee them more money than a lot of people earn in a lifetime and a spot working in the most elite league in the world. yeah, i feel terrible for them that they won't have the privilege of entertaining us for free.

The problem I have with grant is exactly that though. I'm not sure about his guarantee...

 

[Timonen]

How is that working out for Donte?

we've done this math a thousand times here. he's a multi millionaire with more life experiences than any of us minus cto could ever hope to achieve. if he's happy, i'd say it's working out fan-fn-tastically for him.

 

[007]

I don't have a problem with these kids going pro early, or only staying around for a year or two.

But is it too much to ask for them to do more than lead us to the round of 32? Cripes...

Totally agree, RF.

With all this NBA ready, top half of the draft, early entry talent, is it too much to expect that we should be doing better in the NCAAT? Or maybe that NBA ready, top half of the draft early entrant talent is being overvalued or under coached at this time?

But, I have absolutely no problem with the player, as an individual, jumping to the NBA given where they are being projected. Whether or not that works out for them is a different issue.

 

[OrangeDW]

One of many reasons I've become more of an NBA than college fan. Get to follow players longer than a year or two. Best league/sport on the face of the Earth. Playoffs start this weekend, great 2 months, if you like basketball. Preview of things to come last night in Portland.

I can't wait for Houston-Portland and Clippers-Warriors(hope they hold onto that 6 seed) first round matchups! They should be entertaining series' to watch. Even Memphis-San Antonio could be a great 1st round matchup if the seeds hold, as Memphis has given the Spurs playoff problems in the past, with the big upset a few years ago. The Western conference playoffs should be great.

 

[Conrad13]

In terms of the team's chances I think that Ennis's loss hurts more. Jerami is a great athlete and I'll miss him, but I'm hopeful that the addition of McCollough and improvement by Johnson and Roberson will make up for his loss. Having two point guards on the team next year, however, would have been a big improvement and as excited as I am about Joseph, another year with Ennis at the helm would have been great.

As a lifelong college basketball fan, I hear what you all are saying about the short tenures of good college basketball players. I can't hold anything against these guys for the career choices that they are making, but when I make my short list of favorite Syracuse players of all time, it mostly includes the players that I rooted for for more than a year or two.

 

[kuethstheman]

I enjoy watching Jerami play, but he has zero chance of getting on the floor next year in the NBA. He has no offensive skill set that translates to the NBA. He is physically weak, which transcends the problem even more. He has D League written all over him. He is going to have a hard time playing enough to give an NBA team confidence offering him a second contract. Whoever is advising him on this decision is not looking out for his best interests, but maybe their own.

What chances would you have given MCW for being rookie of the year?