The Recipe for Winning

[DangerZone]

Coach Boeheim has been right all along; we just need to make shots. Syracuse is 9-0 when shooting over 50% from the floor.

Now, obviously most teams win when they make more than half their shots but having done so 9 times this year is a statement. I'm just not so sure it's a statement about our offensive abilities. When we've played teams notable for their defense, and there haven't been many (Villanova, Auburn, VCU, Virginia), it hasn't been pretty.

Thankfully, the ACC is soft this year. So, let's drop the notion that this team is playing any differently than when we got torched by Colgate. If you want to look ahead and play the guessing game with what our record is before the ACC tournament, all you have to do is assess the opponent on whether or not they pride themselves on defense or if they'd rather outshoot their opponent (i.e. the same as our mentality). Here's how I think it plays out:

Louisville [W]
@ Boston College [L]
@ Virginia Tech [L]
Boston College [W]
Georgia Tech [W]
@ Notre Dame [L]
Duke [L]
@ North Carolina [W]
Miami [W]

Admittedly, this isn't hard to imagine since it projects a .500 pct Team winning roughly 50% of their remaining games, with one more home loss and one road win. Let's just be thankful we're not in a conference like the Big East anymore where a team like Georgetown, who beat us, can't get a win because their defense isn't up to par.

 

[bballbeadle]

I can see us beating Duke in the Dome.

I can!

 

[NineOneSeven]

Relying on the team shooting over 50% is statistically unlikely though.

 

[MikeSU02]

Relying on the team shooting over 50% is statistically unlikely though.

Yep.

We are 46% from the field and 37% from three for the year. We were 59% and 58% ,respectively, last night.

I think we can end up over .500. But it's not fair to expect them to shoot 50%+ consistently.

You also have to remember that Buddy is going to get up 16 shots per game. He's the center of gravity for the offense. Have to work off of that.

 

[DangerZone]

Just thought I'd update my post.

Let's be honest Louisville's basketball program is rudderless and they look like a team that has given up. Today, their defense was particularly terrible, and as a result, Syracuse shot over 50% yet again. So now a 12-11 team is 10-0 when they shoot over 50%. Here's my picks with no adjustment from last time.

@ Boston College [L]
@ Virginia Tech [L]
Boston College [W]
Georgia Tech [W]
@ Notre Dame [L]
Duke [L]
@ North Carolina [W]
Miami [W]

North Carolina's defense against Duke this evening was weak, so that road win above still seems plausible, if not probable. Similarly, if Duke doesn't win by double figures in the Dome, I will suspect the game was engineered in some manner.

 

[Orangezoo]

Yep.

We are 46% from the field and 37% from three for the year. We were 59% and 58% ,respectively, last night.

I think we can end up over .500. But it's not fair to expect them to shoot 50%+ consistently.

You also have to remember that Buddy is going to get up 16 shots per game. He's the center of gravity for the offense. Have to work off of that.

Against teams that don't have an answer for Jessie, our shooting numbers should be consistently high. The looks we are getting recently have had a lot to do with playing inside out.

To be fair, the law of averages will always be in play as well. Given they have shown they can do it in b2b games, that door is still open for now it seems.

 

[CousCuse]

Coach Boeheim has been right all along; we just need to make shots. Syracuse is 9-0 when shooting over 50% from the floor.

Now, obviously most teams win when they make more than half their shots but having done so 9 times this year is a statement. I'm just not so sure it's a statement about our offensive abilities. When we've played teams notable for their defense, and there haven't been many (Villanova, Auburn, VCU, Virginia), it hasn't been pretty.

Thankfully, the ACC is soft this year. So, let's drop the notion that this team is playing any differently than when we got torched by Colgate. If you want to look ahead and play the guessing game with what our record is before the ACC tournament, all you have to do is assess the opponent on whether or not they pride themselves on defense or if they'd rather outshoot their opponent (i.e. the same as our mentality). Here's how I think it plays out:

Louisville [W]
@ Boston College [L]
@ Virginia Tech [L]
Boston College [W]
Georgia Tech [W]
@ Notre Dame [L]
Duke [L]
@ North Carolina [W]
Miami [W]

Admittedly, this isn't hard to imagine since it projects a .500 pct Team winning roughly 50% of their remaining games, with one more home loss and one road win. Let's just be thankful we're not in a conference like the Big East anymore where a team like Georgetown, who beat us, can't get a win because their defense isn't up to par.

The emergence of Cole Swider has totally changed the offense and the team. He is as good a shooter as Buddy or Joe, who are both exceptional. I don't believe there is another team in the country who has 3 guys on the floor who can shoot like that. It takes time for a team of so many new players to come together as a team, 20 games may seem like a lot, but if it was a pro team it would be acceptable. Also, they would have beat Gtown if would have called fouls in the second half against them.

 

[MikeSU02]

Against teams that don't have an answer for Jessie, our shooting numbers should be consistently high. The looks we are getting recently have had a lot to do with playing inside out.

To be fair, the law of averages will always be in play as well. Given they have shown they can do it in b2b games, that door is still open for now it seems.

We shouldn’t expect 50% and 50% most game.

Jesse was highly offensively efficient before this run. That hasn’t changed. He’s been that way all year.

There are four teams >50% in all of D1 for FG.

The highest team for three is 44%, then #2 is at 42%.

We are shooting way outside the realm of what’s normal and should be expected.

Let’s enjoy it as fans and bank all the wins we can, but this isn’t likely to continue, at all.

If it does, then I guess the guys have all been eating their wheaties and should keep it up, haha.

This is our hot streak. But let’s realize this should not be the expectation.

 

[CousCuse]

We shouldn’t expect 50% and 50% most game.

Jesse was highly offensively efficient before this run. That hasn’t changed. He’s been that way all year.

There are four teams >50% in all of D1 for FG.

The highest team for three is 44%, then #2 is at 42%.

We are shooting way outside the realm of what’s normal and should be expected.

Let’s enjoy it as fans and bank all the wins we can, but this isn’t likely to continue, at all.

If it does, then I guess the guys have all been eating their wheaties and should keep it up, haha.

This is our hot streak. But let’s realize this should not be the expectation.

Or, maybe our coaching staff brought in 3 of the best shooters in the country.

 

[MikeSU02]

Or, maybe our coaching staff brought in 3 of the best shooters in the country.

Which three shooters are you talking about?

 

[Irt4su]

Moe larry and buddy

 

[Cusefan0307]

BC is improved, but it should be a favorable matchup for us. Their guards are undersized and their starting center is 6’9”. We should get anything we want offensively. The same should be said against VPI. The matchup that scares me that game is their shooters against our zone.

 

[CousCuse]

Which three shooters are you talking about?

Buddy, Joe and Cole. Syracuse has never put an offense on the floor with 3 guys who can shoot the 3 ball like all of those guys can. They've always had 1 three point specialist and some other guys who were respectable from 3. It has just taken time for Cole to fully engage which he now has and the offense came into full bloom.

 

[MikeSU02]

Buddy, Joe and Cole. Syracuse has never put an offence on the floor with 3 guys who can shoot the 3 ball like all of those guys can. They've always had 1 three point specialist and some other guys who were respectable from 3. It has just taken time for Cole to fully engage which he now has and the offense came into full bloom.

Ya. We won’t agree. All good, though.

Hope we keep the streak going.

 

[Orangezoo]

We shouldn’t expect 50% and 50% most game.

Jesse was highly offensively efficient before this run. That hasn’t changed. He’s been that way all year.

There are four teams >50% in all of D1 for FG.

The highest team for three is 44%, then #2 is at 42%.

We are shooting way outside the realm of what’s normal and should be expected.

Let’s enjoy it as fans and bank all the wins we can, but this isn’t likely to continue, at all.

If it does, then I guess the guys have all been eating their wheaties and should keep it up, haha.

This is our hot streak. But let’s realize this should not be the expectation.

I don't disagree. I do think that the norm for this team has been missed quite a few games as well. We need to be at norm or above the rest of the year out. Norm at least gives us a good shot in every game to win it. The defense then determines whether that happens.

 

[Orangezoo]

Buddy, Joe and Cole. Syracuse has never put an offense on the floor with 3 guys who can shoot the 3 ball like all of those guys can. They've always had 1 three point specialist and some other guys who were respectable from 3. It has just taken time for Cole to fully engage which he now has and the offense came into full bloom.

2016-2017. AWIII shot 40.3 pct, Lydon 39.5, Battle 36.6, Gillon 41.9 pct

As a team we are on track this year to hit about as many 3s as we did that year. We also shot 38.4 pct as a team. We are 37.7 so far this year.

 

[Alsacs]

Or, maybe our coaching staff brought in 3 of the best shooters in the country.

Zelda Zonk what do I say to this?

 

[CousCuse]

2016-2017. AWIII shot 40.3 pct, Lydon 39.5, Battle 36.6, Gillon 41.9 pct

As a team we are on track this year to hit about as many 3s as we did that year. We also shot 38.4 pct as a team. We are 37.7 so far this year.

How many 3's did Lydon and Battle shoot? Even Gillon? This team is based on 3 point shooting.

 

[Orangezoo]

How many 3's did Lydon and Battle shoot? Even Gillon? This team is based on 3 point shooting.

Lol. The big 4 shooters in 2016-2017 shot just over 20 3s combined per game. Our big 4 3 pt shooters this year average 22 3s a game.

In total shots- 40 pct of all FGA were 3PA in 16-17.

This year 38 pct of all FGA are 3PA.

These numbers aren't that hard to look up. Next time inform yourself.

 

[TinyManInside]

Lol. The big 4 shooters in 2016-2017 shot just over 20 3s combined per game. Our big 4 3 pt shooters this year average 22 3s a game.

In total shots- 40 pct of all FGA were 3PA in 16-17.

This year 38 pct of all FGA are 3PA.

These numbers aren't that hard to look up. Next time inform yourself.

I mean, this is just great.

 

[CousCuse]

Lol. The big 4 shooters in 2016-2017 shot just over 20 3s combined per game. Our big 4 3 pt shooters this year average 22 3s a game.

In total shots- 40 pct of all FGA were 3PA in 16-17.

This year 38 pct of all FGA are 3PA.

These numbers aren't that hard to look up. Next time inform yourself.

If you looked up the numbers why lump them together? If Lydon and Battle could shoot the 3 as good as your implying, they would both still be in the NBA.

 

[MikeSU02]

I don't disagree. I do think that the norm for this team has been missed quite a few games as well. We need to be at norm or above the rest of the year out. Norm at least gives us a good shot in every game to win it. The defense then determines whether that happens.

I think what we each consider the norm for this team isn’t eye to eye, which is cool.

The last two teams haven’t been great and both missing their center.

I don’t think our streak hitting when we have a stretch of the schedule where we’re not playing tough teams isn’t a coincidence.

I’ll be ecstatic if the guys can keep up these %s, and I want it to continue, but I’m not expecting it.

That’s all. These numbers are off the charts good. I don’t think it’s sustainable. I think we can see it here and there, but not game in and game out. That’s all.

 

[Orangezoo]

I think what we each consider the norm for this team isn’t eye to eye, which is cool.

The last two teams haven’t been great and both missing their center.

I don’t think our streak hitting when we have a stretch of the schedule where we’re not playing tough teams isn’t a coincidence.

I’ll be ecstatic if the guys can keep up these %s, and I want it to continue, but I’m not expecting it.

That’s all. These numbers are off the charts good. I don’t think it’s sustainable. I think we can see it here and there, but not game in and game out. That’s all.

Not disagreeing as much as you think. The key is that we don't have to be 58 pct good but we do have to be above our median on both sides of the ball to make a run.

 

[ROCorange]

Yep.

We are 46% from the field and 37% from three for the year. We were 59% and 58% ,respectively, last night.

I think we can end up over .500. But it's not fair to expect them to shoot 50%+ consistently.

You also have to remember that Buddy is going to get up 16 shots per game. He's the center of gravity for the offense. Have to work off of that.

In addition to Cole hitting shots that takes pressure off Buddy & Joe (both mental pressure and defensive pressure), I think an under-discussed key to our shooting percentage the past few games has been pushing the tempo.

Syracuse teams of old used to get a lot of fast break points (often off of steals/deflections in the zone). That hasn't happened much the past few years, but Symir typically pushes the tempo when he comes in and it seems Joe has gotten the memo as well. Helps that the zone seems to be more active and is getting more steals/deflections too.

 

[Orangezoo]

If you looked up the numbers why lump them together? If Lydon and Battle could shoot the 3 as good as your implying, they would both still be in the NBA.

You are fascinating case in trolling. You can look it up yourself because- folks on here are not your secretaries.

Here is a hint- 16-17 had two higher volume 3pt shooters and 2 medium volume. It's almost the same for this year except it's 3 and 1. That isn't all that relevant - and statistically insignificant to the point that the aggregation of shooters is the point. That was what you called out. Except you missed the fact it was 4 outside shooters on each team, not 3.


Your question or attempt to still poorly prove your point is way out of bounds. How a guy shoots in college is not representative of how he shoots it the pros. It's a different game- feel free to prove your opinion with numbers on that as well.

Battle didn't have a great Jr year and his shot was worse. He shot 32 pct from 3 and overall just struggled to shoot. Those kinda guys don't get drafted. But that has absolutely nothing to do with this given its unlikely any of this year's shooters are going to play at the next level. Not a one gets drafted higher than Lydon did- guarantee that.

Prove your point with numbers- that is your Sunday challenge.

BTW- Jessie's offense is a huge part of this year's team. 16-17 was more 3 pt reliant than this year.