The Talk

[Goin' Deep]

So I think we all can agree that CUSE is a donut... nothing in the middle. I LIKE MALIQ alot!!!
But too often we are overmatched. WE NEED A TRANSFER!!!! Maybe. What I think the program needs MORE THAN ANYTHING is a big man coach. And THEN the players will come.

 

[Vorony]

We have a difference of opinion on this one. I think JT is a major defensive liability, especially against P5 competition. He’s constantly getting burned on D in conference play.

Yup. He got burned 3 times in a row by FSU on Tuesday from what I remember. I think that was when Red had enough and subbed in Benny for Taylor.

 

[Cusefan0307]

We have a difference of opinion on this one. I think JT is a major defensive liability, especially against P5 competition. He’s constantly getting burned on D in conference play.

There’s two starters that grade out worse than him, but It doesn’t really matter because we get nothing on offense from him. Just going by the analytics.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

We have a difference of opinion on this one. I think JT is a major defensive liability, especially against P5 competition. He’s constantly getting burned on D in conference play.

When he’s guarding a big 4, sure. But he shouldn’t be guarding that guy. JT would probably do fine against guys like Bell. I also like the fact JT actively boxes guys out, preventing them from getting the rebound. Or get the over the back call like he did last game.

Defense isn’t the concern for him, it’s the no shows on offense.

 

[Cuse181]

Any you know Westry is better than Copeland, how?

Because no one has seen him play, so he must be better. Football example: CDRW is better than an injured GS, except then he wasnt. There is always someone on the bench who is secretly better until you watch them and see that they arent.

 

[PhatOrange]

Can't see them pushing out all 3 centers. And replace them with who? There are 13 scholarships and you need big guys in practice. 10 other spots with needs that impact the team more than the center position.

First and foremost need a true pg who can run the show and distribute.

Need a shooting guard who can shoot. I like Starling but he's nearly as limited as Taylor on the offense and can't shoot. He'd be great off the bench.

The 4 spot seems to be fine with Brown and Freeman.

The biggest need behind a pg is the SF spot. Others have mentioned and I agree that we really need a multiple SF who can put the ball on the floor, score and rebound. Easier said than done but it's what we need.

Obviously things are fluid but I see it as Williams and Taylor get the talk and Mintz goes to Europe.

The center is manned by the 3 kids you mention and Brown/Freeman. (Ideally we can find a G6 portal center who can hold on to the ball, set screens, execute a pick and roll and rebound.)

5 spot - McCleod, Brown, Freeman, Cary
4 spot - Brown and Freeman
3 spot - Need a homerun here but it'll be Bell, Moore and Copeland for now
2 spot - Need an upgrade here but it'll be Starling, Copeland, Moore, Cuff
1 spot - Need an Alist pg but for now it'll be Copeland, Starling, Cuff.

Right now the starting 5 might be Brown, Freeman, Bell, Starling and Copeland.

 

[dan7800]

I kind of like Carey as a long term project. He's tall and seems to have a decent stroke in warm ups.

 

[Cuse181]

What makes you think the program has the upper hand in these talks?

Is there a long line of better players waiting in line to come join the cuse that we need some the slots for?

The program have been on a downward slide for years. We are simply not relevant nationally anymore. We kind of lived on the largest BB attendance and a HOFer coach for a while and those are no longer primary considerations for many recruits. Fewer and fewer players who grew up "always wanted to play for the orange".

NIL and the portal has changed the game forever. You simply can't operate with the mindset of "we will keep A B C D E players and replace F G H I with better players". At the end of every year is the musical chairs all over the game, it's more likely then not that the players you want to keep are either testing for NBA waters despite not being ready or asking for more NIL money that the coaches are trying to arrange, and then you are half a dozen players who left other programs who have expressed interests because they do not fit their former programs and may or may not fit here but you have to roll the dices on because you don't know who might end up staying or leaving.

The end result is everyone is probably going to get a talk, then will be like 2 months of chaos.

This is an ACC school with a rich history, a large fanbase and (supposedly) improving NIL system, if you cant bring in top-quality transfers then you're not fit to be a head/assistant coach at Syracuse.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I kind of like Carey as a long term project. He's tall and seems to have a decent stroke in warm ups.

As long as Hima isn’t here too sucking up a roster spot. We use too many scholarships on project bigs.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

When he’s guarding a big 4, sure. But he shouldn’t be guarding that guy. JT would probably do fine against guys like Bell. I also like the fact JT active boxes guys out, preventing them from getting the rebound. Or get the over the back call like he did last game.

Defense isn’t the concern for him, it’s the no shows on offense.

I really encourage all you guys that think JT isn’t a major defensive liability to really watch him during the next few games. I don’t think he’s capable of guarding athletes at a P5 level. Bell is just as bad. I’ll stand by my position that JT and Bell really shouldn’t be on the court at the same time due to their liabilities. Bell gives us more as a shooter and JT gives us more as a rebounder, but neither option is ideal.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

I kind of like Carey as a long term project. He's tall and seems to have a decent stroke in warm ups.

Pick your project: Carey or Patterson. One or the other. We don’t have room for both.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I really encourage all you guys that think JT isn’t a major defensive liability to really watch him during the next few games. I don’t think he’s capable of guarding athletes at a P5 level. Bell is just as bad. I’ll stand by my position that JT and Bell really shouldn’t be on the court at the same time due to their liabilities. Bell gives us more as a shooter and JT gives us more as a rebounder, but neither option is ideal.

Your last statement is absolutely fair. And I do think JT is a liability when expected to fill Browns spot at the 4. I just think JT is in a tough position because once again, our other centers are not capable of playing through a lack of talent or physically limited due to injuries. We’re asking him to play guys 4-6 inches taller than he is regularly. The truth is he can’t do that. He and bell should be swapped out for each other, never on the floor at the same time.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Your last statement is absolutely fair. And I do think JT is a liability when expected to fill Browns spot at the 4. I just think JT is in a tough position because once again, our other centers are not capable of playing through a lack of talent or physically limited due to injuries. We’re asking him to play guys 4-6 inches taller than he is regularly. The truth is he can’t do that. He and bell should be swapped out for each other, never on the floor at the same time.

Yet Red continues to start both JT and Bell and play them together for significant minutes. Love what Red is doing with the direction of the program but the Bell/JT thing is one of my criticisms with his coaching so far. But I know he has flaws in his roster and injuries (Westry) that is forcing his hand. Just reinforces the need for some roster reshaping in the offseason.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Have you seen Hima play?

Have you? He does what he does. He can block/alter shots and rebound. He had 26 blocks and 47 rebounds in 200 minutes last year, including 7 blocks against St. John’s.
If memory serves, he had a quick block vs. FSU.
Every player can’t do everything. The best teams have guys who do different things well.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Have you? He does what he does. He can block/alter shots and rebound. He’s not going to score a lot. If memory serves, he had a quick block vs. FSU. Plus, the guy isn’t healthy.
Every player can’t do everything. The best teams have guys who do different things well.

Hima needs to be medically retired. Let him finish his degree, but he can’t take up a roster spot next year. He’s Sidibe 2.0

I’m really getting annoyed by all these big guys with knee and leg problems. We’ve had too many over the last decade.

 

[Sbucketball]

Yet Red continues to start both JT and Bell and play them together for significant minutes. Love what Red is doing with the direction of the program but the Bell/JT thing is one of my criticisms with his coaching so far. But I know he has flaws in his roster and injuries (Westry) that is forcing his hand. Just reinforces the need for some roster reshaping in the offseason.

Agree JT and Bell shouldn't play together, but just commenting to say Benny shares fault here too. His inability to put it together and bad attitude has forced this lineup. He's hurt us horribly over 3 years, 2 of which we purposely didn't get a forward from the portal to keep him happy with the expectation he could do the job. I'd still play him over JT in many scenarios, but man I can't wait for Freeman.

 

[richard levy]

Portal wish list
1) 6'10, 240 lbs. Not necessarily to start, but in a rotation with Brown/Freeman. Carolina ate us up down low. That's not most teams, but there will be others
2) 6'6, 210. Wing with mid to upper 30% 3pt accuracy. Moore has a shot, Freeman range has been expanding. would give us at least 2-3 wing shooters on the court at all times. Bell would be great off the bench, he either is on or he isn't, and i hate his D. Taylor should have gone to Va, where they set picks and use more motion that matters
3) Hima physically unable to play. Carey, great warmup dunk skills, but so what. One or both should be gone depending of # scholarships

 

[tbonezone]

Hima needs to be medically retired. Let him finish his degree, but he can’t take up a roster spot next year. He’s Sidibe 2.0

I’m really getting annoyed by all these big guys with knee and leg problems. We’ve had too many over the last decade.

a 7 fter with foot/knee issues equals about 6'6" with hops. but much slower.

 

[miamicuse]

This is an ACC school with a rich history, a large fanbase and (supposedly) improving NIL system, if you cant bring in top-quality transfers then you're not fit to be a head/assistant coach at Syracuse.

We can bring in quality transfer(s), and we will also lose quality players at the same time like Jesse, Kadary etc...it's a state of chaos once the season is over and the mind set can't be "we will keep these 4 guys and nudge out these other 4 guys to replace with better guys" because every school is doing the same thing and the portal will be full of misfit parts at other schools and guys looking for better NIL deals.

Rich in history don't mean much anymore. The current generation players we are recruiting did not grow up watching the same caliber of players we used to recruit nor are they aware of the hype the traditional Cuse Vs GT game brings in March on network TV. Today I can't even find some of our games on channels like ESPN fam, ACCNX, The CW.

 

[PhatOrange]

I kind of like Carey as a long term project. He's tall and seems to have a decent stroke in warm ups.

I do to.

 

[Cuse181]

We can bring in quality transfer(s), and we will also lose quality players at the same time like Jesse, Kadary etc...it's a state of chaos once the season is over and the mind set can't be "we will keep these 4 guys and nudge out these other 4 guys to replace with better guys" because every school is doing the same thing and the portal will be full of misfit parts at other schools and guys looking for better NIL deals.

Rich in history don't mean much anymore. The current generation players we are recruiting did not grow up watching the same caliber of players we used to recruit nor are they aware of the hype the traditional Cuse Vs GT game brings in March on network TV. Today I can't even find some of our games on channels like ESPN fam, ACCNX, The CW.

Syracuse has had multiple nationally televised games after two ~.500 seasons, so I don't give any credence to your last point.

As for your first point on losing guys, you dont lose these quality guys in a vacuum, coaches know who is leaving, and they know who is out there to be a replacement. There is really no excuse to not replace them/replace with low-level talent. Its not like Syracuse was bringing back top-level back-ups who no one could hope to compete with. Also, it is not like Syracuse is a some no-name mid major brand hoping to get lucky with some underrated guys, that is not what this team ever should be.

Honestly, it just seems odd that syracuse is somehow sitting alone in this bubble of "well what were they supposed to do beacuse they had to deal with x, y, and z" meanwhile you have schools like Wake, Olemiss, Clemson and South Carolina bringing in impact transfers. Schools who have struggled in recent years/went through coaching turnover and yet still were able to turn over rosters and be successful out of the gate. Seemingly without the benefits that syracuse has compared to all of them.

 

[Millhouse]

Bell is a close second to JT. Only thing keeping Bell on the court is his shooting ability. But I think his outside shooting is a bit overrated. He may be the best shooter on this team but he’s just average relative to most teams.

Agree. Decent form shouldn't be such a feather in his cap but around here it is

36% at his height is fine , but it's not worth all the other stuff that comes with it

I don't like that he's only 75% from the ft line.

6'7" and he has 32 FTA in 1062 minutes

 

[RF2044]

Agree. Decent form shouldn't be such a feather in his cap but around here it is

36% at his height is fine , but it's not worth all the other stuff that comes with it

I don't like that he's only 75% from the ft line.

6'7" and he has 32 FTA in 2062 minutes

Stationary jump shooters tend not to draw a very large volume of fouls [beyond where out of position defenders leave their feet to go flying at the shooter, and commit fouls beyond the arc].

 

[MaxFischer]

Agree. Decent form shouldn't be such a feather in his cap but around here it is

36% at his height is fine , but it's not worth all the other stuff that comes with it

I don't like that he's only 75% from the ft line.

6'7" and he has 32 FTA in 2062 minutes

I don't like that he couldn't guard you.

 

[baggerbob]

Agree. Decent form shouldn't be such a feather in his cap but around here it is

36% at his height is fine , but it's not worth all the other stuff that comes with it

I don't like that he's only 75% from the ft line.

6'7" and he has 32 FTA in 2062 minutes

How far the mighty have fallen. The 1986-87 team, the 5 starters all shot 50% from the field except Monroe and he was at 49%. The guards averaged almost 3 rebounds per game. DC and Rony averaged better than 8 a game.
Bell and Taylor shouldn't be starting, at most they should come off the bench.
If you can't play defense you shouldn't start.