What's our backup plan if Battle and Brissett both leave?

[two3zone]

If Bayer has a scholarship next year JFC Jim Boeheim.

Bayer and Buddy... make zero sense

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

If we struggle next year no matter who is here people are going to be banging the drum even louder for him to step aside. This year is the worst conference record in our programs history. Something needs to change.

Yeah, but we would be a lot more talented next year, so that's probably realistic. Something is changing...the talent level.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

Yes. One question. Did what we do work? Yes or no.

No, it did not. But who says changing to man to man would have?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Yeah, but we would be a lot more talented next year, so that's probably realistic. Something is changing...the talent level.

You’re saying if we don’t have Battle or Brissett we won’t be a bubble team?

 

[Alsacs]

Bayer and Buddy... make zero sense

JB isn’t giving one to Buddy. He doesn’t have too. Just have his boss give him a 100k bonus for coaching 30 games next year and JB can pay for Buddy like that.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Bayer and Buddy... make zero sense

The only thing I've seen for Bayer was in a hometown article about him ... no idea how accurate that is and Buddy is just a guess at this point. If neither gets a scholarship, and Battle stays, then that's an easy one additional. If Battle leaves, that's two. If Battle and Brissett/Wildcard leaves, that's three. We're currently recruiting one more big.

 

[two3zone]

No, it did not. But who says changing to man to man would have?

Wasn't worth a try a few times up and down the court? I think that's all everyone is asking for. That insane of a request? I think it's less insane than doing something over and over that isn't working.

 

[MikeSU02]

We have to get at least Manuel and another perimeter scorer correct?

My fear is we are square back on the bubble in that scenario. Carey/Howard/Bazley as a big 3 won't cut it unless Moyer/Marek drastically improve their shooting ability. It would be the same scenario as this year.

We'd be in lots of trouble.

Assuming OB would make solid progression (let's say finishing at the rim, improve his 3pt shooting a bit), we would have two forwards that can be threats on multiple fronts with the ball. JB could really push the offense to places where he can't right now.

I'm still really worried about our shooting which I think will do us in, but we should see better looks and more ball movement. Right now we can't pass the ball to everyone (forget about the shooting).

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

You’re saying if we don’t have Battle or Brissett we won’t be a bubble team?

I have no idea. I have heard good things about Hughes, I think Sidibe is going to be pretty good, and I think Chukwu will continue to improve. I think Frank Howard will be really good. I've seen Bazely and Carey play in person and they both are very good players and will have a big impact right away. I think Marek and Moyer will be better. I don't think Brissett is going anywhere. I expect us to be good next year.

 

[Ryand877]

Wasn't worth a try a few times up and down the court? I think that's all everyone is asking for. That insane of a request? I think it's less insane than doing something over and over that isn't working.

Yes! This is all I'm trying to say.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

Wasn't worth a try a few times up and down the court? I think that's all everyone is asking for. That insane of a request? I think it's less insane than doing something over and over that isn't working.

No. Are teams supposed to switch defenses everytime the opponent makes a few 3's? You either believe in it or not. That's our defense. Again, it's not like man to man teams don't get lit up as well.

 

[OrangeDW]

Wasn't worth a try a few times up and down the court? I think that's all everyone is asking for. That insane of a request? I think it's less insane than doing something over and over that isn't working.

Not if we hadn’t practiced it. If he’d already determined that using practice time to work on something they’re not going to use in games is not the way he wants to do things...it’s a safe bet that man would be worse.

They make adjustments to how they’re playing the zone, rather than switching to man. The approach is what it is, but you’ve gotta practice man a lot to be any good at it.

 

[OttoMets]

Yeah, I feel like we’ve just about made it through the storm and are just about ready to come out the other side of it...so it’s weird to me that people are picking this time to freak out. I feel way better about things than I did a year ago.

I'm not freaking out, but I can speculate about why some might be:

1) Most of us are used to a more predictable college basketball, and some (I'm not in this group) adapt to change more quickly than others. So it's weird when marginally effective college players might just disappear before next November. Because of the recent history with early departures, people are nervous.
2) There's also a recent history of unproven players failing to meet (sometimes unreasonable) expectations. So maybe the high school kids and Hughes won't be good enough to get the team over the hump (just like Gillons and Whites and a bunch of people before them weren't).
3) Boeheim's gotten more conservative. I don't think it's too controversial to say that he's not reinventing the wheel at this stage. Either he's going to work with elite talent that fits the system or he'll lose double-digit games because we don't have all the pieces in place for his system to succeed. So if #2 comes to pass, #3 becomes a problem.
4) Boeheim's old, relative to his peers and historic comps. Don't mean to sound ageist, and I'm not suggesting he's elderly or infirm or anything like that. But 74-year-old people are usually worse at a lot of things than they were in their younger years. There's a reason many people retire by then, and it's not because they're financially comfortable. It's because they're no longer as good at the work. And time's moving in the wrong direction on this one.

#1 is the reason why I've stopped caring about a lot of these debates. When the rosters are in such a state of flux, we can't predict anything. There are four people on the team right now who reasonable people think might not be here next season. Kids get hurt (and properly diagnosed) all the time now. Sometimes recruits don't show up. Crazy things happen. Now, I don't think that's a reason to freak out, either. But it's less reassuring in light of some of the other areas of concern.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

JB isn’t giving one to Buddy. He doesn’t have too. Just have his boss give him a 100k bonus for coaching 30 games next year and JB can pay for Buddy like that.

As he should, given the fact JB has been underpaid by millions over 40 years.

 

[Ryand877]

No. Are teams supposed to switch defenses everytime the opponent makes a few 3's? You either believe in it or not. That's our defense. Again, it's not like man to man teams don't get lit up as well.

A few? How about 6 in a row for starters?

 

[Henny & Coke]

Ahh yes, little played freshman to starters or starter minutes and you're citing per game stats. Nice, if that's you're argument then there's really not much I can say. 2 of the guys have played here in the past 5 years, and Howard's per 40 numbers are far off.

Tell me about

Chinoso
Buss
BJ
Kaleb
Cooney
Roberson

And their improvements.

1.) Stats - I used per game stats, but you can't tell me this doesn't give a good indication of how impactful all/most of these guys were from one season to next?

2.) I only went looking for guys who dramatically improved their numbers - and tried to limit it to forwards/centers and improvement happening in early part of career - so as to be most pertinent to the conversation.

So, yeah, only 2 in past 5 years have had such a dramatic impact...but that's still not bad. And shows that yes, you can sometimes count on players taking huge steps in their developments from one season to next.

3.) Guys you cite -

3A.) Chino shouldn't even count. Guy was only recruited to get someone else, was a big man prospect who was universally known to be raw (development coming in later years, if ever), and never got playing time anyway.

3B.) Recruitment of Patterson was prob only guy I ever really questioned the staff for taking. I never saw what staff saw in this guy.

3C.) All of Chino, Patterson & BJ were one (bad) recruiting class that the team swung & missed on. Plus, they all transferred out of here before they had a shot at being guys who could have raised their games.

3D.) I give you Kaleb Joseph. No idea what happened there. Still don't really know.

3E.) Cooney & Roberson? They were fine players. Not great, but fine. You can win with those guys as starters...long as the other guys are better.

 

[two3zone]

No. Are teams supposed to switch defenses everytime the opponent makes a few 3's? You either believe in it or not. That's our defense. Again, it's not like man to man teams don't get lit up as well.

Yes, if you're getting torched then you do something about it.

If your guard drives to the hole and gets blocked every time, do you keep driving?

 

[two3zone]

Not if we hadn’t practiced it. If he’d already determined that using practice time to work on something they’re not going to use in games is not the way he wants to do things...it’s a safe bet that man would be worse.

They make adjustments to how they’re playing the zone, rather than switching to man. The approach is what it is, but you’ve gotta practice man a lot to be any good at it.

You have to practice a lot of man to be good at it?

Get out of here lol

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

A few? How about 6 in a row for starters?

and if they hit 6 more on man to man?

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

You have to practice a lot of man to be good at it?

Get out of here lol

Umm...yes.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I'm not freaking out, but I can speculate about why some might be:

1) Most of us are used to a more predictable college basketball, and some (I'm not in this group) adapt to change more quickly than others. So it's weird when marginally effective college players might just disappear before next November. Because of the recent history with early departures, people are nervous.
2) There's also a recent history of unproven players failing to meet (sometimes unreasonable) expectations. So maybe the high school kids and Hughes won't be good enough to get the team over the hump (just like Gillons and Whites and a bunch of people before them weren't).
3) Boeheim's gotten more conservative. I don't think it's too controversial to say that he's not reinventing the wheel at this stage. Either he's going to work with elite talent that fits the system or he'll lose double-digit games because we don't have all the pieces in place for his system to succeed. So if #2 comes to pass, #3 becomes a problem.
4) Boeheim's old, relative to his peers and historic comps. Don't mean to sound ageist, and I'm not suggesting he's elderly or infirm or anything like that. But 74-year-old people are usually worse at a lot of things than they were in their younger years. There's a reason many people retire by then, and it's not because they're financially comfortable. It's because they're no longer as good at the work. And time's moving in the wrong direction on this one.

#1 is the reason why I've stopped caring about a lot of these debates. When the rosters are in such a state of flux, we can't predict anything. There are four people on the team right now who reasonable people think might not be here next season. Kids get hurt (and properly diagnosed) all the time now. Sometimes recruits don't show up. Crazy things happen. Now, I don't think that's a reason to freak out, either. But it's less reassuring in light of some of the other areas of concern.

That's a really good comprehensive post.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

Yes, if you're getting torched then you do something about it.

If your guard drives to the hole and gets blocked every time, do you keep driving?

What do man-to-man teams that only play man do when they are getting torched?

 

[two3zone]

and if they hit 6 more on man to man?

They didn't hit any 3s against man so who knows. What I do know is it couldn't be worse those 6 possessions.

 

[two3zone]

What do man-to-man teams that only play man do when they are getting torched?

Duke changes it up, Kentucky changes it up, Hopkins turned a garbage team into a 20 win team and he changes it up.

What do they know.

 

[Ryand877]

and if they hit 6 more on man to man?

Than at least you tried to adjust and do something else.